War Is One Of The Biggest Atrocities That Man Must Commit

After looking through the slideshow for this portion of the class I felt a mixture of sadness and hope, disgust and inspiration, confusion and clarity. These images bounce back and forth from a crying child to one who has had access to medical attention, a naked child screaming in terror in the streets to an image of the same woman as an adult, happy and healthy. War is one of the biggest atrocities that man must commit but at the same time people are never as beautiful or as courageous as when they are in the midst of crisis.Take the picture of the Young Beggar’s in Saigon for example. This picture is bittersweet. It is extremely sad but also really beautiful. The infant in the box makes me want to weep but I am comforted by the fact that these two young people are holding hands. They have each other. If nothing else these two have that little human contact that will make their situation bearable. Other examples of this include the shoeshine boys who have congregated together to form a young Saigon gang. Is this an ideal picture, no, but it is real.These children may have to grow up quickly but they have each other and they are living the only childhood they will ever know. But then there are photos of the young victims of war, bombing victims and women trying to smuggle her children out of the war zone. These are not pretty pictures but again they illustrate the beauty of the human spirit. Could I appreciate life if I had never seen with my own eyes the sadness of a life taken too soon? Could anyone ever know real strength and courage if they had never felt the tinges of fear?There were other pictures that were slightly confusing, such as the photo of the US Marine giving the young girl a cigarette. At first I thought, â€Å"Why would he give such a young child a cigarette? † But then I realized it was because that was all this soldier had to give. I am sure that being an American, used to children having the right to grow up healthy and safe, m akes it difficult to see children growing up in the midst of a war zone. It makes one want to â€Å"rescue† each other. And again that is admirable. Look at the girls face in that photo. She is radiant. She is the lightness in an otherwise bleak world.In response, I really don’t know who the â€Å"good† guys are and who the â€Å"bad† guys are in these photos. And truly I don’t know that it matters. I was truck by the strength and beauty that was represented here. Look at the faces in these pictures and you see strength, perseverance, tradition and even love. For example, look at the woman in the photo A Vietnamese Woman, the trials and tribulations of life are etched all over her face. Ultimately these photos represent the good and the bad, the yin and yang of humanity. For some strange reason man does not appreciate life until life is taken away.And unfortunately the world is a better place after we have had to clean up the rubble of war and huma n greed. Somehow in the midst of destruction we find the strength to help each other, pick up where we left off. Yet, when all is well in the world we get greedy and seek to destroy. These images are timeless. Despite our disgust at seeing a young child tortured we, as a race, will continue to commit these crimes. Maybe as a species man has self destructive tendencies. Maybe we can only appreciate the beauty of life when we see the ugliness in death.

Persuasive- Pro Gay Marriage Essay

The legalization of same-sex marriage benefits both LGBT people and America as a nation. As states progressively begin to legalize same-sex marriage, it’s a convenient time to refocus attention on the many advantages associated with the pursuit and achievement of marriage equality. If same-sex marriages are legalized in Texas, not only will it benefit the state but also it will promote equality and non-discrimination in society, provide economic and business opportunities, and strengthen America’s national identity and international reputation. Millions of LGBT people contribute daily to American life in a multitude of ways culturally, socially, financially, politically, vocationally, and spiritually. They are vital to this nation’s continued growth and evolution and the U.S.A. would suffer greatly from the extraction of their many contributions. The legalization of same-sex marriage encourages the human right that everyone deserves. This promotion of equality and non-discrimination is extremely important in reducing homophobia and encouraging a minority group in society that has suffered colossal amounts of disgust that nobody deserves. â€Å"More than 1 in 5 LGBTQ students are physically harassed or assaulted because of their sexual orientation.† Children and young adults are being bullied because of whom they like; many of them cannot deal with this harassment and end up committing suicide. A large part of this nation’s future will be dead if this nonsense doesn’t quit. What more of a reason d o people need to know to see that homophobia is wicked and same-sex marriage should be permitted? It has been proven that same-sex marriage has provided a major economical boost to those states and countries that have embraced marriage equality. The marriage and wedding industry is a significant one. â€Å"Nearly $260 million was injected into the New York City economy in the year following the legalization of same-sex marriage.† It’s obvious that money-obsessed geezers that are always looking for a way to get more money out of citizens run the government. They’d be absolutely blind and useless not to acknowledge that authorizing same-sex marriages could be a win-win for both them and gay couples. America has historically presented itself as a global leader in matters of freedom and democracy. It’s unfortunate and ironic, however, that  back on home soil one particular group of people is consistently denied full access to the â€Å"American dream.† The fact that the federal government doesn’t recognize same-sex marriage in a majority of the states has damaged America’s international reputation in relation to LGBT rights. If people would stop discriminating and start embracing this way of life it would play a key role in enhancing America’s international reputation in matters of social justice and in restoring this nation’s integrity as a global leader in the competence of civil and human rights. Also, â€Å"Liberty and justice for all† would finally be believable when same-sex couples are granted equal access to laws across the country. It’s time for things to change and begin to celebrate diversity and difference in our society, rather than continuing to fear or attack it.

Audit of Alex Blenheim Samples for Students

The methods which are applied by an entity and which give promise to accomplish the aims and objectives set by an entity from its business processes are called as internal control system of an entity. It helps in attaining the goals of efficient and effective reporting by management and auditor about the affairs of the company, proper and timely compliance of rules and regulations lay down by government. The internal control weakness is defined as a deficiency in the systems designed and employed by an entity to ensure effectiveness in the working of an entity in relation to aim and objectives set by an entity. In the given case of Alex Blenheim Pty Limited, to assess the weakness in internal control system firstly the assessment of internal control environment and its effect on company policies and procedures is require to be done.   The control environment of an entity is base for efficient and effective reporting of the financial and non financial matters to the stakeholders of entity both internal and external for achievement of aim and goals set by strategic objectivities if an entity and it is the foundation of effective control system in an entity. The Alex Blenheim may objective is to reduce the cost of goods to company including the overheads costs or by achieving the high volume of sales as the company is low margin company. The company is planning to reduce the levels of inventory, early receipts from debtors and early payments to creditor to increase the working capital margins of the company. The company is maintaining very goods internal control policies in relation to Inventory of Raw Material, Work in Process and for finished goods. The company is maintaining the computerized system of internal control of inventory. It contains all the five elements which are required for good internal control system. The elements of good internal control systems are Control environment, Entity’s risk evaluation process, information system, control activities and review of internal controls to reduce the weakness of controls are presents in company internal control policy of inventory.(Scaldeo,2013) A good internal control in relation to inventory involves the controls which enables an entity to: If any of the above is followed in making controls of inventories, there is weakness in controls relating to Inventory. The following are weakness in the internal control of inventory in Alex Blenheim Company: The weakness could impact the working of an entity and hampers the ultimate objective of the company which the company is required to achieve by implementing the controls systems. The weakness can damage the effectiveness and efficiency of business control environment which are root causes for business risks in any business. Steps Taken To Reduce The Imapct Of Risk In Internal Control System The following are the steps taken by an entity to reduce the impact of risks in internal controls: Feng, M., Li, C., McVay, S. E., & Skaife, H. (2014). Does ineffective internal control over financial reporting affect a firm's operations? Evidence from firms' inventory management. The Accounting Review, 90(2), 529-557. Salcedo, C. A. G., Hernandez, A. I., Vilanova, R., & Cuartas, J. H. (2013). Inventory control of supply chains: Mitigating the bullwhip effect by centralized and decentralized Internal Model Control approaches. European Journal of Operational Research, 224(2), 261-272. Strand L, (2014) , â€Å"10 Common Internal Control Deficiencies Found in Small Business† available at https://www.lbahs.com/blog/bid/397513/10-common-internal-control-deficiencies-found-in-small-businesses accessed on 06/05/2017

Business-Finance Paper -Read FULL directions Essay

Business-Finance Paper -Read FULL directions - Essay Example Already the country’s currency, the ruble, had been the worst among currencies around the world in terms of overall performance for 2014, losing 48 percent of its value over the past year. As of January 20, 2015, the value of the ruble was pegged at around $65.2765 in the trading markets. Dropping oil revenues and the falling value of the ruble is compounded by threats from the ratings agencies to reduce Russia’s credit rating to junk, which would further increase the costs and risks of borrowing for Russia relative to international financial markets. This would further cripple the country’s chances of being able to borrow money to finance its budget deficits. Already, the country had been using its dollar reserves to prop up the ruble’s value, spending about 20 percent of its total dollar hoard for the purpose, so that what had been a formidable reserve had been reduced to $386 billion. The fate of the reserves level of dollars for Russia is tied to the p rice of oil, and at $45 a barrel, the country is expected to be able to finance at least three years of budget deficits and eat through about half of its current dollar reserves. With the economy expected to contract in 2015, the challenge for Russia is to be able to prudently make use of its dollar reserves to keep the economy afloat and the ruble from falling off a cliff in terms of purchasing power. The expected budget deficit for 2015 is about two percent of GDP, and the sanctions on Russia by the west due to the former’s meddling in Ukraine, plus the threat of a credit rating downgrade, all conspire to make it difficult for Russia to keep the economy on an even keel moving forward (Andrianova). The situation amounts to a looming fiscal crisis for the Russian government, in other words. The deficit is growing because the oil price drop seems to be something that will not correct soon. Meanwhile, the credit downgrade and the sanctions from the Ukraine situation means that

