Issue in Corporate Failure of Bank Essay

It also raised millions of revenue by accounting techniques to show false profits and hided their losses which occur in trading and bad debt. The biggest bank fraud in history According to Manhattan District Attorney Robert M. Morgenthau, the BCCI scandal that came to light in 1991 was ‘the largest bank fraud in world history. ‘ Perhaps no other criminal enterprise has involved or at least embarrassed so many prominent people, from billionaire Arab sheikhs to Third World dictators to present and former leading figures in the U. S. and British governments. Certainly none could match the international web of financial chicanery, political intrigue, and unsavoury figures with which BCCI was said to be associated. (Source: Encyclopaedia Encarta 2007) BCCI was engaged in four major frauds. One was a cover-up of $633m of losses on treasury trading. The second was the illegal acquisition through nominees of several banks in the US, in which it spend $346m. The third was a complex manipulation of accounts to prop up its largest borrower, the gulf shipping group of Pakistan, to which it lent more than $725m, which was over the limit set by banking regulations. The fourth was fundamental fraud by which BCCI allegedly acquire secret control of 56% of its own shares at a cost of over $500m. BCCI was a serpent eating its own tail. These sums add up to more than $2bn. But this is a minimum: it omits the enormous cost to BCCI of financing its secret losses. The manipulation to cover up the fraud involved another $2bn, bringing the grand total to well over $4bn. BCCI frauds were the main reasons for its corporate failure. The scale the fraud is breathtaking enough. But while most frauds involve the disappearance of real money, BCCI did the exact opposite. It manufactured billions of dollars out of nothing to conceal gaping holes in its balance sheet, like a giant game of ‘Double Your Money’. This involved extraordinary financial gymnastics and illegal loans on a huge scale. When BCCI finally came crashing down, it was not with a thud, but in a shower of paper. (Behind Closed Door: FT Publication) BCCI initiated every single route to excel its growth. In a first place its corporate structure was so complicated which involved uses of shell corporations frequently termed as satellites, bank confidentiality and secrecy. BCCI’s top management including nominees which also includes some famous personalities in politics were involved in corruption and made it a supreme atmosphere for crime. BCCI’s criminalities included, †¢Fraud by BCCI and BCCI customers involving billions of dollars; money laundering in Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas; †¢BCCI’s bribery of officials in most of those locations, †¢Support of terrorism, arms trafficking, and the sale of nuclear technologies; †¢Management of prostitution; †¢The commission and facilitation of income tax evasion, smuggling, and illegal immigration; †¢Illicit purchases of banks and real estate. Source: Walker, L. 2001) Abdul Basir, head of BCCI Pakistan operation, says: â€Å"We looked after clients in the most efficient, personalised manner. † The diamond market which is home to Lahore’s famous dancing girls, Prostitutes, who for centuries have provided entertainment for emperors and th eir courtiers – and latterly for politicians, Arab Sheikhs and bankers. BCCI used these girls to treat Arabs rich businessmen and major shareholders. BCCI’s Zafar Iqbal, former chief executive, was in charge of managing prostitutes. Corporate Failure of BCCI There were two main reasons of BCCI’s corporate failure apart from their criminal activities. These were high risk loans and trading. A bank’s treasury plays a key role in managing its financial affairs by trading large amounts of money and currencies. Some if this dealing is done on behalf of clients. But bank treasuries also speculate on whether currencies will rise or fall, using their own money. BCCI was no exception. According to Price Waterhouse, the bank combined these two activities by trading huge amounts of clients’ money – but in its own name, and without their knowledge.

Stress’ Impact on Student

Stress’ Impact On Student Mentality By Courtney Johnson ,October 16, 2012 It’s that time of year again. The semester’s first round of exams forces students into late night study sessions, shoving activities with friends to the side and creating more stress than students prepare for. Eventually, students stretch themselves so thin that the effectiveness of their work begins to suffer, and their own confidence in themselves starts to lack. This is anxiety’s way of silently creeping into the otherwise happy and healthy student mentality.Most students are able to manage their time and balance their workload with other responsibilities. Yet, there are some students whose lives spiral downward, and they lose the optimistic perspective to assist in effectively managing their time. College students have a high risk of developing a number of different anxiety disorders — a direct result from excess responsibilities in their life. Disorders such as obsessive compulsive disorder, panic disorder and social anxiety disorder can lead to depression, eating disorders and a change in one’s overall health.Yet, college students tend to worry most about their future career, school and friends, classified as generalized anxiety disorder or everyday anxiety. Different people react to this differently: Some cry, some get angry, some lose sleep and others lose their sense of reality completely and become a frazzled robot mechanically going through the motions of everyday life, focusing solely on school and work. While thinking about school and life after college is important, it does not have to be a rat race.With the right perspective and methods for coping with stress, students can learn how to manage their anxiety without feeling overly burdened from school. Popular methods that most students use to aid their anxiety levels are working out and practicing yoga. Working out is a great way to release endorphins in the brain that better oneâ₠¬â„¢s perspective about themselves and their outlook in the world. Yoga is a great weapon against stress because it uses breathing and meditation help to relax the mind and muscles.For students who may have tried these approaches, yet need more encouragement, Boynton Health Service has a mental health clinic that offers a variety of counseling options for students. One of these options that students might find most helpful is the Boynton Mindfulness Group, which â€Å"helps people explore methods for handling stress through mindful awareness. † According to the Mayo Clinic, mindfulness is defined as focused, deliberate attention to a task or thought to quiet the mind and eliminate distractions.Group sessions for the Mindfulness Group at Boynton include meditation strategies and lessons on the difference between responding to stress and reacting to stress. Boynton also offers a specific group for students suffering from severe anxiety, giving them the opportunity to meet and s peak with counselors in person and emergency sessions over the phone. The key to managing stress and anxiety is acknowledging it, speaking up and asking for help. These are all helpful strategies for the myriad of stressed out students silently panicking around every corner of campus this time of year.The University of Minnesota offers a number of services to aid students in managing stress and anxiety when they encounter it. Working out and practicing yoga at home can be just as beneficial; it simply depends on the student’s case. The different pressures placed upon the shoulders of students are very prevalent this time of the semester. Doing well in school is the ultimate goal, but building a case for life post-graduation is important, too. Controlling perspective and learning how to cope with these pressures is the key to minimizing student anxiety. http://www. mndaily. com/2012/10/16/stress%E2%80%99-impact-student-mentality

