Sunday, November 17, 2019

10 Tenets of MOT and the IT Organization Essay Example for Free

10 Tenets of MOT and the IT Organization Essay A tenet is a principle based on observation, intuition, experience, and in some cases, empirical analysis. Based on a study presented in the Handbook of Technology Management by Gerard Gaynor, Ten tenets are proposed as guiding principles for an organization to operate within a technology cycle framework. These are: 1. Value diversification is a poor substitute for MOT. 2. Manufacturability must keep pace with inventiveness and marketability. 3. Quality and total productivity are inseparable concepts in managing technology. 4.  It is management’s responsibility to bring about technological change and job security for long term competitiveness. 5. Technology must be the ‘servant’ not the ‘master’; the master is still the human being. 6. The consequences of technology selection can be more serious than expected because of systematic effects. 7. Continuous education and training in a constantly changing workplace is a necessity, not a luxury. 8. Technology gradient is a dynamic component of the technology management process, to be monitored for strategic advantage. 9.  The RTC factor must be carefully analyzed and meticulously monitored for gaining the most out of any technology, particularly a new one. 10. Information linkage must keep pace with technology growth. See more: The Issues Concerning Identity Theft Essay In the case of an IT Organization, the essence of the management several factors of technology are realized based on the above specified MOT principles. The following may be derived: †¢ Importance of Core Technologies and Core Competencies. Analysis of the competencies and technological capability of an IT Organization will provide information on the inherent competitive ability of the organization, or the absence of such. This is a step towards active management of technology. †¢ Inventiveness versus Market Drive. For an IT Organization, this translates to building an output-driven innovative culture versus customizing products and processes based on Market-demand. †¢ Total Quality Management. Quality Assurance and Quality Control procedures are essential to monitor processes and the process improvement practice within an organization. †¢ Initiation and Management of Technological Change. Conscious effort to improve current technology should e a consistent activity in an IT Organization. This may be a result of observed updates in the industry or an internal effort to innovate and update according to changing business needs. †¢ Security for Competitiveness. As an industry with established processes, functions and professional track, job security through skills-based retention and promotion should be encouraged. This will invite constructive competitiveness and improve the industryà ¢â‚¬â„¢s workforce. †¢ Technology is the medium and the tool, it is not the solution.  The main product for an organization that offers Information Technology as a service is the solution. The technology is the enabler, while the process is the company-specific activity that adds value to the solution. †¢ Organizational Systems and the Effect of Technology. The effect of information technology to the organization encompasses structures and organization systems. As processes and needs are updated, technologies or the manner that it is implemented should be revised complementarily. The reverse does not always follow. The Essence of Training and Education in an IT Organization. With the Human Resource as the main and sole source value and new service introduction, investment in further education is essential to an IT Organization. Technology managemet assessment: TA is the study and evaluation of new technologies. It is based on the conviction that new developments within, and discoveries by, t he scientific community are relevant for the world at large rather than just for the scientific experts themselves, and that technological progress can never be free of ethical implications. Also, technology assessment recognizes the fact that scientists normally are not trained ethicists themselves and accordingly ought to be very careful when passing ethical judgement on their own, or their colleagues, new findings, projects, or work in progress. Technology assessment assumes a global perspective and is future-oriented, not anti-technological. TA considers its task as interdisciplinary approach to solving already existing problems and preventing potential damage caused by the uncritical application and the commercialization of new technologies. Therefore any results of technology assessment studies must be published, and particular consideration must be given to communication with political decision-makers. An important problem, TA has to deal with it, is the so-called Collingridge dilemma: on the one hand, impacts of new technologies cannot be