The mobile phone service market in Africa has experienced massive growth over the recent past. According to Mohapatra and Ratha (2011), the African continent is using mobile phones to transform the lives of people in different ways. The primary service offered by mobile phones is the ability to communicate. The continent has seen the emergence of numerous mobile operators keen on offering voice and data services to the customers. MTN and Vodacom are the leading mobile service providers on the continent. Other dominant players include Orascom Telecom, Maroc Telecom, Mobini, and Safaricom.
These giant mobile service providers operate in different countries and they offer a variety of services. A study by Baack, Harris, and Baack (2013) found out that the mobile phone service market in Africa has gone beyond the voice and data services. In East Africa, Safaricom came up with M-Pesa services that allow customers to send, receive, and save their money using their mobile phones. This was a revolutionary technology as it made it easy to send and receive money anywhere within East Africa. It also created a platform where those working in the informal industry could get mobile banking services without having to open bank accounts. This service was a huge success.
The mobile phone service market in Africa has also experienced the emergence of other new products that have never been seen in other parts of the world. MAMA is a new service that allows people to get health tips using their mobile phones. It connects mobile phone users with doctors so that the users can get doctors advice on what to do in cases of emergence before a patient can be rushed to the hospital. E-soko is another service that has become very popular in this region (Ekine, 2010). It allows mobile phone users to get important tips on the market price for various products and the possible changes that are likely to be experienced based on the market forces. Track-it is a mobile phone service that allows Smartphone users to track the location of their cars in real-time. They can even switch off their car engines remotely using their mobile phones. This service is very popular in Africa because of the common causes of car theft in the region. Goliama (2011) says that many other innovative mobile phone services have emerged in the region and they have registered impressive results. This market is dominated by local firms in Africa.
Challenges Involved In Market Entry Strategy
A foreign firm planning to enter the African market with mobile phone services may face a number of challenges, especially if direct market entry is used. The biggest challenge is the dominant position of some of the local firms, making it difficult to penetrate the market (Elliott, Sieper, & Ekpott, 2011). For instance, Safaricom is a dominant player in Kenya when it comes to offering voice and data services. The company also controls the mobile banking industry in the country. The customer loyalty is high and it may not be easy to take away part of its market share. According to Chuhan and Angwafo (2011), foreign firms targeting the mobile phone service market in Africa may face a big challenge of understanding the specific needs of the customers. Services such as M-pesa, MAMA, and E-Soko were very successful because they were developed by individuals who understand the unmet needs in the African market. Foreign firms may be forced to spend a lot of time in research trying to understand the market forces in Africa in order to identify existing gaps. It is through addressing these gaps that foreign firms can achieve success in the mobile phone service market in Africa.
Developing Global Competitiveness in Developing Country
Foreign investment into the African mobile phone service market may be very challenging because of the uniqueness of the market compared with other parts of the world. Developing global competitiveness in developing countries requires a firm to understand the unique local needs and find ways of meeting them in the best way possible. Amoah (2014) says that the African continent is significantly affected by insecurity because of the level of poverty and poor policing services. Many people are keen on finding ways of enhancing security at their homes, in their cars, at work, and in many other areas where theft may be common. A foreign firm may need to take time to understand these unique and unmet needs and develop mobile phone services that can address these needs in unique ways that meet or exceed the expectations of the market. Being a pioneer in offering a given service is the best way of achieving a competitive edge because it has been proven that once the market becomes loyal to a given firm, it becomes almost impossible to convince them to trust a different brand.
Assessing Barriers to Entry
Foreign firms planning to enter the mobile phone service market in Africa may face a number of challenges. The biggest challenge is stiff competition in the market (Yamano, Otsuka, & Place, 2011). A number of foreign firms, such as YU, tried to enter the East African market, but the competition was so stiff that it opted out because its operations were not sustainable. Another barrier to market entry is a high level of loyalty that the African market has towards specific brands. For instance, in Kenya, a number of companies such as Airtel have come up with products similar to M-pesa. They charge low fees compared with what M-pesa charges but they have failed to achieve success in the market (Mataen, 2012). It shows the mistrust that the market has towards new brands offering services already available in the market. Some parts of Africa such as Somalia, South Sudan, Libya, Congo, and Burundi are currently experiencing varying cases of civil wars, making these environments unsuitable for business operations. These external environmental forces may make it impossible for a foreign firm to successfully enter this market.
Alternative Entry Strategies
To overcome the above barriers to market entry in Africa, a foreign firm may opt to use a number of strategies. One of the best strategies may be through mergers and acquisitions (Maumbe & Okello, 2013). This strategy has been a success in developed countries and it may be the best alternative strategy for foreign firms entering the mobile phone services market in Africa. Through this strategy, a firm will be buying the facilities of a local firm, its employees, and the existing customers. It will be easier to expand when a firm already has a footing in the market. A strategic alliance may be another approach for a foreign firm willing to offer a new product that is not yet available in the target market. Instead of making a direct market entry, the firm will enter into an alliance with a known popular brand. The foreign firm will benefit from the brand and the existing structures of the partner.
References
Amoah, A. (2014). Impacts of the knowledge society on economic and social growth in Africa. New York, NY: Cengage.
Baack, D., Harris, E., & Baack, H. (2013). International marketing. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.
Chuhan, P., & Angwafo, M. (2011). Yes Africa can: Success stories from a dynamic continent. Washington, DC: World Bank.
Ekine, S. (2010). SMS uprising: Mobile phone activism in Africa. Cape Town, South Africa: Pambazuka Press.
Elliott, E., Sieper, H., & Ekpott, N. (2011). Redefining business in the new Africa: Shifting strategies to be successful. Charlotte, CA: Conceptualee.
Goliama, C. M. (2011). Where are you Africa? Church and society in the mobile phone age. Bamenda, Cameroon: Langaa Research & Publishing.
Mataen, D. (2012). Africa the ultimate frontier market: A guide to the business and investment opportunities in emerging Africa. Hampshire, U.K: Harriman House.
Maumbe, B., & Okello, J. (2013). Technology, sustainability, and rural development in Africa. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Mohapatra, S., & Ratha, D. (2011). Remittance markets in Africa. Washington, DC: World Bank.
Yamano, T., Otsuka, K., & Place, F. (2011). Emerging development of agriculture in East Africa: Markets, soil, and innovations. Dordrecht, Netherlands: Springer.
On December 6, 2016, BBC News World published a feature story on an alleged attack by North Korean hackers on South Koreas military cyber command (North Korea hacks Souths military cyber command, 2016). It is indicated in the story that there are thought to be thousands of professionals in North Korea involved in one way or another in cyber warfare, i.e. the state employs them to develop and commit cyber attacks. These allegations are taken into consideration by South Korea, which is why the latter has a highly efficient system of cybersecurity, especially in the military sphere. However, the military cyber command seems to have been breached. A representative of the South Korean government said that secret information had been stolen, but it remained unknown what kind of information it was and whether it dealt with war plans. The case is unique because, although North Korea had been accused of hacking into South Koreas financial systems and media (and always denied having done so), it was the first time when military systems were attacked. The story raises several issues of global significance.
Two particular subthemes featured in the story are the North Korean threat and cybersecurity. The subthemes are intertwined in the article, although they may as well be regarded separately. The idea of threat is expressed through stating that, according to computer science professor from North Korea referred to by BBC News World, thousands of North Korean hackers trained for cyber attacks have been working since 2010 on improving tools for attacking the national infrastructure (North Korea hacks Souths military cyber command, 2016). Indeed, it has repeatedly been claimed by the officials of the South that the North undertook attacks on systems used by the government, banks, and media. Although not all the cases were confirmed or taken responsibility for by the North officially, there is a widespread idea that North Korea is, in fact, at cyberwar with its neighbor. More broadly, the North Korean threat goes beyond the area of computer security. The state that explicitly calls many countries in the world its enemies is seen as a threat, first of all, in the literal sense (Cha, 2012). It means that many people around the world are concerned that North Korea might use its weapon, which is constantly being developed and advanced, against other countries.
Another subtheme is cybersecurity, which is an increasingly important topic nowadays. Computer systems have proved to be highly efficient in various spheres where control and cooperation are needed, including the spheres of government work, military, law enforcement, and related areas associated with national security. There is an evident need in every country to make such systems safe. Planting malware on them can result in failures that will make a country temporarily vulnerable. However, attacks for the purpose of such planting are not necessarily aimed directly at damaging a countys national security. They pursue scaring and intimidating the country, its citizens, and all the audiences who learn about them from mass media (Li et al., 2012). There were cases where financial systems were hacked, but no money was stolen because the attacks had been initiated to show the capabilities of hackers, not to steal anything. Similarly, various infrastructure information systems were hacked without any clear benefits for the hackers except for demonstrating how powerful they were to break those systems security barriers. Such cases qualify as terrorism. The very fact that there is such a thing as cyber terrorism (among other kinds of cybercrime) stresses the importance of computer security as a global issue today.
The BBC storys theme and subthemes can be linked to several important global connections. One of the connections that should be recognized is the worldwide effort to communicate effectively with the government of North Korea and to deal with the threats coming from it. North Korean economy is consistently underperforming, thus failing to provide the citizens with an adequate level of well-being (Haggard & Noland, 2011). Besides, many people are prosecuted for political reasons. At the same time, the states government runs a powerful propaganda machine and claims the entire social and political systems of Western countries as well as the lifestyles of their inhabitants to be wrong and reprehensible. North Koreas discourses are a menace to a large portion of the rest of the world.
It has been acknowledged that global cooperation on the basis of shared democratic values is required to combat the North Korean threat and protect other countries from its aggression. Another global connection is the ongoing attempt to improve cybersecurity under the conditions of global interdependence. A general trend in this area is the necessity to recognize that complex information systems are hard to control and become increasingly vulnerable if overprotected by just one agency or body (Clemente, 2013). A major recommendation in this sphere is to increase the flexibility and adaptability of such systems by improving the cooperation across agencies. One more global connection that can be traced in the story is fighting cybercrime. According to Buono (2014), a major direction in this area is acknowledging that, as crime goes beyond borders nowadays, so should the fighting, i.e. cooperation across countries is needed to effectively address the challenge.
References
Buono, L. (2014). Fighting cybercrime through prevention, outreach and awareness raising. ERA Forum, 15(1), 1-8.
Cha, V. (2012). The impossible state: North Korea, past and future. New York, NY: Random House.
Clemente, D. (2013). Cyber security and global interdependence: What is critical? London, UK: Chatham House.
