Management Prospective

Executive Summary This report entails an analysis of HSBC Holdings, which operates in the banking industry. The firm has established a network of banks in different parts of the world. The report is organised into a number of parts. The first part outlines the company’s profile.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Management Prospective-HSBC Holdings PLC specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More A brief background analysis of the company is illustrated by outlining the firm’s history, vision, mission, and organisational chart. The second part entails identification of the major challenges facing the firm. The two main challenges identified related to employee turnover and exposure to risks associated with climate change. The report outlines and explains recommendations on the strategies that the firm should consider in dealing with the identified challenges. The report also outlines how the firm can enhance imp lementation of the strategies identified by incorporating effective managerial roles. Finally, the performance measurement of the strategies and ethical issues that the firm might encounter are analysed. Introduction HSBC Holdings is a public limited company that operates in the global banking and financial services industry. The firm was founded in 1865 and it operated under the name â€Å"The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation† (Reuters 2013). Its name was changed in 1991 to its current name, HSBC Holdings PLC. The firm has established over 9,500 financial institutions in Africa, South and North America, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. The firm has a human resource base of over 310,000 employees. HSBC has established a number of branches in the UAE. One of its branches is located at Abu Dhabi, UAE (HSBC 2013).Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Vision The f irm intends to position itself as the leading international bank in the UAE. Mission Since its inception, HSBC has been focused on connecting customers with diverse opportunities, hence aiding them to achieve their dreams and ambitions. Moreover, the firm is committed towards supporting businesses in their operations. Figure 1 Organisational chart Source: (HSBC 2013) Challenges faced by the organisation In the course of its operation, HSBC faces numerous challenges emanating from the external business environment. Employees play a critical role in organisations’ effort to develop competitive advantage. Consequently, it is imperative for organisations to develop and maintain a strong human capital base. According to Griffin (2012), organisations should implement effective measures to discourage labour turnover.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Management Prospective-HSBC Holdings PLC specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page L earn More A study conducted by Larissa (2012) shows that employee recruitment and retention are major challenges experienced by both private and public organisations in the UAE. Employee turnover has adverse effects on an organisations’ financial stability (Dan et al. 2013). It is estimated that employee turnover cost organisations 15, 180 Dirhams annually. Apart from monetary cost, there are other non-monetary costs associated with employee turnover. For example, employees who leave the organisation may join the competing firms. This aspect poses a major threat with regard to a firm’s competitiveness (Mollenkamp 2012). By hiring employees who leave a particular organisation, competing firm may access knowledge and skills critical to an organisation’s competitiveness. In a bid to achieve the desired level of competitiveness, HSBC should ensure that it develops sufficient competitiveness with regard to human capital, which highlights the need to formulate and a dopt effective human resource management practices in the firm. The second challenge facing the firm relates to the occurrence of climate change. HSBC operates as a credit lending institution. Consequently, the firm issues loans to both individual and institutional investors. Firms in the banking industry are associated with climate change, as they provide financial capital to investors who in some instances, invest in activities that contribute to greenhouse gas [GHGs] emissions (Saleem 2010).Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In line with its commitment towards improving the customers’ life, HSBC does not discriminate with regard to issuing loans. The bank issues loans to virtually all firms in different economic sectors. In the course of operation, organisations have an obligation to operate in a corporate social responsible manner. Lawson (2012) opines, â€Å"Management without caring needs and expectations of stakeholders in a community will not be competitive compared with those who do in the 21st century† (p.103). Internal and external business environment SWOT analysis Strengths The bank has a strong capital base, thus it can perform well in the global market compared to other banks despite the recent economic fluctuations. The firm has effectively positioned itself in emerging markets. The bank’s presence in Africa, Asia, the Americas, and the Middle East has helped the firm spread risk by achieving economies of scale. The firm has developed a strong brand that is internat ionally recognised. Weaknesses The firm emphasises on developing a global brand. Some customers may perceive the bank as one that lacks personalisation. The firm recently announced a redundancy program that is likely to affect the employees’ morale. Opportunities The bank’s strong capital base presents a perfect opportunity for the firm to position itself in the global banking industry. The banks strong capital may enable the firm develop its client base and market share. Threats Occurrence of financial losses may affect the firm’s ability to meet its objectives. Declining investors’ trust on banks due to fraud and financial losses Increase in competition in the financial sector. Multinational banks are increasingly venturing into emerging markets such as the UAE. Internal  business environment The internal business environment is comprised of different elements, which include employees, corporate culture, the management and leadership processes , and employees (Hiriyappa 2008). Below is an analysis of the firm’s internal business environment. Employees The success of any business is dependent on the quality of human capital. Consequently, employees rank amongst the most important organisational assets. Therefore, it is important for organisations to ensure that their workforce