The Role of Assesment in Higher Education

Table of Content NoTitlePage No 1Introduction 2Role of assessment in curriculum design , learning & teaching 3Assessment for learning v Assessment of Learning 4. Issues and concerns ? Abstract Assessment is an integral part of curriculum practice. The prime consideration of educational institutions are the outcomes of learning, the enhanced abilities students can demonstrate because of their increase in knowledge , able to adapt and understand to changes because of their university experiences.Our concern is how learning takes effect and how teaching and assessment affect the quality of learning in order for students to acquire the knowledge and competencies that is required for the work place. To acquire these industry relevant skills lecturers suggest assessment be integral to teaching and how learning activities are structured. Hence , this report reviews the role of assessment in curriculum design & change, it’s importance of continuous assessment for enhancing learning, c ommon assessment practices and it issues and concerns. 1. Introduction: In this report, literature researched was with regards to the role of assessment in curriculum design & change. Thus this report tries to answer the following questions in order to highlight the role of assessment in curriculum design, implementation and enhancement of learning. 1. What is curriculum and the role of assessment in curriculum development and enhancement? 2. What is Assessment of learning v Assessment for Learning and the practices in higher education 3.Issues and concerns on assessment in teaching and learning at institutions of higher learning? 2. Assessment as a part of curriculum practice Curriculum is a Latin word and it refers to a ‘course’ or a ‘track’ to be followed. In education, the focus is learning, then the most appropriate interpretation for the word curriculum is viewed as a course or ‘plan for learning’ (ef. Taba , 1962). (Howell and Evans, 199 5) defines curriculum as the ‘what’ of teaching. I would define curriculum as a course of study.Then the process of curriculum development can be seen in short where one develops a product, which involves an ongoing improvement. Curriculum development is a long cyclic process of research, designing, implementing and evaluating learning outcomes based on the interest, needs and capabilities of learners, and the many stakeholders, which directs enhancement. The literature review report is in relation to the role of assessment in curriculum development and enhancement of Teaching and Learning. What is Assessment?Assessment is any process that evaluates an individual’s knowledge, understanding and skills. Van den Akker (2003) defines assessment as an integral component of curriculum practice. Assessment gives feedback on curriculum delivery which indicates about student learning, the curriculum and the academic policies. Thus educators strongly believe that assessmen t and curriculum be integrated in the curriculum cycle. For example, Students achievement of knowledge and skills are determined by assessment.Lecturers manage teaching and assessment of student competence according to the level of the course, giving grades, guiding and counselling and so on. These can only be possible if there are effective assessment procedures in the curriculum administration and practice. â€Å"In 1995 the Assessment Forum of the American Association of Higher Education led by Thomas A. Angelo went through an interactive process to develop a definition of assessment. The end-result of that definition process is as follows:† â€Å"Assessment is an ongoing process aimed at understanding and improving student learning.It involves making our expectations explicit and public; setting appropriate criteria and high standards for learning quality; systematically gathering, analyzing, and interpreting evidence to determine how well performance matches those expec tations and standards; and using the resulting information to document, explain, and improve performance. When it is embedded effectively within larger institutional systems, assessment can help us focus our collective attention, examine our assumptions, and create a shared academic culture dedicated to assuring and improving the quality of higher education (Thomas A.Angelo, AAHE Bulletin, November 1995, p. 7)† In order to measure a student’s learning outcome, progression and competence attained, various types of information need to be gathered to determine the degree of student’s attainment in the learning outcomes for the curriculum. Various methods of formal and informal observation of students during their learning, examinations and quizzes, performance on assignments, projects and presentations are used to gather this information. Lecturers advise that there should be a plan for assessment at programme, course and lesson level, which is often overlooked.As P ratt (1998) stated, to make sure student achievements and grades reflect the learning outcomes established, assessments must be carefully planned, conducted, subject to continuous analysis, evaluation and enhancement. Learning outcomes (knowledge and competence of students), assessment, and teaching are all parts of an integrated whole. Assessment is believed to be essential to the teaching process in delivery and experience of the curriculum. But some students think of assessment as a form of control for lecturers. As (Pratt, 1998; Haladyna & Downing, 2004) stated when students progress from one semester to another they become displeased and suspicious about the assessment practices, and regarding them to be unfair and a means to demonstrate favouritism and punishment. † In institutions of higher learning, educators have the choice to choose the assessment types and practices. Since assessment results affect academic competence, educators are required to create a conducive le arning environment and make assessment integral to educational processes.In an encouraging learning environment a healthy dialogue takes place, trying out ideas, reflection, discussion, ask questions and enjoy the process of learning. (Pratt, 1998) Assessment is an important component and has several purposes. It directs the teaching process. Monitoring, discussion and observations in the classroom is also an important kind of assessment. This allows the instructor to gauge how well the lesson is going and whether learning is taking place with healthy discussion, participation and answering sessions (Nittko, 2004).Assessment helps in identifying learning difficulties, students’ strength and weakness. This then allows the instructor to set questions that can help build on the student’s weaknesses both formally and informally. Secondly assessment provides feedback on the learning. Information from assessment helps in programme evaluation (Pratt, 1998). Thirdly assessment declares ones achievement for various stakeholders like students, parents, the institution, prospective employers, the government sectors, accreditation body, and professional bodies.Assessment in the form of quizzes, tests, class projects, assignments and informal observations declare how well a student has achieved the learning outcomes and grade in his/her course, module or unit (Nittko, 2004). Besides, assessment points students to pedagogical priorities and directs students approach to experience course curriculum. Classroom questions test and examinations would indicate to students, important topics of the curriculum. Example, if questions are based on trivial information, then students focus would be at factual recall and knowledge.If tests require substantive knowledge and deep understanding then students change their perspective to curriculum. Assessment motivations, improves self image and a sense of self power of students. When assessment is well designed, it produces su ccess in learning; it motivates and stimulates student confidence and wanting to learn. Meherus and Lehman (1991) describes assessment as an important tool as it increases motivation towards their course, which establishes healthy study habits, which also provides feedback to lecturers to determine students’ strengths and weaknesses.Assessment gives lecturers an opinion on students’ learning. Assessment results enable the lecturer to provide further guidance about their learning. Therefore, lecturers in institutes of higher learning should be aware of the significant role of assessment in curriculum and thus have the skills and tools to effectively setup curriculum at programme level. 3, Assessment for Learning v Assessment to Learning What is Assessment for Learning? It could be defined as: †¢a form of positive formal feedback [ e. g. ecturers comment; self-assessment systems] †¢provides informal feedback [ e. g. dialogue teaching; peer interaction] †¢i t gives an opportunity to the student to try and apply knowledge, skills and their understanding †¢ assessment tasks that are relevant †¢it guides students to develop independence and †¢it has an appropriate balance between summative and formative assessment. There should be a balance between formative and summative assessments. Continuous assessment or assessment for learning is practiced less compared to summative assessment.As stated by Careless (2004), lecturers in institutions of higher learning tend to choose more for theoretical knowledge than for practical and procedural knowledge in assessing students. Such assessment focuses on theory and concepts really do not help students for the real world. This limits the students of skills that employers look for. Brown & Glaser (1999) states improving on assessment practice improves student learning. Further to that, standards of learning rose through ongoing assessment practice. It is noted that students’ beha viour and attitude towards learning changes, when assessment methods change.Students become more responsible and take ownership of their learning. But there are challenging problems with assessment for learning. Problems identified by Black and William (2004) with regards to assessment for learning in institutions of higher learning as: †¢Assessment methods used by lecturers are not effective to promote good learning †¢Grading practices gives rise to competition rather than self improvement and †¢Feedback on assessment if practiced, often has a negative impact on less performing students which makes them believe that they lack ability and thus are not able to learn.Diamond (1998) further goes to describe the basic problem with assessment practice in institutions of higher learning, as a mismatch between learning outcomes and the assessment methods and criteria used by lecturers to assess and grade their students. Frequently, learning outcomes are expected to demonstra te critical thinking and problem solving skills, but the assessment type used would most frequently focus on recalling and recognition of content learned. Assessment used for the purpose of promoting student learning is described as assessment for learning.Assessment used for accountability purpose, grading or certification is assessment of learning. Assessments that promote enhancement to learning is one where there is a continuous process of back and forth between the student and the lecturer which provides feedback on progression until the outcome is well met. This sort of assessment is called ‘assessment for learning’ when assessment evidence is used to adjust teaching to meet learners needs and difficulties (Black & William 1998). Assessment is part and parcel of learning. Assessment in fact, shapes learning.Much has been discussed and written that to enhance student learning, assessment has to be integrated with teaching (Wright, et. al, 1997). Gibbs and Simpson ( 2005) regards assessment for learning as a system which directs and controls student learning based on the power of summative assessment and grades in addition to providing feedback. Assessment and teaching has to be blended to contribute to the goal of improving learning. Good instructors do pay careful attention to assessment and teaching, and to have learning activities well structured.Despite this suggestion, lecturers in higher education do not practice the real importance of assessment. As Black & William (1998) says this could also be because lecturers are not well trained in this area. In most institutions of higher learning assessment is used to test knowledge and does not test the critical and problem solving skills. Example, multiple choice questions promote de-contextualised, rot learning and this narrows the curriculum to basic skills with low cognitive demands. In contrast to this, the industries demand for transferable skills like communication, information retrieval, critical thinking, problem solving.And because of this, institutions have fast inclined to formative, holistic form of assessment which is described as ‘authentic’ assessments. However, as Black & William (1998) argues that traditional form of assessment cannot be easily replaced because they are embedded in complex histories, culture and power relations of school societies. Shepard (2001) also suggested that conventional assessment method based on theories and psychometric principles conflicts with implications of assessment for learning which is based on cognitive and constructive learning standards.James (2003) findings indicate a number of major effects with assessment methods and students self-perception and confidence level. For many students, they were disappointed with feedback, on how to improve their level of competence, for others was the concern on how to achieve higher marks. Term exams were rarely discussed or available so that students could use them to improve their knowledge and skills. Assessment plays a significant role in implementing curriculum. There should be significant guiding principles for this to happen. James (2003) had put forth the following guiding principles for assessment for learning: †¢Ensure ssessment methods used promote and reward desired learning activities and outcomes. †¢Students have got clear instructions on assessment requirements. †¢Provide effective and timely feedback with comments on a continuous basis. The first principle is based on Bloom’s taxonomy, which is to recall and recognition, comprehension and application, critical thinking and problem solving. In his second principle (James: 65) states the following: â€Å"Assessment procedures in higher education are likely to become increasingly open to security to candidates, and to candidates appeals.The need for commonly agreed marking procedures and techniques is obvious, if collective responsibility for candidates is maint ained, full openness between colleagues and demonstrable internal consistency of courses and related assessment procedures are vital importance† There can be a problem in generalised good assessment practices for learning. Different subject discipline like Engineering versus psychology would have different pedagogic assumptions. So if general principles cover all subjects, the way in which they manifest may differ for different subjects (Black & William, 2004).Boud (1990) suggests alternate developments in student assessments in higher education, which is careful monitoring of assessment to see how relevant they are to the students. He also challenges that current assessment methods do not really prepare students to the real world. Meherns & Lehman, 1991 & Nitko 2004, state quality teaching and assessment are intertwined. They greatly improve students’ learning. Teaching will be effective when teaching activities, learning outcomes and assessment methods are well aligne d.As Nitko (2004) suggests 4 key questions lecturers got to ask themselves when preparing for teaching and to implement continuous assessment. †¢Is my lesson going well? Is there progression in student leaning? To align to these questions suggested assessment methods could be classroom observation during class activities, response to questions and students’ interactions. †¢How can I improve to make the learning activity better? Diagnosis types of errors made by students, identify students who are not participating and also at the assessment methods used. †¢What feedback to be given about the student’s learning?Assessment methods used are informal observation and encouragement, how well they have achieved the learning outcome, assignments, quiz and consultations. †¢Finally are the students ready to progress to the next level? Informal observation, checking and questioning students about their understanding of homework, test, quiz and grades obtained to decide on their progress to their next learning or do they require remedial instructions. Lecturers should use a variety of assessment methods to help student achieve the learning outcomes as stipulated in the course curriculum. In most cases lecturers generally use pen-and-paper achievement tests.Meherns & Lehman (1991) argue that classroom evaluation should not be restricted to pen-and-paper but other forms like observation techniques, checklists etc. Continuous assessment is practical for everyday classroom use. Test, presentations, projects, journal, collaborative works are some that could be used to assess students and lecturers their stand in relation to knowledge and skills. Smith (2003) and Shepard (2001) stated that assessment trends are moving away from traditional methods to a variety of new approaches. For instance, Observation is greatly used by experienced teachers to identify students’ progression or having difficulties.Portfolio or records of work are also another form of assessment practice. Portfolio is a kind of file where student’s written works are kept. Portfolios provide cumulative evidence of learning over time in much detail and substance than a mere list of scores. Self and peer assessment are also essential to learning. Students’ self-reflection and their understanding are used to inform for further teaching and areas the lecturer needs to spend more time and effort. Brookhart (2001), Shepard (2001), and Stiggins (1999, 2001) maintained that students should be actively involved in self-evaluation as a form of assessment.Their argument was that students need to monitor their own progress by applying ongoing feedback that is helpful in showing them how to meet the ultimate learning outcome. However, self-assessment is only possible when lecturers help students develop assessment skills, because it is difficult for students to think of their work in terms of learning outcomes (Black & William, 2004). Peer-assessm ent is also another important form of assessment. The learning task is placed in the hands of the students. While the lecturer is able to observe and reflect on what is happening and frame helpful interventions.The lecturer finds this form very helpful indeed. Misconceptions are highlighted and these are discussed when they go over the assessment. These forms of assessment require student active learning. As one student stated ‘after a student marking my assignment, I can now acknowledge my mistakes easier. I hope that it is not just me who learned from the work but the student who marked it also’ (Black & William, 2004:16). Feedback and comments to students about their learning is a good practice in assessment. Feedback should state ways for improvement.Grades or marks are not providing enough feedback to help improve student learning (Nitko, 2004). Feedback is effective when it provokes thinking in students. With regards to this, Back & William (2004) stated marks are likely to set comparison; while only feedback and comments help them to improve. Research studies on feedback showed 60% improvement on performance. Feedback with no comments was more of judgement or grade with no indication for improvement (Black & William, 2004) Hence it is important for the enhancement of student learning that lecturers emphasise on feedback and comment on assessed work of students in the learning process. . Issues and Concerns Staff One of the main concerns in assessment will be the lecturers. Especially here in Malaysia in the private sector , many lecturers lack the knowledge in assessment practices. Universities and college do not believe in investing in training. Another factor is lecturers have heavy teaching work load and large class sizes that formal assessment would be replace by mere test, assignment and examinations due to time constrains. Cost Costs to the faculty and institution are an important factor. Some form of assessment processes can be time consuming, involving student supervision in observation of activities.Time, of course, is money. Also investing in additional resources like technology increases cost. This does not enable the lecturers to use innovative methods of assessment. Standards To increase pass rates standards are compromised. Assessment requirements have placed more weightage on coursework, so student achievement has appeared to improve the assumption coursework is easier then exams. In some cases institutions do not have a quality system in place. Validity and reliability of assessment could be questionable. ConclusionAssessment is a vital component of curriculum practice that has important contribution for effective practice and operations of curriculum. Lecturers’ acknowledgement for continuous assessment practice has significance for students learning of knowledge and skill. Lecturers should set assessment tasks that are practically challenging, provide feedback as they assess and get students e ngaged in the assessment process. Finally lecturers should change their views and practices of assessment and be committed to prepare competent graduates with the knowledge and skill in their specific field of study for the market place. References Akker, Van Den. (2003). Curriculum landscapes and Trends (pp1-10). Curriculum Perspectives:An Introduction. Black,P and William. (1998). Assessment and Classroom learning. Assessment in Education 5(1) Black,P. ,and William,D. (2004). Inside the Black Box: Phi-Delta kappan, 86(1):9-21 Diamond, R. M. (1998). Designing and Assessing Courses and Curricula: A practical Guide. Sanfrancisco: Jossey-Bass Inc Boud, D. (1990). Assessment and the Promotion of Academic Values. Studies in Higher Education 15(5): 101-111 Gibbs, G. & Simpson, C. 2004-5) Conditions under which assessment supports students' learning. Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, 1 (1), 3-31. Brookhart,S. M. (2001). Successful students’ formative and summative use of a ssessment information. Assessment in education 8, 153-169 Brown S. And Glaser A. (1999). Assessment Matters in higher Education: choosing and Using Diverse approaches. Great Britain: St. Edmunds bury press Ltd, SRHE and Open University press Careless,D. (2004). Converting assessment into learning. Theoretical and pratical perspectives. Paper Presented at Chinese University of Hong Kong.Unpublished. Haladyna and Downing. (2004). Constructive irrelevant in high stakes testing. Educational measurement:Issue and practice 23(1), 17-27 James,D. (2003). Making the graduate. Perspectives on student experience of assessment in higher education. In Ann filer (2003). Assessment: Social practice and social product. London: Rutledge Meherens, W. A. , and Lehmann, J. I. (1991). Measurement and Evaluation in Education & Psychology (4th ed). Wadsworth: Thomson learning Nitko, A. J. (2004). Educational Assessment of Students (4th ed). Ohio: Merrill Prentice Hall Pratt,D. 1998). Curriculum planning: A handbook for professionals. London: Harcourt Brace College Publishers Smith, K. J. (2003). Reconsidering reliability in classroom assessment and grading. Educational measurement: Issue and practice 22(4), 26-3. Stiggins,R. J. (1992). Relevant classroom assessment training for teachers. Educational measurement: Issue and practice 1091), 7-12 Wright, et. al (1997). Teacher and classroom context effects on student achievement; Implication for teacher evaluation; Journal of personnel Evaluation in Education, 11,57-67.

