Organizational Commitment Essay Example for Free

Organizational Commitment Essay The focal point of effective human resource management (HRM) is on managing people within the employer-employee relationship. As banks are considered a very critical industry of the economy, it is important that the workforces supporting these banks are well motivated and are effective in delivering the necessary work output. It includes the productive utilization of employees to achieve the organization’s business objectives and satisfy individual employee needs (Stone, 1998). HRM seeks to strategically combine the interests of an organization and its employees (McGraw, 2003). Consequently, ineffective HRM can be a major barrier to employee satisfaction and organization success (McGraw, 2003). HRM practices in the banking industry play a key role in attracting, motivating, rewarding, and retaining employees. HRM practices include recruiting employees, selecting employees, designing work, compensating employees, and developing good labor and employee relations (Noe, 2005). For the purpose of this study, the researcher bundled five specific human resource management practices. These are HR planning, training, career development, performance appraisal, and employee participation programs. The researcher chose to bundle HRM practices since bundled HRM practices produce interrelated and complimentary functions. For example, training and development, and performance appraisal overlap each others’ results. The appraisal of an employee’s performance will show potentials and identify gaps in employee’s knowledge, skills, and abilities that will be filled in by training and development. Furthermore, the alignment of HR practices produce synergy contributing to increase productivity and corporate financial performance (Huselid, 1995). Bundled HRM practices contribute to overall firm performance by motivating employees to adopt desired attitudes and behaviors (Bowen Ostroff, 2004). Moreover, Chang (2005) argues that employees perceived HR practice as an exclusive and single practice rather than separate and diverse fields. According to Fishbein’s (1963) an individual’s overall attitudes towards each HRM practices can be represented by a summation of the belief held about each HR practices. It is important to study HRM practices and its relationship with work related attitudes, and behaviors. Attitude is a mental state of readiness that is organized through experience, applying a dynamic influence on the individuals response to objects and situations to which it is related such as job satisfaction and organizational trust. (Allport, 1935). On the other hand, behaviors are manners in which an individual or group conduct and respond to his/her environment like Organizational Citizenship Behaviors or OCBs ( Robbins, 2005). Employee perception of organizational banking practices and working conditions within the banks of Jamaica influence employee attitudes and behavior (Guest, 2001). Existing organizational practices within banks in Jamaica such as HRM should facilitate the development of desired employee attitudes and behavior that contribute to enhance firm performance. Previous studies have found that positive perceptions of HRM practices lead to positive employee attitudes and behaviors such as job satisfaction (Guest, 1999), organizational trust, organizational commitment, organizational justice (Greenberg, 1990). Job satisfaction, organizational trust and OCBs were the variables selected to be studied in relation with HRM practices as these three elements are key factors in organizational effectiveness and these variables are considered understudied. These facets affect and overlap each other’s functions and outputs that contribute to the development of HRM practices. Furthermore, this study contributes to the literature by examining a wide breadth of outcome measures within the same study. The study extends HRM literature in three ways. First, it provides additional research in the examining the role of HRM practices to employee attitudes and behaviors since there are limited studies in HRM conceptualized as a bundle (Chang, 2005; Guest, 2004; Huselid 1995). Second, it examines the proposition of Morrison (1996) on the role of HRM practices in contributing to extra-role behaviors. An examination of HRM literature revealed that there has no study conducted investigating HRM to organizational citizenship behaviors. Third, it also simultaneously examines HRM, job satisfaction, organizational trust, and OCBs in one study. Previous studies have examined these variables separately. For example, Ellickson (2002) and Bradley, Petrescu, and Simmons (2004) conducted the study on HRM practices to job satisfaction, Tzafrir (2004) examined HRM practices to organizational trust. Furthermore, since there are limited studies on HRM practices within the banking industry; this would contribute to the importance of HRM practices in the management organization. Review of Related Literature Human Resource Management Practices HRM contribute to the attainment of an organizations competitive advantage through the strategic implementation of a highly committed and competent workforce using an integrated range of cultural, structural, and personnel techniques. Effective HRM leads to an organization success by developing employees that contributes to the delivery of products and services bring customer satisfaction, business results, and shareholder value (Stone, 1998). The main purpose of HRM is to improve the productive contribution of people wherein the employees are being heard by the management and helping the employees to find new resources that enable them to successfully perform their jobs (Ulrich, 1997). The role played by human resource functions is best explained by determining the key objectives that they seek to align strategies, develop effective policies, systems and activities which are significant to the firm’s overall success (Torrington, Hall Taylor, 2002; Storey, 1995). HRM functions are critical in running an effective