Lebanon had been experiencing a dynamic economy, enjoying high growth rates, an increased inflow of foreign capital, as well as, a steady increase in the capita income. However, after the civil war, transportation system of Lebanon deteriorated to the extent that it does not comply with Mobility requirements and needs.
The country continues to operate under aging transportation facilities that were severely damaged during the civil war. Therefore, this can be seen as chaotic and unsustainable. This combines with the unusable railway system, an increased number of licensed automobiles, coupled with poor road network.
Road network in Lebanon constitutes primary and secondary roads and highways. The highways are classified according to their role and characteristics of the traffic they serve. An extensive network of roads covering over 4000 miles constituting serves Lebanon. Most roads, particularly within the Beirut area and most remote areas, the transportation system, have remained in a poor condition. An increased number of licensed automobiles have caused congestion in public roads.
In addition, the railway system has remained largely unutilized due to the effects of civil war. Other pubic infrastructures that were affected by the civil war cover the airports, the electrical power supply, and the Telecommunication services that were considerably damaged due to the aftermath of the civil war.
The existing road transportation system lacks a coherent organization of the public, since the public has become over reliant on the use of private cars and underutilized public transport relative to international standards. The public lacks coherent patterns to provide sound and sustainable alternatives to the automobile.
Furthermore, there is an inequitable distribution of the supply of the public transport over the market. Major markets such as Beirut and Tripoli have remained underserved, hence; experience severe competition among road transport operators. The Lebanese railway network began in 1980. However, the public infrastructures have been experiencing conflict in the struggle to provide citizens with an efficient mobility system.
Through history, it is possible to trace the establishment of the railway system that began in late 20th century. The railway system connects prime urban areas, as well as, neighboring countries such as Iraq, Turkey, and Syria. Due to socio-political struggles experienced in most countries in the Middle East, the developments of public utilities have become unimaginable.
The civil war and posttraumatic recovery in Lebanon led to uncertainty to the future of transportation infrastructure. The railway system that began in late 20th century was terminated because of political problems. Initially, the railway line was intended to connect Beirut and Damascus in order to provide Damascus with accessibility to the port. The Beirut Damascus railway line continued operating, and made travel possible from Europe to Africa without changing trains. In addition, the line served as an important means of transportation to people both from the South to North up to Syria.
The aftermath of the Lebanese Civil war led to a considerable damage to the rail network and interfered with the transportation system that gradually ceased. The failure of the rail network causes congestion on roads that led to difficulties in mobility to distant areas. Statistics pertaining to transportation patterns in Lebanon began recently, during the civil war, there were unreliable public transportation system.
Thus, there is a need to upgrade the transportation system by reviving the rail network. Hence, the Lebanese government should do more research on the possibility of reviving the rail network since; it will provide an opportunity to make Beirut affordable and have efficient connections with neighboring cities that are on the Mediterranean and beyond.
The population of Lebanon is unevenly distributed with more than 90% of the Lebanese staying in urban areas. A large majority of the population are concentrated within the coastal areas such as Beirut and Sidon. This uneven distribution of the population has led to regional disparities.
There is mobility of many people into and out of Beirut; however, they experience transportation problems. The government, as well as, transportation experts have made substantial efforts to combat this issue, but have faced many problems including financial constrains to implement the projects. Lebanon experiences a large per capita public debt that has made publicly funded projects not to be possible.
The Lebanese government has made emphasis on privatization to ensure that the damaged public utilities are restored. In addition, the government has made pledges apply proceed of sales in order to minimize public debt and the budget deficit. There have been reforms made towards ensuring that qualified technocrats are involved to address fundamental economic programs, and make reviews on further savings that can be achieved through reforms of the income tax system.
The war made transportation system to be silenced whereas private transportation companies ensured a short term-term solution to the issue. However, private bus and taxi operators suffered due to the monopolization of the bus depots by independent companies. This had contributed to a sectarian struggle that has contributed to the division in Lebanon today.
Lebanese government has spent large sums of money to reconstruct and maintain the roads by paving and improving the road quality. However, the country still experiences inadequate capacity due to budget deficits in the allocation of funds channeled for road construction and maintenance. Economic development has been hugely uneven in Lebanon which has made the government fail in reducing economic and social inequalities in various communities.
However, the President has made efforts to reduce the inequalities by pursuing development projects in various societies, in the north and south that had been traditionally neglected. The status of public infrastructure is poor. There are poor facilities on roads for pedestrian crossing on highways. This is coupled with insufficient public lighting, poor quality road surface, absent road markings, as well as, particularly curvy and small roads. These have contributed to congestion on roads.
Thus, the years of civil war in Lebanon and post-traumatic recovery have contributed to uncertainty for the future of the public transportation system. Three key developments have taken shape in Lebanon. These includes the Cola transport hub, the Charles Helou Bus station, and the Dora transportation hub that have embodied the existing failures and conflicts in Lebanon.
Since Cola and Dora transportation hubs are located underneath populated highway bridges, they operate as productive intersections. The cross roads are used for social interactions and economic growth. Most travelers would move to these hubs remarkably early in the morning to conduct their businesses, while mini-buses and taxis transport commuters between the shores.
The residential areas surrounding the hubs make the roundabouts provide a layered activity. They were removed from statically enforced characteristics of infrastructure thus providing a platform enabling the operation of private transport companies.
In conclusion, Lebanese civil war devastated the economic infrastructure and significantly affected the country’s national output and its ranking in the Middle East. In the post-traumatic years, Lebanon has made substantial improvements undo some of the damages through assistance from both bilateral and multilateral donors by renewing the efforts to bring about sustainable development and economic growth.
Based on the information gathered from this study, it is evident that Lebanese economic developments have been slowed due to poor basic services and public utilities, such as infrastructure, water and power supply, communication. In order to sustain a rebound in economic growth, the government should put a lot of effort in upgrading public utilities especially mainly, transport, communication, water, and power supply.
For example, under an orderly planning and implementation of road maintenance through sufficient budgetary allocations, transportation system can be improved to a pint that decreases production and distribution costs of other economic activities.
In addition, the government should reconcile plans to ensure a substantial increase in infrastructure with the aim of maintaining macro-economic stability, as well as, reducing the country’s net burden. The country should be stable politically, and put in place growth enhancing policies that are necessary to achieve sustainable expansion in economic growth. Furthermore, the government should aim at reducing the high debts that should remain to be a medium term-priority. The thriving financial sector should work under a continued strong supervision and regulation.
Therefore, in order to sustain economic growth, and translate economic expansion into a broader social gain, the government of Lebanon must strengthen public finances, make efforts to upgrade public infrastructure, in order to improve the business environment. These conditions will ensure that Lebanon gains exceptional resilience in the face of financial crisis, as well as, a capacity to rebound and thrive.
Bibliography
Jacobs, Jane. The Death and Life of Great American Cities. New York: Random House, 1992.
Kunstler, H. James. The Geography of Nowhere: the rise and decline of America’s man-made landscape. New York: Free Press, 1994.
Lambeth, S. Benjamin. Air Operations in Israel’s War Against Hezbollah. New York: Rand Corporation, 2011.
Demutualized exchanges are sensitive to the issue of transferability of shares, particularly in situations where the shares of a listed exchange are freely transferable (Latimer & Maume, 2015). For instance, in a hostile takeover, new shareholder interests may not be aligned with the obligation of the exchange as an unrestricted entity. Restriction on shareholding is imposed to inhibit the concentration of the holding and the subsequent handover of control. Normally, the stockholding limit is 5 percent, with the exception of the Australian stock exchange, where the limit is 15 percent (Jordan, 2016). The Stockholm exchange has no limit but can evaluate the qualification of a suggested shareholder who plans to hold shares in excess of 10 percent (Jordan, 2016).
A mere transition from the non-profit structure to a for-profit organization neither ascertains better regulation nor does it reassure investors about the value of the risk (Abukari, 2015). A for-profit organization owned and run by members dispersing the profit earned among them is somewhat similar to a nonprofit mutual company. For example, the Paris Bourse and Deutsche Borse were initially structured as for-profit organizations until the 2001 public offering (Slimane & Padilla-Angulo, 2018). Operationally, these exchanges are similar to mutualized exchanges. According to Padilla-Angulo and Slimane (2018), demutualization becomes a success on the condition that the process prioritizes addressing the concerns of stakeholders and investors. Demutualized exchanges that focus on profits may neglect the process’s self-regulatory obligation.
