Explain three ways in which governments shape labour markets and Essay

Explain three ways in which governments shape labour markets and Explain, using examples, three dimensions of the relationship between paid and unpaid work - Essay Example nt base in order to instill more confidence in the workforce and â€Å"focus on the context for investment† (Lecture 3, p.3) thus creating a congenial environment for business while addressing the social concern of employment. In the current economic situation where the role of government in protecting labor has been reduced to the bare minimum due to globalization and advancements in technology, it is flexibility of the job market that is more in perspective than formulation of laws to safeguard labor. However, the scope of employment also raises the issue of work where salary is high that consequently raises the standard of living and another type of work where workers are paid low wages leading to social disparity and discontent. The issue of low wages is compounded by globalization that firms use as bargaining chip to tame labor with threats of outsourcing, giving business the upper hand as trade unions have largely been marginalized in an environment where technology has reduced manpower. The government is not only responsible to oversee a strong and vibrant economy but also to ensure equitable living conditions for every citizen in general, and the weaker sections of society in particular. There are some countries like the Scandinavian nations where the citizens enjoy generous social packages even if they are unemployed. There are other nations where 5 percent of the population enjoys 95 percent of the nation’s wealth, whereas 95 percent of the population survives on 5% of the country’s resources. It may not be possible for every country to satisfy every citizen with generous social schemes, but it is necessary to create conditions where everyone feels cared for. Generally, the government is noncommittal when it comes to the interest of workers in the lowly paid services basically for two reasons: one, the government wants to encourage new entrepreneurs to rise to the occasion and take advantage of working conditions under the new technological order

Public Finance Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Public Finance - Assignment Example The point E shows the equilibrium point where P=Q. Subsequently, this is the point where the Marginal Revenue is equal to the Marginal Cost. This means that the value of the wine produced is virtually equal to the wine not produced hence an efficient output, Solow (1998). In the event where the wine industry is consolidated into a large monopoly firm, the unit price of wine will rise to $ 7 per bottle with 75000 bottles produced. Monopolists are price makers since they do not face any competition. Therefore, the monopoly is at will to increase the prices to $7, a $2 increase. With this effect, their demand curve is price inelastic. Therefore, monopolists try to maximize profits by setting output at the point where MR=MC, Telser (1987). Point X shows the price that is adjusted upwards by the monopoly. In this case, it is $ 7. Subsequently, point E represents the equilibrium where MR=MC with 75000 units produced. In this case, therefore, the output is not efficient since the price is greater than the Marginal Cost. This means that the utility obtained from wine consumption is greater than the utility forwent, Nikaidō (1975). Additionally, the shaded area in the graph represents the loss in the net benefits due to a subsequent reduction in production and utility, Triffin

Impacts of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)