has skills, attitude, and culture that align with the company. HSBC is committed towards developing a strong human capital base. Moreover, the firm is cognisant of the importance of ensuring creating an environment conducive for working (Craig Campbell 2012). Corporate culture It is important for firms to develop effective organisational culture. The organisational culture is comprised of a number of aspects, which include understanding the organisation’s mission, vision, values, and integrating effective management style. In the course of its operation, HSBC has formulated organisational values that outline how its employees should in teract with various stakeholders such as customers and regulators. The firm’s organisational culture has played a critical role in establishing a strong relationship with its customers and the community. Moreover, the firm has formed an organisational culture that is open to different cultures and ideas. In addition to organisational culture, a number of organisational principles guide the firm, which includes risk management, efficiency, speed, quality, customer-focus, integration, and sustainability. Management and leadership The firm has adopted an effective management and leadership style. The firm’s management style has enabled it to deal with changes emanating from the external environment. On the other hand, the leadership style adopted by the firm has led to the development of an environment conducive for working. Moreover, the management and leadership styles have contributed towards improvement in the employees’ level of job satisfaction (Tripathi Red dy 2006). Capabilities In the course of their operation, it is important for organisations to focus on developing their core competencies. The firm has developed a number of core competencies, which include quality, efficiency, speed, customer focus, and performance focus. These core competencies have contributed towards the development of a firm’s competitiveness. External business environment HSBC is affected by changes that emanate from the external business environment. According to Bates (2005), the external business environment can be categorised into two, which include the task and the general business environment. The chart below illustrates the sources of external forces facing HSBC. Source: (Bates 2005) The chart above shows that forces emanating from the external business environment affect HSBC. The two main categories of task environment include customers, suppliers, competitors, intermediaries, and the labour market. On the other hand, the general environment i ncludes the political, legal, economic, social, technological, and the international environment (Ekins 2000). Customers Harrison and John (2010) posit that customers are a key component in the success of organisation in a particular industry. In their pursuit for profitability, organisations have to ensure that their strategies are focused towards satisfying customers and ensuring that they achieve a unique customer experience. Failure to meet the customers’ expectations may lead to a decline in the level of customer loyalty and hence the firm’s profitability. Suppliers HSBC is cognisant of the importance of developing a strong relationship with suppliers. The firm has formulated a comprehensive and inclusive procurement strategy. The firm procures products and services from diverse suppliers and their relationship is robust. Moreover, the firm expects its suppliers to comply with the set of ethical standards. Competitors Businesses face direct and indirect competitor s. HSBC may be affected by competition from both local and multinational companies. The firm faces intense competition from a number of banks in the UAE, which include the Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, Mashreq Bank International, National Bank of Abu Dhabi, Emirates Bank International, and the Dubai Islamic Bank. Increase in the intensity of competition in the UAE will have adverse effects on the firm’s ability to maximise its profitability (Hashmi 2007). The chart below illustrates a summary of the external environment. In addition to the above factors, the firm may also be affected by changes in the political, legal, social, economic, and technological environments. Political forces The UAE has a stable political environment, and thus, the firm faces a relatively low political risk. Economic forces The country has undergone significant economic growth especially in the real estate sector. Thus, country’s investment demand has increased significantly. Social forces T he country is largely Islamic. Islam plays a significant role in business. Technological forces Technological changes such as the emergence of online and mobile banking may affect the firm’s competitiveness. Legal forces The UAE legal system is not adequately developed compared to other countries such as the US. For example, court proceedings take a long time to be completed. Strategic considerations and planning In a bid to address the challenges faced, the following strategies will be taken into account. Organisational identification The achievement of the set organisational goals and objectives is greatly dependent on the employees’ behaviour, which is influenced by the extent of employee and organisational identification. Organisational and employee identification plays a critical role in motivating employees to continue staying in an organisation. In a bid to develop organisational identification, the firm will focus on improving the employees’ behav iour, knowledge, and attitude towards the firm. The following strategies will be adopted in order to minimise employee turnover. Reward management The firm will formulate a comprehensive reward management policy. The policy will comprise both monetary and non-monetary benefits. Some of the non-monetary benefits that will be considered include recognising employees who depict optimal performance and job promotions by conducting a comprehensive performance appraisal, thus ensuring that employees are fairly rewarded. The firm’s management team will also ensure that it is effective in executing its organising functions. The firm will ensure that the jobs are designed in such a manner that they contribute toward enriching employees (Carpenter et al. 2011). Inclusive decision-making HSBC will also incorporate employees in the decision-making process by seeking the opinion of the employees before implementing decisions that might affect them. Consequently, transformational leadershi p style will be integrated. Employee inclusion will play a critical role in minimising resistance from the employees and to ensure