Managing Homeland Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Managing Homeland Security - Essay Example Emergency managers, in their pursuit of tackling critical problems, need to make the best use of available resources, and act efficiently during disaster situations. Although the role of an emergency manager is magnified only during problematic conditions, his work is nevertheless an on-going process. The department of emergency management is required to prepare in advance for potential disasters, respond effectively during disasters, and ensure the well-being and settlement of residents after the disasters are over. Emergency Management departments try their best to make sure that the opportunity cost of emergency management actions such as emergency preparedness and hazard are less than the long-term losses incurred from maximum credible disasters. As the Emergency Management Coordinator, it is my job to have proper hazard and vulnerability analysis of the city conducted frequently, and facilitate training to task-forces, as well as citizens to ensure that the city is prepared to handle catastrophic situations at all times. These trainings can be done in the form physical exercises and drills, or dissemination of safety information. Also included as part of my duty is the creation of new positions and policies for the innovative and initiated minds, redefining responsibilities and considering budget requirements. Moreover, I shall endeavour to form coalitions with banks, insurance companies, local government agencies, and other forms of community groups so as to reduce disaster losses to the city and its residents. When a situation arises, it is important that emergency managers work in collaboration with other public service and safety departments like the police force, fire department and paramedics. To achieve unanimity of purpose, an emergency manager can work towards ensuring that public safety departments are in frequent contact with each other, and information flows through them without barriers of