Current Issues in Education and Traing- Seminar Paper Related to the Essay

Current Issues in Education and Traing- Seminar Paper Related to the New Diplomas in the UK - Essay Example ke a smooth transition from school to work and may go on to university however many other students lack support for this activity and they dont have the proper guidance to get to this point. Many dont have a clear pathway to go to good jobs or good career opportunities. (Blair, 1999, p. 6). It is important to bring training to these students so that they can make better choices after they leave school. Some of the students in this category have family problems or emotional issues that stop them from doing well in regular school and these students become socially excluded because they cant get the jobs they need. This creates less structure for students than the New Deal for older unemployed young people (Blair, p. 8).There are many obstacles that have been present for these older young people and therefore when life goes wrong for them and they are involved in a pattern that keeps them there, they will be disproportionately involved in social exclusion. These young adults are more likely to be "unemployed, dependent on benefits, to live in unstable family structures, and to be depressed about their lives" (Blair, p. 8). Other challenges for these students are that the regular compulsory education may cause some students to be truant too often and others to be disruptive to their classrooms. This has leaded many to see a weakness in the vocational aspects of training. This also called for a new way of looking at education ("Opportunity and Excellence", p. 3). According to Opportunity and Excellence (2005), the New Diplomas would combine traditional study with tailored programmes that would fit the individual needs and aptitudes of each student. This would enable them to continue to learn English, mathematics and science but in a different atmosphere in school. They would also learn about work and enterprise and learn computer skills as some of the classes (Opportunity and Excellence, p. 4). These classes will be done in modules that make the diploma more

Roles of a Supervisor in Virtual Organization Essay

Roles of a Supervisor in Virtual Organization - Essay Example The essay "Roles of a Supervisor in Virtual Organization" talks about the management aspect of the virtual organizations by analyzing the benefits and disadvantages of the virtual organizations. Supervisory roles in virtual organizations require the creation of world-class systems of learning to enhance the innovative competitiveness of the organization to match world-class standards. Supervisors for virtual management require thorough training and experience to be able to manage and coordinate the various activities of the virtual organizations. Facilitation of performance is one of my key role as a virtual supervisor. As a supervisor, I will boost performance by encouraging employees in their virtual workplaces to work harder while at the same time removing obstacles to successful performance. Some of the notable obstacles that I will concentrate on to remove include obsolete technology, delays in the transmission of critical information and inefficient work design. Recognition of the issues, analysis of the causes, and identification of the solutions earlier can help to differentiate between success and failure of the virtual work team. Therefore, as a supervisor, I will put proper mechanisms in place to address the aforementioned issues by using communication the appropriate tool. Through communication, I will strengthen the member identification by providing members of the virtual organization with the opportunity of creating and sharing their varied views of the defining features of the organization.

Managing Performance in Turbulent Times Research Paper

Managing Performance in Turbulent Times - Research Paper Example This paper examines how Google competes in the world of the internet and e-commerce. It examines the various points which Google uses to gain an advantage of its competitors and remain at the top of the industry. Barrows & Nechy (2011 p85) identify that the brain behind the success of Google lies in its ability to innovate. As compared to its competitors, Google spends more time and effort to identify new communication systems and methods at different points in time. Although Google started as a search engine company, it spent time and money to research and identify the true needs and desires of customers. In 2005, they launched personal email services which they believed was in demand by the markets. â€Å"They pursue a strategy that aims at increasing the capacity of computers and communication† (Png & Lehman, 2007 p3). This means that research and development are a fundamental part of Google. They put in more effort to find out what consumers need at every point in time and work to provide that specific service according to the highest standards and expectations possible. Google, therefore, sets out to organize the world's information rather than just make a profit for the sake of getting money from the consumers (Carter et al, 2011 p147). They, therefore, try to find ways of satisfying consumer needs at specific times. Google, therefore, has competitors not only in the normal internet companies but also, traditional publishers and other outlets. Google is aware that it operates in one of the most turbulent industries in the world. They, therefore, appreciate the fact that consumer needs change at a regular interval. Google, therefore, changes regularly to meet these demands. On the average, Google makes major changes to its strategy each month (Carter et al, 2011 p148). The internal structures of Google support its vision of leading in innovation. Googles workers are grouped in teams  of 20 – 50 employees under a single manager.

Impact of Unions on Human Resources Management Research Paper

Impact of Unions on Human Resources Management - Research Paper Example The approach taken by this paper focuses on the context of both the employees and the employer, in order to understand how basing on these two, unions influence the human resources management of an organization. Overall, this paper will show that unions have both negative and positive impact on human resources management of an organization. Literature Review Labor Laws, Unions, and Human Resources Management Labor laws are essential in guiding the relationship between the employers, the employees, and the unions. Therefore, through them, there arise various expectations, which influence the management of a unionized organization in various ways. Neuser and Barker (2010) wrote an article, which explores the state of labor laws in the United States. In their article titled â€Å"What Every Employer Should Know about the Law of Union Organizing,† Neuser and Barker explore the various labor laws in the United States, and interpret them to show how these influence employers, and wh at is wrong or right for employers to do when faced with unionization. Nonetheless, a major aspect of employers’ actions, which the labor laws guide, is the counter-campaign. Neuser and Barker (6) argue that, â€Å"An employer is permitted, and is almost always well advised, to conduct an employee informational campaign when confronted with a union organizing campaign.† However, the manner through which this is done determines whether the labor laws are violated or adhered to by the employer. The counter-campaign by the employer results in changes in the human resources and management practices in a company. However, an employer conducts a counter-campaign, in accordance with the Section 8(a) of the Act, as well as various opinions by the judicial and the board. Therefore, in a bid to prevent employees from unionizing, employers might adopt additional human resources practices, or improve on the existing human resources practices, in order to promote employee job satis faction. For instance, they might increase employee salaries, promote some employees to higher position, and generally improve on the working conditions of employees. Nonetheless, all these changes and new adoptions in HR practices will have been brought about by unionization. However, Neuser and Barker emphasize that this counter-campaign should not infringe on any labor law (26). Unionizing, Job Satisfaction, and Human Resources Management Various researches have been conducted to explore the effect of unionizing on employee job satisfaction. In their study, Bryson, Cappellari, and Lucifora (2010) explored the effect of unionizing on employee job satisfaction in Britain. Results show that there are no significant differences in the level of job satisfaction between union and nonunion employees. However, for those union employees that lacked collective bargaining, the level of job satisfaction was found to be lower. Nonetheless, collective bargaining is an important determinant of job satisfaction for union workers. In another study, Artz (2010) investigated how union experience influences employee job satisfaction. Results showed that job satisfaction was only higher among the employers, who were in unions for the first time, thus low experience in unions. However, the more an employee gained increased experience in uni

Marketing management report Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Marketing management report - Term Paper Example on leveraging Korra’s product strengths to position itself as a premium brand, to realize higher margins from lower revenues and as a means to differentiate itself from the market. This translates to a sourcing strategy that shuns China as a supplier of products, because of quality issues that are incompatible with its premium and quality proposition. Opportunities in marketing online, via Facebook and Google and other relevant social media platforms, can be pursued, with promotions budgets aligned with sales (Hae, 2014). The challenge is to provide a comprehensive marketing plan for Korra Dancewear, by way of providing advice and guidance to Karolina Swietoniowska, who is the firm’s owner and primary creative force/designer. Based in Canada, in Ontario, the challenge is finding means to drum up interest in the new collection of dancewear created by the owner, and being solely focused on the online channel, and the goal is to translate improved attention to greater revenues, all while working with constraints in funding. These constraints translate to formidable challenges marketing-wise, and the owner has in mind a strategy that focuses on several key aspects of any marketing plan. Those aspects relate to promotions, extending the product line, and focusing on modes of distribution. Overall, the owner’s goal is to realize monthly sales of between $1, 000 and $2,000 every month by the start of 2014, and the marketing plan is the lynchpin by which Swietoniowska hoped to realize that reve nue goal (Hae, 2014). The channel for sales is online, and the selling prices of individual pieces of wear that the owner sold were along the range of between $40 and $70. The product range consisted of seven items broken down into 18 stock keeping units or SKUs, with the sizes options limited to medium and small. Of the seven items, six items each contributed five percent to overall sales, while one item, the Kai Bodysuit, contributed seven dollars out of every ten dollars

Reaction Writing # 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Reaction Writing # 2 - Essay Example In 2001, SEC started investigating Enron’s accounting practices. In this case charges were as manipulating the accounting rules and the masking of enormous liabilities and losses. The CEO, CFO and other key leaders were charged bank fraud, conspiracy, money laundering and insider trading. The downfall of Enron and its leaders imprisoned is one of the most reported ethical violations. Ethical violations yielded to the company’s insolvency as well as destroyed a very large audit firm called Arthur Andersen (Forbes, 2013). If I was a manager, be it a top or middle position, I would make sure that I have influenced all those below me to be ethical regardless of the unethical practices carried out by top managers. This is because every organization needs a top management that is ethical in accordance with the company’s ethical approaches. The top management in turn influences the middle management who in turn influences the other employees. The shareholders have always expected the executive management to be ethical but it is not always the case. Therefore, if I mange to influence all the employees to be ethical, it would be very easy to bring to justice all the violators and avoid leading the company to