Impacts of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) 1.0 Introduction This paper will labour to explicate the intricacies of enterprise resource planning (ERP), a concept that has long fascinated many in both academic and professional work environments, including the United Nations (UN). In fact, the UN has expressed the need to implement ERP. As part of their examination into this procedure, the UN has implemented ERP at the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Pristine, Republic of Kosovo, and other agencies of the UN. As they look into the ramifications of ERP implementation, so does this case study. This study attempts to make predictions of the impact of ERP implementation on the business processes and organisational culture of the United Nations secretariat based on results from the UNDP. 1.1 Introduction to the Problem Since the late 1990s, businesses have flocked to implement enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, e.g., one study showed that more than sixty percent of Fortune 500 companies had adopted an ERP system (Stewart et al. 2000). The United Nations, as one of the largest organisations in the world, has lagged behind in adopting the transformation in the management of its resources. The United Nations has been seriously hampered in its ability to deliver results effectively and efficiently due to the lack of an integrated information system for managing its resources (Report of the Secretary-General, 2008). According to Davis and Olsen (1985), ERP is an integrated system that provides information to support operation management and decision-making functions in an organisation. Therefore, the goal of implementing an ERP system is to build an integrated global information system that fully supports the needs of the United Nations, enables the effective management of human, financial and physical resources, and is based on streamlined processes and better practices (Report of the Secretary-General, 2008). 1.2Background of the Study 1.2.1 Existing System Currently, the United Nations uses an in-house developed system—commonly referred to as Integrated Management Information System (IMIS)—for the management of human, financial and physical resources. The development of IMIS was a milestone in the use of information technology as a discipline that can beneficially affect many, if not all, areas of administration and management in any given organisation. IMIS was developed as a functionally integrated system, which combines all departments to support key processes such as human resources management, payroll, finance and accounting, requisitioning and funds control, budget execution and travel management. IMIS was introduced in conjunction with desktop, networked computing and office automation tools such as electronic mail in many offices. â€Å"If an organisation is not yet sure of the need for client-server networks, the state of the art in enterprise-wide computing, it has only to consider the Integrated Management Information System (IMIS) of the United Nations,† (Rowe Davis, 1996, p. 122). The launching of IMIS was subsequently affected and conditioned by major developments in the technological market, and an accelerated shift of focus in the United Nations to field activities. In short, IMIS was designed and developed at a time when the context began to change rapidly and profoundly. Yet, only a few years after the implementation of IMIS, it has become evident that the system cannot take full advantage of the advancement in technology; e.g., even though IMIS is functionally integrated, it was deployed and managed locally at each geographical location, which makes reporting and global management very difficult. The implementation in the United Nations peacekeeping operation was partial, as it is a separate department in the UN, and was not able to support the supply chain and logistical management (Report of the Secretary-General, 2008). â€Å"The IMIS was not an alternative communication technology to paper and telephones, but it involved the synchronization of multiple data sources and the linking of them to several mainframes,† (Rowe Davis, 1996, p. 122). An investment in tactical systems, which includes a stand-alone system and a modular integration into IMIS through interfaces, was able to address the functional gaps of IMIS. However, the organisation today faces challenges that demand profound transformation beyond the capabilities of IMIS and its ancillary legacy systems currently being used (Report of the Secretary-General, 2008). 1.2.2 The need for change â€Å"The United Nations struggled to get everybody in their building to connect electronically. It soon realised that it was time to connect the world with a client-server network,† (Rowe Davis, 1996, p. 122). The need for the United Nations to take on the International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) lead to the requirement of significant change in the accounting processes and systems in order to comply with the international public sector standard for accounting. The requisite changes, indeed, were so fundamental that it is fair to say that the life of IMIS had come to an end after fourteen years; moreover, the benefits that the staff and managers expected from the information system in day-to-day operations and decision-making no longer matched the cost of maintenance and ongoing support. This is because IMIS is no longer able to cope with the fast technological development, and the cost of maintenance and ongoing support has become very expensive (Report of th e Secretary-General, 2008). â€Å"The success of your organisations quality initiative depends upon your ability to communicate the need for change throughout the organization,† (Arcaro, 1997, p. 146). The United Nations as an organisation needs to improve the value and cost-efficiency of the services it provides. They report that the existing systems are not up to the standard, not integrated, duplicative, and are inefficient (Report of the Secretary-General, 2008). According to the UN, the effective management, planning and decision-making have been hampered by the lack of integration and complete data on resources (ibid). As the organisation continues to grow in complexity in its activities, they are dissatisfied with the lack of integration and data-sharing between different departments as it has become a bigger problem, and the need for a new ICT global enterprise system for streamlining and simplifying processes has become more crucial as the nature of the organisation is changing itself (ibid). 1.2.3 Goals and objectives of implementing an Enterprise Resource Planning System The United Nations reports that the implementation of an ERP system will present the opportunity to fully combine resources and functions across the organisation by replacing the existing IMIS system (Report of the Secretary-General, 2008). Minahan (1998) reports ERP to be a multifaceted system that integrates and automates the basic processes of a business such as finance and budget management, human resources management, supply chain management, central support services, and other corporate core functions. Most importantly, the main value of an ERP system is the opportunity to streamline and improve the operations of an entire organisation through process reengineering, sharing of common data, and implementation of best practices and standards, and perform as the inter-organisation information backbone for communication and collaboration (OLeary, 2004). According to reports from the United Nations (Report of the Secretary-General, 2008), the main objectives of the ERP project can be summarised as follows: To have a global operating system that precisely captures core resource data from each department and agency at the UN while linking them together to provide better decision-making. This will minimise the time required to perform administrative processes and enable easy access to necessary reports for each department, thus increasing the efficiency of the organisation and directing the focus to high priority situations. The main functionalities sought from the new ERP system are expected to encompass functions such as programme planning, budgeting, contributions and performance; human resources management and administration; payroll, including management of benefits and contribution to pension, medical and insurance schemes; supply chain management, including procurement; assets and facilities management; general accounting, travel and other administrative flows; reporting to management and stakeholders, and more (Report of the Secretary-General, 2008, p. 8). Specific United Nations peacekeeping operations functions such as logistics, transportation, fuel and rations systems need to be supported by the new ERP system, as these functions are not held in common with other organisations of the United Nations operations. 1.3Purpose and Significance of the Study The research done in this study will attempt to answer the following question: What will be the impact of ERP implementation on the business transformation and business culture of the United Nations? Specifically, this study will attempt to establish the relationship between the business process transformation and organisational culture change offered as the result of ERP. These questions and findings are expected to provide an increased ability in evaluating the performance and standardisation of the business processes within the United Nations, as well as an increased awareness of its effect on the business culture and productivity over time in the UN. In addition, answers to these questions will subsequently enable other researchers to gain more insight into ERP implementation and business process reengineering. It will also enable the management of the United Nations to see how ERP can be a better means of technological reform, thus providing the opportunity to re-evaluate the existing business processes. 1.4 Research Questions The question that constitutes the primary point of pivot for the paper is: What will be the probable future impact of ERP on the business process transformation and business culture of the UnitedNations? The three subsidiary questions of the present work are: > How will ERP implementation make the organisation better off in the foreseeable future? > What will be the effect on the reformed business culture in terms of productivity? > How does the organisation perceive the benefit of ERP on the standardisation of business processes? 1.5Structural Approach The rest of the dissertation has been structured as follows. Chapter 2 provides a review of relevant literature including ERP, business process reengineering, and their impact on organisational culture. Chapter 3 discusses the methodologies used for the case study and describes the data and the various proxies employed for analysing ERP implementation in the United Nations. Chapter 4 provides empirical findings on the relationship between ERP implementation and its effects on business processes and organisational culture. Chapter 5 analyses the research findings. Chapter 6 concludes the research by pointing out the key impacts of ERP on the UN. Chapter 7 makes various recommendations for policy direction and potentially fruitful areas of ERP systems for further research. Chapter 8 reflects on the study as a whole. CHAPTER II 2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW The following Literature Review will focus on four main areas of evaluation regarding enterprise resource planning (ERP) on the business process transformation (BPR) in organisations, and more specifically, the United Nations. These are: 1. ERP: definition, evolution, implications 2. BPR: definition, evolution, implications 3. ERP and organisational culture 4. BPR and organisational change This review will analyse the abovementioned systems and related processes insofar as the available data in the literature will allow for a comparison of ERP and BPR and their effects on the United Nations and other large organisations. 2.1 Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP): Definition, Evolution, and Implications Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems are commonly described as commercial software packages that allow the assimilation of data and processes throughout an organisation (Markus Tanis, 2000, cited in Kim et al. 2005). ERP enables the flow of information among all business areas such as â€Å"finance, human resources, manufacturing, sales and marketing,† (Tan Theodorou, 2009, p. 52). Basically, it allows data from all departments to exist in one computer system (Pang, 2001), making the managerial dream of unification of all information systems into one computer system come true (Adam ODoherty, 2003, cited in Revia, 2007). This unification should offer many benefits to the UN and other large organisations. Large organisations may have a more difficult time relaying information from one sector to another as they have many different departments and even multiple locations. The combination of all departments in one system, presents benefits of relaying data in a timely mann er. Rather than sending files through inter-office mail or needing to track down one particular staff member, each employee will have access to the information required for their job by simply logging into the system. The researcher will attempt to discover whether this unification does indeed allow for more time-efficiency as well as making simple operations tasks easier to accomplish in the UN. The start of ERP systems came about in the 1960-1970s with the invention of Inventory Control (IC) and Materials Requirement Planning (MPR) systems, which managed inventory in manufacturing. In the 1980s, Manufacturing Resources Planning (MRP II) systems came into use to manage both inventory and production requirements together. In 1973, the first ERP system was created with the goal of supporting all business needs. Since then, ERP systems have become much more popular. In fact, by the year 2000, enterprise resource planning systems were estimated to have serviced $23 billion USD in profits for the various organisations that have been implementing them (Pang, 2001). ERP systems are larger, more influential and faster growing than any other systems in the industry (Finney Corbett, 2007). This is probably why the UN has shown such interest in ERP. The increase in ERP implementation does not seem surprising as ERP allows corporations to update to a new integrated system cutting out the previous legacy systems known for their difficulties in maintenance, large size, and old age, as they are segregated systems (Martin, 1998; cited in Boudreau, 1999). This appears to be helpful for the UN as they reported difficulty with their current legacy system (Report of the Secretary-General, 2008). It is likely that employees of the UN will be satisfied with the replacement of the legacy system due to the reported problems it has. However, there is a chance that employees may be intimidated by this change as they will have to learn an entirely new system. Advantages of ERP systems for organisations include overcoming fragmentation by streamlining activities and processes, which provides direct access to real-time information by supplying a group of software modules that encase all departments of a business (Koch, 2003, cited in Finney Corbett, 2007). This implies that all information accessed through the new system will be current as it is constantly being updated by various employees based on the tasks they complete. Rather than there being pieces of information in various places, all information regarding the same issue will be together implying that employees can look in one place and have all the information they need rather than searching through various documents or consulting multiple co-workers. However, it provokes the question as to how employees can be sure the information entered is accurate. This aspect of ERP systems will be investigated