It Presents The Main Idea Of A Paper And Identifies Supporting Topics To Be Discussed
Monday, September 30, 2019
Global warming speech Essay
INTRODUCTION The negative effects of global warming are slowly ruining the environment we live in. In a few decades, it is possible our Earth will be very uncomfortable to live on. I have researched the issues of global warming and have found out as much as I possibly can in order to deliver an informative speech about global warming. Global warming is an extremely important topic to me, because knowing what the negative effects of global warming are and what can be done to help solve those effects, our environment can stay safe and protected, and clearly the environment is one of the most essential parts of our daily lives. There is a significant amount of negative effects for the environment and for human life due to global warming. Global warming affects each and every one of us. We should all be concerned with what is happening to our planet. TRANSITION: We will be more inclined to help reduce the effects of global warming if we understand what these effects areâ⬠¦ 1.) Rising temperatures are more dangerous for certain areas over other areas. 2.) The rising temperatures are causing changes in our precipitation. 3.) Over time, global warming will worsen and cause more problems for us, as well as our future generations. SPEECH BODY I. The main and most detrimental effect of global warming is the increase in the global average temperature. A. In the past 100 years the Earthââ¬â¢s global average temperature rose by 0.98 to 1.62 degrees Fahrenheit. 1. This rise in temperature has been confirmed by at least 20 scientific communities. a. This includes all of the national academies of science of the G8 states. b. G8 is the worldââ¬â¢s most industrialized nations working to stop the increase in global average temperature. 2. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Control concludes that the increase in temperature is due to the increase in greenhouse gas emissions, also known as the greenhouse effect. a. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Control has also concluded that the global temperatures will rise by 2 to 11.5 degrees Fahrenheit by the year 2100. TRANSITION: With the global average temperatures raising so much in quite a short period of time, we must be prepared for what the causes of this rise may be if there is no solution to global warming. II. The rising of the average global temperatures is extremely dangerous for those of us who live near places of frequent drought, flooding, and places of poverty. A. One effect of global warming is the reduction of summer streams flow. 1. This can be a problem in areas of frequent drought, with reduced flow of water, drought will become more frequent. B. There is also rising sea levels because of the melting of glaciers and ice masses. 1. For areas near bodies of water, this can become a major problem. There will be more flooding due to the sea levels rising over the norm. C. Another effect of global warming is more intense weather events, agricultural yields, and an increase in the ranges of disease. 1. Most of these effects will become a problem for areas of poverty. Areas of poverty will not have the shelter or tools necessary to help protect themselves against these damaging effects of global warming. TRANSITION: The rising global average temperature of global warming is the main cause for many of the effects that global warming is having on our environment and our species. III. The rising temperatures caused by global warming are changing precipitation patterns. A. The change in precipitation will play a major role in the Earthââ¬â¢s climate. 1. The change in climate will have lasting impacts on the people living and dealing with the climate. 2. The Earth may become a very uncomfortable place to live in the upcoming decades, with increased precipitation and harsh weather. TRANSITION: There are many other effects of global warming, I have only named a few, the few that I feel will affect us in our own lifetimes. CONCLUSION: However, as global warming continues to become more pronounced and temperatures continue to rise, the negative effects on our environment will become more and more of a problem to us and to our future generations.
Sunday, September 29, 2019
North Carolina as a colony
North Carolina is one of the thirteen colonies established by England around 1650. Theà territory was called Carolina in honor of Charles the First.à Queen Elizabeth I of England granted Sir Walter Raleigh a charter for the establishment of aà settlement in North America. Sir Raleigh and the Queen planned to establish a colony to be able toà explore for treasures and to scout for a strategic location where they can raid loaded Spanish ships. Based on these reasons, an expedition was sent in 1584 to explore for a suitable location and alsoà bring samples of the natureââ¬â¢s bounty on the area. After the successful exploration, the groupà returned to England. In 1585, the first group of colonists was organized and they arrived at the northà end of the Roanoke Island. Ralph Lane with seventy-five men was left in the island while Sirà Richard Grenville, leader of the expedition returned to England to get additional food supplies andà additional men. Friction with the natives occurred when the settlers attacked a village in response toà the stealing of a silver cup by the natives. By April 1586, relations with a neighboring tribe hadà degraded to such a degree that they attacked an expedition led by Lane to explore the Roanoke River.1 There was still no sign of Grenvilleââ¬â¢s fleet and due to hardships encountered, the settlersà accepted the offer of Sir Francis Drake to return to England.à à The second group was led by John White and they arrived in June 1587. White tried toà reestablish friendly relations with the neighboring natives. At first, the natives were hostile andà aloof. But gradually the English gained their confidence by offering glass beads and dolls as signsà of friendships (Hale 128). But the aggrieved tribes whom Ralph Lane attacked were still unfriendlyà to the new colonists and shortly thereafter, one colonist was killed by these natives. Fearing for theirà lives, White was elected to return to England to inform of their situation and ask for help. à Twoà significant events occurred shortly after the colonistsââ¬â¢ arrival: two ââ¬Å"friendlyâ⬠Indians were baptizedà and a child was born. Virginia Dare, as the baby was named, became the first child bor n to English-à speaking parents in the new world.2 But White was delayed in coming back to the colony becauseà of the following reasons: the vessel was not in good condition to travel back home and in crossingà the Atlantic Ocean; the refusal of the captain to sail back to the colony during winter time and thenà the war with the Spanish Armada was imminentà and all the able ships were tasked to fight. He wasà able to return in the spring of 1590 and found only the remnants of what was once a settlement. There were no signs of life, only the word ââ¬Å"CROATANâ⬠carved on a nearby tree.3à The secondà failure can be attributed by factors beyond the control of the settlers. Although Sir Raleigh wasà given a charter to colonize, attention was focused on the war with Spain. Cole and Warrenà concluded that, ââ¬Å"because England was so completely involved in fighting the Spanish Armada inà 1588, no supplies were sent, nor any communications maintained with the settlementsâ⬠. (403) Theà colonization might have been successful if the expedition was fully equipped with farm implements,à food supplies and able manpower who are trained to do hard work in cultivating the soil. Theyà should have establish friendly relations with the natives to preserve their lives as well as with theà nativesââ¬â¢. The impact left by Ralph Lane and John White on the area was that they had spread Christianity and English language to the new world. à It is ironic that Stuart Monarch James I rather than the visionary Elizabeth succeeded inà finally planting the British flag on the American shores. (Garraty and Gay 663) In 1607, threeà shiploads arrived at Jamestown sent out by the London Company of Virginia. Captain John Smithà imposed a semi-dictatorial attitude to his men to check their incompetence and lack of initiative. Hisà edict, ââ¬Å"He who does not work shall not eatâ⬠(Cole and Warren 406) was effective that they soonà cultivated crops especially staple crops and tobacco. By 1610, more settlers arrived and by 1612,à there were exportation of tobacco to other places. Significant too were the introduction in 1619 ofà representative government ââ¬â important to the Englishmen who contemplated migration to the Newà World ââ¬â and the beginnings of Negro servitude ââ¬â important despite its inhumanity, to the economicà future of North America.(Garraty and Gay 665) Reference List Cole, Fay-Cooper, and Harris Gaylord Warren. An Illustrated Outline of History of Mankind. Grolier Incorporated: New York, 1963. Garraty, John A., and Peter Gay. The Columbia History of the World. Harper and Row: New York, 1972. Hale, John R. Age of Exploration. Time-Life International: Nederland, 1974. ââ¬Å"Historical Highlights of North Carolina â⬠.The State Library of North Carolina. 3 April 2006. 14 Nov. 2006. ââ¬Å"Roanoke Islandâ⬠. Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. 14 Nov. 2006. 15 Nov. 2006.