Illegal Mexican Americans Essay Example for Free

Illegal Mexican Americans Essay Over the past 10 years, traversing the U.S.–Mexico border illegally has become increasingly dangerous for would-be immigrants. Illegal immigrants face kidnapping, murder, and rape at the hands of violent drug cartels and ever more ruthless human smugglers. Crossing treacherous desert areas exposes the travelers to heat exhaustion and dehydration. Hundreds of people die every year trying to cross the border into the U.S. However, illegal immigration is dangerous not only to the illegal immigrants themselves—it is costly to societies and nations as a whole. In order to fight illegal immigration and reduce the toll on human lives, the United States must take a comprehensive approach of increasing border security and improving legal immigration procedures and public diplomacy, as well as fostering reforms and greater efforts to crack down on human smuggling in Latin America. The Heritage Foundation lays out a plan for such an approach. In August 2010, 72 would-be illegal immigrants from Mexico were lined up and executed, their bodies discovered on a remote ranch a mere 90 miles from the U.S. border. The drug gang responsible for the kidnapping and murders, Los Zetas, captured its victims as they traveled through Tamaulipas, presumably on their way to cross the border illegally into the United States. When the 72 people refused to work for the gang, they were executed. Violence against illegal border-crossers has become a regular occurrence around land and sea borders over the past decade. Criminal acts committed against illegal immigrants include kidnapping, robbery, extortion, sexual violence, and death at the hands of cartels, smugglers, and even corrupt Mexican government officials. Hundreds of individuals perish trying to cross the U.S. southwest border each year—due to heat exhaustion, drowning, and falling into the hands of the wrong people. In Mexico, violence against illegal immigrants in transit has exploded since President Felipe Calderon began his battle against the country’s transnational criminal organizations in 2006. Despite some success in thwarting these organizations, the slow pace of justice and law enforcement reform, as well as rampant corruption, has allowed organized crime to continue to thrive in Mexico. Likewise, as Mexico attempts to clamp down on narcotics operations, these increasingly multifaceted crimina l organizations turn to other sources of income, such as human smuggling and sex trafficking. The dangers of illicit movement are not confined to Mexico. Thousands of illegal immigrants attempt to reach the United States annually by sea from the Caribbean islands of Cuba, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic. They all put themselves at risk of abandonment, exposure, capsizing, and drowning. For many illegal immigrants, their journey to the United States does not begin at America’s southern border. Mexico serves as a starting point as well as a path of transit for people all across Latin America seeking illegal entry into the United States. Last year, Mexico’s National Immigration Institute (INM) apprehended and repatriated a total of 62,141 illegal immigrants within Mexico’s border. Of the 400,235 individuals that the INM estimates enter Mexico every year illegally, approximately 150,000—or thirty seven percent—intend to cross over into the United States. These individuals travel from their home countries throughout the region to Mexico’s 750-mile shared border with Guatemala and Belize. While the terrain is mountainous and jungle-covered, there are few checkpoints along the crossing, making it to be a hospitable environment to many would-be illegal immigrants. Yet, at Mexico’s southern border begins a dangerous journey of some 2,000 miles to the United States. Over the past several years, programs to support judicial and law enforcement reform have received greater levels of support from the U.S. government. Under the shelter of the Merida Initiative, the Central America Regional Security Initiative (CARSI), and the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI), U.S. agencies support a wide variety of programs geared toward institutional reform. A portion of the total $1.3 billion appropriated for the Merida Initiative in Mexico since its creation is intended to provide technical assistance to law enforcement and training to improve vetting processes. Further, at least $207 million of the aid appropriated under Merida is specifically to be used to improve judicial efficiency and effectiveness, coordinate efforts to improve prosecutorial ability, and improve court and prison management. In order to combat the problem of illegal immigration and reduce the toll on human lives, the United States must take a comprehensive approach of increasing border security and improving legal immigration procedures and public diplomacy, as well as fostering reforms and greater efforts to combat human smuggling in Latin America.

Free

Free Trade Essay Free trade, alone, explains the varying fortunes of British industry and agriculture. How valid is this view of the period 1846-68? There is doubt that during the years 1846-68, the British industry and agriculture experienced a period of vast growth and varying fortunes. Free trade has been seen by many historians as the main motive for such a successful period, it in theory makes the world a richer place, but undoubtedly there were other remarkable improvements in Britain which accounted for the varying fortunes of industry and agriculture. There had been good developments in agriculture, seeing an increase in prices and exports. Firstly, there was stability in the price of wheat and other prices rose steadily; wheat in 1851-55 was 3% above the 1840 price. However, the best growth in prices laid in livestock related areas. A steady increase in major elements of production also had a good impact on farmers generally. There was a huge increase in drainage projects to help the quality of land and amount of land that was cultivated. This ignited a growth of technical efficiency; with much more intensive farming developments in production and use of fertilisers. Machinery, such as the steam-driven threshing machines made it possible for farmers to produced more output per acre and a lot of attention went into the correct feeding of animals, they way land was used and crops rotated. The British industry also saw great improvements in exports and growth. Over the period, the British industry enjoyed a remarkable export boom like which they had never experienced before. For example, exports in steel increased from 458,000 tones in 1845-9 to over 2,027,000 tones by 1856-9. Coal also endured the same growth in exports, with 2.5 million tones in 1845-9 to 9.86 million tones by 1865-9. The total value of exports from Britain in 1840-9 was set at à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½83 million, this figure rose to à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½244 million by 1870. This was down to a steady rise in prices, although real wages grew, as did investment and production increase too. Free trade was a major cause for the growth in this area, due to a number of reasons. It allowed Britain to make a great deal of money in opening up and developing industries in other countries, e.g. at one stage in the early 18602, Brassey, the English Contractor, had railways building on five separate continents. In the period of 1846-68, between 20% and 25% of world trade was British. In addition, free trade gave more choice to consumers, adding to the GDP and growth of economy. This also allowed Britain to flood the world with cheap manufactured goods. Free trade was finally introduced by Sir Robert Peel in his controversial 1845 budget act, influenced greatly by the Manchester School, a group of northern industrialist who came to believe that tariffs were stifling British industry. Their judgement was by no means wrong, as import duties on raw material made them more expensive less foreign countries were willing to trade than they would be otherwise. This was also keeping production costs too high the British businesses and reducing their sales, hence corrupting the economy. In Peels budget of 1842 and 1843, Peel demolished large number of the remaining duties, so that after 1845, duties on over 600 articles had been removed completely. By 1853, the attack on tariffs had initiated yet again. Gladstones 1853 budget abolished nearly all remaining duties on partially manufactured goods, food and nearly all remaining duties on fully manufactured goods, effecting over 350 separate articles. The 1860 budget continued this trend; only 48 import duties on articles left once duties were abolished on a further 375 articles. This was restricted down further in 1864 when Gladstone reduced the duty on sugar and halved the duty on tea. This provided a great stimulus to the British economy and industry. The 1860 Cobden Treaty alone produced a three-fold increase in trade with France by 1880. Nevertheless, with the benefit of hindsight, you can clearly see that there were other causes for such a period of success in both industry and agriculture. Firstly, Britain was still enjoying the advantage of being the first nation to industrialize and competition from abroad was limited. The US were having tremendous difficulty in supplying their own rapid increase of population and was held back by the Civil War of 1861-5; Germany did not become unified until 1871 so both of these countries were interdependent on British manufacturing exports. Secondly, the population growth increased the demand for such manufactured products domestically. Britain saw population increase from 27.4 million in 1851 to 31.5 million in 1871, which acted as a stimulus to industry. One major factor which contributed to the boom was the spread of railways. The decade saw immense investments in railway building. In 1843 there was only 2000 miles of track, but this soon resulted in the construction of a further 5000 miles of track by 1850, and in 1873 a total of 14,510 miles of track was opened. The industry employed large amounts of labour which were spending their wages on item such as clothing and housing which was being pumped back into the economy and helped the growth of domestic demand. In addition, the industry also encouraged technological developments in the iron and steel as vast amounts were demanded for construction. The demand for coal grew, as did the demand for service from mechanical and civil engineers. Most important of all, railways made it possible to transport manufactured goods to the ports much moor quickly. One last factor which also contributed to the boom of British industry was the vast sums of capital available for investment. Banking and credit facilities became more reliable after the Bank Charter in 1844. Even investments abroad helped the demand of British manufactured goods, as railways and factory projects were implemented overseas; the foreigners were able to buy British goods. Motives for the prosperity in agriculture differ slightly. James Caird, a farmer, wrote the famous pamphlet high farming explaining his ideas how farmers should respond to the threat of foreign competition once the Corn Laws were abolished in 1843. He believed the answer was to maintain their land more intensively, using the latest techniques and inventions to increase yield at the lowest price possible. High farming resulted in much higher productivity. Farmers begun to use clay piping to improve drainage, and Britain saw an increase in mix farmer, ranging from crops and wheat, to cattle, sheep and pigs. Overall profit for farmers doubled, even farm labourers were becoming slightly better off as far as wages, housing and food were concerned. Another factor for varying fortunes in agriculture is the rapid growth in population, increasing the demand for farmers products, which consequently meant higher prices and profits. This was also a result from very little competition from abroad. In addition, the railway boom enabled livestock to be transported quickly and cheaply over long distances. This allowed farmers to sell into new markets. Finally, even the weather was kind to the farmers and gave mostly good summers and harvest between 1850 and 1873. In conclusion, you can see that free trade did help the British industry, by allowing cheap raw materials to businesses meaning cheaper products for consumers. This stimulated the economy and made British businesses more efficient from foreign competitors. However, you can only assume that free trade would not be as positive on agriculture, as farmers faced much competition from cheaper products abroad, and to an extend, you could say that there were weaknesses in British Agriculture. There was still a great deal of conservatism in farming, large amounts of investments were often had a poor return, and there was still insecurity of tenure for tenant farmers. There were other factors, arguably more important than free trade, for the varying fortunes in both British industry and agriculture. Large increase in population meant demand rose substantially, the railway boom stimulated jobs, provided more money for citizens, helped technical developments in steel and iron industry and enabled farmers to sell in new markets. Therefore, the validity of this view is weak, as there are many more factors contributing the varying fortunes of industry and agriculture.