easily predicted until the technology is extensively developed and widely used; on the other hand, control or change of a technology is difficult as soon as it is widely used. Some of the major fields of TA are: information technology, hydrogen technologies, nuclear technology, molecular nanotechnology, pharmacology, organ transplants, gene technology, artificial intelligence, the Internet and many more. Health technology assessment is related, but profoundly different, despite the similarity in the name. Forms and concepts of technology assessment The following types of concepts of TA are those that are most visible and practiced. There are, however, a number of further TA forms that are only proposed as concepts in the literature or are the label used by a particular TA institution. 2] †¢ Parliamentary TA (PTA): TA activities of various kinds whose addressee is a parliament. PTA may be performed directly by members of those parliaments (e. g. in France and Finland) or on their behalf by related TA institutions (such as in the UK, in Germany and Denmark) or by organisations not directly linked to a Parliament (such as in the Netherlands and Switzerland). [3] †¢ Expert TA (often also referred to as the classical TA or traditional TA concept): TA activities carried out by (a team of) TA and technical experts. Input from stakeholders and other actors is included only via written statements, documents and interviews, but not as in participatory TA. †¢ Participatory TA (pTA): TA activities which actively, systematically and methodologically involve various kinds of social actors as assessors and discussants, such as different kinds of civil society organisations, representatives of the state systems, but characteristically also individual stakeholders and citizens (lay persons), technical scientists and technical experts. Standard pTA methods include consensus conferences, focus groups, scenario workshops etc. [4] Sometimes pTA is further divided into expert-stakeholder pTA and public pTA (including lay persons). [5] †¢ Constructive TA (CTA): This concept of TA, developed in the Netherlands, but also applied and discussed elsewhere[6] attempts to broaden the design of new technology through feedback of TA activities into the actual construction of technology. Contrary to other forms of TA, CTA is not directed toward influencing regulatory practices by assessing the impacts of technology. Instead, CTA wants to address social issues around technology by influencing design practices. †¢ Discursive TA or Argumentative TA: This type of TA wants to deepen the political and normative debate about science, technology and society. It is inspired by ethics, policy discourse analysis and the sociology of expectations in science and technology. This mode of TA aims to clarify and bring under public and political scrutiny the normative assumptions and visions that drive the actors who are socially shaping science and technology. Accordingly, argumentative TA not only addresses the side effects of technological change, but deals with both broader impacts of science and technology and the fundamental normative question of why developing a certain technology is legitimate and desirable. [7] †¢ Health TA (HTA): A specialised type of expert TA informing policy makers about efficacy, safety and cost effectiveness issues of pharmaceuticals and medical treatments, see health technology assessment.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Social Promotion VS. Retention Essay -- Essays Papers

Social Promotion VS. Retention Abstract Social promotion and retention are used for various reasons. Retention is implemented when students have not met the general requirements to begin the next grade. The question that will be addressed is how do social promotion and retention differ? The overall meaning of both will be addressed to give the reader a better understanding of the two. Social promotion is the practice of promoting a student to the next grade level even if the minimum academic factors have not been satisfied. Retention is the approach that is most widely practiced. This is the retention of a grade to reinforce academics. The pros and cons, static’s, and drop out rates will be discussed. All of these factors will be addressed so that the reader can be aware of the opinions on the issues. This critical issue of Social Promotion and retention is a hard one to figure out. Exactly what is social promotion? Social Promotion is the practice of promoting students to the next grade level regardless of their academic progress. How serious id this issue? It is so serious that California, Delaware, South Carolina and Wisconsin have all passed laws forbidding the practice and in effect requiring schools to reinstate retention. What exactly is retention? It is the practice of holding back students to repeat a grade if they have not successfully met the requirements to go to the next