at the UNDP in Kosovo in order to determine whether this feature is beneficial. Furthermore, ERP systems are said to provide cost-reduction in addition to increased flexibility (Siriginidi, 2000 cited in Al-Fawaz et al. 2008). Since the initial costs of implementation are so high, it doesnt seem like cost-reduction can be achieved anytime close to implementation. However, Rowe and Davis (1996) reported, the IMIS system which is the current system being used in many UN agencies does not cut down the amount of paper needed in order to do processes. Switching to an ERP system should reduce costs related to this amongst other things, as suggested by the literature. For the UN, this would mean more money to use for their peacekeeping missions or other operations. The reduction of costs and flexibility appear to be linked in some way as decreasing operation costs would imply having more flexibility to perform other processes. Then again, its possible for the availability of data to imply flexibility in making decisions, or flexibility could result from rearranging t he organisations processes and being better equipped to perform certain tasks. ERP systems have been reported to enhance business performance by accelerating the merger of organisational resources as well as strengthening the operational efficiency of the company through minimising human error (Shin Knapp, 2001, cited in Wang, 2006). The implication that ERP reduces human error seems to be correct as there is less opportunity to make a mistake for employees because there is generally only one time they need to input information for data-sharing as opposed to the multiple steps needed to take before but how can employees be sure that the initial information entered was accurate? One may argue that if multiple people are doing the same step there is increased accuracy as there are that many more people assessing the situation. Aside from that, it seems these benefits should assist the UN in accomplishing some of their proposed goals, such as linking all departments within one operations system, which decreases the time required for administrative processes. The UN hopes implementation will increase their operational efficiency by allowing valuable time to be spent focusing on high priority situations rather than simple operations tasks (Report of the Secretary-General, 2008). More advertised benefits include improved information accuracy and decision-making capacity (Siriginidi, 2000 cited in Al-Fawaz et al. 2008). The UN wants to make use of these proposed advantages (Report of the Secretary-General, 2008). Decision-making is a large part of the UN as they have to make difficult decisions everyday that effect large numbers of people; making a bad decision is not necessarily easily corrected in this case. Furthermore, many situations the UN deals with are time-sensitive; if its easier to access data, and the accuracy of that data is improved, officials can rest assured that they are making decisions with proper knowledge. In implementing ERP, organisations no longer have to create their own applications that are then unique to their company. They now have standard software available for their business processes, referred to as Best Business Practices (BBPs), which came into existence around the same time as ERPs. BBPs are general guidelines to assist companies in the way of handling certain business processes, meaning that each company can now improve itself on the basis of the experience of other corporations that share similar functional processes (SAP, 2007, cited in Revia, 2007). It seems any organisation would be hesitant to implement a system that has not proved to benefit other large organisations as the risk of failure is not unlikely (Moon, 2007). However, each organisation is unique so BBPs may not work for every organisation. .Some of the disadvantages of ERP are that the implementation requires time, costs and risks (Boudreau, 1999), as they tend to be â€Å"large, complicated, and expensive† (Mabert et al. 2001, cited in Al-Fawaz et al. 2008, p. 3). ERP implementation calls for serious time commitment from all involved as it is often the biggest project that an organisation will ever face (Moon, 2007). ERP execution requires new procedures, employee training and managerial and technical support (Shang Seddon, 2002, cited in Al-Fawaz et al. 2008), which can be accomplished through good communication of the corporate strategy to all employees (Umble et al. 2003, cited in Al-Fawaz et al. 2008). Consequently, the biggest problem is not actually the implementation itself but the expectations of board members and senior staff as well as not having a clear plan or realistic projections (Somers Nelson 2004, cited in Al-Fawaz et al. 2008). However, the UN has already proposed clear goals and plans for t heir implementation. The question is whether or not they will be able to successfully translate these goals/plans to all employees of the organisation and whether or not they will be successful. Finally, the importance of selecting the appropriate ERP package is stressed. Corporations must make sure they select the appropriate ERP package that will match their organisation as well as its business processes (Chen, 2001, cited in Finney Corbett, 2007). This seems obvious as every organisation is different. Some corporations strategise around providing excellent customer service while others focus on decreasing costs to customers as a way to attract more business. However, there are studies that show that customising ERP packages beyond minimal adjustments is discouraged; these studies show that organisations should adjust their processes to fit the package rather than adjust the package to fit the processes (Murray Coffin, 2001 cited in Al-Fawaz et al. 2008). 2.2 Business Process Transformation (BPR): Definition, Evolution, and Implications Business process reengineering (BPR) was not very popular until the release of the book Re-engineering the Corporation by Michael Hammer and James Champy (Barker, 1995). Hammer and Champy introduced the term â€Å"Business process reengineering† in 1990 and defined it as a â€Å"fundamental rethinking and radical redesign of business processes to achieve dramatic improvements in critical, contemporary measures of performance, such as cost, quality, service and speed† (Grover Kettinger, 2000, p. 151). Business process reengineering is also defined as a strategic redesign of important business processes, including the systems and policies that support them, in order to achieve maximum productivity of an organisation (Manganelli Klein, 1994). This would suggest a link between ERP and BPR as they are both structured around the redesign of core business processes. In fact, some goals of BPR are the reduction of cost, cycle-time, defects, and the increase of worker producti vity (Hales Savoie, 1994), very much the same as ERP. The aim of BPR is to change current business processes in order to make them more efficient overall, again mimicking ERP. In fact, Some researchers suggest that ERP systems â€Å"are the major tools for making business processes better, leaner and faster through associated business process reengineering,† (Shang Seddon, 2003, cited in Revia, 2007, p. 25). It is not yet known whether or not BPR will be performed at the UN. It is assumed that it will as it is so closely related to ERP. Additionally, reports have shown that ERP often causes BPR to occur due to its very nature (Seebacher Juszczyk, 2002). It seems that in order for ERP to be most successful, BPR should be performed (Sumner, 2000 cited in Law Ngai, 2007), otherwise the UN may not recognise exactly which processes are most important for their operations. Or, they may not be fully aware of the exact way in which ERP should be performed in relation to the core business processes, which is vital to understand for the selection of the proper ERP package. BPR has its origins in the private sectors as a management tool for companies to deal with change and reorganise their work to â€Å"improve customer service, cut operational costs, and become world-class competitors,† (Hamid, 2004, cited in Wang, 2006, p. 5). Generally, business process transformation takes business processes and allows them to be done routinely through a computer system. It incorporates peoples perspectives and input to make sure that the processes fit needs specific to each corporation (Wang, 2006). This suggests benefits for ERP implementation in any organisation as the systems are supposed to be designed around core processes specific to each company. It would be helpful for the UN to determine which processes are vital to their operations. Furthermore, cutting operational costs should prove to be very valuable for the UN as many of the services it provides are non-profit. Of course, whether or not this will be achieved is a question of interest. Here is a further look into what a core business process is: A core business process is one that gives value to the customers or stakeholders of the company. These are the most important processes within the organisation and are the ones that will set a company above their competitors if done well. In order to figure out what processes are core, one may ask the following questions. 1) Does the process make valued contributions to the customer? Does it improve customer service, increase response-time, decrease customers costs? 2) Is it important for the production/operation of the company? 3) Can it be used for other businesses? If the answer is yes to one of these questions, then the process under consideration can be considered core (McHugh et al. 1995). The UN may consider any process involving cash flow to be core as that is a huge component to many of the services they provide. Furthermore, any documentation of information from one department to another is probably considered core as this organisation relies on data-sharing for its decision-making capabilities. Therefore, it seems that these types of processes will be affected by ERP implementation and will most likely be reengineered. The three most basic strategies that increase a business success are lowering prices, offering more value in products, or focusing on less diversity in commodities and specialising in a certain area (Berrington Oblich, 1995). This suggests that BPR would be structured around these strategies when reorganising core business processes. If the UN is restructuring using BPR, they are likely to focus on a combination of strategies. As already mentioned, the cost of operations is a huge factor for the United Nations to consider as they provide aid to many countries without expecting any favours in return. This implies they would focus on reduction of costs. However, the main reason they are an organisation is to provide services to those in need. That would suggest they would reorganise their business processes around the strategy of offering more value in their services. In implementing BPR, organisations are asked to choose five or six of the processes that are central to the operation of the company and focus on those to see the ways in which they can make them more efficient (McHugh et al. 1995). Concentrating on making sure core processes are completed to the best of the companys ability only ensures the organisation will do better. In the case of the UN, focusing on data-sharing and managing cash flow suggests an increase in the organisations efficiency as those components are vital to their operation. These changes would suggest benefits for both the cost-reduction strategy as well as providing better service to â€Å"customers.† 2.3 Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Organisational Culture Organisational culture is a set of core beliefs, values, and behaviours shared by all members of one company, thereby affecting the productivity of the business. It is often described as â€Å"a pattern of shared assumptions produced and manipulated by top management† (Schein, 1992 cited in Boersma Kingma, 2005, p. 131). Organisational culture is influenced through many aspects, including leadership, personal characteristics, interactions of members, as well as tradition. Culture has visible signs and hidden insinuations. Visible signs include behaviour while the hidden insinuations entail morals and beliefs (Rousseau, 1990 cited in Cooper, 1994). The culture of an organisation is even displayed in the way certain processes are done as well as the outcomes of these processes, which will be examined at the UNDP in Kosovo. Because ERP systems involve most departments in a company, they change many business processes and thereby affect the more deep-seated organisational culture of a corporation. Companies that focus on incorporating their cultures into organisational efforts are said to have an edge in accordance with their productivity. Organisations can focus on culture and work with the people to shape new values, morals and work ethics. If employees are happy to be working for the organisation, they will be more apt to want to work, implying there will be an increase in productivity (Farbrother Marc, 2003). Enterprise resource planning can lead to changes in organisational culture e.g., ERP is implemented in order to increase productivity by changing current business processes (Deal Kennedy, 1982 cited in Cooper, 1994). These changes are maximal and cannot be simply brushed aside. When a company implements ERP, if the organisational culture is ready for the changes it will bring, the employees can work with the system to increase productivity. Consequently, the culture within the business must be one that can be made amenable for change (Nah et al. 2001 cited in Finney Corbett, 2007). There is the belief that positive and supportive attitudes of those embarking on implementation of ERP will actually bring about a successful transition (Chatterjee et al. 2002 cited in Law Ngai, 2007). However, if the culture has not been made ready for change or the employees are unwilling to change, the system will be less likely to succeed. A system cannot work if there are no users. â€Å"System implementation represents a threat to users perceptions of control over their work and a period of transition during which users must cope with differences between old and new work systems,† (Sternad Bobek, 2006, p. 285). The social setting of a company and its technology most definitely shape each other; they are hardly independent of one another (Boersma Kingma, 2005). A mistake companies frequently make is to presume that people can change their habits easily when in actuality such changes are considerably taxing for many people. These companies underestimate the effect ERP implementation will have on their employees. Many employees panic when nothing looks the way it used to, nothing works the way it used to, and they can no longer go through their workday with the previously earned sense of familiarity and assurance (Koch, 2007 cited in Revia, 2007). One study showed that it took over two years for users of the new system to forget the process problems they found initially and to gain new knowledge of the system (Seddon Shang, 2003 cited in Revia, 2007). A Chief Information Officer from Nestle sums up this concept very well—she says, â€Å"‘No major software implementation is really about the software. Its about change management†¦You are changing the way people work[†¦]You are challenging their principles, their beliefs and the way they have done things for many, many years† (Boersma Kingma, 2005, p. 123). It seems the best way to ensure that employees are on board with proposed changes is to make them aware of these changes. It is important for them to feel that they are included in the decision to create new values and procedures for the company. Otherwise, they will be clinging to the old culture and ways of doing things. The change will be stressful and forced rather than welcomed with ease. They should feel that the change is happ Impacts of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Impacts of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) 1.0 Introduction This paper will labour to explicate the intricacies of enterprise resource planning (ERP), a concept that has long fascinated many in both academic and professional work environments, including the United Nations (UN). In fact, the UN has expressed the need to implement ERP. As part of their examination into this procedure, the UN has implemented ERP at the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Pristine, Republic of Kosovo, and other agencies of the UN. As they look into the ramifications of ERP implementation, so does this case study. This study attempts to make predictions of the impact of ERP implementation on the business processes and organisational culture of the United Nations secretariat based on results from the UNDP. 1.1 Introduction to the Problem Since the late 1990s, businesses have flocked to implement enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, e.g., one study showed that more than sixty percent of Fortune 500 companies had adopted an ERP system (Stewart et al. 2000). The United Nations, as one of the largest organisations in the world, has lagged behind in adopting the transformation in the management of its resources. The United Nations has been seriously hampered in its ability to deliver results effectively and efficiently due to the lack of an integrated information system for managing its resources (Report of the Secretary-General, 2008). According to Davis and Olsen (1985), ERP is an integrated system that provides information to support operation management and decision-making functions in an organisation. Therefore, the goal of implementing an ERP system is to build an integrated global information system that fully supports the needs of the United Nations, enables the effective management of human, financial and physical resources, and is based on streamlined processes and better practices (Report of the Secretary-General, 2008). 