Haggard, S., & Noland, M. (2011). Witness to transformation: Refugee insights into North Korea. Washington, DC: Peterson Institute.
Li, X., Liang, X., Lu, R., Shen, X., Lin, X., & Zhu, H. (2012). Securing smart grid: Cyber attacks, countermeasures, and challenges. IEEE Communications Magazine, 50(8), 38-45.
Business growth and development require information. However, the exponential growth of a firm depends on the marketing strategy. A firms marketing strategy is a product of analysis and decision-making. Thus, information facilitates a firms exponential growth. Data analysts revealed that billion bytes of data are created daily. The exponential increase in the quantity of data created influences the decision-making process in many organizations (Olofson, 2012). The data created include videos, traffic information, pictures, climate signal, and business information to mention a few. Thus, the information gathered is called Big Data.
Big Data is a term that describes the continuous growth of structured and unstructured information. Unstructured data is a generic term that describes unmatched data. For example, email messages, video files, picture files, word documents. Structured data are information stored in a database. As a result, business executives can utilize the billion bytes of data to make and manage business decisions. The benefits of Big Data can be summarized in four points. First, Big Data make information reliable and valid. Second, Big Data improve a firms business decision. Third, Big Data transform business and marketing strategy to support exponential growth. Forth, business transformation will increase client base and reduce costs. Features of Big Data include velocity, variety, volume, variability, and complexity (Olofson, 2012).
Variety. Big Data contain structured and unstructured information. Structured information is stored in a fixed location. Structured data include business models, data warehouses, enterprise systems, and XML data. Unstructured data are not stored in a fixed location. For example, audio files, video files, RSS feeds, email messages, power point presentations and excel spreadsheets.
Volume. The volume of Big Data grows exponentially. Structured and unstructured data are streamed daily. Thus, data volume is a feature of Big Data.
Velocity. Billions of signals and data are ingested and transmitted daily. However, business organizations encounter challenges in managing massive torrent data.
The importance of Big Data
It is true the billion bytes of data are created daily. However, what we can do with the data is the focus. Business organization can manage cost with Big Data. Downtime reduction is another benefit of Big Data. Big Data can influence smarter marketing decisions. Finally, business organization can forecast customers needs to ensure sustainability and satisfaction. For example, the ford explorer car transmits the massive amount of data while in motion and at rest. While in motion, the electric car provides sensory data to the driver. The sensory data include fuel level, acceleration level, tire pressure, and battery temperature. Consequently, the electric car transmits data to the manufacturer (Oracle, 2012). The information includes the customers driving speed, and maintenance habit. At rest, the electric car transmits battery power, tire pressure, car temperature, oil level, and temperature.
Tools /technologies used to accomplish Big Data
The business of data collection is influenced by different factors. Processing time, storage capability, scale-out technique, and data visualization pattern are features of Big Data tools (Dawson, 2010).
Hadoop Apache
Hadoop is an instrument that supports the distribution of trillion bytes of data to server terminals and computers. The technology utilizes simple programing architecture to scale-out massive amount of data. Doug Cutting made Apache Hadoop from a user-function designed by Google. Hadoop transmits Exabyte across multiple parallel nodes. Business organizations can use Hadoop cluster at reduced cost. As a result, companies can target large scale-out projects using the Hadoop Apache. Thus, Hadoop technology splits Big Data using simple models.
How it works
When a customer accesses unstructured data using Hadoop tool, it splits the semi-structured data into multiple parts. The processed data is transferred to system nodes in parallel. Trillion bytes of unstructured data are stored in the Hadoop distributed file system. The Hadoop file system replicates the unstructured data to withstand data failure. However, the Hadoop facilitator transmits information from the file system. A name node describes communication sensors, available nodes, and data location. Consequently, the loaded data cluster is transferred to the MapReduce for analysis. When the client submits a job for analysis, the job trackers send the name node to access relevant files. Once the information is complete, the job tracker returns the query to suitable nodes in parallel. The processed data is transferred from the MapReduce to Hadoop storage system. When the node completes the job, it transfers the result to the database. Thus, unstructured data analysis can be shared into multiple parts using the Hadoop technology.
NoSQL utilizes simple design models to retrieve trillion bytes of unstructured data. Features of NoSQL architecture include control, design, and horizontal scaling. NoSQL retrieves Big Data from various storehouses. NoSQL databases include HBase, CouchDB, Riak, Aerospike, MarkLogic and DynamoDB. However, NoSQL database has compliance problems. As a result, customers combine NoSQL with Hadoop systems.
Parallel Analytic Databases
The architecture stores massive amounts of data using scale-out nodes. Unlike the NoSQL databases, Parallel Analytic Databases ingest massive SQL queries. The interactive capability is a notable feature missing in Hadoop system. Some features of Parallel Analytic Databases include columnar architecture, advance compression ability, memory processing, and shared-nothing mechanism.
Big Data users
Companies that use Big Data architecture include General Electric, KAGGLE, Ayasdi, IBM, Weather Company, Mount Sani Icahn School of Medicine, KNEWTON, SPLUNK, GNIP, and EVOLV. General Electric uses Big Data to support customers data. For example, GE made a parallel node that transfers airline data into cloud databases. KAGGLE employed 140,000 data analysts that recommend marketing solutions for business organizations (Oracle, 2012).
The organization utilizes Big Data resources to solve clients query. For example, KAGGEL developed numerous algorithms for Amazon, Google, and Facebook. Thus, KAGGEL team of scientist offers business solutions. AYASDI uses Big Data to track and retrieved sensory signals from different databases. The company utilizes virtual approach to create 3-D maps (Dawson, 2010). For example, AYASDI monitored the source of a bacterial outbreak using a 3-D map. IBM shares business ideas and models using Big Data architecture. Weather Company uses Big Data to forecast climate change. KNEWTON supports students e-learning using Big Data architecture. GNIP uses Big Data sensors to stream files on social media sites. For example, Instagram, Google Plus, and You Tube share Big Data architecture. EVOLV uses Big Data architecture to recruit company workers.
Conclusions
Big Data application supports exponential growth. The architecture ingests a massive amount of structured and unstructured data. As a result, many organizations can render various services at reduced cost. Big Data saves downtime, cost of infrastructure and supports business growth. Hadoop Apache, NoSQL and Massive Analytic Databases are some tools that use Big Data architecture. Companies use Big Data to solve a customers need. The companies include IBM, General Electric, and KAGGEL.
References
Dawson, S. (2010). Seeing the learning community: An exploration of the development of a resource for monitoring online student networking. British Journal of Educational Technology, 41(5), 736-752. Web.
Olofson, C. (2012). The big deal about Big Data. Web.
Oracle. (2012). Oracle information architecture: An architects guide to Big Data. Web.
The website is a property of the Community Resource Center (CRC) located in Colorado. It aims to provide opportunities, develop tools and strategies to strengthen the non-profit and community organizations of the state. CRC was initially founded in 1981 to assist non-profits who promoted changes in Denver and its communities (CRC, n. d.). CRC continued to focus on innovation and community change throughout the 1980s (CRC, n. d.). In 1986, the Community Shares of Colorado was founded to challenge United Ways monopoly on providing jobs and economic opportunities for the non-commercial sector (CRC, n. d.). The organization has received many significant rewards for displaying the necessity of ethical values in its public work.
Throughout the years of its work, CRC organized numerous events and programs to find funding sources to sustain the operational flow of non-profit companies. Steve Graham was the executive director of CRC; however, he passed away in 2006 (CRC, n. d.). Since then, the administration created a fund in his honor. It also started NPower Colorado as a technology resource center for non-profit organizations. At that time, it was one of the twelve branches of the national movement whose goal was to transfer technological know-how into the hands of non-profit organizations.
2017 was a significant year for CRC since it launched its first long-term strategic plan, which drew the attention of staff, volunteers, and other stakeholders to develop its mission, vision, core values, and strategies. As a result of collaborative work, CRC has come up with four priorities in regard to the plan. Now, CRC encourages a diverse network of leaders in the non-profit sector to influence social changes and strengthens the capacity of organizations to advance and fulfill their tasks. Moreover, it gathers various stakeholders across the non-profit ecosystem to enhance the sectors impact and invests in their own structures to ensure the sustainability of their practices.
What is more, the website has inclusivity statements that promote equity and diversity within the community since it is a common ethical standard. CRC tries to expand recourses for the rural community, stimulate leadership capacity within the non-profit organizations of Colorado, and provide opportunities for marginalized groups. In addition, these days, it attempts to contain the spread of coronavirus by enrolling into the COVID Containment Response Corps (CCRC) initiative (CRC, n. d.). CRC sends volunteers to outreach the exposed groups and educates them on the importance of vaccinating. In general, CRC serves the community and supports thriving non-profit organizations because they significantly impact modern society.
The usefulness of the Site
The website offers the Colorado Grants Guide system that enables one to find the most suitable grants for the applicant. There is also a demo version of this guide which allows one to learn more about optimizing the searches and maximizing profits. It also suggests various subscription types that are convenient for users with different budgets. As the website states, the searchable database allows grant seekers to research funders and provides critical information like giving interests, application criteria, guidelines, deadlines, and past grantee information (CRC, n. d., para. 3). Additionally, the guide includes up to 650 funding organizations that are ready to support local non-profit businesses (CRC, n. d.). Therefore, this online platform can be called helpful in terms of providing information regarding grant obtaining.
Furthermore, the CRC website has special application forms for different grans. Moreover, it suggests a list of frequently asked questions that alleviates navigation for people who want to apply for the first time. It seems like a great option to offer the guidelines since some users need help filling out the forms. The text samples suggested by the website are helpful to rely on when applying for any grant. In general, the CRC site alleviates user experience and has astonishing variants for non-profit organizations since its searching databases save time and other resources.
What is more, the website provides the contact information of the people working for the CRC, which allows one to ensure that the organization is genuine. Alongside the contacts, the online platform uploads its annual reports every year to demonstrate its productivity. The annual reprint lists the impact and reaches in Colorado. The user can view the archives of the e-mailing list, which is sent monthly to subscribers and includes upcoming professional development opportunities, grant deadlines, and requests for proposals, as well as updated information on sector-wide news. The archives from 2014 to 2017 are accessible to any user so they can trace the centers activity and decide if they want to resort to this companys service (CRC, n. d.). The authors also post materials from conferences to verify the job done. In general, a user may observe the most up-to-date programs and initiatives that CRC suggests propped by the multiple evidence, including numbers, reports, and other relevant information.