Saturday, September 28, 2019
The Role of Dreams in the Human Psyche
Plan: 1) The history of dream perception in indigenous cultures. 2) The modern theories of sleep and dream interpretation. 3) Jung's archetypes. The Meaning of Sleep and Dreams identified by Freud, Jung, and other theorists. We all dream. Every night ââ¬â as we dim the light of consciousness ââ¬â we enter the realm of the dream. In this dream state our imagination runs free with little or no interference from our conscious mind. In the morning, when we awaken and return to consciousness, we may bring with us a recollection of the wanderings of our imagination ââ¬â we remember the dream. To dream is natural, it is a universal experience. All people of all cultures enter into this dream state when they sleep. As sleep research has shown even animals dream. How we regard the dream, however, varies from culture to culture and from person to person. Originally the dream was held to be the voice of God. Most indigenous cultures hold that the dream is sent by the Great Spirit and serves to offer advice and instruction. This idea of the divinity of the dream can also to be found in ancient Egyptian and Greek society. In the Old Testament Jacob interprets a dream for the Egyptian pharaoh. Jacob explains that God has spoken to the pharaoh and warned of seven years of prosperity to be followed by seven years of famine. In Egypt and Greece the dream was considered as a message from the gods. ââ¬Å"The Egyptian people believed that the gods revealed themselves in dreams, but the soul was not transported to another place or time. The Egyptians believed that dreams served as warnings, advice, and prophecyâ⬠(Agee, 2010) http://people. uncw. edu/deagona/ancientnovel (Diane Agee, 1). Both Egyptian and Greek society there existed temples where one would go to dream and receive healing or instruction from the gods. Homer's Iliad (8th century BC) tells the story of Agamemnon who receives instruction from Zeus through a dream. ââ¬Å"Another element of Homeric dream interpretation, similar to that of the Egyptians is that not all dreams are prophetic, so people had to attempt to distinguish between ââ¬Å"trueâ⬠dreams and ââ¬Å"falseâ⬠dreams. For example, in the Iliad Zeus sent a misleading dream to King Agamemnon, which undermined his authorityââ¬Å"(Agee). In this practice the sleepers actively attempted contact with divine beings. This practice reflects the Homeric view of dreams; according to this view ââ¬Å"the dream was not conceived as internal experience, a state of mind, or a message from the irrational unconscious to the conscious ego. Rather, it was an objectified messenger, a supernatural agent sent by a deityâ⬠(Parman pg. 18)ââ¬Å"(Agee). Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, used dreams as a diagnostic aid. In the near East the dream was considered to be a source of divine inspiration. Mohammed, the founding prophet of the Islamic culture, is said to have received much of what is written in the Koran through his dreams. In Christian tradition the dream was thought of as the word of God, or the work of the devil. The biblical legacy pertaining to dreams is very important. There are descriptions of forty-three dreams in the Old Testament, while in the New Testament there are nine (including apparitions and visions) (Sokolovskii, p. 27). St. John Chrysostom preached that God revealed himself through dreams (The life of St. John Chrysostom, para. 5, thenewarchive. om, p. 229 ), whilst other church fathers, such as Martin Luther, viewed the dream as the work, not of God, but the Devil. According to Luther it was the church, and only the church, which was the conduit of God's word. For Luther revelations made to people in dreams could only be diabolic (The Legacy of Martin Luther). http://home. inreach. com/bstanley/luther. htm In the Christian epoch the church and its s criptures supplanted the importance of the dream. The dominance of Christianity obscured the divinity of the dream, which was now considered superstitious. The rise of rationalism and science further undermined the value of the dream. To this day skepticism toward the value dream remains the predominant attitude. In the early part of the 20th century, however, the dream was championed by two great psychologists, Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung. For Freud the dream revealed that which the dreamer would rather keep hidden. By exploring the dream one was forced to face that which was suppressed and rejected within oneself. Jung had another theory. Jung felt that the dream acted as a mirror for the ego ââ¬â revealing that which was missing within the consciousness of the dreamer. For Jung the dream acted as a teacher and guide on the road toward wholeness. With the work of both Jung and Freud the dream regained its status as a source of wisdom and healing. A series of dreams would develop, balance and refine the conscious awareness of the dreamer. Jung had rediscovered the age-old wisdom of the dream and its capacity to heal and make whole. Apart from healing, the dreams also seemed to be encouraging and actively participating in the growth and development of the personality. Jung termed this inherent drive of the psyche as the force of individuation, the force by which we become whole and indivisible. Freud, ââ¬Å"The Interpretation of Dreamsâ⬠: The conscious element of the dream lies in its remembrance, the unconscious element lies in its mystery and perplexity. Half conscious, half unconscious, the dream acts as a bridge between the known and the unknown. Physiological Theories and Stages of Sleep So now that we know why we need sleep, we need to know what is the thing, that actually puts us to sleep. Some may recognize the name melatonin, because it is sometimes prescribed for jet-lag or sleep deprivation. But we also create this chemical inside our bodies, although it is in much smaller portions. ttp://library. thinkquest. org Melatonin is a hormone secreted from the pineal gland in the center of our brain. ââ¬Å"It is released when our eyes begin to register that the sun is beginning to set and darkness begins to fallâ⬠. This is the hormone that makes you go to sleep and is also used in our body to regulate our sleep-wake cycles. If you wonder why older people ten d to sleep less than younger people, it is because the amount of melatonin produced in our body seems to lessen as we age. Although sleep research has yielded a great deal of information on how we sleep, why we need to do so remains a mystery. There are two prominent theories of sleep function. One ââ¬â the restorative model ââ¬âassumes that sleep exists to service the brain in some way. According to this theory, non-REM sleep restores the relationship between the nervous system and muscles, glands, immune and other body systems. REM sleep maintains learning, reasoning and emotional balance. Another ââ¬â the adaptive model ââ¬â holds that sleep exists as an adaption to our biological clocks. Because it normally takes place during times of reduced physiological functions it may be a means of preserving energy for the hours when it is needed (source Are you Getting Enough? Harvard Women's Health Watch, 1070910X. March 94, Vol. 1, Is. 7. Academic Search Complete) Cortical and neurological theories of sleep compete with the neurohumoral theory, developed in the first quarter of the twentieth century. The brainstem theory, formulated in 1962, was associated with the discovery of a small region of cells in the brainstem thought responsible for dream generation and the secretion of acetylcholine. It gave way in the 1970s to the cortical-brainstem theory (the production of dopamine in the lobes of the brain was associated with dreaming). It became clear, moreover, that destruction of this group of cells due to injury leads to the extinction of dreams but not of the phase of paradoxical sleepâ⬠(Sokolovskii, p. 17). This poses the issue of the presence or absence of dreams in animals. If animals do dream, their dreaming â⬠is probably limited to what Freud called Tagesreste (residues of daytime impressions) and ââ¬Å"childish dreams,â⬠the significance of which lies in the fulfillment of desires unfulfilled in the waking stateâ⬠(p. 17). The so called work of dreaming, which encodes the true meaning of a dream (condensation, displacement, symbolization, repression, and the other mechanisms of dreaming that make its content non-obvious and decodable only through interpretation), ââ¬Å"is apparently connected with the presence of developed language and with the play of signifiers and is conditioned by itâ⬠(p. 17). It therefore cannot exist in animals that do not have such a developed second signal system. A typical night's sleep consists of a number of cycles lasting about 90 minutes in length. Each of these cycles is made up of four separate stages. During stage one, we are entering into light sleep. This stage is