Demutualized FMIs may encounter difficulties stemming from regulatory oversight when attempting to respond to new opportunities and threats. Regulatory oversight takes up an extensive period of time before the approval of new policies. Thus, demutualization separates the regulatory and corporate authority of the exchange, which creates a conflict of interest. A for-profit organization may fail to sufficiently fund its regulatory actions because of a trivial return on investment during earlier stages (Kaustia, Knupfer & Torstila, 2015). Conversely, the regulatory trading body aggressively fines trading parties to compensate for the lack of funding.
FMIs offer plenty of opportunities to expand and establish other business processes. Diversification of such nature presents the problem of conflict of interest. The internal segregation among businesses necessitates the development of conflict resolution methods. There is also a need for the establishment of greater regulatory oversight to highlight conflict situations (Islam & Hossain, 2016). Nonetheless, the exchange has to remain financially viable without exposure to financial risk by other commercial endeavors. From this viewpoint, imposing capital adequacy norms becomes a topic of discussion. When such norms are necessary, applicability to the exchange or holding company is tentative (Wahid, Adil, Talib & Azam 2017). Even though the corporate ownership structure does not substantiate the imposition of such standards on the holding organization, the threat of monetary resolution of the exchange still looms large.
A new problem of conflict presents itself when the exchange attempts to list its stocks on itself. The conflict is clear in satisfying listing obligations. An example is the case of the self-listed Australian stock exchange, which bid for shares belonging to the Sydney Futures Exchange (Riaz, 2016). Another listed organization called Computershare limited made a counter bid while raising suspicions about the requirements of the exchange to administer listing procedures. Efforts have been made towards resolving this conflict. E.g., The Australian Securities and Investments Commission was given the responsibility of overseeing compliance with listing rules in the ASX case (Riaz, 2016). Also, a regulatory entity may pose the risk of insiders spilling confidential information regarding competitor members resulting in problems of transparency. Another problem arises when the drive for profits compromises governance. Demutualization can create the problem of conflict between management and owners (Ubochioma, 2017). A majority of independent directors are part of the board; hence any decisions made by management and are not aligned with the interests of the board can bring about conflict. A suitable governing system requires the inclusion of external directors on board to uphold integrity in decision making. Public ownership ensures that decision-making and actions pursued are in line with public interest other than being accountable to shareholders.
Demutualization poses difficulties in areas pertaining to regulations and supervision, particularly in the non-liberalized markets of Africa such as Ghana. The process in such areas is hindered by unexpected technological, regulatory, and business challenges caused by disinterested market players, regulatory complexities, and government bureaucracies who choose to remain indifferent to the demutualization process and fail to offer support crucial for the sustenance of the process (Kajuju, 2010). Some African exchanges struggle with the limited institutional capacity to enforce rules. The smaller third world exchanges lack the trained workforce and familiarity to effectively monitor the adopted regulatory regimes. Therefore, abuses are a common occurrence owing to the lack of enforcement actions. Also, shareholders lack the confidence to invest in a market with poor corporate governance systems. Exposure to multiple regulators leads to uncertainties and augmented costs of cooperation with dissimilar regulatory bodies. For example, CMA and NSE serve as regulatory bodies in Kenya, and each body has its membership requirements regarding participation and listing in the market (Kajuju, 2010).
Legal issues may also threaten the demutualization process. Certain jurisdictions where the exchange relates to a guaranteed limited company require reorganizing the demutualization procedure to alter membership into shares. On another occasion, the exchange may be a state-owned entity necessitating privatization instead of demutualization. In the two scenarios, the existing legislations require the enactment of a different piece of legislation to allow the conversion of the stock exchange structure. An empirical example is the case of Malaysia, where legislation affected demutualization under the Demutualization Act. Similarly, the promulgation of new legislation in South Africa paved the way for the demutualization of domestic exchanges. Moreover, amendment and enactment of legislation is a fairly intricate process that may inhibit the timely demutualization of exchanges (Aldeehani & Bouresli, 2017). Also, litigation is an aftermath of the demutualization in matters relating to policyholders. For example, holders of non-participating cash value policies may fail to understand why they receive less than holders of whole life policies. Policy owners who receive policy payments may reject valuation grounded on a below-book IPO value. The time-consuming and costly nature of litigation can damage an organization’s reputation.
Finally, the demutualization process may compromise the performance of present strategies. Even though every demutualization strategy tries to avoid this risk, the success of solutions is not guaranteed. Policies holders expect an optimum performance by their policies, and shareholders as well expect their stocks to perform well, and such a scenario makes it difficult to avoid conflict. Small policies lead to a greater threat of dividend sharing among shareholders.
Reference List
Abukari, K.A. (2015). Three Essays on Stock Exchange Demutualization and Mergers. Doctoral dissertation, Carleton University.
Aldeehani, T. M., & Bouresli, A. K. (2017). Stakeholders’ perceptions and predictions of stock exchange demutualization: the case of Kuwait stock exchange. International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, 7(4), 33-41.
Kajuju, K. C. (2010). The Perceived Benefits and Challenges of Demutualization of the Nairobi Stock Exchange. Retrieved from University of Nairobi Research Archive (11295/13066).
Kaustia, M., Knüpfer, S., & Torstila, S. (2015). Stock ownership and political behavior: evidence from demutualizations. Management Science, 62(4), 945-963.
Latimer, P., & Maume, P. (2015). Stock Exchanges and the Promotion of Information. In Promoting Information in the Marketplace for Financial Services (pp. 177-216). Springer: Cham.
Padilla-Angulo, L., & Ben Slimane, F. (2018). Board restructuring and successful demutualization: the stock exchanges. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 31(3), 598-618.
Riaz, Z. (2016). A hybrid of state regulation and self-regulation for remuneration governance in Australia. Corporate Governance, 16(3), 539-563.
Slimane, F. B., & Angulo, L. P. (2018). Strategic change and corporate governance: Evidence from the stock exchange industry. Journal of Business Research. Web.
Ubochioma, W. (2017). From private clubs to for-profit markets: an overview and assessment of the rules on demutualisation of securities exchanges 2015 of Nigeria. Journal of Corporate Law Studies, 17(1), 225-251.
Wahid, A., Adil, I. H., Talib, N., & Azam, K. (2017). The effects of demutualization on expansion of stock market growth: Evidences from Indian stock market and lesson for Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX). Pakistan Business Review, 19(3), 761-777.
Mossop, Elizabeth. “Landscapes of Infrastructure”. Landscape Urbanism Reader. Ed. Charles Waldheim. New York: Princeton Architectural Press. 2006. 164-177. Print.
In her article “Landscapes of Infrastructure”, Mossop explicates her idea of the connection between landscape and infrastructure proposing a novel approach to the process of designing landscapes. Mossop’s argument centres on the premise that when designers use an integrated approach they are better able to create sites which are beneficial to the urban settings. Her argument is based on examples which show the different ways in which infrastructure has been incorporated into the urban foundation and structure. Mossop uses examples from different urban cities in the world including North America, Asia, Europe and Australia to argue her position. Each of the examples explain the extent to which infrastructure has been incorporated into the designing process of the urban setting in question. She asserts that “If we think of landscape as an infrastructure which underlies other urban systems, rather than equating it with nature or ecology we have a much more workable conceptual framework for designing urban systems.” (176)
Beardsley, John. “Kiss Nature Goodbye: Marketing the Great Outdoors” Harvard Design Magazine. 10(2000): 1-6. Print
In his essay “Kiss Nature Goodbye: Marketing the Great Outdoors” Beardsley tackles the issue and impact of created artificial nature of our psyche and offers the most precise advice for efficient ecological design. Using the Underwater World at the Mall of America, Sea World and Rainforst Café as examples, Beardsley mocks that these are the best places “to experience our confusion about nature and to begin to understand what we ought to do about it.” (3). Giving an amusing account for the history of the Rainforest Café, Beardsley explains how the Rainforst Café concept, “the brainchild of Steven Schussler” was a “wish to give these pets a cageless environment”, which he thinks is great except that most of the animals are fake” (3). He proposes “We need to hold out for healthy ecosystems in the city and the suburbs; we need to insist that culture—however much it might flirt with simulation retain a focus on the real world, its genuine problems and possibilities” (6)
Berger, Alan. Drosscape: Wasting Land in Urban America. New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 2007. Print
In his essay ‘Drosscope’, Berger discusses the issue of abandoned spaces or “waster landscape” which have been lying useless due to the decline of industrialization. Berger argues that “Adaptively reusing this waster landscape figures to be one of the twenty-first century’s great infrastructural design challenges. This essay chronicles this condition and suggests that those with an understanding of both landscape and urbanization will be best positioned to act on these sites in the future” (p199). Berger asserts that reuse of these wastelands is important since he believes that many such abandoned sites such as the Brooklyn Bridge Park have historical value. Considering these wastelands to be a future challenge to the design infrastructure community, Berger asserts that designers should integrate such land into future projects. He argues that landscape and urbanization go hand in hand which is why the waste land use is necessary for future landscape designers in the current urban environment.