Resources
The website offers a wide range of funding sources for non-commercial businesses. It suggests different application forms and writing tips. In addition, it gives advice on how to apply, which grant to choose, how to control and track ones application status, and other similar activities. CRC website provides insights on numerous frequently asked questions in order to simplify the procedure. It offers sample profiles and a video on how to use their grants guide, which is helpful for a non-advent (CRC, n. d.). Moreover, the online source is advantageous because it has step-by-step instructions for an exempt tax process for non-profit businesses and suggests additional resources where users can obtain more information on the subject matter.
Missing Material
The website is filled with all the necessary information regarding its theme grants and funding. Expanding the number of application forms is advisable since some funding organizations have different standards. Additionally, adding core values and highlighting them in a separate paragraph on the Mission&History tab is indispensable. It is vital to add them so that web users can see how they align with the mission. What is more, the website owners should add the missing archives starting from 2017 up to this day. Their lack does not let a user trace CRCs activity for the past years.
Relevance of Information
The information on the CRC website is current and verifiable, relying on several aspects. Primarily, CRC deals with the most up-to-date issues, such as the pandemic, and has a close connection with the COVID Containment Response Corps (CCRC) and AmeriCorps. The site posts funding updates and suggests joining their team to fight against the infection. It also provides statistics regarding the number of members who served the communitys needs during the pandemic and constantly updates this data. The fact that CRC serves the community during such troublesome times proves its mission and aligns with its strategic plan.
As far as it concerns the validity of the data presented, it can be mentioned that reputable authors publish the information. The owner of the website had credentials at the bottom of the paper. Furthermore, the site and its contents utterly refer to the subject matter grants for non-profit organizations. Notably, it updates the tabs quite often to ensure numerical, statistical, and factual data relevance.
Navigation
The website is increasingly easy to navigate because the tabs are adequately structured. Each tab is organized according to the relevance of the topic and suggests the key ideas of the section under discussion. What is more, it provides links to external recourses where needed, which gives extra credibility to the information used. The frequently asked questions are suggested in parts where they are necessary. It is the best option to improve user experience and boost the websites efficacy. Noteworthy, the interface is simple in use because one can easily switch from tab to tab without any difficulty. The website even provides a calendar of their own events, which is helpful for the parties interested in their participation.
Conclusion
In summation, it can be stated that the CRCs website is a decent and reliable platform for grant applications for non-profit organizations. It provides trustworthy services of finding funding sources across Colorado. Additionally, the website is secure in navigating, and a person can easily find valuable tips for writing an application. It is also beneficial because it allows one to choose a subscription option aligning with ones budget. Finally, CRC provides relevant and valid information on the matter and keeps the users updated by specifying and posting new numbers, statistics, and factual data.
As information technology becomes more integrated into the everyday lives of customers, employees, and businesses, questions regarding data storage, processing, and information security become prominent. Without a solid risk mitigation strategy, an organization could suffer from exposure to critical data about its assets, customers, and employees to third parties. This memorandum will focus on the issues of data processing and protection based on the article written by Lakshmi, Kumar, Banu, and Reddy (2013), as well as the study published by Hernandez, Mayernik, Murphy-Mariscal, and Allen (2012), which address the most recent data management and confidentiality practices. The information from these articles will be incorporated into the final project.
An educational organization uses several types of data resources and storage systems based on its purpose. Typically, a school has an electronic archive of educational materials, which allows access for students and teachers to assist in studies. Another system in place is an electronic curriculum and journal, with access permitted to teachers, students, and parents. Finally, there is scheduling and budgeting software, typically accessed by managers and accountants. These systems use electronic data processing and batch processing methods.
Utilizing these systems to their full effect while maintaining a proper level of data protection offers numerous advantages to the educational institution. For example, it allows parents and students to track their educational progress, enables visual and graphic representations of schedules and curriculum for teachers, and makes budget managing easier and less time-consuming. All of these practices are the new standard in modern schooling. Sustaining competitive advantage without integrating IT into the teaching and management processes would be impossible.
However, the use of IT presents a list of short-term and long-term issues with information security. According to Lakshmi et al. (2013), three main fundamental security requirements are confidentiality, integrity, and availability. At the same time, security issues can be classified as physical, procedural, technical, and personnel-related risks. Hernandez et al. (2012) state that roughly 80% of all data loss is caused by inadequate management or malicious intent by the insiders. Thus, security issues are likely to be caused due to the lack of training and understanding as much as from outside sources. Encryption and firewalls, while making data more secure, do not necessarily address all of the risks involving IT. A school is expected to protect the privacy of its students, the integrity of study materials and academic information, and the confidentiality of all other nonpublic information, which includes budgeting reports, expenditures, and financing, aside from materials used for taxation and legal purposes.
Based on the article by Hernandez et al. (2012), there are several suggestions and recommendations to be made regarding data storage, processing, and security issues. All users with access to specific data files, be it teachers, managers, or parents, should be instructed on matters of information security. Passwords should not be stored in cookie files or shared with unauthorized individuals. Anti-virus programs, encryption, and firewalls should be used to prevent unauthorized access. The system must be made transparent enough; all insider activity is to be monitored. Lastly, it is suggested that all related data should be placed in a physical school server, with a virtual private database as a backup. The data on both servers should be protected by a POLICIES access system with access being determined by security clearance levels (Lakshmi et al., 2013). These measures should improve our existing systems based on the three criteria outlined above: confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
References
Hernandez, R. R., Mayernik, M. S., Murphy-Mariscal, M. L., & Allen, M. F. (2012).
Advanced technologies and data management practices in environmental science: Lessons from academia. BioScience, 62(12), 1067-1076.
Lakshmi, B., Kumar, K. P. V., Banu, A. S., & Reddy, K. A. (2013). Data confidentiality and loss prevention using virtual private database. International Journal of Computer Science and Engineering, 5(3), 143-149.
Modern companies cannot be imagined without the implementation of innovative technologies into their functioning. In such a way, the enterprise architecture (EA) becomes closely connected with the work of the IT sector as it provides numerous opportunities for the further growths and evolution. The fact is that the use of advanced technologies cultivates a new performance culture characterized by unusual solutions, approaches to particular tasks, and increased efficiency (Senthilvel, Khan, & Qureshi, 2017). Moreover, the integration of IT services and governance has outstanding potential for the further evolution and growth (Senthilvel et al., 2017). In such a way, the selected case about specific vehicles status monitoring system is analyzed with the primary aim to determine all EA components characterized by the implementation of IT services and their efficient functioning.
The case describes the functioning of one of the biggest automakers with the revenue about $250 billion ( Connected car our accomplishments, n.d.). The company is focused on the provisioning of outstanding products for its clients to guarantee their satisfaction and devotion. For this reason, it tries to improve its telematics products continuously and ensure that clients will be able to use remote diagnostics, vehicle finder and status, and other options introduced by the new system ( Connected car our accomplishments, n.d). To guarantee the efficient functioning of the new framework, the company uses the OEM services and other innovative IT components. his result in the enhanced efficiency and increased level of interest to the companys products and services. In such a way, the case proves the beneficial character of the implementation of IT aspects with the central aim to create a new digitalized environment comfortable for customers.
Analyzing the case, several EA components should be discussed. First, the company integrates the IT function to its cars. This helps to suggest new options to customers and attain a significant competitive advantage. Additionally, the firm introduces specific application designed to manage an automobile distantly. It provides an owner with an opportunity to check a vehicles health status, its current state, location, basic showings, etc. The given approach apparently adds value to the company as its clines feel better because of the constant monitoring of their automobiles (Lankhorst, 2017). Dealers also acquire an opportunity to remotely assess the state of the vehicle and provide some recommendations regarding its current state and the need for maintenance procedures ( Connected car our accomplishments, n.d). Finally, another EA component helps to secure both the enterprise and its products by offering opportunities for tracking. It means that a client will always know the current location of his/her vehicle.
Consequently, the selected company integrates several EA components and IT technologies with the central aim to ensure the preservation of its leading status and further rise. The integration of IT good and services, their governance, and development contributes to the companys rise. At the same time, the invitation of specialists to continue the development of IT sector means that the company adheres to the ITIL methodology to organize new projects characterized by the enhanced service-level and security management (Milchman, 2017). It could be attained by using innovative practices of the IT management and implementing them to the basic elements of the EA.
Nevertheless, the information presented in the selected case study could be used to determine new opportunities for the growth using EA components. For instance, the additional value to the organization could be brought by enhancing cloud storage the company uses. At the moment, all information from vehicles, their location, state, health, and data about customers is stored in logical pools provided by a hosting company (Lankhorst, 2017). The given method of storing data provides numerous opportunities for the further improvement. For instance, the introduction of backup storage will guarantee information integrity (Lankhorst, 2017).
Additionally, the use of innovative protocols in processing and distributing information will help to attain the enhanced performance and reduce the time needed to handle a particular request. Moreover, to maximize the efficiency of vehicle monitoring and ensure that customers interests will be protected, user data encryption should be introduced. It will help to create a safer environment and guarantee that all data pools will be protected (Milchman, 2017). Finally, speaking about EA components that can further bring value to the organization, the IT service for the collection of feedbacks should be introduced. It will stipulate the appearance of new ideas how to improve the functioning of the company and preserve its image among customers.
Altogether, the integration of specific EA components remains crucial for the functioning of any company as it guarantees the creation of an efficient framework appreciated by customers and providing numerous benefits. The selected case that describes the automakers functioning also evidences the efficiency of EA supported by the integration of IT at different levels. The company efficiently uses diverse systems to provide customers with an opportunity to monitor the state of their vehicles, their location, and status. At the same time, there are several opportunities for the further improvement as the introduction of new approaches to cloud storages, working with clients, and data management will guarantee the further enhancement of the companys functioning.
Lankhorst, M. (2017). Enterprise architecture at work: Modelling, communication and analysis (the enterprise engineering series). New York, NY: Springer.
Milchman, A. (2017). Enterprise architecture reimagined: A concise guide to constructing an artificially intelligent enterprise. Birmingham, UK:Packt Publishing.
Senthilvel, G., Khan, O., & Qureshi, H. (2017). Enterprise application architecture with.NET core. Birmingham, UK: Packt Publishing.
Modern technologies never stop developing, and it is why human society keeps moving on the road of progress. Continuous improvement of digital techniques and their application has been able to provide modern people with an opportunity to change their everyday lives. Nowadays, we tend to see nothing unusual in various digital techniques, but at least twenty years ago the use of digital format was an experience changing the views of those people who had never seen something like this. Digital color techniques are adopted in different fields that include television broadcasting, video games development, and video recording. Due to the development of various techniques providing the opportunity to create images that would have the same colors that the depicted objects have in the real life, the transmission of information was able to move to a new level in a relatively short distance of time.