characterized by Non-rapid eye movements (NREM), muscle relaxation, lowered body temperature and slowed heart rate. The body is preparing to enter into deep sleep. Stage two is also characterized by NREM, this stage is characterized by a further drop in body temperature and relaxation of the muscles. The body's immune system goes to work on repairing the day's damage, the endocrine glands secrete grown hormone and blood is sent to the muscles to be reconditioned. In this stage, you are completely asleep. Stage three is just a deeper sleep. Your metabolic levels are extremely slow. And, finally, the famous REM, or rapid eye movement stage, occurs about every ninety minutes of sleep. In this stage of sleep, your eyes move back and forth erratically. It occurs at about 90-100 minutes after the onset of sleep. Your blood pressure rises, heart rate speeds up, respiration becomes erratic and brain activity increases (source). Your involuntary muscles also become paralyzed. It is called in the mnemonic for medical students as an ââ¬Å"awake brain in the paralyzed bodyâ⬠, as opposed to stage one through three characterized as ââ¬Å"idle brain in the awake bodyâ⬠. An EEG would record brain waves resembling those you would see when you are active. This stage is the most restorative part of sleep. Your mind is being revitalized and emotions are being fine tuned. The majority of your dreaming occurs in this stage. These stages repeat themselves throughout a night's sleep. (source) The following diagram shows our sleep cycle: source Sleep Wake Cycle The Meaning of Sleep and Dreams Identified by Freud, Jung and other theorists The function of dreams is that by reproducing difficult or unsolved life situations or experiences, the dream aids towards a solving or resolution of the problems. pic]â⠬â⠬â⠬â⠬â⠬â⠬ Freud called dreaming ââ¬Å"the royal road to the unconsciousâ⬠Our personality as a whole, like every organism, is working towards its own fulfillment. ââ¬â¢ He connects this even more directly with the overall self-regulatory physical processes in saying ââ¬ËThere is in the psyche an automatic movement to ward readjustment, towards equilibrium, toward a restoration of the balance of our personality. This automatic adaptation of the organism is one of the main functions of the dream as indeed it is of bodily functions and of the personality as a whole. Dreams are the product of the unconscious mind . In the deeper state of Delta, our minds are resting even more fully and we are further distanced from the physical world. Perhaps it is in this state that we can receive cues from the energy of people and situations that we are connected with in waking life or from Jung's collective unconscious. Since dreams were a way of communicating with the unconscious, Jung felt that the imageries in dreams were a way of revealing something about ourselves, our relationships with others, and situations in our waking life. Dreams guided our personal growth and helped to self achieve our potential. Often discussing what is currently going on in your life, helps to interpret and unlock the cryptic and bizarre images of your dreams. Jungââ¬â¢s sleep theories are closely associated with his f archetypes. Jung's theory divides the psyche into three parts. The first is the ego, which Jung identified with the conscious mind. The second part is the personal unconscious, which includes anything which is not presently conscious, but can be. The personal unconscious includes both memories that re easily brought to mind and those that have been suppressed because of being painful or too difficult to accept as a part of reality for some people. But it does not include the instincts, or id ââ¬â aggressive drives, that Freud would have it include. But then Jung adds the part of the psyche that makes his theory stand out from all others: the collective unconscious. You could call it your ââ¬Å"psychic inherita nce. â⬠It is the reservoir of our experiences as a species, a kind of knowledge we are all born with. And yet we can never be directly conscious of it. It influences all of our experiences and behaviors, most especially the emotional ones, but we only know about it indirectly, by looking at those influences. There are some experiences that show the effects of the collective unconscious more clearly than others: The experiences of love at first sight, of deja vu (the feeling that you've been here before), and the immediate recognition of certain symbols and the meanings of certain myths, could all be understood as the sudden conjunction of our outer reality and the inner reality of the collective unconscious. Grander examples are the creative experiences shared by artists and musicians all over the world and in all times, or the spiritual experiences of mystics of all religions, or the parallels in dreams, fantasies, mythologies, fairy tales, and literature of different cultures. A nice example that has been greatly discussed recently is the near-death experience. It seems that many people, of many different cultural backgrounds, find that they have very similar recollections when they are brought back from a close encounter with death. They speak of leaving their bodies, seeing their bodies and the events surrounding them clearly, of being pulled through a long tunnel towards a bright light, of seeing deceased relatives or religious figures waiting for them, and of their disappointment at having to leave this happy scene to return to their bodies. Perhaps we are all ââ¬Å"builtâ⬠to experience death in this fashion. Quite a few people find that Jung has a great deal to say to them. They include writers, artists, musicians, film makers, theologians, and, of course, some psychologists. Examples that come to mind are the mythologist Joseph Campbell, the film maker George Lucas, and the science fiction author Ursula K. Le Guin. Anyone interested in creativity, spirituality, psychic phenomena, the universal, and so on will find in Jung a kindred spirit. But scientists, including psychologists, have a lot of trouble with Jung. Not only does he fully support the teleological view (as do most personality theorists), but he goes a step further and talks about the mystical interconnectedness of synchronicity. Not only does he postulate an unconscious, where things are not easily available to the empirical eye, but he postulates a collective unconscious that never has been and never will be conscious. There is still a lot of work to be done to connect our knowledge in physiology and psychology of dreams. The French neurophysiologist Michel Jouvet, author of the novel Le chateau des songes [The Castle of Dreams ] (Jouvet 2000) and discoverer of the phase of paradoxical sleep, analyzed 6,600 of his own dreams before concluding that two kinds of memoryââ¬âlong-term and short-termââ¬âwere used in them. Physiologists have yet to reach a consensus concerning the mechanisms of sleep and dreaming.
Friday, September 27, 2019
Job application cover Letter week 10 ENG Assignment
Job application cover Letter week 10 ENG - Assignment Example Evidently, I have worked with several auditing firms where I established my competence; hence, influencing the capability to assume the task. I engage auditing at Tesco supermarket, which is your key competitor among others where the role has restored their ability to escape risky situation in the firm (Morrison & Wilhelm, 2007). Critically, my involvement in Tesco supermarket has developed my knowledge on the respective operations initiated in supermarkets. Such an aspect simplifies my task where I can easily understand the respective risks, which may associate any supermarket. In an additional view, I engage auditing in threes distinct approaches in supermarkets to examine the entire workforce; hence, extracting areas associated with fraud and other risks. They involve the marketing department, which associate the personnel through the investigation of their financial involvement in the entity. Secondly, I consider the stocking department, which entail the purchasing team, back office and the warehouse. It is a task, which associate evaluation and investigation to determine the manner in which inventories are regulated; thus, preventing fraud. Further, the approach involves investigation of reports provided to the management by the accounting department in the entity where such an approach facilitates the realisation of fraud. Finally, I consider the sales department where I seek the transactions made by the entity within the particular accounting period where the aspect incites realisation of risks associated with the department. Such an aspect endorses them to achieve maximized profits. I assure you that my role is very effective, and I observe the generally accepted accounting principles; thus, producing a positive output. In a more critical review, I consider prudence an aspect, which entails my accuracy in calculations and reporting.