1.2Background of the Study 1.2.1 Existing System Currently, the United Nations uses an in-house developed system—commonly referred to as Integrated Management Information System (IMIS)—for the management of human, financial and physical resources. The development of IMIS was a milestone in the use of information technology as a discipline that can beneficially affect many, if not all, areas of administration and management in any given organisation. IMIS was developed as a functionally integrated system, which combines all departments to support key processes such as human resources management, payroll, finance and accounting, requisitioning and funds control, budget execution and travel management. IMIS was introduced in conjunction with desktop, networked computing and office automation tools such as electronic mail in many offices. â€Å"If an organisation is not yet sure of the need for client-server networks, the state of the art in enterprise-wide computing, it has only to consider the Integrated Management Information System (IMIS) of the United Nations,† (Rowe Davis, 1996, p. 122). The launching of IMIS was subsequently affected and conditioned by major developments in the technological market, and an accelerated shift of focus in the United Nations to field activities. In short, IMIS was designed and developed at a time when the context began to change rapidly and profoundly. Yet, only a few years after the implementation of IMIS, it has become evident that the system cannot take full advantage of the advancement in technology; e.g., even though IMIS is functionally integrated, it was deployed and managed locally at each geographical location, which makes reporting and global management very difficult. The implementation in the United Nations peacekeeping operation was partial, as it is a separate department in the UN, and was not able to support the supply chain and logistical management (Report of the Secretary-General, 2008). â€Å"The IMIS was not an alternative communication technology to paper and telephones, but it involved the synchronization of multiple data sources and the linking of them to several mainframes,† (Rowe Davis, 1996, p. 122). An investment in tactical systems, which includes a stand-alone system and a modular integration into IMIS through interfaces, was able to address the functional gaps of IMIS. However, the organisation today faces challenges that demand profound transformation beyond the capabilities of IMIS and its ancillary legacy systems currently being used (Report of the Secretary-General, 2008). 1.2.2 The need for change â€Å"The United Nations struggled to get everybody in their building to connect electronically. It soon realised that it was time to connect the world with a client-server network,† (Rowe Davis, 1996, p. 122). The need for the United Nations to take on the International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) lead to the requirement of significant change in the accounting processes and systems in order to comply with the international public sector standard for accounting. The requisite changes, indeed, were so fundamental that it is fair to say that the life of IMIS had come to an end after fourteen years; moreover, the benefits that the staff and managers expected from the information system in day-to-day operations and decision-making no longer matched the cost of maintenance and ongoing support. This is because IMIS is no longer able to cope with the fast technological development, and the cost of maintenance and ongoing support has become very expensive (Report of th e Secretary-General, 2008). â€Å"The success of your organisations quality initiative depends upon your ability to communicate the need for change throughout the organization,† (Arcaro, 1997, p. 146). The United Nations as an organisation needs to improve the value and cost-efficiency of the services it provides. They report that the existing systems are not up to the standard, not integrated, duplicative, and are inefficient (Report of the Secretary-General, 2008). According to the UN, the effective management, planning and decision-making have been hampered by the lack of integration and complete data on resources (ibid). As the organisation continues to grow in complexity in its activities, they are dissatisfied with the lack of integration and data-sharing between different departments as it has become a bigger problem, and the need for a new ICT global enterprise system for streamlining and simplifying processes has become more crucial as the nature of the organisation is changing itself (ibid). 1.2.3 Goals and objectives of implementing an Enterprise Resource Planning System The United Nations reports that the implementation of an ERP system will present the opportunity to fully combine resources and functions across the organisation by replacing the existing IMIS system (Report of the Secretary-General, 2008). Minahan (1998) reports ERP to be a multifaceted system that integrates and automates the basic processes of a business such as finance and budget management, human resources management, supply chain management, central support services, and other corporate core functions. Most importantly, the main value of an ERP system is the opportunity to streamline and improve the operations of an entire organisation through process reengineering, sharing of common data, and implementation of best practices and standards, and perform as the inter-organisation information backbone for communication and collaboration (OLeary, 2004). According to reports from the United Nations (Report of the Secretary-General, 2008), the main objectives of the ERP project can be summarised as follows: To have a global operating system that precisely captures core resource data from each department and agency at the UN while linking them together to provide better decision-making. This will minimise the time required to perform administrative processes and enable easy access to necessary reports for each department, thus increasing the efficiency of the organisation and directing the focus to high priority situations. The main functionalities sought from the new ERP system are expected to encompass functions such as programme planning, budgeting, contributions and performance; human resources management and administration; payroll, including management of benefits and contribution to pension, medical and insurance schemes; supply chain management, including procurement; assets and facilities management; general accounting, travel and other administrative flows; reporting to management and stakeholders, and more (Report of the Secretary-General, 2008, p. 8). Specific United Nations peacekeeping operations functions such as logistics, transportation, fuel and rations systems need to be supported by the new ERP system, as these functions are not held in common with other organisations of the United Nations operations. 1.3Purpose and Significance of the Study The research done in this study will attempt to answer the following question: What will be the impact of ERP implementation on the business transformation and business culture of the United Nations? Specifically, this study will attempt to establish the relationship between the business process transformation and organisational culture change offered as the result of ERP. These questions and findings are expected to provide an increased ability in evaluating the performance and standardisation of the business processes within the United Nations, as well as an increased awareness of its effect on the business culture and productivity over time in the UN. In addition, answers to these questions will subsequently enable other researchers to gain more insight into ERP implementation and business process reengineering. It will also enable the management of the United Nations to see how ERP can be a better means of technological reform, thus providing the opportunity to re-evaluate the existing business processes. 1.4 Research Questions The question that constitutes the primary point of pivot for the paper is: What will be the probable future impact of ERP on the business process transformation and business culture of the UnitedNations? The three subsidiary questions of the present work are: > How will ERP implementation make the organisation better off in the foreseeable future? > What will be the effect on the reformed business culture in terms of productivity? > How does the organisation perceive the benefit of ERP on the standardisation of business processes? 1.5Structural Approach The rest of the dissertation has been structured as follows. Chapter 2 provides a review of relevant literature including ERP, business process reengineering, and their impact on organisational culture. Chapter 3 discusses the methodologies used for the case study and describes the data and the various proxies employed for analysing ERP implementation in the United Nations. Chapter 4 provides empirical findings on the relationship between ERP implementation and its effects on business processes and organisational culture. Chapter 5 analyses the research findings. Chapter 6 concludes the research by pointing out the key impacts of ERP on the UN. Chapter 7 makes various recommendations for policy direction and potentially fruitful areas of ERP systems for further research. Chapter 8 reflects on the study as a whole. CHAPTER II 2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW The following Literature Review will focus on four main areas of evaluation regarding enterprise resource planning (ERP) on the business process transformation (BPR) in organisations, and more specifically, the United Nations. These are: 1. ERP: definition, evolution, implications 2. BPR: definition, evolution, implications 3. ERP and organisational culture 4. BPR and organisational change This review will analyse the abovementioned systems and related processes insofar as the available data in the literature will allow for a comparison of ERP and BPR and their effects on the United Nations and other large organisations. 2.1 Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP): Definition, Evolution, and Implications Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems are commonly described as commercial software packages that allow the assimilation of data and processes throughout an organisation (Markus Tanis, 2000, cited in Kim et al. 2005). ERP enables the flow of information among all business areas such as â€Å"finance, human resources, manufacturing, sales and marketing,† (Tan Theodorou, 2009, p. 52). Basically, it allows data from all departments to exist in one computer system (Pang, 2001), making the managerial dream of unification of all information systems into one computer system come true (Adam ODoherty, 2003, cited in Revia, 2007). This unification should offer many benefits to the UN and other large organisations. Large organisations may have a more difficult time relaying information from one sector to another as they have many different departments and even multiple locations. The combination of all departments in one system, presents benefits of relaying data in a timely mann er. Rather than sending files through inter-office mail or needing to track down one particular staff member, each employee will have access to the information required for their job by simply logging into the system. The researcher will attempt to discover whether this unification does indeed allow for more time-efficiency as well as making simple operations tasks easier to accomplish in the UN. The start of ERP systems came about in the 1960-1970s with the invention of Inventory Control (IC) and Materials Requirement Planning (MPR) systems, which managed inventory in manufacturing. In the 1980s, Manufacturing Resources Planning (MRP II) systems came into use to manage both inventory and production requirements together. In 1973, the first ERP system was created with the goal of supporting all business needs. Since then, ERP systems have become much more popular. In fact, by the year 2000, enterprise resource planning systems were estimated to have serviced $23 billion USD in profits for the various organisations that have been implementing them (Pang, 2001). ERP systems are larger, more influential and faster growing than any other systems in the industry (Finney Corbett, 2007). This is probably why the UN has shown such interest in ERP. The increase in ERP implementation does not seem surprising as ERP allows corporations to update to a new integrated system cutting out the previous legacy systems known for their difficulties in maintenance, large size, and old age, as they are segregated systems (Martin, 1998; cited in Boudreau, 1999). This appears to be helpful for the UN as they reported difficulty with their current legacy system (Report of the Secretary-General, 2008). It is likely that employees of the UN will be satisfied with the replacement of the legacy system due to the reported problems it has. However, there is a chance that employees may be intimidated by this change as they will have to learn an entirely new system. Advantages of ERP systems for organisations include overcoming fragmentation by streamlining activities and processes, which provides direct access to real-time information by supplying a group of software modules that encase all departments of a business (Koch, 2003, cited in Finney Corbett, 2007). This implies that all information accessed through the new system will be current as it is constantly being updated by various employees based on the tasks they complete. Rather than there being pieces of information in various places, all information regarding the same issue will be together implying that employees can look in one place and have all the information they need rather than searching through various documents or consulting multiple co-workers. However, it provokes the question as to how employees can be sure the information entered is accurate. This aspect of