The Social Welfare And Import Trade Of Britain And China

Title analysis: This essay will compare the social welfare and import export trade of Britain and China, and will evaluate the causes and consequences of the differences. In recent years, the import and export trade has been one of the factors of the rapid economic development of many countries, by increasing the production inputs, labour inputs and technology investment, and promoting economic development. At the same time, with the continuous development of economy, countries ensure the harmonious development of society by continuously improving the country s social welfare system, solving the problem of living in certain groups. China and UK are import and export trading powers, and in terms of social welfare there is a huge difference, Britain has a relatively sound social welfare system, however, because of China s large population and it is in the development stage of the social welfare system has many shortcomings. This essay will compare the Social Welfare and the import and export trade between China and the Britain. Social welfare is divided into its definition, children welfare and the elderly welfare. Import and export trade will compare t he UK’s and China’s comparing the products. Britain is known for its welfare state. The word first appeared during World War II. According to Rodney (1999), welfare State through politics and administration modifies market forces in at least three directions. First, by ensuring individuals and families a minimum incomeShow MoreRelatedThe Party Support Uk Leave The Eu1391 Words   |  6 Pagesaspects, politics, trade, immigration, and history. In the political dimension, UK and the EU countries have obvious difference on the issue of sovereignty (Biskup, 2003). Britain emphasis on the sovereignty of parliament is inalienable. 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Why Do Ones Looks Get For Justify Others Opinions

Why does ones looks get to justify others opinions? The first impression people get of each other is the way one looks. If someone has tattoos, is overweight, or just plain unattractive they are deemed as some sort of monster. Our perceptions of others and stereotypes that are used impact everyone’s social identities today. When we stop hiding from the fact that we as a society are based off of appearances, we can come together to change these social misinterpretations. David Kirby and Deborah Rhode introduced us to the topic of discrimination and stereotypes that we face based upon our appearance and physical attributes. They assist by showing us how this discrimination should be changing into something more thoughtful and positive. Social perceptions of one’s appearance leads to stereotypes and discrimination that should be legally changed to help people for the better. 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Customer Value and Superior Performance free essay sample

Market Orientation, Customer Value, and Superior Performance Stanley F. Slater and John C Narver Thinking in terms of the market (not marketing) is essential in the highiy competitive arenas of today, o achieve superior performance, a business must develop and sustain competitive advantage. But where competitive advantage was once based on structural characteristics such as market power, economies of scale, or a broad product line, the emphasis today has shifted to capabilities that enable a business to consistently deliver superior value to its customers. This, after all, is the meaning of competitive advantage.Our recent research shows that a market-oriented culture provides a solid foundation for these value-creating capabilities. A business is market-oriented when its culture is systematically and entirely committed to the continuous creation of superior customer value. Specifically, this entails collecting and coordinating information on customers, competitors, and other significant market influencers (such as regulators and suppliers) to use in building that value (see Figure 1). The three major components of market orientation+ustomer orientation, competitor focus, and cross-functional coordination-are long-term in vision and profit-driven.Based on extensive interviews with managers and executives, Kohli and Jaworski (1990) conclude that market orientation provides â€Å"a unifying focus for the efforts and projects of individuals, thereby leading to superior performance. † A developing stream of empirical research has found a strong relation- T ship between market orientation and several measures of business performance, including profitability. customer retention, sales growth, and new product success. Customer Orientation The heart of a market orientation is its customer focus.To create superior value for buyers continuously requires that a seller understand a buyer’s entire value chain, not only as it is today but also as it evolves over time. Buyer value can be created at any point in the chain by making the buyer either more effective in its markets or more efficient in its operations. A market-oriented business understands the cost and revenue dynamics not only of its immediate target buyers but also of all markets beyond, for demand in the immediate and â€Å"upstream† markets is derived from the demand in the original â€Å"downstream† markets.Therefore, a market-driven business develops a comprehensive understanding of its customers’ business and how customers in the immediate and downstream markets perceive value. Employees of market-oriented businesses spend considerable time with their customers. Managers and employees throughout the business call on their customers or bring them into their own facilities in a constant search for new ways to satisfy their needs.For example, Ih Pont has developed a program called â€Å"Adopt a Customer† that encourages a blue-collar worker to visit a cu stomer once a month, learn the customer’s needs, and be the customer representative on the factory floor. Market-driven businesses continuously monitor their customer commitment by making im- proved customer satisfaction an ongoing objective. To maintain the relationships that are critical to delivering superior customer value, they pay close attention to service, both before and after sales.Because of the importance of employees in this effort, these businesses take great care to recruit and retain the best people available and provide them with regular training. Some businesses even involve their customers in hiring, training, and developing contact people as well as in making motivation and reward system decisions. Involving customers in these key areas forges strong customer loyalty. ogy development. Top managers frequently discuss competitors’ strategies to develop a shared perspective on probable sources of competitive threats.A reason for the success of many Japanese companies is that they train managers to understand that competitive intelligence is part of everyone’s job. Using this information, marketdriven businesses often target opportunities for competitive advantage based on competitors’ weaknesses. In any case, they keep competitors from developing an advantage by responding rapidly or anticipating their actions. Interfunctionai Coordination Competitor Focus The third of the three core components of a marCreating superior customer value requires more ket orientation is the coordination of personnel than just focusing on customers.The key quesand other resources from throughout the comtions are which competitors, and what technolopany to create value for buyers. Any point in the gies, and whether target customers perceive them buyer’s value chain is an opportunity for a seller as alternate satisfiers. Superior value requires that to create value for the buyer firm. This means the seller identify and understand the principal that any individual in any function in a seller firm competitors’ short-term strengths and weaknesses can potentially contribute to value creation. As and long-term capabilities and strategies. For Michael Porter (1985) explains: example, a team of Marriott employees traveled the country for six months, staying in economy Every department, facility, branch office, hotels and collecting information about their and other organizational unit has a role facilities and services. Armed with this informathat must be defined and understood. All tion about potential competitors’ strengths and employees, regardless of their distance weaknesses, Marriott invested $500 million in a from the strategy formulation process, new hotel chain.Fairfield Inn, its budget market must recognize their role in helping a entry, achieved an occupancy rate 10 points firm achieve and sustain competitive higher than the industry average in one year. advantage. A seller should adopt a chess-game perspective of its current and principal potential competiTo accomplish this, effective companies have tors. Moreover, it should continuously examine developed horizontal structures that focus on the competitive threats they pose, inferring these building value, such as time-to-market for new threats from intent and value-creation capabilities.This is crucial information to a seller in developFigure 1 ing its contingency competitive Market Orientation strategies. In one case, HewlettPackard decided to accelerate the Interfunctional announcement of a new computer Information Assessment Acquisition peripheral after discovering through its travel agency that a rival had booked conference rooms around the country for a specific date. Knowing that this rival had a similar product in development, H-I-’ rushed its announcement and beat the competition to the market. In market-driven businesses, employees from all functions share information concerning competitors.For example, it is crucial for RD to receive information acquired by the sales group about the pace of a competitor’s tec hnol- Customer Information Competitor Information d Coordinated Superior Customer Value Other Market Information Market Orientation. Customer Value, and Superior Performance 23 products. They manage projects through small multifunctional teams that can move more quickly and easily than businesses that use the tradtional function-by-function, sequential approach. For example, cross-functional teams call on customers to identify additional opportunities for value creation.Engineering becomes involved during preliminary market research to help marketers understand what is feasible. Production is involved during product design to ensure that the product can be manufactured at a reasonable cost. Engineers and production people constantly discuss their capabilities and limitations with sales and marketing so capabilities can be leveraged and limitations avoided when promoting products or sewices. When all functions contribute to creating buyer value this way, more creativity is brought to bear on increasing effectiveness and efficiency for customers.Does This Mean the Marketing Department Is in Charge? Shapiro (1988) tells the anecdote of a company CEO explaining to top m anagers that because of increasing competition, the business needed to become more market-oriented. With that encouragement the marketing vice president jumped in, â€Å"I’ve been saying all along we need to be more marketing-oriented. Marketing has to be more involved in everything Ixcause we represent the customer and we have an integrated view of the company. † At that point the CEO snarled. â€Å"I said more maet-oriented. not 177arketin~-oriented. † That story is very epresentative of our experience with marketing orientation as well. A marketing orientation implies an emphasis on the marketing function that may not be appropriate. Customer value is created by core capabilities throughout the entire organization. Whereas Procter and Gamble’s competitive advantage may be based on :I core marketing capability, 3M’s advantage is innovation: Canon’s is technology. This does not make 3M or Canon any less market-oriented than Procter and Gaml~le. Because market-driven behavior permeates multiple functions at 3M and Canon, they may be more market-oriented and less marketing-oriented.In our view, lvhen a business achieves the objective of developing a pervasive market orientation, the marketing function may become lessnot more-important, because all functions are dedicated to creating and delivering customer value. This is consistent with Regis McKenna’s (1991) notion that â€Å"Marketing is everything and everything is marketing. † Webster (1992) foresees a time when marketing specialists will become increasingly rare while marketing as a general management function becomes more imp ortant. This is the result of a general focus on cross- unctional cooperation, which causes internal functional boundaries to lose meaning. GE’s 1990 Annual Report puts it this way: In a boundary-less company, internal functions begin to blur. Engineering doesn’t design a product, then â€Å"hand it off† to manufacturing. They form a team, along with marketing and sales, finance, and the rest. Customer service? It’s not somebody’s job. It’s everybody’s job. However, for businesses that currently have an internal orientation on production or research and development, the marketing department may have to take the lead role in encouraging marketoriented thinking throughout the firm. As the primary boundary between the business and its markets, marketing is â€Å"management’s window on the world† (Holver and Garda 1985). Because it is dependent on other functional areas for the timely and efficient development, production, and delivery of the product, marketing is likely to be the first function that fully appreciates the benefits of market orientation. To maximize its effectiveness. marketing must demonstrate the benefits of market-driven behavior to top management and to other functions. Marketing may have a key role in the development and maintenance of a culture that is truly arket-oriented The crux is that the responsibility for superior buyer value is beyond that of any one function. Creating value for buyers is analogous to a symphony orchestra in which all members contribute according to a general plan and in which the contribution of each subgroup is tailored and integrated by a conductor-with a synergistic effect. A seller must draw upon a nd integrate effectively all of its human and other resources in an ongoing effort to create superior ,alue for buyers at a profit. This coordinated integration of company resources builds directly on both customer and competitor analysis.

Speech Perception Essays (2326 words) - Phonetics, Speech Perception

Speech Perception Speech Perception Speech perception is the ability to comprehend speech through listening. Mankind is constantly being bombarded by acoustical energy. The challenge to humanity is to translate this energy into meaningful data. Speech perception is not dependent on the extraction of simple invariant acoustic patterns in the speech waveform. The sounds acoustic pattern is complex and greatly varies. It is dependent upon the preceding and following sounds (Moore, 1997). According to Fant (1973), speech perception is a process consisting of both successive and concurrent identification on a series of progressively more abstract levels of linguistic structure. Nature of Speech Sounds Phonemes are the smallest unit of sound. In any given language words are formed by combining these phonemes. English has approximately 40 different phonemes that are defined in terms of what is perceived, rather than in terms of acoustic patterns. Phonemes are abstract, subjective entities that are often specified in terms of how they are produced. Alone they have no meaning, but in combination they form words (Moore, 1997). In speech there are vowels and consonants. Consonants are produced by constricting the vocal tract at some point along its length. These sounds are classified into different types according to the degree and nature of the constriction. The types are stops, affricates, fricatives, nasals, and approximants. Vowels are usually voiced and are relatively stable over time Moore, 1997). Categorical Perception Categorical perception implies definite identification of the stimuli. The main point in this area is that the listener can only correctly distinguish speech sounds to the extent that they are identified as different phonemes. Small changes to the acoustical signal may make little difference to the way the sound is perceived, yet other changes which are equally as small may produce a distinct change, altering the phoneme identity. People do not hear changes within one phoneme category. Only changes from one phoneme to another phoneme are detected (Lobacz, 1984). Although categorical perception generally is considered to reflect the operation of a special speech decoder, there is a strong indication that categorical perception can also occur in non-speech signals. Musicians are a good example of this. The discrimination performance of musicians was better for frequency changes that revised the identity of the chord than for changes that did not alter the identity (Moore, 1997). Categorical perception is not unique to speech, however it appears more frequently with speech than with non-speech signals. There are three possible explanations for categorical perception. The first explanation suggests that consonants and vowels may be explained in terms of differences in the extent to which the acoustic patterns can be retained in auditory memory. Consonant sounds have a lower intensity than vowels, fluctuate more rapidly, and last for a shorter time than vowels. Therefore, the acoustic patterns of consonants frequently decay rapidly. Another explanation is that boundaries, which separate one speech sound from another, tend to lie at a point where discrimination is optimal. The last explanation is that it comes from experience with a persons own language. In this explanation it is believed that a person learns to attend to acoustic differences that affect the meaning of a word and ignore the differences that do not affect the meaning. The natural consequence of this is categorical perception (Moore, 1997). Brain Specialization Language functions are unilaterally represented in one of the two hemispheres. It is most commonly found in the left hemisphere. Therefore, the right ear will identify speech stimuli better than the left ear. This occurs because the neural pathways cross from the ear to the brain (Studdert-Kennedy and Shankweiler, 1970). Interestingly, the left ear will detect melodies better than the right ear. Speech is more readily decoded in the left hemisphere than in the right cerebral hemisphere. This is evident in people with brain lesions. The left hemisphere plays a primary role in speech perception (Moore, 1997). Speech Mode Speech mode is the perception of the restructured phonemes. If phonemes are encoded syllabically, they must be recovered in perception by a suitable decoder. Liberman (1996) stated that perception of phonemes that have been encoded may be expected to differ from the perception of the phonemes that have not been encoded and from non-speech. For example, the transition cues for /d/ in /di/ and

