American Judicial System

The American judiciary system was found on the adversarial model. In the United State of America, the constitution founders believed that the only best form of government was one that would promote the welfare of an individual such as one social class or a director. The middle class was favored as the most likely group to promote the common welfare because they had in mind that the rich and poor would mostly be concerned with promotion of their own interests. The founders of constitution also believed that the common welfare meant having total protection to each individual’s natural rights of property, life and liberty.They chose a form of government called the republican government (Vaughan, 2003, p. 1712-1862). Because England’s powers of government were balanced and divided among the king and the parliaments two houses (the commons and the House of Lords), this system was applicable. This is because it best exemplified republican government. Madison J. who was one of the United States Farmers had his own definition to the republic as a nation or country whose laws and policies are made and administered by some of representatives of the people.He recommended that those representatives should be elected by a large number of people but not a small class. In addition, he figured out that such a government would fully serve the society with no special consideration to particular groups. More so, apart from their nations of republican government, natural rights and common good the constitution founders wanted written laws that would clearly show the rights of all individuals and extent of the power in government. The American constitution sets forth the fundamental laws and rules showing how their government is operated and organized.Although most of the countries have both unwritten and written constitutions, the limited powers of the government by a constitution which must be obeyed by the government is the one that distinguishes a dictatorial gove rnment from a constitutional one. The contrast is perceived in that, the dictatorial government has unlimited powers over the government and its natural resources. It is very difficult for the citizens to force such kind of tyrannical rules to obey the law because the rules also control the nation’s defense force group like police and military.https://www. netsafa. navy. mil/ipg/judicial-process. htm In a government governed by a constitution, the laws set should show the basic rights of its citizens to their property, liberty and life. It states that the government should have a responsibility to guard such rights. It also has the government’s power limitations shows the extent to which citizen’s lives cannot be interfered with by the government. Also it includes the ways by which the nation can be changed through the consent of its citizens.The constitution farmers in America borrowed some ideas from the British model and came up with a series of balances and checks so as to have protection against power abuse by the government. To avoid domination of powers by one sector in the government, powers are given to quite different branches of government. The two main power branches in a constitution include; the executive branch which has the responsibility of enforcing the laws, and the legislative branch which is responsible for law making. This information centers on the judicial branch system in the United States government (Young, 54).Although all other nations have laws and rules governing people’s relationships with each other, and other kinds of rules which govern human relationships like the custom, religion and accepted morality, the American’s judicial system appears to be a bit complex. The complexity is with the courts at different levels like in state, Federal County and Municipal bodies. It is not easy to understand the interrelationships although there are laws which clarifies jurisdiction and assigns responsibil ities. According to the judicial foundation system, nobody and nothing in the country can stand outside the law or above the law.In the United States, the penalty for running a red light in vehicles is same to the general or admiral because it is made for a season or private. The brief in the primacy of the law is basic to the citizen’s way of life. The law becomes the ultimate arbiter while the courts are its major guardians. The actions of all other government branches must have consistency with the laws. With regardless of citizens’ official status, social position, religion, wealth or political creed, they are all subject to the law. This acts as one major goal for justice in America.The court ensures same law enforcement upon the powerless and the powerful. Due to this reason the courts and the law are said to be the fundamental guardians of equality life in United States. What is more important with American Judicial system is that, once an individual is accused of crime, he or she is regarded as to be innocent until when he is proved guilty in the courtroom. This implies that, the burden of proof is left to the prosecutor, the accused victim requires not prove his or her innocence (Young, 54). Once a person has been accused in law violation, the law insists that such an individual be tried by a jury.These juries are made up of just ordinary citizens who are chosen to serve temporarily in court to listen to the evidences in case where by they decide whether the accused is innocent or guilty. They are not official government. In United States, judiciary is a quite separate branch of government. Besides the fact that judicial system is subject to the same types of balances and checks as for the case in legislative and executive branches, it is not controlled by either of them it implies that, courts are not in any way influenced by the executive and legislative in their duties.Their courts are perceived to play an important role in their acti vities to shape the public policy. They are seen to provide judicial legal interpretations for both civil law and criminal law. More so, they shape legal policy through appeals and trials (Harper 1998). After adoption of the constitution in 1989, the federal and state courts have used the power in declaring an action at the executive branch or legislature as unconstitutional thus making them null and void. Generally, the American courts are no only important because of justice administration but also due to shaping public policy.According to many people it is perceived that American justice is very slow. Yes it is true that the dockets of court are very full but all these aims at fairness in justice. The judicial system of America is an integral system where by the people’s rights are protected against government interferences. Due to judicial system body being set as an independent body, it is true that justice is being administered in light of the court room work groups and assembly line justice.According to the citizens, this is a very good thing because there is no difference between poor and rich in the law administration. References Young, E. (2005). Institutional Settlement in a Globalizing Judicial System. Duke Law Journal 54. Harper J, (1998 June 7). Collections: Judicial Watch Keeps Stern Watch on Court’s System, Clinton. Religious Studies, Philosophy, History, Psychology, and Library. Vaughan, B. (2003). The Evolution of Louisiana's Judicial System. From Chaos to Continuity. 69, 1712-1862.