grade level. This has been the practice of school systems for many years and The National Center for Education Static’s show that 16.8% of seniors have repeated at least one grade. The most frequently repeated grades were kindergarten through second. Does retention work? In the majority of studies done they... ...es to Help Students Succeed, North Central Regional Educational Laboratory. Kelly, Karen (1) Kelly, K. (1999). Retention vs. Social Promotion: Schools Search for Alternatives . Harvard Education Letter. Albany, NY. Ruldolph, Angela (1) Johnson, D. and A. Ruldolph (2001). Beyond Social Promotion and Retention-Five Startegies to Help Students Succeed, North Central Regional Educational Laboratory. Teachers, American Federation of (1) Teachers, A. F. o. (1997). Taking Responsibility for Ending Social Promotion: A Guide for Educators and State and Local Leaders. U.S. Department of Education. Thompson, Charles L. - Cunningham, Elizabeth K. (1) Thompson, C. L.-C., Elizabeth K. (200-12-00). Retention and Social Promotion: Research and Implications for Policy. ERIC Digest. New York. 161.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Faulty economics Essay

Based on Neoclassical economics, this statement is faulty because the employees provide their marginal unit of service by providing the kind of labor that their companies need to their loss of leisure. Almost all CEOs are the most stressed out employees of a company because they carry the burden to run the company. 2. This statement is faulty because the consumers are maximizing their utilities and the producers are maximizing their profits. In this statement, the demand for bottled water is greater than the demand for gasoline. Therefore, the production cost of the bottled water is greater than the production of gasoline. 3. Neoclassical economics focuses on the satisfaction of the consumers. Consumers have the preferences on whether they will stop smoking or continue to smoke. Therefore, their addiction to nicotine has no direct relationship with the increase in taxes. 4. This statement is not true because the firms will only employ people when the cost for hiring them is balanced with their outputs. 5. This statement is not true because the law for supply and demand does not apply to everyday lives. When there is a shortage in parking lots, the university will then put a price in the parking area as the solution to the problem. The students will then â€Å"bid† for their spaces in the parking lots. This is because the university will strive to optimize their market interdependence and to achieve economic equilibrium.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Callaway Golf Company

Callaway Golf Company (CGC) Harvard Business School Case Study Ely Callaway had a vision, â€Å"If we make a truly more satisfying product for the average golfer, not the professionals, and make it pleasingly different from the competition, the company would be successful† (Lal & Prescott, 2011, p. 1). Key factors that led to Callaway’s success included his vision, his understanding of consumer behavior, his product variety, and his ability to build a premium brand. Furthermore, the company’s relationship with its retail partners, the company’s new product development, and the company’s marketing strategy were key contributors to Callaway Golf Company’s success between 1988 and 1997. Callaway understood the competitive nature of the game and the competitive nature of the consumers. Golfers were consumers driven by social factors such as reference groups. According to Kotler and Keller (2009), â€Å"Reference groups consist of all groups that have a direct (face-to-face) or indirect influence on a person’s attitude or behavior† (p. 8). Reference groups expose people to new behaviors and lifestyles, influence attitudes and self-concepts, and create pressures for conformity that affect product and brand choices. Because Callaway understood the behaviors of his target market, he was able to strategically introduce new products that offered more satisfaction than the former products. With product modification , managers try to stimulate sales by improving quality, features, and style (p. 185). Callaway understood each product’s life cycle and introduced new products every two years. He discovered that after two years, the sales and prices typically declined (Lal and Prescott, 2000, p. 4), causing him to continually make his own products obsolete. However, this business process solidified the consumer’s expectation that Callaway Golf Company would always deliver a high quality product, a value-delivery system successfully established by the company. The Callaway brand was strong, therefore, giving the company marketing advantages such as improved perceptions of product performance, greater loyalty, less vulnerability to competitive marketing actions and marketing crises, larger margins, greater trade cooperation and