organization. Organizations need to have a competitive HRM functions in order to maintain a competent workforce and attain business objectives (Newman Hodgetts, 1998). HRM function includes planning, training and development, career development, performance appraisal, and employee relations. These functions help organizations to facilitate strategies that allow them to achieve efficiency and effectiveness (Stone, 1998). HRM functions must change in manner that it accomplishes new roles and new competencies. It also has to be transformed to deal creatively and practically with the emerging challenge. HRM practices have a tangible and various intangible organizational consequences. Prior researches have found support for the role of HRM practices in predicting organizational commitment (Davidson, 1998), job satisfaction (Bradley et al. , 2004), and procedural justice (Edgar Geare, 2005). Job Satisfaction Job satisfaction is a pleasurable emotional state resulting from the valuation of his or her work (Locke, 1976; Steijn, 2002). Even though job satisfaction is a highly personal experience, there are a number of facets that seem to contribute the most to feelings of job satisfaction. Steijn (2002) stated that mentally challenging work, adequate compensation pay, career opportunity, the ready availability of promotions, people that are friendly, considerate, or good-natured superiors contribute to job satisfaction (Johns Saks, 2000). For instance, the ready availability of promotions is positively related to job satisfaction. The promotion given enhances the perception of the employees that they are valued enough by the organization (Garrido, Perez, Anton, 2005). Previous studies have shown that compensation (Bassett, 1994), opportunity for advancement (Schneider, 1994), psychological climate, and leadership style (Howell Frost, 1989) are antecedents of job satisfaction. Organizational Trust Trust is an individual’s expectation, assumption, or belief about the likelihood that another’s future action will be beneficial, favorable, or at least not detrimental to one’s interests (Meyer, Davis, Schoorman, 1995). Trust is considered to be an essential component in organizations since it is a consistent mechanism that supports organizational change and development in an unpredictable environment than hierarchical power and direct surveillance (Kramer Tyler, 1996). Several studies clearly indicate that the formation of trust within workplace relationships is complex and elusive (Tzafrir, 2003). Furthermore, workplace trust is a necessary element for the development of competitive advantage through support, co-operation, and improvement of systems. Trust is viewed as a feature of the social foundation that begins interactions among parties (Mayer Davis, 1999). According to Kramer and Tyler (1996), there is a need for organizational trust for the reason of there are organizational needs that are not to be disclosed and one of the elements to address these requirements are employees that trusts their organization. Currall and Judge (1995) defined trust as an individual’s reliance on another person under conditions of dependence and risk. Dependence means that one’s outcomes are reliant on the trustworthy or untrustworthy behavior of another. Furthermore, risk means that one would experience negative outcomes from the other person’s untrustworthy behavior (Kramer Tyler, 1996). Previous studies have shown that psychological contract breach (Costa 2001), leadership style and organizational communication are antecedents of organizational trust. Organizational Citizenship Behavior Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCBs) are behaviors that are discretionary, indirectly seen or recognized by the official compensation system, and as a whole encourage the effective functioning of an organization (Organ, 1998). It is also defined as an employee behavior that is above and beyond the call of duty and is therefore discretionary and not rewarded in the context of an organization’s formal reward structure (Konovsky Pugh, 1994). Social exchange is an explanatory mechanism to obtain OCBs. It refers to relationships that entail unspecified future obligations. Social exchange is a critical element in understanding OCBs. It is the theoretical basis and the starting point for OCBs to obtain. When HRM practices offered by the organization are perceived favorable by employees, they tend to reciprocate by OCBs (Organ, 1998). For example, when supervisors treat employees fairly, social exchange and the norm of reciprocity (Gouldner, 1960) dictate that employees reciprocate, and OCBs are the avenue for employee’s reciprocation. There are five dimensions of OCBs (Organ, 1998). First is altruism that involves all discretionary behaviors that have the effect of serving a specific other person with an organizationally important task or problems. The second is conscientiousness it is the extent that a person goes well beyond the satisfactory or required level in work attendance; the person exemplifies the brand of OCBs. Third is sportsmanship which the employees’ goodwill in tolerating less than ideal circumstances without â€Å"complaining and making a federal case out of small potatoes. † The fourth dimension is civic virtue which is the behavior that shows a concern for participating in corporate life for example, by performing tasks that they are not required to perform, and doing so for the benefit of the organization. It also implies a sense o involvement in what policies are adapted and which candidates are supported. The last dimension is courtesy which involves such actions as â€Å"touching base† with those parties whose work would be affected by one’s decision or commitments. Touching base refers to actions done by employees that their co-employees values (Organ, 1998). Previous studies have shown that procedural justice (Alotaibi, 2001; Organ, 1998), organizational commitment (Alotaibi, 2001; Mayer Allen, 1997; Moorman et al. , 1993 ), and job satisfaction (Alotaibi, 2001; Moorman et al. , 1993) leads to OCBs.