ERP systems will be investigated at the UNDP in Kosovo in order to determine whether this feature is beneficial. Furthermore, ERP systems are said to provide cost-reduction in addition to increased flexibility (Siriginidi, 2000 cited in Al-Fawaz et al. 2008). Since the initial costs of implementation are so high, it doesnt seem like cost-reduction can be achieved anytime close to implementation. However, Rowe and Davis (1996) reported, the IMIS system which is the current system being used in many UN agencies does not cut down the amount of paper needed in order to do processes. Switching to an ERP system should reduce costs related to this amongst other things, as suggested by the literature. For the UN, this would mean more money to use for their peacekeeping missions or other operations. The reduction of costs and flexibility appear to be linked in some way as decreasing operation costs would imply having more flexibility to perform other processes. Then again, its possible for the availability of data to imply flexibility in making decisions, or flexibility could result from rearranging t he organisations processes and being better equipped to perform certain tasks. ERP systems have been reported to enhance business performance by accelerating the merger of organisational resources as well as strengthening the operational efficiency of the company through minimising human error (Shin Knapp, 2001, cited in Wang, 2006). The implication that ERP reduces human error seems to be correct as there is less opportunity to make a mistake for employees because there is generally only one time they need to input information for data-sharing as opposed to the multiple steps needed to take before but how can employees be sure that the initial information entered was accurate? One may argue that if multiple people are doing the same step there is increased accuracy as there are that many more people assessing the situation. Aside from that, it seems these benefits should assist the UN in accomplishing some of their proposed goals, such as linking all departments within one operations system, which decreases the time required for administrative processes. The UN hopes implementation will increase their operational efficiency by allowing valuable time to be spent focusing on high priority situations rather than simple operations tasks (Report of the Secretary-General, 2008). More advertised benefits include improved information accuracy and decision-making capacity (Siriginidi, 2000 cited in Al-Fawaz et al. 2008). The UN wants to make use of these proposed advantages (Report of the Secretary-General, 2008). Decision-making is a large part of the UN as they have to make difficult decisions everyday that effect large numbers of people; making a bad decision is not necessarily easily corrected in this case. Furthermore, many situations the UN deals with are time-sensitive; if its easier to access data, and the accuracy of that data is improved, officials can rest assured that they are making decisions with proper knowledge. In implementing ERP, organisations no longer have to create their own applications that are then unique to their company. They now have standard software available for their business processes, referred to as Best Business Practices (BBPs), which came into existence around the same time as ERPs. BBPs are general guidelines to assist companies in the way of handling certain business processes, meaning that each company can now improve itself on the basis of the experience of other corporations that share similar functional processes (SAP, 2007, cited in Revia, 2007). It seems any organisation would be hesitant to implement a system that has not proved to benefit other large organisations as the risk of failure is not unlikely (Moon, 2007). However, each organisation is unique so BBPs may not work for every organisation. .Some of the disadvantages of ERP are that the implementation requires time, costs and risks (Boudreau, 1999), as they tend to be â€Å"large, complicated, and expensive† (Mabert et al. 2001, cited in Al-Fawaz et al. 2008, p. 3). ERP implementation calls for serious time commitment from all involved as it is often the biggest project that an organisation will ever face (Moon, 2007). ERP execution requires new procedures, employee training and managerial and technical support (Shang Seddon, 2002, cited in Al-Fawaz et al. 2008), which can be accomplished through good communication of the corporate strategy to all employees (Umble et al. 2003, cited in Al-Fawaz et al. 2008). Consequently, the biggest problem is not actually the implementation itself but the expectations of board members and senior staff as well as not having a clear plan or realistic projections (Somers Nelson 2004, cited in Al-Fawaz et al. 2008). However, the UN has already proposed clear goals and plans for t heir implementation. The question is whether or not they will be able to successfully translate these goals/plans to all employees of the organisation and whether or not they will be successful. Finally, the importance of selecting the appropriate ERP package is stressed. Corporations must make sure they select the appropriate ERP package that will match their organisation as well as its business processes (Chen, 2001, cited in Finney Corbett, 2007). This seems obvious as every organisation is different. Some corporations strategise around providing excellent customer service while others focus on decreasing costs to customers as a way to attract more business. However, there are studies that show that customising ERP packages beyond minimal adjustments is discouraged; these studies show that organisations should adjust their processes to fit the package rather than adjust the package to fit the processes (Murray Coffin, 2001 cited in Al-Fawaz et al. 2008). 2.2 Business Process Transformation (BPR): Definition, Evolution, and Implications Business process reengineering (BPR) was not very popular until the release of the book Re-engineering the Corporation by Michael Hammer and James Champy (Barker, 1995). Hammer and Champy introduced the term â€Å"Business process reengineering† in 1990 and defined it as a â€Å"fundamental rethinking and radical redesign of business processes to achieve dramatic improvements in critical, contemporary measures of performance, such as cost, quality, service and speed† (Grover Kettinger, 2000, p. 151). Business process reengineering is also defined as a strategic redesign of important business processes, including the systems and policies that support them, in order to achieve maximum productivity of an organisation (Manganelli Klein, 1994). This would suggest a link between ERP and BPR as they are both structured around the redesign of core business processes. In fact, some goals of BPR are the reduction of cost, cycle-time, defects, and the increase of worker producti vity (Hales Savoie, 1994), very much the same as ERP. The aim of BPR is to change current business processes in order to make them more efficient overall, again mimicking ERP. In fact, Some researchers suggest that ERP systems â€Å"are the major tools for making business processes better, leaner and faster through associated business process reengineering,† (Shang Seddon, 2003, cited in Revia, 2007, p. 25). It is not yet known whether or not BPR will be performed at the UN. It is assumed that it will as it is so closely related to ERP. Additionally, reports have shown that ERP often causes BPR to occur due to its very nature (Seebacher Juszczyk, 2002). It seems that in order for ERP to be most successful, BPR should be performed (Sumner, 2000 cited in Law Ngai, 2007), otherwise the UN may not recognise exactly which processes are most important for their operations. Or, they may not be fully aware of the exact way in which ERP should be performed in relation to the core business processes, which is vital to understand for the selection of the proper ERP package. BPR has its origins in the private sectors as a management tool for companies to deal with change and reorganise their work to â€Å"improve customer service, cut operational costs, and become world-class competitors,† (Hamid, 2004, cited in Wang, 2006, p. 5). Generally, business process transformation takes business processes and allows them to be done routinely through a computer system. It incorporates peoples perspectives and input to make sure that the processes fit needs specific to each corporation (Wang, 2006). This suggests benefits for ERP implementation in any organisation as the systems are supposed to be designed around core processes specific to each company. It would be helpful for the UN to determine which processes are vital to their operations. Furthermore, cutting operational costs should prove to be very valuable for the UN as many of the services it provides are non-profit. Of course, whether or not this will be achieved is a question of interest. Here is a further look into what a core business process is: A core business process is one that gives value to the customers or stakeholders of the company. These are the most important processes within the organisation and are the ones that will set a company above their competitors if done well. In order to figure out what processes are core, one may ask the following questions. 1) Does the process make valued contributions to the customer? Does it improve customer service, increase response-time, decrease customers costs? 2) Is it important for the production/operation of the company? 3) Can it be used for other businesses? If the answer is yes to one of these questions, then the process under consideration can be considered core (McHugh et al. 1995). The UN may consider any process involving cash flow to be core as that is a huge component to many of the services they provide. Furthermore, any documentation of information from one department to another is probably considered core as this organisation relies on data-sharing for its decision-making capabilities. Therefore, it seems that these types of processes will be affected by ERP implementation and will most likely be reengineered. The three most basic strategies that increase a business success are lowering prices, offering more value in products, or focusing on less diversity in commodities and specialising in a certain area (Berrington Oblich, 1995). This suggests that BPR would be structured around these strategies when reorganising core business processes. If the UN is restructuring using BPR, they are likely to focus on a combination of strategies. As already mentioned, the cost of operations is a huge factor for the United Nations to consider as they provide aid to many countries without expecting any favours in return. This implies they would focus on reduction of costs. However, the main reason they are an organisation is to provide services to those in need. That would suggest they would reorganise their business processes around the strategy of offering more value in their services. In implementing BPR, organisations are asked to choose five or six of the processes that are central to the operation of the company and focus on those to see the ways in which they can make them more efficient (McHugh et al. 1995). Concentrating on making sure core processes are completed to the best of the companys ability only ensures the organisation will do better. In the case of the UN, focusing on data-sharing and managing cash flow suggests an increase in the organisations efficiency as those components are vital to their operation. These changes would suggest benefits for both the cost-reduction strategy as well as providing better service to â€Å"customers.† 2.3 Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Organisational Culture Organisational culture is a set of core beliefs, values, and behaviours shared by all members of one company, thereby affecting the productivity of the business. It is often described as â€Å"a pattern of shared assumptions produced and manipulated by top management† (Schein, 1992 cited in Boersma Kingma, 2005, p. 131). Organisational culture is influenced through many aspects, including leadership, personal characteristics, interactions of members, as well as tradition. Culture has visible signs and hidden insinuations. Visible signs include behaviour while the hidden insinuations entail morals and beliefs (Rousseau, 1990 cited in Cooper, 1994). The culture of an organisation is even displayed in the way certain processes are done as well as the outcomes of these processes, which will be examined at the UNDP in Kosovo. Because ERP systems involve most departments in a company, they change many business processes and thereby affect the more deep-seated organisational culture of a corporation. Companies that focus on incorporating their cultures into organisational efforts are said to have an edge in accordance with their productivity. Organisations can focus on culture and work with the people to shape new values, morals and work ethics. If employees are happy to be working for the organisation, they will be more apt to want to work, implying there will be an increase in productivity (Farbrother Marc, 2003). Enterprise resource planning can lead to changes in organisational culture e.g., ERP is implemented in order to increase productivity by changing current business processes (Deal Kennedy, 1982 cited in Cooper, 1994). These changes are maximal and cannot be simply brushed aside. When a company implements ERP, if the organisational culture is ready for the changes it will bring, the employees can work with the system to increase productivity. Consequently, the culture within the business must be one that can be made amenable for change (Nah et al. 2001 cited in Finney Corbett, 2007). There is the belief that positive and supportive attitudes of those embarking on implementation of ERP will actually bring about a successful transition (Chatterjee et al. 2002 cited in Law Ngai, 2007). However, if the culture has not been made ready for change or the employees are unwilling to change, the system will be less likely to succeed. A system cannot work if there are no users. â€Å"System implementation represents a threat to users perceptions of control over their work and a period of transition during which users must cope with differences between old and new work systems,† (Sternad Bobek, 2006, p. 285). The social setting of a company and its technology most definitely shape each other; they are hardly independent of one another (Boersma Kingma, 2005). A mistake companies frequently make is to presume that people can change their habits easily when in actuality such changes are considerably taxing for many people. These companies underestimate the effect ERP implementation will have on their employees. Many employees panic when nothing looks the way it used to, nothing works the way it used to, and they can no longer go through their workday with the previously earned sense of familiarity and assurance (Koch, 2007 cited in Revia, 2007). One study showed that it took over two years for users of the new system to forget the process problems they found initially and to gain new knowledge of the system (Seddon Shang, 2003 cited in Revia, 2007). A Chief Information Officer from Nestle sums up this concept very well—she says, â€Å"‘No major software implementation is really about the software. Its about change management†¦You are changing the way people work[†¦]You are challenging their principles, their beliefs and the way they have done things for many, many years† (Boersma Kingma, 2005, p. 123). It seems the best way to ensure that employees are on board with proposed changes is to make them aware of these changes. It is important for them to feel that they are included in the decision to create new values and procedures for the company. Otherwise, they will be clinging to the old culture and ways of doing things. The change will be stressful and forced rather than welcomed with ease. They should feel that the change is happ