that employees are integrated adequately in the decision making process, the firm will ensure effective directing by nurturing communication, leadership, and effective supervision. Employee training The firm will also focus on assisting employees to achieve their career goals by integrating comprehensive employee-training programs. Through the training program, the firm will develop the employees’ skills and knowledge. Consequently, the firm will increase the rate of employee retention and undertake comprehensive control on its training program in order to ensure that it meets the desired results. Environmental sustainability The firm is aware that climate change may affect some of its customers and hence their ability to repay loans (Hitchcock Willard 2012). In order to deal with the risks associated with climate change, the firm will integrate the concept of environmental sustainability by ensuring that its operations do not contribute to environmental pollution, either directly or indirectly. First, the firm will be committed towards ensuring that its customers do not utilise the loans issued in a manner that contributes to climate change. Before advancing credit to its customers, the firm will require customers to outline how they will ensure that the loans issued do not increase environmental pollution. Secondly, the firm will be committed towards minimising the number of greenhouse gases emitted in its operation, either directly or indirectly by setting a benchmark of reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 30% within one year. In a bid to achieve this objective, the firm will shift to utilising renewable and clean forms of energy such as biofuels, solar power, nuclear energy, and wind energy. By integrating such forms of energy, HSBC will minimise controls from the government (Luo 2011). For example, the firm will a void carbon tax and ensure that the employees are adequately motivated in order to continue working in the organisation. Performance measurement In a bid to determine its success with regard to implementing the above strategies, the following key performance indices will be evaluated. Improving the rate of employee retention with a margin of 40% by evaluating the rate of employee attrition per annum in order to determine the effectiveness of the strategies integrated in order to improve organisational identification HSBC will conduct a survey on its employees in order to determine their attitude towards the organisation and their job and evaluate the degree to which the strategies implemented have contributed towards improvement in the level of job satisfaction amongst the employees. The firm will also evaluate whether its environmental sustainability strategies have contributed to the reduction of ‘financed emissions’ by 30% within one year of its implementation. Eval uating the company’s rating by renowned rating agencies such as Moodys and Standard Poors on environmental sustainability Ethical issues that might arise Decision-making issues: some employees might compromise the decision-making process by making unrealistic recommendations and opinions, which may increase the amount of time required to implement a particular decision, and thus the intended outcome might not be achieved. Compliance and governance issues: despite integrating requirements for customers to utilise the funds issued in a manner that does not contribute to environmental pollution, some customers might not fully comply; thus, the firm might not achieve its goal. Integrity and trust: despite integrating a training program in an effort to increase the rate of employee retention, some employees might leave the organisation. Consequently, HSBC might not achieve its intended goal in designing the program. Conclusion This paper depicts HSBC as an organisation that is committed towards satisfying its clients. However, the firm might be subject to changes in the external and internal business environment. Consequently, it is imperative for the firm to integrate strategies to deal with challenges that emanate from the external and internal business environments. By integrating the concept of organisational identification and environmental sustainability, the firm will be in a position to improve its competitive advantage. Reference List Bates, B 2005, Business management; fresh perspectives, Pearson Education, Cape Town. Carpenter, M, Bauer, T Erdogan, B 2011, Principles of management and organisational behaviour, Deone Zell, New York. Craig, T Campbell, D 2012, Organisations and the business environment, Routledge, Chicago. Dan, O, Muyia, F Holmer, T 2013, Consequences of employee turnover in the banking industry; a review of selected literature. Web. Ekins, P 2000, Economic growth and environmental sustainability: The prospects for green grow th, Routledge, New York. Griffin, R 2012, Management, Learning Customer Publishing, Mason. Harrison, J John, C 2010, Foundations in strategic management, Cengage, Mason. Hashmi, A 2007, ‘An analysis of the United Arab Emirates banking sector’, International Business and Economics Research Journal, vol. 6 no. 1, pp. 1-12. Hiriyappa, B 2008, Strategic management for chartered accountants, New Age International, New Delhi. Hitchcock, D Willard, M 2012, The business guide to sustainability: practical strategies and tools for organisations, Routledge, New York. HSBC: Supplier information 2013. Web. Larissa, Z 2012, Human capital retention in the UAE, a brief review. Web. Lawson, K 2012, New employee orientation training, Routledge, New York. Luo, Z 2011, Green finance and sustainability: environmentally aware business models and technologies, Business Science Reference, Hershey. Mollenkamp, C 2012, High turnover among HSBC top cops. Web. Reuters: HSBC Holding PLC 2013. Web . Saleem, S 2010, Business environment, Pearson, New Delhi. Tripathi, P Reddy, P 2006, Principles of management, Tata McGraw-Hill, New Delhi. This report on Management Prospective-HSBC Holdings PLC was written and submitted by user Karla H. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Long and Short Term Causes of the First World War