Being An International Student in a Post 9/11 World :: Terrorism Terrorists Essays

Being An International Student in a Post 9/11 World "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to be free," just not your students. "I knew what was going to happen after 9/11. It was understood," said Tariq Halela, a 21-year-old student at Boston University. What he understood was simple: for an international student, living in the United States would never be the same. Halela, an Indian born Kuwaiti native, has been studying stateside for over two years. He is an accounting major and speaks four languages -- English, Arabic, Hindi and Gujarati -- fluently. "I love it here in the states," he said. "That is why I was so worried when I got a call from the ISO [international student's office] saying I could be deported." Confusion over the new immigration rules and regulations is what gave Halela his first deportation scare. With stricter visas guidelines, the culmination of new policies the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have undertaken is the Student Exchange Visitor Information System, or SEVIS. Now, new international students can choose to study at any one of the over 7,000 SEVIS-certified universities in America. The schools, in turn, provide a plethora of information on the students ranging from the mundane - name, enrollment verification, date of birth - to the normally considered private information such as grades and field of study. Essentially, the SEVIS is a program designed to keep tabs on all the approximately one million international students studying here in the U.S. The SEVIS keeps a database housing all of a student's information to determine whether he or she can stay in the U.S. or can be allowed to come here in the first place. Although the program seems like a reaction to the 9/11 attacks, the birth of SEVIS dates back to the early '90s. One of the men convicted of the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center, Eyad Ismoil, had gained access to the U.S. through a student visa. In an attempt to help regulate the student visas system, Congress passed the Illegal Immigration and Immigrant Responsibility Act, which commissioned the government to create a system that manages information on all international students but Congress never pressed to make that system operational. When it was learned that two of the 9/11 highjackers, Mohamed Atta and Marwan Alshehi, also came tot he U.S. through student visas, Congress changed their tune.

The Great Alaska Adventure team is planning a five-day

The Great Alaska Adventure team is planning a five-day fly-fishing trip for the executive team of BlueNote, Inc. at the bequest of the President. The trip will be into the remote back country of Tikchik River, an area known for its wildlife and rugged terrain.The area is best known for its salmon fishing.   The trip will be all-inclusive except that the executives will be responsible for their own transportation to the Dillingham base camp. We will need to provide transportation from Dillingham to the Tikchik River Basin, boat transportation with motors, camping equipment and meals, guides and a four-hour fishing class. We will provide fishing licenses for all the guests and four experienced river guides.DiscussionThe first thing we need to find to deal with in the planning process is to find a way to get from Dillingham to the Tikchik. Most of the time people going on float trips down the river begin by taking a float plane to the lake at the head of the river.Our first concern wi ll be the cost of renting the float plane and making certain that it has sufficient space for our guests and our equipment. We will also need to hire four experienced guides who are also adept at fly-fishing and can teach our guests how to fly fish once we get on the river.   Once we get to the river, we will be able to make the float trip in 4 to 5 days. We will plan on food for six days at minimum and also take additional equipment for immediate preparation of our catch. In case of really bad luck fishing, we will take sufficient food to take care of three meals per day for at least six days.We will also want to take water purification tablets for drinking water and snacks. The boats will then be taken to the river and we will commence our trip down the river. The first thing will be our fly fishing class and then we will have lunch. Then we will float down the river for about four hours and get to the campsite for the evening. We will make camp and begin the first evening of se rious fishing. This will be repeated for the next four days.It sounds simple and like nothing could go wrong, right? Right. Nothing. Except what if the motors on the boats don’t work,   it rains every day and the raft capsizes the first day and we lose our food. What if we encounter a grizzly who thinks our guests look like a good morning snack or one of the guests is allergic to fish?   What if they forget their hip waders and end up with hypothermia?Some of these risks we can plan for and account for and some we try to mitigate. For example, by hiring experienced guides we should be able to minimize the chance of capsizing the raft and losing our equipment. In addition, we will hire at least one, preferably two guides with extensive first aid training and survival training, so that they can deal with injuries or illness in our guests and whatever the wildlife try to thrown at us.We will precheck the equipment before leaving Dillingham to make certain that the equipment is functional. This should reduce the chance of malfunction once we get into the wilderness. In addition, we will take both cellphones and a CB radio so that we can communicate with civilization should we need immediate medical assistance.   We will carry flares and the guides will be armed with shotguns in case of an animal attack.Since we are going in June, the likelihood is that the weather will be cooperative and we should have warm enough temperatures, but we will need to consider what alternatives will be in place should the week of the trip arrive and the weather be inappropriate for a trip into the back country. For example, if we find that the entire week is expected to be rainy and cold, we need to have an alternative plan in place. What is our responsibility if the trip must be canceled due to inclement weather?   