Tour Operations Essay Example for Free

Tour Operations Essay Aim and purpose The aim of this unit is to develop learners’ understanding of the dynamic and challenging world of tour operations and for them to appreciate the variety of tour operators’ products and services. Learners will gain knowledge of how tour operators plan, sell and administer a package holiday programme and will also develop practical skills to plan and cost a package holiday. Unit introduction Every year millions of people turn to tour operators to provide them with holidays to all corners of the world. In this unit learners will explore how tour operators link with different types of travel and tourism organisations to provide a wide range of holiday experiences. They will see that tour operators must respond to legislation and external influences, and also face many challenges in the constantly changing travel and tourism sector. Learners will investigate these challenges and the ways in which tour operators respond to them. Tour operators are at the forefront of the travel and tourism sector, constantly seeking out new destinations and holiday experiences to satisfy the ever-demanding and ever-changing needs of today’s holidaymakers. Different types of tour operators will be identified and learners will examine how they develop an extensive portfolio of products and services to meet differing customer needs. Whatever their size, tour operators must work through the same processes when planning, developing, selling and operating their holiday programmes. These different functions will be examined and time scales identified. Learners will find that tour operators compete in a commercially sensitive environment and they will identify how commercial considerations inform many of the business practices. Practical skills will be developed in the planning and costing of a tour operator’s package holiday, allowing learners to appreciate some of the commercial decisions to be made in this competitive industry. Learning outcomes On completion of this unit a learner should: Understand the tour operations environment Know the range of products and services offered by tour operators for different target markets Know how tour operators plan, sell, administer and operate a package holiday programme Be able to plan and cost a package holiday. Unit content 1 Understand the tour operations environment Links with other component industries: travel agents; transport providers; accommodation providers; providers of ancillary products and services eg insurance, car hire; horizontal and vertical integration Links with trade and regulatory bodies: The Travel Association (ABTA); Federation of Tour Operators (FTO); Association of Independent Tour Operators (AITO); UKInbound; Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Legal framework: EU Package Travel Regulations; consumer protection eg Trades Description Act, Consumer Protection Act, Disability Discrimination Act; contract law; licensing eg Air Transport Operators Licence (ATOL) External influences: environmental eg hurricanes, floods; political eg terrorism, strikes. taxes; economic eg currency fluctuations, price of oil; social eg UK demographics, exploitation in host country; technological eg internet, computerised reservation systems Challenges: eg dynamic packaging, distribution channels, integration, budget airlines, maintaining market share, trend towards independent travel, responsible tourism 2 Know the range of products and services offered by tour operators for different target markets Tour operator categories: outbound; inbound; domestic; specialist; mass market Products and services: components of standard package; tailor made; range of destinations; accommodation choices; transport options; ancillary products and services Target market: eg families, couples, solo travellers, specific age groups, special interests, people with specific needs 3 Know how tour operators plan, sell, administer and operate a package holiday programme Planning: research; forecasting; product development; methods of contracting; costing the package; data input; timescales Sell: brochure production; pricing strategies; distribution eg travel agents, internet, direct sell; promotions eg advertising, sales promotions, sponsorship; reservations; commission; late sales Administer: confirmations; rooming lists; passenger manifests; errata; cancellations; amendments; travel itineraries; ticketing Operations: consolidations; load factors; over-bookings; transport operations; duty office; UK and overseas resort liaison; health and safety; emergency situations; crisis management; quality control; customer service (pre-, during and post-holiday); excursion sales Commercial considerations: maximising profitability; links to different planning, selling, administrative and operational functions 4 Be able to plan and cost a package holiday Plan: destination; transport; accommodation; excursions (included, optional); activities; additional services Cost a package holiday: using load factors; mark-up or profit margin; currency conversions; fixed costs; variable costs Assessment and grading criteria In order to pass this unit, the evidence that the learner presents for assessment needs to demonstrate that they can meet all the learning outcomes for the unit. The assessment criteria for a pass grade describe the level of achievement required to pass this unit. Assessment and grading criteria To achieve a pass grade the evidence must show that the learner is able to: To achieve a merit grade the evidence must show that, in addition to the pass criteria, the learner is able to: M1 discuss the impact of challenges facing tour operators To achieve a distinction grade the evidence must show that, in addition to the pass and merit criteria, the learner is able to: D1 evaluate the effectiveness of tour operators in responding to challenges facing the sector recommend, with justification, how a selected tour operator could expand its range of products and services for its current target market or adapt its range of products and services to appeal to a new market. P1 explain the tour operations environment and the challenges it faces P2 describe the products and M2 analyse how a selected services provided by different tour operator’s portfolio categories of tour operator of products and services for different target markets meets the needs of its target market(s) D2 P3 outline how tour operators plan, sell, administer and operate a package holiday programme, identifying commercial considerations plan and cost a package holiday for inclusion in a tour operator’s programme [CT 1, CT 2, CT 3, CT 4, CT 5, CT 6]. M3 explain ways of maximising profitability during the different stages of planning, selling, administering and operating a package holiday. P4 PLTS: This summary references where applicable, in the square brackets, the elements of the personal, learning and thinking skills applicable in the pass criteria. It identifies opportunities for learners to demonstrate effective application of the referenced elements of the skills. Key IE – independent enquirers CT – creative thinkers RL – reflective learners TW – team workers SM – self-managers EP – effective participators Essential guidance for tutors Delivery It is likely that learners will have already identified the role of tour operators when examining the structure of the UK travel and tourism sector in Unit 1: Investigating the Travel and Tourism Sector. A simple recap would be useful and this could be achieved by asking learners to produce their own definition of tour operators and a summary of their role within the sector, perhaps producing a diagram that highlights their position within the  structure. Holiday brochures will help learners to identify how tour operators link with other component industries when providing and selling holiday packages. Links with trade and regulatory bodies and the legal framework could be researched in small groups, culminating in short, informal presentations. Vertical and horizontal integration can be a difficult concept for some learners and they will benefit from being given simple definitions, followed by practical tasks using the internet and holiday brochures to research one of the large in tegrated organisations. Findings could be presented in the form of a diagram and could then be compared with one of the integration charts that are produced from time to time by the trade press. Tutors will need to explain how the travel and tourism sector is constantly changing (which is why textbook models of integration are likely to be out of date). Learners will need to read the trade press regularly in order to keep abreast of changes of ownership and takeovers. Tutors could initiate a debate or discussion on the impact of integration to determine whether integration is a good or bad force within the sector, and about the challenges integration creates. Research activities could be developed to examine external influences including environmental, political, economic, social and technological influences. Hurricanes, the credit crunch, unemployment and terrorist activities are just a few occurrences that can present significant challenges for tour operators. A noticeboard could be created in the classroom to display any topical events or issues. Learners need to appreciate that there are hundreds of different tour operators, falling broadly into the categories of outbound, inbound, domestic, mass market and specialist. Learners, in pairs or small groups, could research to identify tour operators within each of the categories, and the range of products and services they offer. The internet is an excellent source of information, as are holiday brochures; however, tutors should discourage indiscriminate collection of holiday brochures. Learners will find that most tour operators have products and services that target different market segments and this will be reflected in some of the accommodation, travel, destination and ancillary services choices provided. Learners need to understand that all tour operators, whether large or small, carry out the same functions when planning, selling, administering and operating the holiday package. Larger tour operators may  have separate departments to carry out a particular function whereas a very small tour operator might have just one person responsible for a range of functions. A practical task could involve learners organising a college trip and relating the activities they carry out to the functions of tour operating. A visit to a large- or mediumsized tour operator would be very beneficial so that learners can see how tour operators work and how the different functions are carried out. Additional tutor input on planning, selling, administration and operations will be required. Activities using case studies can reinforce understanding of aspects such as different methods of contracting, currency considerations and pricing strategies. It is essential that learners develop a sound understanding of all functional areas. Discussions are to be encouraged to help learners appreciate commercial considerations, the difficulties tour operators have in making a profit and to identify ways in which profit can be maximised within the planning, selling, administrative and operational functions. In preparation for assessment, learners will need to practise designing and planning a package. Working in groups to a specific brief, they could practise by planning a college trip. As part of the planning, they would need to consider transport options, type of accommodation and board basis, excursions and activities. Each group could present their proposals to the class and vote on the most interesting proposals. Tutors should explain the terms ‘load factor’, ‘mark up’, ‘profit margin’, ‘fixed costs’ and ‘variable costs’ and then work through simple costing exercises to show how these terms are used. When learners have understood the process for costing a package, exercises should be designed to put this into practice. Tutors may need to devise additional exercises before learners become confident in working with these calculations.

