Knowledge of the business Essay

Another research study, by Michael J. P. Whyte (2004), called Enterprise Architecture – the Key to Benefits Realization, stresses the importance of being aware of exactly what the business is about before change management can be implemented. Whyte (2004) discusses why business who have installed increasing amounts of computing hardware and software over the last three or four decades have not been able to realize the expected benefits (p. 2). In his study, Whyte outlines the following contributing factors that have lead to such non-realization of benefits: ? Manner in which IS projects proceed. Whyte criticizes most projects for merely being stuck in the discovery phase of the project. This involves simply defining the current situation, systems or processes. During the discovery phase of a project, certain architecture-like artefacts are produced, such as process diagrams, entity relationship diagrams, and infrastructure diagrams, all of which form the basis for the new project. According to Whyte, the fundamental problems with these artefacts are that they are created within the context of the project, and are thus seldom correct and almost never complete. They deal with the aggregates found in the current situation and do not identify the primitives upon which the new architecture must be based. As a result, these â€Å"artefacts† are not maintained and extended after the project is completed, precisely because they were based on the current situation prior to implementation of the project (Whyte, 2004, p. 3). ? The silver bullet mentality According to Whyte, this is another major obstacle in benefits realization. Whyte criticizes how vendors offer the latest and greatest hardware, the newest and most complete software suite, or the most up-to-date methodology to help companies in implementing their benefits realization programs. The problem with these offers, according to Whyte, is that they do not fit together. They cannot fit into any overall scheme which satisfies a particular organization’s needs since the organization’s needs are undefined in the first place (Whyte, 2004, p. 4). Whyte recommends what is called Enterprise Architecture to deal with the two factors identified above. Enterprise Architecture helps the organization to full define its current state and to precisely determine the things that need to be changed. All aspects of the propose change can be quickly assess and the results can be analysed and quantified. Enterprise Architecture involves both the integration of the business aspect and IS in change management. It provides a means to capture the knowledge which makes the business work, and makes this knowledge available for the ongoing benefit of the business. In other words, it provides a blueprint of the business, a complete picture of the business and all the components which make the business work. Such knowledge is quantified and captured as data so that it can produce information to be used by another person in a company, making change management thus not person or individual-centred. When a person who instigated the change management leaves, his or her replacement can easily pick up where he left off since knowledge of how the business works is readily available (Whyte, 2004, pp. 4-6). In obtaining this knowledge, Enterprise Architecture involves the use of the Zachman Framework. This framework involves the use of thirty models which are required to fully define an enterprise. Each model must be explicitly recognized and implemented. According to Whyte, â€Å"Each row of the Zachman Framework takes a unique perspective of the enterprise (planner, owner, designer, builder, subcontractor). Each column deals with a primitive interrogative (what, how, where, who, when, why). Each of the thirty intersections of these rows and columns identifies a unique model of the enterprise. Each model is unique – it is not an elaboration of a higher level model. Each higher level row provides requirements for the row beneath, but each perspective, hence, each model is unique† (Whyte, 2004, p. 6). â€Å"All models in a column are related by a fundamental meta-model (entity-relationship, function-argument, node-link, agent-work, time-cycle, ends-means). As the models are developed ‘as is’ for an enterprise, it is unavoidable that discontinuities will be discovered between the higher level models (planner’s and owner’s perspective) and the lower level models (builder’s and sub-contractor’s perspective). This is because current corporate systems have usually been built starting at the lowest levels with no regard to the higher level models. So naturally, the functioning enterprise is NOT a true representation of what the corporate management desires† (Whyte, 2004, p. 7). In other words, Whyte recommends Enterprise Architecture as the means to bind an organization’s business side and IS side into a fully functional whole entity. Knowledge of the entire enterprise, from top to bottom, is necessary in order to determine not only the current situation but the framework on which change management should be based on.