Slavery And The American Revolution - 1132 Words

Slavery, was an institution strongly integrated into American society. This economic system was primarily used in the Southern states of the United State on the plantation areas where tobacco, rice, corn, and eventually cotton were grown. Inspirations of freedom and liberty spread throughout the United States prior to the American Revolution. Along with thoughts of liberty came thoughts of emancipation of this system. â€Å"Even after the prolonged battle for independence, when cries for liberty rang throughout the countryside, opportunities for both emancipation and free blacks diminished.† Slavery stilled had a strong hold of the foundations of the southern economy. The â€Å"peculiar system† continued to grow rapidly, especially at the beginning of the nineteenth century, within the United States. Slavery, was an injustice to both male and female slaves however, women would endure more physical and emotional injustices than men by the means of themselves and their c hildren. The status and importance of a slave women within the â€Å"peculiar system† changed immensely in 1808. External slave trade was prohibited in 1808, making the survival and growth of the slave population an importance to slave owners. To insure there would be a sustainable and growing slave population, slave women were expected to reproduce more frequently. â€Å"Suddenly, enslaved African American women already expected to perform harsh and exactly physical labor, became the sole legal source of slave labor.† SlaveShow MoreRelatedSlavery And The American Revolution938 Words   |  4 Pagesconcepts that are constantly changing, and the American Revolution brought upon major changes to their definitions in the colonies. Two major changes of beliefs were in the concept of slavery and also the roles of women in society. The American Revolution was partly based on the right for American’s to control their own property. At this time property could include other human beings. Before the revolutionary war, slavery was a central institution in American society in the late 18th century. AlthoughRead MoreThe American Revolution And Slavery3056 Words   |  13 Pages Slavery Demetria Juarez 1301.11 US History From 1763-1877 Dr. Gwinyai P. Muzorewa Lamar University Abstract This mission involves discovering how the Civil War was remembered during the nineteenth century. Slavery was a controversial concern during this era, especially for those that endured the pain and suffering, the victims. Examining events, such as the Three-fifths Clause, the Fugitive Slave Clause, the Civil War and the abolition of Slavery. Observing these events,Read MoreSlavery And The American Revolution1987 Words   |  8 PagesSlavery has been a key issue in American history since the first settlers settled here in 1607. Historians such as Vincent J Rosivach writes that when the issue of slavery is mentioned the first thing people think about is the slavery model of the deep south, the cotton kingdom. Rosivach writes that there were many different slave models such as the northern American colonies and 4th century Athens. Rosivach and many other historians agree that the way slavery was done in the north was totally differentRead MoreSlavery And The American Revolution2902 W ords   |  12 PagesThat is the reason behind me choosing my topic on slavery in that era because it is such a wide and important topic with so much relevance and importance to creating the U.S. that we live in today not only building the foundation but creating the melting pot that the U.S. prides itself on. Within the body of this essay we will discussing many important topics on slavery including the Haitian Revolution, Brazil being the last country to abolish slavery, showing the difference between women and men slavesRead MoreAntebellum Slavery And The American Revolution885 Words   |  4 PagesAmerican slavery was something that was not only mentally challenging, but it was physically demanding as well. Many slaves did not have the luxury of a â€Å"kind† master, and many were mistreatment from birth. Slaves fought masters, and master fought slaves without regard to the human condition. Antebellum slavery was different than past forms of American slavery, because sl aves had gained a taste of the ideas that were spread from the American Revolution. These idea played a big role in slaves wantingRead MoreEssay on Slavery and the American Revolution1243 Words   |  5 Pagesthe slave population in the United States of America grew to 500,000 in 1176, documenting slavery as part of the American Revolution became increasingly important. America was rooted in slavery; and it contributed to the economy and social structure. The revolution forced citizens of the new nation to be conscious of slavery and its potential dismissal from every day life. Two articles that prove slavery only succeeded because of the false reality that slave owners created and the conformity toRead MoreSlavery During The American Revolution Essay1523 Words   |  7 PagesSlavery was held out until 1865, but during this time period abolitionist are trying to do anything to stop slavery. The reason being is because slavery wasn’t slavery anymore. Slavery was beginning to become more advance due to technological innovation. The Abolitionist are people that were against slavery and would boycott anything to get rid of slavery. The argument that the Abolitionist had during this time period was its conditions as violating Christian’s principals and rights to equalityRead MoreAntebellum Slavery And The American Revolution879 Words   |  4 PagesAmerican slavery was something that not only mentally challenging, but it was physically demanding as well. Many slaves did not have the luxury of a â€Å"kind† master, and many were mistreatment from birth. Slaves fought masters, and master fought slaves without regard to the human condition. Antebellum slavery was different than past form of American slavery, because slaves had gained a taste of the ideas that were spread from the American Revolution. These idea played a big role in slaves wanting freedomRead MoreEssay on Slavery and the American Revolution1771 Words   |  8 Pagesto slaver y and underwent the American Revolutionary War. Colonization of the New World by Europeans during the seventeenth century resulted in a great expansion of slavery, which later became the most common form of labor in the colonies. According to Peter Kolchin, modern Western slavery was a product of European expansion and was predominantly a system of labor. Even with the introduction of slavery to the New World, life still wasn’t as smooth as we may presume. Although the early American colonistsRead MoreEssay about The American Revolution and the Institution of Slavery580 Words   |  3 PagesIntroduction The American Revolution is defined as the political turbulence that took place towards the end of eighteenth century when thirteen colonies in America united to attain freedom from the British Empire (Clifford, 2005). The union of the thirteen colonies is now known as the United States of America. According to Clifford (2005), the American Revolution occurred because of a series of political, intellectual, and social transformations in the American government and society, which is

Lust and the Degeneration of Man Exposed in Shakespeare’s...