Importance of Knowledge Management in Organisations

Importance of Knowledge Management in Organisations CHAPTER ONE 1.0 Introduction This chapter provides a brief introduction about the research topic along with the research aims and objectives in detail. Further in this chapter, the scope of research, personal interest and the motivation to choose this particular research topic are all discussed briefly. Finally, the dissertation structure content of the six chapters is highlighted. 1.1 Introduction to the Topic The use of Internet and Intranet technologies within an organisation has changed drastically over the past ten years. Modern organisations are striving hard to maintain an appropriate strategy towards knowledge management in order to provide the employees of the organisation with the data related to their work. The main use of using a companys knowledge-base by employees is to help them develop their skills in all aspects and at the same time helps an individual to learn from any mistakes highlighted during projects undertaken. All past experiences and solutions provided at that time are recorded so experts can analyze these mistakes and make sure that they are not repeated in any of their future product developments or assignments. This research will evaluate whether knowledge management is an effective way to enhance an organisations profit and at the same time achieve employee training and development. Furthermore this research will evaluate whether Intranet and Internet services within an organisation play an important role in knowledge management process. 1.2 Personal Interest and Motivation During the learning process at the university, the author was exposed to different modules of Information Technology (IT), such as, Project Management, IT Management, Knowledge Management and Professional Issues that prevail in the present IT industry. Among these modules the author developed a kind of affection with the subject of Knowledge Management and wished to know more about it. Therefore the author has chosen to taken up this opportunity to explore this research topic and gain further understanding of knowledge management in more detail. This has not been an easy task, but with good guidance and advice from my mentors, tutors and my loved ones it has helped to finalize this topic choice and commence the research work. 1.3 Main Topics Discussed In this section, the main topics and sub topics discussed in the literature review are listed: Introduction to Intranet and Internet Services, Information Technology (IT), Impact of the Intranet on Organisations, Knowledge Management Studies, Knowledge Management, Types of Knowledge Management, Benefits of Knowledge Management Implementation in Organisations, Knowledge Circulation Process (KCP) for Organisational Performance and Management of Knowledge. All the above main topic and sub topics are related to one another which gives a complete understanding about the topic and its necessity within todays organisations. With this understanding a survey questionnaire is formulated which is analyzed at later stages of the research work/discussion. 1.4 Scoping of the Research The main purpose of this study is to evaluate whether knowledge management systems are necessary in todays organisation and also the study is to point out the important features of knowledge management when implemented within organisations. This research topic has been a major attraction for many researchers; a lot of studies have been carried out on this topic. At present, the authors research identifies a few opinions about the topic and its importance within the scope of an organisation. 1.5 Aims and Objectives The main aim of this research study is to evaluate whether knowledge management is important in todays organisations and also to discover whether knowledge management helps in employee development and learning processes. Furthermore, the research also provides a chance to evaluate the role of the Internet and Intranet technologies in implementing knowledge management. Below is a list of objectives: To understand the research topic in depth Provide a clear understanding of the role of Internet and Intranet technologies Seek information in relation to Knowledge Management 1.6 Structure of the Dissertation The dissertation structure is divided into six chapters and the contents of each chapter are briefly discussed below: Chapter One In this chapter, a brief introduction concerning the topic is discussed. Furthermore, the aims and objectives of the research topic are detailed, personal interest/ motivation, scope of the research, main topics and sub topics related to the research topic are discussed. Finally, the chapter concludes with a dissertation outline, this provides the reader with a structure of the research work that will be carried out. Chapter Two This chapter mainly focuses on the literature review based on the research topic. The discussion focuses on the analysis of a variety of researchers views and different authors opinions about the chosen topic area. Additionally, literature on knowledge management systems, types of knowledge management, and benefits of knowledge management when implemented within an organisation, knowledge circulation process, Internet and Intranet services within organisations are all briefly discussed. Chapter Three In these chapter different research paradigms, research strategies and data collection methods are discussed briefly, out of which only appropriate research paradigm, research methodology, research strategy are chosen based on the topic. Further in this chapter, assumptions and ethical issues are also discussed. Chapter Four In this chapter, the data collected from participants are gathered together, the data is stored in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and the data is then analyzed by relating it to the research aims and objectives in order to meet them. Chapter Five This chapter includes a brief discussion of the analysed results of the obtained data from participants. The data is represented in the form of graphs and each graph is followed by a discussion. Chapter Six This is the conclusive chapter. In this chapter, the obtained results are compared to that of research aims and final conclusions are drawn from the analysis. The discussion focuses on relating to and linking the survey data to the aims and drawing conclusions. Finally, the chapter suggests future recommendations. 1.7 Conclusion This chapter has provided a brief outline of the dissertation structure where the researcher as well as the reader can gain a quick understanding about the work that has been planned. Additionally this chapter has introduced the topic chosen, highlighted the aims and objectives and briefly discussed the main topics within the study that will hopefully provide a clear understanding for both the author and the reader. Furthermore, this chapter also discusses the authors personal interest/motivation behind choosing this particular topic area and the scope of the research. In the next chapter, literature on the research topic is analysed and discussed this: includes opinions of different researchers and authors. CHAPTER TWO 2.0 Introduction The use of intra-organisational information by employees is widely recognized as an essential part of knowledge sharing within organisations. This way of sharing knowledge helps an organisation to tackle supporting operational and strategic corporate decision makers within the organisation. Intranet technology has proven to be one of the effective ways of accessing and disseminating data or knowledge available within the organisation (Lai and Mahapatra, 1998). The main problem that an organisation faces is the decision-making capability. Managers who are responsible for decision making within a project lifecycle are unable to make appropriate decisions due to the required data not being available. Due to large amounts of data that are available within the organisation, organisations are striving hard to find appropriate tools and techniques to manage their knowledge. Although, techniques such as data warehousing and digital libraries are implemented within the organisation, but these services are limited to a certain range. In order to manage these kinds of situations within an organisation, better solutions are evaluated and the term Intranet evolved (Tan, et. al., 2003). Expertise has identified services offered by the Intranet, some of these services that can be utilized are: alternative approach of managing dispersed enterprise data and decision support services. Intranet usage integrates individual, group, departmental, corporate communication and information sharing tasks together and provides a solution or option for each and every individual who uses it. Organisations have developed in terms of managing data available within their departments, sharing of knowledge within their departments, communication within company employees and sharing of knowledge are available for decision making was found to be improved (Lai and Mahapatra, 1998). Intranets can develop the collaboration among employees who are working for an organisation by creating networks of share spaces which are developed based on common understanding. Employees of an organisation can use this service as a medium to share available knowledge and expertise amongst each other. They have the opportunity to interact with their team and share their advice on work carried out. Though the main use of the Intranet in an organisation was meant to be for data sharing, but the extra features with the use of Intranet in organisations made it popular and these services are widely used in organisation irrespective of their market area (Khasnabish and Saracco, 1997). Strategic engagements that are held by an organisation have seen a new topic that has emerged in the knowledge based view of an organisation. This provides us with a theoretical basis on how a knowledge based resource plays a vital role in increasing the sustainable competitiveness of the firm. It also provides us with a clearer picture of how changes could be brought about to ensure no hassle in the process of knowledge management (Hoegl and Schulze, 2005). If an organisation constantly checks on its resources and promotes knowledge based perspective that postulates a competitive advantage and also builds on the privately developed resources, then tacit and explicit knowledge in an organisation will exist. At the same time, the knowledge based view or perception of an organisation assumes that the present knowledge assets exist at any time provided a valid opportunity for sustainable competitive advantage (Kebede, 2010). The use of previously existing assets along with the creation, accumulation and sharing the new assets amongst the other individuals would happen in an easier way by employing Information Technology and an Information System (IS) in that particular organisation, this is considered here. In an organisational view, it can be explained in a convincing manner the reason why a certain number of organisations or firms are more competitive under the prevailing market conditions (Kebede, 2010). Knowledge assets pertaining to a particular organisation are all dependent upon the quality of organisational knowledge and also the intangible assets of the organisation in general. This generally depends on the methods that are used to store the knowledge within the organisational limits and the extent of its usage within its employees. There is a serious need for metrics and statistics to justify all knowledge management initiatives that are taken up on priority within an organisation. Taking the knowledge management process a step forward would help senior management to justify and also help them improve their ability to manage the knowledge assets in a better manner. The benefits that are extracted from the knowledge management are all intangible and there is one method of measurement called the Balanced Scorecard. This would take both the perspectives like Financial and also the others (e.g. customers or internal business processes, innovation and learning etc.) (Liebowitz and Megbolugbe, 2003). However it is not a justifiable fact to relate knowledge management initiatives to performance. One cannot relate knowledge management with performance in every situation within organisational life, There is a need to have a superior metrics system to assess knowledge management performance, with also the ability to clear it; and also at the same time it also suggests futuristic and strategic actions for an organisation to take up. This not just keeps the work organised, but also improves the performance for the knowledge management process. 