Long and Short Term Causes of the First World War Free Online Research Papers The First World War commenced in August 1914 and was directly caused by the killing of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife on the 28th June, 1914 by Gavrilo Princep, a revolutionary from Bosnia. Although this single event had triggered the First World War, the actual causes of the war are quite complicated and continue to be a matter of debate amongst historians. World War I was the result of rising tensions amongst European leaders due to the pattern of aggression that emerged against each other. This aggression received further support by way of the increasing nationalism that had spread into all countries in Europe. The fear arising from the high levels of economic and colonial competition and the increasing risk of war made most of the European countries to form military alliances that further led to an arms race. Consequently tensions kept escalating which ultimately led to the outbreak of World War I. At the outset, the immediate cause of the First World War was an incident and not a specific reason that had been brewing or planned by opponents of the assassinated leader. Franz Ferdinand was the heir apparent to the Austrian-Hungary Empire and while visiting the city of Bosnia became a victim of the assassin. The taking over of Bosnia by Austria had been viewed as an infringement of the citizen’s independent rights in governing their country. Despite the unwillingness of Bosnia, its capital city was taken over by Austria-Hungary which generated a lot of antagonism amongst the Serbian people. The assassination of Franz Ferdinand was viewed by Austria-Hungary as an insult and it felt intimidated by Serbia. Austria-Hungary immediately reacted by taking defensive measures and started preparing for the war that now became inevitable. Turkey united with Austria-Hungary and Germany while on the opposite side Italy and Japan united with Russia, Britain and France. This m erger of nations came to be called the Triple Alliance (McKay p.889). While preparations for war were continuing, the United States chose to remain non committal for some time but eventually decided to unite with the Triple Alliance in view of its assessment of German strategies as being egocentric ambitions. During the Congress of Vienna in 1815, nationalism was largely ignored and instead, nations decided to preserve peace. However Italy and Germany were not a part of such understanding and continued to be divided states. The revolutions and nationalist movements in Italy culminated in Italy’s unification in 1861 while unification of Germany happened in 1871. The Franco Prussian War of 1870-71 had left France much disgruntled due to the loss of Alsace-Lorraine and Revanche. There were complications within the Balkans and Austria-Hungary in regard to nationalism because of the presence of several nationalist groups in these countries. There was a clash and conflict between the Pan-slavism of Serbia and Pan-Germanism of Austria-Hungary (McKay p. 884). The short term causes of World War I were the alliances and ententes that had become a practice with most European countries. As a result of the alliances there was tremendous pressure on leaders which led to rivalries on the international front as nations began to take sides and thus get ideologically divided on the basis of their political leanings. Imperialism was in the forefront from 1850 to 1914 and powerful nations competed with each other in colonialism. Nations used their military might in conquering weaker nations which began to be seen as an indication of power, wealth and high political status. Such a pattern encouraged more nations to adopt the practice of political expansion which resulted in more rivalry amongst nations. Amongst the royals, the British Crown held the maximum countries under its control; as much as 25% of the world was ruled by it. France and Russia were the biggest challenge to the British prior to getting into alliance with them in 1904 and 1907 respectively. The alliance with France and Russia was formed primarily to check the aggression by Germany in different parts of Europe. Britain also became a strong ally of America while it was at war with Spain. This alliance became very crucial for both countries especially after the commencement of World War I (McKay p. 905). Another short term reason for the war was commercial rivalry. The resentment between Austria and Serbia occurred by chance because of the economic issues relating to the piling up of huge arsenals. Britain was much ahead than other nations in terms of industrial and economic development and the competition was increasing rapidly to extract the maximum earnings from such activities. Although most European countries were in the race for industrial growth, Britain’s main economic rivals were Germany and America. The US had built massive infrastructure and attained immense wealth by 1914 because of its economic opulence, and after the commencement of the war, the US was best placed in supplying goods to Europe (McKay p. 883). This aspect of economic development had a deep meaning in being a cause for the outbreak of World War I. Britain and Russia were posing a grave threat to Germany in getting ahead economically, which made Germany to manipulate in forcing Russia to enga ge in war. The arms race was a long term cause that had major implications in making the European nations to go to war against each other. As one country acquired some weapons other countries raced to get hold of better ones in order to have the upper edge in acquiring the means for protection and defense. It was not long before most countries were deeply involved in the arms race. After suffering defeat at the hands of Prussia in 1870, France started acquiring more arms. Germany was not scared of France because of the armaments acquired, but because of the alliance France had with Russia. Germany would not be able to stand against the combined power of the two countries and hence decided to take them on individually. After the crisis in Morocco in 1906, more of military arsenal was acquired by most countries in Europe to meet threats arising from the training plans undertaken by the Russian armed forces. It was believed that Russia had acquired arms to such an extent that no country coul d stand against it in the event of a war. Under such circumstances Germany made plans of conducting defensive attacks in order to successfully combat the Triple Entente (McKay p. 885). Most countries had begun to expand their armies and navies. The armies of France and Germany had doubled between 1870 and 1914. There was increasing competition between Germany and Britain to expand their respective navies. It was decided by the British in 1889 that the empire must have a navy that is at least two and a half times larger than the second largest navy. Such a decision inspired Britain to launch the Dreadnought which was conceived in 1906 by Admiral Sir Fisher. The effectiveness of such battle ships was amply demonstrated in the Russo Japanese War of 1905. Accordingly, Germany too increased production of battle ships. Despite efforts