Lust and the Degeneration of Man Exposed in Shakespeare’s 129th Sonnet Love in its purest form is the most unsurpassable of all emotions, requiring intense commitment, while simultaneously providing incomparable bliss. However, often the intense desire for these feelings produces a new emotion, lust, with a craving that gives priority to obtaining an objectified person, as opposed to a very real human. Lust can be further practically defined as the inability to place selfless love on a higher pedestal than selfish desire. Shakespeare explores these conflicting definitions of lust in his 129th sonnet, condemning his animalistic variations of lust that coexist with his desire for a genuine state of love. As opposed to following the†¦show more content†¦When juxtaposed with the opening line, an inappropriate form of lust is a waste of the vitality that a person can give to the world in the form of intellect. In accordance with this natural tendency, the tone of the first half of the sonnet is most definitely savage (Martin 5), supported by the wor ds bloody†¦murderous, which brings about the connotation of a fierce creature of nature with only the desire to quench the physical thirst. These first lines support the wild tendencies by comparing Shakespeare’s initial action of lust to the first defense (Vendler 551) of an animal, partial to primitively impulsive behavior. The speaker is trying to erase his guilt when his rationality as a man should advise a reformation of his reasons for love. Throughout the sonnet, there is a continuous reference, more technically, a conceit of the hunt that further enhances the image of animals in their natural setting, uninhibited by society’s rules. Some critics have gone so far as to contest that Shakespeare mocks primitive lust. However, its sole presence is quite pitiful, for the speaker is unable to grasp a greater level of satisfaction that is everlasting, not ephemeral. The distinction between selflessness and selfishness is one that separates the human from the sava ge animal, although these opposing

Is it Possible to Prove the Existence of God - 532 Words

Is it Possible to Prove the Existence of God? There are many arguments that have been brought forward to support or refute the existence of God. Even in early times, these arguments were there and a number of philosophers argued on the possibility of God’s existence. St. Thomas Aquinas is one of the philosophers who supported the existence of God. In one of his writings that is referred to as Summa Theologica, he provides five ways in which God’s existence can be proved (Aidan, 2001). I belong to this school of thought which believes that God does exist. Therefore, this paper seeks to present arguments that prove the existence of God. First and foremost, the possibility of God itself implies the existence of God. Maydole (1980) gives an in-depth analysis of St. Anselm who was of the idea that God could not be a being that is greater than which the human mind can conceive. Therefore, if there is even a slightest consideration that God exists, then he does exist. He goes on to assert that there can only be one supreme being in existence and that the same supreme being cannot be greater that itself. Therefore, this argument suggests that co-supremity among distinct things is impossible. For that reason, God exists. The second convincing argument about the existence of God concerns the way in which the world is governed. Things such as natural bodies do not have a mind of their own and yet they act for an end. Such ends, seemingly pursues the best results. It cannot beShow MoreRelatedThe Existence Of God : Ontological Argument Essay1696 Words   |  7 PagesThe question of the existence of God has troubled mankind for thousands of years. Many philosophers and theologians have always searched for prove whether God exists. Many of them constructed valid arguments which support theist believes. The existence of God was once never denied, as His presence, His existence was evident in miracles and the people s faith. But time and the advancement of modern science have called God and His very nature into question. The Perfect Being has become the sourceRead MoreValidity And Effectiveness Of Anselm s Ontological Argument On The Existence Of God1095 Words   |  5 Pages1 Assignment Phil 141 Fall 2016 Frank In this philosophical paper I will be examining the validity and effectiveness of Anselm s Ontological Argument on the existence of God. I will begin by presenting Anselm’s Ontological Argument from the ground up. This includes the argument, basic idea, initial assumptions, Anselm’s definition of god, and Anselm s distinctions which are needed to completely understand the nature of my argument. Furthermore, I will present concepts of logic and define whatRead MoreThe Possibility of Proving the Existence of God Using Inductive and Deductive Arguments1222 Words   |  5 PagesProving the Existence of God Using Inductive and Deductive Arguments Many philosophers have attempted to prove the existence of God, although there is no argument as yet which proves without any doubt that God exists. A proof is the demonstration that something is true or, in this case, that God exists. There are 3 types of proof; direct, deductive, and inductive. A direct proof is when something is immediately obvious, so therefore, it cannot be used to prove Gods existenceRead MoreOntological Argument For The Existence Of God1083 Words   |  5 Pagesthe existence of god. His basis of his argument being an analytical breakdown for the reason fot gods exsistence. While also establishing that Anselms inferences found with his use of deduction and logical means to prove the existence of a higher being are indeed true. In addition I will defend Anselms argument by depicting other people’s objections against his argument. Specifically the argument made by Gaunilo, who disagreed with Anselms argument and tried to use logical reasoning to prove himRead MoreAdvantages Of The Ontological Argument1261 Words   |  6 Pagesthat God exists so that His existence cannot be questioned otherwise. It is a deductive argument that argues de dicto – the premises involving the definition