Operational and Implementation Problems Coursework

Operational and Implementation Problems - Coursework Example According to research from a few years ago, technology currently in use in assessment and referral processes in children’s health care facilities is highly ineffective, error prone, wrongly used and incapable of delivering on its expectation. This report analyses problems facing healthcare facilities serving children with regard to their assessment and referral processes. Healthcare System Design The healthcare information system belongs in a broader context of the health care system structure. Many factors, evidently affects its operation and efficiency, from the origination to its operation and use of the information it generates. Below is a diagram of a healthcare information system according to the World Health Organization (WHO) (Lippeveld & Sauerborn, 2005), the diagram elucidates the defining role the management plays in the design and implementation of new healthcare information systems. From the management, it is apparent that the management oversees the supply of res ources to use in establishing the new information systems, and lays a foundation for the kind of output they expect from the systems. Problems in Computerised Healthcare Systems serving Children Broadhurst et al. (2010) claims that the existing initial assessment systems for children’s services exhibit deep flaws and acute malfunctions. Medical institutions continually face situations where they have to deal with more patients than they have capacity for; consequently, meeting the right performance standards becomes a distant reality. For instance, the process of classifying incoming referral information happens in a sloppy and haphazard manner, and with little informational backing. Because of flawed manual... This paper approves that the common management practice of inconsiderately punishing employees for mistakes done within their area of responsibility is a huge impediment to progress and efficiency of referral processes in children’s health care facilities. The added inefficiency of the internal assessment systems also contributes largely to this disconcerting trend. The problems in management of the referral and assessment systems spills into the quality of service accorded to the end-users, who often suffer neglect and wrongful treatment as a result. In addition, the assessment systems themselves carry serious inherent flaws, and the audits and assessments are often rushed and imprecise, concentrating on some areas deemed more important and ignoring most of the other areas requiring detailed audit. This essay makes a conclusion that despite heavy technological investments in IT services for children health care facilities, some of the agendas the systems sought to resolve by replacing traditional manual systems persist. The incidences of errors remain worryingly high. Analysts suggest that the baffling occurrence many be as a direct result of poor implementation methodology of the technological referral and assessment systems, which were implemented without careful assessment of the design requirements of the systems for the health facilities. While not dismissing the use of technology in modern governance, the analysts call for a re-examination of the factors critical to the implementation of a successful information system for health care facilities.

Lying is never right Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Lying is never right - Essay Example According to Webster, to lie is â€Å"1: to make an untrue statement with intent to deceive; 2: to create a false or misleading impression.† Lying, as defined by St. Thomas Aquinas, â€Å"a statement at variance with the mind†, is more accurate than Webster’s â€Å"to create a false or misleading impression.† This is because, according to Webster, it is possible to lie without making a false statement and without any intention of deceiving. If a person makes a statement which he thinks is false, but in reality is true, he certainly lies inasmuch as he intends to say what is false. A well-known liar may have no intention of deceiving anyone - for he knows nobody believes a word he says – but if he speaks at variance with his mind, he does not cease to lie. someone. An officious or white lie is such that it does not injure anyone. Jocose lies are told for the purpose of affording amusement. When a habit of lying has been contracted, it is practically impossible to restrict its vagaries to matters which are harmless. Therefore, although injury to others is excluded from officious and jocose lies by definition, yet realistically there is no sort of lie which is not injurious to somebody. According to Catholic teachings, an injurious lie is a mortal sin, but officious and jocose lies are of their own nature, venial sins. Telling the truth is not the easiest course of action to follow. On the contrary, telling the truth is often difficult, and frequently leads to unpleasant consequences. A major disturbing thought for us is that Christians, of all people, need to lie. Where are our Christian principles? â€Å"Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor: for we are members one of another.† (Ephesians 4:25). God makes it clear that â€Å"all liars shall have their part in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone,

The ideal role of Abu Dhabi Police in improving the traffic safety in Essay

The ideal role of Abu Dhabi Police in improving the traffic safety in Abu Dhabi Emirate (Potential and challenges). (we can make - Essay Example There are also other traffic management centers tasked with the responsibility of ensuring traffic safety and management is well thought of. Introduction The Emirate of Abu Dhabi is contemporary adopting a comprehensive development plan in all aspects of life. It shows a huge interest in developing plans and measures for the renaissance through integration for a future vision for the emirate to 2030. The government has started to prepare the urban plan of Abu Dhabi city, which was adopted in 2007. Achieving this goal will help the government’s strategies to become one of the best five most leading and advanced governments in the world. The realization of the urban plan will require development and improvements of Traffic Management through enhancing traffic safety and improving traffic performance. The collaboration of vehicle and highway to provide transportation must be treated as a system as Rodney K. Lay (2003) suggested in his research. There has been a good effort in Abu Dhabi for the last couple of years between government stakeholders to develop road safety strategy, define rules and responsibilities, and increase a fully coordinated and integrated framework to deal with road safety. It is suitable here to say when you work to prepare a strategy for traffic management, it is very important to consider the most motivating factors for the safety as the humanitarian concerns, economic costs and benefits, and legal and regulatory considerations. The importance of the management in all aspects of the life is indeed consistent with service marketing literature which emphasizes that the ‘people factor’ is an important component of perceived service quality (Ganesh et al, 2000; Chiou et al, 2002). The Henri Fayol as one of the most influential contributors to modern concepts of management considers it to consist of forecasting, planning, organizing, commanding, coordination and controlling [2]. Other scholars, such as Mary Parker Follett, co nsider management as "the art of getting things done through people"[3]. Usually the transportation systems operating in a developing country may not be as economically, or as efficient as the ones in developed countries. According to my point of view the challenges that might be seen as a problem for the future development of Abu Dhabi can be the management and lack of coordination between all concerned parties in the operation. Here we can narrate what Stanley Pickett (1955), said "Think of the things you see in your own city which everyone wishes were otherwise. They might have been otherwise, if there had been careful planning in the past". The proposed study will focus on the development of a framework that will integrate elements of urban planning related to transportation. These will include traffic management systems, speeds management strategy on the roads, application of the principles of management on traffic safety for road projects, rules and responsibilities for the di fference departments involved, and the effective management of the integrated intelligent traffic systems with infrastructure to improve the road safety in Abu Dhabi. All the above will be integrated through the main domain of traffic management which requires an effective structure and organization. As many developing countries are interested in

House Cats Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

House Cats Assignment - Essay Example It is true that training house cats can be a tough task however; house cats are best taken care of with time and patience. Positive reinforcement, love and affection are the best ways to help the house cat understand an individual. Pet cats often tend to misbehave with their owners if they are scolded or beaten up by them; they are like adolescent children that want to stay in their own element and not be disturbed by anything from the external environment. The first step involves helping the cat understand its name. Cats are often slowed down by distractions and get confused by too many objects in the vicinity. Thus, it is imperative to train the cat, with the help of treats, in order to help it recognize itself by its name. Furthermore, it has been found out what cats respond better to their owners when they show hints of joy or excitement in their voices. If a cat is spoken to gloomily, then it will cease to reply or be excited too. It is very important to train cats in a manner t hat they learn how to move around with the help of leashes or harnesses because then it becomes easy for the owners to travel with them and take them to different places. Cats are very agile and have very flexible bodies and thus they show resistance when being taught to move with a leash or a harness in the first place. However, they should not be restrained in a single place and should be given treats as and when they behave well with the leash. Cats need to be praised as and when they are placed in the harness in order to help them understand that they are doing a good job and will be rewarded well for their conduct. The cat should understand then that it is a good thing and pleases the owner when he stays inside the crate or the harness assigned to him instead of resisting it from time to time. This will help to discipline the cat and the method has usually worked better on cats as compared to dogs, which are nifty and frisky in nature. Cats are adorable creatures that usually k eep themselves busy no matter what time of the day it may be, or who may be around to play with them. Unlike dogs, they are easier to keep because they do not whine or become difficult when the owners are not around. Dogs on the other hand, require a great amount of attention and even while playing, they like to often play with the owners rather than by themselves. Thus, cats can be occupied with simple objects like bits of string and balls of wool from around the house. They like playing with objects like paper bags and small balls of foil and the best part about these items are that they can be found in and around the house itself. The owner need not spend time and money by looking for expensive toys for his or her cat, which the cat might eventually chew and tear up. Dogs on the other hand are difficult as they only play with balls or proper chewable toys, just like infants and toddlers. In conclusion, cats are adorable creatures that are immense fun to be around; they are not ve ry high maintenance as compared to dogs and thus make better house pets. Cats may be left alone or cuddled with and will remain loyal to the owners throughout their lives. They require love and attention however display a sense of understanding with their owners, better than any other domesticated animals. Therefore, people prefer owning house cats as pets because of these qualities that they possess, and the ease with which they may be handled and kept. Cats like exercising on their own and are not even as dirty as

How are we best to describe the actions of a serial killer Essay

How are we best to describe the actions of a serial killer - Essay Example Criminologist Eric Hickey’s database research on the demographics of serial killing highlights that 88% are male and 85% Caucasian and average age of 28.5 (E, Hickey. 2006). In terms of victim selection, Hickey’s empirical research further demonstrates that 62% target strangers exclusively and another 22% kill at least one stranger (E, Hickey. 2006). Additionally, 71% of the killers operated in a specifically targeted location or area, rather operating in multiple locations. Moreover, Wilson further refers to the â€Å"cooling off period† and patterns of similarity in the method of killing (D, Wilson. 2001). Reference is made to serial killer Wayne Gacy who would gag victims with their own underwear in order that they would die in their own vomit (J. Silverman, D. Wilson, 2002). Notwithstanding criminological observations regarding parallel trends in serial killer behaviour, scientific findings regarding physiological causal factors remain inconclusive to describe the motivations behind the actions of a serial killer (Vronsky 2004). Indeed, the attempts of social science, biological and criminological theory to explain differences between male and female violence in context of serial killers further highlights the flawed attempt to propound a conclusive and all encompassing rationale to explain the actions of serial killers (Vronsky 2004).

Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 34

Summary - Essay Example They form part of the Secwepemec or the Shushwap nation and they total to 526 people. Just like other first nations, they too have undergone many injustices dating to the Indian Act Administration including abuse at school (p1). This group had come up with a Family Violence Program whose creation highlights the importance of community participation in combating crime. It further underpins the fact that government policies often act as barriers especially when they are misinterpreted and thus do not end up benefitting their people (p1). It has been noted that justice systems that the aborigines create and manage, serve as useful alternatives to the government’s criminal justice system (Casey 1991). Such alternatives include a wider absorption of aboriginal practices and traditions into the justice system or even creating an autonomous aboriginal justice system altogether (p1). Open-ended interviews were conducted among forty-one participants who were involved in the creation of the Family Violence program. To aid in this research, government support was enlisted in terms of research funds. Representatives of the government were also invited to sit in the community meetings and discussions. The government’s cooperation had to be fully sought (p3). Other departments not involved in criminal justice were also invited to participate in the aboriginal initiative. Departments such as Indian and Northern Affairs Canada gave funds, as did Health Canada under their corresponding sections pertaining to family and community affairs. The Aboriginal justice department was also invited to the meetings and even to participate in funding. However, the justice department refused to release funds (p4). Within the community, there were challenges encountered as well. Interviewees reported difficulties of opening up to others about their sexual abuse. Participants feared a lack of confidentiality owing to

Invention of television Annotated Bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Invention of television - Annotated Bibliography Example The birth of television is considered as the turning point in the technological inventions. Nowadays, governments of each country are also engaged in the emergence of television. Televisions are also considered as the most reliable source of information because every channel is obliged to follow the rules and regulations and not to spread any rumour or unauthentic information. Viewers possess the right to sue the channel if it violates the norms of the society or spread any unauthentic information. The innovations and ideas coming up from technological advancement lead to the invention of television. Even though, it was not a latent demand of common public, in fact people didn’t even know about television many years after its invention. But as soon as people got acquainted, their demands increased and new varieties, version and models started to come up in the market. The invention of radio is a primary reason which led to the invention of television. Radio is a device which has audio features only. So due to technological advancement, people thought to invent something which has visual aspects as well. This idea led to the invention of television, an appliance having both audio and video features. Despite of having greater benefits, television is always considered as harmful for society. In society, the age group that substantially gets impacted by television is of children. Children waste their precious time in watching television. It is also considered as harmful for their health and eyes specially. Leaving children alone to watch television and providing the remote control facility is another harmful aspect which can hamper children’s habits. According to a research, children who watch more than 4 hours television a day are more likely to get overweight. Television network has held the entire world in a single strand. Due to the fastest broadcasting and

Urban Sprawl Analysis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Urban Sprawl Analysis - Research Paper Example Suburbanization is defined as â€Å"a process involving the systematic growth of fringe areas at a pace more rapid than that of core cities, as a lifestyle involving a daily commute to jobs in the center†. Suburban life is characterized by the icon of the ‘soccer mom,’ whose life is spent in her minivan as she shuttles her child to and from activities, while they await the arrival of the suburban dad, whose commute to work takes him away from the center of family life. When you understand our history, the attraction to the suburbs is clear. We’ve long been driven to own and improve upon land. Cronon writes of the colonists’ argument for taking land from the Native Americans: â€Å"their supposed failure to ‘improve’ that land was a token not of their chosen way of life, but of their laziness† (55). We’re infused with the notion that land is not precious unless someone owns and builds something on it. Beyond that, we have begun to associate owning single-family residences in the suburbs with moral superiority. In Russell Conwell’s popular lecture, â€Å"Acres of Diamonds,† he asserts: â€Å"drive me out into the suburbs of Philadelphia, and introduce me to the people who own their own homes around this great city†¦and I will introduce you to the very best people in character as well as enterprise in this city†¦ A man is not really a true man until he owns his own home† ... We worship the new, the exclusive, and the private. Our sprawl entails new buildings where people flee to avoid looking at the old buildings they abandoned. The cost of such configuration, however, is quite high. It costs not only in dollars and cents, but resources, and socio-culturally as well. Sprawl is costly in terms of dollars and cents. Burchell points out that there is a budget â€Å"deficit projected under the sprawl growth scenario† (80). Local governments begin to strain under the burden of maintaining existing structures while providing new roads and services to new buildings. Suburban sprawl is extremely costly in terms of our natural resources. â€Å"In the decade between 1982 and 1992, over 13 million acres in the 48 contiguous states of the United States and Hawaii changed from forests, fields, and rangeland to urban use† (qtd. in Pendall 555). There is a finite amount of resources and sprawl does not make efficient use of them. Hayden elaborates on spra wl as â€Å"careless new use of land and other resources as well as abandonment of older built areas† (7). Something sprawl takes from the individual is the sense of community. â€Å"A cost of development that is truly impossible to measure is how much a neighborhood, town, or city contributes to or denies people a sense of place and community† (Burchell 110). Suburban sprawl creates homogenous spaces that lack character or uniqueness. People come and go in their cars and neighborly bonds are often simply not formed. Part of the reason is that suburban spaces are built around automobiles. Hayden refers to the tract-housing, common to suburban developments, as â€Å"automobile-oriented buildings† (8). Rather than being able to

Enironmental Pollution Essay Example for Free

Enironmental Pollution Essay Environmental Pollution is one of the biggest challenges faced by most societies in this modern era. It has become a paradox of our time that urbanization and development be associated with environmental degradation. In man’s quest for social growth, nonchalance to nature’s laws have set in and this has disturbed a number of natural phenomena. The industrial revolution has brought with it technological advancement, such as the discovery of oil and fossil fuels and its virtually universal use in a diversity of industries. Further more rapid growth in population is established to be the fundamental cause of environmental framework collapse. Population growth increases the need to produce consumer commodities and this desire is transformed into a necessity to abuse environmental resources. Population growth creates certain negative environmental issues. These issues could be economic or social by nature. Their consequences range from a decline in air and water quality as well as deterioration in infrastructure and significant health hazards. A rapid growth in human population within the city propagates pressure on the framework of such cities and its natural resources. As cities begin to expand, they take a toll on existing rural areas, creating diverse environmental challenges such as reduced biological habitat as well as pollution of nature’s resources. The increased densities of industrial areas within cities, large number of automobiles and commercial enterprises add to increased health hazards and complete breakdown of ecosystem. Development of thought Our environment plays an important role in life. Man has equally been an active participant in the process of impacting on the environment through population and greenhouse effects. Obviously the growing population indicates a higher usage of resources thus leading to a greater deal of increased pollution. Therefore pollution of the environment has become an issue of significant discussions and diverse consequences. In recent times, the rapid growth has forced the natural environment to change drastically. A greater part of such change can be concluded to be negative with daring implications. Conclusion In light of the mentioned consequences of environmental pollution and the already visible degradation it has imposed on the environment. I would recommend the following bearing in mind that significant measures which must be cost effective and in line with budgetary allocations be taken into consideration. Pollution control Legislation of point sources The social, economic and ecological significance of conservation of the environment cannot be contestable; if pollution is to be maximally reduced, the need to appraise or look into the current levels of pollution, and environmental protection legislations within the city, with a view of presenting a new legislation. New legislated standards should be proposed since already existing legislations are found to be somewhat irregular and deficient. Also the advantages and possible problems of the proposed legislation can be debated upon and discussed. Encourage alternative transportation Alternative means of transport should be highly promoted. Cycling and walking do not propagate any sort of environmental degradation as opposed to the use of vehicles, which through the use of gas and fossil fuels are a significant actor in the downward slide of the negative environmental conditions. This recommendation takes into consideration that this measure might affect the convenience and time related factor that society has grown to enjoy from such vehicle technology. Establish green spaces or urban forestry The establishment of green spaces and urban forestry would lead to a significant decline in civilizations environmental footprints on the environment, meaning the least amount of pollution and emissions. This will facilitate the cleaning of emissions as they are released as well as restoring the ecosystem and natural balance of the environment. Of course this will have to be done without curtailing people’s freedom and rights or the world’s economy. Promote fuel-efficient cars It is a fact that a large percentage of pollution comes from emission of vehicles. It is recommended that alternative fuels or fuel efficient vehicles be encouraged. Means of transport which would be significantly friendly to the environment. Alternative fuel sources would also play an effective role in the reduction of pollution. This recommendation assumes that the alternative fuel type will displace a similar amount of current fossil fuels. It does not consider consumer acceptance or infra-structure issues that will impact the market penetration of these alternative fuels. Implementation of these recommendations would bear a total cost of about $16.2M and is well within the confines of the City Councils Budgetary allocations on tackling environmental issues. Decision-making about environmental issues necessitates the maintenance of a fine balance between the effectiveness of measures and the public reaction towards them. This simply means that in as much as the recommendations tend to curb and reduce the effect of environmental pollution, it might come off as inconveniences to the general public and thus   promote a negative reaction from the people of the city. The implementations and measures no matter how effective will put a strain on the convenience of the public, regardless to say that such measure will be beneficial both in the short run and long run.