First of all, speaking about digital techniques for the purposes of increasing the level of color rendering, it is necessary to give definitions to the notions that are critical for the sphere of imaging technology. By imaging technology, people usually mean a collection of different ways to apply materials and the results of scientific research in order to create or copy the images and hold this digital data. The methods of imaging technologies are numerous, they are used in the fields of photography, camera shooting, painting, video hardware development, and the development of medical and laboratory equipment such as an electron microscope. The development and application of various digital color techniques are closely connected to the growing desire of the users of different digital devices to see the world depicted on the screen as it is.
What is more, these techniques are developed to increase the quality of images created by architects and engineers with the help of software for computer design. Besides, the use of modern digital color techniques is critical for the development of computer graphics that is aimed at creating images of objects that would be indistinguishable from the real ones. In fact, the quality of an image created with help of computer graphics depends upon many factors, but the likeness of the colors of the depicted object to the real ones helps to significantly increase the quality of the digital image. In general, digital color techniques are used for different purposes but they are usually aimed at increasing the color gamut of a digital device.
Color gamut is the variety of colors that can be reproduced on a display of a particular digital device. This notion also has the second meaning; in some cases, it may denote the variety of colors that are reproduced on a particular digital image. Our world is a very beautiful place, and the number of colors and shades that exist is definitely enormous. Specialists in the field develop and apply newer color rendering techniques in order to increase color gamut of modern television sets, computer displays, and other devices that help people to receive and transmit the information. The volume of an image presents the feature that is very important for the amusement industry together with the sound.1
The entire goal of digital color techniques development is creating a digital device that would be able to express all the colors that exist in the real world. It is worth noting that their number is really enormous, and it is hard to believe as the human eye is not able to distinguish all of them.2 Unfortunately, the creation of such a color-sensitive device is regarded as an impossible task; when color gamut is increased, the degree of complexity of a color rendering system increases, too. If specialists managed to create such a high-powered system, its enormous degree of complexity would cause significant problems to its practical application. Various digital color techniques are developed because enhancing the quality of an image involves increasing the color depth of a display. If its level is high, the image appears to be brought into proximity with the real object that it depicts.
The History of Color Television
The history of the development of various digital color techniques is believed to have started with the growth of technical progress at the beginning of the twentieth century. When the television had been already invented, and the images could be broadcasted properly, the engineers were encharged with a task to find a way to transmit chromatic images. The majority of the stations all over the world have started to broadcast the images in color more than fifty years ago, and nowadays, the specialists in this field are reflecting on other issues. The transmission of color images is based on broadcasting images in one of the basic colors (blue, green, or red). These three images can be shown either simultaneously or in a very fast sequence. When the viewer perceives these images, basic colors blend in his eye, and he sees as only one image showing different colors.
At the beginning of the twentieth century, many researchers from different countries were developing their theories on creating the color television but none of the models created in that period was able to demonstrate proper color broadcast. As for the first transmission of a color image in history, it was demonstrated in the summer of 1928. The successful experiment was conducted by the inventor from Scotland named John Baird. During the experiment, he was applying sequential transmission of three images having one of the basic colors. 3 Ten years later, Baird performed another successful demonstration of his path-breaking system. At that point in time, he managed to send a chromatic image from his studio to a screen at the theatre in London. The transmitted image consisted of more than one hundred lines, and it was a real development in the sphere of television broadcasting of that time. The second breakthrough is believed to have happened just after the Second World War ended.
As there was no more necessity to spend the resources on military defense, American specialists in electronic engineering were able to pay enough attention to the development of non-military technologies including television. To propel television broadcasting to the next level, they applied scientific discoveries that had been used earlier in order to improve military hardware. Besides, electronic engineers were apt to work with an ultra-high frequency that significantly increased the opportunities for television technologies. After the war, they had to solve two major problems concerning color television. At first, it was not clear how to ensure the compatibility of black-and-white receivers with the color television signal. What is more, it was necessary to develop a technology that would help to synthesize the images displayed in color with the help of electronic tubes. It was hard to get a color image as cathode ray tubes used in television receivers were able to produce only monochrome pictures. To solve this problem, the pioneers of color television decided to use the system that was very similar to that of a television camera. In the middle of the twentieth century, the color television system was developed enough, and a few television stations in the United States started regular color television broadcasting.
Unfortunately, the threat of the Korean War urged the United States Department of Defense to impose a ban on the production of color television receivers in order to save resources. More importantly, such a decision was caused by numerous complaints from the companies that were producing monochrome television receivers and did not want to lose income and influence on the international market. In addition to the problem of color image synthesis, the way to ensure compatibility of color television with the existing systems of monochrome television had not been found yet. Then, many development engineers decided to experiment with new technology. According to that, the information about the color and its brightness level had to be transmitted separately. The method turned out to be effective, and in 1953 NBC conducted the first color television broadcast using this system. Sometime after that, the developers made a series of corrections, and the system was accepted by the committee on television standards.
Color television signals that could be transmitted with the help of this method, could also be received by a monochrome television set, and it was a significant advantage of the system. Cuba was the second country that adopted this system as a national broadcasting standard. After that, it became a standard in Mexico, Japan, and Canada. That period, the system was widely used, and it appeared to be imperfect. Its main disadvantage was connected to the peculiarities of quadrature modulation. On the back of this, the color tone of an image was slightly changing from time to time, and it had to be controlled with the help of regulating device. Later, specialists from other countries made a series of attempts to modify the system so that it would become a more appropriate tool to conduct the color television broadcasts in Europe.
Unfortunately, their efforts failed in most of the cases. Thus, it took European specialists a long time to develop their own color television systems. It was more difficult to start color television broadcasting in European countries because they were still experiencing terrible consequences of the Second World War. Nevertheless, when the standards were introduced in European countries, the sphere of television broadcasting experienced rapid growth. It did not require additional efforts because major problems concerning the production of television receivers had been already solved in other countries. As for monochrome television broadcasting, it was stopped all over the world in the middle of the 1970s.
Colorization Techniques
Digital color techniques can be also used to change the images that were created when it was impossible to take color photos and screen color films. By colorization, we mean technology that is used to make color images out of the ones that are monochrome. Colorization may be aimed at making monochrome film or photo look more modern but sometimes the technique is also applied to color films in order to make them brighter or make the skin colors look more natural. The technique became very popular at the beginning of the twentieth century when the processing of digital images became available. At the very end of the nineteenth century, the films were colorized by hand with the help of aniline colors. Colorization was done by hand up to the end of the 1930s, and then the technology that was more progressive substituted this one. The primary disadvantage of the colorization by hand was connected to the great amount of work; all the film frames had to be painted separately and this is why it took a lot of time. With the growth of technology, it became possible to colorize the films faster.
Thus, in the middle of the twentieth century, many black-and-white cartoons were reproduced in color. The technology became easier; it was possible to choose a color for each object that appeared in the film instead of coloring each film frame separately. Unfortunately, such an approach to film colorization also caused certain problems as it was able to decrease the quality of the films. In 1970 the technology was applied for the first time. It was used to demonstrate the moon landing film in color. To apply this technology, it was necessary to have a monochrome film of a very good quality. Then, the high-quality digital reproduction of the film was made with help of an image scanner. To start performing colorization, the specialists needed to choose a color for every single object in the film. They were not required to choose the colors for the objects that we see every day such as grass, trees, and sky. In order to save time, the colors for these objects were chosen automatically by the system. Nevertheless, there were also things with unknown colors such as clothes that the characters were wearing, various articles of daily use, and similar objects.
To choose the right color for them, the specialists in colorization should use all the information about the film that was available such as color photos made at the location where the film had been shot. If there was a lack of information on the real colors of the film, the specialist had to suppose which colors could have been chosen by the director. During the colorization process, it was also very important to take into consideration a brightness level of an original film. In general, the colorized film had to possess the same image characteristics that the original did. In the very beginning, the use of this technique was not able to provide a perfect result. Instead, the colors were faded and quiet. Nevertheless, with the development of the method it became able to produce brighter colors that were looking more natural. A significant problem concerning the colorization was connected to the great labor intensity that the process involved.
During the preparatory stage, it was necessary to single out various sectors of each frame that would have different colors. This process was not fully computerized in the twentieth century, and this is why it required so many human efforts. Even now colorization is sometimes performed in a manual way as various mistakes may occur during the work of special software. Colorization can be used for different purposes but the most common one is making the film more expressive. Moreover, there are also different ways to add colors to the film and one of them is colorization that is performed partially. In such a situation, only a few objects that appear in the film are colored. The method of colorization of certain parts is used in order to highlight some objects or key characters of the film.
Such an approach acts as one of the means of visual expressiveness that help to focus the viewers attention on certain detail. Thus, the technique was used in the film Phantom of the Opera where the mantle of the primary character was red whereas other objects had no color. The method of colorization can be also applied to the monochrome photographs. In the same manner as movies, monochrome images had been painted in a manual way before the color film was invented. Printed photos were colored with help of watercolors, oil colors, and crayons. Nowadays, the digital images can be processed with help of popular graphics programs that help not only to color monochrome photos but also to make modern picture look very old. Despite having all the computer programs for image processing, there are still people who prefer coloring printed pictures in a manual way as they consider it to be a separate art form.
Modern Color Management
Color management is another set of techniques used to work with color rendering ability of different digital devices. Color management techniques are applied in order to make various devices display certain image in the same colors. If these techniques are used successfully, the image would look the same when it is displayed on different monitors or seen in the real world. Sometimes there is a need to change some properties of an image produced by certain device, and the technique of color calibration appears to be a very useful tool for that. It is used to make a display of a device show brighter or clearer colors. During the process of calibration, the colors on the display are compared to the ones that have been taken as a standard. Being one of the most common techniques used to work with color on digital device, color calibration helps to make the colors on the screen look more natural, and it helps user to enjoy using the device more.
Color balance was very important during the color television development; in the beginning, the devices were unable to show the images of people with different skin colors properly.4 The technique is successfully applied in many spheres of human activity. For instance, color calibration is used in game production, television industry, and even medicine.5 Within the frame of color management process, the digital devices are to be compared to the standard color scheme in order to spot the divergence. During the color management process, the color rendering ability may be changed in different ways. For instance, the digital device can be calibrated to produce the same colors that the standard prescribes. Besides, the variety of the colors displayed by certain device can be changed in order to make the colors look more natural. In some cases there is an opportunity to choose one of these methods that would be the best to improve the colors of the device considering the purpose that it is used for; thus, the preferences of the clients would be different.