World War II in the Historical Context Essays

World War II in the Historical Context Essays World War II in the Historical Context Essay World War II in the Historical Context Essay World War II is considered by many people as the worst global confrontation since time began. The war was started by radical nationalism and individual egos; the very thing Adolf Hitler and the Japanese believed was the root of most problems in the world. The sources in the textbook had similar aggression against westernization. In the first source, Hitlers Mein Kampf detailed a concept of survival of the fittest. The jailed World War I veteran describes a racial war?with his Aryan race as the ominant, prevailing group. His belief that progress could only be made if the dominant people were put into places of power and responsibility coupled with a proposal of fighting to live. Hitlers strong sense of nationalism and self/Germany- entitlement evoked a passionate following which later led him to German leadership. His specific declaration of Jewish people as the main ailment of the world leads to the greatest genocide in history. The Japanese were another instigator of World War II as they too developed an aggressive form of nationalism among their people. In the source, Kokutai No Hongi, the Japanese narrate a loss of morality through westernization. The publishing calls for a return to loyalty and morality; by this, they mean the devotion to a Master (Emperor) and Subjects (people). They also detail a history of valuing warriors. Those very ideologies very likely segued to a violent ostility towards anything and anyone western. In short, People who might find these drastic writings attractive would be anyone who has a strong sense of nationalism?even racial prejudice. It could be long-standing tradition or upbringing that fueled many people who felt their native culture and land have been corroded and invaded by others. The easiest answer is to blame it on someone else, especially if they are physically different.

The PSAT Score Range (Updated for New 2015 PSAT)

The PSAT Score Range (Updated for New 2015 PSAT) SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips College Board is mixing things up. With the new suite of assessments starting to roll out this fall, the new PSAT is one of the first tests to debut. Apart from changes in content and structure, the new PSAT will use a different scoring system than the one used in previous years. This new scale will correspond with, though not match exactly, the scale for the new SAT. This article will go over the new PSAT score range, along with explaining what your PSAT scores will mean for National Merit and your performance on the SAT. Let's check out the new scoring system. What's the New PSAT Score Range? Gone is the old PSAT score range of 60 to 240. The new PSAT will be scored on a scale from 320 to 1520. Math will actually count for one half of this composite score, and the Reading and Writing (which will be called Writing and Language) sections will count for the other half together.You'll get subscores for Math, Reading, and Writing and Language between 8 and 38. Then Reading and Writing will be considered together, and Math will make up for the other half. To get your Math scaled score, you simply multiply your section score by 20. A score of 30 on math, for instance, would convert to a scaled score of 600 (30 x 20 = 600). To get your Reading and Writing score, which again are combined, you add each section score and multiply by 10. Let's say you get a 32 on Reading and a 35 on Writing. Your scaled score would come out to 670 (e.g., (32 + 35) * 10 = 670). Here's another example, where the student scored a 28 on Reading, 32 on Writing, and 34 on Math. Test Test Score Section Score Total Score Reading 28 (28 + 32) * 10 = 600 600 + 680 = 1280 Writing and Language 32 Math 34 34 * 20 = 680 For each section, you could get a minimum scaled score of 160 and a maximum of 760. Your PSAT score report will further break down your performance by question type so you have a detailed sense of how you did. The verbal sections will show additional scoring between 1 and 15. Another major change is that the new PSAT will have rights-only scoring. You won't get any point deductions for wrong answers. Instead, your raw score will be added up one point at a time for each correct answer. Why Do PSAT Scores Matter? Your PSAT scores are important for a few reasons. One, as a measure of your college readiness, they give you a sense of your academic strengths and weaknesses and the skills you need to focus on to get ready for college. In a more immediate sense, they help predict how you'll do on the very important SAT. The new SAT will be scored between 800 and 1600. The PSAT scale is shifted slightly lower to account for the fact that it's a slightly easier test than the SAT. While a 1520 on the PSAT doesn't necessarily equate to a 1600 on the SAT, it still suggests you'll get a very strong score. If you're scoring lower than you'd like, you can use your score report to figure out how to prep to improve on the SAT. Apart from helping you predict and get ready for the SAT, your PSAT score is important for National Merit distinction and scholarships. Since National Merit looks at scorers in top percentiles, it's important to know your percentiles, along with your scores. Your percentiles compare you to other students who took the PSAT, so you can know how competitive your scores are. You'll actually get a few different percentile measures on your score reports, which I'll explain below. How Do PSAT Score Percentiles Work? Your scores will be assigned a percentile, which compares them to the scores of other test-takers. If you score in the 75th percentile, for instance, then you scored the same as or higher than 75% of other test-takers. The other 25% scored higher than you. You'll actually see three types of percentiles, the Nationally Representative Sample percentile, the User percentile, and the National Merit Scholarship Corporation percentile. The first compares all the other U.S. students in your grade, while the second compares a sample derived from a research study. The National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) percentile is the important one for National Merit. NMSC uses its own percentile to compare students by state who participated in the same PSAT administration.Read more about National Merit here. Preparing for the PSAT As you can see in the chart above, scoring in the top 1% requires a high score with very few wrong answers in each section. The highest scorers on the PSAT usually take months to a year or more before the test to study with official PSAT practice tests and questions. Older PSAT practice tests are also very helpful, as are practice tests for the new SAT, since the two tests will be very similar. You can use these practice tests to figure out what subjects and question types you need to study most, as well as to time yourself and practice answering questions quickly and efficiently under time limits. One of the best ways to learn and improve is to write down any mistakes or questions you're unsure about. Then take the time to thoroughly review the answer explanations, and drill the same concepts with similar practice questions. That way you can break patterns and answer the same question types correctly the next time. Some students also choose to take the PSAT earlier, like in 9th or 10th grade to gain valuable test-taking experience. Additionally, College Board now offers the PSAT 8/9 and the PSAT 10 for eighth graders, freshmen, and sophomores to gain experience with these tests. Finally, once you do take the PSAT, make sure to check your scores right away. Then you can see if you made it into the top 1% and need to start on your National Merit application. Either way, you can learn what you need to study to further improve your scores on the SAT. What's Next? Are you a sophomore wondering if you should take the PSAT 10 or the PSAT NMSQT? Read all about the differences and how to decide here. If you are taking the PSAT NMSQT as a sophomore, check out what makes a good score for sophomores here. When are you planning to start studying for the SAT? This article helps you figure out your study schedule, as well as gives suggestions for how many hours you need to prep to see certain score improvements. Want to improve your SAT score by 240 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

IAS2 Inventories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

IAS2 Inventories - Essay Example The main objective of IASB for IAS2 was to reduce the alternatives in the measurement of inventories. The revised IAS2 does not allow the consideration of the exchange differences, arising from the purchase of inventories that are invoiced in the overseas currency, to be treated as a part of inventories purchase cost (Malaysian Accounting Standards Board, n.d.). As per IAS2 the inventories are measured at cost or realizable value whichever is lower, based on every item. The inventory costs is the sum total of the purchase cost like cost price, import duties, handling as well as transportation costs; after the adjustments of rebates and trade discounts, conversion costs and other costs that are incurred for transporting the inventories to the current location and form. But this excludes the storage costs, costs relating to abnormal wastage; and selling and administration. Inventories costs can be approximated using the standard cost method or retail inventory method. The cost of inventories relating to items that are usually interchangeable and also goods or services that are produced and set aside for other projects can be assigned costs on the basis of specific identification. The inventories are valued using the first-in-first-out (FIFO) method or the weighted average method. In FIFO the items in the inventory are measured on the basis of recent purchase. Net realizable value is the amount that the business expects to receive from the inventory sale in the due course of the business. In the Balance Sheet an entity reports the lower of the net realizable value and cost as an asset. This is shown below- After the sale of inventories, the carrying amount of the related inventories is recognized as expenditure in the statement of income in the time period when the revenue from it is recognized. In the event of a fall in the net realizable

Enterprise Architecture Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Enterprise Architecture - Assignment Example n EA needs to be modified in order to react to opportunities in an agile way since EA ensure quick translation of strategic decision on both tactical and operational levels (EAI2N, Bernus, Doumeingts, Fox & IFIP World Computer Congress, 2010). EA frameworks offer a detailed description of the prevailing and future architecture and enable articulation of relations in discussion with executives, support staff and other EA stakeholders because each area in EA framework signifies a functional area within an enterprise (Bernard, 2012). In business, benefits of maintaining an EA include supporting the corporate governance through offering insight of the entire value chain and reflect reality of an acknowledged and organized extent (Land, 2009). Moreover, maintaining enterprise architecture offers an organization a competitive edge and shows the way the various components of the system fit together in effectively utilizing the enterprise systems and resources (Giachetti, 2010). The use of cloud computing in businesses is highly attractive because of its reduced operating costs, agility in service development and its ability to allow scalability. However, for an organization to achieve full functionality in cloud computing, enterprise applications need to be developed in a manner that is suitable for distributed environments using the correct EA (Raj, 2012). EAI2N 2010, Bernus, P., Doumeingts, G., Fox, M., & IFIP World Computer Congress. (2010).  Enterprise architecture, integration and interoperability: IFIP TC 5 International Conference, EAI2N 2010, held as part of WCC 2010, Brisbane, Australia, September 20-23, 2010 proceedings. Berlin:

The New Testament Essay Example for Free

The New Testament Essay The Book of Matthew is the first book of the New Testament, traditionally attributed to Saint Matthew. The purpose of the book was to show that Jesus was the Jewish Messiah, or deliverer, but that his ministry was spiritual and not political. Most Biblical scholars believe that Matthew was derived from the Gospel of Mark and a now- lost book of the sayings of Jesus. The Introduction (1:1-4:16) gives the genealogy of Jesus and tells of his birth, infancy, and preparation. The second division (4: 17-16:28) includes the Sermon on the Mount and deals mainly with the public ministry of Jesus. The third division (17: 1-20:34) deals mainly with Jesus’ private ministry with his disciples and stresses the requirements of true discipleship. The fourth division (21: 1-25:46) tells of the entry into Jerusalem and the events of the last week of Jesus. The final division (26:1-28:20) tells of the last evening with the disciples, the Crucifixion of Jesus, and His Resurrection. Mark The Gospel of Mark is the second book of the New Testament. The book, shortest of the four Gospels, was probably written by Saint Mark himself. Most scholars believe it was the first Gospel to be written and was the basis for both Matthew and Luke. According to Papias, a second- century bishop, the author of Mark drew largely from the reminiscence of Peter, but it is now assumed that he used other sources as well, both written and oral. He probably wrote in Rome, about 67 A. D. Many scholars believe that Peter’s death, presumedly in 64 A. D. , motivated Mark to record what had been told by Peter. The Gospel of Mark was written in colloquial Greek, in a vigorous, dramatic style. It presents Jesus Christ as a man of action and power who performed miracle and other mighty deeds, a human being and yet the Son of God. Mark says nothing about the birth and boyhood of Jesus. The Gospel has three divisions. The first (1:1-8:26) begins with the preaching of John the Baptist and his Baptism of Jesus, reports many parables and miracles, and tells of conflicts with the religious leaders. The second section (8:27- 10:45) stresses the coming crucifixion. The third section (10: 46- 16:8) tells of the final week in Jerusalem and relates the story of the Crucifixion of Jesus and His Resurrection. Many scholars believe that the end of the Gospel (16: 9-20) was not a part of the original writing, since these verses are not found in some early manuscripts. Luke The Gospel of Luke is the third book of the New Testament. The Gospel of Luke is generally attributed to Saint Luke. This book, which has been called the most beautiful ever written, tells of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke records the famous birth story, which ends with the adoration of the shepherds. The Gospel according to Saint Luke presents the teachings of Jesus as a message of universal salvation for all men everywhere. Luke has a strong humanitarian emphasis and shows a deep sympathy for the poor and weak. The Gospel stresses the importance of prayer and the power of the Holy Spirit. Many scholars believe that the Gospel of Luke is derived from the Gospel of Mark and a lost source of the sayings of Jesus. John The Gospel of John is the fourth book of the New Testament. Traditionally this book I attributed to John the Apostle. As a gospel the books tells the â€Å"good news† of the teachings and life of Jesus Christ. The Gospel of John is more a spiritual book and less a biography than the other gospels. Its purpose is to promote belief and faith in Jesus. It emphasizes the divinity of Jesus and deals with many theological issues. According to tradition, the books was written about 90- 100 A. D. in Ephesus by John the Apostle. Acts The book of Act was written by Saint Luke. The date of the writing is uncertain, but most scholars favor the period 8-90 A. D. At the beginning of the book the author states his purpose and that is to explain to Theophilus, and to the world, how Christianity arose and began its sweep across the earth. By this time Christianity appeared to be on the way to becoming a world religion, and some account of its beginning was needed so that it might appeal to cultured and learned people. It talks about the Day of Pentecost, empowered by the Holy Spirit; the apostles take the Good News of Jesus Christ throughout the Mediterranean world. The title is misleading, for Acts is not a record of all the original disciples of Jesus. The book gives the early history of Christianity from Christ’s ascension outside Jerusalem to Paul’s visit in Rome. Chapters 1-12 stress the work of Peter in Judea and nearby lands, mainly among Jews. Chapters 13- 28 tell of the far- ranging missionary preaching of Paul, mainly to gentiles. Romans Epistle to the Romans is a letter of Saint Paul and a book of the New Testament. Romans, is the longest of Paul’s letters, has been called â€Å"the first great work of Christian theology. † Summarizing his doctrine in 1: 16-17, Paul wrote that the Gospel of Christ is the â€Å"power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth,† and â€Å"the just shall live by faith. † Men, he said, are justified by their belief in Jesus Christ. By believing in Him men find salvation, gain freedom from sin, and have a new life in the Holy Spirit. Paul wrote the letter to the Christian community in Rome about 58 A. D. He hoped to visit Rome, and apparently wrote the letter to prepare the way for his visit. Writing to a group composed of both Jews and Gentiles, Paul presented Christianity as a faith for all.