of God and existence. It is based on a priori knowledge that comes to an analytic statement that is necessarily valid. If the premises of the argument are true , then the conclusion is self-evident and and the argument provides absolute proof for the existence of God. This is in direct contrast with other arguments for the existence of God suchRead MoreAnselms Existence of God Refuted Essay1110 Words   |  5 PagesAnselms Existence of God Refuted Anselms Existence of God Refuted If the only proofs for the existence of God were Aquinas’s five ways and Anselm’s ontological argument, in my opinion, Anselm provides the best reasoning. I am not saying that Anselm’s argument is good, or even valid, but just that given the set of proofs by Aquinas and Anselm, Anselm’s is better. Anselm argues, in effect, that the existence of God is built into the very concept of God. He proceeds by a form of argumentRead MoreThe Medieval Sourcebook For Anselm s 1033-1009 Proslogium1175 Words   |  5 Pagesontological argument. Aselm attempts to prove the existence of God through one single argument which is that God does truly exist. However, there will always be dilemmas, conflicts or predicaments when it comes to such sensitive and personal topics such as the existence of God. Atheists are types of people who do not believe in the existence of God and have been continuously denying his existence. I personally am Christian and I therefore have a strong belief in God. That being said, my belief and theoriesRead MoreSt. Thomas Aquinas Essay823 Words   |  4 Pagesused ancient philosophy to prove religious propositions. One of the ancient philosophers that St. Thomas Aquinas used to prove religious facts was Aristotle. One of the greatest works that Aristotle did was to p rove that god really exists. St. Thomas Aquinas used the forms that Aristotle and Plato used to prove the same philosophical question, does god really exist? St. Thomas Aquinas, first started by stating, is the existence of God self-evident. Here he states that God because he is self-evidentRead MorePerfect Island Objection by Anselm of Canterbury1504 Words   |  7 Pagesthe basis that there exists a fundamental dissimilarity between the concept of existence in our minds, and that of existence in reality. This essay will present two objections to Anselm’s Ontological argument, namely, the ‘Perfect Island Objection’ and the ‘Existence is not a Predicate’ objection, whilst also discussing possible responses to these objections. The Ontological Argument sets out to prove the existence of God, as defined by Anselm as ‘something than which nothing greater can be conceived’Read MoreThe Meditations On First Philosophy By Rene Descartes916 Words   |  4 PagesPhilosophy by Rene Descartes is a thorough analysis about doubt. Descartes describes his method of doubt to determine whether he can truly know something. One of his major arguments is the proof of the existence of God. In this paper, I will attempt to unravel the flaws in Descartes proof that God exists. In the meditations, Descartes evaluates whether or not everything we know is a reality or a dream. Descartes claims that we can only be sure that our beliefs are true when we clearly and distinctively

Implementation Risks in Investment Projects †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Implementation Risks in Investment Projects. Answer: Introduction: A project is a temporary endeavor with a definite beginning and end, organized into various activities with the aim of delivering a specified product or achieving a change never experienced before. Project development entails initiation, planning, executing, closing and costing of the intended project. This project involves upgrading the technology used in the parcel post company, such as the use of RFID tags and readers to replace barcodes. This is to enhance the visibility of packages during transit and ensure that they reach their destination without loss or damage (Batkovsky et al., 2016). The project scope is the part of project planning that entails defining and documenting the projects specific goals and objectives, tasks, expenses, deliverables, and the deadline. The main objective of this project is to increase the discernibility of the parcels while in transit for both the client and the parcel post company. This will decrease the chances of losing customer packages, as well as increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the services provided. This will be achieved by the use of Radio-frequency Identification (RFID), which will identify and track tags attached to the containers. In my opinion, active tags should be used since they can operate hundreds of meters away from the RFID reader and use a local power supply such as a battery. Also, there is a need for the development of sensors to be fitted onto the trucks to recognize which containers are loaded. Outsourcing of services is a requirement for the development of software, which will detect which parcel is in which container and in which truck the latter is loaded. These new developments will bring the need for customer training on how to use the software to track their own packages. Before outsourcing the software development services, it is important to find out about the credibility of the outsourcer and ensure that the contract is in written form and signed. The company should involve its lawyer in all these activities to make the agreement binding and the action lawful. The integrity of the Chinese supplier should also be thoroughly assessed before any further actions can be taken. Moreover, the truck drivers should be informed about the RFID tags and strictly warned against tampering with them. It is crucial for me as the asset manager to work very closely with the business analysts, the project manager, and the outsourcer in order to do an excellent job in the instigation, planning, implementation, and closing of the project. The project manager brings together a team and oversees the overall planning and execution by developing schedules, estimating cost and time, analyzing and managing risks, as well as making other essential decisions concerning the project. My responsibilities