2.1 KM Studies The discussion that is taken up in previous sections of this dissertation briefly highlights that knowledge management is built on multiple disciplines such as management, computer science and information systems theory. It also has been reviewed in previous knowledge management literature at the start and the same are summarized in Table 1 below by Lee et. al., (2005). Table 1: KM studies, (Lee et. al., 2005) There are few prior Knowledge Management studies that relates with the Managerial and the Social issues. These issues have brought about the needed change and also brought about the necessary importance into place on specific processes and activities within knowledge management such as the knowledge acquisition, generation, storage, distribution, application and also its measurement (Nonaka and Takeuchi, 1995). On the same grounds, the research agenda and also the general perspective of knowledge management based on the literature review are all addressed with the priorities that were set for them without any deviations. There are few points that have taken the managerial perspective and have requested the reasons as to how a ‘learning organisation could obtain sustainable competitive advantage. Work needs to be conducted within the organisation to develop the same knowledge as there would not be any single individual in an organisation who has all the required knowledge. It is not predictable when an individual working with any certain organisation would choose to leave it, for the offer of a better poosition. Hence relying on a single individual for his knowledge could lead to very drastic effects. The way or the process within which the knowledge has been acquired and the way it is assembled and restructured particularly provides a definite competitive advantage for an organisation. As per the scholar Kebede (2010) states, the process of learning was the only sustainable competitive advantage and there has been a single learning situation that is resulted in organisational knowledge (or memory). Corporate memory has a remarkable effect on the present decisions that are taken and also plays a vital role in the success of an organisations operations and the responses to the changes and challenges. There are numerous attempts that are made and numerous methodologies that were put in place to improve and revive the present learnings and learning capabilities of the individual employees in an organisation, this helps an organisation become a ‘learning system (Kingston and Macintosh, 2000). In the process of improving an organisations learning capabilities, there were problems that were identified at various stages of the process by a considerable number of scholars. These identified reasons and issues were then studied to give a better environment to resolve the same. There are also studies that mentioned the relationship of role of Information Technology in Knowledge Management (Lee and Kim, 2001) (Kingston and Macintosh, 2000). There is a general consideration that a Knowledge Management System (KMS) is a specialized Information System for knowledge management using the latest available technologies (e.g. the Internet, Intranet, data warehouses, software agents) to synchronize, facilitate and also to expedite organisation wide knowledge management. Knowledge Management System research primarily consists of general and also conceptual principles, case studies, scenarios and thesis of such systems of a few organisations. A study by Lee and Kim (2001) states that how a KMS can enhance the effectiveness of the teams that sit and analyse the complex, non-recurring problems by improving all the trouble some areas and also improving the way these teams compositions evolve. Knowledge mining would be the synonymous phrase that could be used as like Data mining. Using this we would be able to see our self in a situation where you can provide the right information to the right persons at the right time (Kingston and M acintosh, 2000). The strategic use of the Internet for all such knowledge management activities is well dealt with in lot of activities. There has been a point that was mentioned regarding the usage of the Internet and Intranet in developing the distributed Knowledge Management systems by (Goodman, 2006). XML (Extensible Markup Language) was developed to transport and store data, this is considered as an ideal tool for knowledge retrieval and for use in knowledge management. 2.2 Impact of the Intranet on Organisations Intranet services are growing rapidly within every possible sector of business due to its wide range of benefits. Some of the impacts where Intranet has changed the business strategy are listed below: It is less expensive to implement as it runs inside the organisations network. Excellent performance enhancement can be achieved because of limited user access Employee performance is increased due to availability of necessary resources and advices due to better communication with their expertise. Effective communication amongst the employees Efficient knowledge sharing process within different departments of an organisation Helps to maintain effective customer relationship Immediate access of data regarding organisational data and documents is possible with the help of Intranet service (Bernard, 1996). 2.3 WEB WEB is known as World Wide Web. It is a hypertext document which can be accessed over the Internet. With the use of these links an individual can actually access almost everything, right from an mp3 (MPEG- Moving Pictures Experts Group) file to video files. Different types of documents and books can be read or downloaded using this process. With the help of this facility an individual can perform some of his daily tasks in a different and a convenient way. The use of the Internet and web technology has changed the entire scenario of database management within an organisation on any given day. Due to the popularity of the web, a newer version of World Wide Web is launched and named it as the second version of it. With the help of web 2.0 one can experience a user friendly approach while accessing the Internet. The quality of web pages that are available is different and more exciting when compared to earlier version of web (W3c, 2010). 2.4 Knowledge Management Knowledge management in general tries to organise and make available important information like the know-how, wherever and whenever it is actually needed. This includes processes, procedures, patents, reference works, formulas, best practices, forecasts, fixes and the like (Maglitta, 1996). This process is not only used for managing organisations knowledge base but also looks for the proper management of the same. Utilization of this knowledge within the organisation at right time and at the right place is also ensured as a part of its activities. Success of an organisation depends less on developed products and more on the appropriate utilization of available information, appropriate sharing of information when needed. Thus knowledge management plays a vital and a key role for all these years and it will be change the future of managing the knowledge within an organisation as well (Kebede, 2010). 2.4.1 Types of Knowledge Mainly there are of two types of knowledge that is available for the individuals of an organisation and they are: Explicit Knowledge: This knowledge can be expressed in terms of specific language and is normally expressed in terms of data or formulae. The information obtained can be stored within the Organisational premises easily and reused whenever there is any need for it. Tacit Knowledge This type of knowledge is completely opposite to explicit knowledge. Knowledge is more personal and cannot be stored. It ‘indwells in a comprehensive cognizance of the human mind and body (Kebede, 2010). In simpler words, this type of knowledge is held within an individual and is not available for any other individuals of the organisation. This kind of knowledge in an individual builds a dependency on him and then the works would actually finish in a slower and un-organised manner. 2.4.2 Benefits of KM Implementation in Organisations One can expect an interactive environment around the organisation where people strive for knowledge and also to show their skills, some benefits of KM implementation are listed below: Provide new ways to collaborate. Boosts up productivity. Leads to innovation within the organisation. Overall profitability. Motivation and encouragement within employees. Reusability of resources (Dalkir, 2005). 2.4.3 What are Knowledge Based Systems? Human-centred would be an apt definition for a Knowledge Based System. Knowledge Based Systems derive their roots from the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and there are evident attempts from scholars to understand and also to imitate human knowledge in Computer systems. In whatever way we see, a Knowledge Based System falls short of the human intellect and the human touch. The system lacks creative powers like reproducing the same knowledge and also the learning capabilities are relatively primitive (Dreyfus, 1986). Compared to a human as such, there is no comparison with the Knowledge Based System. There is a wonderfully acknowledged fact that the intelligence of a Artificially Intelligent System is quite different from human intelligence. There are a second set of definitions that are defined and which only looks for the characteristics in the architecture of a Knowledge Based System. In such a way of defining a Knowledge Based System, it mainly categorizes four components namely: Knowledge base Inference Engine Knowledge engineering tool A specific user interface and is often natural language based (Ramirez and Antonio, 2007) The core of a Knowledge Based System is defined by the first two components namely the Knowledge Base and the Inference Engine wherein the former one is an active collection of ‘formal knowledge or an active database with lots of ‘formal knowledge, its primary purpose being how that data may be used in Practical life. The latter part, inference engine on the other hand defines the ways in which the knowledge base can be put to use to help resolve the situations at hand for an organisation (Ramirez and Antonio, 2007). The remaining two factors are just the added supplements for the Knowledge base and the Inference engine as these offer instruments for filling the Knowledge base with knowledge and act as a dedicated user interface for the user to understand and view the knowledge. Characteristically a Knowledge Based System user interface has to provide the basic know how and should also question itself letting the system explain its behaviour when the system deals with any particular problem. Definitions of a Knowledge Based System that are defined on the basis of architectural peculiarities are not at all satisfactory as compared to the definitions that are defined on the basis of human intelligence, there is an obvious resistance in the way they actually work with such definitions also (Akerkar and Sajja, 2009). The difference in the definitions could be seen when we consider a system based on neural nets and there are no separating aspects of a knowledge base, inference engine. There would hardly be any difference between the knowledge base and an inference engine in such cases where neural nets are considered for a system. Such definitions take the wrong meaning historical form chosen in several Knowledge Based Systems for the hallmarks of such systems. There is also a third set of definition that is given to a Knowledge Based System to indicate all the organisational IT applications that prove helpful and needful for managing the knowledge assets within an organisation. Few examples for such kinds of Knowledge Based Systems could be expert systems, groupware, data warehouses or even the Intranet. The mentioned applications in an organisation provide the individuals all the information that is needed to them to help them in all their day-to-day activities. These definitions are flatly rejected as these lead to the erosion of the meaning of the term Knowledge-based system. Knowledge Based System in our view is not just any IT system that is used to deal with the Knowledge that is present with an organisation (Leondes, 2000). The definition of a Knowledge Based System that provides the most satisfactory organisation-centred viewpoint comes when we focus on the â€Å"Knowledge Modelling†. Key activity in building a Knowledge Based