Thursday, September 26, 2019
A Staggering Work of Heartbreaking Genius Essay
A Staggering Work of Heartbreaking Genius - Essay Example Although the book A Staggering Work of Heartbreaking Genius touches upon a lot of serious problems (such as death, misfortune and children that stay without parents), there are critics that do not agree to the fact that Dave Eggersââ¬â¢s writing belongs to creative nonfiction (Forche 109). It is not very difficult to find out if it is so through analyzing the peculiarities of genre and style applied by the writer in A Staggering Work of Heartbreaking Genius. It should be noted that the title of A Staggering Work of Heartbreaking Genius is catching and interesting for the reader. It makes everyone think over its meaning and search for a certain signs that will help to explain why Dave Eggers has chosen this very title for his book. It is not very difficult to note that the title of the book ties into the bookââ¬â¢s text. There are two arguments that can help to prove this point of view. The first one is the complexity of the situation described by the author. The protagonist (To ph) loses both mother and father because of illness. Dave is trying to represent two parents in one face for this child. It is practically impossible. One must be a real genius to do this. Daveââ¬â¢s attempts to bring up Toph are frequently heartbreaking. It is difficult for him to play the role of the childââ¬â¢s late parents. ... It is not better than the previous with his father and mother, but the catastrophe (that is death) helps Toph to look at the world from a quite new point of view. As for me, it is very difficult for unsophisticated reader to understand the meaning of the title, especially its symbolic nature. Everything becomes clear only when the reader takes a deeper look into Toph and Eggersââ¬â¢s souls and conduct. In any case, the title chosen by the author of A Staggering Work of Heartbreaking Genius fully coincides with the context of the whole writing (128). Although it may seem unclear at a glance, it is impossible to create more relevant title for this splendid writing. It is not very difficult to figure out the genre of the book. It is sure to be memoir that belongs to creative nonfiction. A Staggering Work of Heartbreaking Genius gives the information about Toph and Daveââ¬â¢s life after the death of Tophââ¬â¢s parents. The book has many extracts where the author portrays magazin eââ¬â¢s history. It was created by Dave and his friends. The extracts with the data about magazine may be considered to be unnecessary in the book, but they are also the sign that the writing belongs to creative nonfiction. A Staggering Work of Heartbreaking Genius consists of four hundred sixteen pages. This volume is normal for short biography. Nevertheless, there are critics that are sure that Dave omitted a lot of important details about the protagonist in his book. According to their point of view it would be better to shorten a number of information about the magazine and write more about Tophââ¬â¢s character, feelings and emotional experience. However, it is known that every reader expects something special to read after seeing the title of
Coca-Cola in India Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Coca-Cola in India - Case Study Example Cokeââ¬â¢s initial response to the allegations that were brought against it by the Indian state could easily be defined as combative. As such, a combative response to such allegations hardly ever proves to be effective as it oftentimes appears that the firm is attempting to hide something rather than engaging actively to ameliorate the problem. Some of these dismissive/combative responses from Coca Cola I have included below: This is perhaps the most salient of the questions due to the fact that Coca Cola has an uphill battle on its hands with relations to public relations in India. Firstly, the company should continue to invest in the environmental infrastructure that shows the company has made a firm and continuing commitment to utilizing the resources of the host country in a responsible manner. Respecting India by being a good and fair steward of the resources exhibited therein would necessarily be a primary item that Coke must change in order to have an opportunity to regain lost market share. Similarly, refraining from participating in culturally insensitive displays such as the one that Coke engaged upon by sending the Coca Cola samples off to laboratories in England to be tested rather than in India is another important step. Similarly, Coca Cola will need to be mindful of the actions of its supply chain members as any one of these can negatively tarnish the image of the company. Furthermore, Coca Cola must cease and desist building bottling operations in areas that are prone to any level of desertification. Additionally, Coca Cola must be much faster in response to such a type of criticism in the future. By actively confronting an issue and working to fix whatever failings the firm might have, the level of customer trust is more or less retained. Similarly, focusing too heavily on the changes rather than actively pursuing to win back consumer
Wednesday, September 25, 2019
Discrimination in Employment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words
Discrimination in Employment - Essay Example Sec.2000e-2. [Section 703] has clearly mentioned the following guidelines on discrimination issues. 1- If any employer fail to discharge or hire any individual or refuse to discriminate against any individual in terms of compensation, employment condition due to individualââ¬â¢s religion, race, color, sex, and national origin then it will be classified as unlawful employment practice. 2- If any employer segregate or classify any employee based on individualââ¬â¢s religion, sex, race, color and national origin then it will be termed as unlawful employment practice. Employer should not limit any individual from employment due to race, sex and nationality (U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, n.d.). In the other case, the sentence can be judged on the ground of common employment practice. They are using the advertisement to invite female candidate for employment opportunity without any intention to create discrimination in terms of age, sex and nationality. They employer might need female employee to handle Hispanic customers in customer relationship management department. Hence the advertisement is more situation specific rather than intention driven in terms of employment
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
Benchmarking for Air Export Procedure in Thailand Literature review
Benchmarking for Air Export Procedure in Thailand - Literature review Example Six sigma a. Advantages of Six Sigma b. Disadvantages of six Sigma iv. Benchmarking a. Advantages of benchmarking b. Disadvantages of benchmarking v. conclusion Introduction Air transport is one of the most advanced and heavily relied means of transport not only by the developing but also the developed countries. An efficient air transport will smooth the progress of both economic growth and development of any country. In order to promote the export trade and consequently improve the rate of economic growth, Thailand will have to perform the expected duties in improving the statures of its infrastructures in order to be in the same standard as other developed economies or meet the international standard. Through business process improvement, Thailand will be able to approach its fundamental progression more analytically in order to accomplish more proficient results in air export. This article will look at some of the business process improvement tools, that Thailand can incorporate in it air export in order to realize the best results. Advantages of BPI in terms of supply chain and logistics performance Business process improvement is a methodology that allows business to approach its processes more analytically in order to achieve more dexterous results. According to Frazelle (2002, P.234) the strategy is applicable not only to the manufacturing companies but also to the service offering corporations. Among the positive consequences that can ensue as a result of incorporating the BPI with both supply chain and logistic performance as articulated by Christopher (2005, P.67) is the fact that BPI will to a big deal enhance the system of association by the stakeholders involved in moving products or services from the supplier to customers to be approached more systematically in order to realize more exemplary results. Lambert (2008,P.345) echoes similar sentiments to those of Christopher by claiming that through BPI, some logistic services could be outsourced and in the process leads to increased and better performance. Literature review Business process improvement Tools Business process improvement (BPI) tools are methodologies that permit people to develop into being more proficient in their processes. Through employing BPI tools in its undertaking, a business can recognize its weak points and recover its operational effectiveness. Among the BPI tools that are commonly utilized by many business organization include; 1) .Risk assessment analysis This particular tool entails identifying and at the same time trying to reduce or mitigate risk or chances of a risk taking place in the process (Harrington, 1991p.176). According to the same author, this particular tool is a proactive methodology that endeavors to avoid chances of risk being created from the process. Harrington (1991p.176) further remarks that the tool goes a long way in enabling the process to be perfected by doing things right rather than seeking to the right thing. In his argu ment Harrington observes that risk assessment analysis do not only act as way of warning the management of an impending risk but also try to reduce the chances of such a risk hindering the improvement process of the business process. Advantage of risk assessment analysis I. Through this tool the company or organization is relieved inconveniences that could have accrued as a result of the risk being created I the process. This cost could have been associated with means of eradicating them, which to a great extent may entail