suzuki 750 :: essays research papers

SUZUKI GSXR 750   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There it was the street machine. The Suzuki GSXR 750 staring back at me as I was in disbelief. Palms sweaty, jaw heavy as my mouth watered. The bike was immaculate and shining like a multi million dollar diamond ring. The lighting in the showroom brought out its true beauty. The GSXR is a superb machine that is bound to get noticed with 125 rear wheel horsepower and dry weight of 365 pounds. You couldn’t ask for anymore in a bike. It also has inline four cylinder dual over head cams and 16 valves pumping out 127 rear wheel horsepower. Pound for pound it was the best bike in the world with the most ruthlessly efficient balance of power. The sleek, aggressive Japanese engineering made the bike look ridiculous. The superman shaped headlight was one of a kind. Located on each side of the headlight were the flaring ram air nostrils making it look like a hungry bike. It has a color scheme of red, white, and blue and it looked like the American flag blowing in the wind. The only thing left was one last signature. All of the sudden the feeling of completion hit me like a sack of nickels and tunnel vision. Finally the transaction was done, all I had to do was to hop on and hang on tight. My adrenaline was pumping as I started the bike. The rumbling between my legs, I couldn’t take it anymore I had to go. A couple lefts and rights out of the parking lot and I was sitting at the intersection. Waiting for the light to turn green I was nervous and excited at the same time. I began to sweat, not because of the hot weather, but the pure fact that the beast was screaming for throttle. I hit the road and took it easy for a bit because this bike had the capability of taking my life. All my thoughts of death faded as a Mr. Ed smile ran across my face. I felt invincible as all my stress of reality and everyday life went away. It made me feel free with my mind going into overdrive with not a care in the world. I started getting comfortable so gradually giving the bike more gas. With half throttle I was already at 90 miles per hour. I hit a straight away and hammered on the gas.

Project Management Essay

Scope of Project Since the project involves mega budget the evaluation and study of scope is necessary, to find if the country is prepared for such mega budget projects or not. In spite of having most of the odds against and the greater  challenge in front of owners, it is commendable the outcome they produced. The first Formula 1racing was grand success in India; it also saw the attendance of viewers more than 100,000. The world class quality produced in short span of time was commendable. After the grand success of first two editions of Indian Grand Prix this project has silenced the critics to an extent. The Indian GP boosted the economy, as it saw major boost in hotel industry. The hotel charges in Delhi and NOIDA were increased by 50% to 80% during the event. Travel and transportation services also made merry, while there was huge consumption increase for food and beverages. The formula 1 motor sport is huge money spinner and it is expected to bring more money in future. The assumption for revenues from F1’s commercial rights will reach $3.3bn in 2016, according to a report by Formula Money with sponsorship in 2011 returning fast. The research, based on data contained in the new edition of the annual Formula Money report, predicts that revenues for the sport’s commercial rights holder, the Formula One Group, will rise at a rate of 12.7 percent a year reaching $3,253m in five years’ time. Buddh International Circuit project was questioned as it was build keeping in the mind of Formula 1 Racing where Indian presentation is very less. There is only one Indian Team Force India co-owned by Dr. Vijay Malya that too has all foreign drivers. The only Indian driver who features in Formula 1 race is Narain Karthikeyan who drives for HRT. Seeing the response of first two F1 races experts are very much hope full about the success of such projects. Motor sport will develop in India; however, it will take time, Dr. Malya in an exclusive interview quoted â€Å"F1is not short term project, he gave example of champion team Red bull and the progress they made in 7 years.† The other countries like Malaysia and China have already ventured into Formula 1 race business. Most of the countries see it as investment to boost their tourism sector more than the sporting activity and indeed it does help in generating revenue in foreign currency as sport is having global presence and fans and followers in large numbers who travel across the globe for the love of sport. Economic Activity The project started with a mega budget of $400 million dollar. It had a great impact upon the economy. It brought India on the map of global motor sport, which is considered to be the biggest money spinning sport in the world  according to study conducted, the popularity of the sport can be measured by the fact that it had television viewers of 527 million Formula One world championship. Formula Ones economic effects and creation of jobs are significant, and its financial and political battles are widely reported. Its high profile and popularity make it a merchandising environment, which results in great investments from sponsors and budgets in the hundreds of millions for the constructors. Critics may question this project as the cost of the project is very high the track alone cost around $120 million and the operational cost of the circuit is $15 million to $20 million. Apart from the huge investment that Budhh International project has incurred, it is delivering rich dividends. The huge success of inaugural Indian Grand Prix which was full house already indicated the future of such projects in India. It has helped India gaining revenue from foreign countries. It will also give India exposure to high technology. The Site Buddh International Circuit is located in Greater Noida in the outskirts of Delhi. Greater Noida falls within the National Capital Region of India‟s capital – New Delhi and is adjacent to Noida, one of the largest industrial townships in Asia. It is located 40 kilometers (25 mi) to the south-east of New Delhi and 20 kilometers (12 mi) south-east of Noida. The Government of Uttar Pradesh then decided to incorporate the city of Greater Noida, as an extension to Noida, but with better planning, incorporating the lessons learned from the Noida development. The place is a perfect location for Budhh International Circuit as it takes only about 2.5 hours of road travel from Delhi making it easier even for fans of formula 1 coming for outside of the country for the love sport. Connecting the city to Agra is Yamuna Express way six lane express way which was formerly known as Taj Expressway. The circuit is part of the 2,500 acres (10 km2) Jaypee Greens Sports City, Greens Sports City home which also includes a 100,000 seat cricket stadium, 18-hole golf course, 25,000 seat field hockey stadium and a sports academy have been planned. The sports complex is expected to cost 40 billion ($820 million) and generate $170m of revenue annually, and employ 10,000 people. Infrastructural Development The projects like BIC boost infrastructural development in the area. It has encouraged the urbanization of the area. It is sign of fast developmental growth of the area. With infrastructure giant like Jaypee Group entering in the area, they can take the development to whole new level. The Jaypee Group is a conglomerate based in Noida, India. It was founded by Jaiprakash Gaur which is involved in well diversified infrastructure conglomerate with business interests in Engineering & Construction, Power, Cement, Real Estate and Hospitality. The project BIC has improved the interest of the people in considering Greater Noida as residential place. The other industries have also acknowledged the development in the area and now they are seeking this as an opportunity to grow their business and moving their business to the town. Such Mega projects not only require big budgets, they also required enhanced technology in order to finis the project on time. The Mega projects like BIC can not be accomplished without the use of high technology in other words; these projects also introduced high technologies to this area in order to boos the urbanization at fast pace. The urbanization of the area is helping in improving the quality of life of the people living in the area as they get to enjoy world class facility. The service level and quality of various important services such as hospitals and educational institutes has improved to great deal. The urbanization always attracts investment from company which will mean consumer will have more option and better quality of service. Trade and Tourisms The Buddh circuit has been built as a flagship development for a bigger project: a new town with a population of several hundred thousand, which will have malls, sports and education facilities, and will sit astride a new motorway linking it to Delhi, 32km away, and Agra, 190km away. The Buddh International circuit has brought, boost to the tourism and trade both as it has increased the number of foreign visitors who come follow the Formula 1 race. The world class architecture and the facilities available at the circuit give fans run for their money. The hospitality sector has gained a lot from the projects like Budhh International Circuit. Because of the  number of event this circuit is hosting, they getting increase numbers of foreign visitors. Hospitality sector will improve their status, as the auto-racing events might bring in great effects of tourism into the country. It promotes the country not only as one of the tourist attraction but will also attract sport lovers from all over the world. Hotel industry is expecting growth in their business as the people who come to watch events like Formula One try to find accommodation in near by location. It is also generating business opportunities for other sectors related to travel and transportation. The teams carry their own machines and equipments while venturing in such competitions which require good and fast moving transportation facilities. Hotel and the hospitality industry will benefit greatly from Formula One Entertainment as they would provide accommodation and food for their staff. The number of visitors expected to increase as the BIC is all set to stage Superbike World Championship (WSBK) in 2013. Increase number of events will definitely boost the foreign currency inflow to the country and will help to build and promote Indian tourism Industry. Environmental Effects Despite all the benefits from the BIC, there are several undeniable impacts it has on the environment. The new development will mean more pollution issues. The population are concerned that their health will be jeopardized by there recent increase of development. The motorsport adds to air and noise pollution as the roaring sound of the engine creates noise pollution, as result you may find most of the people watching formula 1 race in circuit wearing ear plugs. And this is a life threatening sport as cars run at alarming speed at which accident can easily take place jeopardizing the life or car drivers and others. Cultural Effects The development projects like BIC have changed the environment from agriculture base to new developed town. The state government has taken land from framers for this Mega project, which is a part bigger infrastructural development in this part of the state. The development has produced both employment and unemployment. Even though there are a lot of job opportunities since so much of development has happened, people facing  challenge as they have re-skill themselves. Developments in area, which once lack of modern facilities has offered more schools for the children‟s education, better hospital facilities, and more job opportunities. With the area getting international exposure more and more companies willing to invest in land here. Real estate business in the area has really picked up the pace as the rate of the land moving up high, creating business opportunities, as more and more people willing to invest in land here. Most of the Formula 1 fans are from western countries and the Indian will get too much exposure from the western cultures and values. This does not imply that the western cultures and values are negative but rather does not fit into the way of life of the Indian cultures. This might created what is called the generation gap between the younger generations and the older generations as the younger generations are influenced by western cultures while the older generations are by the traditional Indian cultures. The Controversy The disparity between headline-grabbing projects such as the Buddh circuit and the poverty that surrounds them has been well documented. But the myriad conflicts generated by the transformation of India are heard about less often. The track has been greeted with fanfare in journalist and sporting circles, and with legislation and protests elsewhere. Public-interest litigation was filed against the government of Uttar Pradesh, the state where the complex is located, and the Jaypee Group. The PIL claimed that because Formula One is an elitist sport, the state government has no right to exempt Jaypee from paying entertainment taxes, alleging that the exemption was granted only because the company is â€Å"very close to the political leadership.† In order to construct the circuit, the lands of some three hundred farmers were purchased by the state government. However, in August 2011 – three months before the inaugural race – the farmers in question expressed dissatis faction with the project and threatened to dismantle the circuit â€Å"with force if necessary†, demanding more money and stating that they felt the land should have been zoned for industrial estates to generate more employment in the area. Meanwhile, farmers on whose land the circuit now stands continue to protest. The land was bought by the state government in 2007 for the development of roads and industry.  Farmers complained they had not received the compensation or jobs they were promised. Bhatta-Parsaul made headlines in the summer when police attacked farmers who had been protesting about the compulsory purchase of their lands by the government of Uttar Pradesh. Allegations of police brutality and violence provoked by land disputes are commonplace. This is particularly true on the outskirts of cities where exploding populations, growing wealth and rampant property speculation combine with repressive colonial-era laws and corrupt officials. Objective The objective of the study is to evaluate the project and check the feasibility of such mega budget project and to see if India the country which is still going through economical reforms and the county which having high „Power Distance Index’ is ready for such mega budget projects. The study focuses upon the scope that project such as Buddh International Circuit carries. It takes upon the Formula 1 motor sports, potential for generating revenue and its scope in India. It also takes on its impact of economy and revenue generation. The number of business and employment opportunity it provides. Also take on its impact on the tourism industry in India and other sub industry in India. Bearing the fact in min it provides excellent international exposure for India as the sports is banking upon huge media coverage. It is having such a large viewership which only considered second to Olympic. Formula One can be seen live or tape delayed in almost every country and territory arou nd the world and attracts one of the largest global television audiences. The 2008 season attracted a global audience of 600 million people per race. According to the reports year 2011 saw global viewers 515 million. The precise figures for year 2012 are not available. However, there seems to be decline in the number of viewers for year 2012. The study also takes a look at the Indian representation at Formula 1. The only Indian Formula 1 driver Narain Karthikeyan who drives for HRT in an interview said it is very difficult to break in to Formula 1 circuit. However, the future of this sport is bright in India as, people in India have more knowledge about the sport unlike China where it is limited to Shanghai only. The Indian Team Force India performed well in the both the edition of the Indian Grand Prix. However, the performance was better in  the inaugural Grand Prix. The study also focuses upon the F1‟s impact on culture, environment and controversy related to the BIC project, the controversy which created political issues in the territory. 6. Analysis On the analysis of the sport we can find that Formula 1 is money draining spots, it requires large budget as an average formula one car can easily cost around $100 million dollar. On the contrary it has huge fan following, the sport is one the richest and one the viewed sports of the televisions, having viewership in hundreds of millions, making it big money spinning sport. According to sources the revenue generated by F1 from commercial right in year 2010 was an astonishing amount of $1.587 billion, which is expected to grow further in future. The sport promises to be the huge money spinner. The analysis of the BIC infrastructure and the world class facility it contains, one can say this is a worth project. BIC has successfully hosted the Indian Grand Prix twice and received and accolade from international fraternity. The CEO of F1 Mr. Bernie Ecclestone has already acknowledged BIC as one the best racing circuits of the world. The investment and operational cost analysis of BIC proj ects shows that it requires mega budget and the operational cost of the circuit is also very high which is almost around $15 million to $20million per year. The state of art and world class facility of this circuit makes it suitable for events, which are very necessary for preventing it from becoming white elephant. The circuit is also about to host World Superbike Series. The analysis of impacts of BIC it has some positive and some negative impact. It has really boosted the infrastructural development in the area. The events like F1 race giving India Global exposure and thereby giving Indian tourism and hospitality industry a chance to grow further. The Formula 1fans follow this sport from across the globe and most of them are wealthy and ready spend for luxuries. In that way project BIC has opened gate for foreign currency inflow. The projects also have some negative impact also it started on the land bought from farmers, which created controversy later and became big political issue, apart from this the owner group also came under scanner for tax exemption. This project was also seen as threat to environment as it causes both air and noise pollution. BIC has been successful in hosting two  of the mega event it has also given India a great recognition on the global world motor sport map. It is also creating employment and business opportunities.