Bibliography
LaFollette, Marcel. Science on American Television: A History. London: University of Chicago Press, 2013.
Leydon, Rebecca. Off the Planet: Music, Sound and Science Fiction Cinema. Eastleign: John Libbey, 2004.
Newcomb, Horace, Encyclopedia of Television. New York: Routledge, 2014.
Roth, Lorna. Looking at Shirley, the Ultimate Norm: Colour Balance, Image Technologies, and Cognitive Equity. Canadian Journal of Communication 34, no.1 (2009): 111-136.
Footnotes
Rebecca Leydon, Off the Planet: Music, Sound, and Science Fiction Cinema. (Eastleigh: John Libbey, 2004), 61.
Marcel LaFollette, Science on American Television: A History (London: University of Chicago Press, 2013), 3.
Horace Newcomb, Encyclopedia of Television (New York: Routledge, 2014), 201.
Lorna Roth, Looking at Shirley, the Ultimate Norm: Colour Balance, Image Technologies, and Cognitive Equity. Canadian Journal of Communication 34, no.1 (2009): 111.
Matt Powers, A Brief History of Video Games Development. Gamasutra, Web.
In the current competitive business environment, creative problem-solving techniques are critical in enabling a firm to overcome numerous challenges within the internal and external environment. Managers find themselves in situations where they have to embrace paradigm shift when undertaking various administrative duties. Technology has become a major concept and a tool for change.
Barbot (33) explains that the emerging technologies have proven to be critical not only in operational activities but also in the decision-making processes. Managers need to be certain about the outcome of a given strategy before authorizing an investment to be made. Technology offers them the opportunity make scientific prediction of the outcome of these strategies. In this paper, the focus of the researcher is to discuss creative problem-solving techniques based on the emerging technologies.
Creative Problem-Solving in Global Organization
Global organizations often have to deal with both local and international challenges to ensure that they remain competitive in the market. Sullivan (21) explains that these firms must remain creative enough to overcome various market forces in the market. According to Janasz (31), creative problem-solving technique starts with defining goals that a firm should achieve. The management will then explore possible strategies that can be used to achieve these goals, the anticipated outcome, and challenges that may be encountered.
When defining steps that should be used to achieve the set goals, the team should also develop stages of solving expected challenges. It should involve defining what should be done when a given issue arises during the implementation phase. It is at this stage that a firm needs to embrace creativity. Understanding the compositional of every step that should be taken and improvising creative ideas in each step lowers the rate of failure when undertaking a new project.
The two steps make it possible for the management to understand what to expect upon completion of a project. Looking back and learning from the previous mistakes may also help a firm to improve its productivity. Barbot (39) argues that insights may also help in defining the path that a firm should take when embracing new strategies.
Global organization may sometimes be forced to embrace different strategies in different countries depending on the local culture and practices. According to Janasz (46), the popular culture in the United States is significantly different from that in China, the Middle East, and some African countries. For instance, home delivery is becoming a popular trend in North America and parts of Europe among many retailers (Hawkins 64).
However, the same business model cannot be used in most parts of Africa because of poor means of transport, insecurity, and many other challenges (Janasz 43). It means that the firm would have to come up with a different model in overseas market that meets the local conditions. Problem-solving mechanism may be the same in different markets but the final solution must be based on the local forces. Sullivan (45) states that a common sense approach to solving problems requires a firm not to ignore unique local environmental forces.
Methodological Approaches to Problem-Solving
Methodological approaches to solving problems within an organizational setting are steps and strategies that a firm uses to counter challenges that it faces in its operations. Strategies that the Coca Cola Company would embrace may be different from that of National Bank of Abu Dhabi because the two firms operate in dissimilar industries. The methodological approach that a firm uses should be defined by the local market forces such as culture, the available resources (including human resource), government policies, level of competition, the level of technology available for the firm, and market size among others.
Autonomy and responsibility are other factors that cannot be ignored. Janasz argues that the approach that a firm embraces should allow it a considerable level of autonomy while at the same time holding specific stakeholders responsible for actions they take (45).
Analog reasoning, according to Hawkins (56), holds that people often look for a pattern in what they observe, and when it is identified, they relate it to other patterns previously observed to predict the future. The approach of analyzing the present based on the past to predict the future has been popular in the past, but this methodological approach of solving problems has flaws that management should understand.
The disruptive technologies may fail to follow a given pattern that had been previously observed. It means that further analysis of the issue at hand may be needed beyond simple analysis of the patterns. Although it remains a popular approach, it should be used alongside other strategies when addressing technology-based challenges. The approach also requires the implementation team to have adequate skills, knowledge, and experience in pattern development. This concept is in line with honing theory, which holds that creativity arises from self-mending and self-organizing nature of the worldview (Hawkins 79). When an individual re-hones revolutionary ideas and integrates them into daily work practices, it becomes an invention.
In the current competitive business environment, it may be necessary to embrace techniques useful for creating ideas when dealing with various challenges. Having a checklist of specific factors that need to be addressed at a given time would help in the planning process. After developing a checklist, a morphological analysis would have to be conducted to explore the possible solutions and identify the most appropriate.
Force-fitting trigger technique may be appropriate to generate problem-solving ideas by identifying the approach that fits most appropriately based on the problem that needs to be solved. The management can also use component detailing, attribute listing, and brainstorming to address a given problem. These three related approaches involve proposing different solutions based on the attributes or characteristics of a given problem. Sequence attribute modification matrix is another methodological approach that involves monitoring of sequentially connected elements when solving a problem (Hawkins 40). It involves identifying specific sequences in different problems and developing solutions based on the identified patterns.
When selecting an appropriate methodological approach of solving a given problem, it is often advisable to follow a conventional pattern irrespective of the issue at hand and the solution that would be finally proposed. The model of problem-solving below identifies six steps that the management should use in creative problem-solving process. It starts with problem identification. The firm should identify specific problem and its effect on its normal operations.
The next step is to determine interests of every stakeholder. The goal of determining their interest is to get them involved in developing appropriate solution and to minimize resistance. The third step is to list possible solutions. All stakeholders involved should be allowed to propose possible solutions and provide justification to their proposals. The team will then evaluate the proposals based on various factors.
The optimal solution will be selected, stating why it was preferred over other proposals. The final stage is monitoring and evaluation where the team will assess whether the selected solution addresses the problem in the most optimal manner as was expected. The stages are shown in figure 1 below.
Fig. 1. Problem-Solving Model (Janasz 59).
Paradigm-Breaking Techniques
Paradigm-breaking techniques are fuelled by the emerging technologies. Whenever an invention is made in given field, it becomes necessary to redefine approaches of undertaking a given task. According to Sullivan (61), the desire to make work easier has led to emergence of new concepts and strategies in various fields. Innovative ideas have transformed various industries in different ways over the recent past. In this section, the researcher focuses on forces behind paradigm shift in different industries.
Disruptive Technology
The concept of disruptive technology, as defined by Barbot (39), refers to inventions that redefine the manner in which activities are undertaken in a given field. Since the discovery of fire, numerous inventions have been made in different industries that have redefined the approach taken to address specific issues. The film industry is one of those that have been revolutionized over the past five decades. Eastman Kodak enjoyed a global monopoly in the film industry before the 1980s (Clapp 24).
A new technology emerged in the industry that involved the use of digital films instead of the traditional films. Although the management of this firm was aware of this disruptive technology, it ignored the need to embrace it. The decision to resist change enabled the market rivals to take advantage of the new opportunity, a move that almost forced Kodak out of the market. It was a clear indication that a firm cannot ignore disruptive technology even if it is the dominant player in the market.
Imagery and Symbolic Representation
Creative problem-solving approaches that often lead to disruptive technologies always emerge from the desire to make work easy. It starts by visualizing an idea of how to undertake a given task in a different and better way than the current strategies. The imagination would then lead to symbolic representation of the idea in a way that others can understand. Sullivan (89) explains that the process of coming up with a new idea is different from wishful thinking.
It involves role-playing in a given area with the primary goal of coming up with something new. An individual with innovative minds must have specific attributes that makes him or her different from the rest. The personality and thinking style of the individual should always be based on developing something new. The learning style should emphasize on understanding the existing problems and ways to overcome them. Barbot (39) explains that moods and emotions may sometimes compel someone to come develop a new concept.
Using the Technique to Solve Organizational Problems
Paradigm-breaking techniques are useful in solving organizational problems. Putting ideas into practice is one of the ways of addressing organizational challenges in a given environment. Once a new concept is tested and confirmed to be viable, Clapp (45) suggests that a firm should take the shortest time possible to implement it. The management should use it sphere of influence, by maintaining effective and regular communication with all the stakeholders, to minimize resistance to change once a new concept is introduced.
Examples of Methodological Approaches to Solving Problems and Paradigm-Breaking Techniques in My Workplace
The personal experience I have had in the workplace shows that creative problem-solving techniques are critical in achieving specific goals within an organization. As a team leader of the electrical section in the engineering division of the firm, I often encounter various challenges, especially when the firm is introducing a new product or a system of operations. It takes time for people to adjust from one system to another.
The methodological approaches proposed above can be used in my workplace to improve efficiency. My team members can use analog reasoning to develop a pattern of solving a wide range of problems. The model proposed above can also be useful in my workplace to help in potential problem analysis and develop their solutions. Computer simulations can also be useful in monitoring the progress of a given concept and in post-implementation analysis.
Paradigm breaking techniques are also critical in my workplace, especially given high rates at which new concepts and devices of operations are emerging. The process of implementing new ideas should sometimes be based on body of research (Clapp 54).
Taking into consideration new concepts can help improve the performance of my colleagues in the workplace. Cognitive mapping approach theory may be necessary when the team leader is trying to attach success to specific rewards. They need to know that any new successful concept that they develop will be rewarded. I believe that my team can achieve greater success if it embraces program evaluation and review technique (PERT) in managing projects.
What I Have Learned and How I Will Use It
The course has had a major impact on the knowledge I have about creative thinking. One of the most important lessons learned is that organizations cannot achieve sustainability if they resist change. As new trends emerge, it is critical for organizations to find ways of changing their mode of operations in line with the emerging trends and practices (Janasz 121). I have also learned that managers must always strive to be change agents.
They have to identify areas within the firm that need change, and initiate processes that would facilitate its implementation. Junior employees should also be involved in change management. The challenges that they face in their respective workplaces makes it possible for them to suggest ways in which these problems can be solved. They should be offered an opportunity to make their contributions when initiating a new strategy that may have a direct impact on daily activities they undertake within the firm.