Chemical Reactions

Chemical Reactions Chemical Change †¢ reorganization †¢ original substances form new substances with different formulas †¢ may or may not involve a change of state †¢ symbols used to describe chemical reaction are known as a chemical equation †¢ Chemical equations do not have equal signs (=) they have an arrow Chemical Equations †¢ Must follow the Law of Conservation of Matter †¢ atoms can neither be created or destroyed during a chemical reaction †¢ What goes in must come out! Chemical Equations †¢ Reactants = Products same number of atoms of each element on each side of the reaction arrow Equations must be balanced! †¢ other symbols †¢ (s)solid †¢ (l)liquid †¢ (g)gas †¢ (aq)aqueous, dissolved inwater Balancing Chemical Equations †¢ First check all ionic formulas to see if they are correct! Five steps to balancing equations 1. Count the number of atoms of each element (or polyatomic ion) on the reactant side and then on the product side. You may want to use a chart or table. 2. Determine which are out of balance – these need to be balanced 3. Pick an element or polyatomic ion to start with†¦ †¢ Balance using coefficients. †¢ Do not use coefficients of 1 †¢ No changes may be made to the subscripts †¢ use least common multiples 5. Check and recheck! †¢ Practice balancing these equations †¢ H2(g) + O2(g) > H2O †¢ KCl + BaSO4 > K2SO4 + BaCl2 Types of Chemical Reactions †¢ Combination /Direct Combinationsynthesis †¢ 2Na(s) + Cl2(g) > 2 NaCl(s) Single Displacement †¢ single substitution †¢ anion always replaces anion †¢ cation always replaces cation Mg + 2 HCl > MgCl2 + H2 †¢ Complete the following Single Displacement (formula is correct) Al + CuSO4 Double Displacement †¢ 2 substitutions †¢ ion-exchange †¢ MgSO4 + BaCl2 >BaSO4 + MgCl2 †¢ Types of Chemical Reactions †¢ Double Displacement †¢ What are the expected products of MgSO4 + BaCl2 †¢ Types of Chemical Reactions †¢ KOH + MgCl ( †¢ check formulas and complete) Decomposition †¢ HgO > Hg + O2 (balance) †¢ 2 HgO > 2 Hg + O2 †¢ carbonic acid in lab activity Oxidation / Reduction †¢ oxidize iron into rust 4Fe + 3O2 ( 2Fe2O3 Oxidation reactions †¢ add O (or remove H) Reduction reactions †¢ add H ( or remove O) Redox reaction †¢ Combination of oxidation and reduction Practice †¢ How many grams of diatomic oxygen (O2) are needed to make 4 moles of magnesium oxide (MgO) from magnesium ribbon (Mg)? †¢ Hint balance equation and use coefficient as mole. Energy in a Chemical Reaction Endothermic †¢ heat in †¢ requires activation energy †¢ A + B + 100kcal => C + D Exothermic †¢ heat out †¢ A + B => C + D + 100 kcal