System in that case is to find a formal model that allows the description of knowledge at a conceptual level or at the knowledge level itself, aiming at uncovering the basic schema linking the central concepts of a given domain in a particular organisation (Akerkar and Lingras, 2008). The best suited examples of formalisms for the knowledge representation are the production rules, predicate logic, frames, neural nets and objects. The definition of a Knowledge Based System as an outcome of the knowledge modelling process is very useful and it actually does not direct any discussions pertaining to the organisational values of it to the characteristics of the technology as such. The actual goals of knowledge modelling process could be achieved only by examining the elements of knowledge validly and then has to be described in any of the formalisms for knowledge representation (Ramirez and Antonio, 2007). Given the focus on the process of knowledge modelling not only aids in gaining the best insight into the characteristics of the knowledge, but also guides the discussions concerning the pros and cons of the use of knowledge. It then leads to the identification why or in which aspect of formalisation is not possible or not advisable (for example, it reduces the flexibility or does not do justice to any specific intricacies). The knowledge modelling process thus acts as a vehicle to show and focus thought about the organisational knowledge and also its functionality. The basic aim is to explore that part of the organisational knowledge and how to capture in the formal schemata, and to describe the benefits and the pitfalls that are implied. There are associated benefits of having a Knowledge Based System in place in an organisation. These act as a way to retain the knowledge even after an individual who has created/compiled it has opted out of the organisation or in their absence. These systems could be used for the new comers in their on-job training purposes to fetch whatever the details that are needed of them. There is a consistent way to improve the decision making process and also helps in increasing the availability of the needed expertise. They provide the building blocks or the Corporate Memory and also promotes of knowledge sharing etc. If the knowledge is well documented under KBS, the sole repository for all such information and knowledge then there wouldnt be any potential rivalry between these two. If there is any discrepancy then the risks that have to be incurred is not imaginary also (Nonaka and Takeuchi, 1995). Then those would not be considered the failure of a KBS installation but would unnecessary a nd undesirable side effects of a successful KBS implementation. Stating to the earlier point, these mainly derive from the fact that KBS totally depends on the determining and storing of the knowledge at a given point of time. It would be very tough and would be next to impossible to assess all the critical empirical assessments of the harm that a KBS may cause to an organisation. Considering such a point, there would be a definite negative impact on Job satisfaction and also on the labour quality. Once a KBS is implemented in an organisation, there should be an established value that has to be assigned to the same. The friendliness and the rivalry that exists between the KBS and the knowledge that is with held in the hands of an organisation are like the two poles of a continuum. The whole responsibility of having the data be accessible over the Internet/Intranet for all the individuals of an organisation is solely taken up by the organisation. The main area that is concentrated here in this discussion would be the organisational value of KBS, its assessment, and the effective know how process. There should be a proper and a systematic way to respond to all the questions that could be raised on the three issues (Akerkar and Lingras, 2008). Firstly there should be an assessment of the role and the value of the knowledge of the organisation; the measures of their activation. Only after this is done, there would be a proper understanding of the things that are to happen at a later stage in an organisation. Knowledge management is the whole process of considering and implementing measures that would be dealing with the organisational knowledge. There is always a need to have a suitable definition of this concept. Secondly, the provided definition for a KBS has to be appropriate to the context of investigation of the organisational aspects of knowledge. The relationship between the knowledge management and Knowledge Based Systems has to be established and the same should stand on sound grounds. If there are any mismatches found in the definitions, it would affect drastically on both the knowledge and the method through which the knowledge management is achieved. Thirdly, with a proper assessment of the value of a KBS, it needs a careful description of how a KBS relates to the other aspects of an organisation and the disposition of its knowledge. There is also a question that remains unanswered that is the earning that a KBS can obtain the tools that are used for knowledge management. To do all this, there is a particular framework that has to be presented. 2.5 Management of Knowledge There is a certain need for every organisation to crave for more knowledge than what is acquired by an organisation as it has to survive the competition that exists in the market. Every individual that is linked with any process of an organisation, they have to perform their day-to-day activities and routines; it may even add value to the work that an individual does. The knowledge that is acquired or retained within the organisational limits could be put into use by all the individuals in their day-to-day work. The knowledge that is already retained by an organisation has to be used in all the present scenarios and at the same time there are to be ardent efforts to create new knowledge or information are the only two core areas of concern for any organisation that is considered for this research study (Frappaolo, 2006). The knowledge that is acquired and maintained within an organisation should be relevant to the work that an individual works on and the same differs or changes over the time without any doubts. An organisation maintaining the Importance of Knowledge Management in Organisations Importance of Knowledge Management in Organisations CHAPTER ONE 1.0 Introduction This chapter provides a brief introduction about the research topic along with the research aims and objectives in detail. Further in this chapter, the scope of research, personal interest and the motivation to choose this particular research topic are all discussed briefly. Finally, the dissertation structure content of the six chapters is highlighted. 1.1 Introduction to the Topic The use of Internet and Intranet technologies within an organisation has changed drastically over the past ten years. Modern organisations are striving hard to maintain an appropriate strategy towards knowledge management in order to provide the employees of the organisation with the data related to their work. The main use of using a companys knowledge-base by employees is to help them develop their skills in all aspects and at the same time helps an individual to learn from any mistakes highlighted during projects undertaken. All past experiences and solutions provided at that time are recorded so experts can analyze these mistakes and make sure that they are not repeated in any of their future product developments or assignments. This research will evaluate whether knowledge management is an effective way to enhance an organisations profit and at the same time achieve employee training and development. Furthermore this research will evaluate whether Intranet and Internet services within an organisation play an important role in knowledge management process. 1.2 Personal Interest and Motivation During the learning process at the university, the author was exposed to different modules of Information Technology (IT), such as, Project Management, IT Management, Knowledge Management and Professional Issues that prevail in the present IT industry. Among these modules the author developed a kind of affection with the subject of Knowledge Management and wished to know more about it. Therefore the author has chosen to taken up this opportunity to explore this research topic and gain further understanding of knowledge management in more detail. This has not been an easy task, but with good guidance and advice from my mentors, tutors and my loved ones it has helped to finalize this topic choice and commence the research work. 1.3 Main Topics Discussed In this section, the main topics and sub topics discussed in the literature review are listed: Introduction to Intranet and Internet Services, Information Technology (IT), Impact of the Intranet on Organisations, Knowledge Management Studies, Knowledge Management, Types of Knowledge Management, Benefits of Knowledge Management Implementation in Organisations, Knowledge Circulation Process (KCP) for Organisational Performance and Management of Knowledge. All the above main topic and sub topics are related to one another which gives a complete understanding about the topic and its necessity within todays organisations. With this understanding a survey questionnaire is formulated which is analyzed at later stages of the research work/discussion. 1.4 Scoping of the Research The main purpose of this study is to evaluate whether knowledge management systems are necessary in todays organisation and also the study is to point out the important features of knowledge management when implemented within organisations. This research topic has been a major attraction for many researchers; a lot of studies have been carried out on this topic. At present, the authors research identifies a few opinions about the topic and its importance within the scope of an organisation. 1.5 Aims and Objectives The main aim of this research study is to evaluate whether knowledge management is important in todays organisations and also to discover whether knowledge management helps in employee development and learning processes. Furthermore, the research also provides a chance to evaluate the role of the Internet and Intranet technologies in implementing knowledge management. Below is a list of objectives: To understand the research topic in depth Provide a clear understanding of the role of Internet and Intranet technologies Seek information in relation to Knowledge Management 1.6 Structure of the Dissertation The dissertation structure is divided into six chapters and the contents of each chapter are briefly discussed below: Chapter One In this chapter, a brief introduction concerning the topic is discussed. Furthermore, the aims and objectives of the research topic are detailed, personal interest/ motivation, scope of the research, main topics and sub topics related to the research topic are discussed. Finally, the chapter concludes with a dissertation outline, this provides the reader with a structure of the research work that will be carried out. Chapter Two This chapter mainly focuses on the literature review based on the research topic. The discussion focuses on the analysis of a variety of researchers views and different authors opinions about the chosen topic area. Additionally, literature on knowledge management systems, types of knowledge management, and benefits of knowledge management when implemented within an organisation, knowledge circulation process, Internet and Intranet services within organisations are all briefly discussed. Chapter Three In these chapter different research paradigms, research strategies and data collection methods are discussed briefly, out of which only appropriate research paradigm, research methodology, research strategy are chosen based on the topic. Further in this chapter, assumptions and ethical issues are also discussed. Chapter Four In this chapter, the data collected from participants are gathered together, the data is stored in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and the data is then analyzed by relating it to the research aims and objectives in order to meet them. Chapter Five This chapter includes a brief discussion of the analysed results of the obtained data from participants. The data is represented in the form of graphs and each graph is followed by a discussion. Chapter Six This is the conclusive chapter. In this chapter, the obtained results are compared to that of research aims and final conclusions are drawn from the analysis. The discussion focuses on relating to and linking the survey data to the aims and drawing conclusions. Finally, the chapter suggests future recommendations. 