for disarmament during the Hague Conference of 1907, international rivalry led the arms race to pick up pace. After the Morocco crisis in 1905, Germany declared its intention to support the cause of independent Morocco, which was given to France by Britain in 1904. France was defended by the British and a war was averted because of the 1906 international conference in Algeciras which permitted France to treat Morocco as a French protectorate. There was another conflict which happened because of the annexation of Bosnia by Austria-Hungary in 1908. The Great Serbian Movement’s objective was to acquire Slavic Bosnia which made Serbia to give threats of war on Austria-Hungary. Russia had already sided with Serbia and thus began to mobilize its forces which made Germany to threaten Russia with war. In a way World War I was postponed after Russia backed out because of the threat, but at the same time relations between Serbia and Austria-Hungary continued to deteriorate. There was a crisis for the second time in Morocco in 1911 when warships were sent to Agadir by Germany in protest against French occupation of Morocco. This time also Britain supported France and warned Germany of serious consequences. But Germany agreed to allow France free access to Morocco only if a part of French Congo was given to it. The Balkan Wars of 1912-13 saw the Turks being driven back to Constantinople while the Balkan States fought amongst themselves over control of territories. The breaking point was reached in Europe on 28 June, 1914 when heir to the Austrian-Hungarian throne was killed in Sarajevo by a Serb who belonged to Black Hand organization. Immediately Germany pledged full support to Austria-Hungary and pressurized them to declare war on Serbia. At the same time France reiterated full support to Russia. In being convinced that Serbia had conspired against the interests of Austria-Hungary, the country issued an ultimatum to Serbia, to which Serbia consented immediately. War was declared on Serbia by Austria-Hungary on July 28, 1914, and on July 29 Russia started partially mobilizing its army in support of Serbia. Germany threatened war if Russia did not withdraw its forces while France also started to mobilize in anticipation of war between Russia and Germany. War was declared by Germany on Russia on August 1 and France entered the war after two days. Britain joined the war after Germany invaded Belgium in violation of Belgium’s officially declared neutrality. The World War I had commenced. References McKay J P, (2007). A History of Western Society: Volume 2. Bedford/St. Martins. Research Papers on Long and Short Term Causes of the First World WarAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeAppeasement Policy Towards the Outbreak of World War 2Analysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaDefinition of Export QuotasBringing Democracy to AfricaPETSTEL analysis of IndiaThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationCapital Punishment19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraQuebec and Canada

Difference Between Intrinsic and Instrumental Value

Difference Between Intrinsic and Instrumental Value The distinction between intrinsic and instrumental value is one of the most fundamental and important in moral theory. Fortunately, it is not difficult to grasp. You value many things, such as beauty, sunshine, music, money, truth, and justice. To value something is to have a positive attitude toward it and to prefer its existence or occurrence over its nonexistence or nonoccurence. You can value it as an end, as a means to some end, or both. Instrumental Value You value most things instrumentally, that is, as a means to some end. Usually, this is obvious. For instance, you value a washing machine that works- purely for its useful function, or instrumental value. If there were a very cheap cleaning service next door that picked up and dropped off your laundry, you might use it and sell your washing machine because it no longer has any instrumental value to you. One thing nearly everyone values to some extent is money. But it is usually valued purely as a means to an end. It has instrumental value: It provides security, and you can use it to purchase things you want. Detached from its purchasing power, money is just a pile of printed paper or scrap metal. Intrinsic Value There are two notions of intrinsic value. It can be: Valuable in itself  Valued by someone for its own sake If something has intrinsic value in the first sense, this means that the universe is somehow a better place for that thing existing or occurring. Utilitarian philosophers like John Stuart Mill claim that pleasure and happiness are valuable in and of themselves. A universe in which a single sentient being is experiencing pleasure is better than one in which there are no sentient beings. It is a more valuable place. Immanuel Kant holds that genuinely moral actions are intrinsically valuable. He would say that a universe in which rational beings perform good actions from a sense of duty is an inherently better place than a universe in which this doesn’t happen. The Cambridge philosopher G.E. Moore says that a world containing natural beauty is more valuable than a world without beauty, even if there is no one there to experience it. To these philosophers, these things are all valuable in and of themselves. This first notion of intrinsic value is controversial. Many philosophers would say that it makes no sense to talk about things being valuable in themselves unless they are actually valued by someone. Even pleasure or happiness are only intrinsically valuable because they are experienced by someone. Value for Its Own Sake Focusing on the second sense of intrinsic value, the question arises: What do people value for its own sake? The most obvious candidates are pleasure and happiness. People value many things- wealth, health, beauty, friends, education, employment, houses, cars, and washing machines- because they think those things will give them pleasure or make them happy. It may seemingly make sense to ask why people want them. But both Aristotle and Mill pointed out that it doesn’t make sense to ask why a person wants to be happy. Most people value not only their own happiness, they also value the happiness of other people. They are sometimes willing to sacrifice their own happiness for the sake of someone else’s. People also sacrifice themselves or their happiness for other things, such as religion, their country, justice, knowledge, truth, or art. Those are all things that convey the second characteristic of intrinsic value: They are valued by someone for their own sake.