include managing, maintaining, upgrading, receiving, and dispatching assets from the post, while the business analysts ensure that the final product or solution meets the business needs. He or she is involved in the projects initiation to determine the companys requirements, breaks down those requirements by analyzing the budget and costs involved and presenting these to the stakeholders for approval, document the proposed changes, ensure that all errors made during implementation are documented for future references, and monitor the new system for any hitches. For the project team to work together, it is incredibly important for all the parties to have good communication skills to ensure that everyone clearly understands the business requirements and agrees upon how the projects goals will be met (Gurd, Helliar, 2017). Electrical failures would lead to huge losses; Therefore, the company should curb this by ensuring the availability of a well-functioning generator throughout the system The occurrence of chaos is a possibility if some clients are impatient to receive their products, and thus, may cause a disturbance to the truck drivers during transportation. The first option to be undertaken for this project should be the fitting of RFID tags. This is because through their roles of identification and tracking of the containers, it is possible to distinguish in which truck they are located. Since the trucks have already been fitted with GPS tracking devices, the current location of both the container and the van can, therefore, be located. Also, simply purchasing the FRID tags and fixing them to the containers, in my belief, is cheaper than the development of the intended software. The company should then proceed to outsource the development of software to determine the parcels in each container. As my assumption, these two advancements would make work easier, avoid wastage of time while sorting out the packages, and reduce confusion and mix-up. The final step for the organization to take should be fitting sensors to the trucks to classify which containers each of them contains and the number of containers. The developer should also ensure that the system operates proficiently and without any glitches. It is the project deliverable that classifies the teams work into different manageable segments. This can be done by using the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK), which is one of the most popular methodologies in project management. In this project, the major deliverables to be achieved are the attachment of RFID tags to the containers, developing sensors and fitting them to the trucks, and the development of software to identify which parcels are contained in each container and which containers are loaded to which truck. An analysis of the Chinese suppliers work should be done to find out if their products are original and effective. The fact that the project is not time-critical offers a sufficient period to carry out a short-time research on this vendor. If the seller is trustworthy, then the next step would be to negotiate the quoted price to keep it within the companys budget. Suppose this is also successful, then the purchase would be made and the RFID tags attached to the containers by professionals who would make sure that the RFID system is operating competently. This would be carried out by an outsourcer, and the sensors would be responsible for detecting the presence or absence of the containers in the courier vans at the depot. The sensors monitors would immediately send a message to my work station whenever there is a change in load or when it has been damaged. Professionals should be hired by the companys management to fix the sensors into the courier vans to ensure the operative transfer of information from the sensors in the future. Being the first time for the company to outsource any services to an external supplier, regulatory measures should be taken into consideration. The organization should also seek information on the reliability of the outsourcer and the fitness of their skills. After identifying the appropriate company or independent contractor to outsource these services to, the project manager should explain to them the exact requirements of the company regarding the software. The outsourcer would be the right individual to integrate the newly developed software into the organizations operations as he or she would have the details about their specific creation that other professionals may find hard to recognize. The business analysts should then carry out a thorough analysis of the software to find out if it meets and will continue to meet the specific business requirements in the future. Their decision would then lead to the implementation of the software into the day-to-day activities of the company. The total cost of the whole process would be equated to the estimated costs (budget) laid out previously by the project manager. The most critical aspect of this project is to ensure that the implemented system is working excellently. This could lead to incurring costs above the set budget; however, the company would consequently cover these costs due to increased client base from increased efficiency and waning of the number of parcels lost in transit. It is also a benefit to the organization that the owners of the 40 trucks will take care of the purchase and the maintenance of devices fitted to them. Risk Breakdown Structure Technical risk External Organizational Project Inappropriate presentation Real-time performance RFID disruption RFID reader collision RFID failure Accidents economic conditions legislation power blackouts political change Theft deceit data loss financial risk Reputational risk Cost management Complications Lack of executive support change in scope resigning Risk Evalution and Analysis Inappropriate presentation: being the very first time the company is outsourcing IT services, it is very likely to hire a vendor with no concrete expertise leading to failure of the project Real-time performance: the software may not function as is expected and may produce untimely results Disruption of active RFID tags is easy via continuous interrogation wearing