Chapter One Overview of Information Systems

1. 1 Introduction When Rutherford B. Hayes, the 19th president of the United States, saw a demonstration of the telephone in the late 1800s, he reportedly commented that while it was a wonderful invention, businessmen would never use it. Hayes believed that people had to meet face to face to conduct substantive business affairs, and he was not alone in that assessment.Few of Hayes's contemporaries could foresee the profound changes that would be ushered in by the telephone and other technologies of the day, including steam engines, production machinery; transportation technologies such as railroads and automobiles, and communication technologies such as the telegraph and telephone. As we are in the 21st century, we are once again experiencing an intense period of technology-enabled innovation, creativity, and excitement that has been spurred by the information and telecommunications technologies and associated changes in our life, work and society.We are now in  the information/kno wledge age — a time when information and knowledge are power. Leading industrial countries are transforming from industrial-based economies to information/knowledge-based economy. Information is everywhere. Information and knowledge have become critical, strategic assets for most organizations. We live in an â€Å"information society,† where power and wealth increasingly depend on information and knowledge as central assets. It is a new world of doing business.Business and other organizations all over the world are focusing on information and knowledge as their key strategic resources. All firms today, large and small, local and global, use information systems to achieve important business objectives, such as operational efficiency, customer and supplier intimacy, better decision making, and new products and services. A continuing stream of information technology innovations from the Internet to wireless networks to digital phone is continuing to transform the business world.These innovations are enabling entrepreneurs and innovative traditional firms to create new products and service, develop new business models, and transform the day-to-day conduct of business. In the process, some old businesses, even industries, are being destroyed while new businesses are springing up. In 2005, journalist Thomas Friedman wrote an influential book declaring the world was ‘flat’ by which he meant that the Internet and global communications had greatly reduced the economic and cultural advantages of developed countries. U. S. nd European countries were in a fight for their economic lives, competing for jobs, markets, resources, and even ideas with highly educated, motivated populations in low-wage areas in the less developed world. The globalization trend of the world economy greatly enhances the value of information systems to the organizations. In today's global business environment, information technology is creating new opportunities for organ izational coordination and innovation. Organizations require powerful information and communication systems to manage business on an international scale.Manufacturers are using information systems to order supplies and distribute goods faster than ever before; financial institutions are employing them to transfer billions of dollars around the world electronically; investors are using them to make multimillion-dollar decisions. This globalization presents you and your business with both challenges and opportunities. The challenge for you as a business student is to develop high-level skills through education and on-the-job experience that cannot be outsourced. Information systems will continue to change our business, society and lives.Information system and technologies will also play large roles in your career. Along with the changes in business come changes in job and careers. No matter whether you are a finance, accounting, management, marketing, operations management, or informa tion systems major, how you work, where you work, and how well you are compensated will all be affected by business information systems. When interviewing potential employees, business firms often look for new hires who know how to use information technologies and systems for achieving bottom-line business results.It is widely recognized that understanding information systems is essential for managers and employees because most organizations need information systems to survive and prosper. Employees will depend on the information systems to increase their productivity. Management will use the information systems to improve their decision-making processes. Thus the knowledge of information systems and the ability to put this knowledge to work can result in a successful personal career. The knowledge and skill you learn from this subject will be valuable throughout your business career. 1. Computer Literacy and Information System Literacy Today, computers are everywhere: at work, at s chool, and at home. Many daily activities either involve the use of or depend on information from a computer. Computer advances impact all individuals, families, organizations, and schools (see Figure 1-1). Computers already are an essential part of people's daily lives, as much as the automobile, television, and telephone. Computers are taking on many new roles — providing vast information resources, fast communications, effective learning tools, and powerful support for activities in businesses, schools, and homes.Information systems and technologies have become a vital component of successful businesses and organizations. They thus constitute an essential field of study in business administration and management. Almost any career in your future will involve a computer in some way. You probably recognize that it will not be easy to get through the rest of your life without knowing about computers and information systems. In today's technology-rich world, a great demand for computer and information systems professionals exists and continues to grow.The computer and information systems industries offer many rewarding careers and jobs, but require a unique combination of hands-on computing skills, creative problem solving ability, and an understanding of business needs. In preparing yourself to enter today's fast-paced, ever-changing, and information-intense business environment, you need to understand the new thinking in business. Managers and professionals such as engineers, scientists, or architects are collectively known as knowledge workers, since their main contribution to the activities in which they are involved is their knowledge and skills.The term literacy has been used to describe two types of knowledge that are key to succeed as a knowledge worker in today's information/knowledge-based business environment. One kind of knowledge is computer literacy; the other is information systems literacy. The knowledge and understanding of computer syste ms and the ways they function are called computer literacy. Computer literacy focuses primarily on knowledge of information technology. This knowledge includes an understanding of computer terminology, recognition of the strengths and weaknesses of the computer, and an ability to use the computer.It also stresses computer equipment and devices (hardware), programs and instructions (software), databases, networking, and telecommunications. The requirements that determine computer literacy change as technology changes. As you study about computers, you will become aware of their importance, their versatility, and their pervasiveness in our society. There is no better way to understand computer systems than through interacting with one. So being computer literate also means being able to use computers for some type of applications. However, no one expects you to become a computer expert.Today, information systems provide the communication and analytic power that firms need for conducti ng trade and managing businesses on a global scale. In addition to understanding computers, the modern knowledge worker should have information systems literacy. From an organizational perspective, an information system is an organizational and management solution, based on information technology, to a challenge posed by today's dynamic environment. To fully understand information systems, you must understand the broader organization, management, and information technology dimensions of information systems (see Figure 1-2).Figure 1-2 Organization, management, and information technology dimensions of information systems Information systems are integral part of organizations. The key elements of an organization are its people, structure, operating procedures, politics, and culture. Organizations are composed of different levels and specialties. Different levels and specialties in an organization create different interests and points of view. Information systems come out of this cauldr on of differing perspectives, conflicts, compromises, and agreements that are a natural part of all organizations.Management's job is to make sense out of the many situations faced by organizations, make decisions, and formulate action plans to solve organizational problems. Managers perceive business challenges in the environment, they set the organizational strategy for responding and allocate the human and financial resources to achieve the strategy and coordinate the work. The business information systems in organizations reflect the hopes, dreams, and realities of the managers. Information technology is one of many tools managers use to cope with change.Information technology infrastructure provides the foundation or platform on which the firm can build its specific information systems. Each organization must carefully design and manage its information technology infrastructure so that it has the set of technology services it needs for the work it wants to accomplish with infor mation systems. Let us use UPS's package tracking system to identify the organization, management, and technology elements. The organization element anchors the package tracking system in UPS's sales and production functions (the main product of UPS is a service–package delivery).It specifies the required procedures for identifying packages with both sender and recipient information, taking inventory, tracking the packages en route, and providing package status reports for UPS customers and customer service representatives. The system must also provide information to satisfy the needs of managers and workers. UPS's management is responsible for monitoring service levels and costs and for promoting the company's strategy of combining low-cost and superior service.Management decided to use automation to increase the ease of sending a package via UPS and of checking its delivery status, thereby reducing delivery costs and increasing sales revenues. The technology supporting this system consists of handheld computers, barcode scanners, wired and wireless communications networks, desktop computers, UPS's central computer, storage technology for the package delivery data, UPS package tracking software, and software to access the World Wide Web. The result is an information system solution to the business challenge of providing a high level of service with low prices in the face of mounting competition.Therefore, information systems literacy is knowledge of how and why data, information, knowledge, computer, and information technology are used by organizations and individuals. It includes not only knowledge of computer technology but also aspects of the broader range of information technology. Information systems literacy can involve knowledge of how and why people use information technology; knowledge of organizations, decision-making approaches, management levels, and information needs; and knowledge of how organizations can use information systems to achiev e their goals.Thus, the key aspect of information systems literacy is knowing how to deploy information technology to help an organization achieve its business goals and to gain a competitive advantage. In general, knowing about various types of hardware and software is an example of computer literacy. Knowing how to use hardware and software to increase profits, cut costs, improve productivity, increase customer satisfaction, and improve management decision-making is an example of information systems literacy. Information system literacy includes a ehavioral as well as a technical approach to studying information systems. The field of management information systems (MIS) tries to achieve this broader information systems literacy. One of the main objectives of this course is to lay the foundation for information systems literacy. 1. 3 Data and Information Today, information is one of an organization's most important and valuable resources. Organizational information systems contain information about people, places, things, ideas and events within the organization and in the environment surrounding it.By information we mean data that have being processed into a form that is meaningful and useful to the recipient. Data are therefore the raw facts for producing information. The relation of data to information is that of raw material to finished product. The information systems process data in unusable form into a usable form that is information for intended recipient. As the simplified example shown in Figure 1-3, the student name, ID number, semester, curse codes, and course grades all represent data. The computer processes the data to produce the grade information (report). | | Figure 1-3 The process of transforming data into information| Organizational activities require information. Producing products, assigning workers, making sales, billing amounts due, and providing customer services are examples of activities that use information. Data represents real-wor ld facts, such as an employee's name, weekly sales, customer numbers, or product inventory. Data items are organized for processing purpose into data structures, file structure, database, and data warehouse. Data are simply raw facts and has little value beyond its existence.Information systems manipulate and process data to create information. The information in an information system take a variety of forms including text, numbers, pictures, sounds, animations and videos. The value of information is described most meaningful in the context of a decision. In other words, the value of information is directly linked to how it helps decision-makers achieve their organization's goals. If there were no current or future choices or decisions affected by a piece of information, the information would be unnecessary.It is cited frequently in explaining why information systems that collect vast amounts of data often fail to satisfy managerial information needs. The value of information might be measured in following three dimensions: * Content — information should be accurate, relevant, and complete * Time — information should be timely and current * Form — information should be provided at the appropriate level of detail and in the most appropriate form. More specifically, information should have certain characteristics to make it valuable.The characteristics of valuable information include being accurate, verifiable, timely, organized, meaningful, useful, and cost effective. * Accurate information is correct information. Inaccurate information often is worse than no information, because inaccurate information can lead to incorrect decisions. For example, you assume that your transcript correctly list your grades. If your transcript incorrectly reports low grades in your major courses, a potential employer might deny you an interview. * Verifiable information means that the information can be confirm by the user.For example, before relying on the c umulative GPA on your transcript, a potential employer might want to check that the GPA is calculated correctly. The potential employer can verify the accuracy of the accumulated GPA by calculating it from the individual semester GPA values. * Timely information has an age suited to its use. Your transcript, for example, has value for a potential employer only if the employer receives it in time to make a hiring decision. Although most information loses its value with time, some information, such as information on trends, gains value as time passes and more information is obtained.Your transcript, for example, gains value as you complete more coursework because it reflects your work ethic and dedication over a time period. * Meaningful information is relevant to the person who receives it. Because certain information is meaningful only to specific individuals or groups, unnecessary information should be eliminated. * Cost-effective information costs less to produce than the value of the resulting information. Most organizations periodically review the information they produce in reports to determine if the reports provide valuable information.Based on that review, the companies can determine whether to continue, scale back, or even eliminate these reports. The need for timely information can change for each business decision. Some decisions require weekly or monthly information while other decisions require daily information. Timeliness is an aspect of information that depends on the situation. In some industries such as insurance and construction, information that is a few days or weeks old can be relevant, while in other industries such as 911 centers and stock trading information that is a few minutes old can be almost worthless.Real-time information means immediate, up-to-date information. Real-time systems provide real-time information in response to query requests. Many organizations use real-time systems to exploit key corporate transactional informatio n. Real-time systems provide valuable information for supporting corporate strategies such as customer relationship management. The growing demand for real-time information stems from organizations’ need to make faster and more effective decisions, keep smaller inventories, operate more efficiently, and track performance more carefully.Nevertheless, timeliness is relative. Organizations need fresh, timely information to make good decisions. Information also needs to be timely in the sense that it meets employees’ needs, but no more. If employees can absorb information only on an hourly or daily basis, there is no need to gather real-time information in smaller increments. Many people request real-time information without understanding one of the biggest pitfalls associated with real-time information’s continual change. Imagine the following scenario: Three managers meet at the end of the day to discuss a business problem.Each manager has gathered information at different times during the day to create a picture of the situation. Each manager’s picture may be different because of this time discrepancy. Their views on the business problem may not match since the information they are basing their analysis on is continually changing. This approach may not speed up decision making, and may actually slow it down. Organizations must evaluate the timeliness of the information required for each business decision. Organizations do not want to find themselves using real-time information to make a bad decision faster.Information and knowledge are becoming the foundation for many new products and services. Information/ knowledge-intense products such as computer games require a great deal of knowledge to produce. Entire new information-based services have sprung up, such as Lexis, Dow Jones News, and America Online. These fields are employing millions of people. Information technology constitutes more than 75 percent of the invested capital in s ervice industries such as finance, insurance, and real estate. Knowledge is used more intensively in the production of traditional products as well.In the automobile industry, both design and production now rely heavily on knowledge and information technology. 