Monday, January 27, 2020

The Future Of Life In Organisations Business Essay

The Future Of Life In Organisations Business Essay When the future life and well being of a business organisation is pre-planned at the present time using proper projections, strategic planning comes into play. Hence, strategic planning entails some of the steps and procedures which can be put in place in an organisation so that it can experience face lifting in the near or distant future (Samson Daft, 2009). Each division within a company ought to craft its own strategic plan which will focus on growth and performance. This is necessary because the impressive growth of a business organisation is entirely dependent on laid out plans. Nevertheless, whether in a small or big company, a strategic plan should be in a simplified version which is easy to understand, interpret and implement. Complicated elements in a strategic plan document may not be helpful at all especially when the same is to be implemented. As already mentioned, strategic plan should be in form of a document which implies that it has to be written for the sake of futu re reference. The written plan should be clear as much as possible and equally based on the actual state of the business organisation at the present time. Although strategic planning is generally considered to be the way forward for organisations which desire growth, it has its own demerits and pitfalls. However, the inevitable pitfalls should not hinder an organisation from projecting into the future by planning in the present (Goodstein, Nolan Pfeiffer, 1993). To begin with, a strategic plan may not materialise as expected bearing in mind that the operational environment of the plan can be very dynamic while the set objectives are static. Such changes which can sometimes be unavoidable may negatively affect the attainability the original plan leading to significant failures. Challenges facing an organisation at the present time cannot be sorted out or addressed by a piece of strategic plan. Therefore, this plan is only useful at a later date and only if the strategies are achieved. If the process of planning has loopholes, the outcome of the plan itself may also go below par and then lead to further failures. When an organisation jumps from formulating a mission to developing the strategic plan within a very short and inadequate period of time, it can lead to a major pitfall of the plan. When developing the strategic plan, a business management is supposed to bear in mind all the critical details of the mission statement of the organisation so that no single development proposal is crafted void of the companyà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s mission. In addition, sufficient time should be allocated in the creation, formulation and implementation of the strategic plan (Fogg, 1994). There are some instances when the top organisational leadership may fail to incorporate the subordinate employees in the creation of the strategic plan. Involving workers from all levels of the organisation in the process of strategic plan and decision making is necessary and cannot be ignored at all. It should be recalled that all the employees in an organisation are part and parcel in the implementation of the strategic plan (Samson Daft, 2009). Another likely pitfall to strategic planning arises when the top management resort to adopt intuitive decisions which are not in agreement with the formal planning of the organisation. This can also confuse employees within a company. They will not be in a position to point out which strategies to follow in the course of delivering their services (Mintzberg Waters, 1982). Unless the strategic plan is used as a basic unit for quantifying performance, the plan may not be worthy. Assessing the performance index of an organisation is necessary in the process of tracking down the initially proposed strategies. A planning consultant plays an important role in making sure that the laid down strategies are well formulated and also attainable within the given period of time. The consultant also counterchecks resource availability and allocation for each plan and then gives the necessary counsel. In spite of these invaluable roles played by the planning consultant, the management should still take control of the entire strategic framework. Delegating the planning duties fully to the consultant is a serious pitfall. The management must still possess the plan and oversee its implementation to the latter. A strategic plan usually passes through different phases before it can finally be articulated and its outcomes realised. For example, it begins by the process of preparing the plan itself. Key development issues are identified at this stage. Secondly, the strategies identified are developed, evaluated and re-evaluated to ensure that they fit within the mission and vision of the company. Finally, the plan is put on the implementation phase (Mintzberg Waters, 1982). These are complex procedures which requires the all the key employees to be partakers of the process. Failure to do so may as well as lead to the pitfall of the strategic plan. Furthermore, if the management does not create an operating environment which is conducive for cooperation and also resistant to market dynamics, the