Opposite of Loneliness

osite of loneliInterpretive essay – opposite of loneliness For every teenager, stepping into the world of adulthood somewhat gives them a different vibe and ambiance whereby they go through different stages and levels to finally be where they are today. They can never be aware of what the future holds for them but to only be prepared for every impact that might hit them along the way. Its like a test, being graded based on your performance and to distinguish whether or not you’ve achieved your success.In the article â€Å"Opposite of loneliness† by Marina Keegan, it explains about the life of a young adult who started her adulthood in Yale University. A place she had found happiness and most certainly the opposite of loneliness. Moreover, she finds herself completely attached to it as she had said in the first paragraph â€Å"What I’m grateful and thankful to have found at Yale and what I’m scared of losing when we wake up tomorrow and leave this p lace†. This phrase shows us that Yale brought out the best in her, something she fears losing and that she is actually very reluctant to have to leave.She is afraid that all her memories and experiences she has gone through would be gone once she steps out of Yale. This article shows the basic development of a young adult’s social life beginning with a simple circle of friends or a clique and the attachment that became stronger as one grow fonder of the people around her which is exactly what she faces in her experience in Yale where it was mentioned in paragraph three, â€Å"Yale is full of tiny circle we pull around ourselves†. She found that even though not everyone knows everyone, there is still unity and a sense of togetherness among the students in Yale.She also added that the experienced they shared among themselves were priceless and unforgettable and that she felt safe and loved whenever in the company of her peers during her time in Yale. This article a llows us to see that the writer begins to discover herself and learns to comprehend about life as she faces challenges along the way while being in Yale. The fear of knowing the truth or fear of not knowing at all is something every individual learns to adapt to however the word â€Å"fear† should never conquer a person as it would only demotivate ourselves instead f seeing the positive side of life just as she had mentioned in paragraph 4 â€Å"But let us get one thing straight: the best years of our lives are not behind us. They’re apart of us† The writer starts comparing the her past and the possible future where she wished that she could wind back time and correct her past mistakes and regrets if given the chance to. It makes us realize that in life there will be scenes playing in our minds like a 1980’s classical film in which the â€Å"What if† takes place.There are times that every individual wished they could go back in time and do somethin g good for themselves or be a the chairperson of a certain society, things they never knew they had it in them or things they went through and it never crossed their mind that they actually did it which is exactly what she felt in herself, â€Å"I’ve looked back on my high school and thought: how did I do that? How did I work so hard? † Everybody would have their standards of living and expectations of succeeding however the article also makes us realize that no matter how perfectly we plan, we may not have the ending that we wished for.We can never be certain of what the future holds for us, however as life goes on, we understand that a human being tends to regret her decisions and change their minds ample of times which explains what she had mentioned in paragraph nine â€Å"If only I had majored in biology, if only I’d gotten involved in journalism as a freshman† The writer also shared uncertainties for what the future would hold for her. She starts co mparing herself to others who have accomplished more than she has. Life is all about choices and it is these choices that she is most afraid of.The writer also stated that during her time in Yale, she never had to make any life changing choices and knows she has to start doing it once she graduated and is afraid to make the wrong choices. However, she added that however our lives turned out to be, the future is uncertain and that it can be altered at any point of our life. This can be seen when she said â€Å"What we have to remember is that we can still do anything. We can change our minds. We can start over†. At a young age especially an undergraduate student would always feel that there’s always something missing in their lives to what they’ve accomplished.However also at a young age the opportunity that lies ahead in the future is even bigger. For each expect the young adult faces in Yale University, she comes across one conclusion of her college life, lonel iness was never involved however happiness, laughter and memories are definitely words to describe it. Stages by stages this article makes us understand that we as human beings should cherish each and every moment that we have and make the best out of it. Sustain it as a memory that becomes apart of you until the very end. Yes life is not a bed of roses however there’s no harm in trying to make it an enjoyable experience and ride.

Antarctic Explorer-Richard Byrd

Antarctic Explorer-Richard Byrd Richard Evelyn Byrd was born in Virginia in 1888. He joined the United States Naval Academy at the age 20 and joined the navy in 1912. He learned to fly in World War I during his tour with the United States Navy. He became an expert in flying and was appointed to plan the flight path for the US Navy's 1919 transatlantic crossing.On May 9, 1926, Byrd and Floyd Bennet attempted a flight over the North Pole. They claimed to have completed the trip but evidence from their diaries has placed doubt on their claim. Even though the made enough money for Byrd to explore the South Pole.In 1928, Byrd began his expedition in Antarctica. A base camp was setup on the Ross Ice Shelf. Scientific expeditions by dog-sled, snowmobile and airplane began. Photographic expeditions and geological surveys were done during summer. After the first winter, expeditions resumed and on November 29, 1929 the flight to the South Pole was launched.USS Preble approaches Richard E. Byrd during reple...Byrd flew the Fl oyd Bennet to the South Pole and back in 18 hours and 41 minutes. After further exploration, the expedition returned to America on June 18, 1930.Byrd went on three more expeditions to the South Pole from 1933-1935 and 1930-1941, taking part in Operation High Jump from 1946-1947, the largest Antarctic expedition to date. Byrd also commanded Operation Deep Freeze which made permanent Antarctic bases at Mc Murdo Sound, the Bay of Wales and the South Pole in 1955.Richard Byrd died on March 12, 1957. He had got twenty-two awards and special awards, nine of them were for bravery and two for heroism for saving the lives of others. He also earned the Medal of Honour, the Navy Cross, the Congressional Life Saving Medal, the Distinguished Service Medal and the Flying Cross.

Swing States - List and Definition

Swing States - List and Definition Swing states are those in which neither major political party holds a lock on the outcome of presidential elections. The term can also be used to describe a state whose electoral votes have a high probability of being the deciding factor in a presidential election. In the 2016 presidential election, Pennsylvania is likely to be the state that determines the winner.   Swing states are also sometimes referred to as battleground states. There are more than a dozen states considered swing states, and most of them hold a large number of electoral votes and are considered major prizes in presidential elections. List of Swing States The states that are most often described as being up in the air or ones that could side with either a Republican or Democratic presidential candidate are: Arizona:  11 electoral votes. The state has voted for the Republican presidential nominee in nine of the last 10 elections. Colorado: Nine  electoral votes.  The state has voted for the Republican presidential nominee in seven of the last 10 elections. Florida: 29  electoral votes.  The state has voted for the Republican presidential nominee in six of the last 10 elections. Georgia: 16  electoral votes.  The state has voted for the Republican presidential nominee in seven  of the last 10 elections. Iowa: Six  electoral votes.  The state has voted for the Democratic presidential nominee in six of the last 10 elections. Michigan: 16  electoral votes.  The state has voted for the Democratic presidential nominee in six  of the last 10 elections.   Minnesota: 10 electoral votes.  Ã‚  The state has voted for the Democratic presidential nominee in each of the last 10 elections. Nevada: Six  electoral votes.  The state has voted for the Republican president ial nominee in six of the last 10 elections. New Hampshire:  Four electoral votes. The state has split its vote between the Republican and Democratic presidential nominees in the past 10 elections. North Carolina: 15  electoral votes.  The state has voted for the Republican presidential nominee in eight of the last 10 elections. Ohio: 18 electoral votes.  The state has split its vote between the Republican and Democratic presidential nominees in the past 10 elections. Pennsylvania: 20  electoral votes.  The state has voted for the Democratic presidential nominee in seven of the last 10 elections.   Virginia: 13 electoral votes.  The state has voted for the Republican presidential nominee in eight of the last 10 elections. Wisconsin: 10  electoral votes.  The state has voted for the Democratic presidential nominee in eight of the last 10 elections.   Swing Voters and Their Role in Swing States States that shift back and forth between candidates of both major political parties in presidential elections could be evenly divided between voters registered Republican and Democratic. Or they could have large numbers of swing voters, those who tend to vote for individual and not the party and have no loyalty to a party. The portion of the American electorate made up of swing voters ranges from about a quarter to a third between presidential elections, according to the Pew Research Center. The number of swing voters declines when an incumbent president is seeking a second term. Different Uses of Swing State The term swing state is used two different ways. The most popular use of swing state is to describe one in which the popular vote margin in a presidential race is relatively narrow and fluid, meaning that either a Republican or Democrat could win the states electoral votes in any given election cycle. Others define swing states, however, as those that could be the tipping point in a presidential election. For example, Nate Silver, a widely read political journalist writing on The New York Times blog FiveThirtyEight, defined the term swing state this way: When I employ the term, I mean a state that could swing the outcome of the election. That is, if the state changed hands, the victor in the Electoral College would change as well.