1. 4 Information Systems 1. 4. 1 The Concept of System System concepts underlie the field of information systems. A system is a set of elements or components that operate together to accomplish an objective. Many examples of systems can be found in the physical and biological sciences, in modern technology, and in human society. A system (sometimes called a dynamic system) has three basic interacting components or functions: *   Input involves capturing and assembling elements that enter the system to be processed.For example, raw materials, energy, data, and human effort must be secured and organized for processing. * Processing involves transforming processes that convert input into output. Examples are a manufacturing pro cess, the human breathing process, or mathematical calculations. * Output involves transferring elements that have been produced by a transformation process to their ultimate destination. For example, finished products, human services, and management information must be transmitted to their human users. The system concept becomes even more useful by including two additional components: feedback and control.A system with feedback and control components is sometimes called a cybernetic system, that is, a self-monitoring, self-regulating system. * Feedback is data about the performance of a system. For example, data about sales performance is feedback to a sales manager. * Control involves monitoring and evaluating feedback to determine whether a system is moving toward the achievement of its goal. The control function then makes necessary adjustments to a system's input and processing components to ensure that it produces proper output.For example, a sales manager exercises control wh en reassigning salespersons to new sales territories after evaluating feedback about their sales performance. 1. 4. 2 Information Systems An information system is a specialized type of system and can be defined in a number of different ways. An information system can be defined technically as a set of interrelated information technology components that collect (or retrieve), process, store, and distribute data and information and provide a feedback/control mechanism to meet an objective.From a business perspective, information systems can be defined as a combination of hardware, software, and telecommunications networks which people build and use to collect, create, and distribute useful data and information, typically in organizational settings. Information systems support managers and workers make decisions, control operations, analyze problems, visualize complex subjects, and create new products and services. An information system contains information about an organization and it s surrounding environment.The basic activities of input, processing and output in an information system produce the information that organization need for decision-making and operations. An information system also requires feedback and control components to meet an objective (see Figure 2-4). | Figure 1-4 An information system| In an information system, input is the activity of gathering and capturing raw data from within the organization or from its external environment. For example, in producing paychecks, the number of hours worked for every worker must be collected before the pay amounts can be calculated and checks can be printed.Processing involves converting or transforming data into more meaningful form. Processing can involve making calculations, making comparisons and taking alternative actions, and storing data for future use. In the payroll example, the required processing may first involve calculating gross pay. If weekly hours worked are greater than 40 hours, overtime pay must be determined. Then deductions are subtracted from gross pay to get net pay. Output involves producing useful information in a proper form such as reports, paychecks or documents, and transferring the processed information to the user.In some cases, output from one information system can become input for another. Information systems also provide feedback/control mechanism to allow people to evaluate the performance of the systems and make necessary changes to input or processing activities. Information technologies (IT) are tools used to build information systems. Information technologies include hardware, software, database, networks, and other related components. Information systems use and integrate these technologies to meet the information needs of different users.The information technology, then, must support the goal of the information system, which is to provide accurate, timely, relevant, complete, well-formatted information that users value. Computer architecture ensures a fit between information systems and technologies. Computers are valuable tools. As technology advances and computers extend into every facet of daily living, computers have become an essential part of organizational information processing because of the power of the technology and the volume of data to be processed.When we use the term information systems, we are referring to computer-based information systems (CBIS) — organizational information systems that rely on computer technology to collect, process, store and disseminate information. A CBIS is composed of hardware, software, database, telecommunications, people, and protocols/procedures, as shown in Figure 1-5. | | | Figure 1-5 The components of an information system| In a computer-based information system, hardware consists of physical computer equipment and associated devices used to perform input, processing, and output activities.Software is a broad term given to the instructions that direct the operatio n of the hardware. Database contains all data utilized by application software. Telecommunications is the electronic transmission of signals for communications and enables organizations to link computer systems into effective networks. Information systems personnel include all the people who develop, program, operate, manage, use and maintain the information systems. Protocols are standards and guidelines used for designing and deploying information systems.Procedures include strategies, policies, methods, and rules for developing, managing and using the information systems. Although computer-based information systems use computer technology to process raw data into meaningful information, there is a sharp distinction between a computer system and an information system. Electronic computers and related software programs are the technical foundation, the tools and materials, of modern information systems. Computer systems provide the equipment and software for processing, storing and distributing information. Knowing how computer systems work is important in esigning solutions to organizational problems, but computer systems are only part of an information system. Computers and programs alone cannot produce the information a particular organization needs. To understand information systems, you must understand the problems they are designed to solve, their architectural and design elements, and the organizational processes that lead to these solutions. In other words, to be information systems literate as opposed to computer literate, you must understand the broader organization, management, and technology dimensions of information systems. 1. 4. Enterprise System Architectures System architecture refers to the arrangement of software, hardware, and tasks in an information system needed to achieve a specific functionality. To support the volume and complexity of today’s users and application requirements, information technology needs to take a fresh appro ach to enterprise system architectures by constructing smarter, more flexible environments that protect from system failures and crashes. Enterprise system architectures include the plans for how an organization will build, deploy, use, and share its data, processes, and IT assets.A unified enterprise system architecture will standardize enterprisewide hardware and software, with tighter links to the business strategy. A solid enterprise system architecture can decrease costs, increase standardization, promote reuse of IT assets, and speed development of new systems. The right enterprise system architecture can make IT cheaper, strategic, and more responsive. Enterprise system architectures are never static; they continually change. Organizations use enterprise system architects to help manage change.An enterprise system architect is a person grounded in technology, fluent in business, a patient diplomat, and provides the important bridge between IT and the business. An enterprise s ystem architect is expensive and generally receives a salary of $180,000 per year on average. Companies that have created solid enterprise system architectures are reaping huge rewards in savings, flexibility, and business alignment. Basic enterprise architectures contain three components, as shown in Figure 2-6. | | |   Ã‚   Figure 1-6 Three components of enterprise system rchitecture| Information Architecture Information architecture identifies where and how important information, like customer records, is maintained and secured. A single backup or restore failure can cost an organization more than time and money; some data cannot be recreated, and the business intelligence lost from that data can be tremendous. Three primary areas an enterprise information architecture should focus on include back up and recovery, disaster recovery, and information security. Each year businesses lose time and money because of system crashes and failures.One way to minimize the damage of a syste m crash is to have a backup and recovery strategy in place. A backup is an exact copy of a system’s information. Recovery is the ability to get a system up and running in the even of a system crash or failure and includes restoring the information backup. Organizations should choose a backup and recovery strategy that is in line with its business goals. If the organization deals with large volumes of critical information, it will require daily backups, perhaps even hourly backups, to storage servers.Deciding how often to back up information and what media to use is a critical business decision. If an organization decides to back up on a weekly basis, then it is taking the risk that, if a total system crash occurs, it could lose a week’s worth of work. If this risk is unacceptable, then the organization needs to move to a daily backup strategy. Some organizations find the risk of losing a day’s worth of work too high and move to an hourly backup strategy. Two tec hniques used to help in case of system failure are fault tolerance and failover.Fault tolerance is a computer system designed that in the event a component fails, a backup tolerance can be provided with software, or embedded in hardware, or provide by some combination. Failover is a backup operational mode in which the functions of a computer component are assumed by secondary system components when the primary component becomes unavailable through either failure or scheduled downtime. A failover procedure involves automatically offloading tasks to a standby system component so that the procedure si as seamless as possible to the end user.Disasters such as power outages, floods, and even harmful hacking strike businesses every day. Organizations must develop a disaster recovery plan to prepare for such occurrences. A disaster recovery plan is a detailed process for recovering information or an IT system in the event of a catastrophic disaster such as a fire or flood. A comprehensive disaster recovery plan takes into consideration the location of the backup information. Many organizations store backup information in an off-site facility. A hot site is a separate and fully equipped facility where the company can move immediately after a disaster and resume business.A cold site is a separate facility that does not have any computer equipment, but is a place where employees can move after a disaster. Security professionals are under increasing pressure to do the job right and cost-effectively as networks extend beyond organizations to remote users, partners, and customers, and to cell phones, PDAs, and other mobile devices. Regulatory requirements to safeguard data have increased. Concerns about identify theft are at an all-time high. Hacking and other unauthorized access contribute to the approximately 10 million instances of identity theft each, according to the Federal Trade Commission.A good information architecture includes a strong information security plan, along with managing user access and up-to-data antivirus software and patches. Managing user access to information is a critical piece of the information architecture. There is little doubt that security is a top priority for business managers, regardless of the size of their company. The main focus for most managers is preventing hackers, spammers, and other malcontents from entering their networks, and they are looking to enhance their network-security-management, intrusion-detection, content-filtering, and anti-spam software.Infrastructure Architecture Infrastructure architecture includes the hardware, software, and telecommunications equipment that, when combined, provide the underlying foundation to support the organization’s goals. As an organization changes, its systems must be able to change to support its operations. If an organization grows by 50 percent in a single year, its systems must be able to handle a 50 percent growth rate. Systems that cannot adapt to orga nizational changes can severely hinder the organization’s ability to operate. The future of an organization depends on its ability to meet its artners and customers on their terms, at their pace, any time of the day, in any geographic location. The following are the five primary characteristics of a solid infrastructure architecture: 1. Flexibility: Organizations must watch today’s business, as well as tomorrow’s, when designing and building systems. Systems must be flexible enough to meet all types of business changes. For example, a system night be designed to include the ability to handle multiple currencies and languages, even though the company is not currently performing business in other countries.When the company starts growing and performing business in new countries, the system will already have the flexibility to handle multiple currencies and languages. If the company failed to recognize that its business would someday be global, it would need to red esign all its systems to handle multiple currencies and languages, not easy once systems are up and running. 2. Scalability: Scalability refers to the ability of a system to increase in size as demand warrants. If an organization grows faster than anticipated, it might all types of performance degradations, ranging from running out of storage space to a slowdown in transaction speeds.Capacity planning determines the future IT infrastructure requirements for new equipment and additional network capacity. Performing a capacity plan is one way to ensure the IT infrastructure is scalable. There are three steps you can take to meet the demands for service at your system: scale hardware vertically, scale hardware horizontally, and improve the processing architecture of the system. Vertical scaling refers to increasing the processing poser of individual components. Horizontal scaling refers to employing multiple computers to share the workload and increase the ‘footprint’ of t he installation.Improving the processing architecture is a combination of vertical and horizontal scaling, combined with artful design decisions. 3. Reliability: Reliability ensures all systems are functioning correctly and providing accurate information. Reliability is another term for accuracy when discussing the correctness of systems within the context of efficiency IT metrics. 4. Availability: High availability refers to a system or component that is continuously operational for a desirably long length of time. Availability is typically measured relative to 100 percent operational.A widely held but difficult-to-achieve standard of availability for a system is known as ‘five 9s’ (99. 999 percent) availability. Systems, however, must come down for maintenance, upgrades, and fixes. One challenge organizations face is determining when to schedule system downtime if the system is expected to operate continually. Many organizations overcome this problem by having redunda nt systems, allowing the organization to take one system down by switching over to a redundant system. 5. Performance: Performance measures how quickly a system performs a certain process or transaction.Not having enough performance capacity can have a devastating, negative impact on a business. People usually use IT metrics to measure the system architecture. Efficiency IT metrics measure the performance of the IT system including throughout, speed and availability. Effective IT metrics measure the impact of the IT system on business processes and activities including customer satisfaction, conversion rates, and sell-through increases. Application Architecture Application architecture determines how applications integrate and relate to each other.Advances in integration technology are providing new ways for designing more agile, more responsive enterprise architectures that provide the kind of value businesses need. With these new architectures, IT can build new business capabiliti es faster, cheaper, and in a vocabulary the business can understand. Web services promise to be the next major frontier in computing. Web services contain a repertoire of Web-based data and procedural resources that use shared protocols and standards permitting different applications to share data and services.The major application of Web services is the integration among different applications. Before Web services, organizations had trouble with interoperability. Interoperability is the capability of two or more computer systems to share data and resources. If a supply chain management system can share data with a customer relationship management system, interoperability exists between the two systems. Web services encompass all the technologies that are used to transmit and process information on and across a network, most specifically the Internet.A Web service is really a piece of reusable software code. A software developer can quickly build a new application by using many of t hese pieces of reusable code. For example, a ‘Deposit’ Web service for a banking system might allow customers to perform the task of depositing money to their accounts. The Web service could be used by a bank teller, by the customer at an ATM, and by the customer performing an online transaction through a Web browser. The trick to building Web service is finding the right level of granularity.An open system is a broad, general term that describes nonproprietary IT hardware and software made available by the standards and procedures by which their products work, making it easier to integrate them. The designs of open systems allow for information sharing. In the past different systems were independent of each other and operated as individual islands of control. The sharing of information was accomplished through software drivers and devices that routed data allowing information to be translated and shared between systems.Open system integration is designed to: * Allow sy stems to seamlessly share information. The sharing of information reduces the total number of devices, resulting in an overall decrease in cost. * Capitalize on enterprise architectures. This avoids installing several independent systems, which creates duplication of devices. * Eliminate proprietary systems and promote competitive pricing. Utilization of open systems allows users to purchase systems competitively. 