Monday, September 23, 2019
The advantage and disadvantage of co-education and single sex Essay
The advantage and disadvantage of co-education and single sex education - Essay Example Despite co-education having several advantages, single sex education is the best in some areas and at certain times. Therefore, both co-education and single sex education have limitations as well as depicting strengths. The proponents of co-education attribute it to the development of social skills. Single sex education is faulted for limiting the interactions between the students hence they are unable to fully develop their social skills especially with the opposite sex (Bali, 2012). This means that the students that are under the co-education are able to develop skills that will enable them to understand the opposite gender. In addition, the students are able to break their shyness hence they freely interact with the opposite sex. This boils down to the family, where a child that was exposed to the opposite gender will have a better chance of getting a mate, as well as having the skills to relate with one another. According to Collins (2012), social interactions begin at infant schools where the children are able to establish relations with both sexes. Single sex education system ensures that sex-related distractions are minimized. Boys will give some attention to girls and vice versa especially during the adolescence (Ahmad, 2012). This can be detrimental to learning since time is likely to be lost in the process. This occurs when boys and girls study in the same institution as opposed to single sex education system. Co-education facilitates the diversion of the studentsââ¬â¢ attention from schoolwork to sexual-related thoughts and attractiveness. Some of the struggles in a co-education system include the perception by the opposite gender, immature romance, and boy-girl crushes among others. In terms of academic performance, students from single sex education system do well as opposed to co-education schools. A research by Australian Council of
Sunday, September 22, 2019
Environmental pragmatism Essay Example for Free
Environmental pragmatism Essay Pluralism, environmental pragmatism and eco feminism represent differing perspectives on the subject of moral ethics. The paper seeks to look into the details surrounding some of these issues and comparisons between them will be made. Major principles As the name suggests, eco-feminism refers to a merger between feminism and environmentalism. In other words, the term refers to a social movement that connects female oppression and the degradation of nature to similar attitudes that are related to masculine domination. The latter principle asserts that there must be some sort of interrelation between women, race, class and the environment. While the oppression of women may be the main concern within this field of study, eco feminism asserts that environmentalism, animal rights, class struggles, age oppressions, human supremacism and racism all have one thing in common; they all signify oppression driven by the same social mentality. (Thoma-Slayter Rocheleau, 1995) One of the most interesting aspects about eco feminism is that this particular movement has merged thoughts and views in seemingly different fields to come up with a comprehensive analysis of current environmental problems. Eco feminists assert that male land ownership has led to patriarchy hence resulting in a manifestation of the following environmental problems â⬠¢ Viewing animals and land as material resources â⬠¢ Abusing land â⬠¢ Exploiting people â⬠¢ Overgrazing â⬠¢ Excessive food export even when local residents lack adequate food The latter adherents also propose that this abuse of land and environmental degradation has eventually led to female oppression. Such an assertion was made by Thoma-Slayter, B. Rocheleau, D. (1995) in their book ââ¬Å"Gender, Environment and Development in Kenyaâ⬠McMillan. The latter authors illustrated how exports in this East African country have been driven by a capitalist culture that has led to soil erosion, deforestation, excessive pesticide use and less productive land. In the end, families have been forced to move from such areas and this is especially visible among the women. Other authors claim that the reason why nature has been undergoing excessive degradation is because nature has been treated as something that is only valuable if it has material benefits. Again, such proponents claim that this is the same view held about women; that they have little value since they are not the major wealth creators. However, eco-feminists assert that such beliefs are quite misleading owing to the fact that nature is still useful even without manââ¬â¢s interference. An example of such a perspective is when one analyzes a forest. The former attitude would assume that a forest is useful for fuel, food and the like. However, even without tampering with it, a forest can still be useful in terms of protecting ground water, circulating oxygen or providing a habitat for other animals. On the other hand environmental pragmatism is founded on the beliefs held within pragmatism; that there is no absolute truth in the process of seeking for knowledge. Instead, pragmatists assert that there are only relatively stable ones that assist people in the process of making sense of their world and their surrounding. Experience plays a central role in pragmatism because through it one can either affirm or reject previously held beliefs about how their world works. Given this background, then it is possible to understand some of the perspectives put forward by environmental pragmatists. The latter school of thought put forward the idea that the environment forms a central part of our experiences. Consequently, it needs to be held in high regard. It asserts that every part of the environment needs to be treated with as much seriousness as the next. For instance, oceans are jut as important as deserts or just as important as buildings and bridges. (Lucas, 2002) Environmental pragmatism rejects the notion that man can dominate the earth. Since nature is an important part of oneââ¬â¢s experience, then it is essential for man to look for the most feasible ways of co-existing with nature. In fact, adherents to this philosophy claim that understanding or cultivating meaning in the earth is quite crucial, however, imagining that man can do anything with nature without dealing with any consequences is self defeating. Additionally, the latter adherents put forward the notion that exerting care within the environment is a crucial element in preserving it. They claim that in the process of determining what constitutes good things or what constitutes right things, it is indeed necessary for human beings to implement environmental ethics through the foundations of certain beliefs and ideas. One can therefore assert that environmental pragmatism has elements of interrelatedness with other concepts. In this regard, there is a connection between eco feminism and environmental pragmatism owing to the fact it refers to the concept of caring for oneââ¬â¢s environment. Environmental pragmatism also brings in new concepts of environmental philosophy owing to the fact that it opposes the notion of trying to decide constituents of value. In other words, the latter adherents claim that it is impossible to determine whether man holds greater precedence over nature. Instead, both issues need not be treated as mutually exclusive as they both need one another. (Lucas, 2002) Pluralism on the other hand refers to the acceptance of diversity of thought within ethical endorsements. Adherents to this school of thought claim that it is possible for different perspectives to exist within a particular ethical system owing to the fact that morality is an ensemble of many things. This means that nature as it is cannot provide an underlying and thoroughly conclusive explanation for things; consequently, it is best to settle for a series of explanations that can provide a more comprehensive framework for these matters. In this regard, pluralism can be related to eco feminism owing to the fact that the latter theory attempts to merge concepts from different fields. Additionally, environmental pragmatism is another form of pluralism because in the former philosophy, there is the belief that there is more than one way to understand nature. Pluralism can occur in three forms i.e. â⬠¢ First order â⬠¢ Second order â⬠¢ Third order In first order pluralism, environmentalists believe that the value in something can be described in more than one way i. e. beauty, diversity etc. In second order pluralism, there is the belief that nature can be described in so many ways that there is no single method that is appropriate. In third order pluralism, there is the belief that other views should be tolerated because it is almost impossible to account for forms of value within nature. In this regard, pluralism advocates for an overlap of explanations. (Lucas, 2002) Conclusion Eco feminism is the view that falls in line with my belief system owing to the fact that it is the most practically rooted environmental theory. Additionally, its interrelatedness with other concepts is less abstract than in pluralism or environmental pragmatism. The latter two theories are quite related because of their adherence to multiplicity of beliefs. References Lucas, P. (2002): Environmental ethics ââ¬â between inconsequential philosophy and unphilosophical consequesialism; Journal of environmental ethics, 24, 353-369 Rocheleau, D. (1995): Gender, Environment and Development in Kenya; McMillan.