Exposing the Mommy Myth: A Book Review

Society has always glorified and celebrated motherhood. It considers it the most difficult yet the noblest of professions. So precious is its position in society that traditions and norms have been set up around it to protect it from the vagaries of change as well as from attempts to transform it to keep it abreast with contemporary ways. In these modern times, motherhood still adheres to a rigid script that is anchored on the theme that a woman’s true essence is to be a mother, and not just any mother, but to become the Perfect Mom. Media and the images of motherhood they produce are at the forefront of this endeavor to promote and protect the ideal of the Perfect Mom. Except that there is no such thing as a Perfect Mom. Media are doing a disservice to women of all ages by passing off these images as the standard they must aspire for to be considered successful mothers so they can achieve fulfillment and contentment in life. â€Å"New Momism† The book The Mommy Myth: The Idealization of Motherhood and How It Has Undermined Women by Susan J. Douglas and Meredith W. Michaels is one work that presents a witty yet scholarly critique of media’s romanticized images of motherhood and how they misrepresent the realities confronting mothers. The authors framed their arguments on what they called the â€Å"new momism† which they defined as a â€Å"set of ideals, norms and practices most frequently and powerfully represented in the media that seem on the surface to celebrate motherhood, but which in reality promulgate standards of perfection that are beyond your reach.† The term â€Å"momism† was coined by journalist Philip Wylie in 1942 for his book Generation of Vipers. He used the term to denounce the way American mothers were raising their sons to be mama’s boys who were incapable of fighting for their country. The authors’ decision to reclaim momism and redefine it was a deliberate attempt to show that nothing much has changed since those war years of the early 1940s with regard to society’s expectation of motherhood: it is the mother who is largely responsible whether the child will grow up into a successful, stable, and happy person or not. And media made sure to instill this in her psyche. This is how the authors described what mothers internalize when they read magazines, watch TV, or see a movie: Mothers are subject to an onslaught of beatific imagery, romantic fantasies, self-righteous sermons, psychological warnings, terrifying movies about losing their children, even more terrifying news stories about abducted and abused children, and totally unrealistic advice about how to be the most perfect and revered mom in the neighborhood. (2) The authors further wrote: No wonder 81 percent of women in a recent poll said it’s harder to be a mother now than it was 20 or 30 years ago, and 56 percent felt mothers were doing a worse job today than mothers back then. Even mothers who deliberately avoid TV and magazines, or who pride themselves in seeing through them, have trouble escaping the standards of perfection, and the sense of threat, that the media ceaselessly atomize the air we breathe. (2) It is ironic that the authors started their examination of media messages about mothers during the 1970s, that exciting period in the feminist movement when women were beginning to find their voices and question, even break free from the traditional gender roles that had been assigned to them. Motherhood did not escape their scrutiny and it was one of the topics discussed and debated on during consciousness-raising sessions. They were also beginning to realize that motherhood was not a woman’s destiny and there were choices available for her. Women could choose whether they become mothers or not. And if they chose to be mothers, they could choose to stay at home to raise their children or work outside the home, maybe even pursue a career. Which was what a significant number of them did, giving rise to a phenomenon that may have, in all probability, resulted in the new momism. And why not, motherhood was under threat, especially from feminism, and it had to be protected at all cost. For the authors,   â€Å"(w)hether you are a married religious fundamentalist, a partnered lesbian, a divorced secular humanist with a Ph.D., or a single twenty-year-old trying to make it in the big city, if you are a female human, the new momism has circled the wagons around you.