1. 5 The Role of Information Systems in Business 1. . 1 Business Environment Business students frequently ask, â€Å"Why do we need to study information technology? † The answer is simple: Information technology is everywhere in business. Information technology plays a critical role in reducing costs, improving productivity and generating growth by facilitating communication and increasing business intelligence. Information technology is supplying the foundation for new business models, new business processes, and new ways of distributing products, services and know ledge.Companies are relying on information technology and telecommunications to conduct more of their work electronically, seamlessly linking factories, offices, sales forces, managers, customers, and suppliers around the globe. Understanding information technology provides great insight to anyone learning about business. Business students who understand technology have an advantage in business. | | | Figure 1-7 Seven major factors that affect today's business environment| Before discussing the role of information systems in organizations, let's xamine some of the most important factors shaping today's new business. These and other factors have altered the environment of business and posed new challenges to business firms and their management. To you, these factors can be translated into a substantial career opportunity, if you understand them and prepare yourself through education to take advantage of them. Figure 2-7 lists seven important factors including globalization, competiti on, information as a key resource, organization restructuring, end-use computing, electronic commerce, and virtual workplace.Emergence of the global economy means that business today is global business. The success of firms today and in the future depends on their ability to manage business globally. Business globalization greatly enhances the value of information systems to organizations and offers new opportunities to business. Organizations need powerful information systems and communications systems to conduct trade and manage businesses on a global scale. Obviously, globalization has increased competition. Information technology is another reason competition is heating up.Globalization and information technology bring new threats to domestic business firms. Customers now can use global communication and information systems to shop in a worldwide marketplace, obtaining price and quality information reliably 24 hours a day. To become competitive participants in international mark ets, firms need powerful information and communication systems. In the information age, information is so important that businesses must have information to be successful. The need to capture and record information about what customers want has led to many databases and data warehouses.These databases and data warehouses contain valuable information to help firms to throb with the pulse of marketplace. These databases and data warehouses of great economic value are based on new information technologies. Today, many organizations are restructuring in a variety of ways. The explosive growth in computing power and networks is turning organizations into networked enterprises, which allow organizations to redesign and reshape their structures, scope of operations, control mechanisms, work practices, work flows, products, and services.Many organizations have reduced the number of levels in their organizational hierarchies. In these flatter organizations, employees are empowered to make mo re decisions than in the past. Contemporary information technology can make more information available to line workers so they can make decisions that previously had been made by managers. Companies can use information and communications technologies to organize in more flexible ways, increasing their ability to respond to changes in the marketplace, to take advantage of new business opportunities, and to reduce the cost of obtaining products and services from outside the firm.Many organizations use information technology to recast the management process, providing powerful new capabilities to help managers plan, organize, lead, and control. One important trend is using information technology for enterprise resource planning. For example, more and more firms are using the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. The ERP system is a business information system that integrates all facets of the business, including planning, purchasing, manufacturing, sales, finance and human resourc es.The ERP system creates an integrated database to coordinate business activities within and across functional areas by sharing consistent information, and automates many business processes. Information and telecommunications technologies are creating new ways of conducting business electronically both inside and outside the firm. The Internet is emerging as the primary technology platform for electronic commerce. Electronic commerce is the computerized process of buying and selling goods and services through the Internet, networks, and other digital technologies.The Internet links millions of organizations and individuals into a single network, creating the foundation for a vast electronic marketplace. An electronic market is an information system that links together many buyers and sellers to exchange information, products, services, and payments. Many organizations are increasingly apply Internet technology to facilitate the management and coordination of other business processe s within the firm — publishing company's policies and work procedures, scheduling work flow, reviewing production plan, revising design documents, and so on, which is called electronic business.Information and telecommunications technologies have eliminated distance as a factor for many types of work in many situations. Many companies are using networked information systems to coordinate their geographically distributed capabilities. Works can be done wherever the employees are located. The term virtual workplace describes a technology-enabled working arrangement where work can be done at virtually any geographical location as along as the work site is linked to one or more of the firm's fixed locations by some type of telecommunications capability.Some companies are even using networked information systems to coordinate with other organizations such as suppliers, distributor, or even competitors as virtual organizations to create and distribute new products and services with out being limited by traditional organizational boundaries or physical location. Intensive use of information technology in business firms, coupled with equally significant organizational redesign, has created a new type of business: the fully digital firm. The digital firm can be defined along several dimensions.A digital firm is one where nearly all of the organization's significant business relationships with customers, suppliers, and employees are digitally enabled and mediated. Core business processes are accomplished through digital networks spanning the entire organization or linking multiple organizations. Key corporate assets–intellectual property, core competencies, and financial and human assets–are managed through digital means. In a digital firm, any piece of information required to support key business decisions is available at anytime and anywhere in the firm.Digital firms sense and respond to their environments far more rapidly than traditional firms, g iving them more flexibility to survive in turbulent times. Digital firms offer extraordinary opportunities for more global organization and management. By digitally enabling and streamlining their work, digital firms have the potential to achieve unprecedented levels of profitability and competitiveness. A few firms, such as Cisco Systems, Dell Computer Corporation or Google, are close to becoming fully digital firms, using the Internet to drive every aspect of their business.In most other companies, a fully digital firm is still more vision than reality but this vision is driving them toward digital integration. For today's managers, information technology is not simply a useful handmaiden, an enabler, but rather it is the core of the business and a primary management tool. There are four major systems that help define the digital firm. Supply chain management systems seek to automate the relationship between suppliers and the firm to optimize the planning, sourcing, manufacturing, and delivery of products and services.Customer relationship management systems attempt to develop a coherent, integrated view of all the relationships a firm maintains with its customers. Enterprise systems create an integrated enterprise-wide information system to coordinate key internal processes of the firm, integrating data from manufacturing and distribution, sales, finance, and human resources. Finally, knowledge management systems seek to create, capture, store, and disseminate firm expertise and knowledge.Collectively, these systems represent the areas where corporations are digitally integrating their information flows and making major information system investments. For example, building only cars that customers order and building them in record time has been every automaker's dream. Now, it appears that Toyota Motor Corporation is coming close to making that dream come true. Toyota is using new software tools and Internet technology to drive its processes for designing a nd manufacturing automobiles and to integrate them with customers and suppliers.The company is moving toward a digital firm organization. In many organizations, end users are developing a growing percentage of information systems with little or no formal assistance from technical specialists. This phenomenon is called end-user computing. Information technology education programs at both the college and pre-college level and easy-to-use of both computer hardware and software have made more and more managers and employees have good computing knowledge and skills.End user computing involves you, as a future knowledge worker, in more than just developing a budget using spreadsheet software, creating a presentation using presentation graphics software, or using a system that someone else developed. It requires you to take an active role in developing systems that support your specific needs or the needs of a team. 1. 5. 2 Functional Areas in Business Understanding information technology begins with gaining an understanding of how businesses function and IT’s role in creating efficiencies and effectiveness across the organization.Typical businesses operate by functional areas. Each area undertakes a specific core business function. These functional areas are interdependent (see Figure 2-8). For example, sales must rely on information from operations to understand inventory, place orders, calculate transportation costs, and gain insight into product availability based on production schedules. For an organization to succeed, every department or functional area must work together sharing common information. Information technology can enable departments to more fficiently and effectively perform their business operations. | Figure 1-8 Common functional areas in business| To perform the MIS function effectively, almost all organizations today, particularly large and medium-sized ones, have an internal IT department. The plans and goals of the IT department must al ign with the plans and goals of the organization. Information technology can enable an organization to increase efficiency in manufacturing, retain key customers, seek out new sources of supply, and introduce effective financial management.Information technology is a relatively new functional area, having been around formally in most organizations only for about 40 years. Job titles, roles, and responsibilities often differ from organization to organization. Most organizations maintain positions such as chief executive officer (CEO), chief financial officer (CFO), and chief operations officer (COO) at the strategic level. Recently there are more IT-related strategic positions such chief information officer (CIO), chief technology officer (CTO), chief security officer (CSO), chief privacy officer (CPO), and chief knowledge officer (CKO).The CIO is responsible for overseeing all uses of information technology and ensuring the strategic alignment of IT with business goals and objective s. The CTO is responsible for ensuring the throughput, speed, accuracy, availability, and reliability of an organization’s information technology. The CSO is responsible for ensuring the security of IT systems and developing strategies and IT safeguards against attacks from hackers and viruses. The CPO is responsible for ensuring the ethical and legal use of information within an organization.The CKO is responsible for collecting, maintaining, and distributing the organization’s knowledge. The CKO designs programs and systems that make it easy for people to reuse knowledge. All the above IT positions and responsibilities are critical to an organization’s success. While many organizations may not have a different individual for each of these positions, they must have leaders taking responsibility for all these areas of concern. It is not always easy for managers to make the right choices when using IT to support business initiatives.Most managers understand their business initiatives well, but are often at a loss when it comes to knowing how to use and manage IT effectively in support of those initiatives. Managers who understand what IT is, and what IT can and cannot do, are in the best position for success. Individuals anticipating a successful career in business must understand information technology including: * Information technology basics. * Roles and responsibilities in information technology. * Measuring information technology’s success. 1. 5. 3 The Role of Information Systems in BusinessIn 2007, American business invested over $1 trillion in information systems hardware, software and telecommunications equipment, more than half of all capital investment in the United States. In addition, they spent another $250 billion on business and management consulting and services, much of which involves redesigning firms’ business operations to take advantage of these new technologies. More than half of all business investment in the United States each year involves information systems and technologies. In 2007, more than 40 million U. S. usinesses had cot-com Internet sites registered. E-commerce and Internet advertising are booming. Companies today manage their operation and inventories in near real time in order to reduce their production and overhead costs and get to market faster. What makes information systems so essential today? Why are businesses investing so much in information systems and technologies? They do so to achieve the following six important business objectives: 1. Operational Excellence: Businesses continuously seek to improve the efficiency of their operations in order to achieve higher profitability.Information systems and technologies are some of the most important tools available to managers for achieving higher levels of efficiency and productivity in business operations, especially when coupled with changes in business practices and management behavior. 2. New Products, Services and Business Models: Information systems and technologies are a major enabling tool for firms to create new product and services, as well as entirely new business models. A business model describes how a company produces, delivers, and sells a product or service to create wealth. . Customer and Supplier Intimacy: Information systems can help a business know its customers and serves them well, the way they want to be served, the customers generally respond by returning and purchasing more. This raises revenues and profits. Likewise with suppliers: the more a business engages its suppliers, the better the suppliers can provide vital inputs. This lowers costs. 4. Improved Decision Making: Many business managers operate in an information fog bank, never really having the right information at the right time to make an informed decision.Instead, they rely on forecasts, best guesses, and luck. The result is over- or underproduction of goods, misallocation of resources, and poor response t imes. Information systems and technologies have made it possible for managers to use real-time data from the marketplace when making decisions. 5. Competitive Advantage: Information systems and technologies can help a business achieve a competitive advantage: doing things better than its competitors, charging less for superior products, and responding to customers and suppliers in real time. 6.Survival: Business firms invest in formation systems and technologies because they are necessities of doing business. Sometimes these necessities are driven by industry-level changes. Many federal and state statutes and regulations create a legal duty for companies to retain records. Firms turn to information systems and technologies to provide the capability to respond to these information retention and reporting requirements. Information systems directly affect how top management draw up long-tern planning, how managers make decisions, and what products and services are produced and how.In f act, information systems play a strategic role in the life of the firm. Figure 2-9 illustrates the relationship between businesses and information systems. | Figure 1-9 Growing interdependence between businesses and information systems| There is a growing interdependence between business strategy, organizational structure, operation rules and procedures, and production on the one hand, and IT infrastructure, IT strategy and information system management on the other. A change in any of these components often requires changes in other components.Existing information systems can act as a constraint on businesses. Often, what the organization plans to do in next five years depends on what its information systems will permit it to do. Developing new products and service, increasing market share, becoming the high-quality or low-cost producer, providing better customer service, and increasing employee productivity depend more and more on the scope and quality of information systems in th e organization. Businesses are not in the business of processing information for its own sake. Instead they rocess information in order to improve organizational performance and produce profits. From a business perspective, an information system is an important instrument for creating value for the organization. There are many ways in which information systems can contribute to firm value, including increasing the firm's return on its investments, enhancing the company's strategic position, or increasing the market value of the firm's stock. Information processing activities support management decision making, enhance the execution of business processes and as a result increase business value.Every business has an information value chain, shown in Figure 2-10, in which raw information is systematically acquired, and then transformed through various stages that add value to that information. From this perspective, information systems are part of a series of value-adding activities fo r acquiring, transforming, and distributing information that managers can use to improve decision making, enhance organizational performance, and ultimately increase firm profitability. | Figure 1-10 Business information value chain|