Climate for Change
Promoting an environment for change is critical for a firm that seeks to embrace creative problem-solving skills. According to Sullivan (112), the top management unit has the primary responsibility of creating a climate for change. It starts by creating a culture for change. Employees should learn to not only embrace change but also be active in proposing new strategies. The managers can also create a climate for change by encouraging employees to seek further education.
The new knowledge will enable them to have a better understanding of the challenges they face at work. Barbot (39) also emphasizes on the need to have innovation centers within a firm where new ideas can be tested and developed into strategies that will improve organizational performance. When an employee makes a mistake when trying to implement a new concept, he or she should not be subjected to punishment as long as it is established that the mistake was not deliberate. An open communication system among employees and between the top managers and junior workers also helps in promoting a climate for change. It makes it possible for an idea to be shared and developed within a short time.
Resistance to Change and Its Management
When introducing a new concept, it is normal for a section of the stakeholders to express their displeasure, especially when they feel that they lack the capacity to cope under the new system. Resistance to change may be classified into four blocks. Strategic blocks refer to systems and structures that a firm has in place that does not create room for change. Sullivan (90) explains that many firms have strictly defined patterns of operation.
Employees are expected to stick to those patterns at all times. Such systems limit the ability of a firm to embrace change. Value block is another factor that may encourage resistance to change. It is necessary for a firm to be flexible enough to adjust its values regularly based on the emerging market trends. Having regard values that define how employees can act may limit their creativity. Perception block is one of the major factors that limit change in an organizational setting.
Stakeholders perception of a new system would determine if they would support its implementation. If they feel that the new system may bring serious challenges in the workplace or even threaten their position within the firm, they will reject it. On the other hand, if they feel comfortable with the proposed solution, they will support it. Sometimes the perception is defined by the fear of the unknown.
They may resist change primarily because they do not understand how the new system will affect them in the long-term. Self-image blocks are the factors that can also hinder the ability of a firm to embrace change. Eastman Kodak believed that its traditional films were the best and could not be replaced easily with the digital film (Clapp 57). The need to protect this image and their huge market share made them to ignore the need to embrace digital films.
It is important for the management to find ways of managing change. One of the ways of managing resistance to change is to involve all stakeholders when planning to come up with a new concept. They should feel part of the new system to help eliminate the fear of the unknown. Another strategy of overcoming resistance to change is to use Kurt Lewins model of change that emphasizes on a systematic approach of introducing a new concept.
As shown in Figure 2 below, change should be introduced in three stages. The first stage is unfreezing, where stakeholders are made to understand why the existing system is ineffective and what the new one entails. The second step is to introduce change when the firm feels that stakeholders have been prepared adequately and are ready to embrace change. The last phase is to refreeze, a stage where stakeholders are educated on the new system.
Fig. 2. Kurt Lewins Change Model (Sullivan 78).
Conclusion
Creative problem-solving techniques are critical in addressing challenges that multinational corporations face in the global market. Using conventional methods of addressing problems may be necessary, but some problems require innovative ideas. Firms have to foster a climate for change to promote creativity among its employees. The report also emphasizes the need to adopt new technologies within the shortest time possible to ensure that it can enjoy benefits it offers. Managers should not fear paradigm shifts.
Works Cited
Barbot, Baptiste. Perspectives on Creativity Development. Hoboken, 2016.
Clapp, Edward P. Participatory Creativity: Introducing Access and Equity to the Creative Classroom. 2016.
As opposed to financial assets, an engineering asset is defined as an object that has a financial value and technical capability to perform a given task. The Photovoltaic Module (PV) module has both attributes and qualifies to be known as an engineering asset. Theory suggests that the value depends on the purpose for which the asset is to be used. In this case, Photovoltaic modules generate electricity by converting solar energy into electricity. The aim is to keep the environment clean.
Engineering asset management is defined as organization, supervision, or direction; the application of skill or care in the manipulation, treatment, and control (of a thing or person) in the conduct of something (Amadi-Echendu et al. 2010, p.4). Different models of structural engineering asset management systems have been proposed. For the PV case, the structure of engineering asset management consists of the total management of physical assets of an organization. Engineering asset management incorporates activities that provide guidelines on how to manage the physical assets for optimum utilization and efficient service delivery. It also includes aspects of repair efficiency, low cost of production, and an impingement of motivational approaches that drive people to work hard to achieve the strategic goals of the organization.
Control Elements
Solar Operations Center in Boulder, Colorado uses an engineering asset management system for performance optimization and analysis, ticketing and dispatching, operations maintenance scheduling, and governance compliance reporting. Site monitoring includes evaluating the performance of PV modules, assessing power outputs, and colleting weather data.
Engineering asset management is structured in such a way that it enables the managers to fulfill the objectives of the organization. This is where different models have been suggested that the organization and individual customers use to acquire the PV modules. From a user organization, the model suggests that the first step is to conduct financial analysis of the cost effectiveness of the entire lifecycle activity, making appropriate planning and acquisition of components that are used to manufacture the PV modules, and ensuring efficient acquisition of PV modules.
The second step is for the management to develop a plan on how to deploy PV components with proper installation, testing, and commissioning procedures (Kiritsis 2013). The third step is to operate and maintain the PV modules by identifying and scheduling all the activities concerned with maintenance efficiency. Here, the product availability entails maintaining the PV modules in good working order and health to increase the lifespan and operational efficacy of the system. Among the key defining elements are flexibility, performance, and quality. The fourth and last step is to retire the PV modules as per the disposal of assets requirements. A deeper analysis shows that asset related structure engineering management activities include planning, design, operations, maintenance, reliability, protection, environmental health, and technical risk.
Interrelationships between the engineering asset management systems
Organizations incorporate different engineering asset management systems to pursue the strategic goals of the organization. Different models have been adopted and one of them consists of the management and the operations systems. Management is defined by governance and the associated best practices (Edoff 2012). In addition, the supply chain system is connected with the management, which designs policies for ensuring that sound environmental policies are put into practice to make efficient and sound PV manufacturing processes that ensure the health of the workers and the environment are observed. On the other hand, the manufacturing system must be placed where the environment is appropriate for the production of the modules and where demand for the product exists.
In this case, the specific departments include the procurement, finance, and accounting systems that help the stakeholder and the asset manager to assess investment requirements, determine the funding and budgeting requirements, perform cost analysis that enables or provides the requisite data for decision-making. On the other hand, there is the information technology that is an integral component of the system because it provides information flow that links all departments and asset management activities (Goodrich, James & Woodhouse 2012). The overall goal is to create a database that is used to store information on operations, repair of PV components, and co-ordinate each activity in the system. External suppliers provide the components that are used to manage the asset lifecycle, i.e. the PV Modules.
The technical support and maintenance for the production of the PV Module should include the definition of assets and asset management processes which incorporate new technologies to enhance PV performance. On the other hand, the need for safety and health of the human resources that work for the organization is an indispensable component of the system. The relationship among the components is clear because each component allows for better performance in support other system related activities (Foray, David & Hall 2009). Figure 1 shows the supporting activities for the PV module lifecycle. These include technical support and development, procurement, human resource, finance, accounting, IT, quality, and safety modules.
A company uses the supporting activities to fulfill the requirements for the asset management lifecycle activities. The activities include research, design, and engineering of the processes and technologies that can enhance the quality and performance of the PV modules. Besides, the acquisition, deployment and installation functions of the PV modules, maintenance, replacement, and disposal are interdependent activities. Supporting activities can be mapped into the asset or PV module lifecycle activities to ensure excellent product performance (El-Akruti, Dwight & Zhang 2013). Technical support ensures that the PV modules meet the minimum specifications and comply with the product standards. Each of the supporting activities provides the required services that provide support for the asset lifecycle activities complete in engineering asset management activities as shown in figure 1.
Figure 1: Relationship among activities. Source (Mints 2012).
Role of engineering asset management in the organizations management and strategy
This deals with the tangible and intangible physical assets and provides the framework for implementing the organizational strategy development process. Organizational managers always work hard to formulate strategies that lead to better product and organizational performance. Engineering asset management enables the strategic paradigm consisting of different activities which include:
The first activity involves the control of asset status and process evaluation step. In this step, continuous evaluation is done with respect to the stakeholders requirements throughout the assets lifecycle. The second activity involves management strategy that can be implemented by managing innovation such as introducing new changes to the PV modules in accordance with changes in technology and compliance requirements to keep the environment clean. The organization should identify the design specification of the PV Module to improve its performance as per product specifications and demand schedules. Examples include using incorporating inert technologies and use of dry vacuum cleaners among other new discoveries to make the device more effective.
The third activity involves creating a control and management board to assess the asset lifecycle and its impact on the environment to ensure that measures are taken to protect the environment from the effects of disposing the PV modules that have come to the end of the product lifecycle. The fourth activity involves organization-wise cooperation. This is where interdepartmental work is done to fulfill the operations and maintenance requirements of the PV modules after they have been deployed and installed to be used to generate electricity. The alignment of the entire system through different interfaces is done as the fifth activity. This leads to the sixth activity that requires the integration of information systems that link different departments besides linking the organization with the stakeholders and the outside world. The seventh activity is to deploy a supply chain system that involves the configuration of a value chain to improve the performance of the system.
Besides, asset management consists of different teams and one of them is the corporate asset management team. The asset management team is crucial in providing organization with the requisite capabilities of ensuring sustainable asset management processes. Accordingly, the entire concept is incorporated into the asset management system for PV modules to realize the support for sustainable development, support corporate buy-in and responsibility, ensure that the entire organization has uniform sustainable corporate practices, use of hardware and software across the organization, and championing proper asset management practices (Mirzahosseini & Taheri 2012).
The process corporate asset management team undertakes its corporate responsibilities through a five phase process steps. These include phase one which is dedicated to the organizational strategy development that is used for the improvement of asset management programs within the organization. The second phase consists of the key terms of PV module development, installation, and commissioning and a review of the data related to the development and deployment of the PV modules. The third phase consists of developing and implementing the PV module management plan, assessment and evaluation of the PV module asset management plan outputs, and continuous reviews and improvements of the PV module to respond to new technologies, standards, and environmental requirements.
Besides incorporating the corporate asset management component, the financial component is a necessary strategic element of the engineering asset management component because it enables the manager responsible to design, develop, and supply of the PV modules to achieve the financial obligations of the company. The key elements that define financial PV module management strategy include policy formulation on various aspects of the PV module production and supply, strategy, plan, service level agreements, and data and systems for accurate data collection. Once the strategies have been defined and agreed upon by the engineering asset manager and the stakeholders, the process is taken to further step of defining the mission and vision statement of the company. Under the direction of the asset manager, a strategic plan is established that sets the objectives and goals are written for the design, development, and distribution of the PV modules to the consumer.