Abbott, Mick. “Designing Wilderness as a Phenomenological Landscape: Design-directed Research within the Context of New Zealand’s Conservation Estate”, PhD Thesis, New Zealand: Lincoln University, 2008. Print.
In his thesis “Designing Wilderness as a Phenomenological Landscape: Design-directed Research within the Context of New Zealand’s Conservation Estate”, Mick Abbott tries to converge wilderness and landscape architecture. With conservation at the core, New Zealand’s wilderness is discussed as the untouched. Abbott argues New Zealand’s wilderness when interpreted with landscape may actually help conservation and allow for ecological and cultural productivity. Abbott’s thesis provides a novel view of the scope of design directed methods which can be used in designing landscape architecture. Summing up his thesis, Abbott explains that his research, “a forward-looking orientation of the issue brings out the creative opportunity in how the conservation estate and wilderness might be engaged. It also shifts the framing of the relevant issues from investigating how the conservation estate and wilderness might be organised and managed to a question of how, as landscapes rich in cultural possibility, it might be practised” (344).
Development based on the pursuit of progress to achieve high and clear goals is a meaningful process in any sphere of life. When applied to a society where people communicate and interact with one another constantly, planning changes to improve living standards and expand personal capabilities can lead to effective outcomes. In turn, the absence of any steps towards development is a regression and is fraught with stagnation in views and actions.
Based on the analysis of the post presented by the Editorial Board, the formation and current achievements of the city of Chicago as one of the American megalopolises and important cultural centers will be considered. Experts analyze the position of Daniel Burnham, the famous architect, regarding the development of the city and its historic formation. According to the town planner, no one should make little plans, and it is essential to strive for high goals all the time to amaze descendants (Editorial Board). Such an opinion may seem presumptuous and too bold; nevertheless, Chicago needs an effective transformative plan since many problems exist at the moment, and an intervention to improve the city’s well-being is relevant.
Reasons for Introducing a Transformative Plan
Over the past years of the development of Chicago, the local authorities have managed to do enough to make the city an important cultural, economic, and political state object. However, according to Editorial Board, “Chicago suffers plenty of problems that demand more than incremental solutions,” and additional attention should be paid to moving forward rather than preserving achievements. Despite significant prospects and opportunities, not enough valuable decisions regarding infrastructure improvement are made, which slows down the natural process of civilization and restrains innovations.
As Lazzeretti and Oliva note, cities are not only the centers of economic life but also the places of attracting people with different cultural backgrounds, and space for innovations is one of the driving forces (1856). In addition to the natural changes that occur, for instance, the provision of social services and control over the execution of federal orders, additional interventions aimed at improving the appearance of the city may be relevant. Therefore, based on Burnham’s ideas, it is crucial to provide an effective plan for the reorganization of thinking in terms of engaging resources and establishing a progressive and convenient city with high and clean goals.
Evidence of the Need for Changes
Moving towards Chicago’s progress is an urgent task for the authorities because current development results cannot be viewed in terms of compliance with the innovation program. Based on Burnham’s thoughts that were practical rather than poetic, the importance of development is due to responsibility to descendants and the natural need to grow in the conditions of available opportunities (Editorial Board).
The mark in the history that the citizens of the city can leave is a springboard to innovations, and new projects are the logical outcome of the developmental work. As Mendizabal et al. argue, the degree of adaptability to transformations characterizes any city as a dynamic structure, and the lack of progress, on the contrary, indicates instability and problems (412). Those government programs that are implemented in most major cities of the country are used in Chicago. However, according to Editorial Board, city leaders need to mobilize not only readily available resources but also additional reserves to prove to citizens “that the only acceptable direction to move is forward.” At the moment, weak attempts are made, and the need for changes is warranted.
Warrants
In the conditions of life at the present stage, many changes are required to ensure sustainable and successful movement towards improving urban infrastructure. As Filion et al. remark, the organization of social institutions does not always allow for proper “urban development trajectories,” and much effort is needed to ensure total control over transformations (217). Obviously, in an environment where changes are acceptable and desirable, there should be a solid background for interventions aimed at achieving progressive and relevant solutions. Accordingly, as a city with a highly developed economy, Chicago may afford to implement necessary transformative plans.
Under the influence of modern trends, it is not always easy to achieve quick and effective changes. Lazzeretti and Oliva argue that economic transformation is inextricably linked with cultural and creative resources, which may be the result of a certain ideology (1860). Today, in the USA, the infrastructure of many large cities is the pride of the authorities and the result of many years of investments.
However, when the reorganization is influenced by such trends, it is hard enough to find the necessary sources to enable all planned innovations to be realized. According to Editorial Board, people rarely think about the future and seek to improve the present, thereby slowing progress. However, changes based on big plans imply more global changes when both current issues are touched upon and upcoming tasks are also taken into account. Accordingly, in the context of the policy of innovations and movement towards progress, it is essential to engage as many creative people with proper cultural priorities as possible. This measure will provide an opportunity to implement the development program effectively and will allow achieving high-performance work.
Rebuttals
Chicago’s transformational efforts and hard work on innovations can be made more difficult by the overly complex and lengthy process of changes. When global innovations are planned, engaging all possible resources may require the significant reorganization of not only the city’s infrastructure but also individual social institutions. According to Filion et al., the diversity of human associations, for instance, “enterprises, governments and their agencies, as well as nonbusiness and non-governmental common-purpose organizations” should be engaged (204). As a result, orientational transformational work is hampered by the necessity to control the activities of all these stakeholders and to allocate resources by constantly changing trends and needs.
In addition, significant challenges may arise while reasoning the evidence of the relevance of particular transformative plan implementation. Despite Burnham’s view of high and clear goals regarding the city’s development policy, Chicago’s authorities may not approve of the set of measures that may be required for a complex reorganizational policy. Experts from Editorial Board note that at the moment, large-scale construction campaigns are planned in the city, for instance, the expansion of Steppenwolf Theater. Therefore, the total transformative plan may be costly both from the point of view of financial investments and about the complexity of the whole process.
Backing
Contrary to the complexity and costs of innovations, transformations are necessary for Chicago to develop sustainably and successfully. The effective cooperation of individual social institutions may help strengthen unity and achieve high goals. According to Linnenluecke et al., stakeholders working in one direction can “co-create future plans and generate value, with an external focus of planning” (3223).
This, in turn, is necessary to not only improve the condition of the city and its infrastructure but also achieve a successful future for the sake of descendants. This goal justifies the challenges that may arise during the implementation of a transformative plan and is the result of deliberate and coordinated actions.
An opportunity to understand current shortcomings and mobilize resources to achieve high goals is determined by the desire for improvements. Despite some steps in this direction, Chicago still needs innovations as a natural step towards progress. Activities aimed at adapting to the constant search for new possibilities should be part of civilian thinking so that all planned changes could have a positive outcome. As a result of the assessment made by the Editorial Board, the dreams of tomorrow can become a reality if enough efforts are put in. Therefore, moving towards transformations should be part of the city’s development program.
Conclusion
Despite the potential challenges and costs of implementing a transformative plan for the development of Chicago and its infrastructure, the need for changes is relevant to achieve high goals. Burnham’s ideas regarding the value of innovations in terms of their importance for posterity may be applied to involve all the necessary resources and stakeholders. The movement in this direction may be complicated by the time-consuming process of transition to the new model of the organization of life in the city. However, based on the findings in the reviewed academic sources, it can be concluded that such measures are accessible due to the cumulative participation of citizens in solving the current issues.