1.7 Conclusion This chapter has provided a brief outline of the dissertation structure where the researcher as well as the reader can gain a quick understanding about the work that has been planned. Additionally this chapter has introduced the topic chosen, highlighted the aims and objectives and briefly discussed the main topics within the study that will hopefully provide a clear understanding for both the author and the reader. Furthermore, this chapter also discusses the authors personal interest/motivation behind choosing this particular topic area and the scope of the research. In the next chapter, literature on the research topic is analysed and discussed this: includes opinions of different researchers and authors. CHAPTER TWO 2.0 Introduction The use of intra-organisational information by employees is widely recognized as an essential part of knowledge sharing within organisations. This way of sharing knowledge helps an organisation to tackle supporting operational and strategic corporate decision makers within the organisation. Intranet technology has proven to be one of the effective ways of accessing and disseminating data or knowledge available within the organisation (Lai and Mahapatra, 1998). The main problem that an organisation faces is the decision-making capability. Managers who are responsible for decision making within a project lifecycle are unable to make appropriate decisions due to the required data not being available. Due to large amounts of data that are available within the organisation, organisations are striving hard to find appropriate tools and techniques to manage their knowledge. Although, techniques such as data warehousing and digital libraries are implemented within the organisation, but these services are limited to a certain range. In order to manage these kinds of situations within an organisation, better solutions are evaluated and the term Intranet evolved (Tan, et. al., 2003). Expertise has identified services offered by the Intranet, some of these services that can be utilized are: alternative approach of managing dispersed enterprise data and decision support services. Intranet usage integrates individual, group, departmental, corporate communication and information sharing tasks together and provides a solution or option for each and every individual who uses it. Organisations have developed in terms of managing data available within their departments, sharing of knowledge within their departments, communication within company employees and sharing of knowledge are available for decision making was found to be improved (Lai and Mahapatra, 1998). Intranets can develop the collaboration among employees who are working for an organisation by creating networks of share spaces which are developed based on common understanding. Employees of an organisation can use this service as a medium to share available knowledge and expertise amongst each other. They have the opportunity to interact with their team and share their advice on work carried out. Though the main use of the Intranet in an organisation was meant to be for data sharing, but the extra features with the use of Intranet in organisations made it popular and these services are widely used in organisation irrespective of their market area (Khasnabish and Saracco, 1997). Strategic engagements that are held by an organisation have seen a new topic that has emerged in the knowledge based view of an organisation. This provides us with a theoretical basis on how a knowledge based resource plays a vital role in increasing the sustainable competitiveness of the firm. It also provides us with a clearer picture of how changes could be brought about to ensure no hassle in the process of knowledge management (Hoegl and Schulze, 2005). If an organisation constantly checks on its resources and promotes knowledge based perspective that postulates a competitive advantage and also builds on the privately developed resources, then tacit and explicit knowledge in an organisation will exist. At the same time, the knowledge based view or perception of an organisation assumes that the present knowledge assets exist at any time provided a valid opportunity for sustainable competitive advantage (Kebede, 2010). The use of previously existing assets along with the creation, accumulation and sharing the new assets amongst the other individuals would happen in an easier way by employing Information Technology and an Information System (IS) in that particular organisation, this is considered here. In an organisational view, it can be explained in a convincing manner the reason why a certain number of organisations or firms are more competitive under the prevailing market conditions (Kebede, 2010). Knowledge assets pertaining to a particular organisation are all dependent upon the quality of organisational knowledge and also the intangible assets of the organisation in general. This generally depends on the methods that are used to store the knowledge within the organisational limits and the extent of its usage within its employees. There is a serious need for metrics and statistics to justify all knowledge management initiatives that are taken up on priority within an organisation. Taking the knowledge management process a step forward would help senior management to justify and also help them improve their ability to manage the knowledge assets in a better manner. The benefits that are extracted from the knowledge management are all intangible and there is one method of measurement called the Balanced Scorecard. This would take both the perspectives like Financial and also the others (e.g. customers or internal business processes, innovation and learning etc.) (Liebowitz and Megbolugbe, 2003). However it is not a justifiable fact to relate knowledge management initiatives to performance. One cannot relate knowledge management with performance in every situation within organisational life, There is a need to have a superior metrics system to assess knowledge management performance, with also the ability to clear it; and also at the same time it also suggests futuristic and strategic actions for an organisation to take up. This not just keeps the work organised, but also improves the performance for the knowledge management process. 2.1 KM Studies The discussion that is taken up in previous sections of this dissertation briefly highlights that knowledge management is built on multiple disciplines such as management, computer science and information systems theory. It also has been reviewed in previous knowledge management literature at the start and the same are summarized in Table 1 below by Lee et. al., (2005). Table 1: KM studies, (Lee et. al., 2005) There are few prior Knowledge Management studies that relates with the Managerial and the Social issues. These issues have brought about the needed change and also brought about the necessary importance into place on specific processes and activities within knowledge management such as the knowledge acquisition, generation, storage, distribution, application and also its measurement (Nonaka and Takeuchi, 1995). On the same grounds, the research agenda and also the general perspective of knowledge management based on the literature review are all addressed with the priorities that were set for them without any deviations. There are few points that have taken the managerial perspective and have requested the reasons as to how a ‘learning organisation could obtain sustainable competitive advantage. Work needs to be conducted within the organisation to develop the same knowledge as there would not be any single individual in an organisation who has all the required knowledge. It is not predictable when an individual working with any certain organisation would choose to leave it, for the offer of a better poosition. Hence relying on a single individual for his knowledge could lead to very drastic effects. The way or the process within which the knowledge has been acquired and the way it is assembled and restructured particularly provides a definite competitive advantage for an organisation. As per the scholar Kebede (2010) states, the process of learning was the only sustainable competitive advantage and there has been a single learning situation that is resulted in organisational knowledge (or memory). Corporate memory has a remarkable effect on the present decisions that are taken and also plays a vital role in the success of an organisations operations and the responses to the changes and challenges. There are numerous attempts that are made and numerous methodologies that were put in place to improve and revive the present learnings and learning capabilities of the individual employees in an organisation, this helps an organisation become a ‘learning system (Kingston and Macintosh, 2000). In the process of improving an organisations learning capabilities, there were problems that were identified at various stages of the process by a considerable number of scholars. These identified reasons and issues were then studied to give a better environment to resolve the same. There are also studies that mentioned the relationship of role of Information Technology in Knowledge Management (Lee and Kim, 2001) (Kingston and Macintosh, 2000). There is a general consideration that a Knowledge Management System (KMS) is a specialized Information System for knowledge management using the latest available technologies (e.g. the Internet, Intranet, data warehouses, software agents) to synchronize, facilitate and also to expedite organisation wide knowledge management. Knowledge Management System research primarily consists of general and also conceptual principles, case studies, scenarios and thesis of such systems of a few organisations. A study by Lee and Kim (2001) states that how a KMS can enhance the effectiveness of the teams that sit and analyse the complex, non-recurring problems by improving all the trouble some areas and also improving the way these teams compositions evolve. Knowledge mining would be the synonymous phrase that could be used as like Data mining. Using this we would be able to see our self in a situation where you can provide the right information to the right persons at the right time (Kingston and M acintosh, 2000). The strategic use of the Internet for all such knowledge management activities is well dealt with in lot of activities. There has been a point that was mentioned regarding the usage of the Internet and Intranet in developing the distributed Knowledge Management systems by (Goodman, 2006). XML (Extensible Markup Language) was developed to transport and store data, this is considered as an ideal tool for knowledge retrieval and for use in knowledge management. 2.2 Impact of the Intranet on Organisations Intranet services are growing rapidly within every possible sector of business due to its wide range of benefits. Some of the impacts where Intranet has changed the business strategy are listed below: It is less expensive to implement as it runs inside the organisations network. Excellent performance enhancement can be achieved because of limited user access Employee performance is increased due to availability of necessary resources and advices due to better communication with their expertise. Effective communication amongst the employees Efficient knowledge sharing process within different departments of an organisation Helps to maintain effective customer relationship Immediate access of data regarding organisational data and documents is possible with the help of Intranet service (Bernard, 1996). 2.3 WEB WEB is known as World Wide Web. It is a hypertext document which can be accessed over the Internet. With the use of these links an individual can actually access almost everything, right from an mp3 (MPEG- Moving Pictures Experts Group) file to video files. Different types of documents and books can be read or downloaded using this process. With the help of this facility an individual can perform some of his daily tasks in a different and a convenient way. The use of the Internet and web technology has changed the entire scenario of database management within an organisation on any given day. Due to the popularity of the web, a newer version of World Wide Web is launched and named it as the second version of it. With the help of web 2.0 one can experience a user friendly approach while accessing the Internet. The quality of web pages that are available is different and more exciting when compared to earlier version of web (W3c, 2010). 