the battery down RFID reader collision: the fact that the tags will be fitted into all 10 thousand containers means that the probability of readers ramming is very high RFID failure: both the RFID reader and the database that stores information are prone to system letdowns. These risks are unlikely to occur unless the company outsources the IT services to an untrustworthy vendor. Their consequences would, however, cause a lot of losses and lead to the failure of the project. Technical risks are therefore intolerable in this situation as they have negative effects both qualitatively and quantitatively. Accidents: the courier vans may be involved in accidents during transit causing damage or loss of the packages Power blackouts: in that few minutes or seconds before the generator or other power supply is turned on, some data could have been lost or parcels stolen Economic conditions: if the countrys economic situation changes during any stage of the project development, it would lead to an unintended variation in the companys plans Political change: this would negatively or positively affect the operations of the organization, yet it does not have control over this factor Government legislation: if the government changed its terms of regulating parcel post companies, then this project establishment would definitely be affected These are risks that are beyond the control of the corporation and are rare due to the fact that factors such as the economic and political conditions of a country do not change very often. The organization can only accept such changes and adapt them into their operation. Theft: outsourcing of IT services to an untrustworthy outsourcer could lead to loss of some parcels in the future by externally altering the data in the system Data loss: a dishonest vendor can destroy or delete the data contained in the companys system causing losses Deceit: it is possible for the FRID supplier from China to supply fake FRID tags Reputational risk: the organization could lose its good reputation if the outsourced software failed, leading to loss of customers packages Financial risk: outsourcing services to an unknown vendor and accepting supplies from a foreign seller exposes the companys finances to possible loss due to the uncertainty of the outcomes of those actions The occurrence of organizational risks is unlikely in this case because the company had planned for this development earlier on. There occurrence would, however, affect the company qualitatively, for example lack of enough resources would lead to development of a less competent software. They are tolerable as long as the organization puts measures in place to come up with more resources for use. Cost management: this is a challenge as the project manager and the business analysts strive to meet the objectives of the project within the limited budget. This could lead to a huge loss in cash Executive support: lack of sufficient support by the companys senior management would put a lot of pressure on me and the project manager, and this could possibly lead to the projects failure Change in scope: in IT projects, this is a common occurrence no matter how detailed the projects scope. The stakeholders may come up with new suggestions in mid-project which need consideration (Osei-Kyei et al., 2017). Unforeseen complications may arise and cause the team to go behind the schedule Resigning of a key project team member: this causes a rearrangement of the entire team and unavailability of a suitable person could lead to project failure Project risks are also rare in this venture because the management of the company is determined to support it and the key players are excited about it therefore are unlikely to withdraw. The magnitude of this risk would be large and possibly lead to miscarriage of the project but they are tolerable and can be avoided by motivating the project team. Transfer: one reason for outsourcing services to the third party is due to the dissemination of the risk. Failure in the functioning of the developed software would not only be handled by the organization, but by the outsourcer as well. Failure of the system is a huge risk since it can lead to loss of all data or leakage to the public. All possible measures should be undertaken to avoid RFID failure, such as ensuring the tags are attached superbly and the readers are kept in a safe place. However, it may not be possible to avoid system failure, which can occur as a result of unforeseen situations in which case it can be accepted (retention) and the loss dealt with appropriately. External risks refer to the possibility of loss from situations in which an organization has no control over. There is no way for the organization to avoid these risks as their effects are wide ranged, that is, they affect all companies in the region. Retention: the only way to cope with external risks is, therefore, acceptance by the company as quickly as possible so as to solve the problems appropriately and immediately when the situation changes. Avoidance: these risks can be mostly avoided by being absolutely sure that the required services are outsourced from a known and trustworthy vendor (Olson, Wu, 2017). Reduction: the effects of these risks, for instance, financial risks can be decreased by making smart money decisions and budgeting for the upgrading appropriately Conclusion It is obvious that improved technology in the parcel post company would increase the rate at which work is done, and thus, the customer base as well. Development of software to discern the parcels in each container and the vessels in each truck is not an easy task, as observed. The company engages in outsourcing of these IT services, which could be very risky as company lacks any previous experience in outsourcing. Ensuring the credibility of the outsourcer and the RFID supplier is critical for success of this project development. In my opinion as the asset manager, this project is worth implementing as long as there is good risk management schemes put in place to mitigate or avoid risks that arise during the process. References Cole, S., Gin, X., Vickery, J. (2017). 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