additional brand extensions (Kotler and Keller, 2009, p. 131). There was consistent brand reinforcement with every product as Callaway’s marketing methods always conveyed what the brand represented, what core benefits it supplied, and what needs it satisfied. Additionally, Callaway conveyed how the brand made superior products that were strong, favorable, and unique. Various consumer spending and golfing behaviors left Callaway no choice but to change his marketing strategies. Callaway realized they could not depend on their 1982 original marketing strategy. Callaway believed there was no brand loyalty when it came to golfers. The bottom line was that golfers tend to purchase golf clubs they think will improve their game and will often blame the golf equipment for their lack of skill (Lal and Prescott, 2000, p. 4). Callaway knew their products had to be unique. Callaway also knew as the popularity of the game increased, golf equipment had to also increase in purpose and design. In 1998, Callaway experienced a decline in profits. The company lost $27 million because sales dropped 17%. Consequently, Ely Callaway realized he would have to change the way his company had been doing business. He refocused Calloway Golf Company’s â€Å". . . retail channels, new-product development, and marketing strategies† (p. 1). One force that drove Callaway to continuously change his strategy was the life span of the golf equipment. Callaway was quick at determining whether a product was a money maker or not. He measured the profit growth of a product within the first two years the product was launched. If sales decreased within the first two years, the product design was redesigned and â€Å"improved. † This could possibly lead to excessive inventories of one product and shortage of another. Through evaluation and control methods, Callaway was able to make the best product marketing decisions for the bottom line. Annual plan controls helped determine if the new product results were being achieved. Profitability controls determined if the new product was making or losing money. Efficiency controls balanced the spending and marketing expenditures. Strategic controls confirmed whether the company was targeting the best opportunities with the retailers, media, and advertising (Kotler-Keller, 2009, p. 331-333). Richard Helmstetter, vice president and chief of new products, joined Callaway Hickory Stick, Inc. in 1986. He transformed CGC â€Å". . . from a niche producer to an innovation powerhouse. . . † (Lal and Prescott, 2000, p. 2). Helmstetter viewed research and development differently than others in the industry. He challenged the scientists, engineers, and golfers he had hired to answer questions like â€Å"Where does backspin come from? † and â€Å"Why does a shot on the club toe hook left instead of right? † (p. 2). Helmstetter was correct in believing that by answering these types of questions the company would create better clubs. New product innovations included the development of the S2H2 (short, straight, hollow, hosel) model which redistributed the weight of the hosel. This allowed the weight to be better utilized elsewhere in the club. Following the S2H2 model was the development of the Big Bertha. It was a club with a bigger club head. The larger head allowed for fewer mishit shots and a better drive. This allowed the average player to have a better experience when playing, which led to loyalty to Callaway, despite the cost. Callaway found it challenging being caught in the middle of a changing marketing communication environment. Callaway had to take a deep look at the company’s marketing communication mix and decide if it was still effective. The marketing communication mix includes: advertising, sales promotion, events and experiences, public relations and publicity, direct marketing, interactive marketing, word-of-mouth marketing, and personal selling (Kotler-Keller, 2009, pp. 275-276). Callaway Golf Company did very little advertising. Callaway felt that word of mouth was the best way to promote his clubs Word of mouth marketing was what golfers used excessively. Whether a golfer wanted the latest, greatest style of club or testified to the improvement of a stroke due to the club, word of mouth marketing was huge amongst golfers because of the amount of time golfers spent with each other during a round of golf. Callaway knew that most non-professional golfers played in foursomes and would give live demonstrations each time they played. Furthermore, he built a premium product and recruited professional golfers who were the leaders in the sport to promote his products. These endorsements validated the products quality and superior technology. The professional golfers â€Å"not under contractual obligations† used Callaway products because of the performance enhancement the clubs provided. Eli Callaway knew his company had enjoyed many years of positive growth and he knows that