2.4 Knowledge Management Knowledge management in general tries to organise and make available important information like the know-how, wherever and whenever it is actually needed. This includes processes, procedures, patents, reference works, formulas, best practices, forecasts, fixes and the like (Maglitta, 1996). This process is not only used for managing organisations knowledge base but also looks for the proper management of the same. Utilization of this knowledge within the organisation at right time and at the right place is also ensured as a part of its activities. Success of an organisation depends less on developed products and more on the appropriate utilization of available information, appropriate sharing of information when needed. Thus knowledge management plays a vital and a key role for all these years and it will be change the future of managing the knowledge within an organisation as well (Kebede, 2010). 2.4.1 Types of Knowledge Mainly there are of two types of knowledge that is available for the individuals of an organisation and they are: Explicit Knowledge: This knowledge can be expressed in terms of specific language and is normally expressed in terms of data or formulae. The information obtained can be stored within the Organisational premises easily and reused whenever there is any need for it. Tacit Knowledge This type of knowledge is completely opposite to explicit knowledge. Knowledge is more personal and cannot be stored. It ‘indwells in a comprehensive cognizance of the human mind and body (Kebede, 2010). In simpler words, this type of knowledge is held within an individual and is not available for any other individuals of the organisation. This kind of knowledge in an individual builds a dependency on him and then the works would actually finish in a slower and un-organised manner. 2.4.2 Benefits of KM Implementation in Organisations One can expect an interactive environment around the organisation where people strive for knowledge and also to show their skills, some benefits of KM implementation are listed below: Provide new ways to collaborate. Boosts up productivity. Leads to innovation within the organisation. Overall profitability. Motivation and encouragement within employees. Reusability of resources (Dalkir, 2005). 2.4.3 What are Knowledge Based Systems? Human-centred would be an apt definition for a Knowledge Based System. Knowledge Based Systems derive their roots from the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and there are evident attempts from scholars to understand and also to imitate human knowledge in Computer systems. In whatever way we see, a Knowledge Based System falls short of the human intellect and the human touch. The system lacks creative powers like reproducing the same knowledge and also the learning capabilities are relatively primitive (Dreyfus, 1986). Compared to a human as such, there is no comparison with the Knowledge Based System. There is a wonderfully acknowledged fact that the intelligence of a Artificially Intelligent System is quite different from human intelligence. There are a second set of definitions that are defined and which only looks for the characteristics in the architecture of a Knowledge Based System. In such a way of defining a Knowledge Based System, it mainly categorizes four components namely: Knowledge base Inference Engine Knowledge engineering tool A specific user interface and is often natural language based (Ramirez and Antonio, 2007) The core of a Knowledge Based System is defined by the first two components namely the Knowledge Base and the Inference Engine wherein the former one is an active collection of ‘formal knowledge or an active database with lots of ‘formal knowledge, its primary purpose being how that data may be used in Practical life. The latter part, inference engine on the other hand defines the ways in which the knowledge base can be put to use to help resolve the situations at hand for an organisation (Ramirez and Antonio, 2007). The remaining two factors are just the added supplements for the Knowledge base and the Inference engine as these offer instruments for filling the Knowledge base with knowledge and act as a dedicated user interface for the user to understand and view the knowledge. Characteristically a Knowledge Based System user interface has to provide the basic know how and should also question itself letting the system explain its behaviour when the system deals with any particular problem. Definitions of a Knowledge Based System that are defined on the basis of architectural peculiarities are not at all satisfactory as compared to the definitions that are defined on the basis of human intelligence, there is an obvious resistance in the way they actually work with such definitions also (Akerkar and Sajja, 2009). The difference in the definitions could be seen when we consider a system based on neural nets and there are no separating aspects of a knowledge base, inference engine. There would hardly be any difference between the knowledge base and an inference engine in such cases where neural nets are considered for a system. Such definitions take the wrong meaning historical form chosen in several Knowledge Based Systems for the hallmarks of such systems. There is also a third set of definition that is given to a Knowledge Based System to indicate all the organisational IT applications that prove helpful and needful for managing the knowledge assets within an organisation. Few examples for such kinds of Knowledge Based Systems could be expert systems, groupware, data warehouses or even the Intranet. The mentioned applications in an organisation provide the individuals all the information that is needed to them to help them in all their day-to-day activities. These definitions are flatly rejected as these lead to the erosion of the meaning of the term Knowledge-based system. Knowledge Based System in our view is not just any IT system that is used to deal with the Knowledge that is present with an organisation (Leondes, 2000). The definition of a Knowledge Based System that provides the most satisfactory organisation-centred viewpoint comes when we focus on the â€Å"Knowledge Modelling†. Key activity in building a Knowledge Based System in that case is to find a formal model that allows the description of knowledge at a conceptual level or at the knowledge level itself, aiming at uncovering the basic schema linking the central concepts of a given domain in a particular organisation (Akerkar and Lingras, 2008). The best suited examples of formalisms for the knowledge representation are the production rules, predicate logic, frames, neural nets and objects. The definition of a Knowledge Based System as an outcome of the knowledge modelling process is very useful and it actually does not direct any discussions pertaining to the organisational values of it to the characteristics of the technology as such. The actual goals of knowledge modelling process could be achieved only by examining the elements of knowledge validly and then has to be described in any of the formalisms for knowledge representation (Ramirez and Antonio, 2007). Given the focus on the process of knowledge modelling not only aids in gaining the best insight into the characteristics of the knowledge, but also guides the discussions concerning the pros and cons of the use of knowledge. It then leads to the identification why or in which aspect of formalisation is not possible or not advisable (for example, it reduces the flexibility or does not do justice to any specific intricacies). The knowledge modelling process thus acts as a vehicle to show and focus thought about the organisational knowledge and also its functionality. The basic aim is to explore that part of the organisational knowledge and how to capture in the formal schemata, and to describe the benefits and the pitfalls that are implied. There are associated benefits of having a Knowledge Based System in place in an organisation. These act as a way to retain the knowledge even after an individual who has created/compiled it has opted out of the organisation or in their absence. These systems could be used for the new comers in their on-job training purposes to fetch whatever the details that are needed of them. There is a consistent way to improve the decision making process and also helps in increasing the availability of the needed expertise. They provide the building blocks or the Corporate Memory and also promotes of knowledge sharing etc. If the knowledge is well documented under KBS, the sole repository for all such information and knowledge then there wouldnt be any potential rivalry between these two. If there is any discrepancy then the risks that have to be incurred is not imaginary also (Nonaka and Takeuchi, 1995). Then those would not be considered the failure of a KBS installation but would unnecessary a nd undesirable side effects of a successful KBS implementation. Stating to the earlier point, these mainly derive from the fact that KBS totally depends on the determining and storing of the knowledge at a given point of time. It would be very tough and would be next to impossible to assess all the critical empirical assessments of the harm that a KBS may cause to an organisation. Considering such a point, there would be a definite negative impact on Job satisfaction and also on the labour quality. Once a KBS is implemented in an organisation, there should be an established value that has to be assigned to the same. The friendliness and the rivalry that exists between the KBS and the knowledge that is with held in the hands of an organisation are like the two poles of a continuum. The whole responsibility of having the data be accessible over the Internet/Intranet for all the individuals of an organisation is solely taken up by the organisation. The main area that is concentrated here in this discussion would be the organisational value of KBS, its assessment, and the effective know how process. There should be a proper and a systematic way to respond to all the questions that could be raised on the three issues (Akerkar and Lingras, 2008). Firstly there should be an assessment of the role and the value of the knowledge of the organisation; the measures of their activation. Only after this is done, there would be a proper understanding of the things that are to happen at a later stage in an organisation. Knowledge management is the whole process of considering and implementing measures that would be dealing with the organisational knowledge. There is always a need to have a suitable definition of this concept. Secondly, the provided definition for a KBS has to be appropriate to the context of investigation of the organisational aspects of knowledge. The relationship between the knowledge management and Knowledge Based Systems has to be established and the same should stand on sound grounds. If there are any mismatches found in the definitions, it would affect drastically on both the knowledge and the method through which the knowledge management is achieved. Thirdly, with a proper assessment of the value of a KBS, it needs a careful description of how a KBS relates to the other aspects of an organisation and the disposition of its knowledge. There is also a question that remains unanswered that is the earning that a KBS can obtain the tools that are used for knowledge management. To do all this, there is a particular framework that has to be presented. 2.5 Management of Knowledge There is a certain need for every organisation to crave for more knowledge than what is acquired by an organisation as it has to survive the competition that exists in the market. Every individual that is linked with any process of an organisation, they have to perform their day-to-day activities and routines; it may even add value to the work that an individual does. The knowledge that is acquired or retained within the organisational limits could be put into use by all the individuals in their day-to-day work. The knowledge that is already retained by an organisation has to be used in all the present scenarios and at the same time there are to be ardent efforts to create new knowledge or information are the only two core areas of concern for any organisation that is considered for this research study (Frappaolo, 2006). The knowledge that is acquired and maintained within an organisation should be relevant to the work that an individual works on and the same differs or changes over the time without any doubts. An organisation maintaining the