Software Piracy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Software Piracy - Assignment Example hical means 4: Government Government must provide the autonomy to each stakeholder about the use of software for their interests Government must ensure that pirated software does not harm the interests of the original creator as well as other stakeholders It is the duty of government to tell the truth about software piracy The Dilemma (Software Piracy) Software consists of programs that are designed to perform specific tasks for the different classes of users. Today, software applications are widely being used by individuals, government and business organizations for a variety of purposes. The software programs’ utilities are numerous in certain areas such as hospitals, banking education and space studies. Software programs can be purchased from software vendors. Eventually, certain general purpose software programs are available on internet, as freeware and shareware. However, the freeware and shareware software do not have much capabilities that are owned by the retail softw are packages (University of West Florida, 2012). Software piracy can be defined as the illegal copying, distribution or in general the illegal use of software. In other words, software piracy can be described as copying of software programs by individuals or business organizations either with profit motive or to harm others. The advancement in technological systems and tools has not only a favorable impact on the society but has also contributed immensely towards software piracy throughout the globe. Software piracy has serious impacts both on national economy as well as on the software producing organizations. The software producing companies spend millions of Dollars on their research activities for inventing particular software. Unfortunately, a few individuals and organizations take negative advantage of the technological advancements bothering less about the nation’s economy and software producing organizations which results in the form of pirated software (Ohio Literacy Resource Centre, 2001). Consequently, such factors have attracted the interests of many researchers to choose software piracy as one of the largely debated ethical issues. Three Principles The three principles selected for the matrix include Autonomy, Non-maleficence and Veracity. Autonomy can be described as freedom of an individual to take his/her own decisions. Every individual is free to use genuine or pirated software which is solely based on the conscience of an individual to consider it as ethical or unethical. However, the decision an individual takes should not harm any other individual or group or it should be non-maleficence. At the same time, the decision should not violate the rules and the laws established by the state or federal government. The truth related to incurrence of any act in relation to software piracy should be brought into limelight so that any such occurrence of piracy in future can be prevented. It can also benefit to create awareness about software pi racy and the harm that it can create to the

Qualitative Research Problem and Design-Terence Essay - 1

Qualitative Research Problem and Design-Terence - Essay Example In-setting perceptions, interviews and extensive discussions are some of the methods employed in this type of research (Academy of Management, 2011). Criminal activities in most parts of the world are increasing due to some factors which economists and sociologists believe can be controlled (CICITAS CRIME, 2013). For example, the crime rate in the United States is considered to be low as compared other parts of the world but still high. Regions of Africa and South America are the most affected areas with the increasing rates of criminal activities. It is important to look at the causes of these increasing levels of crimes since lives are lost from such criminal activities. Some of the major factors behind increasing crime rates are lack of job opportunities among the youth and urbanization in general. Looking into the effects of these criminal behaviors in our society is also crucial since it would give the community reasons to fight this ill in the society. Finally, a research on how to fight this problem would be necessary (Clear, 2012). A crime is an activity that a person or a group engages in but the law of the land is against. These activities can be acts that affect other people are those that affect just the doers of the activities. The general perspective of criminal behavior looks at all the parties at stake when such an unlawful action is taken (Federal Bureau of Investigations, 2013). The rate of criminal activities in our countries has been on the increases. The number of unlawful activities that government authorities record every year is today higher than the number recorded back in the early 2000s. The size of data about lives lost in the line of handling criminal activities have also become bigger over years to date. The world is now left alert about these increasing criminal rates as the entire generation from the West to the East is affected by the problem (Uniform Crime

People Oriented Leader Or Relations Oriented Leadership Business Essay

People Oriented Leader Or Relations Oriented Leadership Business Essay Many business majors do not see the early management though as primitive in nature. Modern management thinking is often thought as modern management theory. Modern management thinking has been researched in reference to early management though, businessmen today only have a clear understanding of current and modern managing thinking, they have little knowledge of the past management thinking. Management thought involves politics and theory. The politics of management thought often come from the ones whom want the management styles to be received (OConnor, 1999). Because of political institutions order can be restored under established institutions. Management science during the factory era did just that. This could be seen during the Great Depression where management was desperately needed for reestablishing jobs. The birth of The Labor Unions was in this era. This proved to be one of the most effective changes management science contributed to history (Wren/Bendein, 2009). Modern management has its foundations based on management science and thoughts. The birth of early management started like everything else started i.e. people wanting a solution to a problem. Management thought has been often thought of as a type of science, and in fact it is. Managerial science uses assets of human resources and business principles to define and resolve workplace issues (Bedeian, 2004). During the early era of factory companies managerial companies were basically absolute and non-existent this caused chaos and lack of communication. Miller in his book Barbarians to Bureaucrats mentioned that there must be a strong relationship between the life cycle stage of an organization and the nature of its leadership, where as leadership is defined as an elusive concept, which comes through a conversation quite easily but very, few people understand. The very idea of leadership presupposes the existence of follower. (Wright and Taylor) stated that the activity of leadership co uld not be carried out without the aid of the followers to lead. Advanced managerial thoughts are based on the