many more years of positive growth lay ahead. Additionally, he knew that he would always be faced with decisions concerning what products to develop, what accounts need to be closed, what retail relationships should be developed, and what marketing strategy should be employed. â€Å"When asked if CGC could stay ahead of the competition, he said, citing Newton’s first law of motion, ‘No problem. Bodies in motion tend to remain in motion. ’ He continued, ‘It’s a hell of a story, and it’s not over yet’† (Lal and Prescott, 2000, p. 14). References Kotler, P. & Keller, K. L. (2009). Analyzing consumer markets: A framework for marketing management, 4th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc. Lal, R. & Prescott, E. D. (2000). Calloway Golf Company. Pearson custom business resources. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Publishing Case Analysis of Callaway Golf Company, (2009, May 16,). Retrieved on April, 5, 2011 from http://www. docshare. com/†¦ /Case-analysis-of-Callaway-Golf-Company2

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Free Essays on Intel

MGT 487 Group Case Table of Contents Executive Summary 1 External Threats External Opportunities Internal Strengths Internal Weaknesses Alternate Strategies Choice of Strategies Implementation Executive Summary Intel faces external threats that from their competitors and legal environment. Some of their direct competitors include Advanced Microdevices Inc., Samsung, and Texas Instruments. The outside physical and legal environment is also a threat that Intel has had to contend with throughout their existence. These threats have proven to be significant and must be dealt with in an efficient and tactile manner. The external opportunities that Intel can look to are those of the global markets. Intel is noticing areas in all parts of the global that may prove to be very beneficial. After the global market is examined Intel also realizes that the technological advancements of cellphones and wireless technologies must be tamed. These areas offer a large growth potential for the company. The internal strengths that Intel can rely on are the fact that they are the worlds largest chip manufacturer. Holding the top rank gives Intel a name recognition and familiarity that they can use to their benefit. A large portion of Intel’s success is due to their CEO Andrew S. Grove. Intel’s financial ratios and analysis show that they are increasing their numbers from previous levels. Intel’s large structure also causes one of their major internal weaknesses. Large corporate entities must deal with procedural â€Å"red tape†. Financially Intel is facing a slowing desktop PC market and must adapt accordingly. Internally Intel has had complications of their own causing many delays on their developments. The large span between employees and management has caused some internal weaknesses as well. Overall, Intel has multiple areas of opportunities to grow. They can choose the communications and ... Free Essays on Intel Free Essays on Intel MGT 487 Group Case Table of Contents Executive Summary 1 External Threats External Opportunities Internal Strengths Internal Weaknesses Alternate Strategies Choice of Strategies Implementation Executive Summary Intel faces external threats that from their competitors and legal environment. Some of their direct competitors include Advanced Microdevices Inc., Samsung, and Texas Instruments. The outside physical and legal environment is also a threat that Intel has had to contend with throughout their existence. These threats have proven to be significant and must be dealt with in an efficient and tactile manner. The external opportunities that Intel can look to are those of the global markets. Intel is noticing areas in all parts of the global that may prove to be very beneficial. After the global market is examined Intel also realizes that the technological advancements of cellphones and wireless technologies must be tamed. These areas offer a large growth potential for the company. The internal strengths that Intel can rely on are the fact that they are the worlds largest chip manufacturer. Holding the top rank gives Intel a name recognition and familiarity that they can use to their benefit. A large portion of Intel’s success is due to their CEO Andrew S. Grove. Intel’s financial ratios and analysis show that they are increasing their numbers from previous levels. Intel’s large structure also causes one of their major internal weaknesses. Large corporate entities must deal with procedural â€Å"red tape†. Financially Intel is facing a slowing desktop PC market and must adapt accordingly. Internally Intel has had complications of their own causing many delays on their developments. The large span between employees and management has caused some internal weaknesses as well. Overall, Intel has multiple areas of opportunities to grow. They can choose the communications and ...