Saturday, September 21, 2019
DeLone McLean IS success models
DeLone McLean IS success models DeLone McLean IS success models According to Grover(1996), there is no definition of IS success. Each group of stakeholders who assess IS success in an organization has a different definition. From a software developerââ¬â¢s perspective, a successful information system is completed on time and under budget, has a set of features consistent with specifications, and functions correctly. Users may find an information system successful if it improves their work satisfaction or work performance. From an organizational perspective, a successful information system contributes to the companyââ¬â¢s profits or creates a competitive advantage. Furthermore, IS success also depends on the type of system that is evaluated (Seddon et al. 1999, p. 21). IS success had seen different definitions given by many authors. According to Bailey and Pearson (1983) IS success is defined as ââ¬Å"Measuring and analyzing computer user satisfaction is motivated by managementââ¬â¢s desire to improve the productivity of information systems.â⬠Authors Goodhue and Thompson (1995, p. 213) had given definition to IS success as ââ¬Å"â⬠¦MIS success ultimately corresponds to what DeLone and McLean (1992) label individual impact or organizational impact. DM reviewed the literature published in 1981-1987 in seven publications to develop a taxonomy of IS success. This taxonomy was based upon Masonââ¬â¢s modification of the Shannon and Weaver model (C.E. Shannon Weaver 1949)ofcommunications which had identified three levels of information: the technical level (accuracy and efficiency of the system that produces it), the semantic level (its ability to transfer the intended message), and the effectiveness level (its impact on the receiver). M ason adapted this theory for IS and expanded the effectiveness level into three categories: receipt of information, influence on the recipient, and influence on the system (R.O. Mason 1978). DM identified categories for system success by mapping an aspect of IS success to each of Masonââ¬â¢s effectiveness levels. This analysis yielded six variables of IS success: System Quality, Information Quality, Use, User Satisfaction, Individual Impact, and Organizational Impact. System Quality was equivalent to the technical level of communication, while Information Quality was equivalent to the semantic level of communication. The other four variables mapped to Masonââ¬â¢s subcategories of the effectiveness level. Use related to Masonââ¬â¢s ââ¬Ëââ¬Ëreceipt of information.ââ¬â¢Ã¢â¬â¢ User Satisfaction and Individual Impact were associated with the ââ¬Ëââ¬Ëinformationââ¬â¢s influence on the recipient.ââ¬â¢Ã¢â¬â¢ Organizational Impact was the ââ¬Ëââ¬Ëinflu ence of the information on the system.ââ¬â¢Ã¢â¬â¢ DM developed their initial taxonomy using established theories of communication adapted to IS. These theories suggested that the flow of information was linear; however, they suggested that for IS, these different measures of success were independent, but that there was interdependency among them. Fig. 1 shows the original model. DM suggested that researchers should use this model in a predictive manner, yet they cautioned that one must measure and/ or control each of the variables in the model to ensure a complete understanding of IS success. DM called upon others to validate their model .â⬠In order to provide a more general and comprehensive definition of IS success that covers these different points of view, DeLone and McLean (1992) reviewed the existing definitions of IS success and their corresponding measures, classifying them into six major categories. They created a multidimensional measuring model with interdependencies between the different success categories. The original DM IS success model According to DeLone and McLean (1992), measurement of IS success is critical for understanding the value and efficacy of IS management actions and IS investments. One of the most important and popular works on IS success model is the DeLone and McLean model (DM IS success model). DeLone and McLean proposed in 1992 a taxonomy and an interactive model as the frameworks for conceptualizing IS success. Driven by the need of a process to understand IS and its impacts, they developed a multi-dimension integrated view of IS success model. DeLone and McLean (1992) comprehensively reviewed IS success measures and concluded with a model of interrelationships between six IS success variable categories: (1) system quality, (2) information quality, (3) IS use, (4) user satisfaction, (5) individual impact, and (6) organization impact (see Fig. 1). This model makes two important contributions to the understanding of IS success. First, it provides a scheme for categorizing the multitude of IS success measures which have been used in the research literature. Second, it suggests a model of temporal and causainterdependencies between the categories (McGill, Hobbs, Klobas, 2003; Seddon, 1997). Since 1992, a number of studies have undertaken empirical investigations of the multidimensional relationships among the measures of IS success. Seddon and Kiew (1994) tested part of the DeLone and McLean (1992) model using a structural equation model. They replaced ââ¬Å"useâ⬠with ââ¬Å"usefulnessâ⬠and added a new variable called ââ¬Å"user involvement,â⬠and their results partially supported the DeLone and McLean (1992) model. The description and examples of measures for these six dimensions are: First, system quality denotes system performance like data accuracy, system efficiency, response time, etc. Second, information quality refers to the quality of the IS product, such as currency, relevance, reliability, and completeness. Third, use refers to the frequency an information system is used, examining items like the number of functions used, frequency of access, and amount of connect time. Fourth, user satisfaction records the satisfaction level as reported by system users, including overall satisfaction and satisfaction of interface, etc. Fifth, individual impact refers to measuring the impacts brough t about by the information system on individual users, such as changes in productivity, decision model, and decision making. Sixth, organizational impact requires the evaluation of the changes caused by the information system to the organization, such as decrease in operating cost, savings in labor costs, and growth in profits. This original model identified six interrelated dimensions of IS success. It suggested that the success can be represented by the system quality, the output information quality, consumption (use) of the output, the userââ¬â¢s response (user satisfaction), the effect of the IS on the behavior of the user (individual impact), and the effect of the IS on organizational performance organizational impact). This model provided a scheme for classifying the multitude of IS success measures and suggested the temporal and causal interdependencies between the six dimensions. Motivated by DeLone and McLeanââ¬â¢s call for further development and validation of their model, many researchers have attempted to extend or respecify the original model. A number of researchers claim that the DM IS success model is incomplete. They suggest that more dimensions should be included in the model, or present alternative success. Other researchers focus on the application and validation of the model (Rai et al. 2002). Following the Seddonââ¬â¢s extension of Delone McLean IS success model in 1997 into partial behavioural model of IS use and IS process model for IS success, Garrity and Sanders (1998) further adapted the model taking into account the organisational and sociotechnical systems. The model was further extended by Molla and Licker (2001) to measure e-Commerce success. The New DM IS model Information systems (IS) success is one of the most researched topics in IS literature. De Loneand McLean (1992) become aware of the complex reality that surrounds the identification and definition of the IS success concept. They organize the large number of studies on IS success and present a comprehensive and integrative model. DeLone and McLean, in their study, identify six main dimensions for categorizing the different measures of IS success: system quality, information quality, use, user satisfaction, individual impact, and organizational