Sequential task breakdown
Control of asset status
Management strategy that
Creating a control and management board
Organization-wise cooperation
Interface alignment
Integration of information systems
Performance improvement
Asset management system
The system is defined on three level control activities which include strategy formulation activities, task control activities, and management aggregate control activities. The three activities can be achieved by use of an asset management system whose six core components include:
Analysis and evaluation
Control and reporting
Measurement and motoring
Work task control
Coordination and planning
Decision-making
Analysis and evaluation
The analysis and evaluation consists of business strategy formulation and asset management components that enable managers to determine with a high degree of certainty the performance requirements. That is for the PV modules and devices and ways of ascertaining better performance outcomes. In this case, value contribution to strategy include entry into new markets, low product unit costs, high returns on investment, better profits, customer satisfaction, and high quality products. PV module performance gaps which are grouped under the analysis and the evaluation module, are done to
Control and reporting
The asset engineer sets communication standards and integrates information systems across the organization to ensure that there is continuous flow of information and integration control. Information flow is appropriate for setting key performance indicators of the management for PV module product specifications that comply with the environmental laws and standards (Mints 2012). That is besides ensuring action compliance control and management activities. Besides, there is need for the asset engineer to ensure that there is appropriate interaction between the PV module lifecycle and supporting activities. In addition, support for compliance controls activities is enabled throughout the control ad reporting function.
Measurement and motoring
The technical performance parameters can be determined by the engineering asset manager who sets appropriate performance parameters of the PV modules in compliance with the standards and guidelines for solar panels. Measuring and monitoring components provide the asset manager with the capability of testing, validating, and establishing the functionality of the PV modules in accordance with the stakeholder needs and expectations. Besides, condition inspection and parameter recording is part of the measurement and monitoring component.
Work Task Control
Another key component of the engineering asset management system is the work task control. Typically, each of the PV module design, development, deployment, and retirement activities are scheduled and executed as per the lifecycle support activities. That is besides using the right procedures and follows up activities that are designed to show the design, deployment, installation, and use of the PV module for electricity generation. Each asset management task should comply with the standards and measures for the deployment, use, retirement, and disposal of the PV modules.
Coordination and planning
This is a necessary function of the coordination and control and providing the ability to reinforce the integration of different activities and systems that provide the required asset quality and performance. The coordination and planning component planning for asset or PV module action and its lifecycle support activities. That is besides the ability to address the coordination and supply of PV module products throughout the product lifecycle.
Decision-making
Triggering events and other strategic activities define the core activities under the decision-making component of the asset management system. At the decision-making stage, core decisions on the PV module to acquire should meet the performance outcomes to achieve the strategic goals of the organization as defined. Policies and strategies are designed and developed at this stage to ensure appropriate achievement of PV module asset solutions. That means to control and develop plans as defined. Asset solutions include adding new products, galvanizing the PV modules to create protection and resistance to environment related activities, and increasing the electricity generation capacity with the same size of module.
Establish the boundaries (crossed by relationships) of the asset management
The boundaries that define the system include the environmental factors, community needs and expectations of the users of the PV modules, government policy on the use and disposal of the PV modules, organizational strategic management options, strategic planning, asset management policy, objectives, strategy, tactical and operational planning, asset management plans, and service delivery, and evaluation.
Table 1: System boundaries.
Relationship of the PV module asset management/interactions
Asset management system
Knowledge management (PV module performance)
Environmental factors
Community/user needs and expectations
Organizational management/Financial management
Government policy
Organizational strategic management
Service delivery strategic planning
Tactical and operational planning
Service Delivery
Evaluation
Human resource system
Nature of the interactions
Environmental interactions: These are caused by the effects due to photovoltaic cell fabrication activities, routine and accidental events, occupational and public health problems, toxic PV manufacturing carcinogenic, liquid and solid wastes, abrasive slurry, and slicing of wafers resulting into adverse environmental impacts such as when decommissioning of PV modules. This calls for sustainability and risk management of the use of PV modules on the environment.
Community/User needs and expectations: Interacting with the community or the user is based on the size of the PV module (e.g. 48 watts rating equivalent to 45 watt-hours per day), provision f appropriate solutions in the conversion of sunlight energy into electricity to meet user needs and expectations. The stakeholder management is a critical component here.
Government policy framework: Solar cell recycling feasibility, legislation, capital and recurrent expenditure, and policies. Such interactions ensure that the asset perform as required.
Organizational and strategic management: At the managerial level, interactions include risk identification and assessment of the use of the PV modules, development of new and reusable PV modules, budgetary allocations, and skilled employees to work on the PV modules, ability to develop relationship with existing social and organizational structures, and lifecycle assessment and maintenance of the PV module.
Service Delivery Strategic Planning: This is about determining the Level of Service (LOS) based on the lifecycle of the PV module. Service delivery in this case is asset based to provide electricity from solar panels. That could lead to high value service delivery in ensuring that the modules provide the required functionalities. This includes intra- and inter-agency planning, organizational capabilities, policy alignments, utilization of business processes.
The Asset Management Strategy: Create an asset portfolio, establish management priorities, identify asset risks, develop asset management plan, and check whether it meets international PV module standards.
Service delivery strategic planning: This calls for the asset management strategy which consists of various activities which include the acquisition of the asset or the components that make up the asset, PV module operations throughout the product lifecycle, and the management strategy that constitutes the plan on how to manage the asset efficiently. The activities involved here consist of:
Acquisition plan: The key elements that the company considers here include the cost of maintenance of the PV modules, risks associated with the acquisition and use of the PV modules, the non-asset alternatives, and the connection with the organizations service delivery standards, work schedules, and budgeting processes.
Operations plan: This include elements such as maintenance issues of the asset, which in this case is the PV module, operational costs, and defined standards and responsibilities.
Maintenance plan: That is about how to ensure that the optimal working capacity and lifespan of the PV module are met. Typically, the performance standards that include the amount of electricity and other performance measures must be maintained.
Disposal plan: This is done in accordance with the disposal strategies developed by the company in dealing with the disposal of PV modules that have come to the end of their lifespan. Typically, appropriate disposal activities will address leaching of lead, cadmium, and other extremely toxic materials. On the other hand, it is appropriate to consider the effects of recycling the materials to ensure that the panels can be reused instead of dealing with the disposal problems.
Service delivery: This is defined as the services that are provided in the maintenance and operation of the PV modules, which includes installation and maintenance and other related activities have been suggested and provided for. In this case, the maintenance plan includes must be factored into the process.
Evaluation: The evaluation plan consists of the technique of assessing the performance of the PV module and conducting regular reviews of the performance of the asset that has been discussed in details.
Human resource system: Ensures that appropriate human resources are available to provide the skilled labour for the provision of technical and other services necessary to ensure complete execution of asset management processes.
Financial management: This feature interacts with the management to ensure that enough funds are made available for the strategic processes of the company.
On the other hand, the aspect of knowledge management is a critical component because is necessary to ensure that user and the organization are aware of how the asset works. Knowledge of the PV module must be presented to the users and the management to ensure that any interactions which occur as shown above are appropriately addressed. It is important to establish the asset registry, In this case, the data on the functionality and details of the amount of electricity generated as per the given size, and other technical details required for the component.
Evaluation of the functions identified in response to part (ii)
One of the functions that are evaluated is the PV module performance. The PV module performance is critical in asset management of the PV module in its lifecycle. In interacting with the rest of the asset management systems components, the energy payback period is bigger than the energy used to produce the PV modules. Typically, a detailed analysis of the component shows that the energy used to manufacture based on the PV system lifecycle, and the performance ratio of the modules has shown positive results. An efficient solar cell is appropriate for application in industry with the long term goal of saving the environment. The response and amount of energy generated is appropriate in protecting the environment and achieving environmental protection targets and standards.
References List
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Edoff, M, 2012, Thin film solar cells: research in an industrial perspective, Ambio, vol. 2, no. 41, pp. pp.112-118.
El-Akruti, K, Dwight, R, Zhang, T, 2013,The strategic role of engineering asset management, International Journal of Production Economics, vol. 1, no. 146, pp.227-239.
Foray, D, David, PA, Hall, B, 2009, Smart Specialisation: the concept,[w:] Knowledge for Growth: Prospect for Science, Technology and Innovation, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 24047.
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Mirzahosseini, AH, Taheri, T, 2012, Environmental, technical and financial feasibility study of solar power plants by RETScreen, according to the targeting of energy subsidies in Iran, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, vol. 5, no. 16, pp. 2806-2811.
Since business processes are complex and multifaceted, every change within them can potentially result in a wide range of complications and consequences, creating a powerful ripple effect. As a result, it is critical to plan and prepare carefully the projects intended to facilitate change. The preparation and planning processes are usually comprised of several tasks, such as various assessments, evaluations, and tests. This initial stage of the project management lifecycle is detrimental to the success and effectiveness of the entire project. This report presents a detailed overview of the Orion project with the inclusion of the steps of practical risk assessment and containment alongside the recommendations as to how the project should be managed.
Project Overview
Yorkshire House Foods Ltd. is specialised in the production of processed and cooked meat and meat products. The manufacturing staff includes 184 persons, all of whom work on one site. The company sells the products to foodservice providers and small retailers and has approximately 1% of the sliced and cooked meat and chilled sausage markets that respectively comprise £990 million and £450 million. The business is successful; however, the leaders of Yorkshire House Foods intend to introduce several changes to expand it and maximise the profit. One of the planned changes is Project Orion that is aimed at the improvement of business processes and information systems to increase market share (wholesale and foodservice markets) through penetrating the retail sector; as a result, the increase in turnover to £20 million is expected within the next five years.
Risks
The process of risk assessment includes such significant steps as the identification, analysis, and evaluation of the existing dangers (Popov, Lyon, & Hollcroft, 2016). Project Orion is aimed at the elimination of the following problems:
Poorly documented roles and responsibilities
Low skill levels
Poor manager-employee communication
Insufficient provision of information for decision-making
High rates of labour turnover (90% annually)
Decreasing profitability
The significant risks associated with the project will include the increased cost of staffing and retention practices, the employees resistance to change (especially when it comes to the improvement of skills levels and manager-staff communication), and an even more significant profitability decrease due to the time spent on the coaching and training programs designed to fill in the communication and skills gaps.