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In the past, people have always tried their own ways of using daily measurements. It was needed and used for daily trade as well as further businesses. These things could only have been made if the people knew they were being fair and honest; hence, the reason that different measurements needed to exist. Many short distance measurements were based on the lengths of the human body. The width of a thumb was used to resemble the inch, which we used today in the English System of Measurements. The foot, which is twelve inches, was compared to the length of the human foot; however, today it is derived to be longer than most people’s feet. The yard, which is equal to three feet, was inferred to be the length from the tip of the nose, to the end of the middle finger when the arm and hand are extended. The Anglo Saxons of England measured these short differences in their own ways too. The length of three barleycorns was their length of the inch (it was very close to the modern length) . Then in 1066, the Normans conquered England and brought back to England the Roman tradition of the twelve inch foot. During the reign of Henry I the foot became official and was engraved on the base of a column of St. Peter’s church in London (Rowlett, R. (2001). A dictionary of units of measurement. English customary weights and measures). He also arranged the yard to be established in England as well. Although, inches, feet, yards etc. measured shorter distances, miles were used to measure much longer distances. This mile was a Roman unit, which was primarily the length of 1,000 paces of a Roman legion. The â€Å"pace† was meant to be two steps, about five feet, which measured the mile to be roughly about 5,000 feet. The basic unit that was used for weight ... .... Origin of the metric system). Currently, people of many countries use this SI unit for measurements. The meter is used for measuring length (it can be converted to millimeters, centimeters, decimeters, kilometers, decameters, and hectometers). The liter is used to measure volume and its conversions are similar to the meter conversions. The gram is used to measure mass and its conversions follow the meter’s conversions as well. Scientists from all over the world make sure of they use this metric system in order to communicate data and make all calculations simpler. Although a vast majority of world uses the metric system in daily activities, the United States, UK, and other countries decide to still use English units daily. And even though everyone in the world may use different measurements daily, it was all created to make our lives a little simpler each day.

Mexican Folk Music: El Corrido Essay -- Music, Oral Folk History

During the late 19th century and early 20th century, a form of Mexican folk music called the corrido gained popularity along the Mexico-Texan border (Saldà ­var). Growing from the Spanish romance tradition, the corrido is a border ballad â€Å"that arose chronicling the history of border conflicts and its effects on Mexican-Mexican culture† (Saldà ­var). A sort of â€Å"oral folk history,† the corrido was studied intensely by Amà ©rico Paredes, who then constructed his masterpiece, George Washington Gomez, around the â€Å"context and theme† of the corrido (Mendoza 146). But the novel is not a traditional corrido, in which the legendary hero defends his people and dies for his honor. Instead, through its plot, characterization, and rhetorical devices, George Washington Gomez is an anti-corrido. The corrido has been identified as having distinctive characteristics that make up its theme and plot. First, the corrido has a â€Å"context of hostile relations between Anglos and Mexicans along the border and the establishment of a scenic structure, geographical locale, and opposing social forces† (Mendoza 146). The corrido’s hero â€Å"is a hard-working, peace-loving Mexican, who, when goaded by Anglos, outrages into violence, causing him to defend his rights and those of others of his community against the rinches, the Rangers† (Saldà ­var). This hero â€Å"is quickly introduced in legendary proportions and defiant stature† and many people must die before the hero reaches his triumphant, but tragic, demise (Mendoza 146). The Anglos in the corrido, meanwhile, are not one-dimensional villains but â€Å"complex figures who contain positive as well as negative qualities† (Mendoza 146). These distinctive traits of a corrido – setting, confli ct, and characterization, among others – ... ...l. â€Å"Ge-or-ge,’ she called in an exaggerated Gringo accent. He looked back. Tears were running down her rigid, expressionless face. ‘Cabron!’ she said. ‘Vendido sanavabiche!’† (Paredes 294) In this way, George – no longer Guà ¡nlito – has politically and culturally betrayed his people, and â€Å"is not is not the tragic hero who has died in defense of his people† (Mendoza 148). In conclusion, through its plot, characterization, and rhetorical devices such as tone, George Washington Gomez is an anti-corrido. However, it must be said that perhaps in its purpose as an anti-corrido, the novel is a corrido. In telling the story of Guà ¡nlito, the anti-hero of the Mexicotexans, perhaps Paredes is singing the readers his own border ballad, an ironic, cautionary tale to the Chicanos to remember who they are and where they came from and to resist, always, as a corrido hero would.