foundations of Millers 7 stages which are Prophet, Barbarian, Builder and Explorer, Administrator, Bureaucrat, Aristocrat and Synergist. The compelling new vision of a prophet and the aggressive leadership of an iron willed barbarian, who implement the prophet ideas will help to build new techniques and expansions. The builder and the explorer then push these through, but the growth spawned by these managers can easily stagnate when the administrator sacrifices innovation to order, and the bureaucrat imposes tight control. The aristocrat spends his time re-arranging, trading, and manipulating the assets but is unable to create new ones. It is the synergist that are capable of specialized knowledge and skills, and the integration of those competencies makes them a business leader who balances creativity with order, to restore vitality and insure future growth. It is important that a leader has good ethics in leadership, this is because in management the leaders must take decision that not only will benefit them but also think how other people will be affected. Millers work showed how leaders offered their leadership skills with their known value and ethics. These stages offered more advanced managerial thoughts, since companies started to focus on more of a humanistic approach to resolving issues with managerial science by establishing policies and procedures as well as employee labor relations. Leadership can come in many forms such as: Autocratic Leadership Bureaucratic Leadership Charismatic Leadership Democratic Leader or Participative Leadership Laissez-Fair Leadership Task-Oriented Leadership People Oriented Leader or Relations-Oriented Leadership Servant Leadership Transactional Leadership Transformational Leadership The right leadership is chosen according to the requirements of the company it self. Each leadership carries its own scope. To be a good leader means switching him or herself instinctively between styles according to the people and work they are dealing with. To choose the most effective approach one must consider: The skill levels and experience of the members of the team. The work involved (routine or new and creative). The organizational environment (stable or radically changing, conservative or adventurous) Among all of the management thought theories there are some key principles that have been defined. The identification of systems is done by their structures, since there are different types of systems. These include: real system, abstract or analytical system and controlled system. Systems of theory provide an internally consistent framework for classifying and evaluating the world. This consists of many definitions and concepts. When system theory was first introduced to management science and organizations were significantly affected. The main effects of system theory in management are that educators and consultants started helping managers to change their overall perspective regarding an organization. Managers were being thought to look at an organization from a broader and new perspective, by interpreting patterns and events in the workplace. Before the theory of systems was introduced, managers used to focus on one part of an organization at a time and after they moved all attention to another part. In other words, the importance of synchronization between departments (or parts of an organization) was not given great importance. As already mentioned, earlier in the introduction, feedback, communication and collaboration between systems are a necessity in order for an organization to work efficiently with a common goal. Theory of systems is an abstract philosophical framework that involves a highly empirical and investigative form of management science [2]. Moreover, system of theories is a useful conceptual tool, although it is insufficient. System theory is a useful tool because it helps analyse orderly research problems while it is insufficient because researchers need to take a very active role to complete the abstract role suggested by the systems theory. It also clarifies the role of complex organisations in modern society; and predicts that the complexity of organisations, and therefore the role of management, will probably continue to increase at least for so long as the efficiency-enhancing potential of complexity can continue to outweigh its inevitably increased transaction costs. The introducing of theory of systems to managers, helped them recognizing the various parts of the organization, and in particular the interrelation of the parts. As system theory was introduced, it took much more of a holistic view of organisation, focusing on total work organization and the inter-relationship between structures and human behaviours producing a wide range of variable within organisations [3]. They help us understand the interactions between individuals, groups, communities, organizations, larger social systems, in their own environments and help us enhance our understanding of how human behaviour operates. The fundamentals of the past have been neglected by scholars of the present day. (Bedeian, 1998) states that evolution of management thought has been deprived of the past, which has the backbone of modern day management. It is a known fact that anything that is currently in existence as we as humans may know it to be, had to come from somewhere. The past exists in a reciprocal relationship with the present (Bedeian, 2004). Early management thought has evolved over this time period with more advanced thinking in how to better manage and keep order. Significant contributions have deemed necessary in order for management thought to become as evolved as we know it today. Modern Management Thinking is mainly surrounded by policies, procedures and ethical methodologies these guide the co-operation itself. Many aspects of modern management thought derived from the economic history of traditional management. Factory era management science concepts such as well-defined hierarchy, labor relations, rules and regulations, interpersonal skills, competence and records management cultivated the framework of the 21st century of modern management. (CliffsNotes, 2010) Structural contingency theory makes part of Modern Management. This theory is closely related to system design (Scott 2003). The contingency adopted an open systems view on organization. It is a class behavioural theory, which claims that theres no best way to organize a corporation, lead it or make decision. Instead, the optimal course of action is contingent (dependent) upon the internal and external situation. Several contingency approaches were developed concurrently in the late 1960s. Some important contingencies for companies are listed below: 1. Technology 2. Suppliers and distributors 3. Consumer interest groups 4. Customers and competitors 5. Government 6. Unions Structural contingency theory suggests that companies will have a plan so that if any organizational change takes into place the other plan will be obtained. Therefore, each business ensures that it will operate within the most efficient structure to support the business. There are varies factors that influence structural contingency decisions and plans. This theory also states that organizational structure needs to fit the three contingencies of the environment, size and strategy. This means that every aspect of the current situation