Recruiting Changes in College Football :: Essays Papers

Recruiting Changes in College Football With the recent controversy and scandal surrounding the University of Colorado and the college football world, this off season has been one of the busiest ever. College Football has experienced an eye-opening revelation and these experiences call for major changes in the traditional recruiting practices. Last month, stories surfaced about the University of Colorado using sex, alcohol, and parties to lure blue chip recruits to their program. While these types of actions are prevalent at every major football program, this is the first time that they have been officially exposed. This exposure has started a chain-reaction of changes to the recruiting part of college football and has grabbed the attention of the United States Congress. The involvement of the most powerful government in the world shows the seriousness of the present situation and also that these inappropriate recruiting practices are not going to be ignored any longer. The face of college football will change dramatically and the results of this scandal will have a lasting impact for decades to come. For any person who follows college football and has a favorite team, this is an important issue because the traditional way that many of us have come to love, is about to disappear. It is amazing how an isolated incident, such as the one at Colorado, can incite such a large frenzy and call for change. The scandal started with a former recruit telling his experiences during his college visit in Boulder at the University of Colorado. His stories included wild parties with unlimited amounts of alcohol and the open availability to sex with the women of his choosing. The term used for these parties was "sex parties" and recruits were told that the women would perform any sexual act he desired. After the recruit made his experiences public, other stories began to surface from other recruits who had similar experiences at Colorado and other schools. The situation came to a boil when a former female player accused some of her team mates of sexual assault at one of these parties. Other students came forward with similar allegations of football players forcing sex from females at their parties. What started as small story ballooned into a very situation and it became very obvious that the recruiting game was out of control and in need of major change. After the stories surfaced out of Boulder, Colorado more stories began to surface around the country and even Brigham Young University kicked off four players for sexual misconduct.

Lord of the Flies †Darkness of a Man’s Heart Essay

Originally published in 1954, William Golding’s _Lord of the Flies_ has become one of the classics of contemporary literature. The novel is about a group of young boys stranded alone on an island and left to fend for themselves. In an attempt to model their previous world without the influence of adults, the order that had once existed soon decays and is replaced by the chaos that destroys their ordered and civilised cultures. Though fictional, _Lord of the Flies_ deals with deep moral questions of how humans are essentially barbaric in their most primitive state. Golding conveys his idea of the ‘darkness of a man’s heart’ successfully through effective use of allegory, symbolism, and his perception of a dystopian society. _Lord of the Flies_ can be viewed as a political allegory of the Cold War. Golding served in the Royal Navy and recalling later his war experiences, he remarked that â€Å"man produces evil, as a bee produces honey.† The Cold War was a struggle between two super power ideologies – Democracy and Communism, signified by Ralph and Jack respectively. Near the close of the novel, the boys are rescued by a naval commander who came ashore in his boat whilst the boys were playing savages. The irony is that after he brings the boys home, the naval commander will return to sea and engage in a far larger game of violence called war. Thus, Golding makes a point that the island is a microcosmic representation of the conflict between democracy and communism in the war. When the boys are first deserted on the island, they behave like children, alternating between enjoying their freedom and expressing profound homesickness and fear. By the end of the novel, however, they mirror the warlike behaviour of the Home Counties, attacking, torturing and murdering one another without hesitation or regret due to the lack of government and order. Ralph weeps â€Å"for the end of innocence† and the â€Å"darkness of a man’s heart† (p 248) upon reunification with the real world and realisation that evil lurks within all human beings. Symbolism plays a major role in _Lord of the Flies_. Through the rich use of symbolism, Golding reveals that humans detached from society’s rules allow themselves to be dominated by the evil within them. The Lord of the Flies and the Beast are two major symbols that enforce the Golding’s idea of ‘the darkness in a man’s heart’. They are not really physical characters, but rather the evil in every human being.Simon is the first one on the island to realise and thus makes a proposal. â€Å"†What I mean is†¦maybe it’s only us.†Ã¢â‚¬  (p 111)Simon speaks these words in Chapter 5, during the meeting in which the boys discuss the existence of the beast. Although the other boys laugh off Simon’s suggestion that the beast may be â€Å"only us†, Simon’s words are central to Golding’s point that innate human evil exists. Simon’s idea of the darkness of a man’s heart is reinforced in Chapter 8, when he confronts the Lord of the Flies. â€Å"†There isn’t anyone to help you. Only me. And I’m he Beast.†Ã¢â‚¬  (p 177) These words spoken by the Lord of the Flies confirm Simon’s speculation that perhaps the beast is only the boys themselves and acknowledges that it exists in all human beings. This is backed up further with The Lord of the Flies’ adoption of the boys’ rather colloquial language, â€Å"I’m the reason why it’s no go?† (p 177) As the story progresses, the boys begin to worship the beast and make offerings to it. The appreciation for the beast is paralleled by the amount of savagery in the group. Through the use of symbolism, Golding successfully illustrates his theme of natural savagery within humans. The concept of a dystopian society can be seen clearly through _Lord of the Flies._ Golding sees moral behaviour as something that civilisation forces upon the individual rather than being a natural element. The novel implies that the instinct of savagery is far more primal and fundamental to human beings than the instinct of civilisation.The impression of a dystopian society within _Lord of the Flies_ is enhanced by Golding’s rich and dark writing style. During the early chapters of the novel, the setting was depicted as almost a utopia, â€Å"Ralph stood, one hand against a grey trunk, and screwed up his eyes against the shimmering water† (p 14), yet however is juxtaposed with dystopian qualities, â€Å"Behind this was the darkness of the forest proper and the open space of the scar.† This creates a sense of  foreshadowing which eventually leads on to the corruption and deterioration of the boys’ civilisation. With the absence of civilisation, the boys are left to fend on their own with minimal resources andtherefore naturally reverting cruelty, savagery, and barbarism. _Lord of the Flies_ still holds relevance to readers in this day as it addresses issues regarding the human condition and society. These issues will be as relevant today as they were hundreds of years ago and will still be relevant in the future. As for allegory, the novel represents the differences in political systems, systems that are still part of our lives today. If we scrape off the cover of civilisation, we are all beasts within.Through use of allegory, symbolism and a concept of dystopia, Golding conveys that the absence of a civilisation is able to reduce humanity to a natural state of barbarism.In conclusion, _Lord of the Flies_ thoroughly explores ‘the darkness of a man’s heart’.