Filion, Pierre, et al. “Planners’ Perspectives on Obstacles to Sustainable Urban Development: Implications for Transformative Planning Strategies.” Planning Practice and Research, vol. 30, no. 2, 2015, pp. 202-221.
Lazzeretti, Luciana, and Stefania Oliva. “Rethinking City Transformation: Florence from Art City to Creative Fashion City.” European Planning Studies, vol. 26, no. 9, 2018, pp. 1856-1873.
Linnenluecke, Martina K., et al. “A Review of Collaborative Planning Approaches for Transformative Change Towards a Sustainable Future.” Journal of Cleaner Production, vol. 142, 2017, pp. 3212-3224.
Mendizabal, Maddalen, et al. “Stimulating Urban Transition and Transformation to Achieve Sustainable and Resilient Cities.” Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, vol. 94, 2018, pp. 410-418.
There are four key phases of evolution of infrastructure. The stages include connection, communication, conversations and collaboration. The four stages are decisive in the management of knowledge. Information system is a vital asset in any organization since it enables the organization to boost its performance (Maier, 2011).
Connections
This stage enables anybody in the organization to connect to the network. Consequently, the employees can utilize diverse gadgets to access the data in the network. The data enable improvement of the organization since employees can make decisions based on credible information (Skyrme, 2004).
Communications
This phase of evolution encompasses establishment of an electronic distribution list. The stage establishes distribution lists and electronic meeting places.
These are vital facilities, which guarantee sharing, and synthesis of data. Additionally, this phase of evolution also limits the personnel that can access the data. Information is power; hence, it is vital to safeguard it. Consequently, this phase establishes the individuals that can access information amassed from the employees (Skyrme, 2004).
Conversations
This phase entails setting up of means that assist in making interpretations of the data. This stage enables the system to extort information from the data emanating from the workers. This vital phase enables extraction of information electronically from raw data that would elude the attention of analysts. This gives the organization an edge since it maximizes on the benefit of having data (Skyrme, 2004).
Collaboration
This phase adds further value to the data amassed. It does this by establishing collaborative tools. The tools enable the system to create knowledge based on the data amassed. This stage ensures that the organization maximizes on the data retained by the information system.
Importance of the phases
The knowledge worker information system (KWIS) aims at harnessing the information that employees possess. Organizations have acknowledged that harnessing employees’ information is decisive to the accomplishment of an entity. Consequently, organizations have set up such systems. However, for the system to realize the above objectives, it requires certain phases, which ensure it accomplishes the above goals.
The above stages begin by guaranteeing that workers can connect to the network. This implies that employees have access to the data. Secondly, the communication phase ensures that the right personnel have access to the information. Therefore, the second phase of evolution safeguards the data and only permits utilization by the appropriate personnel. The third stage seeks to extract more information electronically from the data.
Therefore, this juncture seeks to extract information from the raw data. Finally, the fourth phase utilizes collaborative tools to create additional information from what is already in existence. Overall, the stages are critical since they ensure the system does not only amass information but also optimizes the benefits of having the data.
Subsequently, the two initial stages create connections guaranteeing accessibility and safekeeping of the information. The two final phases seek to optimize the benefits of such information through extraction and creation of additional data. Conclusively, the stages are significant to the KWIS (Kappes & Thomas, 1993).
Contribution of the system to an entity
Currently, for an entity to succeed it is vital that it adds value to its product. Nonetheless, information is critical to value addition. Therefore, an entity will require to assemble information from it employees. Employees will provide a suitable avenue to amass such information.
Such information amassed from employees who undertake the daily operations of an entity enables the management to make certain strategic and tactical decisions. The management personnel denote knowledge workers whose duty is to appraise information. Decision-making at the administration level relies entirely on information availed by the employees. This discloses the significance of the above system.
The current economy requires entities to strategize appositely and adopt decisive tactical positions. This is because the business environment changes rapidly. Therefore, it is vital to assemble information from the employees since they interact with the clientele.
Gathering such information avails the management with details that allow the entity to add value to their products. Therefore, such information enables an entity to strategize and adopt ideal tactics in undertaking its operations (Pijpers, 2010).
Further discussion
Establishing worker knowledge system is a trend that many entities are opting to embrace. This has enabled entities to harness the knowledge that employees gather while undertaking the entity’s operations daily (Thorne & Pellant, 2007). This trend has enabled the organizations that have embraced it to reap certain benefits.
The KWIS has transformed organizations since it has enabled utilization of a critical asset that entities had ignored previously. Consequently, firms that have enacted the above system have surpassed their profitability targets since it has allowed the entities to boost the value in their products. Value addition has culminated in supplementary revenue.
The worker information system has proved a critical ingredient in the success of entities. Notably, the system has led to emergent of knowledge-oriented services. The services include customer care, market and distribution.
However, knowledge workers are vital to the development of this system. These workers presented the necessary information requisite for the operation of the system. Overall, the KWIS has enabled entities to boost their profitability (Davenport, 2005).
References
Davenport, T. (2005). Thinking for a living: how to get better performance and results. Massachusetts, MA: Harvard business press.
Kappes, S., & Thomas, B. (1993). A Model for knowledge worker information support. Web.
Maier, R. (2011). Knowledge Management Systems: Information and Communication Technologies for… New York, NY: Springer.
Pijpers, G. (2010). Information Overload: A System for Better Managing Everyday Data. New York, NY: Wiley Publishers.
Thorne, K., & Pellant, A. (2007). The essential guide to managing talent: how top companies recruit. Leicestershire,United Kingdom: Kogan Page Publishers.
The case study provided shows that the media company has a number of infrastructural issues that should be addressed in order to improve its efficiency. The analysis shows that the entire infrastructure at the firm is redundant, which makes it necessary to have a new system that will improve the operations’ efficiency.
The system must also be capable of protecting important data. According Marshall and Lowe (45), for a large firm that consumes massive data, it is common to have problems with the servers. In some cases, the users may put up servers that they do not necessarily need.
This is one of the issues that have been identified in this case. Broadcasting 8 TV channels globally means that this firm needs a large and very efficient data management system that will ensure that there is seamless information sharing among the relevant authorities. The following are the objectives of this research.
To address the problem of large number of servers and storage arrays
To make cabling less complex and easy to manage by solving the problem posed by separate FC and IP networks
To find a solution to the issue of limited space in data center for servers
To improve the current data migration tools which are inefficient and cause downtime
To determine how to make infrastructure management less complex and inexpensive
Proposed Solution: Introducing VMware vSphere 6
The researcher conducted a detailed analysis of each of the issues raised, and determined that upgrading to VMware vSphere 6 will be the best solution that can be used to address the problems of this firm and improve its operational strategies. This new system will not only enhance virtual communication which is very important to a television company, but also help in improving efficiency when it comes to data management.
According to Atwell, Marshall, and Orchard (77), VMware’s vSphere is a new product that comes with an array of features that is unmatched in the server virtualization space. What makes this product unique is that the version now offers integrated functionalities that in previous versions were provided for differently.
To this firm, the new features offered by this version such as long distance vMotion will be of utmost importance based on the issues identified in the case study. At this stage, it will be necessary to look at the specific solutions that VMware’s vSphere will provide to this firm.
Solution to the issue of limited space in data center for servers
VMware’s vSphere 6 offers a powerful server virtualization that will help in eliminating the problem of limited space in the data center. According to Marshall and Lowe (72), this tool offers a unique server virtualization that is unmatched in the current market.
By using this new version, the firm will have an opportunity to virtualize its x86 server resources, making it possible to integrate them easily into logical pools. This will enable the firm to allocate multiple workloads, completely eliminating the problem of limited space in data center to add servers. Figure 1 below shows improved database capacity that is achieved if a firm embraces VMware vSphere 6.
Figure 1: VMware vSphere 6 and Oracle Database (Marshall and Lowe 89)
How to make infrastructure management less complex and inexpensive
In the current competitive business environment
Firms are keen on employing systems that are easy to manage and are cost effective. At this firm, however, it was established that the infrastructure management is complex and expensive. Operating 8 television stations under this environment may become too expensive for this firm to afford if adequate changes are not made to the current system within the shortest time possible. VMware’s vSphere 6 offers a perfect solution to this problem by facilitating platform automation.