Nokia competencies

Nokia competencies Every firm comprises of competencies, not all possess core competencies, these are crucial for a competitiveness. This report examines the core competencies that contribute most significantly to Nokias competitive advantage. These consist of organisational culture and research and development. Nokias competitive advantage will be analysed based on corporate brand and products and services base, then personal analysis reported. 2.0 Theoretical idea of core competencies Firms possess competencies through efficient use of resources and are required for firms to compete. Core competencies are attributes that an organisation possesses which in turn allows it to achieve competitive advantage (Prahalad Hamel, 1990 cited Henry. A, 2008). There is differential performance between companies in the same industry, due to individual core competencies since the environment is constant. In 2008, Dell had the largest market share in UK PC market (Datamonitor, 2009), with core competencies in its value chain giving competitive advantage (Henry. A, 2008). Core competencies should be appropriable so those who provide the attributes for the competitive advantage should reap benefits (Kay. J, 1993 cited Open University, 2009). The key is not to focus on all competencies just ones that add most value and competitive advantage. Collis and Montgomery (1997) identified some attributes within the organisation are more useful for gaining sustainable competitive advantage (Henry, 2008). The features of useful attributes are that they help provide value to customers, are unique and difficult to imitate (Collis Montgomery, 1997, cited Hooley. G et al, 2008) as seen in figure 1. Other theorists support this identification, Prahalad and Hamel (1990) identified three tests for core competencies: 1. A core competence should provide access to a wide variety of markets. 2. A core competence should make a significant contribution to perceived customer benefits of end products. 3. A core competence should be difficult for competitors to imitate. (Prahalad cited The Free Library, 2002). Hamel and Prahalad (The Free Library, 2002) identified core competencies should not remain static whilst the environment changes. Core competencies enable production of new products and services and increase customer relationship management, they should be envied by competitors but difficult to replicate (Hooley. G et al, 2008). Shangri La Hotels have a stronger customer relationship than their competitors (Datamonitor, 2009) their mission Delighting customers each and every time (Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, 2009). 2.1 Nokias core competencies Nokia has many competencies but due to recent success appears to focus on the right core competencies to gain competitive advantage. The two significant ones are organisational culture (Blau. J, 2003) and investment in research and development (Nokia, 2009). Organisational culture is a core competence and source of sustainable competitive advantage (Barney, 1986b, cited Hamel. G Heene. A,1994). 2.1.1 Nokias organisational culture Nokia, unlike competitors, is innovative and entrepreneurial by adopting the correct culture (Blau. J, 2003). Within the organisation entrepreneurship is encouraged by managers open to employee suggestions for new products and services, this allows continuous learning, there is also a feedback process for employees engaging in new ideas (Blau. J, 2003). VP Niitamo, Chair of European Living Labs Portfolio, Some of Nokias success, is from continuously bringing in young, talented people, without pushing them down one particular career path (Blau. J, 2003). For this to take place they must have shared vision to ensure full commitment from employees (Kanter, 1983 cited Henry. A, 2008). 2.1.2 Nokias research and development Another core competency is Nokias research and development. Nokia employs 51,750 people, over one third is made up of people in research and development. The company employs approximately 1,000 new people in research and development each year, aiming for those who have new skills (Blau. J, 2003). Nokias extensive research and development enables it to create trusted consumer relationships, the best mobile devices everywhere and context enriched services (Nokia, 2009). 3.0 Theoretical idea of competitive advantage Competitive advantage results from matching core competencies to opportunities (Business Dictionary, 2009). Many 2000 dot.com failures were companies identifying the opportunity but not having competencies to achieve competitive advantage (Hooley. G et al, 2008). Companies can achieve competitive advantage by charging higher prices for increased value products and services or offering the same products and services as competitors at lower prices (Porter. M. E, 1985). Differences between rival products and services have become narrow, so companies need to find new ways of distinguishing themselves in customers minds. Companies can use brands to be distinctive compared with competitors, and create a relationship with customers for competitive advantage (Chailan. C, 2008). In 2008, the airline industry saw JetBlues new experience based differentiation after they created T5 terminal at JFK. T5 added brand value by augmenting the service with additional and complementary features (DDB, 2009). Companies should look for sustainability; competitive advantage that competitors are unable to imitate (Barney, 1991 cited Henry. A, 2008). Tesco uses vendor managed inventory and builds relationships with suppliers such as Nestle and Coca Cola to improve availability, providing competitive advantage for those involved, however unsustainable (William Reed Business Media Ltd, 2009). Figure 2 identifies the relationship between core competencies and competitive advantage. Although core competencies lead to competitive advantages this may be indirect by developing core products or services. 3.1 Nokias competitive advantage Nokia is currently worldwide largest mobile phone maker, therefore they must have significant core competencies to gain competitive advantage (Yahoo Finance, 2009). Nokias competitive advantage is based on scale, brand and services (Nokia, 2008). 3.1.1 Nokias brand value After wavering in 2004, Nokia came back to build an outstanding reputation through a 12% increase in brand value and became fifth top brand (Kiley. D, 2007). Nokia currently has number one brand in many markets worldwide (Temporal. P Davies. R, 2009). Nokias organisational culture contributed to its corporate brand since employees and processes are reflected in the brand (Temporal. P, 2009). Nokias research and development assisted in creating brand value by keeping up to date with evolving consumer demands and is recognised as a company that provides consumers with the desired products and services. NRC, Nokias innovations hub invests at least 5% of the annual research and development budget. Innovations are created for commercial purposes after three to five years development (Samuels. M, 2006). 3.1.2 Nokias products and services Ideas need to align with organisational culture, therefore this must be correct to generate desired products and services (Henry. A, 2008). Organisational culture is reflected in products and services through processes and procedures, this led to sustainable competitive advantage. The knowledge possessed by employees cannot be easily transferred, groups of employees would be required for a fraction of the knowledge (Argote. L Ingram. P, 2000). Nokias research and development continuously improves and generates new products, this is essential as Nokias markets became highly competitive over the last decade with entrants such as Apple iPhone (Ward. A, 2009). In 2002 Nokia received the Frost and Sullivan market engineering award for its secure access system innovation which was an exceptionally evolved product (BNET,2003 Calif. S. J, 2002). 4.0 Critical analysis I conclude that Nokia has effectively developed competencies into core competencies to develop sustainable competitive advantage. I consider Nokia to have core competencies in particular organisational culture and research and development, contributing most to Nokias competitive advantage. The organisational culture is quite unique among competitors, yet as industry leader so they must be doing the right things internally in relation to the external industry. Other companies should steer away from the negative image that innovative organisations are only effective in small organisations and implement some of Nokias techniques to reduce differential performance between them. However, I realise this will only be effective if there are shared values and commitment from the entire organisation as with Nokia. Organisational culture cannot be easily learned so this must create sustainable competitive advantage until competitors have developed their culture more effectively. Nokia invests heavily in research and development which is reflected in its product and service offering which is outstanding, therefore I see it as a worthwhile investment. I have identified that Nokia doesnt just employ people for research and development, it supports them and develops their knowledge base to benefit the company. I identified Nokias main competitive advantage being brand value and product and service offering. I recognise that Nokia successfully achieved competitive advantage of its brand organisational culture and the beliefs and practices adopted by the company. Nokia must continue to do the right things such as ethical behaviour in the work place or the brand will be tarnished and will be difficult to rebuild unless its loyal customer base sticks by regardless which I find doubtful. Nokias other competitive advantage consists developing latest product designs and outperforming rivals through services. I do not consider this sustainable, despite Nokias investments in research and development. Product innovation in the mobile phone industry is the main contributor to growth, through replacement sales (Cassell. J, 2004). This is likely to remain the case as the market is already saturated, therefore I feel Nokia wont maintain this level of competition as rival companies would invest more into research and development to compete. Overall, I find Nokia making best use of its core competencies to gain competitive advantage but dont believe it will continue to be industry leader without enhancing its core competencies to meet evolving demands. 5.0 Conclusion In conclusion it has been analysed that Nokia has several core competencies, the most significant being organisational culture and investment in research and development. These core competencies led to competitive advantage in the form of strong brand image and exceptional product and service offerings. Although this is currently the case for Nokia within the mobile phone industry, they may not be sustainable as will be identified over time.

Socrates In Platos Apology Philosophy Essay

Socrates In Platos Apology Philosophy Essay In this essay I will discuss the character of Socrates as he is presented in the Apology, I will look at Socrates as a religious fanatic and an apostle of reason. I will provide an argument from my own personal stance that the character of Socrates in the Apology is a variation of both religious fanatic and apostle of reason. I will also make reference to Crito in order to strengthen my position that Socrates is indeed a religious man of reason. First I shall discuss the Apology and provide examples to strengthen my argument that Socrates is a man of religion and reason. Secondly I shall provide examples from Crito showing that Socrates is a moral and just philosopher. In Platos Apology, Socrates says to the jury that if they said to him, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Socrates, we do not believe Anytus now; we acquit you, but only on condition that you spend no more time on this investigation and do not practice philosophyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Socrates 29c-d, 2012), he would rather obey god than the men of Athens and practice philosophy as long as he is breathing. Socrates would continue to question the Athenian citizens about wisdom, truth, and the best state for ones soul, proving that wealth, reputation, and honor are not the most important things in life. According to Socrates, fulfilling his obligation to god is more important than what the law may tell him to do because in practicing philosophy, he is serving god. Be sure that this is what the god orders me to do, and I think there is no greater blessing for the city than my service to the god, (Socrates 30a, 2012). By sentencing Socrates, the men of Athens are mistreating gods gift to them because god himself a ttached Socrates to the city in order for him to question those he encounters. By teaching them about virtue and how important the soul is, Socrates shows them how to live the good life and live it well. As a result of Socrates being given to Athens as a gift from god to question the Athenians to enlighten them and bring about positive outcomes, he is entitled to disobey the courts verdict. If he was breaking the law and harming Athens it would be wrong and immoral, but because god sent him to do this duty, he must overcome every obstacle in his way to do so. There is no inconsistency between what he says in Crito about upholding the laws and never breaking them. What Socrates says in Platos Apology proves that he has found a common ground between reason and religion. Therefore, Socrates is both a religious fanatic and apostle of reason. Thus Socrates argument to continue practicing philosophy even if the men of Athens rule that he should not, is completely justifiable and moral. The Gods placed Socrates in Athens to act as a gadfly stinging Athens in order to wake up the lazy Athenian citizens. Socrates is acting as an apostle of reason and religious fanatic when he challenged the wise men of Athens. After receiving a prophecy from: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the god at Delphi (Socrates 20e, 2012), that he is the wisest of all men, Socrates concludes that he knows nothing so he mu st be the wisest in the sense that he knows nothing for sure. By challenging the wisest of Athens he follows the Gods wishes in a reasonable way. Through argument, question, and discussion, Socrates exposes false wisdom as ignorance which I argue is fulfilling his obligation to the Gods and reason. Socrates believed that he was following the gods plan for him; it was his moral obligation to question those who claim to be wise. As a philosopher one ought to act as an apostle of reason, whether it is to argue against the government to determine whether a law or idea is justified or completely wrong and determine through reason how to replace it with a new law or idea that has been proved to be correct. A Philosopher is a lover of wisdom which follows the obligation to cross-examine people in order to find out where or not that are wise or just ignorant. As a religious fanatic and apostle of reason Socrates attempted to teach people he argued with that instead of claiming to be wise and arguing for their ideas without reason along with claiming that any previous idea contradictory to theirs was wrong, one should be open to all objections because we are all truly ignorant. In the Apology, Socrates attempted to persuade people through argument and reason to question everything becau se not everything can be answered by saying, God did it. In order to strengthen my argument I shall refer to examples from Crito proving that Socrates is a variation of apostle of reason and religious fanatic. Socrates states that doing wrong to someone is wrong therefore it is immoral. Similar to the Apology, Socrates uses reason to prove his point. Escaping Athens and going against its verdict is disregarding the law, which is immoral and unjust. Socrates makes a connection between the laws of Athens and morals. By escaping, Socrates would be acting against the laws of Athens and disregarding everything he stood for up to this point. By fleeing, Socrates would destroy the citys laws and through the city, all of its citizens. This relationship between a citizen and the city is similar to the relationship between a parent and child. From the city, Socrates was brought to birth, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦was it not through us that your father married your mother and begat you? (Socrates 50d, 2012). Athens instructed Socrates father to get him an educa tion and made sure he was nurtured. Socrates cannot deny that he was brought up being properly educated and nurtured by Athens, therefore he cannot deny being an offspring and servant to it. Just like Socrates is on equal footing with his father, he must respect his superiors wishes. If his father scolded him or beat him, he would not do the same in return to his father because he is superior. From birth Socrates was taught to obey the laws of Athens like his parents did. The laws of Athens should be respected just as much as one does their parent. Your parents teach you what is right and what is wrong, thus it is immoral to disrespect or treat your parents poorly as it is them that have invested in you and raised you into the person that you are. Due to the fact that Socrates is an apostle of reason he cannot go against his parents actions/wishes, he cannot do the same even to Athens because Athens is more sacred than your mother and father and it is to be revered. Even if one feels the sentence was unjust, they should not do anything in return, according to Socrates No Harm Principle. This principle is one of the two fundamental principles needed for a city to function properly. It states, One should never do wrong in return, nor do any man harm, no matter what he may have done to you, (Socrates 49c, 2012). The other fundamental principle is the Just-Agreement Principle which maintains that when one has come to an agreement that is just with someone , they should fulfill it and not cheat on it. By leaving Athens, Socrates will break the Just Agreement Principle and be doing harm which goes against both his principles. If no one obeyed these principles, the citizens would no longer obey the laws and the city would not exist. By remaining in Athens and accepting death Socrates shows he truly loves and respects Athens. In death one will receive peace but if one were to flee and attempt to destroy the laws which hold Athens together, they will be judged harshly and have a rough welcoming in Hades, according to Socrates. Thus, Socrates believed it was always wrong to disobey the laws. According to Socrates the only rational and reasonable way is to accept the punishment given by the law, regardless of what it is. The objective of having laws in place is to teach virtue to those who inhabit the city. The rules which are implemented in the laws act as an outline for how to behave. The laws direct behaviour, censure, and praise in such a way that ensures that the citizens within the city will go after positive goals and partake in positive activities in order to keep the city secure. The fact that Socrates would rather stay in Athens and die rather than flee and love proves that he is an apostle of reason. I believe that by Socrates following through with his death sentence ordered by the Athenians, he proved that he is wise and he stood up for what he believes in. Socrates made a wise decision by refusing to escape and accept his death sentence. If Socrates would have decided to flee Athens to avoid hi s sentence he would not be an apostle of reason; Socrates would not have been able to get his point across. I will also argue that by remaining in Athens rather than escaping it solidifies my argument that Socrates is also a religious fanatic. The gods placed him in Athens for a reason and Socrates fulfilled his service for the gods until his last breath. Work Cited Plato . A PLATO READER: Eight Essential Dialogues Apology. Ed. C. D. C. Reeve. Indianapolis/Cambridge: Hackett Publishing Company, Inc., 2012. 21-46. Print. Plato . A PLATO READER: Eight Essential Dialogues Crito. Ed. C. D. C. Reeve. Indianapolis/Cambridge: Hackett Publishing Company, Inc., 2012. 47-59. Print.