Dalton: University and College Sports

Persuasive Essay Language I 4th hour Dalton Wright Should College Athletes Get Paid? Do you think college athletes should be paid while they are in season? If you do think that college athletes should be paid by the University to play a sport or sports, then I disagree. You are probably thinking that I am crazy for saying that college athletes should not get paid, but just here me out on why I think they shouldn’t be paid. They get full ride scholarships! College athletes get full ride scholarships that include: great medical plan, free housing, free food, tuition, sometimes maybe even a computer.So why should they get paid when they get all this stuff? Well they don’t have enough to work in order to clothes and necessities? Some colleges even pay for that. They should already have clothes to wear anyways. Also they can work when they are not in season. They still might have practice or workouts and what not, but they can still fit in work, school, and Sports. If they r eally need money that bad I am sure they have siblings or family that could loan them some money. Not paying the players is going to teach them to be more responsible about managing their time.When you decide to go to college to play a sport, you are going hoping that you are good enough to go to the pros and then get paid there. Paying the athletes is going to alter their motivations for going to college for a sport. Athletes are going to college to learn their field so they will be good at what they do. Then they get paid for it when they get out of college. Paying the players sounds good on paper but will never happen without a series of incidents and scandals. If universities pay their players three hundred dollars this year they are going to want one-thousand dollars next.They are going to keep demanding more money. This is not the pros. The pros get paid and the amateurs are still learning. There for they should not be paid for learning their field. College athletes pay is the ir full ride scholarship that pays their tuition, board, books, food, etc. It is going to hurt the players integrity by giving them more than what is needed. If you start paying athletes who generate the most revenue, what will happen to the college sports that don’t make as much money for universities?Will participants in women’s sports be docked because they don’t historically generate as much money as a college football program? These are the important questions we must ask when considering this. If the universities pay the football players and not the other athletes, it will not be fair and the other athletes will go on strike. There are just too many issues with paying the athletes. The women’s sports do not generate enough revenue to pay the women athletes. If the athletes got paid then college sports would lose a lot of fans.The players would not be as hyped as they are when they aren’t paid. College athletes have this hype that is unlike pr ofessional athletes. This is why college sports are so much more popular. They generate just as much money as the professionals and the tickets are cheaper. Paying these athletes would ruin a long on going culture. This is why college would lose so many fans. Athletes will start to play for the money and not for the love of the game. This will change the mood and tone of the stadium. It is called college sports because the athletes that play in it are students and not professionals.Another big reason why college athletes should not be paid is because colleges are paying enough money to build facilities, pay coaches, give scholarships, and pay athletic directors to make sure that they have the best chance of winning. If colleges pay their athletes, there will not be as much money to go around for any of these things. Also, in a bad economy like this, they can’t afford to pay athletes. If a school wants to pay a big-time coach, they can’t pay their players. Also, they ar e already helping their players get into the school by giving them their scholarships so that they can make school as affordable as possible.People forget that college athletes are also called student athletes. Student means learning. In college they are students just like everyone else except they play a sport. Students don’t paid to get good grades or do well on a test or activity at school. You are supposed to learn how to manage your life and grow up. You are expected to get a job to support yourself and learn what it takes to survive in this country in its day and age. On top of that how are coaches supposed to discipline there players when they screw up a play or decide to take a day off if the players know that they are still going to get payed.Another reason many people love college sports is because they are students just like you. They are in the classroom and you see them on campus. Other students feel closer to them because they are part of the community just like them. Paying college athletes separates them. It takes all of the buzz out of it. Bibliography: http://bdlsports. net/2011/07/19/college-athletes-should-not-be-paid/ http://www. theatlantic. com/entertainment/archive/2011/09/college-athletes-should-not-get-paid/245390/

Challenges of Millenial Generation

Challenges of Millenial Generation Introduction In an organization, employees experience a number of challenges that relate to their level of motivation and performance. These challenges include poor working relationships between junior and senior staff, deprived working conditions, meager salaries and wages, as well as different needs of employees. These challenges results in poor performance as employees fail to meet the set targets and expectations of the organization.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Challenges of Millenial Generation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Lawler (1999) argues that, when employees fail to meet organizational expectations, it implies that there is a significant reduction in productivity, which is likely to cripple its activities and processes. To prevent impending crises, an organization have to spend most of its time resolving issues of employees in aspects such as time management, underperformance, cooperation, and stri kes instead of using the invaluable time in enhancing organizational productivity of employees. Hence, the purpose of this essay is to examine the effect of generational conflicts and motivation levels among junior and senior sailors in the navy. Generational Conflicts In the naval organization, managers are experiencing challenges in addressing generational differences among employees. The challenges emerge because managers have not understood diverse needs of young and old sailors. For instance, many young sailors like technology, teamwork, immediate feedbacks, and are competitive, whereas old workers like standard and routine methods of operations. The major challenge facing the organization is the friction created by the different perspectives and points of view due to diversity of generational demographics (Lindner, 1998). Since the organization is unable to address the requirements of the new generation effectively, it has continued with its conventional methods of operations and management; hence, demoralize the young workers and make them lose the zeal in their work. Additionally, many young workers are reluctant to participate in the organization’s operations because they perceive them as outdated. The organization has not effectively recognized the generational differences that exist among sailors. Therefore, the organization has not mentored young sailors well as a way of incorporating them into the organization to inject fresh ideas and opinions. Incorporation of new ideas and opinions from young sailors would enhance the organization to promote the level of motivation, and thus, boost the productivity of young sailors.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In addition, old sailors are not prepared to adopt fresh ideas from young sailors because they believe that they do not have any relevant experience. The unwillingness of old sail ors to listen to new and fresh ideas from young sailors has made young sailors feel inferior, as they believe that the old sailors undermine them. Podmoroff (2005 recommends organizations to accommodate the needs of employees according to their demographics. Failure to accommodate the needs of a certain set of employees such as the millennial generation constitutes discrimination and marginalization. An organization must know that many young workers still need to further their studies and spend time with their families; hence, the organization should give them flexible working schedules. Motivation of Employees In the workplace, many employees are not performing optimally because they are not motivated. According to Muller (2011), motivation is an indispensable factor in management because it enhances the performance of employees. As naval organization employs ineffective management practices, it cannot achieve employee motivation. Additionally the organization has not employed effe ctive management strategies that cover aspects such as fair treatment of employees, empowerment, appraisals, creation of flexible working environment, and recognition of employees who perform well. The absence of these motivational strategies demoralize employees because they do not have a career plan that defines their job descriptions and job specifications as they progress in their job positions (Jami Clerkin, 2013). The organization also does not empower sailors to improve their commitment in workplace. Furthermore, the organization does not give employees the power, independence, trust, and encouragement for them to perform their duties well.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Challenges of Millenial Generation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The organization has not created room for the views and opinions of all the workers especially the young and new sailors. Consequently, the fact that then management does n ot give room for young sailors to present their opinions and suggestions make the organization to be insensitive to the requirements of young sailors, and thus do not create a feeling of self-worth and acceptance among young sailors. Consequently, the young sailors experience a sense of marginalization. Furthermore, the organization has not created institutions that the management uses in communicating effectively with all sailors irrespective of their ages, ranks, or levels of experience. According to Ryan (2012), institutions are necessary because they create a formal way of communicating among employees in an effective manner. The organization has applied comprehensive methods of communication and failed to understand that the young generation prefers individualized forms of communication, as opposed to the use of memos and notices. These practices of the organization create a feeling of disrespect among young sailors that demoralize them, and kill their drive to perform optimall y. Management of the Problem To solve these challenges caused by the age difference and lack of motivation, the organization must engage a number of strategies geared towards creating fairness in the way the management treats and handles its workers. The organization should give all the workers a platform to present their views and ideas without using the age, job position, or level of experience in gauging their contributions (Crouse, 2005). Out of this process, the management will get to understand the requirements of all the workers and know how to manage young and old sailors in line with their needs. Furthermore, the management must create communication systems that are efficient to facilitate passage of information from one point to another in a fast and efficient manner (Partridge, 1995). Effective communication enables young and old sailors to present their views easily and quickly. In addition, the management should address suggestions of both old and young sailors in a fai r manner without undue discrimination and provide feedback in time. It is fundamental for the naval organization to understand that sailors needs and expectations differ across sailors. This is due to the difference in age, reasoning capacities, and personalities. Martins (2001) asserts that major conflicts that relate to motivation touch on matters such as working environment, working hours, salaries and wages, and the level of respect and acceptance from the organization.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Therefore, to motivate sailors effectively and get the best out of them, the management must ensure that workers have a good working environment, flexible working hours, good salaries, and wages. Moreover, the organization should treat sailors with equity, respect, and fairness. The organization should also be ready to listen and employ new ideas from young and old sailors. Reyes (2011) contends that when an organization listens and employs suggestions of employees, it creates a feeling of respect, self-worth, and acceptance, which motivates employees to optimize their performance. Likewise, the organization needs to listen to sailors and apply their ideas and opinion as a way of encouraging them to work hard and even source ideas from other areas, thus enhancing their productivity. The organization must also engage their sailors in regular training programs so that they can create a level of equity among young and old sailors. Good working relationships and respect of every sailor regardless of age and experience is a factor that the organization must observe at all times so that it can increase motivation and performance of sailors. Conclusion The difference in views and opinions of workers occurs in many organizations. In addition, lack of motivation among employees is common in a number of organizations. In the naval organization, old and senior employees look down upon the young sailors, which make them feel inferior and marginalized, and consequently cause generational conflicts. However, management of the naval organization must institute policies and measures that minimize or prevent generational conflicts and increase motivation of employees as well as the drive to work. The naval organization should also enhance teamwork and good relationships amongst its employees. It must encourage all workers to adopt and apply values such as love, respect, responsibility, commitment, and fairness. Regular training of workers will equip them with relevant skills t hat are essential in the use modern technologies that are in line with the requirements of the young generation, and thus increase the level of motivation in the young generation and improve their productivity. The management of the naval organization can also include workers’ representatives during formulation and implementation of policies regarding work schedules and timetables. The inclusion creates a sense of belonging among workers; hence, promote their morale to work optimally for the organization. References Crouse, N. (2005). Importance of Motivation. London: oxford university press. Jami, K., Clerkin, R. (2013). An Exploratory Study of Public Service Motivation and the Institutional. Journal of Motivation, 39(2) 23-30. Lawler, E. (1999). Effects of Task on Job Attitudes and Behaviour. Journal of Personnel  Psychology, 22(4), 426-435. Lindner, J. (1998). Understanding Employee Motivation. New York: Ohio State University. Martins, J. (2001). A 21st Century Navy Vis ion: Motivating Sailors to Achieve Optimum  Warfighting Readiness. Newport: Naval War College. Muller C. (2011). Employee Motivation and Incentives, New York: University of Surrey. Partridge, L. (1995). Motivation and Development. New York: Macmillan publishers. Podmoroff, D. (2005). Strategies of Employee Motivation. New York: Atlantic Publishing Company. Reyes, M. (2011). Employee Motivation. London: Verlag University Press. Ryan, R. (2012). Oxford handbook of human motivation. New York: Oxford University Press.