† The book laid out a historical account of how the new momism manifested itself during the last decades of the 20th century and the contradictory messages they send out to women. It juxtaposed mothering guided by famous pediatricians, through regular media exposure, and childrearing advice columns against the emerging feminist thinking on the political characteristic of motherhood during the ‘70s. It discussed how in the ‘80s, media reports of child molestation, abductions and other external threats against children presented working mothers with a dilemma of whether to entrust their children to others while they were out working. But it was also during the same period that media intensified its message that mothers can have both a satisfying career and a stable family life. In the ‘90s, it is the turn of the celebrity moms, who made ordinary women insecure and less confident of their motherhood skills, and the criminal and welfare mothers to be under media attention. The so-called mommy wars were also being fought, supposed conflicts that pitted working mothers against stay-at-home moms. The authors, in dissecting coverage of issues facing motherhood, were able to show the evolving, and at times opposing, images of mothers in media and how they were deeply influenced by new momism. Most of the time, the authors constantly referred to popular culture to illustrate their analysis. This, plus their smart-ass style of writing, may have given some readers cause to think of their work as less than scholarly. Still, their analysis was incisive enough and ably supported by well-documented examples to be dismissed as anything but presenting a legitimate issue about the myths of motherhood. Reclaiming Motherhood It cannot be denied that in this time and age, media still fail to portray a balanced picture of women’s diverse lives, choosing instead to present images and messages that reinforce traditional gender roles that are very limiting. Motherhood is not exempt from this. As the authors argued in their book, media have systematically presented an idealized, and therefore, unrealistic picture of it. Media’s core message is that women are destined to have children. Their primary role in life is to be mothers who must care for them and raise them to be successful, stable, happy persons. Their own fulfillment is anchored on this. No wonder then that mothers who feel differently are assailed by guilt and a sense of failure for wanting to be more than mothers. These feelings become especially intense for working mothers who opt to leave their children in the care of others while they take on work outside the home or pursue a career. As long as mothers are in this situation, they will forever be torn between two opposing forces, juggling one set of responsibilities at the expense of the other, and struggling to meet the expectations of new momism just because these are basically society’s expectations of them as well. New momism’s supposed aim is to promote the interests of children. But as the authors pointed out, this can very well be just rhetoric, considering how public policies have fallen short in supporting mothers perform their childrearing roles. The fallout from this is consequently borne by the children. In today’s struggle for survival, a two-income family is getting to be the norm. While most mothers may prefer to be stay-at-home moms, more and more of them take on employment outside the house because of economic necessity. It will be a validation for working mothers and how they are valued by society if they can be provided with affordable and accessible day care services and welfare benefits. Or their employment terms can be negotiated in such a way that they can work flexible hours or avail of parental leaves for family emergency. Unfortunately, providing support and benefits to working mothers are not high on the agenda of government and business. There have been instances when government has slashed funding for initiatives that respond to the needs of working mothers. Business, on the other hand, prioritizes profit first before benefits for working mothers. So much for the exalted and celebrated status of mothers, particularly of working mothers. Faced with this, is it correct then to say that motherhood as practiced by them should be less valued since they do not meet the expecations of new momism? Not so, according to the authors. They argued that mothers would be better served by reclaiming motherhood and redefining it in such a way that it would encompass shared parenting as well as support and welfare benefits for their childrearing responsibilities. At the top of the agenda to accomplish this is to acknowledge new momism for being the unrealistic ideal that it is and to stand firm against it. Motherhood can never be perfect. All that a mother can do is to try and do her best. To constantly aim for perfection is a futile and self-defeating exercise. The authors have succeeded in debunking the merit of new momism. And they did this with cutting wit and a scathing sense of humor as only two mothers who are fully convinced of their arguments can do. Their style may not work for some readers but there is no denying the fact that they are able to expose some three-decades worth of fallacious thinking and belief that is the myth of motherhood. Work Cited Douglas, Susan J. and Meredith W. Michaels. The Mommy Myth: The Idealization of Motherhood and How It Has Undermined Women. New York: Free Press, 2004.                                    