According to Atwell, Marshall, and Orchard (119), vSphere 6 is designed to lower the operating expenses by minimizing the errors. This is achieved through a system which helps in streamlining the routine tasks. The vSphere 6 offers accurate solutions which are repeatable. The system simplifies the management of the infrastructure and lowers the cost of operations.
How to make cabling less complex and easy to manage
It is clear from the case that this firm is experiencing some difficulties in its operations due to the issue of separate FC and IP networks which make cabling complex and difficult to manage. For a media company, this is a problem that must be solved to ensure that operations are not hampered at times when clients are keen on getting its services.
VMware’s vSphere 6 has a solution to this problem. It provides network service optimization for a virtual environment. The administration and management of this version has been simplified, meaning that the firm will not have to hire highly skilled employees to manage it. In fact, the vendors will take a few hours to train the current employees on how to administer and manage this simplified version.
How to improve current data migration tools
This new tool is very efficient in data migration. The case provided shows that the available data migration tools are inefficient and cause downtime. This may reduce the ability of this firm to communicate in real time with its reporters in different parts of the world.
News anchoring that should be delivered in real time may also be at stake because of this problem. VMware vSphere 6 solves this problem through maximization of uptime across the cloud infrastructure. This reduces unplanned downtime and eliminates any planned downtime for all the servers and in storage maintenance.
How to address the problem of large number of servers and storage arrays
The firm is currently faced with the issue of a large number of servers and storage arrays that limit its efficiency in service delivery. This problem too is solved by VMware vSphere 6. This new version of VMware reduces the complexities of back-end systems of storage thus creating a platform for a very efficient storage utilization of cloud infrastructure (Atwell, Marshall, and Orchard 41).
The servers are streamlined and integrated to enhance efficiency in the delivery of service. It also helps in identifying redundancies within the system and eliminates them to optimized operations. At this moment, this is what the firm needs. Figure 2 below shows improved scale of performance of VMware vSphere 6
Source (Atwell, Marshall, and Orchard 48)
It is clear that VMware vSphere will be able to address all the issues identified in the case. Another important advantage that this product will offer is consistency in management.
According to Marshall and Lowe (89), consistency is very critical in the field of data management. It promotes accuracy in routine practices that have to be repeated quite often when handling data. This version of VMware offers a unified and easy to use operation management tool. This will further simplify data management and lower the overall cost of operations.
Hardware and Software Requirements
Installation of VMware vSphere may not have a heavy hardware requirement as long as the current computers are operating optimally. It is important to note that this product will reduce the overreliance on large computers needed for the storage of data because most of the storage will be offered in the cloud.
This means that the current hardware may be released of some of its storage tasks, making it possible to assign them new tasks to enhance the operations. However, if there is an issue with compatibility, then it may be necessary to purchase additional computers that will sustain the software.
The VMware vSphere-6 software will be purchased from the local vendors. In most of the cases, the vendors will be responsible for installing the software and testing it for functionality once the payment is made. It means that the firm will not face any major problem when installing the new system as long as there are enough funds to pay for the software and replace or upgrade some of the existing hardware.
Continuous Upgrade
Upgrading the current system using VMware v Sphere 6 will guarantee this firm superior service delivery. However, this may not be a permanent solution to all the future problems that this firm may face. The management of the firm should not shy away from the emerging technologies.
The mistake witnessed with the current system should not be repeated in future because it may result into embarrassment for the firm. Maintaining continuous upgrade may be necessary to ensure that the small changes needed on the system are affected as soon as possible. The following model may be very relevant in the future upgrade of the database.
Figure 1: Application Life Cycle
The first stage involves modernization development. This is the stage that will be initiated by this project. The firm will be modernizing its entire database system to accommodate the current needs. Once the modernization is complete, the firm will assign its own employees to operate the system. In the modern society, many firms now prefer managing their own data instead of assigning the management to outsourced firms.
This is specifically so among the firms handling very sensitive information that may be targeted by the unscrupulous individuals. The next stage in this lifecycle is sunset and archive. At this stage, the management will identify the components of the system which are aging and those which can still be maintained in the service.
The last stage is to re-platform and to retire the components of the system. The components which are obsolete are retired and taken out of service while those that can be remodeled are re-initiated back to the system. This should be a continuous process done regularly at this firm.
Conclusion and Further Recommendations
The management of this media firm has invested a lot in marketing and this explains why it has gained massive popularity in the market today. However, the investment made in modernizing database infrastructure is not satisfactory.
Inasmuch as the current system has not failed in its operations, the report indicates that it needs remodeling and modernization to meet the current needs. The firm needs a faster and larger system that will sustain the growing amount of data in use. To achieve the desired outcome, the management should consider observing the following recommendations:
This firm should adopt VMware vSphere 6 as a solution to addressing the current problems it is facing in managing its data system. This new version of VMware will improve the operations’ efficiency, lower the costs, and simplify some of the tasks which are currently considered ambiguous.
Once the new system is upgraded using VMware vSphere 6, it will be important for the firm to ensure that it embraces the emerging technologies in future as a way of further improving its efficiency.
Works Cited
Atwell, Josh, Nick Marshall, and Grant Orchard. Mastering Vmware Vsphere 6. Indianapolis: Sybex, 2015. Print.
Marshall, Nick, and Scott Lowe. Mastering Vmware Vsphere 5.5. Indianapolis, Indiana: Sybex, 2014. Print.
Royce consulting is an international company that provides consulting services to other companies in different parts of the world most of them being large corporations. Royce consulting has over 165 offices in over 65 countries with staff running different assignments for their company as well as on behalf of clients. The firm has contracts with clients at different levels in terms of the duration of the contract.
The paper describes the Royce consulting case besides offering a detailed analysis of the case based on parameters like its strategies and goals, its external environment and responsiveness, and its structural design. It further gives appropriate recommendations on what Royce consulting firm can do to perform better.
Description of the Case
Royce consulting is a renowned company that provides its consulting services to a good number of other companies. The company has almost 70 offices in various countries. Since Royce follows its traditional strategies of getting labor, it recruits its workers straight from college ready to train them.
After five to six years, they are promoted to a managerial position each with an individual office. This arrangement has escalated Royce’s fixed and variable costs. It therefore has to be sorted in a way that will control the spiraling of costs thus calling for a need for infrastructural change.
Analysis
Royce’s organizational goals and strategies are clear. They have been used to guide in the organization’s decision-making. One of the goals was the need for Royce to constantly expand its operations beyond the current market.
This successfully led it to recruit, train, and promote its workers continuously within a certain traditional framework model so that, at any moment, there are adequate personnel to work on different contracts in different countries (Mantere & Henri, 2012, p. 174: Daft, 2006, p.540).
A well-guided path to promotion has been formulated as a guarantee to workers. This can be seen as an incentive to spur its performance further. In its strategy to keep workers happy, Royce conducted interviews in its new proposal to change the office system to hoteling to find out the workers’ views and opinions on the same.
This was a good move for Royce consulting, as it allowed the company to prepare its workers psychologically for the new changes by making them feel as part of the decision-making process.
Hoteling system was a cost-cutting measure that would allow the company to restructure itself while at the same time cutting some of its fixed and variable costs (Venhor, 2007, p. 40: Daft, 2009, p.539). This strategy would enable it keep up with its goal of profit making in the future.
The external environment for Royce, though a challenge, does not overwhelm it as an organization. Royce has prepared itself to tackle the ever-expanding market by continuously recruiting new workers straight from college. This has enhanced its human capital capacity by enabling it deploy staff to different assignments without over burdening them or putting them under a lot of pressure (Sofia, 2011, p. 238).
This has enabled it secure the confidence of its clients in terms of service delivery besides beating off any prospective competition from its competitors. Due to the increasing costs of operation, Royce has taken a proactive nature in its planning. It has come up with a way of cutting internal costs to cover up the escalating external costs.
It has also embraced technology by “employing the use of the compact portable computers and the use of proprietary software, as well as the use of electronic filing system” (Rene & Agnes, 2012, p. 450). This has allowed workers to operate from virtual offices.
The organization has acted as a leader in confronting external challenges by being on the forefront to introduce changes for sell to staff for the betterment of the organization, as well as simplification of operations by staff.
Borrowing from the matrix organizational model, the structural flow at Royce can be described as a hybrid system because it borrows from other defined structures to suit its way of functioning. The firm has partners at the top, site managers, administrative staff, and then other lower-ranked staff.