strategic plan may not record significant success. Small businesses too need to formulate strategic planning in their operations much more than the big firms which are well established and running. In fact, in order for a business organisation to grow, a business plan alone is not sufficient, it is just a replica of ideas which the management has in mind but not strategically devised to improve performance. It is imperative to underscore that small firms have a higher demand for growth than big businesses which have already taken root. Besides, small businesses often faces a myriad of market risks compared to elaborate organisations and in case of any eventuality, they are bound to lose greatly. It is against this backdrop that small companies need o prepare, develop and formulate very strong strategic plans for the sake of sustainability in the dynamic and hostile business environment. As mentioned earlier, the success story of strategic planning in a business is largely dependent on quite a number of factors. Regardless of the size of the business, the outcome of a strategic plan will be influenced by the procedures and modalities used in the preparation and implementation of the plan. Therefore, strategic planning can lead to improved performance in small companies if the following cardinal principles are adhered to by both the management and employees of a company. Although most small companies rarely transit into elaborate corporations, the concept of strategic planning is one way out of transforming small firms into large companies. There are several case studies which have noted down that small companies can only experience growth if they are merged or acquired by market leaders. This may not be universally true because if small firms purse and implement strategic planning to the latter, they can always grow by leaps and bound into giant companies (Steiner, 1979). This begins with grass root planning on the development of the young company. Strategic planning will provide the right path for the company to take. In addition, it will lay the foundation for contingency planning which is much needed in the heart of the small organisations. Small scale enterprises may sometimes fail to enforce the process of implementation of the strategic plan developed. If the devised models are put into action, improved performance of these small scale enterprises will definitely be achieved (Goodstein, Nolan Pfeiffer, 1993). This is also the clear cut difference between small and big enterprises. The latter will rarely ignore to implement a strategic plan toolkit mainly because it has been heavily invested on. If small enterprises communicate to workers on the formulation and implementation process of the strategic plan, positive growth will be on the way due to support received from employees. Workers in any business organisation form the backbone for growth. A company cannot succeed when it ignores or does not uplift the performance of employees. A small company which is unanimously run by a director and collaborating employees will often achieve the contents of a well crafted strategic plan. This process also entails involving e mployees in the day-to-day decision making and goal setting procedures. Commitment is an essential ingredient in strategic planning of a small firm. If both the executive arm of the organisation and the subordinate staff are committed in ensuring that the plan works, then the size of the firm does not matter at all; the objectives will still be achieved. It is also worth noting that commitment stems from goal setting theory. Employees will be committed if the goals which are set in the strategic plan are well understood. Moreover, the plan is bound to succeed if the management instils commitment to the employees in two ways. Firstly, workers should be made to understand the importance of the entire strategic plan and the goals set in it (Steiner, 1979). Without a sense of importance in the written document, there will be lack of commitment and irrespective of the size of the organisation; the strategic plan will not be functional. Another way of enhancing commitment is by ensuring t hat employees can actualise the benefit of the strategic plan on their part and not just on the general well being of the organisation. For instance, they can be promised additional fringe benefits in addition to such motivating factors like higher salaries and promotions. Small firms which adhere to such measures will often succeed in their quest for growth into market leaders (Fogg, 1994). Similar to any other aspect of planning, strategic planning also requires significant inputs. This includes elaborate intrinsic and extrinsic research to ascertain the ability of the small company against the trends in the current and future market. In this regard, the competitive analysis of the firm should be brought into consideration in addition to the ability of the organisation to undertake certain planning measures based on resource availability (Steiner, 1979). Strategic planning developed by small firms can often sail through if the two mentioned elements are critically analysed. Hence, whether a business enterprise is small or expanse in size, conscientious strategic planning followed by meticulous implementation can improve performance.