impact. They develop an IS success model in which these categories are interrelated, shaping a process construct. Their model proposes that ââ¬Å"system quality and information quality singularly and jointly affect both use and user satisfaction. Additionally, the amount of use can affect the degreeof user satisfaction as well as the reverse being true. Use and user satisfaction are direct antecedents of individual impact; and, lastly, this impact on individual performance should eventually have some organizational impactâ⬠(DeLone McLean, 1992) (Figure 2). DeLone and McLean (1992) state that their model is ââ¬Å"an attempt to reflect the interdependent, process nature of IS successâ⬠, undertaking to describe the IS success concept and the causes for the success. According to Ballantin other researchers (1996) and Seddon (1997), DeLone and McLeanââ¬â¢s work makes several important contributions to the understanding of IS success. First, it consolidates previous research. Second, it provides a scheme for classifying the different measures of IS success that have been proposed in the literature into six dimensions. Third, it suggests a model of temporal and causal interdependencies between the identified categories. Fourth, it makes the first moves to identify different stakeholder groups in the process. Fifth, it has been considered an appropriate base for further empirical and theoretical research. Sixth, it has met general acceptance in the IS community. In the years that followed, several researchers altered or extended the model, while others adapted it for specific applications, such as knowledge management or e-commerce (W.H. DeLone, E.R. McLean 2004) systems. Recognizing these potential improvements over their original model, DM acknowledged these modifications and revised their model accordingly (W.H. DeLone, E.R. McLean 2003). The updated model is shown in Fig. 2. DM also modified their model to address some limitations of the original model. A key addition in the updated model was the inclusion of Service Quality as an additional aspect of IS success (L.F. Pitt, R.T. Watson, C.B. Kavan 1995); it was added because the changing nature of IS required the need to assess service quality when evaluating IS success. DM also recommended assigning different weights to System Quality, Information Quality, and Service Quality depending on the context and application of the model. There has been an intense debate about whether system use is a good measure of IS success. Although some authors (P.B. Seddon 1997) have suggested that it is better to remove system use as an IS success variable, DeLone andMcLean argued that systemusewas an appropriate measure. They asserted that the source of the problem was a too simplistic definition of system use, and that researchers must consider the extent, nature, quality, and appropriateness of it. Simply measuring the amount of time a system is in use is not enough: informed and effective use is an important indication of IS success. The DeLone and McLean Information System Success model, published in 1992, supplies a general framework to measure information systems success through the analysis of six different but interdependent factors: ââ¬Å"system qualityâ⬠on a technical level, ââ¬Å"information qualityâ⬠on a semantic level and ââ¬Å"useâ⬠, ââ¬Å"user satisfactionâ⬠, ââ¬Å"individual impactsâ⬠and ââ¬Å"organization impactsâ⬠on an effectiveness level. All these factors relate each other both on a temporal and a causal model; in the temporal model we first find system quality and information quality, which characterize an information system when it is just created; in a second stage of this process come use and user satisfaction, which feed or restrain each other and that are strongly influenced by the first two factors; finally, both in a temporal and in a causal way, comes first the individual impact and then the organizational impact, which is not seen as a simple sum of individual impacts but as a complex network of consequences. The generic nature of each of these entities makes the framework suitable for a variety of different information systems and contexts. During the last decade hundreds of articles have been written to confirm or challenge the validity of DeLone and McLean conclusions; in 2003 a new article was written by the same two authors to refine the whole model by taking into account all the suggestions/critiques made to the original article. The primary purpose of the original 1992 DM IS success model was to synthesize previous researches on IS success into a more coherent body of knowledge and to provide guidance to future researchers (DeLone and McLean, 2003). The role of IS has changed and progressed during the last decade. Similarly, academic inquiry into the measurement of IS Although it may be more desirable to measure system benefits in terms of numeric costs (e.g cost savings, expanded markets, incremental additional sales, and time savings), such measures are often not possible because of intangible system impacts and intervening environmental variables that may influence the numbers (T. McGill, V. Hobbs 2003).Therefore, there has been little consensus on how net benefits should be measured objectively and thus they are usually measured by the perceptions of those who use the IS. Therefore, ââ¬Ëââ¬Ëperceived system benefitsââ¬â¢Ã¢â¬â¢ or ââ¬Ëââ¬Ëperceived usefulnessââ¬â¢Ã¢â¬â¢ has been adopted as an important surrogate of IS success (B.H. Wixom, H.J. Watson 2001) The right-hand side of the DeLone and McLeanââ¬â¢s model, which assumed linear causality between system use, user satisfaction, individual impact, and organizational impact, has not been authenticated. Seddon contended that the model was too encompassing and introduced some confusion because it mixed process and causal explanation of IS success. He further argued that system use must precede impacts and benefits, but that it did not cause them. Accordingly, system use would be a behavior that reflects an expectation of system benefits from using an IS and thus would be a consequence of IS success, rather than a determinant of system net benefits. Some empirical surveys (M. Gelderman 1998) also found that the association between system use and system benefit was not statistically significant. System use is necessary but not sufficient to create system benefits. User satisfaction results from the feelings and attitudes from aggregating all the benefits that a person hopes to receive from interaction with the IS (B. Ives, M.H. Olson, J.J. Baroudi 1983). In fact, attitude cannot influence system benefitsââ¬âon the contrary, perceived system benefits can influence user satisfaction. Therefore, individual impact and net benefits can cause user satisfaction (rather than vice versa). There has been an intense debate about whether system use is a good measure of IS success. Although some authors (P.B. Seddon 1997) have suggested that it is better to remove system use as an IS success variable, DeLone andMcLean argued that systemusewas an appropriate measure. They asserted that the source of the problem was a too simplistic definition of system use, and that researchers must consider the extent, nature, quality, and appropriateness of it. Simply measuring the amount of time a system is in use is not enough: informed and effective use is an important indication of IS success. Although it may be more desirable to measure system benefits in terms of numeric costs (e.g. cost savings, expanded markets, incremental additional sales, and time savings), such measures are often not possible because of intangible system impacts and intervening environmental variables that may influence the numbers (T. McGill, V. Hobbs 2003).Therefore, there has been little consensus on how net benefits should be measured objectively and thus they are usually measured by the perceptions of those who use the IS. Therefore, ââ¬Ëââ¬Ëperceived system benefitsââ¬â¢Ã¢â¬â¢ or ââ¬Ëââ¬Ëperceived usefulnessââ¬â¢Ã¢â¬â¢ has been adopted as an important surrogate of IS success (B.H. Wixom, H.J. Watson 2001) The right-hand side of the DeLone and McLeanââ¬â¢s model, which assumed linear causality between system use, user satisfaction, individual impact, and organizational impact, has not been authenticated. Seddon contended that the model was too encompassing and introduced some confusion because it