has to be taken in account when a manager makes a decision. It also has to act on the aspects that are the key of the situation at hand, this means that what worked once is not going to work on a different situation, that is why it all depends. According to this, the best style will be achieved due to a continuing effort of identifying the best leadership or management style. Making decisions or applying leadership styles contingent on internal and external factors. These can increase effectiveness in the current situation. Such theory is part of the contingency theories of leadership, decision-making and also rules. In this theory, it is explained that a managers success relies on variables such as the workforce, leadership style, task structure, perceived power of the manager and corporate culture. Modern management science is obviously shaped by every aspect of the past. Although education plays a great part in modern management thinking, the term modern thinking is truly understood by experience. Bedeian in his book the Gift of Professional Maturity explains the five lessons that are considered invaluable. The first lesson is that of realizing ideas are a product of their own time and place.(Bedeian, 2004). This is an epiphany for business majors because it denounces the idea of management thought being universal to all times. This type was evident in the Great Depression where as one can see it was only justified and useful in a particular time period. The second lesson in management thinking in accordance to Bedeian is the advantage of being an informed consumer of received knowledge. Having the correct information in a the palm of your hand will serve as an adversary when it comes to management thought; everything in management theory is based off of acclaimed information. Without received knowledge management is obsolete (Bedeian, 2004). The third lesson of Bedeian is the danger of inherent in relying on secondary source materials. Information is best effective when obtained from a primary source. Secondary information; when it comes to management thought is useless. Which is why modern management thought has a bit of an advantage over factor era management thought. Bedeian in his fourth lesson of management says: widely accepted facts are often wrong. He implies that accepted facts are widely wrong. In fact, this begs the explanation of what is considered accepted as fact. In management thought fact may not always be determined as fact unless the information to support the facts are true in nature (Bedeian, 2004). Employees had lack of managerial facts during the factory era. This included the actual conditions, which they had been working on. Due to an understated compensation, employees were not sure who they will believe while child labor was spread. By taking great strides to improve these facets of management, modern management has learnt lessons from the factory era. The fifth and last lesson of Bedeian is the special advantage of the past history. (Bedeian, 2004) Modern management thinking has had the advantage of learning from the past events that were so devastating to the world and has the advantage of making better management economic choices. After evaluating and discussing in detail such contributions, it can be concluded that effective and qualitative management is a necessity in both small and large corporations/businesses. The latter will yield a better organizational structure incorporating all the departments of a company to work as unity to achieve several goals.

Literary Translation as a Creative Act. Essay

Literary translation implies the translation of all genres of literature, which include prose, drama and poetry. Literature is described as ‘an apparently nebulous body of knowledge in oral or written form, an imitation of life, which reflects civilization and culture, and which covers every angle of human activities-culture, tradition, entertainment, information among others.’ It is one of the great creative and universal means of communicating the emotional, spiritual and intellectual concerns of humankind. Literary translation has to do with translating texts written in a literary language, which abounds in ambiguities, homonyms and arbitrariness, as distinct from the language of science or that of administration. Literary language is highly connotative and subjective because each literary author is lexically and stylistically idiosyncratic and through his power of imagination, he uses certain literary techniques such as figures of speech, proverbs and homonyms through which he weaves literary forms. The literary translator is therefore the person who concerns himself with translation of literary texts. A literary translator generally respects good writing by taking into account the language, structures, and content, whatever the nature of the text. The literary translator participates in the author’s creative activity and then recreates structures and signs by adapting the target language text to the source language text as closely as intelligibility allows. He needs to assess not only the literary quality of the text but also its acceptability to the target reader, and this should be done by having a deep knowledge of the cultural and literary history of both the Source and the Target Languages. Language and culture are closely related and one is indispensable to the other. In fact, language acquires its meaning from the country’s culture. A single language may cross several culture borders. There are generally problems in the translation of cultural words in a literary text unless there is a cultural overlap between the source language and the target language. It is not enough for a translator to know what words are used in the target language; he must also make the reader understand the sense as it is understood by the reader of the original. For instance, in a text where there is a cultural focus, there can be translation problems due to the cultural gap between the source and the target languages. The meaning of a  single word or expression is largely derived from its culture. Therefore, translation, being a simple linguistic process, a cultural understanding comes into play because the translator is supposed to produce equivalence and where this does not exist, problems occur. The translator is expected to creatively exploit the altered cultural, linguistic and literary context in order to realize the different potentials of the target language in an act or literary creation since translation is an intercultural activity. Linguistically, each language has its own metaphysics, which determines the spirit of a nation and its behavioral norms, and this is what is known as linguistic relativity. Language directs our intellect and even our sensory perception. Since words or images may vary considerably from one group to another, the translator needs to pay attention to the style, language and vocabulary peculiar to the two languages in question in order to produce an ‘exact’ translation of the source language text. Thus while translating something from a language to other, the sense and the behavior of the sentence gets changed obscurely. So as to carry the that sense and the behavior of the sentence the original author meant, the translator himself need to be creative, with a good knowledge of both languages, the one translating to and from.