Climate Change Affects Economy

Weather is one of the important elements in a certain county. Philippines is a tropical country and had two seasons: dry season and wet season. Being a tropical country, Philippines experience a hot weather which http://www. mapsofworld. com/referrals/weather/climate/tropical-climate. html stated that tropical climate has an average temperature above 18?C. Climate change is one of the disasters that can barely affect the economy of a certain country. Baguio City, having a cold weather, is known as the â€Å"Summer Capital of the Philippines†.Tourists visit this country for relaxation and also for adventure and sight-seeing of some famous spots in this city. It makes a good contribution to the increasing number of tourists. Experiencing a cold temperature, there are some fruits and vegetables that only located and grow in this city because some grows only in a cold place like strawberries. According to http://www. abs-cbnnews. com/nation/regions/01/12/14/baguio-hits-lowest-temp erature-2014 â€Å"Temperature dropped to its lowest this year in Baguio City.The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) on Sunday said this morning’s 10. 3 ° Celsius temperature in the city is the lowest since September of 2013. Meantime, farmers in Mt. Cabuyao in Baguio City are bracing for some losses due to frost injuries on vegetables, which could worsen if cold weather conditions persist. † Due to low temperature that Baguio is facing, it widely affects the economy of the said city. Supply of vegetables decreases because of the said frost injuries.Lower supply of vegetables results to higher price in the market. This is a great example of Law of Supply. Economy of the Baguio is in great danger because of this kind of temperature. I can say that climate change really affects the economy of our country. YOLANDA PROPELS DEMAND FOR HOUSING GOODS Last November 8, 2013, a tragic disaster occurs in the Philippines particu larly in the Visayas area. Typhoon Yolanda, having an international name â€Å"Haiyan†, landfalls at Tacloban that happens on the said date which according to http://www. rappler.com/business/47580-yolanda-reconstruction-ph-growth-2014 leaves more than 6,000 people dead and almost 900,000 homeless. The government is confident it can achieve its economic growth target for 2014 due in part to ongoing reconstruction efforts in areas devastated by Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) as said by the rappler. â€Å"National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Assistant Director-General Rosemarie Edillon told reporters a robust construction sector will help the government reach its 6. 5% to 7. 5% gross domestic product (GDP) growth target this year.The government earmarked P360. 9 billion ($8. 17 billion) for the rehabilitation of the affected areas over a 4-year period. Of the total amount, 50. 79% or P183. 3 billion will be used to build shelter and resettlement. † Edillon stated that the construction of some one million homes for Yolanda victims will propel demand for housing-related goods and services. Gross domestic product (GDP) will increase due to more demand of housing goods and also because of higher demand, higher tax will go to the hands of the government.And with this taxes the government will sign again more projects and they will buy again many materials needed and the materials will got high demand and cycle goes on and on. This is like what Sir Cruz said to us, that if spent our money more, there is more jobs employment that will happen and more Filipinos will be employed. This is an important cycle that is going on in every country. OIL PRICE CUT Oil is very important to every country in the world.This is one of the reasons why countries had to declare war. Gasoline is made from oil, particularly crude oil. Oil is primarily used for vehicles; cars, jeeps, buses and other private and vehicles. Last January 13, 2014, according to The Philippin e Star, oil companies announced another round of oil price adjustment, marking the second consecutive week of price cuts. Effective today the price per liter of gasoline is cheaper by 85 centavos, kerosene by P1. 10 and diesel by 90 centavos.â€Å"The following rollbacks will be implemented effective 12:01 a. m. of Jan. 13: Gasoline by P0. 85 per liter, kerosene by P1. 10 per liter and diesel by P0. 90 per liter. This reflects movements in the international oil market,† Petron and Seaoil Philippines said in separate statements. The energy department said oil production in Libya has plunged to about 250,000 barrels a day from nearly 1. 5 million, amid demand from armed protesters for a more regional autonomy and greater