Visual Communication Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Visual Communication - Research Paper Example Sandro was born Alessandro di Mariano di Vanni Filipepi, but his name Alessandro later shortened to Sandro. He also adapted the nickname of his brother; Botticelli which meant little barrel (Mattern 8). Sandro defied the norm of drawing sculptures that depicted existence and had aspects of life in them. Instead, he focused on drawing works of art of different and flat nature. He later began painting works that were religiously motivated after being hired by an influential man to assist in his drawing and painting (Mattern 23). This opportunity was like a breakthrough for Sandro since he ended up drawing pictures for several churches in Florence. Consequently, this marketed him widely since many people became aware of his existence, as well as his works of art (Sterling 9). He developed and nurtured his skills in art when he started making paintings, and for quite sometime worked with a Florentine artist who guided him through the art of mixing paints (Mattern 25). The artist, FraFili ppo Lippi was the one who taught Sandro the art of mixing paints. FraFilippo also taught Sandro the best possible way of bringing in varied compositions and paintings to the perspective that people would appreciate. Discussion The Mystic Nativity is a work of art that was created by Sandro Botticelli during his years as an artist. This piece of art is considered one of his very many ingenious compositions. As a matter of fact, it is the only piece of art among his several creations that he signed his name on; to indicate and mark it as his piece. The Mystic Nativity painting was created by Sandro in 1500C. This was the period during monk Girolamo Savonarola preaching’s. Botticelli was extremely motivated by the monk’s preaching; thus, becoming his ardent supporter (Sterling 56). This contributed to the pieces of art that he produced. It is worth noting that Sandro created this work of art with oil in canvas after attending one of the sessions of monk Savonarola’ s preaching. The Mystic Nativity was seen as a response to one of Savonarola’s preaching. The Mystic Nativity piece by Sandro Botticelli is housed at the National Gallery in London. It also from another view considered to portray the struggle and sufferings that the people of Italy were facing as at that time. As is illustrated in the translations of the statements written on top of the painting, Sandro reveals that the painting was made during a time that Italy was facing some troubles. (Kren and Marx) asserts that Sandro made this painting towards the end of the year 1500 when Italy was facing difficulties. This period was half the time after the period indicated in chapter eleven of the book of Saint John in the second desperation of the Apocalypse after the loss of the devil for a period of three and a half years. This shows that his art was infact meant to document the suffering faced by the pilgims in their struggles during the religious war periods. It is an art work t hat he created and designed to bring out the different moods. This is attributed to the fact that people use the painting to demonstrate celebration, happiness and joy in togetherness. This is mainly seen with people who use it on Christmas cards, during the period of jubilation for Christian believers celebrating the birth of Christ (Sterling 35). Sandro Botticelli had other works of art that were mostly motivated

International Business Theory and Practice Essay

International Business Theory and Practice - Essay Example Starbucks is one of the leading coffee chain businesses in the world which has been exemplary in their strategies for domestic as well as global expansion processes. Starbucks Corporation in a Washington based company but over the last decade, the company has employed different innovation strategies to expand their business internationally and has increased its number of stores across the world at an accelerated rate making it one of the fasted internationally growing multinational corporations across the globe. The company is specifically focused on expanding into the emerging markets with high potential for growth like Middle East, Europe, and Asia pacific including China, Korea, India and the Latin America markets. This paper focuses on the different strategies of Starbucks in entering the emerging market of North Korea. There are a number of studies and theories presented by different scholars and researchers who have studied the different factors related to the international expansion of various multinationals. The Uppsala model for internationalization expansion processes was one of the earliest developed models for global expansion policies of multinational companies. The Porter’s diamond model for competitive advantage of nations is a critical model used to understand the different locational and company specific advantages to be considered in the international expansion process. According to the study of Chen and Mujtaba (2007) the entry mode factors considered for the expansion strategy are based on transaction cost model and can be considered the most critical step in the global expansion process (Chen and Mujtaba, 2007, p.322-337). The transactional cost model states that the implementation cost of an entry mode is a critically relevant factor in choosing the entry mode for implement ation. According to the work presented by Tang and Liu (2011), the evaluation of the

Evaluate an existing information management system within healthcare Case Study

Evaluate an existing information management system within healthcare organization in the Abudhabi hospitals - Case Study Example It is evident from the argument of research scholars that implementation of IMS in hospitals is a pertinent but hotly debated topic. Hence, the researcher has decided to dig deep in this topic by shedding light on existing IMS in hospitals of UK. Description and Functional Evaluation In UK, majority of hospitals are covered under the supervision of National Health Service Estate hence these hospitals show the common tendency while implementing a new IT application. Puig-Junoy (2000) and Tsai and Molinero (2002) have pointed out that in most of the cases, hospitals implement a new system in order to decrease the patient management cost. However, these researchers have suggested that hospitals should implant those systems which can save money and time of patients and deliver service in profitable manner. E-Prescribing has been selected by the researcher as the IMS to study in this paper. Hospitals like Chelsea and Westminster Healthcare NHS Trust has already been implemented the e-Pres cribing in order to manage cost of servicing patients (European Commission, 2012). Although e-Prescribing might sound like it’s the electronic version of formal prescription but in real scenario it’s much more than prescribing. E-Prescribing is the modified version of patient management facilities which requires active involvement of stakeholders such as doctors, nurses, patients and many others. Generally hospitals such as Chelsea and Westminster Healthcare NHS use e-Prescribing as packaged software but there examples, where hospitals use customized version of e-Prescribing. Now, the study will try to understand what exactly meant by e-Prescribing. NHS Connecting for Health (NHS CFH) (2009) has defined E-Prescribing as the information management system which is created in order to facilitate and enhance the communication of medicine order or prescription, increasing the options for administration of hospitals to provide medicine to patients in accordance with their pr escription, creating decision support and audit support system for the hospital to manage medicines used throughout the treatment of patients. In simple words, objective of e-prescribing is to manage patient information in efficient manner and help the hospital to audit its medicines used per patients. Many of the UK hospitals create the link between e-Prescribing and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) in order to help audit section of the hospital to conduct the cost-benefit analysis of its patient service. Implementation of e-Prescribing system is stepwise process which involves the engagement of various clinical stakeholders such as doctors, patient care division in the hospital, Information Management and Technology (IM&T) professionals, senior clinicians, senior managers etc. Specifically, IM&T is responsible for providing technical and infrastructural support to e-Prescribing (NHS CFH, 2009). E-Prescribing cannot be viewed as simple automation of manual task function for presc ribing medicines rather than it should be viewed as transformative process. For example, using e-Prescribing empowers doctor and nurses can change the traditional prescribing process and indicate the

Concepts of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)