Affecting Consumer Behavior Toward China Children Toys

Lego is one of the most reputed organizations known for having amused and nurtured the building as well as the motor skills of children all over the world. Lego’s reputation lies especially in the fact that it appeals to the children, and parents alike. While the children are attracted by the fact that the toys produced by Lego let them build their own creations, the parents are simply attracted by the educational purpose these toys serve (Moreau & Engeset, 2016) .However, the growth of the organization has never been free from challenges, and in order to sustain itself in future, Lego must be able to evaluate the variety of strategic choices available to the company. Before developing the effective strategies necessary for Lego, a SWOT analysis will help in understanding the situation in a better way: It is not just a toy factory, but it serves to educate the children as well. Its educative value has a great appeal to the consumers. It has earned huge brand recognition across fifty five countries. The market is diversified, as it consists of video games, movies and merchandise. Good advertisement and promotional strategies. Huge competition from rival organizatons. The growing popularity of online games among the children. Further product diversification for different age groups is beneficial. Lego can extend its production to other parts of the world, which are experienced in the manufacture of toys. There is a huge lack of innovation. The organization can face huge competition from other low-cost toy products, as well as the new electronic products (Biancamaria et al., 2014). Although Lego has gained unprecedented popularity among the children, the organization has recently failed to retain its high position in the consumer market, and this would not have happened if the organization could keep on innovating itself with time. Definitely, the Lego brand has been introducing a variety of products, such as video games, jewelry sets as well as amusement parks, however, what went wrong was that it failed to keep its focus on the products, and needless to say it was taking haphazard business decisions.   The discipline in the management system was totally missing. There are organizations such as Mega Blocs, which though are imitating the products of Lego, are offering the products at too cheap a price. Hence, these organizations, which are imitating the products of Lego, are using cheaper materials and yet attracting consumers (Koh et al., 2012). Besides, with the emergence of video games and the variety of free online games, children are losing interest in t he toys offered by Lego. Another emerging issue with Lego has been the organization’s focus on a narrow target audience, as a result of which it is unable to gain the attention of a huge number of consumers. The organization has also been encountering a stiff competition from China, as the nation is much popular for its toy markets, which are also operating globally, and apart from the theme-based toys or traditional toys, educational toys are also popularly found in the market (Hawking, 2013).    Robertson claimed that an organization, before introducing innovation must possess sufficient knowledge about what would be the direction of the innovation. Controlled innovation is highly important for an organization, and here in case of Lego, it can be seen that though it tried to introduce disruptive ideas in business, it failed to overlook the commercial gains for the sake of too much focus on creative ideas (Drucker, 2014).   While the Lego group thought that it was enhancing its revenue through market diversification, the over diversification of the products made their business highly irrelevant and directionless (Power et al., 2016). Certain toy-manufacturing organizations are using the competitive pricing policy for selling their products, and hence the parents irrespective of the brand recognition, are getting attracted to their products, since they are reluctant to invest too much for a toy. The main target customers of Lego has been the children aged between 3 to 12 yea rs, and though the organization has gradually diversified its products for manufacturing toys for toddlers and teens, it did not manufacture anything attractive that could gain the attention of the adults (McGraw et al., 2013). To make the business more sustainable in future, Lego must adopt innovative business ideas that will help in pushing the business forward. The organization must focus on a few products, very much relevant and meaningful in the toy- manufacturing business, instead of the theme parks and the apparels. The organization needs to shut down its theme parks, as it is very much capital intensive, and is hardly offering any lucrative returns to the owners. The organization has been tapping a huge number of franchises; however, before doing the same, the organization must have a strategic and well-integrated approach. Lego is losing market to the virtual games and other rival organizations and hence it is important to stick to the Lego movie concept. Further, the organization must adopt very effective promotional strategies, and the organization must keep on interacting with the consumers via social media platforms. Knowing the target market, broadening the market, and instead of diversifying too much, producing limited products for a wide range of consumers, is always a highly beneficial idea. The organization must come up with compelling online game ideas that can attract the consumers irrespective of age and sex. In addition, it should also introduce a few interesting, participatory games in the â€Å"family fun† category. The organization instead of setting up stores in China, should tie up with a popular Chinese toy-manufacturing organization. In order to bring consumer interest in the toys produced by Lego, it can not only take use of social media marketing strategy, but also can arrange competitions in schools, launching new or re-introducing existent products (Anh, 2014). As and when the organization will stop its aggressive expansion, it will be able to focus much better on limited products, both in terms of production as well as promotion. Online gaming is achieving enormous popularity among the children of the present generation, and hence creating great graphics introducing fun and interesting games via online sites, can help in boosting the recognition of Lego. Strategic alliance with the famous Chinese companies can considerably help Lego in achieving greater recognition in the Chinese market, while also helping it acquire greater expertise necessary for serving the changing needs of the consumers. Anh, V. N. (2014).  Analysis factors affecting consumer behavior toward China children toys in Ho Chi Minh City  (Doctoral dissertation, International University HCMC, Vietnam). Biancamaria, S., Lamy, A. and Mognard, N. (2014), May. Analysis of SWOT spatial and temporal samplings over continents. In  EGU General Assembly Conference Abstracts  (Vol. 16, p. 16904). Drucker, P. (2014).  Innovation and entrepreneurship. Routledge. Hawking, S. (2013). Rebuild your childhood with ourLego brick competition.New Scientist,  220(2948), 85. Koh, K.K., Choo, K.W.J. and Chong, K.C. (2012). Lego Challenge for competition project. McGraw, J. J., Wallot, S., Mitkidis, P., & Roepstorff, A. (2014). Culture’s building blocks: investigating cultural evolution in a LEGO construction task.Frontiers in psychology,  5. Moreau, C. P., & Engeset, M. G. (2016). The Downstream Consequences of Problem-Solving Mindsets: How Playing with LEGO Influences Creativity.Journal of Marketing Research,  53(1), 18-30. Powers, C., Spear, R., Wood, D., & Harish, A. (2016). The Re-designed Lego. Getting academic assistance from