Progress Report. Executive Secretary at Brand House Advertising Assignment

Progress Report. Executive Secretary at Brand House Advertising Company - Assignment Example You are encouraged to keep a journal or notes to inform your reflective writing on a regular basis, adding and editing frequently. Reflection generally requires the following: 1. A specific incident 2. A referenced description of relevant theory 3. Application of the theory to the incident and identification of any gaps between theory and practice 4. Discussion of your personal learning from the incident (self-awareness) 5. The need to think critically, ‘dig deep’, to reveal insights into the incident It may help to view a situation through the eyes of someone else involved in order to investigate and, discuss the perspectives of others. Instructions for completing this document You are required to address all of the points which relate to each of the BBus Learning Goals. ... In your discussion you should: Refer to a comprehensive range of theory, concepts, models, frameworks and/or technical competencies using in-text citations where appropriate. Explain how the theory was relevant to or guided your immediate tasks, your functional area and, if relevant, to your CPO’s broader objectives. Reflect on any gaps, differences and/ or similarities between your theoretical knowledge from your major(s) and the application in practice at your placement. Discuss the significance of your role and the value that you have added to your CPO. This may include reflecting and expanding on your personal attributes, your performance in the role (with evidence) and how your role has contributed to the broader objectives of your CPO. 1. Callender (2008) and Wang (2005) pointed out that work-based-learning (WBL) gives opportunity to students to compare the implication of classroom learning in context to real world business scenario. While working in Cooperative Educatio n Placement, I got the feeling that my education in AUT has strong impact on my attitudes towards challenges in the workplace. Currently, I am working as Executive Secretary at Brand House Advertising Company and my daily works include, communicating with clients, handling their queries, preparing relational database of clients, feeding client data in SQL server, directing the coordinator to relay telephone messages and fax messages, maintaining general filing system and file all correspondence, maintaining adequate inventory of office supplies, supervising preparation for meeting, maintaining confidential documents etc. While in the University, I learnt about

White Collar Crimes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

White Collar Crimes - Essay Example White collar crimes are not as simple as robbery or homicide crimes. These usually involved elaborate methods aimed to conceal the fraudulent activities. As such, investigating such types of crimes requires the same high level thinking and critical analysis. From the description provided above, white collar crimes requires an investigation that covers several fields, ranging from economic and financial activities to a clear understanding of the laws of the land. Therefore, white collar investigators must have in-depth knowledge of economics and finance. Also, investigators must know the economic and business laws. In some cases, investigators are also required to have computer systems know-how as certain white collar crimes involved internet fraud and other activities carried out through computers. White collar investigators need to possess the same critical thinking and analysis that all investigators of any type of crime must have. They must be very detailed and must be able to easily detect unscrupulous activities that may signal the act of committing white collar crimes. Furthermore, they must be firm and must be very good interrogators as solving white collar crimes relies heavily on witness accounts.

The Positive Benefits and Negative Drawbacks of the Dawn of the Facebo Assignment

The Positive Benefits and Negative Drawbacks of the Dawn of the Facebook and Twitter Era - Assignment Example As such, this brief analysis will make a short inventory of but a few of the most relevant positive and negative attributes that these forms of social networking engender. There has doubtless been an overall decrease in actual inter-personal networking skills as people are more and more prone to spending massive amounts of time online; interfacing with virtual friends, playing mindless and time wasting games, reading trivial newsfeeds that detail in exhaustive form the mundane daily activities of multiple friends etc. In this way, rather than spending the evening going for a walk, eating at a cafà ©, or engaging in some form of physical activity, social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook have become the new and enhanced version of what the TV was to the generation before ours. Furthermore, the introduction of advanced mobile phone technology has greatly enhanced the ability of individuals to use these forms of social media sites at all times and in all places. Tangentially, sites such as Facebook and Twitter are closing individuals to many real-world experiences they might otherwise have if they would simply shut down the computer and step outside to interact with real people in the real world. One cannot count the number of people during lunch, while on the bus, in a metro, on vacation etc that have their eyes downcast on their mobile device while the entire world seems to pass them by. This, therefore, comes full circle from a mere time wasting issue to one of sheer and total addiction. There exist support groups and books as well as counsellors that work to help individuals with varying degrees of social networking addiction, dependence, and separation anxiety. The fact that groups that support people in letting go of their addiction in the same ways that AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) does are but part and parcel of the problem that is social networking.  Ã‚  

Mobile Technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Mobile Technology - Essay Example Mobile technology has not only simplified the spread of communication technology through elimination of physical medium to reach its destination but it has also added a great value to businesses through simplified and easy implementation. Mobile technology has also revolutionized the field of education, with millions of university students and educators have laptops in class rooms, university lawn and hostels directly connect to the internet and university intranet through high speed mobile wireless technologies. It is not only laptops, even mobile phones and other handheld devices are becoming exceedingly powerful enough to replace laptops and personal computer in educational and business environments. Beyond its common uses mobile technology is now stepping into new domains of ease and accessibility with research and development in the Near Field Communication (NFC) technology which is essentially a mobile technology. NFC is about to change human lives, when mobiles will be used to made flash payments through integrated debit or credit cards at trains, airports and shopping malls. The user will simply touch mobile device with the NFC tag and the payment will be made directly from user’s account. At a hospital NFC tag can collect medical history through mobile device and there will be no need to trace the hospital recodes for patient’s history. This only gives an idea about NFC because very soon NFC enabled mobile phones will carry almost every sort of information that might be used anywhere, anytime. (Kessler, 2011). Like many other modern day technologies, mobile technology is getting more and more space in human lives and has almost reached a point where it will become a necessity. Even today, its multiple uses have comforted human life so much that it has gain indomitable place in areas like businesses,

Scientific Looking Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Scientific Looking - Assignment Example The computer and other technological appliances control me just as how a cyborg is controlled by technological machines. One cannot survive even a single day without using the internet (Creager 19). Radical feminism is a phenomenon that explores patriarchy as a system of power. It focuses on inequality between men and women in the patriarchal system. In radical feminism theory, there is the social dominance of men as the men are seen to have more power and privileges.AS technology advances, radical feminism is seen to decline (Creager 39). Both the male and the female gender are becoming more liberalized hence the two genders becoming equalized. Socialist feminism focuses on the public and the public sectors of a woman’s life. The theory argues that it is only through working to end the cultural and the economic sources of women’s oppression that liberation will be achieved. As technology advances, social feminism is declining because women are now seen to engage in activities that men engage in both economically and socially. Ecofeminism is a concept that explains the movements that bind ecology and feminism. The theory explains the connections between nature and women (Creager 109). An example is when women come together and start a campaign about the importance of conserving and planting

Spirit Myth and Sacredness in Architecture Essay

Spirit Myth and Sacredness in Architecture - Essay Example Shortly after the Buddha's death, history records a scramble for his remains amongst monks from across the Indian subcontinent. His remains were finally divided into eight portions, each being placed in one of the twelve original Stupas that were built. Few of the original stupas still survive, but stupas continued to be built long after the Buddha's death with progressive modification of subsequent design as its meaning became more and more symbolic. However, the building of Stupas began long before the Buddha himself, as relic holding monuments of rulers. The symbolism was acquired at a much later date. To quote authors Thurman and Leidy (1997) : "Stupas began in pre-Buddhist India as hemispherical burial grounds that marked the remains of temporal rulers. At an early stage in the development of Buddhist art, they became symbols of the Buddha's continuing immanance as well as representations of his mind........the fourteen rings around the spire (that are seen in all "modern" stupas) are all that remainn of the royal umbrellas often found in earlier stupas. They symbolise the fourteen stages traversed in the attainment of buddhahood; the four tantric stages added to the ten bodhisattva stages." In its basic essence, a stupa represented the sitting posture of saints and the Buddha as shown in Figure 1, as it was customary for saints to be buried in a sitting posture. However, the Buddha wished to be cremated and his ashes to be distributed to eight kingdoms after his death to be housed in Stupas. Therefore the stupas were built according to a basic plan of the Buddha seated for meditation, to encourage generations afterwards to seek salvation through spiritual practice. Figure 1. The sitting Buddha However, after his remains were distributed to the eight kingdoms, the differences in Stupa architecture represented the eight different stages of his life as shown below in Figures 2. This was the original basis of symbolism based on the Buddha's life, but with time, the interpretations and further embellishments changed the architectural pattern of the Stupas. Figure 2. The eight original Stupa plans Deconstructing the Symbolism of the later Stupa All stupas are built basically according to the principles that govern the process of Enlightenment that takes place during the acquisition of the Buddha-mind. Figure 3 shows the basic philosophical interpretations of the elements that made up a Stupa in its Figure 3. Basic Stupa elements. entirety - (a) the ornamental pole of parasol or canopy, representing wind , (b) the cone or harmika , representing fire, (c) the hemispherical round dome representing water, (d) the square base, reprenting the earth, and (e) the parasol itself, representing space. At a higher order of understanding, these basic elements can be interpreted as Higher States of the Buddha mind as explained by the Buddhist master Dilgo Rinpoche :" These are the essential attributes of a fully realised human being: the base of the stupa signifies earth and equanimity; the dome, water and indestructibility; the spire, fire and compassion; above the spire, wind and all-accomplishing action; and at the very top, the jewel represents space and all-pervading awareness. The stupa is a mandala, or sacred arrangement, containing all of these enlightened qualities." However, the