Roman Entertainment :: essays research papers

Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ancient Romans, like the Greeks, loved entertainment. Their idea of entertainment was usually something involving death and drama. They liked to watch plays, watch gladiators, participate or watch games, and watch or participate in animal hunts. Colosseum Events   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Colosseum is a famous arena that’s still partly standing today. This arena could seat over 50,000 people. On hot days, a canopy was raised over the Colosseum to protect the viewers from the heat.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the Colosseum, many events were held for the Romans to watch. Watching was free so that everyone could come. The events held almost always involved death and destruction. There were the gladiators, the feeding of people to lions, animals fighting animals, animal hunts, animal circus acts, and mock sea battles, where the Colosseum was flooded with water. The animals used in these events were kept below the Colosseum and an estimated 5,000 animals were killed the day the Colosseum opened. The animals were kept under the Colosseum. Gladiators   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Gladiators are people who fight each other or wild animals for other people’s entertainment in ancient Rome. They usually fought in the Colosseum. People would gather from all over to see them fight until they die, since they usually didn’t survive. If a gladiator survived three to five years of fighting, he or she was released and allowed to go back home. Romans watched gladiators fight because they not only thought it entertaining, but also thought it would prepare them for war.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  People did not usually volunteer to be gladiators. Gladiators were slaves, condemned criminals, or prisoners of war. Someone called a lanista, or owner of gladiators would purchase these people. However, a few free men volunteered to be gladiators, though this did not happen often. Depending on what the person did or who the person was, the gladiators had different training and weapons. For example, a criminal that had committed a capital crime fought weaponless, while a criminal who did not commit a capital crime had training in a private gladiator school.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the private gladiator schools, gladiators trained every day and received medical attention and three meals a day to keep them healthy. They were allowed to pick the weapons and armor that best suited him or her. Different types of weapons resulted in different types of gladiators. The types of gladiators are: Andabatae, who wore helmets without eye holes, Catervarii, who fought not in pairs, but

Morals of Abortion :: Abortion Pregnancy Motherhood Medical Essays

Morals of Abortion In Roman times, abortion and the destruction of unwanted children was permissible, but as out civilization has aged, it seems that such acts were no longer acceptable by rational human beings, so that in 1948, Canada along with most other nations in the world signed a declaration of the United Nations promising every human being the right to life. The World Medical Association meeting in Geneve at the same time, stated that the utmost respect for human life was to be from the moment of conception. This declaration was re-affirmed when the World Medical Association met in Oslo in 1970. Should we go backwards in our concern for the life of an individual human being? The unborn human is still a human life and not all the wishful thinking of those advocating repeal of abortion laws, can alter this. Those of us who would seek to protect the human who is still to small to cry aloud for it's own protection, have been accused of having a 19th Century approach to life in the last third of the 20th Century. But who in reality is using arguments of a bygone Century? It is an incontrovertible fact of biological science - Make no Mistake - that from the moment of conception, a new human life has been created. Only those who allow their emotional passion to overide their knowledge, can deny it: only those who are irrational or ignorant of science, doubt that when a human sperm fertilizes a human ovum a new human being is created. A new human being who carries genes in its cells that make that human being uniquely different from any and other human being and yet, undeniably a member, as we all are, of the great human family. All the fetus needs to grow into a babe, a child, an old man, is time, nutrition and a suitable environment. It is determined at that very moment of conception whether the baby will be a boy or a girl; which of his parents he will look like; what blood type he will have. His whole heritage is forever fixed. Look at a human being 8 weeks after conception and you, yes every person here who can tell the difference between a man and a women, will be able to look at the fetus and tell me whether it is a baby boy or a girl.