The Printmaker and Painter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Printmaker and Painter - Essay Example Studying printmaking enabled him to communicate his artistic notions. He is particularly fond of printmaking as it can be extremely spontaneous and complex; in addition, the combinations and methodologies offered in printmaking lead to endless opportunities. His work stands out as it appears as contemporary as graffiti, although the roots of printmaking can be traced back to the Middle Ages. For him, content is the determinant of the materials and printmaking methodologies that he employs, in the endeavor to push the simple art of printmaking to its limits. He has a deep-seated desire to explore various components of printmaking and draws inspiration from the work of Sean Hillen, Andy Warhol, Gerhard Richter, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Rene Magritte. Printmaking is an unpredictable art technique as printmakers themselves are not sure of the image until the paper is revealed. More specifically, he utilizes etching to communicate his thoughts and notions. His prints are intricate and fu ll of technical details, perhaps as a response to the evolving and chaotic world around us. These prints are a reflection of his sentimental reaction to the passing of time and experiences. The artist uses biomorphic and geometric images to explore the limitations imposed by time and space and their impact on humans. These portray notions, emotions and various points in time. He follows no sequential order but instead manipulates materials and etching techniques to reproduce feelings. He is of the opinion that humans should not only view themselves as people but also need to consider themselves at various points of time and events. ‘A story of/for M’ has been inspired from the childhood tales narrated by his Russian grandmother, Marina.  Ã‚  

SIMULATION GAME Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

SIMULATION GAME - Essay Example In addition, the report would outline and provide a brief overview of the industry, particularly the shoe manufacturing industry, within which the company operates. The strategic direction provided for the same would discuss whether the strategic direction matched the outcomes. Finally, the report will outline on the strategic principles, based upon which the company operates and key learning points in the study. To assess the competitive strategy of Black Bottoms in the years 10-15, there is a requirement to analyze the ‘Competitive Intelligence Reports’ (CIR), which will provide a comprehensive understanding of the company’s market scenario. The diagram provided below illustrates that the price, S/Q Rating, Models Offered, Free Shipping, Advertising, Celebrity Appeal, Online Orders, Pairs Sold and Market Share for Black Bottoms. The diagram above clearly displays the scenario of all the three segments for the year 2015 in the North American footwear market. Furthermore, the company has been unable to create a global differentiation strategy, as provided statistics reveals that the company’s S/Q rating, celebrity endorsement and additional services such as free home delivery were falling behind its competitors. Hence, there is no such evidence on how the company has used a single strategy to gain a competitive advantage. The data available from other nations reveal a similar result, wherein, the company has not used any specific competitive strategy. Hence, it can be said that the company does not acquire any consistent competitive strategy. As it can be seen that the company has been redesigning its price structure and differentiating factors, it can be said that Bell Bottoms prefers to reinvent the strategies every year in order to pursue the upcoming opportunities in relation to the market forecast s. Hence, it can be said that the company tries to gain its competitive advantage by updating its

Inflating Value Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Inflating Value - Essay Example One ethical issue that prevails in Jack’s case is the conflict of interest regarding the moral uprightness in professional undertakings. Apparently, there are conflicting values as to whether Jack should prioritize professional integrity, or whether he should prioritize the interests of his superiors. Apparently, changing the peer group would undervalue ABC Lighting and increases the potential of upsetting superiors, especially the managing director and the client; hence compromising Jack’s prospects of being touched by the investment bank after graduation. On the contrary, knowingly inflating the value of the company constitutes the lack of integrity in duty performance. In essence, conflicts of interest emerge whenever employees feel obliged to please and respect a rigid chain of command within an organization. When under conflicts of interest, employees are expected to uphold the ethical principle of integrity.Apparently, the investment bank has an extremely strict c hain of command. In such organizational cultures, subordinate employees can only report to their immediate superiors. Therefore, Jack should report the issue to David, his Associate. As a financial analyst, Jack is professionally obliged to perform his duties in an objective and accurate manner. Therefore, he should mention that to the best of his knowledge, the peer group selected for the valuation exercise by his Associate is not accurate, and that he is technically conflicted as to whether due diligence should be followed in selecting companies to form the right peer group.