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

A Guide to Using MLA Citations

A Guide to Using MLA Citations A Guide to Using MLA Citations MLA referencing is common in the humanities. And if you are studying on a literature or language-based course, you may need to use MLA citations in your written work. To help you get this right, then, we have prepared a guide to using MLA citations in an essay. This will cover basic citations, citing multiple authors, and other tricky situations. 1. Basic MLA Citations Basic MLA citations use an author surname and a page number in brackets. Typically, you would give this before end punctuation: Bad news travels fast (Hawkins 201). Here, for example, the citation points to page 201 of a source by Hawkins. You would then give the full source details in the list. The main variation on this format occurs when you name an author in the text: Hawkins claims that bad news â€Å"travels fast† (201). As shown here, when the author’s name appears in the text, there is no need to repeat it in the citation. Instead, just give the page number after the quote. 2. Citing Sources with Multiple Authors When a source has two authors, name both in the in-text citation, using â€Å"and† as a connector (not the ampersand symbol): The exact speed of bad news is a mystery (Ptaszynski and Schreiber 14). Here, for example, we’re citing page 14 of a text by Ptaszynski and Schreiber. However, for sources with three or more authors, you should use the first name plus â€Å"et al.† in citations: Harkin et al. argue that good news is equally fast (101). â€Å"Et al.† here means â€Å"and others,† showing the reader you have left some names out. The same rule applies if a source has three or more editors or translators in the list. 3. Citing More than One Author with the Same Surname To cite more than one author with the same surname, you will need to adapt your citations. In MLA referencing, this means giving a first initial: News moves slower in water (A. Smith 32) than in air, but it moves much faster in a vacuum (Z. Smith 412-414). In the list, however, you should give the authors’ full first names and surnames as usual. 4. Citing Multiple Works by the Same Author Rather than using a year of publication to distinguish between citations of sources by the same author, MLA referencing uses the source title in place of the author’s name. For example, imagine that an author called Hawkins had written both a book called A History of Bad News and an article called â€Å"The Pace of News: A Comparative Study of Communicative Speed.† To cite both in the same document, we would need to include their titles in the citations: Bad news travels fast (Hawkins, A History of Bad News 201). Its speed seems to be increasing, too (Hawkins, â€Å"The Pace of News† 1136). We can learn two things about using titles in MLA citations from the examples above. In particular, you should always: Format titles according to the source type (e.g., italics for books and quote marks for shorter pieces such as articles). Shorten long titles (e.g., changing â€Å"The Pace of News: A Comparative Study of Communicative Speed† to just â€Å"The Pace of News†). In the list, meanwhile, you should organize sources by the same author alphabetically by title. In addition, use three hyphens in place of the author’s name for each entry after the first: Hawkins, Justin. A History of Bad News. London, PME Publications, 2007. . â€Å"The Pace of News: A Comparative Study of Communicative Speed.† The Journal of Alternative Telecommunications, vol. 9, no. 3, 2015, pp. 1124-1139. 5. Citing More than One Source at Once Finally, to cite more than one source in the same place, separate each citation with a semicolon. For example: Bad news moves faster than light (Hawkins 198; Smith 22). Here, we’re citing both Hawkins and Smith to support one same point. This can be useful for showing that many people share an idea or theory.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Should MDMA be prohibited Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Should MDMA be prohibited - Assignment Example proffered MDMA’s ability to cause long term brain impairments in normal learning and memory functioning, aside from toxic effects to the cardiovascular system leading to dehydration, hyperthermia and seizures. It is my personal conviction that MDMA should be used to maximize its potentials for psychotherapeutic purposes through controlled and managed professional care. The problems that emerge from excessive and irresponsible use of MDMA were actually rooted from lack of local and state controlled regulations on â€Å"dangerous therapeutic† drugs. I support Riedlinger & Montagne’s contention that if MDMA were produced and administered in samples of purity through the lowest therapeutic dose and frequency with proper patient screening, then, adverse effects could definitely be avoided. There have been numerous sensationalized cases of drug-related deaths accountable to regulated drugs that were ultimately easily accessed in greater dosage and frequency all over the world. The root cause of this is the lack of local at state governing bodies that could regulate, monitor, and restrict the dispatching of dangerous drugs. Narcotic pain relievers and drugs such as MDMA have continued to be abused by patients and drug users due to the accessibility of purchasing them in black markets and small unregulated and unmonitored drug stores. The lure of profits, concurrent with the weak regulation of drug agencies to monitor, penalize, and ultimately cause the cessation of operations of these drug stores and sellers, make this issue a continuing public health hazard. I share exactly the same opinion posted made by a class member who stipulated that not all uses of MDMA should be prohibited due to its psychotherapeutic purpose. However, it is still disturbing that despite the enormous volume of research work and testimonies on MDMA’s therapeutic value, there is still no officially approved medical or psychiatric application since its initial use in the 1970s. In this