Sunday, January 19, 2020

The Big Sleep: Movie vs. Novel Essay -- Movie Film comparison compare

The Big Sleep: Movie vs. Novel      Ã‚  Ã‚   Film and literature are two media forms that are so closely related, that we often forget there is a distinction between them. We often just view the movie as an extension of the book because most movies are based on novels or short stories. Because we are accustomed to this sequence of production, first the novel, then the motion picture, we often find ourselves making value judgments about a movie, based upon our feelings on the novel. It is this overlapping of the creative processes that prevents us from seeing movies as distinct and separate art forms from the novels they are based on.    I enjoyed The Big Sleep by Howard Hawks, but can still recognize and appreciate the differences between it and Chandler's masterful novel. It is an objective appreciation of the two works which forms the foundation a good paper. One must look at the book as a distinct unit, look at the film as a distinct unit, and then (and only then) use one to compare/contrast the other in a critique. The film, after all, is not an extension of the novel&endash;as some would like to argue&endash;but an independent entity that can be constructed however the artist (Hawks in this case) wants. The novel is the inspiration; the film, the work itself.    Howard Hawks chose to film The Big Sleep in the genre of film noir; this seemed like the obvious choice for a hardboiled detective novel. Film noir is the "'dark film,' a term applied by French critics to [the] type of American film, usually in the detective of thriller genre, with low-key lighting and a somber mood" (Bordwell 479). By using this genre of filmmaking, Hawks had an effective vehicle with which to retain the tone of Chand... ...yer's daughter. In the book, Marlowe had less difficulty respecting his employer through his unnatural sense of chivalry.    Raymond Chandler and Howard Hawks both create incredible pieces of art with their individual representations of The Big Sleep. The differences between the works allow them to converse and argue with each other, thus creating a new interpretation on the themes of the story. Hawks' version seems to be about Marlowe's struggle with the unnatural world, Chandler's about a struggle with nature. The movie was well made, as the book was well written: both are sufficient to stand and to be appreciated alone.    Works Cited    Bluestone, George. Novels into Film. 1957. Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1961. Bordwell, David, and Kristin Thompson. Film Art: An Introduction. 5th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1997.

Saturday, January 11, 2020

A Petition to the President of the United States

My purpose in writing this essay was to show that while â€Å"A letter to the President of the United States† was written by someone who was very knowledgeable and signed or approved by many other scientists was not successful. This essay goes to show that sometimes no matter how much valid evidence is presented to an individual regarding why they should not make a decision, they disregard that and make the decision anyway. I hope that the readers are able to understand that the scientists were truly worried about what long term effects the use of the atomic bomb would have on the United States.Before this assignment, I was unaware that Szilard had written any type of letter to the President. I also have a better understanding of why the United States used the atomic bomb on Japan. In some ways, my perspective did change. I would now like to research what some think may have happened had the United States not used the atomic bomb. While writing this critical evaluation essay, I found myself conflicted as to the results. There was a part of me that wondered why the President had not taken the views expressed in the petition more seriously.Did the president truly think about the long term effects or was he looking for an immediate solution regardless of the ramifications? Personally, this was not one of my favorite assignments. While I enjoy history and learning more about the subject, this one was hard for me. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had chosen another article to write about. While this letter was able to portray ethos, pathos, and logos it was a short and precise letter. I chose â€Å"A Petition to the President of the United States† by Leo Szilard.I chose this because it was a subject that I was familiar with and I was interested in learning more about the letter and the effects the letter had. I think I have been able to use all of your previous questions to portray to you my feelings regarding this essay. I do not feel this is one of my best writing, and hope to use your feedback to better myself as a writer and to excel in this class. In the article, â€Å"A Petition to the President of the United States† Leo Szilard, the author of the petition, discusses why he thinks the use of atomic bombs is not a good idea.Szilard’s uses his expertise and knowledge to provide valid points behind his petition. Szilard is a working scientist in the field of atomic power. He also brings up the points of what has been said about the use of atomic bombs against the United States in the past and how the use of this type of weapon would be the first step to a weapon that would become even more powerful in the course of its development. He talks about how the American public also perceives the use of weapons in warfare. Szilard makes some valid points about why the atomic bomb should not be used on Japan.Szilard uses an appeal to ethos in order to make the petition more creditable. An appeal to ethos relies o n the credibility of the author. The first point that Szilard’s makes in his petition is about himself and the fellow scientist, who also signed the petition, and their background in the field of atomic power. â€Å"We, the undersigned scientists, have been working in the field of atomic power for a number of years. † (Szilard, 1945) This is a point that really grabs the attention of the reader. Szilard should have maybe elaborated on this point a little more.Using more facts that supported his background in atomic power possibly could have made the argument a little better because the reader might not be aware of how powerful the use of atomic bombs could be. Szilard also uses an appeal to pathos. An appeal to pathos relies on the audience’s emotions and feelings. â€Å"Atomic power will provide the nations with new means of destruction. The atomic bombs at our disposal represent only the first step in this direction and there is almost no limit to the destruc tive power which will become available in the course of this development.Thus a nation which sets the precedent of using these newly liberated forces of nature for purposes of destruction may have to bear the responsibility of opening the door to an era of devastation on an unimaginable scale. † (Szilard, 1945) In this exert, Szilard is trying to portray the President that the after effects of using the atomic bomb would not only affect Japan, but also the United States, as the United States would have to take on the responsibility of having unleashed this power and could also feel the effects if the atomic bo0mb were to be used against other countries in the future.The author uses logos, an appeal to the logic, by trying to reason with the president â€Å"We believe that the United States ought not to resort to the use of atomic bombs in the present phase of the war, at least not unless the terms which will be imposed upon Japan after the war are publicly announced and subse quently Japan is given an opportunity to surrender. † (Szilard, 1945) The author used logos reasoning throughout the paper, but it was most pparent in that statement. If Japan was aware of all the negative effects that the atomic bomb would have upon them, would there still be a need for the use of it or would Japan surrender to the United States? The scientist knew that not only would the atomic bomb affect the people that were alive then, but it would also have an effect on Japan for years to come. The use of the atomic bomb affected the land, food, and natural resources of Japan.Leo Szilard’s â€Å"A Petition to the President of the United States† created some very valid points and was written by a very knowledgeable scientist. in the end however, the petition was unsuccessful and President Harry S. Truman decided to use the atomic bombs on Japan. Works Cited Szilard, Leo and Cosigners. â€Å"A Petition to the President of the United States. † Atomicarc hive. com. 2011. Web. 11 May 2012.