Concepts of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) CHAPTER I 1.0 Introduction This paper will labour to explicate the intricacies of enterprise resource planning (ERP), a concept that has long fascinated many in both academic and professional work environments. The United Nations (UN) has expressed the need to implement ERP. As part of their examination into this procedure, the UN has implemented ERP at the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Pristine, Republic of Kosovo, and other agencies of the UN. As they look into the ramifications of ERP implementation, so does this case study. This study attempts to make predictions of the impact of ERP implementation on the business processes and organisational culture of the United Nations secretariat based on results from the UNDP. 1.1 Introduction to the Problem Since the latter part of the 1990s, firms have rushed to implement enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, e.g., one study showed that more than sixty percent of Fortune 500 companies had adopted an ERP system (G. Stewart et al., 2000). The United Nations, as one of the largest organisations in the world, has lagged behind in adopting the transformation in the management of its resources. The United Nations has been seriously hampered its ability to deliver results effectively and efficiently due to the lack of an integrated information system for managing its resources (Report of the Secretary-General, 2008). According to Davis and Olsen (1985), ERP is an integrated system that provides information to support operation management and decision making functions in an organisation. Therefore, the goal of implementing an ERP system and business process reengineering (BPR) is to build an integrated global information system that fully supports the needs of the United Nations, enables the effective management of human, financial and physical resources, and is based on streamlined processes and better practices. (Report of the Secretary-General, 2008) 1.2 Background of the Study 1.2.1 Existing System Currently the United Nations uses an in-house developed system—commonly referred to as Integrated Management Information System (IMIS)—for the management of human, financial and physical resources. The development of IMIS was a milestone in the use of information technology as a discipline that can beneficially affect many if not all areas of administration and management in any given organisation. IMIS was developed as a functionally integrated system, which combines all the departments to support key processes such as human resources management, payroll, finance and accounting, requisitioning and funds control, budget execution and travel management. IMIS was introduced in conjunction with desktop, networked computing and office automation tools such as electronic mail in all offices where IMIS was being used. If an organisation is not yet sure of the need for client-server networks, the state of the art in enterprise-wide computing, it has only to consider the Integrated Management Information System (IMIS) of the United Nations, (Rowe Davis, 1996: 122). The launching of IMIS was subsequently affected and conditioned by major developments in the technological market, and an accelerated shift of focus in the United Nations to field activities. In short, IMIS was designed and developed at a time when the context began to change rapidly and profoundly. Yet, only a few years after the implementation of IMIS, it has become evident that the system cannot take full advantage of the advancement in technology; e.g., even though IMIS is functionally integrated, it was deployed and managed locally at each geographical location, which makes reporting and global management very difficult. The implementation in the United Nations peacekeeping operation was partial, as it is a separate department in t he UN, and was not able to support the supply chain and logistical management. (Report of the Secretary-General, 2008) The IMIS was not an alternative communication technology to paper and telephones, but it involved the synchronization of multiple data sources and the linking of them to several mainframes, (Rowe Davis, 1996: 122). An investment in tactical systems, which includes a stand-alone system and a modular integration into IMIS through interfaces, a bridging system between two different systems to allow data sharing, was able to address the functional gaps of IMIS. However, the organisation today faces challenges that demand profound transformation beyond the capabilities of IMIS and its ancillary legacy systems currently being used. (Report of the Secretary-General, 2008) 1.2.2 The need for change The United Nations struggled to get everybody in their building to connect electronically. It soon realised that it was time to connect the world with a client-server network, (Rowe Davis, 1996: 122). The need for the United Nations to adopt the International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) lead to the requirement of significant change in the accounting processes and systems in order to achieve compliance with the international public sector accounting standard. The requisites changes, indeed, were so fundamental that it is fair to say that the life of IMIS has come to an end after fourteen years since it was first implemented; moreover, the benefits that the staff and managers expect from the information system in day-to-day operations and decision-making no longer match the cost of maintenance and ongoing support. This is because IMIS is no longer able to cope with the fast technological development, and the cost of maintenance and ongoing support has become very expens ive. (Report of the Secretary-General, 2008) The success of your organisations quality initiative depends upon your ability to communicate the need for change throughout the organization, (Arcaro and Arcarco, 1997: 146). The United Nations as an organisation needs to improve the quality and cost-effectiveness of the services it provides. They report that the existing systems are not up to the standard, not integrated, duplicative, and are inefficient. (Report of the Secretary-General, 2008) According to the UN, the effective management, planning and decision-making have been hampered by the lack of integration and complete data on resources. (ibid) As the organisation continues to grow in complexity in its activities, they are dissatisfied with the lack of integration and data sharing between different departments as it has become a bigger problem, and the need for a new ICT global enterprise system for streamlining and simplifying processes has become more crucial as the nature of the organisation is changing itself. (ibid) 1.2.3 Goals and objectives of implementing an Enterprise Resource Planning System The United Nations reports that the implementation of an ERP system will present the opportunity to fully combine resources and functions across the organisation by replacing the existing IMIS system. (ibid) Minahan (1998) reports ERP to be a complex software system that ties together and automates the basic processes of business activities such as finance and budget management, human resources management, supply chain management, central support services, and other corporate core functions. Most importantly, the main value of an ERP system is the opportunity to streamline and improve the operations of an entire organisation through process reengineering, sharing of common data, and implementation of best practices and standards, and perform as the inter-organisation information backbone for communication and collaboration (OLeary, 2004). According to reports from the United Nations (Report of the Secretary-General, 2008), the main objectives of the ERP project can be summarised as follows: To have a global operating system that precisely captures core resource data from each department and agency at the UN while linking them together to provide better decision-making. This will minimize the time required to perform administrative processes and enable easy access to necessary reports for each department, thus increasing the efficiency of the organisation and directing the focus to high priority situations. The main functionalities sought from the new ERP system are expected to encompass functions such as programme planning, budgeting, contributions and performance; human resources management and administration; payroll, including management of benefits and contribution to pension, medical and insurance schemes; supply chain management, including procurement; assets and facilities management; general accounting, travel and other administrative flows; reporting to management and stakeholders, and more. (ibid) Specific United Nations peacekeeping operations functions such as logistics, transportation, fuel and rations systems need to be supported by the new ERP system as these functions are not held in common with other organisations of the United Nations operations. 1.3 Purpose and Significance of the Study The research done in this study will attempt to answer the following question: What will be the impact of ERP implementation on the business transformation and business culture of the United Nations? Specifically, the study will attempt to establish the relationship between the business process transformation and organisational culture change offered as the result of ERP. These questions and findings are expected to provide an increased ability in evaluating the performance and standardisation of the business processes within the United Nations, as well as an increased awareness of its effect on the business culture and productivity over time of the UN. In addition, answers to these questions will subsequently enable other researchers to gain more insight into ERP implementation and business process reengineering. It will also enable the management of the United Nations to see how ERP can be a better means of technological reform, thus providing the opportunity to re-evaluate the existing business processes even further. 1.4 Research Questions The question that constitutes the primary point of pivot for the paper is: What will be the probable future impact of ERP on the business process transformation and business culture of the United Nations? The three subsidiary questions of the present work are: > How will ERP implementation make the organisation better off in the foreseeable future? > What will be the effect on the reformed business culture in terms of productivity? > How does the organisation perceive the benefit of ERP on the standardisation of business processes? 1.5 Structural Approach The rest of the thesis has been structured as follows. Chapter 2 provides a review of relevant literature, including ERP, business process reengineering, and their impact on organisational culture. Chapter 3 discusses the methodologies used for the empirical analysis and describes the data and the various proxies employed for analysing ERP implementation in the United Nations. Chapter 4 provides empirical findings of the relationship between ERP implementation and its effects on business processes and organisational culture. Chapter 5 analyses the research findings. Chapter 6 concludes the research by pointing out the key impacts of ERP on the UN. Chapter 7 makes various recommendations for policy direction and potentially fruitful areas of ERP systems for further research. Chapter 8 reflects on the study as a whole. CHAPTER II 2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW The following Literature Review will focus on four main areas of evaluation regarding enterprise resource planning (ERP) on the business process transformation (BPR) in organisations, and more specifically, the United Nations. These are: 1. ERP: definition, evolution, implications 2. BPR: definition, evolution, implications 3. ERP and organisational culture 4. BPR and organisational change This review will analyse the abovementioned systems and related processes insofar as the available data in the literature will allow for a comparison of ERP and BPR and their effects on the United Nations and other large organisations. 2.1 Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP): Definition, Evolution, and Implications Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems are commonly described as commercial software packages that allow the assimilation of data and processes throughout an organisation (Markus Tanis, 2000, cited in Kim et al., 2005). ERP enables the flow of information among all business areas such as finance, human resources, manufacturing, sales and marketing, (Tan and Theodorou, 2009: 52). Basically, it allows data from all departments to exist in one computer system (Pang, 2001), making the managerial dream of unification of all information systems into one computer system come true (Adam ODoherty, 2003, cited in Revia, 2007). This unification should offer many benefits to the UN and other large organisations. Large organisations may have a more difficult time relaying information from one sector to another as they have many different departments and even multiple locations. The combination of all department in one system, presents benefits of relaying data in a timely manner. Rather tha n sending files through inter-office mail or needing to track down one particular staff member, each employee will have access to the information required for their job by simply logging into the system. The researcher will attempt to discover whether this unification does indeed allow for more time-efficiency as well as making simple operations tasks easier to accomplish in the UN. The start of ERP systems came about in the 1960-1970s with the invention of Inventory Control (IC) and Materials Requirement Planning (MPR) systems, which managed inventory in manufacturing. In the 1980s, Manufacturing Resources Planning (MRP II) systems came into use to manage both inventory and production requirements together. In 1973, the first ERP system was created with the goal of supporting all business needs. Since then, ERP systems have become much more popular. In fact, by the year 2000, enterprise resource planning systems were estimated to have serviced $23 billion USD in profits for the various organisations that have been implementing them (Pang, 2001). ERP applications are the largest, fastest growing and most influential in the industry (Corbett Finney, 2007). This is probably why the UN has shown such interest in ERP. The increase in ERP implementation does not seem surprising as ERP allows corporations to update to a new integrated system cutting out the previous legacy systems known for their difficulties in maintenance, large size, and old age, as they are segregated systems (Martin, 1998; cited in Boudreau, 1999). This appears to be helpful for the UN as they reported difficulty with their current legacy system (Report of the Secretary-General, 2008). It is likely that employees of the UN will be satisfied with the replacement of the legacy system due to the reported problems it has. However, there is a chance that employees may be intimidated by this change as they will have to learn an entirely new system. Advantages of ERP systems for organisations include overcoming fragmentation by streamlining activities and processes, which provides direct access to real-time information by supplying a group of software modules that encase all departments of a business (Koch, 2003, cited in Corbett Finney, 2007). This appears to be an accurate statement due to the convenience of having all departments existing together. This implies that all information accessed through the new system will be current as it is constantly being updated by various employees based on the tasks they complete. Rather than there being pieces of information in various places, all information regarding the same issue will be together implying that employees can look in one place and have all the information they need rather than searching through various documents or consulting multiple co-workers. This aspect of ERP systems will be investigated at the UNDP in Kosovo in order to determine whether this feature is benefici al. Furthermore, ERP systems are said to provide cost-reduction in addition to increased flexibility (Siriginidi, 2000 cited in Al-Fawaz, Al-Salti, and Eldabi, 2008). These two benefits appear to be linked as decreasing operation costs would imply having more flexibility to perform other processes. For the UN, this would mean more money to use for their peacekeeping missions or other operations. However, flexibility does not depend on cost-reduction. Its possible for the availability of data to imply flexibility in making decisions or flexibility could result from rearranging the organisations processes and being better equipped to perform certain tasks. ERP systems have been reported to enhance business performance by accelerating the merger of organisational resources as well as strengthening the operational efficiency of the company through minimising human error (Shin Knapp, 2001, cited by Wang, 2006). The implication that ERP reduces human error seems to be correct as there is les s opportunity to make a mistake for employees because there is generally only one time they need to input information for data-sharing as opposed to the multiple steps needed to take before. These benefits should assist the UN in accomplishing some of their proposed goals such as linking all departments within one operations system, which decreases the time required for administrative processes. The UN hopes implementation will increase their operational efficiency by allowing valuable time to be spent focusing on high priority situations rather than simple operations tasks (Report of the Secretary-General, 2008). More advertised benefits include improved information accuracy and decision-making capacity (Siriginidi, 2000 cited in Al-Fawaz, Al-Salti, and Eldabi, 2008). The UN wants to make use of these proposed advantages (Report of the Secretary-General, 2008). Decision-making is a large part of the UN as they have to make difficult decisions everyday that effect large numbers of p eople; making a bad decision is not necessarily easily corrected in this case. Furthermore, many situations the UN deals with are time-sensitive; if its easier to access data, and the accuracy of that data is improved, officials can rest assured that they are making decisions with proper knowledge. In implementing ERP, organisations no longer have to create their own applications that are then unique to their company. They now have standard software available for their business processes, referred to as Best Business Practices (BBP). BBPs came into existence around the same time as ERPs. BBPs are general guidelines to assist companies in the way of handling certain business processes, meaning that each company can now improve itself on the basis of the experience of other corporations that share similar functional processes (SAP, 2007, cited by Revia, 2007). It seems any organisation would be hesitant to implement a system that has not proved to benefit other large organisations as the risks of failure are high (source). BBPs should definitely help the UN as they will be benefitting from previous experiences of other corporations. Some of the disadvantages of ERP are that the implementation requires time, costs and risks (Boudreau, 1999), as they tend to be large, complicated, and expensive (Mabert et al., 2001, cited by Al-Fawaz, Al-Salti, and Eldabi, 2008: 3). ERP implementation calls for serious time commitment from all involved as it is often the biggest project that an organisation will ever face (Moon, 2007). ERP execution requires new procedures, employee training and managerial and technical support (Shang Seddon, 2002, cited by Al-Fawaz, Al-Salti, Eldabi, 2008), which can be accomplished through good communication of the corporate strategy to all employees (Umble et al., 2003, cited by Al-Fawaz, Al-Salti, and Eldabi, 2008). Consequently, the biggest problem is not actually the implementation itself but the expectations of board members and senior staff as well as not having a clear plan or realistic projections (Somers Nelson 2004, cited by Al-Fawaz, Al-Salti, and Eldabi, 2008). However, the UN ha s already proposed clear goals and plans for their implementation. The question is whether or not they will be able to successfully translate these goals/plans to all employees of the organisation and whether or not they will be successful. Finally, the importance of selecting the appropriate ERP package is stressed. Corporations must make sure they select the appropriate ERP package that will match their organisation as well as its business processes (Chen, 2001, cited in Corbett Finney, 2007). This seems obvious as every organisation is different. Some corporations strategise around providing excellent customer service while others focus on decreasing costs to customers as a way to attract more business. However, there are studies that show that customising ERP packages beyond minimal adjustments is discouraged; these studies show that organisations should adjust their processes to fit the package rather than adjust the package to fit the processes (Murray Coffin, 2001 cited in Al-Fawaz, Al-Salti, Eldabi, 2008). 