Staffing and Retention Costs
Discussing the issues related to staffing and retention, it is essential to mention that the findings of many studies indicate that organisational change is often associated with an increased turnover intention (Appelbaum, 2008; Rafferty & Restubog, 2009; Babalola, Stouten, & Euwema, 2014). The rates of turnover at Yorkshire House Foods are already as high as 90%. The risk that the organisational changes may aggravate the current turnover is high. The owners of this risk are the HR professionals and the other managers involved in staffing and recruitment practices. The impact of this risk can be evaluated as high-level since the organisation has been dealing quite successfully with the 90% turnover rates for some time, and even a minor increase in this rate may significantly impact the performance and service quality. However, due to the increased need for the new human resources and the active retention strategies the company will have to prepare for the higher expenditures related to retention and turnover.
Resistance to Change and Job Satisfaction
The staff often resists organisational change due to the stress that it tends to create (Mulki, Jaramillo, Malhotra, & Locander, 2012). Moreover, Gering and Conner (2002) linked resistance to change to job satisfaction of the employees that is measurable and is based on such determiners as the size of pay, the frequency of appraisal, growth and learning opportunities, and the presence of materials and equipment for the delivery of quality performance. The risk of resistance to change in Yorkshire House Foods is high. The impact of this risk may also be of high level since many of the planned aspects of change are expected to involve the workers and require their willing participation. The response to this risk would include the maximisation of job satisfaction among the employees (Holtom, Mitchell, Lee, & Eberly, 2008). In this regard, the risk owners are the HR managers involved in the process of change and the managers of the spheres related to the level of job satisfaction. For example, if the appraisal is one of the causes of low satisfaction, then job supervisors, office and department managers should be considered the owners of this risk as well.
Profitability
Even though it has been noticed that staffing, training, and retention practices contribute to the long-term improvement of the organisational performance, there is still a correlation between the initiation of the methods and the decrease in profitability due to the cost of staffing, recruitment, and training, as well as the time the employees spend learning (Kim & Ployhart, 2014). Yorkshire House Foods operates in the industry that does not have distinct low-seasons that could help the company implement change when the employees workloads are milder without losing profit. Therefore, the change is likely to impact the companys profitability. The probability and impact of this risk are medium and low due to the companys successful performance in the previous years and financial readiness to launch change.
Information and Decision-Making
When it comes to communication of the information for decision-making purposes, it is essential to point out one of the significant challenges faced by all organisations where this issue is of importance. In particular, there are no standardised methods of communication of information for decision-making that outline the specific forms in which the data needs to be provided to achieve the highest level of understanding and the best efficiency (Hogarth & Soyer, 2015).
As a result of this gap in communication, a variety of issues can arise, producing an adverse effect on the decision-making and its final results. For example, top-level managers usually receive performance statistics that are based on a variety of indicators. If the indicators are outlined wrongly, the company will end up targeting the change in practices and tasks that are unrelated to the results, and the change will fail. Also, if the employees or the managers cannot control the established and accepted indicators, the change practices would not be able to produce any results. At the same time, it is crucial to notice that the attempts to introduce change are often very stressful for the workers and the more unsuccessful change initiatives are taken the more strained and tense the employees work attitudes may become. These outcomes usually result in a higher turnover intention and lower job satisfaction in the workplace.
In other words, when it comes to the search for a solution to the problem of ineffective provision of information for decision-making, the managers and leaders are to focus on the process of collection and analysis of data, as well as the establishment of the correct indicators and aspects to include (Nowduri, 2011).
Recommendations
Project management is inevitably related to the occurrence of versatile risks. As a result, risk control practices are in place; they are based on risk response planning (Gardiner, 2005).
Response to Increased Turnover and Decreased Job Satisfaction
The employee socialisation, a set of rewards and incentives, and a strong corporate culture are named among the major inside enterprise factors contributing to the rates of retention and turnover (Wang, Wang, Wang, Zhang, & Cao, 2011; Jones & Van de Ven, 2016). Therefore, the response initiatives are to be focused on addressing these factors to control the turnover and retention that are in direct relation with job satisfaction.
It is recommended that the leaders and managers of Yorkshire House Foods focus on the definition and creation of a strong company culture based on its vision and mission, strengthen the level of integrity of the employees, formulating incentives of tangible and intangible nature (such as career opportunities, training options, appraisal and feedback). One of the most powerful factors here is going to be the communication between leaders and staff members directed at the clarification of duties, roles, and objectives, especially the ones related to the implementation of change.
Response to Resistance to Change
The communication between company leadership and employees is a very significant factor when it comes to the response to resistance to change. In particular, the employees require detailed information about what is done, for what reason, and what the final goals are. The awareness of goals and duties brings clarity to the change process and allows creating a plan with measurable objectives and milestones (Simoes & Esposito, 2014). Communication is identified as one of the primary problems in the given organisation that are critical to improving because it serves as the foundation for readiness to change, helps to minimise uncertainty and resistance, and ultimately stimulates the development of commitment and integrity in the organisational culture (Simoes & Esposito, 2014). In the project lifecycle, the improvement of company culture and communication should be the first measures implemented before the initiatives addressing staffing, satisfaction, and retention issues are put into practice.
Response to the Information and Communication Problems
Information and communication challenge is a very broad issue that will require a substantial body of research on different aspects and factors contributing to the problem. In particular, attempting to address this problem, the management must identify the specific chain based on which the information moves from the employees to the top management and that kinds of analysis it undergoes on the way. Usually, the companies with multiple workers employ a specific team of analytics whose task is to collect and interpret statistical data concerning the performance of each department. As a result, the issues that need to be included in the preparation and planning stages for the change project are the indicators of quality and problems based on which the data about performance is analysed, the approach to analysis, and the way the decision-makers interpret the results. Also, it could be helpful to assess the perceptions of the companys employees as to the established indicators and the previous attempts of change implementation. The employees may share some valuable insights concerning what the major operational problems in the company are and what weaknesses there exist in the process of addressing the challenges.
The inclusion of employees in the process of planning and analysis will also contribute to the establishment of a tighter and more active communication process between the workers and their managers. The employees involvement in the preparation of change and their ability to impact their leaders perspectives on what needs to be altered and transformed in the organisation to improve the efficiency of its operations and comfort of the workers could serve as a very significant step towards the creation and maintenance of a new style of interaction between the workers and managers of different levels.
Briefing Paper
To: Yorkshire House Foods Management Team
Topic: Organisational Change and Project Orion
Date: March 8, 2017
Introduction
Project Orion is going to be a complex endeavour comprised of multiple parts, aspects, and targeting many different goals. It has been discovered that Yorkshire House Foods is facing a series of significant problems that require the attention of the companys leadership and management teams. The ultimate objective of Project Orion is not only the elimination of the existing challenges, but the facilitation of long-term change in a variety of aspects such as the communication between managers and employees, labour turnover, low skill levels, poorly documented roles and responsibilities, and decreasing profitability. There is a lot of work ahead. This briefing paper is designed to familiarise the management team with the primary focuses of the upcoming change, steps to undertake, and project management techniques that will be used.
Issues to Address
The first pressing issue in need of attention is the communication between managers and employees. This problem, in turn, contributes to a set of other challenges such as the poor knowledge of roles and duties, low job satisfaction, and, as consequences, high rates of turnover and the potential resistance to organisational change. In that way, it is possible to state that addressing the root problem, the team of managers could produce a positive effect on several different aspects.
Another significant problem that will be addressed through the planned change concerns the low skills on many organisational levels. To resolve this problem, a series of training and coaching sessions will have to be introduced to the specialists lacking skills. Consequently, this measure will affect the number of hours the employees spend working and thus is likely to produce a negative effect on organisational performance.
Additionally, labour turnover is currently at an extremely high level in Yorkshire House Foods. This problem requires solutions that will contribute to a higher retention rate and an improvement in service quality and organisational performance. This problem is also deeply intertwined with the other issues facing the company. Thus a clear and organised plan is required addressing the implementation of change and covering all stages of the project lifecycle.
Steps to Consider
Project initiation is the first step of any projects lifecycle. At this stage, it is critical to define the change that is expected and the effects it will target. Project Orion has already been defined as the one aiming at the improvement of business processes and information systems. The next stage is planning of change. This is the phase implemented currently, and it involves the review of the project, its breaking down into specific steps, and formulation of a schedule with measurable objectives and distinct milestones. Knowing that Yorkshire House Foods is facing a series of problems most of which are connected, it is important to identify the issues that need to be addressed first to avoid failures at the latter stages of project implementation. It is proposed that communication issue is handled first because when addressed properly, it can power the tasks targeting job satisfaction improvement and the acceptance of the change. Within this step, it is necessary to gather a team of professionals (comprised of HR managers, job supervisors, office and department managers) and review each of the jobs available today at Yorkshire House Foods, its KPIs, expected KSAOs, and the range of duties and tasks the people engaged in these jobs are anticipated to fulfil. It is critical to eliminate all of the ambiguities and create new handbook descriptions of roles for the employees, as well as the managers.
Further, the employees need to be informed about the changes and the reasons why they are introduced. A series of gatherings need to be held designed to familiarise the workers with the goals of the project, the causes for change, how it will affect the workers, and for what reason it is implemented. The sessions are to allow questions from the audience to respond to the immediate concerns of the employees. The most frequently asked questions are to be answered in written form and presented on the company website and through personal memos. Also, all of the management staff members need to be prepared to deal with the future questions from and concerns of the employees. It is important to remember that confusion and uncertainty are enemies of successful change implementation. The peaceful and reassuring manner of communication regarding change is advised.
Project Management Techniques
After the identification of the project scope, its review, and the creation of the team of managers and leaders responsible for the implementation of change, it is critical to cover the resources required to put the expected transformation into practice. In particular, Project Orion will require substantial financial support to carry out all the required skill improvement training and educational sessions and the creation of new handbooks with the clarified employee roles and duties, as well as the emphasis of the new organisational culture facilitating communication between staff and management. Another expenditure of the project will be staffing and retention (including the potential tangible incentives and rewards and motivators). Also, time is another resource critical to the project, especially its skills improvement and staffing parts as the coaches, recruiters, and the employees in training will have to spend hours working on tasks that are not usually included in their duties throughout the day. This tendency may result in a decrease in the companys productivity in the short term. This risk needs to be faced with a sufficient level of financial preparedness because, in the long term, the change is expected to be highly beneficial. To measure the success, a schedule based on dates and milestones needs to be created to help the project managers to follow the progress and see whether or not additional measures are needed.
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