As Daft (2009, p.539) points out, this structure, as adopted by Royce, is not consistent: it varies from site to site depending on the requirements of the given site or client. Therefore, in a way, it may distort the communication channel from the top going down ( Andy, Xiaolan & Allan, 2012, p. 312). The structure seems to be working well since the highest level has associate partners who work in tandem with the top management.
They also work with managers to staff different sites and projects. Therefore, there is a form of direct communication. The only problem with this structure is that it may take some time to collect an opinion from the different managers before a decision is made.
This acts as an impediment to decision-making, which will later affect deadlines. Besides, the introduction of the hoteling system with new technology should take care of this problem.
Action Plan/Recommendation
My recommendations on the organizational goals and strategies are that the goals and strategies adopted by Royce so far are feasible in its pursuit of success and profitability. As an action plan, the goal to cut costs should be pursued as long as it is good for the firm. My recommendation to the effects of external pressure is that Royce should invest in research and development for it to be abreast with emerging trends.
This holds because the external environment is fluidly dynamic. Only a robust research and development team will keep Royce in touch with the latest world. The structural organization adopted by Royce should be maintained because, so far, it has worked for the firm. However, there is the need to polish over time to fit with the emerging needs of the firm.
Reference List
Andy, C., Xiaolan, F., & Allan, H. (2012). Organisation Structure and Innovation Performance in Different Environments. Small Business Economies, 39(2), 301- 317.
Daft, R. (2009). Organizational Theory and Design. London: Cengage Publishing.
Mantere, S., & Henri, S. (2012). Reversal of Strategic Change. Academy of Management Journal, 55(1), 173-196.
Rene, T., & Agnes, A. (2012). Effects of Managers Work Motivation and Networking Activity on their Reported Levels of External Red Tape. Journal of Public Administration and Research Theory, 22(3), 445-471.
Sofia, A. (2011). The Effect of Business Strategy and External Environment on Management Control Systema. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 2(13), 236-244.
Venhor, B. (2007). Business Strategy: External environment. Journal of Business Management, 3(1), 39-42.
There are multiple types of insider or internal threats in the IT infrastructure. First of all, many companies’ data is threatened by the actions of former workers willing to take revenge. CSO reports that most companies that face this threat are unaware of what information they need to protect and do not dissect the data (Hatchimonji par. 10-13). Prevention strategies for this threat are data encryption and leak prevention. Secondly, malicious insiders present a threat to the corporate data and are a source of a large percent of all the information treats (Hatchimonji par. 5).
An example of such activities is the illegal manipulations of the employees. The third example is the actions of clients who have access to data at the employee level. The fourth example of a potential insider threat is the theft of a laptop with corporate data and access and allows an outsider to use protected data (Franqueira, Cleef, Eck, and Wieringa 1). Finally, viruses penetrating the company systems from the inside are also recognized as an insider threat.
Data Centers
Fire and floods are common threats to data centers, the sites that are crucial for any organization. There are multiple ways to address these threats. For instance, to keep data centers from fire and flood, they are located in the specifically constructed areas with raised floors and reception rooms so that they can withstand a threat (Engemann and Henderson 77; CPNI 9). Besides, the areas where the centers are situated are equipped with detectors and alarms that warn the staff about the approaching threat in a form of water or fire. The combination of the two protection measures helps the employees to localize and prevent the threats before they reach the centers and cause damage.
External Threats
External threats are represented by the deliberate attacks on the networks initiated by the intruders willing to gain access to data. The first example of an outsider threat is a hacker motivated to take over the protected data. Another example, if the user of the LAN that has restricted access to certain equipment – such an individual may pose an outside threat (Bishop 498). Also, some passive attackers endanger information tracking its users or viewing secure data. Fourth, the organized crime groups pose another external threat to protected data. Finally, governmental entities, penetrating the encrypted networks are regarded as external threats.
Motivation
External threats can emanate from accidental or deliberate human action. As mentioned in the example in the section above, a user of LAN with restricted access may pose an external threat to the secured data by accident. In this case, the issue of motivation may arise. In other words, the breach of security may occur due to the deliberate or undeliberate actions of an individual. The breach is evaluated based on the amount of damage in which it resulted. That way, the motivation of the intruder (or its absence) is not taken into consideration because regardless of the intention of the perpetrator, the data is exposed to a threat, and the protection is broken demonstrating that the guarding system currently in place was not effective enough.
Nature
Natural disasters are considered to be a separate category of threats to data security. Some of the most common natural threats are earthquakes, floods, fire, hurricanes, and tornados. All the organizations, not only those located in the areas exposed to potential natural disasters, are to have a recovery or contingency plan. First of all, such a plan should be in coordination with business impact evaluation. The most important procedures include – the construction of a secure room for the equipment that stores data, the placement of data on the carriers that can be protected (for instance, a cloud), the provision of secure connection with the server after and during the disaster, the installation of software that will react to natural disasters and move the data to secure storages (“IT Disaster Recovery Plan” par. 6).
Regional Events
In the situations when a challenge carries a regional but not a local character, the crisis is much larger and requires some new measures. Namely, the services and options that are available during smaller local crises may be unavailable when the event is regional. The organization is to secure contracts with the providers of protection to data in various situations (Engemann and Henderson 79). That way damaged and destroyed hardware would be fixed or replaced in time to preserve the data. Power backup is another crucial measure for data protection.
Quality Management
The first quality management principle for DRP is data control. It involves the control of both hardcopy and electronic data and the preservation of both using all the available security strategies. The second principle is continual improvement. It involves the ongoing modernization of the guarding systems in place to ensure the security of data in the environment where the information technologies constantly progress and generate new threats.
Strategic Perspective
Asset-based, vulnerability-based, process-based, or objective-based strategies alter the nature of the DRP for IT according to their priorities. Asset-based strategies focus on the protection of the site, vulnerability-based ones practice upstream approach and target the potential weaknesses, process-based strategies evaluate the efficiency of the process in place, and objective-based ones prioritize the actions based on their value (saving human lives comes before the preservation of information).
Works Cited
Bishop, Matt. Computer Security: Art and Science. Boston, Massachusetts: Addison-Wesley Professional, 2003. Print.
CPNI. Protection of data centres. 2010. Web.
Engemann, Kurt, & Henderson, Douglas. Business Continuity and Risk Management: Essential Elements of Organizational Resilience. Brookfield, Connecticut: Rothstein Associates, Inc., 2012. Print.
Issues about e-governance are gaining popularities in various parts of the world. Technological advancements have transformed the face of the earth in various fronts. Pietersen (2002) says that the world has been reduced into a small village because of the advancements in the field of transport and communication. This has resulted in a situation where the geographical barrier that existed before has been eliminated. These changes have had massive effect on business units. It is clear that with these advancements, every market in any part of the world is open to competition both from the local and international firms. This is what has taken place in the Saudi markets. Firms are looking for ways of gaining competitive advantage in this market.
E-governance has come out as one of the strategies through which firms can gain competitive advantage in the market. With advanced communication technologies, firms in Saudi Arabia are finding it easy to manage their firms through e-commerce.
Research Aim
In every research, it is always important to clearly define aims and objectives. According to Pielstick (207), aims are the broader desired outcomes of a given research. They are the long term benefits that such a research should bring to an organization. This scholar holds that a research should have specific aims that would define its path. It will be clear to all the stakeholders that such a research would be striving to achieve specific outcome in the long run. This research paper is no exception. The aim of this research paper is to give a report, based on a research, on e-governance in Saudi Arabia.
Research Questions
As stated above, the research questions are always dictated by the research aim. After defining a research aim, it is easier to define research questions and research objectives. The following are the research objectives of this research.
What is the relevance of e-governance in the Saudi business environment?
Do you believe that the Saudi society has the right infrastructural facilities to support e-governance?
Do you believe that e-government is going to define the future of commerce in Saudi Arabia?
Literature Review
The field of e-commerce has gained popularity over the last few years. According to Mouton (2007), e-commerce has been seen as the best way to reach for customers from all parts of the world. This scholar says that e-commerce gained popularity in the developed countries, especially in the United States and United Kingdom following radical changes that took place in the family setting and in the corporate world (Proulx, 2011).