2.2 Business Process Transformation (BPR): Definition, Evolution, and Implications Business process reengineering (BPR) was not very popular until the release of the book Re-engineering the Corporation by Michael Hammer and James Champy (Barker, 1995). Hammer and Champy introduced the term Business process reengineering in 1990 and defined it as a fundamental redesign of business processes to achieve dramatic improvements in critical areas such as cost, quality, service and speed (Hammer, 1990). Business process reengineering is also defined as a strategic redesign of important business processes, including the systems and policies that support them, in order to achieve maximum productivity of an organisation (Manganelli Klein, 1994). This would suggest a link between ERP and BPR as they are both structured around the redesign of core business processes. In fact, some goals of BPR are the reduction of cost, cycle-time, defects, and the increase of worker productivity (Hales Savoie, 1994), very much the same as ERP. The aim of BPR is to change current business pro cesses in order to make them more efficient overall, again mimicking ERP. In fact, Some researchers suggest that ERP systems are the major tools for making business processes better, leaner and faster through associated business process reengineering, (Shang Seddon, 2003, cited in Revia, 2007: 25). It is not yet known whether or not BPR will be performed at the UN. It is assumed that it will as it is so closely related to ERP. Additionally, reports have shown that ERP often causes BPR to occur due to its very nature (Martin et al., 1999). It seems that in order for ERP to be most successful, BPR should be performed (Sumner, 2000 cited by Law Ngai, 2007), otherwise the UN may not recognize exactly which processes are most important for their operations. Or, they may not be fully aware of the exact way in which ERP should be performed in relation to the core business processes, which is vital to understand for the selection of the proper ERP package. BPR has its origins in the private sectors as a management tool for companies to deal with change and reorganise their work to improve customer service, cut operational costs, and become world-class competitors, (Hamid, 2004, cited in Wang, 2006: 5). Generally, business process transformation takes business processes and allows the m to be done routinely through a computer system. It incorporates peoples perspectives and input to make sure that the processes fit needs specific to each corporation (Wang, 2006). This suggests benefits for ERP implementation in any organisation as the systems are supposed to be designed around core processes specific to each company. It would be helpful for the UN to determine which processes are vital to their operations. Furthermore, cutting operational costs should prove to be very valuable for the UN as many of the services it provides are non-profit. If BPR is performed as a result of ERP, it seems that cost reduction will be achieved. Here is a further look into what a core business process is: A core business process is one that gives value to the customers or stakeholders of the company. These are the most important processes within the organisation and are the ones that will set a company above their competitors if done well. In order to figure out what processes are cor e, one may ask the following questions. 1) Does the process make valued contributions to the customer? Does it improve customer service, increase response-time, decrease customers costs? 2) Is it important for the production/operation of the company? 3) Can it be used for other businesses? If the answer is yes to one of these questions, then the process under consideration can be considered core (McHugh, Merli, Wheeler, 1995). The UN may consider any process involving cash flow to be core as that is a huge component to many of the services they provide. Furthermore, any documentation of information from one department to another is probably considered core as this organisation relies on data-sharing for its decision-making capabilities. Therefore, it seems that these types of processes will be affected by ERP implementation and will most likely be reengineered. The three most basic strategies that increase a business success are lowering prices, offering more value in products, or focusing on less diversity in commodities and specialising in a certain area (Berrington Oblich, 1995). This suggests that BPR would be structured around these strategies when reorganizing core business processes. If the UN is restructuring using BPR, they are likely to focus on a combination of strategies. As already mentioned, the cost of operations is a huge factor for the United Nations to consider as they provide aid to many countries without expecting any favours in return. This implies they would focus on reduction of costs. However, the main reason they are an organisation is to provide services to those in need. That would suggest they would reorganise their business processes around the strategy of offering more value in their services. In implementing BPR, organisations are asked to choose five or six of the processes that are central to the operation of the company and focus on those to see the ways in which they can make them more efficient (McHugh, Merli, Wheeler, 1995). Concentrating on making sure core processes are completed to the best of the companys ability only ensures the organisation will do better. In the case of the UN, focusing on data-sharing and managing cash flow suggests an increase in the efficiency of the organisation as those components are vital to their operation. These changes would suggest benefits for both the cost-reduction strategy as well as providing better service to customers. 2.3 Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Organisational Culture Organisational culture is a set of core beliefs, values, and behaviours shared by all members of one company, thereby affecting the productivity of the business. It is often described as a pattern of shared assumptions produced and manipulated by top management (Schein, 1992 cited by Boersma Kingma, 2005: 131). Organisational culture is influenced through many aspects, including leadership, personal characteristics, interactions of members, as well as tradition. Culture has visible signs and hidden insinuations. Visible signs include behaviour while the hidden insinuations entail morals and beliefs (Rousseau, 1990 cited by Cooper, 1994). The culture of an organisation is even displayed in the way certain processes are done as well as the outcomes of these processes, which will be examined at the UNDP in Kosovo. Because ERP systems involve most departments in a company, they change many business processes and thereby affect the more deep-seated organisational culture of a corporation . Companies that focus on incorporating their cultures into organisational efforts are said to have an edge in accordance with their productivity. Organisations can focus on culture and work with the people to shape new values, morals and work ethics. If employees are happy to be working for the organisation, they will be more apt to want to work, implying there will be an increase in productivity (Farbrother Marc, 2003). Enterprise resource planning can lead to changes in organisational culture i.e., ERP is implemented in order to increase productivity by changing current business processes (Deal Kennedy, 1982 cited by Cooper, 1994). These changes are maximal and cannot be simply brushed aside. When a company implements ERP, if the organisational culture is ready for the changes it will bring, the employees can work with the system to increase productivity. Consequently, the culture within the business must be one that can be made amenable for change (Nah et al., 2001 cited in Co rbett Finney, 2007). There is the belief that positive and supportive attitudes of those embarking on implementation of ERP will actually bring about a successful transition (Chatterjee et al., 2002 cited in Law Ngai, 2007). However, if the culture has not been made ready for change or the employees are unwilling to change, the system will be less likely to succeed. A system cannot work if there are no users. System implementation represents a threat to users perceptions of control over their work and a period of transition during which users must cope with differences between old and new work systems, (Bobek Sternad, 2002: 285). The social setting of a company and its technology most definitely shape each other; they are hardly independent of one another (Boersma Kingma, 2005). A mistake companies frequently make is to presume that people can change their habits easily when in actuality such changes are considerably taxing for many people. These companies underestimate the effect ERP implementation will have on their employees. Many employees panic when nothing looks the way it used to, nothing works the way it used to, and they can no longer go through their workday with the previously earned sense of familiarity and assurance (Koch, 2007 cited in Revia, 2007). One study showed that it took over two years for users of the new system to forget the process problems they found initially and to gain new knowledge of the system (Seddon Shang, 2003 cited in Revia, 2007). A Chief Information Officer from Nestle sums up this concept very well—she says, No major software implementation is really about the software. Its about change management†¦You are changing the way people work†¦You are challenging their principles, their beliefs and the way they have done things for many, many years (Boersma Kingma, 2005: 123). It seems the best way to ensure that employees are on board with proposed changes is to make them aware of these changes. It is important for them to feel that they are included in the decision to create new values and procedures for the company. Otherwise, they will be clinging on to the old culture and ways of doing things. The change will be stressful and forced rather than welcomed with ease. They should feel that the change is happening because of them rather than happening to them. The most senior level of management initiates enterprise resource planning, but its success depends on its acceptance by the companys ordinary workers (Obolensky, 1996). Cultures can be manipulated by those in management (Handy, 1985 cited by Cooper, 1994). Change can be intimidating and needs to be managed well. Therefore, the conclusion is drawn that managers need to make sure each and every employee is doing their part. This literature suggests that leaders are the most important players in any c hange scenario. Employees wont decide to change their behavi Concepts of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Concepts of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) CHAPTER I 1.0 Introduction This paper will labour to explicate the intricacies of enterprise resource planning (ERP), a concept that has long fascinated many in both academic and professional work environments. The United Nations (UN) has expressed the need to implement ERP. As part of their examination into this procedure, the UN has implemented ERP at the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Pristine, Republic of Kosovo, and other agencies of the UN. As they look into the ramifications of ERP implementation, so does this case study. This study attempts to make predictions of the impact of ERP implementation on the business processes and organisational culture of the United Nations secretariat based on results from the UNDP. 1.1 Introduction to the Problem Since the latter part of the 1990s, firms have rushed to implement enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, e.g., one study showed that more than sixty percent of Fortune 500 companies had adopted an ERP system (G. Stewart et al., 2000). The United Nations, as one of the largest organisations in the world, has lagged behind in adopting the transformation in the management of its resources. The United Nations has been seriously hampered its ability to deliver results effectively and efficiently due to the lack of an integrated information system for managing its resources (Report of the Secretary-General, 2008). According to Davis and Olsen (1985), ERP is an integrated system that provides information to support operation management and decision making functions in an organisation. Therefore, the goal of implementing an ERP system and business process reengineering (BPR) is to build an integrated global information system that fully supports the needs of the United Nations, enables the effective management of human, financial and physical resources, and is based on streamlined processes and better practices. (Report of the Secretary-General, 2008) 1.2 Background of the Study 1.2.1 Existing System Currently the United Nations uses an in-house developed system—commonly referred to as Integrated Management Information System (IMIS)—for the management of human, financial and physical resources. The development of IMIS was a milestone in the use of information technology as a discipline that can beneficially affect many if not all areas of administration and management in any given organisation. IMIS was developed as a functionally integrated system, which combines all the departments to support key processes such as human resources management, payroll, finance and accounting, requisitioning and funds control, budget execution and travel management. IMIS was introduced in conjunction with desktop, networked computing and office automation tools such as electronic mail in all offices where IMIS was being used. If an organisation is not yet sure of the need for client-server networks, the state of the art in enterprise-wide computing, it has only to consider the Integrated Management Information System (IMIS) of the United Nations, (Rowe Davis, 1996: 122). The launching of IMIS was subsequently affected and conditioned by major developments in the technological market, and an accelerated shift of focus in the United Nations to field activities. In short, IMIS was designed and developed at a time when the context began to change rapidly and profoundly. Yet, only a few years after the implementation of IMIS, it has become evident that the system cannot take full advantage of the advancement in technology; e.g., even though IMIS is functionally integrated, it was deployed and managed locally at each geographical location, which makes reporting and global management very difficult. The implementation in the United Nations peacekeeping operation was partial, as it is a separate department in t he UN, and was not able to support the supply chain and logistical management. (Report of the Secretary-General, 2008) The IMIS was not an alternative communication technology to paper and telephones, but it involved the synchronization of multiple data sources and the linking of them to several mainframes, (Rowe Davis, 1996: 122). An investment in tactical systems, which includes a stand-alone system and a modular integration into IMIS through interfaces, a bridging system between two different systems to allow data sharing, was able to address the functional gaps of IMIS. However, the organisation today faces challenges that demand profound transformation beyond the capabilities of IMIS and its ancillary legacy systems currently being used. (Report of the Secretary-General, 2008) 1.2.2 The need for change The United Nations struggled to get everybody in their building to connect electronically. It soon realised that it was time to connect the world with a client-server network, (Rowe Davis, 1996: 122). The need for the United Nations to adopt the International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) lead to the requirement of significant change in the accounting processes and systems in order to achieve compliance with the international public sector accounting standard. The requisites changes, indeed, were so fundamental that it is fair to say that the life of IMIS has come to an end after fourteen years since it was first implemented; moreover, the benefits that the staff and managers expect from the information system in day-to-day operations and decision-making no longer match the cost of maintenance and ongoing support. This is because IMIS is no longer able to cope with the fast technological development, and the cost of maintenance and ongoing support has become very expens ive. (Report of the Secretary-General, 2008) The success of your organisations quality initiative depends upon your ability to communicate the need for change throughout the organization, (Arcaro and Arcarco, 1997: 146). The United Nations as an organisation needs to improve the quality and cost-effectiveness of the services it provides. They report that the existing systems are not up to the standard, not integrated, duplicative, and are inefficient. (Report of the Secretary-General, 2008) According to the UN, the effective management, planning and decision-making have been hampered by the lack of integration and complete data on resources. (ibid) As the organisation continues to grow in complexity in its activities, they are dissatisfied with the lack of integration and data sharing between different departments as it has become a bigger problem, and the need for a new ICT global enterprise system for streamlining and simplifying processes has become more crucial as the nature of the organisation is changing itself. (ibid) 1.2.3 Goals and objectives of implementing an Enterprise Resource Planning System The United Nations reports that the implementation of an ERP system will present the opportunity to fully combine resources and functions across the organisation by replacing the existing IMIS system. (ibid) Minahan (1998) reports ERP to be a complex software system that ties together and automates the basic processes of business activities such as finance and budget management, human resources management, supply chain management, central support services, and other corporate core functions. Most importantly, the main value of an ERP system is the opportunity to streamline and improve the operations of an entire organisation through process reengineering, sharing of common data, and implementation of best practices and standards, and perform as the inter-organisation information backbone for communication and collaboration (OLeary, 2004). According to reports from the United Nations (Report of the Secretary-General, 2008), the main objectives of the ERP project can be summarised as follows: To have a global operating system that precisely captures core resource data from each department and agency at the UN while linking them together to provide better decision-making. This will minimize the time required to perform administrative processes and enable easy access to necessary reports for each department, thus increasing the efficiency of the organisation and directing the focus to high priority situations. The main functionalities sought from the new ERP system are expected to encompass functions such as programme planning, budgeting, contributions and performance; human resources management and administration; payroll, including management of benefits and contribution to pension, medical and insurance schemes; supply chain management, including procurement; assets and facilities management; general accounting, travel and other administrative flows; reporting to management and stakeholders, and more. (ibid) Specific United Nations peacekeeping operations functions such as logistics, transportation, fuel and rations systems need to be supported by the new ERP system as these functions are not held in common with other organisations of the United Nations operations. 1.3 Purpose and Significance of the Study The research done in this study will attempt to answer the following question: What will be the impact of ERP implementation on the business transformation and business culture of the United Nations? Specifically, the study will attempt to establish the relationship between the business process transformation and organisational culture change offered as the result of ERP. These questions and findings are expected to provide an increased ability in evaluating the performance and standardisation of the business processes within the United Nations, as well as an increased awareness of its effect on the business culture and productivity over time of the UN. In addition, answers to these questions will subsequently enable other researchers to gain more insight into ERP implementation and business process reengineering. It will also enable the management of the United Nations to see how ERP can be a better means of technological reform, thus providing the opportunity to re-evaluate the existing business processes even further. 1.4 Research Questions The question that constitutes the primary point of pivot for the paper is: What will be the probable future impact of ERP on the business process transformation and business culture of the United Nations? The three subsidiary questions of the present work are: > How will ERP implementation make the organisation better off in the foreseeable future? > What will be the effect on the reformed business culture in terms of productivity? > How does the organisation perceive the benefit of ERP on the standardisation of business processes? 