mixed process and causal explanation of IS success. He further argued that system use must precede impacts and benefits, but that it did not cause them. Accordingly, system use would be a behavior that reflects an expectation of system benefits from using an IS and thus would be a consequence of IS success, rather than a determinant of system net benefits. Some empirical surveys (M. Gelderman 1998) also found that the association between system use and system benefit was not statistically significant. System use is necessary but not sufficient to create system benefits. User satisfaction results from the feelings and attitudes from aggregating all the benefits that a person hopes to receive from interaction with the IS (B. Ives, M.H. Olson, J.J. Baroudi 1983). In fact, attitude cannot influence system benefitsââ¬âon the contrary, perceived system benefits can influence user satisfaction. Therefore, individual impact and net benefits can cause user satisfaction (rather than vice versa). The measurement of IS success or effectiveness is critical to our understanding of the value and efficacy of IS management and investments (DeLone and McLean, 2003). They have striven to bring both awareness and structure to the ââ¬Å"dependent variableâ⬠- IS success in IS research, and the result is the so-called updated DM IS success model (Figure 2). Their major contribution is proposing a taxonomy and an interactive model as frameworks for conceptualizing and operationalizing IS success for future researchers. In response to the progresses in IS applications, DeLone and McLean refined their original model and proposed an updated version in 2003. Service quality was added into the success model, and the individual impact and organizational impact were combined into a single variable named ââ¬Å"net benefitsâ⬠as shown in Figure 4. To catch up with the advancements of its applications, IS needs not only to provide users information products but also to meet usersââ¬â¢. In addition, some researchers (J.J. Baroudi, M.H. Olson, B. Ives 1986) have suggested that user satisfaction causes system use rather than vice versa. Thus, the Delone and McLeanââ¬â¢s assertion that system use causes user satisfaction seems to be merely a temporal rather than causal relationship. Many models based on that of DeLone and McLean have been presented. However, they often confuse the independent variable and dependent variables of IS success. ââ¬Ëââ¬ËTechnological supportââ¬â¢Ã¢â¬â¢, ââ¬Ëââ¬Ëknowledge strategy or processââ¬â¢Ã¢â¬â¢, and ââ¬Ëââ¬Ësupport and serviceââ¬â¢Ã¢â¬â¢ are three examples of suggested additions but these clearly cause success (rather than being part of it). The variables should be dependent; i.e. surrogate measures for success. DeLone and McLean suggested that the IS success model should include service quality for electronic commerce systems. DeLone McLean (2003) argue that Seddonââ¬â¢s (1997) reformulation of the DeLone McLean (1992) model into two partial variance models (i.e. IS success model and partial behavioural model of IS Use) unduly complicates the success model, and thus assert that System Use or Intention to Use is still an important measure of IS success. Given that Systems Use/Intention to Use is included in their updated IS success model, DeLone McLean (2003; 2004), however, did not attempt to reconcile their model with Seddonââ¬â¢s (1997) Perceived Usefulness measure and Davisââ¬â¢s (1989) Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) that explains system use behaviour. Thus, there is a need for research to combine the updated DM model with Seddonââ¬â¢s (1997) Perceived Usefulness construct and the IS acceptance/adoption literature to give it the richness in theoretical perspective that it presently lacks. While the updated DM model is a generic, comprehensive e-commerce systems success model, it suffer s from certain difficulties. First, the Net Benefit measure in the model is conceptually too broad to define. As DeLone McLean (2004) suggest, ââ¬ËThe new net benefits construct immediately raises three issues that must be addressed: what qualifies as a benefit? for whom? and at what level of analysisââ¬â¢ Thus, when using the updated DM model, researchers need to clearly and carefully define the stakeholders and the context in which Net Benefits are to be measured (DeLone McLean, 2004). DeLone and McLean (2003) propose an updated IS success model (Fig. 2) and evaluate its usefulness in light of the dramatic changes in IS practice, especially the advent and explosive growth of ecommerce. They agree with Seddons premise that the combination of variance and process explanations of IS success in one model can be confusing, but argue that Seddons reformulation of the DeLone and McLean (1992) model into two partial variance models unduly complicates the success model, and defeats the intent of the original model. Based on prior studies, DeLone and McLean (2003) propose an updated model of IS success by adding a ââ¬Å"service qualityâ⬠measure as a new dimension of the IS success model, and by grouping all the ââ¬Å"impactâ⬠measures into a single impact or benefit category called ââ¬Å"net benefit.â⬠DeLone McLean (2004) propose several e-commerce systems success measures identified in the management information systems (MIS) and marketing literature, t he nomological structure of the updated DM model is not fully consistent with the quality- value-satisfaction-loyalty chain in the marketing and consumer behavior. Thus, continued research is also required to reconcile the updated DM model with the marketing research literature. Although some researchers claim that service quality is merely a subset of the models systems quality, the changes in the role of IS over the last decade argue for a separate variable called the ââ¬Å"service qualityâ⬠dimension (DeLone McLean, 2003). On the other hand, while researchers have suggested several IS impact measures, such as individual, work group impacts, organizational impacts (DeLone McLean, 1992), interorganizational impacts, consumerimpacts, and societal impacts (Seddon, 1997), DeLone and McLean (2003) move in the opposite direction and group all of the impact measures into a single net benefits variable, to avoid complicating the model with more success measures. Given that system usage continues to be used as a dependent variable in a number of empirical studies, and takes on a new importance in Internet-based system success measurements, where system use is Voluntary, ââ¬Å"system usageâ⬠and the alternative ââ¬Å"intention to useâ⬠are still considered as Important measures of IS success in the updated DeLone and McLean model. References Seddon PB, Staples S, Patnayakuni R, Bowtell M (1999) Dimensions of information systems success. Communications of the AIS Grover V, Jeong SR, Segars AH (1996) Information systems effectiveness: the construct space and patters of application. Information Management 31(4):177-191 Goodhue DL, Thompson RL (1995) Task-technology fit and individual performance. MIS Quarterly 19(2):213 DeLone WH, McLean ER (1992) Information systems success: the quest for the dependent variable. Information Systems Research DeLone WH, McLean ER (2003) The DeLone and McLean model of information systems success: a ten-year update. Journal of Management Information Systems McGill, T., Hobbs, V., Klobas, J. (2003). User-developed applications and information systems success: A test of DeLone and McLeans model. Information resources Management Journal, R.O. Mason, Measuring information output: a communication systems approach, Information Management Seddon, P. B. Kiew, M.-Y. (1994). A partial test and development of the DeLone and McLean model of IS success. In J. I. De Gross, S. L. Huff, M. C. Munro (Eds.), Proceedings of the international conference on information systems Atlanta, GA: Association for Information Systems Rai, A., Lang, S.S. Welker, R.B. (2002) Assessing the validity of IS success models: an empirical test and theoretical analysis. Information Systems Research, Molla, A. Licker, P.S. (2001) E-commerce systems success: an attempt to extend and respecify the DeLone and McLean model of IS success. Journal of Electronic Commerce Research Taylor, S. and Todd, P. ââ¬Å"Understanding information technology usage: a test of competing models,â⬠Information Systems Research
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