Collective Strategy Development Essay

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John Wiley ; Sons is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Strategic Management Journal. http://www. jstor. org Strategic Management Journal, Vol. 9, 375-385 (1988) AND COMPETITIVE MATCHING COLLECTIVE RUDIK. F. BRESSER Baruch College, The City University of New York,New York,New York,U. S. A. This paper discusses possibilities for combining collective and competitive strategies. Combinations can be problematic if competitive intentions are disclosed through the information links resultingfrom collective strategies. After describing how different collective strategies may lead to an uncontrolled disclosure of strategic information, a typology evaluating the feasibility of strategy combinations is developed. The typology’s implications for research and managerial practice are discussed. A recent development in the business policy literature is a concern with strategic planning at a collective level. Collective strategies are attempts by sets of organizations to manage their mutural interdependence and the system dynamics of their interorganizational environments (Astley and Fombrun, 1983a; Bresser and Harl, 1986; Thorelli, 1986). In managing interdependent and dynamic environments, collective strategies can be reactive by absorbing movement within an environment, or they can be proactive by forestalling the unpredictable behavior of other organizations. Firms can use collective strategies in combination with competitive strategies. This paper discusses the extent to which such combinations are feasible. MANAGING INTERDEPENDENCE Organizational interdependence exists whenever one organization does not entirely control all the conditions necessary for achieving a desired action or outcome (Pfeffer and Salancik, 1978). In addition to environmental movement, interdependence can cause problems of decision-making uncertainty for focal organizations. This occurs because the success of activities chosen by any interdependent organization depends on the activities selected by other organizations. Consequently, an interdependent organization may need to consider other organizations’ actions, and it faces decision-making uncertainty if it is aware of its interdependence and has difficulties in controlling the activities of other organizations. Decision-making uncertainty is most likely to be perceived among horizontally interdependent organizations operating in oligopolistic markets. Under these conditions all organizations are aware of their mutual interdependence and have considerable difficulties in controlling each other’s behaviors as they compete with one another for market share (Fombrun and Astley, 1982; Pennings, 1981). Business firms can use both competitive and collective strategies to manage their interdependencies. The literature distinguishes three major dimensions of competitive strategies: price, promotional, and product competition strategies (Khandwalla, 1981). Competitive strategies manage interdependence successfully if they result in advantageous competitive positions, thus forestalling interdependence and reducing decisionmaking uncertainty (Pennings, 1981). For Received 20 October 1986 Revised 21 July 1987 ? 0143-2095/88/040375-11$05. 50 1988 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. 376 R. K. F. Bresser Table 1. Coordination mechanisms for collective strategies Coordination mechanism Regulative legislation Contracting Mergers Joint ventures Interlocking directorates Trade associations Collusion and industry leadership Degree of formalization High High High High Moderate Moderate Low instance, product differentiation can create a protected domain for a focal organization with boundaries hard to penetrate by other competitors. However, in complex business environments interdependencies often are obscured from focal organizations so that individually coping with the dynamics of these environments becomes problematic (Emery and Trist, 1965). In these situations, collective strategies can supplement competitive strategies as a means of coping with the variation of interdependent environments (Astley and Fombrun, 1983a). CONCEPTIONS STRATEGY OF COLLECTIVE CONFLICTS BETWEEN COMPETITIVE AND COLLECTIVE STRATEGIES Bresser and Harl (1986) described the dynamic relationship between competitive and collective strategies as being composed of two strategic perspectives that are dialectically related to one another. For instance, when competitive strategies prevail within a market the resulting turbulence and decision-making uncertainty eventually will encourage organizations to use more collective forms of strategizing. However, when collective strategies prevail and create dysfunctions (such as reductions in strategic flexibility, amplified impacts of external disturbances, and attraction of innovative outsiders) which also cause environmental movement and decision-making uncertainty, competitive strategies may again be considered the more attractive methods for coping with interdependence. The dialectical relationship between competitive and collective strategies implies that organizations should remain alert to potential dysfunctions developing from their operating strategies, and that they should maintain a capacity to alternate between more collective and more competitive forms of strategizing (Bresser and Harl, 1986). However, some conflicts between competitive and collective strategies can be anticipated and should be considered before a particular strategy mix is adopted. This paper evaluates combinations between competitive and collective strategies in light of a potential conflict arising from the need to both share and conceal strategic information. Whenever organizations attempt to use both types of strategies simultaneously, i. e. competitive The term ‘collective strategy’ has been defined in two different ways (Astley and Fombrun, 1983a; Bresser and Harl, 1986). On the one hand a collective strategy is defined as a larger interorganizational network which emerges unintendedly. As individual organizational actions aggregate into interorganizational networks an unintended collective strategy emerges that none of the participating organizations could have foreseen. Developments in the telecommunications industry exemplify the emergence of an unintended collective strategy (Astley and Fombrun, 1983b). On the other hand a collective strategy can also be voluntary and intended. Such a collective strategy results from the purposive collaboration of organizations attempting to manage their mutual interdependence. This paper focuses on voluntary collective strategies, developed by oligopolists to manage their horizontal interdependence. Voluntary collective strategies can be based on different coordination mechanisms. Table 1 presents these mechanisms using degree of formalization as the distinguishing criterion (Bresser and Harl, 1986; Fombrun and Astley, 1983). Regulative legislation (resulting from collective lobbying) and contracting represent coordination forms with high levels of formality. Collective strategies based on interlocking directorates or trade associations are characterized by moderate levels of formality, and collusion as well as industry leadership can be classified as informal coordination mechanisms. Matching Collective and Competitive Strategies strategies in one business area and collective strategies in others, a potential for contradictory activities or conflicts arises, because the major advantage of a collective strategy is a major disadvantage from a competitive point of view. With regard to managing interdependence the major advantage of a collective strategy is that it establishes linkages and communication channels through which information about other interdependent organizations can be obtained. Through this information the behavior of other organizations becomes predictable. This makes an environment more stable and less threatening for a focal organization, and thus reduces decision-making uncertainty (Fombrun and Astley, 1983; Pennings, 1981). Precisely this advantage of a collective strategy (stability through predictability) is a disadvantage if organizations wish to use competitive strategies to further their growth goals. Successful competitive strategies require that organizations maintain the secrecy of their strategic plans to forestall imitation (Starbuck and Nystrom, 1981). However, this need for secrecy is jeopardized if interorganizational linkages and communication channels resulting from a collective strategy allow organizations to predict and anticipate one another’s moves in areas where they wish to compete. Thus, organizations face a risk of uncontrolled information disclosure when using collective and competitive strategies side by side. Risk of uncontrolled information disclosure is defined as the likelihood that a disclosure of strategically sensitive information will occur, where the process of disclosue is uncontrolled from a focal organization’s point of view and damaging to its competitive plans. The potential damage resulting from an uncontrolled disclosure of information is particularly salient in oligopolies (the dominant US market structure) because in such markets ompetitors typically are in a position to use sensitive information to exert control over each other’s fates (Pennings, 1981; Scherer, 1980). Evaluating the risk of uncontrolled information disclosure emanating from collective strategies is important for two reasons. On the one hand, such information disclosure tends to render competitive strategic intentions ineffective. On the other hand uncontrolle d information disclosure tends to aggravate problems of strategic inflexibility. Bresser (1984) and Bresser and 377 Harl (1986) argued that organizations adopting collective strategies limit their strategic flexibility because, by agreeing to abstain from certain types of competitive behaviors such as price competition, they curtail their repertoire of available strategic tools. When considering the problem of uncontrolled information disclosure, losses in strategic flexibility resulting from a collective strategy may be even more encompassing. If the managements of organizations realize that the communication links provided by a collective strategy allow for an uncontrolled disclosure of strategic plans, they may be reluctant to pursue competitive strategies even in those business areas that are not subject to a collective agreement. PROCESSES IMPAIRING SECRECY Since potential combinations between competitive and collective strategies face the risk of uncontrolled information disclosure resulting from collective strategy links, they raise the issue of strategic fit (Venkatraman and Camillus, 1984). In order to minimize problems of uncontrolled information disclosure it is necessary to obtain some degree of compatability among possible strategy combinations. Attaining a fit between competitive and collective strategies requires first of all an appreciation of the processes that may impair an organization’s desire to maintain the secrecy of its strategic plans. Table 2 summarizes for each type of collective strategy the particular processes that may lead to an impairment of secrecy, and it assesses the risk of uncontrolled disclosure of information. If collective lobbying leads to protective regulation the activities of regulators may impede competition (Pennings, 1981). Regulators often collect and disseminate a wealth of information about regulated industries. Through these information flows, regulators can allow competitors to forecast each other’s moves even in areas that are not subject to regulatory control. For example, Litwak and Rothman (1970) suggested that the Federal Communications Commission had provided the broadcasting networks with so much information about the broadcasting industry that the networks were able to anticipate their competitors’ behavior and, as a result, effective competition was not possible. The autonomy of 378 R. K. F. Bresser Table 2. Processes impairing secrecy and risk of uncontrolled disclosure by type of collective strategy Type of collective strategy Impairment of secrecy Risk of uncontrolled information disclosure Regulative legislation Contracting Mergers Joint ventures Interlocking directorates Trade associations Collusion and industry leadership Regulators collecting and disseminating information Contracts contingent on information Dissatisfied employees (defectors) Mediation of information Passing on of information due to multiple and indirect communication links Distribution of trade statistics Informal communication High Low Low Intermediate High Intermediate Low regulatory agencies in their information-gathering activities results in high risk of uncontrolled disclosure. Contracting refers to the negotiation of formal agreements among organizations (Thompson, 1967). In general, the information exchanged as a result of contractual negotiations will be focused, avoiding the disclosure of sensitive competitive aspects. However, some contracts such as bank loans may require that focal organizations provide extensive information about their competitive plans. This raises the possibility that information leaks within the information-seeking institution will be exploited by a focal organization’s competitors. Since he disclosure of sensitive information in the context of contractual negotiations is not very common, the risk of uncontrolled disclosure can be considered low. Mergers and joint ventures are two special forms of contracting. Mergers, with the exception of hostile takeovers, are contracts through which two or more organizations comneunder common control. Joint ventures can be viewed as partial mergers which preserve the autonomy of the org anizations involved. Often mergers are accompanied by a host of administrative problems (Lubatkin, 1983). For example, departments and operations must be consolidated and initial inequities in compensation have to be resolved. If such administrative problems remain unresolved, inefficiencies will result, as well as employee dissatisfaction and turnover. The merger between Kennecott Corp. and Carborundum Co. is a case in point (Business Week, 1983). The two companies’ managements quarreled over administrative problems and, after a short period of infighting, most Carborundum executives jumped ship. There is danger that defecting executives may disclose strategically sensitive information concerning the merging firms when they join other organizations within the same industry. However, the risk of uncontrolled disclosure resulting from a merger is considered low. This is because senior executives leaving merging firms often receive generous severance compensation for which they promise continued confidentiality. Additionally, since merging firms often develop new strategic concepts, the information available to departing executives is likely to be quickly obsolete. If a collective strategy is based on a joint venture the risk of uncontrolled disclosure is considered to be at intermediate levels. Although the cooperation provided by a joint venture is restricted to specific, mutual business problems, the regularity and longevity of interactions typical of a joint venture may allow participating firms to improve their intelligence about each other’s competitive strategies. For example, firm representatives engaged in joint ventures can develop friendship ties where they feel free to discuss more general strategic issues. During such discussions sensitive information may be disclosed inadvertently. Interlocking directorates result from organizational co-optation activities whereby organizations appoint external representatives to their Matching Collective and Comnpetitive Strategies boards of directors. Since many directors sit on the boards of two or more companies (Bunting and Barbour, 1971), interlocking directorates emerge which can be used as instruments for managing interdependence and uncertainty by encouiraging cooperation and the formation of collective strategies (Aldrich, 1979; Pennings, 1980, 1981). However, the risk of uncontrolled disclosure is high because the scope and the intensity of intra-industry communication facilitated by direct and indirect interlocks is beyond the control of individual organizations. Therefore, it is very difficult for individual organizations to conceal their competitive strategies when their directors have membership in a network of interlocking directorates. Trade associations provide member organizations with special services at low costs. For instance, they may distribute trade statistics, provide credit references on customers, offer legal and technical advice, or help collect bills (Olson, 1965). In addition, associations can aid in removing decision-making uncertainty resulting from interdependence. Since trade statistics generally include prices quoted in recent sales transactions as well as cost developments, member organizations have the opportunity to coordinate their market behavior and thus implement a collective strategy (Scherer, 1980). The dissemination of statistical information provided by trade associations may impair the desire of focal organizations to maintain secrecy their competitive strategies. While firms regiarding are often in favor of price and cost reporting activities, they run the risk that other sensitive information concerning their competitive strategies may also be disclosed. Trade associations sometimes analyze industry trends regarding product development or marketing strategies, and thus allow competitors to anticipate each others’ moves. A focal organization may have little control over the kind of information being disseminated because trade associations are often dominated by a few powerful organizations. Olson (1965) described the National Association of Manufacturers as largely financed and controlled by a few big corporations, although the association had several thousand members. There is the possibility that such domination leads to activities favoring a handful of member organizations rather than the majority. In addition, the selective services provided by 379 ssociations function as subtle forms of coercion restricting a firm’s flexibility. The exclusivity and low costs of legal, financial or other services operate as strong incentives for joining or remaining within an association even if a focal organization disagrees with some association activities. Thus, when using trade association activities to enforce a collective strategy, a moderate risk of uncontrolled information disclosure is likely. The term collusion denotes express agreements, open or secret, that have the purpose of restricting competition. Most collusive agreements are outlawed in the United States because they encourage monopolistic pricing behavior. Nevertheless, collusive practices are widespread and often effective means of managing interdependence. Their attraction is associated with their high degree of informality which makes it difficult for outsiders to detect conspiratorial agreements (Khandwalla, 1981). Industry leadership is a tacit version of collusion based on imitation. It describes a situation where a specific firm is the acknowledged leader in setting prices, and other firms follow. As opposed to collusive agreements, industry leadership has the advantage of not being contrary to the antitrust laws. It is considered legal as long as it is grounded on voluntary imitation rather than explicit communication (White, 1981). Since collective strategies mediated by collusive agreements are based on informal communication and, in the case of industry leadership, on imitation, the risk of uncontrolled disclosure is low. Colluding firms will share information only in areas where they wish to cooperate while maintaining the secrecy of their competitive plans. The above risk assessments imply that uncontrolled information disclosure is always damaging for the success of a focal organization’s competitive plans. While the dynamics of oligopolistic markets would tend to support this assumption (Scherer, 1980), the degree of damage resulting from uncontrolled disclosure can be viewed as contingent upon several situational variables. Specifically, four situational variables appear important: breadth of information disclosure, quality of information disclosure, asymmetry in interdependence, and event control. These situational variables can facilitate the combination of a ‘high-risk’ collective strategy with competitive strategies, and they can make the adoption of a 380 Matching Collective and Competitive Strategies dimensions. This is relevant for evaluating strategy combinations because an uncontrolled disclosure of information is less troublesome if competitors are unable to capitalize on the information due to their inability to respond rapidly to a focal organization’s competitive