Women were increasingly becoming assertive in the corporate world. Gone are those days when women would be considered as caretakers of homes and children Moran (2011). This has resulted in a situation where both parents are working in the corporate world where they spend six days a week, from morning to evening. This means that they are left with no time to go shopping around. Mohamed (2010) says that this is what has attracted numerous firms to consider going online. This is because consumers have come to appreciate the importance of making their purchase online. E-governance has therefore, gained ground on the basis that the society has transformed, and the need to apply e-governance cannot be avoided (Peter, 2008).
According to Minja (2009), the Saudi society has experienced massive infrastructural developments, and this has enhanced the ability of firms to go online. This has increased the need for these firms to use e-governance in managing various operative issues within the market (Rodney, 2004). Although considered a new trend in this society, e-governance in Saudi Arabia is becoming popular as firms in this country makes move to expand to international markets. As Mellina (2002) says, e-governance does not only improve efficiency of firms, but also their ability to gain a global image and capture markets in foreign countries.
Long (2008) emphasizes this fact by saying that the current Saudi society is ripe for e-governance. This scholar says that the country has a strong information and communication technology infrastructure that can support e-governance (Peter & Graham, 2008). Majority of the firms are also hiring people with competence in e-commerce, making it easy for such firms to maintain this technology within its system.
Research Methodology
This chapter focuses on various aspects of research development. It includes methods of data collection, its analysis and presentation procedures. Every research project applies a certain research method to achieve its objectives depending on its goals (Lewin, 2010). In research, design deals primarily with aims, uses, purposes, intentions, and plans within the practical constraints of time, location, money, and availability of staff (Huy, 2002).
In this study, respondents will be briefed in advance. This is necessary to ensure that respondents are prepared psychologically for the task ahead. This would also help in ensuring that response was given in time to allow timely analysis. The respondents will be given relevant notice by the researcher. The study population will also be amicably informed in order to get prepared for the study. Briefing is important because it enhances reliability of the study. It is also ethical to inform people before researching on them (Hong & Faedda, 2007). The findings will also be made public to the researched as one way of ensuring morality in the study.
Furthermore, the researcher will observe researcher-researched ethics by keeping away from criticism. This chapter will also focus on the literature review as one of the methods used in collection of secondary sources of information. It gives the reason why literature review was used as a method to collect data. The chapter gives an overview of the purpose of collecting and analyzing data and the basic questions used to gather the desired responses (Poole, 2004). Alternative methods of data collection are very important in research for they avail to the researcher a number of ways through which data can be collected.
The chapter brings back the research hypotheses. This is important because it is at this stage that the researcher goes into the field to gather information. It is therefore necessary that the research hypotheses are brought to focus because they would be the guiding light in the process of gathering data (Hoffman, 2001). The researcher would be trying to confirm the hypotheses. In order to eliminate criticism, this chapter clearly states the scope of the study. There are limits beyond which this research may not hold because of the method used in data collection and analysis. It is therefore important that limitations are clearly stated to make it clear to readers of this material how far this research reveals what it purports to.
Since the main method of data collection will be primary source, the questionnaire will be the main instrument used to collect data. This chapter brings out the questionnaire format, reasons for choosing this format, its advantages and disadvantages. This chapter discusses sampling theories, importance of research design, methods of sampling -giving their advantages and disadvantages- and the determination of the sample size (Mitchell, 2010). Also discussed in this chapter is the data analysis technique. In so doing, the researcher hopes to bring to focus the channel through which data would be collected. The researcher has ensured that the methodology is not only important to the professionals in this sector, but also to other related sectors such as insurance, finance, procurement etc.
Quantitative research method
Quantitative research is a kind of study that utilizes figures to arrive at certain conclusions (Glatthorn, 2005). In this regard, the research will take the form of a survey, whereby the researcher identifies the sample and posts questionnaires to them. In this research, there was need to compare variables in order to establish cause and effect. This demanded for a method that would be objective and able statistically to generalize the findings.
Quantitative method was found to be the most appropriate method to use in this research. Quantitative research involves systematic empirical study of a phenomenon by use of statistical tools. Its main objective is always to employ mathematical theories and models in developing its generalization (Creswell, 2009). Therefore, quantitative method would help in this research. It would enable the researcher test the hypotheses put forth for validity and allow the use of a sample as a representation of the entire population. Although qualitative methods was traditionally used in social science and would be appropriate in this research, it is not able to give empirical support for research hypothesis. Qualitative methods explain why a given pattern of events has taken place the way they have (Cramer, 2003).
On the other hand, quantitative methods explains what and when of a phenomena. Ethnographic research and phenomenology as approaches of qualitative research would have been appropriate. Ethnography would help in investigation of culture of the society under investigation. Phenomenology would have helped investigate realities of the firm; and how it affected its operation. However, because the process may not empirically support the hypotheses put forward to help guide the research, it will not be used in this research (Safizadeh, 2003). Due to these reasons, qualitative method will not be employed in the research and the researcher opts for quantitative research.
Scope of Data Collection
Primary data for this research was collected from the employees of the firm under study. This data will be collected with the help of a questionnaire. The scope of data collection will be limited to the two categories of individuals. This is because of the time that is available for the research. Because most of the employees are nationals of this country, they clearly understand the social structure of the society and therefore, are in a position to respond appropriately to questions regarding the society of the country (Shachaf, 2008). They also understand how this affects the performance of the firm. The level of accuracy needed in this research would be achieved within this scope. Secondary data will be gathered from existing literature about issues on e-governance.
Format for the questionnaire
Questionnaire design
There will be two key methods used to gather information in this research. The first one will be through a questionnaire, which will be physically delivered to the staff of the selected firm in Riyadh. The questionnaire will capture various attitudes of staff members of this firm regarding their opinions on e-governance. The second source of information for the research will be literature on various aspects of e-governance in this country. The focus of the literature review will be to find information on the application of e-governance in management of firms. The questionnaire will have four parts.
The first part sought to capture the background information of respondents. The second part will deal with the demography and gender of the respondents. This is to ascertain the prevalence of views in various categories in order to ensure that if any differences came about, then they would be captured in their demographic space. The third part will deal with academic credentials and work experience of the respondents.
The motivation for this section came from the understanding that different sections of population respond differently to issues, based on age and academic credentials (Shalaby, 2004). The fourth part will delve into the specific issues relating to e-governance within this country.
The questionnaire will also employ a mix of open and closed ended questions to capture different aspects of issues studied. Open ended questions will be used because they give respondents more time to figure out their opinions, which would make them volunteer more information related to feelings, outlooks and comprehension of the subject (Biswas, 2011). This would allow a researcher to understand the position of respondents as regards to feelings. Open ended questions minimize some errors that could have been created in the course of research. Respondents rarely forget answers if given an opportunity to respond freely.
Furthermore, respondents cannot ignore some questions because they must go through all of them. Open ended questions generate data that can be used in data analysis by other researchers. In other words, they allow secondary data analysis. On the other hand, closed-ended questions are analyzed easily. That is why they were used in this study.
Each response can be coded for statistical interpretation. Nonetheless, closed-ended questions are compatible with computer analysis package. The technique is more specific meaning that its answers are consistent in all conditions. This aspect is impossible with open-ended questions because each respondent is allowed to use his or her own words (Shoult, 2006). Finally, closed-ended questions take less time to administer unlike open-ended questions, which are detailed hence time consuming.
The questionnaire will be sent to respondents using drop and pick method. The researcher arrived at this decision after considering time and resources. The method is time consuming, but very effective. Furthermore, the method allows respondents to reflect on the questions and answer them accurately.
Moreover, the method is not affected by the respondent’s level of literacy. One big advantage of the technique is that there is interaction between the researcher and the researched. This means that respondent’s reactions are easily captured. Reactions are important because they give more information regarding the feelings of respondents. The literature collected provided information regarding various theories related to e-governance, which is spread across the last century.
The body of literature availed a number of theories dealing with sampling and sample designs in the business world and performance issues in the context of human resource development in various industries. Finally, the literature will provide information on the state of research on the field. Various researchers have conducted studies on various elements of social media and e-governance (Belanger, 2011). This gave the study a sound academic backing and a strong basis for drawing comparisons and conclusions.
The use of the questionnaire made it possible to capture issues that are unique to this firm. This is because there was no accessible literature with required degree of relevance to the subject matter of the firm under the study. The targeted staff would respond to the questionnaires, which will be physically delivered to them. Physical delivery of the questionnaire increases the accuracy of data collected as there will be interactivity. After collection, the data will go through analysis, culminating the observations and conclusions.