Departments Differ from People-Oriented Departments Essay Example for Free

Departments Differ from People-Oriented Departments Essay There are a number of differences between action-oriented and people-oriented HRM departments. One of the most distinctive differences lays in the approach that each of the different methods take to the role of human resources. Its important to note that a good HRM department is both people and action-oriented. An action-oriented HRM is one that seeks to further the organization by solving problems through taking actions. These actions are typically resolved based on a set of rational actions and not on a set of strict policies and procedures. The action-oriented department is all about people and how the HRM department can work to solve the problems of those individuals. An example would be an HRM team that has a recruiting department that is focused simply on bringing in new individuals to the organization. The lack of standard record keeping doesnt mean that adequate records are not kept it simply means that the department is focused primarily on progress and not on procedures. An example of a company that falls under an action-oriented HRM is Exxon Mobile. The difference in the people-oriented HRM department is that the entire focus of the HR team is on the individual and how those individuals can benefit the organization. It takes a slightly different approach as it is more proactive than reactive. The reason is that a people-oriented HRM department focuses on the talents and skills of individuals in the organization and how those skills can best be used in the organization. By matching employees and skills to problems that must be addressed within the organization the HRM team serves to provide a strategic advantage in that HRM is leading rather than simply dealing with reactionary problems or employees who may be unhappy in their current roles. An example of people-oriented HRM is the assessment of individual skills by which assignments will be presented. A good company example of people-oriented HRM is Apple Computer. While both methods are valid they do take a different approach to how HRM is handled. The method that is used will be determined by the senior HRM director which will set the role of HRM and how it will be managed in the individual organization. Finally, it should be noted that action-oriented and people-oriented HRM are not mutually exclusive and some organizations may function better with one method over another depending on the type of business.