1.5 Structural Approach The rest of the thesis has been structured as follows. Chapter 2 provides a review of relevant literature, including ERP, business process reengineering, and their impact on organisational culture. Chapter 3 discusses the methodologies used for the empirical analysis and describes the data and the various proxies employed for analysing ERP implementation in the United Nations. Chapter 4 provides empirical findings of the relationship between ERP implementation and its effects on business processes and organisational culture. Chapter 5 analyses the research findings. Chapter 6 concludes the research by pointing out the key impacts of ERP on the UN. Chapter 7 makes various recommendations for policy direction and potentially fruitful areas of ERP systems for further research. Chapter 8 reflects on the study as a whole. CHAPTER II 2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW The following Literature Review will focus on four main areas of evaluation regarding enterprise resource planning (ERP) on the business process transformation (BPR) in organisations, and more specifically, the United Nations. These are: 1. ERP: definition, evolution, implications 2. BPR: definition, evolution, implications 3. ERP and organisational culture 4. BPR and organisational change This review will analyse the abovementioned systems and related processes insofar as the available data in the literature will allow for a comparison of ERP and BPR and their effects on the United Nations and other large organisations. 2.1 Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP): Definition, Evolution, and Implications Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems are commonly described as commercial software packages that allow the assimilation of data and processes throughout an organisation (Markus Tanis, 2000, cited in Kim et al., 2005). ERP enables the flow of information among all business areas such as finance, human resources, manufacturing, sales and marketing, (Tan and Theodorou, 2009: 52). Basically, it allows data from all departments to exist in one computer system (Pang, 2001), making the managerial dream of unification of all information systems into one computer system come true (Adam ODoherty, 2003, cited in Revia, 2007). This unification should offer many benefits to the UN and other large organisations. Large organisations may have a more difficult time relaying information from one sector to another as they have many different departments and even multiple locations. The combination of all department in one system, presents benefits of relaying data in a timely manner. Rather tha n sending files through inter-office mail or needing to track down one particular staff member, each employee will have access to the information required for their job by simply logging into the system. The researcher will attempt to discover whether this unification does indeed allow for more time-efficiency as well as making simple operations tasks easier to accomplish in the UN. The start of ERP systems came about in the 1960-1970s with the invention of Inventory Control (IC) and Materials Requirement Planning (MPR) systems, which managed inventory in manufacturing. In the 1980s, Manufacturing Resources Planning (MRP II) systems came into use to manage both inventory and production requirements together. In 1973, the first ERP system was created with the goal of supporting all business needs. Since then, ERP systems have become much more popular. In fact, by the year 2000, enterprise resource planning systems were estimated to have serviced $23 billion USD in profits for the various organisations that have been implementing them (Pang, 2001). ERP applications are the largest, fastest growing and most influential in the industry (Corbett Finney, 2007). This is probably why the UN has shown such interest in ERP. The increase in ERP implementation does not seem surprising as ERP allows corporations to update to a new integrated system cutting out the previous legacy systems known for their difficulties in maintenance, large size, and old age, as they are segregated systems (Martin, 1998; cited in Boudreau, 1999). This appears to be helpful for the UN as they reported difficulty with their current legacy system (Report of the Secretary-General, 2008). It is likely that employees of the UN will be satisfied with the replacement of the legacy system due to the reported problems it has. However, there is a chance that employees may be intimidated by this change as they will have to learn an entirely new system. Advantages of ERP systems for organisations include overcoming fragmentation by streamlining activities and processes, which provides direct access to real-time information by supplying a group of software modules that encase all departments of a business (Koch, 2003, cited in Corbett Finney, 2007). This appears to be an accurate statement due to the convenience of having all departments existing together. This implies that all information accessed through the new system will be current as it is constantly being updated by various employees based on the tasks they complete. Rather than there being pieces of information in various places, all information regarding the same issue will be together implying that employees can look in one place and have all the information they need rather than searching through various documents or consulting multiple co-workers. This aspect of ERP systems will be investigated at the UNDP in Kosovo in order to determine whether this feature is benefici al. Furthermore, ERP systems are said to provide cost-reduction in addition to increased flexibility (Siriginidi, 2000 cited in Al-Fawaz, Al-Salti, and Eldabi, 2008). These two benefits appear to be linked as decreasing operation costs would imply having more flexibility to perform other processes. For the UN, this would mean more money to use for their peacekeeping missions or other operations. However, flexibility does not depend on cost-reduction. Its possible for the availability of data to imply flexibility in making decisions or flexibility could result from rearranging the organisations processes and being better equipped to perform certain tasks. ERP systems have been reported to enhance business performance by accelerating the merger of organisational resources as well as strengthening the operational efficiency of the company through minimising human error (Shin Knapp, 2001, cited by Wang, 2006). The implication that ERP reduces human error seems to be correct as there is les s opportunity to make a mistake for employees because there is generally only one time they need to input information for data-sharing as opposed to the multiple steps needed to take before. These benefits should assist the UN in accomplishing some of their proposed goals such as linking all departments within one operations system, which decreases the time required for administrative processes. The UN hopes implementation will increase their operational efficiency by allowing valuable time to be spent focusing on high priority situations rather than simple operations tasks (Report of the Secretary-General, 2008). More advertised benefits include improved information accuracy and decision-making capacity (Siriginidi, 2000 cited in Al-Fawaz, Al-Salti, and Eldabi, 2008). The UN wants to make use of these proposed advantages (Report of the Secretary-General, 2008). Decision-making is a large part of the UN as they have to make difficult decisions everyday that effect large numbers of p eople; making a bad decision is not necessarily easily corrected in this case. Furthermore, many situations the UN deals with are time-sensitive; if its easier to access data, and the accuracy of that data is improved, officials can rest assured that they are making decisions with proper knowledge. In implementing ERP, organisations no longer have to create their own applications that are then unique to their company. They now have standard software available for their business processes, referred to as Best Business Practices (BBP). BBPs came into existence around the same time as ERPs. BBPs are general guidelines to assist companies in the way of handling certain business processes, meaning that each company can now improve itself on the basis of the experience of other corporations that share similar functional processes (SAP, 2007, cited by Revia, 2007). It seems any organisation would be hesitant to implement a system that has not proved to benefit other large organisations as the risks of failure are high (source). BBPs should definitely help the UN as they will be benefitting from previous experiences of other corporations. Some of the disadvantages of ERP are that the implementation requires time, costs and risks (Boudreau, 1999), as they tend to be large, complicated, and expensive (Mabert et al., 2001, cited by Al-Fawaz, Al-Salti, and Eldabi, 2008: 3). ERP implementation calls for serious time commitment from all involved as it is often the biggest project that an organisation will ever face (Moon, 2007). ERP execution requires new procedures, employee training and managerial and technical support (Shang Seddon, 2002, cited by Al-Fawaz, Al-Salti, Eldabi, 2008), which can be accomplished through good communication of the corporate strategy to all employees (Umble et al., 2003, cited by Al-Fawaz, Al-Salti, and Eldabi, 2008). Consequently, the biggest problem is not actually the implementation itself but the expectations of board members and senior staff as well as not having a clear plan or realistic projections (Somers Nelson 2004, cited by Al-Fawaz, Al-Salti, and Eldabi, 2008). However, the UN ha s already proposed clear goals and plans for their implementation. The question is whether or not they will be able to successfully translate these goals/plans to all employees of the organisation and whether or not they will be successful. Finally, the importance of selecting the appropriate ERP package is stressed. Corporations must make sure they select the appropriate ERP package that will match their organisation as well as its business processes (Chen, 2001, cited in Corbett Finney, 2007). This seems obvious as every organisation is different. Some corporations strategise around providing excellent customer service while others focus on decreasing costs to customers as a way to attract more business. However, there are studies that show that customising ERP packages beyond minimal adjustments is discouraged; these studies show that organisations should adjust their processes to fit the package rather than adjust the package to fit the processes (Murray Coffin, 2001 cited in Al-Fawaz, Al-Salti, Eldabi, 2008). 2.2 Business Process Transformation (BPR): Definition, Evolution, and Implications Business process reengineering (BPR) was not very popular until the release of the book Re-engineering the Corporation by Michael Hammer and James Champy (Barker, 1995). Hammer and Champy introduced the term Business process reengineering in 1990 and defined it as a fundamental redesign of business processes to achieve dramatic improvements in critical areas such as cost, quality, service and speed (Hammer, 1990). Business process reengineering is also defined as a strategic redesign of important business processes, including the systems and policies that support them, in order to achieve maximum productivity of an organisation (Manganelli Klein, 1994). This would suggest a link between ERP and BPR as they are both structured around the redesign of core business processes. In fact, some goals of BPR are the reduction of cost, cycle-time, defects, and the increase of worker productivity (Hales Savoie, 1994), very much the same as ERP. The aim of BPR is to change current business pro cesses in order to make them more efficient overall, again mimicking ERP. In fact, Some researchers suggest that ERP systems are the major tools for making business processes better, leaner and faster through associated business process reengineering, (Shang Seddon, 2003, cited in Revia, 2007: 25). It is not yet known whether or not BPR will be performed at the UN. It is assumed that it will as it is so closely related to ERP. Additionally, reports have shown that ERP often causes BPR to occur due to its very nature (Martin et al., 1999). It seems that in order for ERP to be most successful, BPR should be performed (Sumner, 2000 cited by Law Ngai, 2007), otherwise the UN may not recognize exactly which processes are most important for their operations. Or, they may not be fully aware of the exact way in which ERP should be performed in relation to the core business processes, which is vital to understand for the selection of the proper ERP package. BPR has its origins in the private sectors as a management tool for companies to deal with change and reorganise their work to improve customer service, cut operational costs, and become world-class competitors, (Hamid, 2004, cited in Wang, 2006: 5). Generally, business process transformation takes business processes and allows the m to be done routinely through a computer system. It incorporates peoples perspectives and input to make sure that the processes fit needs specific to each corporation (Wang, 2006). This suggests benefits for ERP implementation in any organisation as the systems are supposed to be designed around core processes specific to each company. It would be helpful for the UN to determine which processes are vital to their operations. Furthermore, cutting operational costs should prove to be very valuable for the UN as many of the services it provides are non-profit. If BPR is performed as a result of ERP, it seems that cost reduction will be achieved. Here is a further look into what a core business process is: A core business process is one that gives value to the customers or stakeholders of the company. These are the most important processes within the organisation and are the ones that will set a company above their competitors if done well. In order to figure out what processes are cor e, one may ask the following questions. 1) Does the process make valued contributions to the customer? Does it improve customer service, increase response-time, decrease customers costs? 2) Is it important for the production/operation of the company? 3) Can it be used for other businesses? If the answer is yes to one of these questions, then the process under consideration can be considered core (McHugh, Merli, Wheeler, 1995). The UN may consider any process involving cash flow to be core as that is a huge component to many of the services they provide. Furthermore, any documentation of information from one department to another is probably considered core as this organisation relies on data-sharing for its decision-making capabilities. Therefore, it seems that these types of processes will be affected by ERP implementation and will most likely be reengineered. The three most basic strategies that increase a business success are lowering prices, offering more value in products, or focusing on less diversity in commodities and specialising in a certain area (Berrington Oblich, 1995). This suggests that BPR would be structured around these strategies when reorganizing core business processes. If the UN is restructuring using BPR, they are likely to focus on a combination of strategies. As already mentioned, the cost of operations is a huge factor for the United Nations to consider as they provide aid to many countries without expecting any favours in return. This implies they would focus on reduction of costs. However, the main reason they are an organisation is to provide services to those in need. That would suggest they would reorganise their business processes around the strategy of offering more value in their services. In implementing BPR, organisations are asked to choose five or six of the processes that are central to the operation of the company and focus on those to see the ways in which they can make them more efficient (McHugh, Merli, Wheeler, 1995). Concentrating on making sure core processes are completed to the best of the companys ability only ensures the organisation will do better. In the case of the UN, focusing on data-sharing and managing cash flow suggests an increase in the efficiency of the organisation as those components are vital to their operation. These changes would suggest benefits for both the cost-reduction strategy as well as providing better service to customers. 2.3 Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Organisational Culture Organisational culture is a set of core beliefs, values, and behaviours shared by all members of one company, thereby affecting the productivity of the business. It is often described as a pattern of shared assumptions produced and manipulated by top management (Schein, 1992 cited by Boersma Kingma, 2005: 131). Organisational culture is influenced through many aspects, including leadership, personal characteristics, interactions of members, as well as tradition. Culture has visible signs and hidden insinuations. Visible signs include behaviour while the hidden insinuations entail morals and beliefs (Rousseau, 1990 cited by Cooper, 1994). The culture of an organisation is even displayed in the way certain processes are done as well as the outcomes of these processes, which will be examined at the UNDP in Kosovo. Because ERP systems involve most departments in a company, they change many business processes and thereby affect the more deep-seated organisational culture of a corporation . Companies that focus on incorporating their cultures into organisational efforts are said to have an edge in accordance with their productivity. Organisations can focus on culture and work with the people to shape new values, morals and work ethics. If employees are happy to be working for the organisation, they will be more apt to want to work, implying there will be an increase in productivity (Farbrother Marc, 2003). Enterprise resource planning can lead to changes in organisational culture i.e., ERP is implemented in order to increase productivity by changing current business processes (Deal Kennedy, 1982 cited by Cooper, 1994). These changes are maximal and cannot be simply brushed aside. When a company implements ERP, if the organisational culture is ready for the changes it will bring, the employees can work with the system to increase productivity. Consequently, the culture within the business must be one that can be made amenable for change (Nah et al., 2001 cited in Co rbett Finney, 2007). There is the belief that positive and supportive attitudes of those embarking on implementation of ERP will actually bring about a successful transition (Chatterjee et al., 2002 cited in Law Ngai, 2007). However, if the culture has not been made ready for change or the employees are unwilling to change, the system will be less likely to succeed. A system cannot work if there are no users. System implementation represents a threat to users perceptions of control over their work and a period of transition during which users must cope with differences between old and new work systems, (Bobek Sternad, 2002: 285). The social setting of a company and its technology most definitely shape each other; they are hardly independent of one another (Boersma Kingma, 2005). A mistake companies frequently make is to presume that people can change their habits easily when in actuality such changes are considerably taxing for many people. These companies underestimate the effect ERP implementation will have on their employees. Many employees panic when nothing looks the way it used to, nothing works the way it used to, and they can no longer go through their workday with the previously earned sense of familiarity and assurance (Koch, 2007 cited in Revia, 2007). One study showed that it took over two years for users of the new system to forget the process problems they found initially and to gain new knowledge of the system (Seddon Shang, 2003 cited in Revia, 2007). A Chief Information Officer from Nestle sums up this concept very well—she says, No major software implementation is really about the software. Its about change management†¦You are changing the way people work†¦You are challenging their principles, their beliefs and the way they have done things for many, many years (Boersma Kingma, 2005: 123). It seems the best way to ensure that employees are on board with proposed changes is to make them aware of these changes. It is important for them to feel that they are included in the decision to create new values and procedures for the company. Otherwise, they will be clinging on to the old culture and ways of doing things. The change will be stressful and forced rather than welcomed with ease. They should feel that the change is happening because of them rather than happening to them. The most senior level of management initiates enterprise resource planning, but its success depends on its acceptance by the companys ordinary workers (Obolensky, 1996). Cultures can be manipulated by those in management (Handy, 1985 cited by Cooper, 1994). Change can be intimidating and needs to be managed well. Therefore, the conclusion is drawn that managers need to make sure each and every employee is doing their part. This literature suggests that leaders are the most important players in any c hange scenario. Employees wont decide to change their behavi