Stefan’s Diaries: Origins Chapter 25

Excitement coursed through my veins as I stole out of the house, across the dew-dropped lawn, and toward the carriage house. I slid past Emily, who held the door open for me, and bounded up the stairs. I no longer needed the candle to find my way to Katherine. There, in the bedroom, she was wearing her simple cotton nightdress and absentmindedly swinging a crystal necklace that sparkled in the moonlight. â€Å"I think Father may be persuaded to call off the siege. At least he's willing to talk. I know I'll be able to change his mind,† I exclaimed, twirling her around the room. I expected her to clap with glee, for her smile to mirror my own. But instead Katherine disengaged herself from my grip and placed the crystal on her nightstand. â€Å"I knew you were the man for the job,† she said, not looking at me. â€Å"Better than Damon?† I asked, unable to resist. Finally Katherine smiled. â€Å"Y need to stop ou comparing yourself to Damon.† She stepped closer to me and grazed my cheek with her lips. I shivered with pleasure as Katherine pulled my body toward hers. I held her tightly, feeling her back through the thin cotton of her nightdress. She kissed my lips, then my jaw, running her lips, feather light, down the curve of my neck. I moaned and pulled her even closer, needing to feel all of her against all of me. Then she plunged her teeth into my neck. I let out a strangled gasp of pain and ecstasy as I felt her teeth inside my skin, felt her draw blood from me. It felt as though a thousand knives were piercing my neck. Still I held her more tightly, wanting to feel her mouth on my skin, wanting to fully submit myself to the pain that fed her. Just as suddenly as she bit me, Katherine broke away, her dark eyes on fire, agony etched on her face. A small stream of blood trickled from the corner of her lip, and her mouth twisted in excruciating pain. â€Å"Vervain,† she gasped, stepping backward until she collapsed on the bed in pain. â€Å"What have you done?† â€Å"Katherine!† I put my hands to her chest, my lips to her mouth, trying desperately to heal her the way she had healed me back in the forest. But she pushed me away, writhing on the bed, clutching her hands to her mouth. It was as if she were being tortured by an unseen hand. Tears of agony spilled from her eyes. â€Å"Why did you do this?† Katherine clutched her throat and closed her eyes, her breath slowing into guttural gasps. Every anguished cry from Katherine felt like a small stake in my own heart. â€Å"I didn't! Father!† I shouted as the dizzying events of that evening occurred to me. My brandy. Father. He knew . There was a clatter from downstairs, and then Father burst in. â€Å"Vampire!† he roared, holding up a crudely made stake. Katherine writhed on the floor in pain, shrieking in a high-pitched tone I'd never heard before. â€Å"Father!† I shouted, holding my hands up as he used his boot to prod Katherine. She moaned, her arms and legs kicking in opposite directions. â€Å"Katherine!† I fell to my knees and held Katherine's body close in my arms. She shrieked, her eyes rolling back so all I could see was white. Foam appeared at the corner of her blood-caked lips, as though she were a rabid animal. I gaped in horror and let go, her body falling to the floor with a sickening thud. I inched back, sitting on my heels and gazing at the ceiling as if in prayer. I couldn't face Katherine, and I couldn't face Father. Katherine let out another high-pitched wail as Father prodded her with his stake. She reared up –foaming at the mouth, her fangs bared, her eyes wild and unseeing–before falling back in a writhing pile. Bile rose in my throat. Who was this monster? â€Å"Get up.† Father dragged me to my feet. â€Å"Don't you see, Stefan? Don't you see her true nature?† I gazed down at Katherine. Her dark curls were matted to her forehead by sweat, her dark eyes were wide and bloodshot, her teeth were covered with foam, and her entire body was shaking. I didn't recognize any part of her. â€Å"Go get Sheriff Forbes. Tell him we have a vampire.† I stood transfixed in horror, unable to take a step in any direction. My head pounded, my thoughts whirled in a confused tangle. I loved Katherine. Loved her. Right? So why now did this †¦ creature disgust me? â€Å"I did not raise my sons to be weak,† Father roared, shoving a bundle of vervain in my shirt pocket. â€Å"Now go!† My breath came in deep rasps. The heat was suddenly stifling, unbearable. I couldn't breathe, couldn't think, couldn't do anything. All I knew was that I couldn't stand being in that room for one second longer. Without a backward glance at my father or at the vampire writhing on the floor, I rushed out of the house, taking the steps three at a time, and raced for the road.