Reliability and validity of the method
Validity means appropriateness, applicability and truthfulness of a study. It is the ability of research instruments to produce results that are in agreement with theoretical and conceptual values (Bass, 2009). In this study, internal validity was ensured through checking the representativeness of the sample. The researcher ensured that the sample used captured all important characters at the firm as the target institution, and the Saudi society.
During data collection process and in analysis, the researcher will steer away from any form of bias. All the respondents will be picked randomly, without any preference. Moreover, the response received from the employees of this firm, and other stakeholders will be assigned a similar weight, depending on their category (Vassiliev, 2002). This will ensure that data which will be collected will not in any way, be influenced by the opinion of the researcher.
External validity will be ensured through triangulation that is, the researcher will use more than one technique in collecting data. This is necessary to ensure that bias from one end is countered effectively by other techniques. As Badenhorst (2007) says, respondents are human beings with weaknesses when it comes to giving views freely. They would always exaggerate or underrate things when they make statements.
Working with this in mind, the researcher designed a formula to moderate data gathered from the field to balance off the two extremes. The researcher found literature review to be very important in this part because the opinions they have are already moderated. External validity will be also guaranteed by asking respondents to give their views. This would give them freedom of some sort, to provide information based on their own experience and views.
Reliability means that the study is consistent and lacks any ambiguity. It is the ability to trust something to provide information that addresses the issue at hand (Vincent, 2008). It is related to the accuracy of instruments that is, how accurate the measuring device is in measuring what it claims to measure. In this study, it will be achieved through increasing verifiability of the perspective and using statistical tools to verify reliability. The researcher will adopt the principles of coherence, openness and discourse in order to guarantee reliability.
Timescale
In every research project, there must be a clear schedule that should be followed to ensure that it achieves its objectives (Weber & Weber, 2001). This research project should be completed within four weeks. The research project should be completed within the four weeks. The Gantt chart below specifies the activities that will be carried out in this project
Gantt chart
The above Gantt chart demonstrates all the activities that should be accomplished within a specified duration. The activities should be accomplished within a time span of four weeks. The activities will start from May first this year.
Resources
In a piece of research, it is always very important to clearly define the materials that are to be used in order to retrieve the desired data both from primary and secondary sources. The primary sources of data for this research will be retrieved using questionnaire as has been stated in the methodology section above. The questionnaire will be the important tool for the collection of the primary data.
The resources for secondary data will be from books, journals, articles and other available literatures in this field. In every research process, time is always another important resource. As stated in the timeline above, the available time for this piece of research was four weeks. Within this time, the researcher will be expected to collect all the relevant materials, get the desired data and then analyze this data to produce the desired results. Another important resource will be finance. In order to be in a position to conduct a successful research, there must be a sound financial support. These resources will enable the researcher to conduct a successful research.
References
Badenhorst, C. (2007). Research writing: breaking barriers. Pretoria: Van Schaik Publishers.
Bass, B. M. (2009). Leadership and Performance Beyond Expectations. New York: The Free Press.
Belanger, C. (2011). Our World: Saudi Arabia. Riyadh: Cangage.
Biswas, S. (2011). Commitment, involvement, and satisfaction as predictors of employee performance. South Asian Journal of Management, 18(2), 92-107.
Cramer, D. (2003). Advanced quantitative data analysis. Maidenhead: Open University Press.
Creswell, J. (2009). Research design: qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Thousand Oaks: Sage.
Glatthorn, A. (2005). Writing the winning thesis or dissertation: a step-by-step guide. Thousand Oaks: Corwin Press.
Hoffman, E. (2001). Postgraduate research guidelines. Vaal: Triangle Technikon.
Hong, S. M., & Faedda, S. (2007). Refinement of the Hong psychological reactance scale.Journal of Applied Psychology, 71(1), 500-507.
Huy, Q.N. (2002). Emotional filtering in strategic change. Academy of Management Proceedings, 6(1), 43-78.
Lewin, K. (2010). Field Theory in Social Science. New York: Harper & Row.
Long, D. (2008). The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Gainesville: University Press of Florida.
Mellina, E. (2002). Six principles of change execution. Executive Excellence, 19(1), 13-14.
Minja, D. (2009). E-Commerce in the Contemporary World. KCA Journal of Business Management, 2(1), 1-14.
Mitchell, M. (2010). Research design explained. Belmont: Cengage Learning.
Mohamed, R. (2010).The Saudi Arabian Economy: Policies, Achievements, and Challenges. New York: Springer.
Moran, D. (2011). Social media marketing: A Country-Level Analysis. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press.
Mouton, J. (2007). Basic concepts in the methodology of the social science. Pretoria: Hunan Sciences Research Council.
Peter, V. (2008). Saudi Arabia: an Environmental Overview. London: Routledge.
Peter, W. & Graham, D. (2008). Saudi Arabia: The Coming Storm. New York: M.E. Sharpe.
Pielstick, D. (207). The Transforming Leader: a Meta-Ethnographic Analysis. The Community College Review, 4(3), 1-37.
Pietersen, W. (2002). The Mark Twain dilemma: The theory and practice of change leadership. Journal of Business Strategy, 23(1), 32-37.
Poole, M. (2004). Research Methods in Human Resource Management. London: Chattered institute of Personnel Management.
Proulx, T. (2011). Modal Analysis Topics, Volume 3: Proceedings of the 29th IMac, a Conference. New York: Springer.
Rodney, W. (2004). Economic Development in Saudi Arabia. New York: Routledge.
Safizadeh, M. (2003). An Empirical Analysis of Financial Services Processes with a Front Office or Back-Office Orientation. Journal of Operations Management, 21(5), 557-576.
Shachaf, P. (2008). Cultural Diversity and Information and Communication Technology Impacts on Global Virtual Teams: An Exploratory Study. Information Technology Journal, 45(2), 131-142.
Shalaby, N. (2004). SME’s Development in Saudi Arabia. Riyadh: Eastern Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Shoult, A. (2006). Doing Business with Saudi Arabia. London: GMB Publishing Ltd.
Vassiliev, A. (2002). History of Saudi Arabia. New York: New York University Press.
Vincent, P. (2008). Saudi Arabia: an Environmental Overview. London: Routledge.
Weber, P. & Weber, J. (2001). “Changes in employee perceptions during organizational change”, Leadership & Organization Development Change, (22)6, 291-300.
Farcargo relies on its information system for a significant number of its operations. Thus, the structure of the company’s information system is a crucial element of consideration. Farcargo uses a dynamic infrastructure for its operations so that it is in a position to address the growing demand of its clients. The company prefers to use a dynamic infrastructure for its ability to be highly responsive to the end-users and to meet its needs to use cloud computing to enhance speed and agility. This infrastructure ensures it delivers essential services such as the provision of traffic information and tracking of its assets with ease (Beynon-Davies, 2019). Farcargo’s information system is comprised of hardware, software, networking, and storage components in its infrastructure.
Farcargo ensures that it uses updated hardware components to avoid inconveniences such as malfunctioning devices or system freezes. The company uses hardware components which include computer machinery and equipment, in its offices and headquarters, where the employees monitor the progress of the operation. The computer machinery uses a power supply, memory, cabling, and circuit boards for proper functioning. Moreover, computers use peripheral devices such as mice, keyboards, speakers, printers, and cameras to enable the input and output of information in the system. These offices also have switches, routers, servers, and data centers which enhances their operations. In the company’s vehicles, the company uses cameras and microphones to ensure easy communication with the staff. Finally, our clients are required to use their personal computers, mobile phones, or tablets to access the company’s information system.
The company’s software consists of the application and operating system. Farcargo uses the Linux operating system to manage its system resources. The info system also has a strong storage system backed up by cloud storage. Cloud storage enables companies to respond to changes in hardware, software, or other resources confidently (Beynon-Davies, 2019). The software also consists of web servers and systems to manage content.
Farcargo’s information system should have a simple interface where clients with minimal information technology expertise can operate. The company also emphasizes on speed and agility of the system to serve its high number of clients. The information system is designed to be highly confidential and utilizes quality system security systems for its protection. Other design considerations include reliability, accessibility, and flexibility. Having based most of its operations on the online platform, Farcargo considers the highest quality information system infrastructure for effective operations.
Reference
Beynon-Davies, P. (2019). Business information systems. Red Globe Press. Web.