How to Use Chou in French Conversation

How to Use Chou in French Conversation If youre talking about cabbage in French, then youre going to need to know how to use the word  chou.  Pronounced shoo, the word  chou  can be used to describe a cabbage or as a term of endearment akin to darling or dear. Using  Chou  in Conversation As a vegetable, chou can be served grated raw in a salad, boiled then creamed with bacon bits, stuffed with milk-soaked bread, sausage, eggs, vegetables, and herbs or baked in a cabbage galette with herbs and lardons (hearty French smoked bacon). But, really, the options are only limited by the culinary imagination of Frances  talented regional and restaurant cooks. The use as a term of endearment  may derive from the pretty, frilly, green, slightly delicate Savoy cabbage that the French have a certain affection for. On va manger du chou. Were going to eat some cabbage.Salade de chou rouge  est un excellent example de la cuisine minceur de  Michel Guà ©rard. Red cabbage salad is an excellent example of [chef] Michel Guà ©rards slimming cuisine.Ça va mon [petit] chou? How are you, my darling (my sweet)? Related Words There are a number of related words with chou as their root, for example: un chouchou darling, pet  chouchouter (informal) to pamper, coddle  la choucroute sauerkraut (brine-marinated cabbage)les choux de Bruxelles Brussels sprouts These root  words also wind up in some common French expressions, such as: à ªtre dans les choux (informel) to be screwed up, lost, in trouble  faire chou blanc to draw a blank, to lead nowhereCest chou vert et vert chou.   Its green cabbage and cabbage green. [meaning, roughly: Its the same either way.] Additional Resources As you expand your  vocabulary, youll want to learn more ways to talk about food with your loved ones. French terms of endearmentFood in French

MENDOZA Surname Meaning and Origin

MENDOZA Surname Meaning and Origin The Mendoza surname was given to one who came from Mendoza (cold or high mountains); from the Basque root mendi suggesting son of the mountain dweller and otz, meaning cold. It may also have been used as a topographical surname for someone who lived on or came from a cold mountain. Mendoza is an ancient surname in Vizcaya, Navarre, Aragà ³n, and Castile, Spain. Mendoza is the 32nd most common Hispanic surname. Surname Origin:  Spanish Alternate Surname Spellings:  MENDOSA   Famous People With the Surname MENDOZA Antonio de Mendoza - first viceroy of New Spain, 1535-1550 and third viceroy of Peru, 1551-1552Cristà ³bal Mendoza - first president of Venezuela, 1811-1812Pedro de  Mendoza - famous explorer and founder of Buenos Aires Where Do People With the MENDOZA Surname Live? Mendoza is the 279th most common surname in the world, according to surname distribution data from  Forebears, found in greatest numbers  in Mexico, where it is the 21st most common surname, and with the highest density in Nicaragua where it ranks as the 13th most common surname. The Mendoza surname is also very common in Peru (16th), Venezuela (17th) and Bolivia (19th). Within Europe, Mendoza is most frequently found in Spain, according to  WorldNames PublicProfiler, especially in the Canary Islands. The surname is also very common throughout Argentina, and in the U.S. states of Texas, New Mexico and California.   Genealogy Resources for the Surname MENDOZA 100 Common Hispanic Surnames Their MeaningsGarcia, Martinez, Rodriguez, Lopez, Hernandez... Are you one of the millions of people sporting one of these top 100 common Hispanic last names? How to Research Hispanic HeritageLearn how to get started researching  your Hispanic ancestors, including the basics of family tree research and country-specific organizations, genealogical records, and resources for Spain, Latin America, Mexico, Brazil, the Caribbean, and other Spanish speaking countries. Mendoza Family Crest - Its Not What You ThinkContrary to what you may hear, there is no such thing as a Mendoza family crest or coat of arms for the Mendoza surname.  Coats of arms are granted to individuals, not families, and may rightfully be used only by the uninterrupted male-line descendants of the person to whom the coat of arms was originally granted.   MENDOZA Family Genealogy ForumSearch this popular genealogy forum for the Mendoza surname to find others who might be researching your ancestors, or post your own Mendoza query. FamilySearch - MENDOZA GenealogyAccess over 2.5 million free historical records and lineage-linked family trees posted for the Mendoza surname and its variations on this free genealogy website hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. GeneaNet - Mendoza RecordsGeneaNet includes archival records, family trees, and other resources for individuals with the Mendoza surname, with a concentration on records and families from France, Spain, and other European countries. MENDOZA Surname Family Mailing ListThis free mailing list for researchers of the Mendoza surname and its variations includes subscription details and a searchable archive of past messages. DistantCousin.com - MENDOZA Genealogy Family HistoryExplore free databases and genealogy links for the last name Mendoza. The Mendoza Genealogy and Family Tree PageBrowse family trees and links to genealogical and historical records for individuals with the last name Mendoza from the website of Genealogy Today. Sources: Cottle, Basil.  Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967.Dorward, David.  Scottish Surnames. Collins Celtic (Pocket edition), 1998.Fucilla, Joseph.  Our Italian Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 2003.Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges.  A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989.Hanks, Patrick.  Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003.Reaney, P.H.  A Dictionary of English Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1997.Smith, Elsdon C.  American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.

Personal Essays for Medical School Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Personal Essays for Medical School - Essay Example I believe that the institution has a high regard for the underprivileged and the minority, which is a very important feature I have considered in my choice of a learning institution. Apart from the recognition of cultural diversity, I seek a university which places high premium in leadership development. I have been actively engaged in both school and community work that represent a strong sense of service to others. One such stint was my stay with the American Red Cross Bloodmobile through which I have seen the value of serving indigent minorities. Another community initiative I took part in is Tutor Experts which is a venue for providing high quality tutoring for the youth who want to improve their academic performance. I have had a similar teaching stint with the Making Changes Freedom School, emphasizing more complicated facets of adolescent development such as coping up with the challenges of violence, drugs, and alcohol. One program that allowed me to showcase my leadership skills is my membership with the Chicanos in Health Education, a student-run group at UC Berkeley that focuses on minimizing health disparities that confront the Latino community. To allow me to have a realistic preview of the medical profession, I undertook a summer internship at The California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco in 2003 followed by another internship at the Sharp Chula Vista Hospital in San Diego in 2005. I have also created and facilitated a Decal (Democratic Education at Cal) class entitled â€Å"Introduction to University Life: An Immigrant Perspective.† This course addresses some of the main obstacles of the immigrant student. I have helped create the Peer Mentoring Program to give voice to the needs of Cal students from immigrant backgrounds in adjusting to Berkeley’s complex learning environment. A similar program I have spearheaded is the Community College Resources and