moves. Table 3 presents a typology of possible combinations between competitive and collective strategies, and evaluates their feasibility from the perspective of individual firms. Generally, a strategy combination is considered feasible if (1) the risk of uncontrolled information disclosure is low. Feasibility evaluations also take into account (2) the degree of competitor responsiveness typical for a competitive dimension, and (3) typical characteristics of specific collective strategies, namely the number of participants involved and the stability of an agreement. Considering typical characteristics of collective strategies is important because such characteristics can modify feasibility ratings that are based on assessments of the risk of uncontrolled information disclosure and the level of competitor responsiveness. Situational variables, described above, may mediate the damage resulting from uncontrolled information disclosure but do not lend themselves to generalizations and therefore are excluded from considerations leading to the typology shown in Table 3. However, in using the typology, situational variables will have to be taken into account, as is shown in the implications section. In Table 3 the competitive dimensions pricing, advertising and promotion, and product innovation are distinguished for each of the seven collective strategies summarized in Tables 1 and 2. Within each of these competitive dimensions, organizations can relate to each other by using either competitive or collective strategies. Thus, six strategy combinations are possible for each type of collective strategy,’ leading to a total of 42 combinations presented in Table 3. I Since only two values are possible within each competitive dimension, and since the extreme cases (competitive or collective strategies across all competitive dimensions) are irrelevant as they do not represent combinations of collective and competitive strategies, the total number of strategy combinations C for each type of collective strategy can be calculated by collective strategy with low or moderate risks of uncontrolled disclosure problematic. For example, the potential damage resulting from uncontrolled disclosure may be considered low, and thus can facilitate the adoption of a collective strategy where the risk of uncontrolled disclosure is high, when the competitive information that could be disclosed is not very encompassing (breadth of information disclosure), or of questionable quality regarding its reliability and/or timeliness (Adams, 1976; Smart and Vertinsky, 1977). Similarly, if interdependence is asymmetric, with some organizations being in a relatively powerful competitive position (e. . due to their size), uncontrolled information disclosure may not be very troublesome for these powerful organizations because they know that other competitors lack the resources to exploit the disclosed information (Pfeffer and Salancik, 1978). Likewise, damage may be low and containable, if organizations can rapidly and effectively counteract events leading to uncontrolled information disclosure, for example, by changing perso nnel or the content of a collective strategy (Pfeffer and Salancik, 1978). Implications for evaluating the feasibility of strategy combinations resulting from the role of situational variables are discussed below. COMBINATIONS OF COMPETITIVE AND COLLECTIVE STRATEGIES Apart from an understanding of how collective strategies can lead to uncontrolled information disclosure, an assessment of what types of combinations between competitive and collective strategies are feasible requires that different competitive strategies also be distinguished. Three distinguishing dimensions of competitive strategies are pricing, advertising and promotion, and product innovation (Khandwalla, 1981). These dimensions can be classified according to their degree of ‘competitor responsiveness’ (Ansoff, 1984). The term competitor responsiveness refers to the speed with which competitors can respond to variations in competitive conditions. While price cuts usually can be matched instantly, it takes much longer to organize retaliations to a heavy advertising campaign, and even longer to respond to product innovations (Khandwalla, 1981; Scherer, 1980). Thus competitor responsiveness decreases along these three competitive C = (2†³1- 2) where d is the number of competitive dimensions considered. For d=-3 dimensions the number of possible strategy combinations is C=6. R. K. F. Bresser Table 3. Combinations of competitive and collective strategies and their feasibility Dimensions of competition Types of strategy Pricing combinations 1. 1 1. 2 1. 3 1. 4 1. 5 1. 6 2. 1 2. 2 2. 3 2. 4 2. 5 2. 6 3. 1 3. 2 3. 3 3. 4 3. 5 3. 6 4. 1 4. 2 4. 3 4. 4 4. 5 4. 6 5. 1 5. 2 5. 3 5. 4 5. 5 5. 6 6. 1 6. 2 6. 3 6. 4 6. 5 6. 6 7. 1 7. 2 7. 3 7. 4 7. 5 7. IL Competition Regulation Regulation Competition Regulation Competition Competition Contracting Contracting Competition Contracting Competition Competition Merger Merger Competition Merger Competition Competition Joint Venture Joint Venture Competition Joint Venture Competition Competition Interlocks Interlocks Competition Interlocks Competition Competition Trade Association Trade Association Competition Trade Association Competition Competition Collusion/IL Collusio n/IL Competition Collusion/IL Competition Advertising and promotion Regulation Competition Regulation Competition Competition Regulation Contracting Competition Contracting Competition Competition Contracting Merger Competition Merger Competition Competition Merger Joint Venture Competition Joint Venture Competition Competition Joint Venture Interlocks Competition Interlocks Competition Competition Interlocks Trade Association Competition Trade Association Competition Competition Trade Association Collusion/IL Competition Collusion/IL Competition Competition Collusion/IL 381 Product innovation Regulation Regulation Competition Regulation Competition Competition Contracting Contracting Competition Contracting Competition Competition Merger Merger Competition Merger Competition Competition Joint Venture Joint Venture Competition Joint Venture Competition Competition Interlocks Interlocks Competition Interlocks Competition Competition Trade Association Trade Association Competition Trade Association Competition Competition Collusion/IL Collusion/IL Competition Collusion/IL Competition Competition Feasibility of strategy combination Low Low Intermediate Intermediate Intermediate Intermediate Intermediate High High High High High High High High High High High Intermediate Intermediate High High High High Low Low Low Low Low Low Low Intermediate Intermediate Intermediate Intermediate Intermediate Intermediate Intermediate Intermediate Intermediate Intermediate Intermediate Industryleadership The first group of (six) strategy combinations uses competition in one or two competitive dimensions in conjunction with regulation as the basis for enforcing a collective strategy. The feasibility of all six combinations is rated either at low or intermediate levels. The first two combinations (1. 1 and 1. 2) have a low feasibility rating. If organizations use regulation to harmonize their promotional and product innovation activities, and have competitive flexibility in the area of pricing (combination 1. 1), their chances of competing successfully are slim. This is because 382 R. K. F. Bresser an industry may remain intense. In fact, often firms merge to obtain strategic advantages in the areas of price competition, promotion or product innovation wlhich may increase rather than decrease competitive interactions. When joint ventures serve as mechanisms to enforce collective strategies, feasibility ratings for strategy combinations are similarly favorable. This form of collective strategizing also tends to involve only a few organizations, allowing for competition within a particular area in spite of joint venture activity. fHowever, joint ventures carry a higher risk of uncontrolled information disclosure than contracting or mergers. Thus cautious feasibility evaluations seem appropriate when a focal organization engages in joint ventures in more than one comnpetitivearea, and when the only competitive dimension not subject to collective coordination is characterized by relatively high levels of competitor responsiveness (combinations 4. 1 and 4. 2). In these situations the relatively high number of information links among firms participating in several joint ventures multiplies the risk and potential damage of uncontrolled disclosure. If organizations choose interlocking directorates to coordinate intra-industry activity, they constantly run a high risk of uncontrolled information disclosure. Co-opted directors may intentionally or inadvertently, directly or indirectly, pass on sensitive information to a focal organization’s competitors. Thus, relying on interlocks to enforce collective strategies while simultaneously attempting to maintain some competitive flexibility does not appear feasible. The predominant feasibility rating assigned to the group of strategy combinations using trade associations as a means to develop collective strategies is ‘intermediate’. Although experience demonstrates that the coordination provided by trade associations mostly does not go beyond price and cost reporting (Scherer, 1980), the possibility of trade associations collecting and reporting other sensitive information is always acute. Often individual organizations cannot oppose such uncontrolled reporting of industry developments, especially if the association is dominated by a few powerful corporations. If trade associations do not engage in price reporting, but are used to develop collective strategies in the areas of advertising and promotion, and product innovation (combination 6. 1), a low uick competitor responsiveness can be expected with respect to the pricing dimension, and regulators are likely to disclose sensitive information concerning advertising and innovations. A similar argument applies to combination 1. 2, where competitive conditions exist only with regard to advertising and promotion, a dimension characterized by intermediate levels of competitor responsiveness. Since competitors usually need considerable time to respond to product innovations, combination 1. 3 (with regulation in the other two dimensions) is not quite as problematic as the first two combinations. However, the distinct possibility of uncontrolled information disclosure through regulator activities makes combination 1. 3 feasible only at an intermediate level. Combinations 1. 4 through 1. allow for competition in at least two dimensions. While these combinations provide organizations with a larger arsenal of competitive tools than the first three combinations, they also are considered feasible only at intermediate levels because of the risk of uncontrolled disclosure through regulators. The feasibility of strategy combinations involving contracting as a form of collect ive strategizing generally is considered high because the risk of uncontrolled information disclosure tends to be low. In addition, often (and in contrast to regulation) only few organizations participate in a particular contractual agreement, thus limiting the extent to which competition is constrained. If, within an industry of say eight oligopolists, three contract to standardize product designs, competition with the remaining five oligopolists in the area of product innovations is still possible and likely. The only strategy combination where a less favorable (intermediate) feasibility rating is assigned is combination 2. 1. If extensive contracting in the areas of advertising/promotion and product innovation has considerably lowered the participating firms’ strategic flexibility, relying on price competition as the sole competitive tool does not appear sensible. Price competition is likely to face a high degree of competitor responsiveness. The third group of strategy combinations, using merger activity to realize collective strategies, has high feasibility ratings throughout. The risk of uncontrolled information disclosure is low, and the number of firms involved in a merger is usually quite small, so that competition within Matching Collective and Competitive Strategies feasibility rating seems appropriate. Again, in this situation firms would maintain competition only in an area where high competitor responsiveness is likely. Combinations of competitive and collective strategies using the various forms of collusion and industry leadership are not as problem-free as the risk evaluation in Table 2 might suggest. Although collusive agreements are not burdened with the problem of uncontrolled information disclosure, their combination with competitive strategies appears feasible at an intermediate level at best. Since collusive agreements are informal and difficult to enforce, individual firmns have a strong incentive to chisel-that is to increase their profits by secretly deviating from the agreement (Stigler, 1964). Secret deviations cannot be concealed for long periods of time, and frequently result in collusive conspiracies breaking down and touching off bitter rivalries such as price wars (Scherer, 1980; Weiss, 1961). It is likely that the tendency of collusive agreements towards breakdown will be aggravated if colluding organizations decide to compete in some competitive areas rather than displaying ‘gentlemanly’, non-competitive behavior across all competitive dimensions. A firm’s successful competitive behavior in one area will encourage less successful firms to chisel in other areas that are subject to collusive coordination. Thus combinations of competitive and collective strategies can be expected to be volatile when collusion serves as a means for enforcing collective strategies. This volatility results from the particular characteristics of collusive agreements, and exists regardless of the risk for uncontrolled information disclosure or the level of competitor responsiveness. 383 SUMMARY AND IMPLICATIONS This paper extends the literature advocating the development of voluntary collective strategies as means to manage environmental turbulence and interdependence (Astley and Fombrun, 1983a; Bresser and Harl, 1986). It assesses the possibilities of combining competitive with collective strategies from the perspective of individual organizations. Such combinations may be problematic because an organization’s ability to maintain the secrecy of competitive strategic plans may be jeopardized by information links established through different forms of collective strategy (Fornbrun and Astley, 1983a; Starbuck and Nystrom, 1981). After discussing how collective strategies may lead to an uncontrolled disclosure of strategically sensitive information, combinations of competitive and collective strategies are classified according to their varying degrees of feasibility. A comparison of the ratings presented in Tables 2 and 3 makes apparent that the feasibility of strategy combination tends to be inversely related to the risk of uncontrolled information disclosure. If the risk and the feasibility ratings are expressed numerically with the values of ‘low’ equaling 1, ‘intermediate’ equaling 2, and ‘high’ equaling 3, a correlation coefficient can be calculated on the basis of all 42 strategy combinations. The resulting coefficient is r = -0. 70, indicating that within the present classification scheme about 50 percent of the variance in feasibility evaluations is accounted for by the risk of uncontrolled information disclosure. However, high risks of uncontrolled disclosure do not generally lead to low feasibility ratings, and low risks do not necessarily imply high feasibility scores , as is demonstrated by the combinations involving collective strategies based on regulation and collusion respectively. The unexplained variation in feasibility ratings suggests additional factors are important in assessing the feasibility of strategy combinations, notably the degree of competitor responsiveness and the particular characteristics of the type of collective strategy employed. Further variation in feasibility ratings can be expected when situational variables such as breadth and quality of information disclosure, asymmetry in interdependence, and event control are considered (Adams, 1976; Pfeffer and Salancik, 1978; Smart and Vertinsky, 1977). This is so because these situational variables can contain or amplify the potential damage resulting from uncontrolled infornmationdisclosure. While situational variables were not considered in the development of this paper’s typology of strategy combinations, they have implications both for research and managerial decision-making that can originate from the typological classification given in Table 3. The existence of situational variables highlights a feature common to all typologies or organi- 384 R. K. F. Bresser information disclosure is of little relevance? 7. How rapidly and effectively can events of uncontrolled information disclosure be counteracted? Answers to these and similar questions can help executives to apply the information provided by Table 3 situationally before adopting a specific combination of collective and competitive strategies. From this process the selection of compatible strategies should result. This paper’s discussion has concentrated on oligopolistic markets because, typically, in such markets competitors are aware of their mutual interdependence, have incomplete control of each other’s moves, and yet the success of each oligopolist’s strategic intentions depends considerably on the activities chosen by other competitors (Pennings, 1981). Obviously, within such a context, the damage resulting from an uncontrolled disclosure of sensitive information is potentially high. While the theory of oligopoly has been developed mainly for domestic, nondiversified enterprise (Stigler, 1964), the issues and ideas discussed in this paper can also be of relevance to multinational and diversified corporations. Due to the dominance of oligopolies, both multinational and diversified firms will often find themselves operating in different national or regional oligopolies. Additionally, managing a match between collective and competitive strategies may be more difficult in interindustry and international arenas than in intraindustry environments because the number of interdependent segments representing a particular coporation’s domain is larger and more complex (Bresser and Harl, 1986; Hawkins and Walter, 1981). Thus, anticipating factors such as the risk of uncontrolled information disclosure and the potential damage resulting from such disclosure may be even more important for multinational and diversified firms than for domestic oligopolists. zational phenomena. Classifications of the type developed in Table 3 are ideal types, based on generalizations derived from common knowledge and common sense (Blau and Scott, 1962; Pugh, Hickson and Hinings, 1969). However, the strategy combinations distinguished represent 42 separate hypotheses regarding the opportunities and risks organizations might encounter when utilizing competitive and collective strategies side by side. The accuracy of any particular feasibility evaluation is an empirical question open to resolution through historical research, where the mediating role of situational variables has to be included in the research design. From a managerial point of view a typology of strategy combinations with varying levels of feasibility can aid in strategic decision-making. The strategic options evaluated in Table 3 can serve as a guide to managers considering a particular strategy combination. In attempting to extrapolate easibility evaluations, decisionmakers would have to assess whether the variables leading to the feasibility ratings shown in Table 3 are of the assumed magnitude, and to what extent deviations would lead to different feasibility assessments. In addition, decision-mak ers would have to evaluate the extent to which situational variables require changes in feasibility ratings. For example, a firm intending to implement a strategy mix similar to combination 4. 3 would have to consider the following questions before deciding whether the feasibility of such a combination is high: 1. Is the risk of uncontrolled information disclosure resulting from the planned joint venture activity really at moderate levels, and how can it be contained? 2. Is there really a low degree of competitor responsiveness to product innovations within this industry? 3. Is competitive flexibility in pricing and promotional strategies maintained in spite of joint venture activity within these competitive dimensions? 4. How encompassing is the information that could get disclosed? 5. How reliable and timely is the information that competitors could obtain? 6. 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