Friday, January 3, 2020

Concerns on Artificial Intelligence Essays - 1826 Words

Concerns on Artificial Intelligence Artificial intelligence is still an infant compared to other technologies. It brings about great promises for our future and some even predict that its importance will rival that of the printing press. (Boden) By human nature, many tried to play God: People of all generation and all over the world dreamt of creating a being that is capable of carrying out human actions. A few decades ago, many regarded cloning as ludicrous and simply ignored it. However, we have accomplished it, and who knows what advancement is coming. Artificial intelligence, although nascent, is very popular and as Ray Kurtzweil suggests might be possible within the next thirty year. Kurtzweil further†¦show more content†¦The development of artificial intelligence, therefore, will benefit many, bringing about the common good. Artificial intelligence applications are numerous. Schools can buy interactive AI, which will never be bored or angry, to teach. Businesses can also benefit by hiring workers who are never bored, complain, or strike. However, there are many obvious ethical issues involved when dealing with artificial intelligence. First and most apparent, is that if we allow artificial research to continue, many workers, especially labor workers, will lose their jobs due directly to the development of artificial intelligence. This is absolutely unfair for these workers. What are they going to do? How will they support their families? Many will become homeless or turn to crime. The balance between the poor and the rich will be tipped. There will be few who will enjoy this development, namely the business owners, who have control of the AI and are independent of the lower class labor force. The rest will be in destitute. As we know, if only a small portion of society does â€Å"productive† work, the economy will be in chaos. According to Tom Shanks, a doctor for Applied Ethics at Markkula Center, when companies move toward robotics, it is the company’s responsibility to retrain employees who lost their jobs. (Machines)Show MoreRelatedArtificial Intelligence Ethical Issues1351 Words   |  6 PagesRecently technology has become a significant part of society, specifically for the medical field. People in the past have expressed concerns about the security and safety of implementing artificial intelligence (AI) into the medical field. Artificial intelligence is a computer system with human capabilities, such as decision making. Research has shown that AI could increase the efficiency and quality of patient care in the medical field. 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