Strategic Management Case Study: Honda

Strategic Management Case Study: Honda Ever since the days of Henry Ford, the global car manufacturing industry, one of the worlds biggest employers, has blazed the trail in both the product innovation, and perhaps most notably for the Japanese motor industry, the development of leading manufacturing methods. The industry is not unlike many others, with blistering competition on all fronts, which makes strategic planning utterly important for both the sort as well as long term survival of any industry player. The ratification of the Kyoto Protocol for instance, spurred car manufacturing companies into the adoption of strategies such as the closed-loop-strategies, in the not only the development of more efficient engines, but also the production, distribution, operation and ultimately recycling of decrepit cars etc. This report presents a review of a number of strategic alternatives by Honda and other automotive industries both in the West as well as Japan, in an attempt to establish the driving force behind Hondas success and growth. The first part of the report gives a description of Honda, followed by the reconciliation of several divergent strategies. Discussion of the differences, if any, between the western and Japanese styles of corporate leadership will unearth the myth behind Japans corporate culture before ultimately concluding with a discussion of the importance of both corporate governance as well as CSR. Contents (Jump to) HONDA, COMPANY PROFILE RECONCILIATION OF DICHOTOMIES PLANNING v. LEARNING POSITIONING VERSUS DEVELOPMENT OF INTERNAL RESOURCES CORE COMPETENCIES VERSUS CORE CAPABILITIES MANAGEMENT STYLES Lifelong Tenure CORPORATE GOVERNANCE AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY CONCLUSIONS RECOMMENDATIONS HONDA, COMPANY PROFILE With over 182,000 employees, ÂÂ ¥ 10,011, 241 million in annual revenues in 2009 coupled with upwards of $ 1370.1 million$ and 1896.4 in operating profits for the FY 2008 and 2009 respectively, Japans Honda is easily the industrys biggest manufactures of motor cycles, besides being a among the leading automobile producers. Operating across the globe, Honda is involved in the development, manufacturing as well as marketing and distribution of motor cars, motor cycles and a range other power products (Honda Ltd, 2010). It was founded in 1946, by Soichiro Honda and subsequently incorporated two years later, followed by years of success and growth as a motor cycle maker. Away from its core business, the companys 105 affiliates and 396 subsidiaries across the world provide financial services to thousands of its clients. It operates a four tier business model which includes the financial services division, motorcycle, automobile as well as power products (Honda Ltd, 2010). Besides multi wagons, Honda also produces a range of passenger cars, SUVs, mini vans, passenger cars, mini vehicles as well as sports coupes among others. Hondas flagship car and motor cycle models include the Accord, Civic, Legend, Insight, Acura CSX and Acura RL, CR-V, Cross Road, ASIMO Robots as well as the scooters among many others. The company recorded sales of over 10,114,000 units mainly in Japan, North America and Europe, representing an 8.5% rise over the previous years figures. Its sales have been on the rise despite through the global economic down turn that hit its American competitors, and largely driven by Toyotas PR woes over alleged flaws in the breaking system in its flagship Prius model. This success is largely attributable to the company strategic preparedness. Case in point, in 2002, it launched a hybrid car model to tap into the ever growing environmentally conscious clientele, besides launching the Environmental Learning Center (based in Texas), while in 2004, the company entered into a strategic partnership with GE, that led into the development and production of a trail blazing light jet engine, suited for business jets. Sethi and Swanson (1984), commencing in the year 2000, the company has embarked on an ambitious program to set up production plants in the emerging car and motor cycle markets, notably China, Argentina, Russia and the motor bike hot spot, Vietnam. The company prides itself with the twin principles of respect individuals and the Three Joys Principle i.e. buying, selling as well creating. These values reflect the company does wish to build on each persons unique abilities and its endeavor to ensure that everyone who comes by purchasing the products or by other means should have a great/joyous experience. Honda ensures this by relentlessly, lead in the creation of value, innovation, new products at accessible prices. RECONCILIATION OF DICHOTOMIES Honda ltds strategic innovation is founded on a process of dichotomies reconciliation which include both learning and planning, positioning on the market vs. internal resources development and lastly, core competencies related to the product against the core capabilities related to the processes. These three dichotomies do representing divergent strategies etc that drive Honda as a company since its establishment and through years of exemplary growth and expansion. De Wit Meyer (2010), assert that a critical look at Hondas strategies points especially its successful entry and dominance of new markets raises questions as to whether, Hondas strategy and subsequent decision making is solidly based on a meticulous, analytical and rational planning or whether its strategies are a direct result of the some decisions/ strategies reached at by the company, which evolved or became modified due to the environmental influences of the industry in which the company operates. PLANNING v. LEARNING While designing its strategies, the company has consistently followed a rational approach based on a critical analysis of the market and the industry environment. This strategy hinges on and it suited for a seasoned industry player such as Honda, since it seeks to built on, and exploit the companys immense experience in the automotive industry (Johnson et al., 2005). As a strategy, this is an important bottom up strategy that uses the already gained knowledge to optimize the companys needs. Planning takes into consideration both the companys resources as well as the environmental factors, as such will most likely utilize the companys set objectives within the constraints. Hondas largely seen as having successfully employed the planning strategy while entering into new markets notably while launching into the US motor cycle industry. Its recent strategic alliances with GE as well as its design and launch of innovative new products and expansion of manufacturing plants, in the ultimate attainment of huge scale economies and extremely law costs represent examples of internal planning. Planning is largely apparent from an outsiders point of view. However, interviews with the companys top management reveal a far different picture that suggests at best a company that is far from an overly rational, academic planning seeking to impose its corporate values and policies on the market and the industry, but rather a company, with a management structure that is at all times willing to learn. It is evident and widely accepted by many observers that Hondas strategies have evolved, without a clear plan or analysis of the industry. Case in point, the huge success attained by the companys 50 cc Supercab surprised everyone including the companys management. Mintzberg et al. (1998) observe that though the companys strategy may have looked analytical and well thought out, the management did blunder severally up until the market gave them the correct formula. Rational planning on its own is hardly, suited to many organizations and is in fact removed from the day to day running of a business as compared to learning, which permits management to continually develop and adjust their policies and strategies as they are implemented, in the light of new experience (De Wit Meyer, 2010). Hondas development of hybrid vehicles and energy efficient models e.g. the Honda Civic Sedan, in the wake of Toyotas success in the same field represent examples of learning from the environment. Honda has as well launched joint ventures in RD with other companies. Using both strategies gives the company an advantage, not least because it only allows the formulation of strategies that best meet both the internal resources as well as the environmental factors prevailing in the industry. POSITIONING VERSUS DEVELOPMENT OF INTERNAL RESOURCES Hondas positioning helps its brand to be associated with a given market segment. It is an equally helpful guide to the companys other strategies, particularly the marketing strategy, not least because it does clarify the essence of the brand and the helps the consumers to better identify the goals that the product seeks to meet in a unique way. In positioning a product or brand, managers must make decisions, seeking to appeal a given segment of the population, while at once risking losing the other(s). Honda has placed its various products on the basis of benefit, target, distribution as well as prices. The company offers competitive prices owing to its scale and technology advantages, which in turn permits it to achieve better client franchises. This strategy does however; affect the prestige of the brand, besides reducing the profit margins. Target, distribution and benefit positioning, that has seen the introduction of green models to serve the needs of green conscious clients, co upled by Hondas expansion into India, China and Vietnam, which was entirely meant at catering for emerging middle class in those countries. As against, development of internal resources, Hondas product positioning allows it to use fewer resources but still reach the target markets. It however, has enormous resources in capital, management, cutting production technology as well as manpower, which have driven the companys expansion across the globe. More investment in RD is, and has been possible, leading to greater innovation. While other smaller industry players struggle with limited resources constraining their RD as well as expansion, bigger companies like Honda, Toyota and GM can attain a better edge in the industry. Hondas has been able to pursue both strategies owing to the availability of niche products that it has successfully positioned e.g. motor bikes in Vietnam (over 400,000 units in annual sales), coupled by its huge availability of resources which allows it rope for RD, diversification and expansion. This does not entirely hold though, Honda spends just a fifth of GM expenditure on RD and launches fewer mode ls than the latter, yet it products/models are more successful than GMs. CORE COMPETENCIES VERSUS CORE CAPABILITIES Competencies are as a result of coordination of multiple production skills as well as a complex coordination of numerous technologies. They give a company access to newer markets; provide high barriers for competitors to enter the market, besides contributing considerably to the benefits of the end product(s). Hondas core competencies as regards products are the driving force behind the development of the numerous, innovative end user products. Hamel Prahalad regard Hondas product competencies as a brilliant example of how a small company can break into, and establish itself in a mature, stable market. In 2010 alone, Honda has set up a solar H2 station (Los Angeles), introduced the versatile iGX and GX engine series for general purposes. The company has as well produced lithium-ion based batteries intended for the new range of hybrid motor vehicles, alongside an ELC to spear head its green agenda. Honda is famed for its ability to recycle technologies in all its range of products, affording it RD efficiency. There are elements of core capabilities associated with its processes, but perhaps far lacking behind Toyota and many other industry players. These include efficient distribution channels, cost effective production processes. It trains dealers, determines shop floor plans and has strict operating procedures among others. Core product competencies in the automobile industry are far superior to the process capabilities and Hondas success is an outstanding testimony to this fact. MANAGEMENT STYLES Japanese and Hondas management styles do differ from the American style in at least six distinct aspects. These include differences in the interdepartmental relationships, communication patterns, and supervisory styles, mechanisms for control as well as existence of, or lack of a paternalistic orientation. According to Hofstede (2004), these differences largely stem from the inherent cultural differences between the two countries, which in turn influence the respective corporate cultures. Lifelong Tenure Most of the companies in Japan do provide lifelong jobs to their employees, with greater emphasis being laid on not age, but also seniority. Promotions are thus much more difficult, just as there is greater job security for the workers. Many organizations effectively hire employees for the, and are interested in the long term objectives as against Americas corporate worlds obsession with short term goals. Case in point, Hondas top management i.e. Satoshi Aoki (Chairman), Takanobu Ito, Koichi Kondo and Atsuyoshi Hyogo joined the company in 1968, 1978, 2000 and 1972 respectively, during which time they have risen through the ranks to reach the top management. On the contrary, the western corporate world is characterized by short term contracts for both managers and workers, charged with meeting short term objectives. Teams v. Individuals In contrast with the Western model where managers are responsible for decision making and subsequently accountable for the decisions reached, the Japanese system recognizes the importance of individual expertise, but the performance of the entire team is more emphasized than an individuals. In the western corporate world (Germany and American), certain employees have the star statuses e.g. in Germany, the engineers play central roles to the success of motor companies. Some elements of convergence exist though. Long apprenticeships and cadres (seniorities in Japan) do exist both in Germany, France as well as the Netherlands. Employees attain positions, promotions etc. through years of internships, apprenticeships or memberships to given classes-attained through education and or experience. Decision Making While most western corporations are characterized by top down decision making, the Japanese style of management is largely characterized by collective decision making by individual teams. Hondas decision making is characterized by the Ringi system, where decisions are passed based on a consensus of all the employees in a department or even the entire organization. This management style is identical to that practiced in Holland, except that the latter is anchored on existing contracts or class differences of among the employees. Communication As against the largely bureaucratic communication, hierarchical channels characterizing western corporations, which is largely effective and efficient, the Japanese channels of communication compromise in large part of face-to-face communication. These comprise everything from provision of information regarding assignment of tasks, responsibilities, organizational goals and the development and rechanneling of feedbacks. Implicit Mechanism of Control Honda ltd is concerned with building of its relationships with it biggest assets, the employees. Inspired by its philosophy Respect for the Individual, the company always seeks to develop collaborative relationships with each and every employee, where all mechanisms of control and supervision are largely informal. Supervisors work alongside other employees, who are involved, the decision making, which in turn renders decision making, execution of decisions and reception of feedback a lot more expedient. On the contrary, Hondas competitors run on a rigid, formal control mechanism. This sets goals, measurable, complete with targets that must be met by departments, franchises and individual employees, while the Japanese system is anchored on the management philosophies that all employees as well as managers identify with. Departmental Relationships Pascale Athos (1981), states that attainment of the goals set for a department etc requires inputs not just from the concerned departments, but perhaps most importantly, close collaboration with other departments in the company or even other organizations. Formal (necessary) relationships largely accomplish these goals (characteristic of the western model), while the Japanese style has an extra dimension; voluntary collaboration which is far more productive and results in greater knowledge sharing. Paternalistic Orientation Honda and many other Japanese companies are concerned by the holistic needs of every employee, including the concern for the well being of their families (Culpan, 2009). This imposes a social support role on the managers, a feature which is largely absent in the western world, safe for a limited number of family organizations. CORPORATE GOVERNANCE AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY With car markets in the developed world already saturated, most car companys are looking abroad in the emerging markets notably China, India and Brazil. A recent study by TNS shows that car buyers rate car makers more according to their CSR than those consumer in the first world, thus companies that perform better in this sphere stand a far greater chance of winning the hearts and minds of the new middle class is guaranteed success. In 2005, Honda was ranked the UKs best car company based on its social responsibility initiatives, by the foremost research company on automotives, TNS Automotive. It performs equally well in the US, Indonesia, Italy and Spain among other countries alongside BMW, Shell, Malaysias Petronas, Michelin and Germanys Porsche (Nissan Corp., 2010). Honda spent over 2.3% of its annual revenues in 2009, on its CSR commitments, with the environment taking the lions share of the budget. The company has undertaken numerous actions in an attempt to meet the challenges posed by global warming and climate change. With the reputation of the automobile industry and fossil fuels already damaged, due to its huge carbon footprints, and the growing fears among the public of air pollution, it is only reasonable that companies act in accordance to the wishes of the consumers. Honda has initiated the LCA system, which identifies and sets targets for the required actions. The company develops energy efficient models, adheres by the 3Rs (in design) and noise reduction etc. Hondas corporate governance is a typical Japanese style bottom down structure, characterized by collective decision making and a collective sense of belonging among to the company that in turn reflects on the companys performance (Honda Ltd, 2010). Any companys corporate governance does determine the direction that it assumes, which ultimately reflects on its financial performance. Nissans corporate philosophy, governance as well CSR activities are not different from Hondas. It seeks to bring enrichment of the peoples lives and the environment in which they operate. It has made CSR an important part of its corporate management policies. It has devised its green purchasing guidelines, coupled with Nissan-Renault Suppliers Guidelines, which ensure that the companys entire supply chain is green and serves the purposes of the policies set by its top management. Through its charitable arm, Chryslers management makes annual donations to needy communities, projects and causes (Chrysler, 2010). In 2009, the company advanced upwards of $100000 to Good Harvest geared at combating hunger. The companys CSR initiatives are not as extensive as both Nissan and Hondas partly because the company caters for the luxury market segments that are in the main concerned about the quality and luxury as against a companys CSR etc. CONCLUSIONS Honda is largely touted by observers and varied literatures in strategic management. Its strategies have largely been used either rightly or wrongly to back up a number of conceptual dichotomies, with contracting positions i.e. learning v. analytical planning, core capabilities v competencies etc. Most of these assumptions, and evidences have however, proven erroneous owing to empirical mistakes that result into the over emphasis of the companies strengths, while its mistakes go largely unnoticed. Further, strategies and explanations are expressed in form of reductionist, single-sided theories that largely fail to portray the actual strategic orientation of Honda. Hondas thrives on reconciling dichotomies. Thus many observers in the west have largely missed out in studying, learning from and understanding Honda. Rohlen (1974), it is evident that capabilities as well as competencies can possibly complement one another, forming into one theory. The latter does focus on the production expertise and technologies while the capabilities serving to improve the whole chain of value. Capabilities are far more visible and easily appreciated by the clients than are product competencies. Hondas ability to meet high targets and post tremendous growth rates is largely due to its tendency to set stretched targets, which brings into direct competition with the biggest players in the automotive industry. In order to compete, it uses its resource base to compete by either providing niche products or undercutting competitors on basis of cost advantages, attained through scale economies. This ability to leverage her resources offers the key to its success, as against the widely fabled Japanese management styles. This style is widely different from and more appealing that the western style corporate management is only suitable for the Japanese and Asian environments. There are aspects in both management styles that could beneficially be, and have largely been adopted by either side to the great advantage of the corporations, but not the complete management packages as they will be utter failures in the other ones environment (Schein, 1981). Finally, this report has demonstrated the importance of corporate governance, policy and CSR is important in the ever changing consumer tastes as well as preferences, and most importantly, increasing consumer awareness. RECOMMENDATIONS Increased spending and expansion of Hondas and other automotive companies in CSR, environmental protection and production of innovative environmentally friendly models should continue as the only way counter changing consumer needs as well as the changing times. The Western and Japanese styles of corporate management should be blended to suit both the practical and strategic objectives of each organization. Reconciliation of strategies is crucial for success and helps companies reap the benefits of divergent strategies, thus companies must seek common grounds between strategies rather than opting for only one.