Buddhism Essays (1386 words) - Yogacara, Buddhist Practices

Buddhism Essays (1386 words) - Yogacara, Buddhist Practices Buddhism Buddhism, one of the major religions of the world, was founded by Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, who lived in northern India from 560 to 480 B.C. The time of the Buddha was one of social and religious change, marked by the further advance of Aryan civilization into the Ganges Plain, the development of trade and cities, the breakdown of old tribal structures, and the rise of a whole spectrum of new religious movements that responded to the demands of the times (Conze 10). These movements were derived from the Brahmanic tradition of Hinduism but were also reactions against it. Of the new sects, Buddhism was the most successful and eventually spread throughout India and most of Asia. Today it is common to divide Buddhism into two main branches. The Theravada, or "Way of the Elders," is the more conservative of the two; it is dominant in Sri Lanka, Burma, and Thailand (Berry 23). The Mahayana, or "Great Vehicle," is more diverse and liberal; it is found mainly in Taiwan, Korea, and Japan, and among Tibetan peoples, where it is distinguished by its emphasis on the Buddhist Tantras (Berry 24). In recent times both branches, as well as Tibetan Buddhism, have gained followers in the West. It is virtually impossible to tell what the Buddhist population of the world is today; statistics are difficult to obtain because persons might have Buddhist beliefs and engage in Buddhist rites while maintaining folk or other religions such as Shinto, Confucian, Taoist, and Hindu (Corless 41). Such persons might or might not call themselves or be counted as Buddhists. Nevertheless, the number of Buddhists worldwide is frequently estimated at more than 300 million (Berry 32). Just what the original teaching of the Buddha was is a matter of some debate. Nonetheless, it may be said to have centered on certain basic doctrines. The first of the Four Noble Truths, the Buddha held, is suffering, or duhkha. By this, he meant not only that human existence is occasionally painful but that all beings; humans, animals, ghosts, hell- beings, even the gods in the heavens; are caught up in samsara, a cycle of rebirth, a maze of suffering in which their actions, or karma, keep them wandering (Coomaraswamy 53). Samsara and karma are not doctrines specific to Buddhism. The Buddha, however, specified that samsara is characterized by three marks: suffering, impermanence, and no- self, or anatman. Individuals not only suffer in a constantly changing world, but what appears to be the self, the soul, has no independent reality apart from its many separable elements (Davids 17). The second Noble Truth is that suffering itself has a cause. At the simplest level, this may be said to be desire; but the theory was fully worked out in the complex doctrine of "dependent origination," or pratityasamutpada, which explains the interrelationship of all reality in terms of an unbroken chain of causation (Conze 48). The third Noble Truth, however, is that this chain can be broken, that suffering can cease. The Buddhists called this end of suffering nirvana and conceived of it as a cessation of rebirth, an escape from samsara. Finally, the fourth Noble Truth is that a way exists through which this cessation can be brought about: the practice of the noble Eightfold Path. This combines ethical and disciplinary practices, training in concentration and meditation, and the development of enlightened wisdom, all thought to be necessary. For the monks, the notion of offering extends also to the giving of the dharma in the form of sermons, to the chanting of scriptures in rituals (which may also be thought of as magically protective and salutary), and to the recitation of sutras for the dead (Corless 57). All of these acts of offering are intimately involved in the concept of merit-making. By performing them, individuals, through the working of karma, can seek to assure themselves rebirth in one of the heavens or a better station in life, from which they may be able to attain the goal of enlightenment. Zen Buddhism Zen or Chan Buddhism represents a movement within the Buddhist religion that stresses the practice of meditation as the means to enlightenment. Zen and Chan are, respectively, Japanese and Chinese attempts to render the Sanskrit word for meditation, dhyana (Coomaraswamy 94). Zen's roots may be traced to India, but it was in East Asia that the movement became distinct and flourished. Like other Chinese Buddhist sects, Chan first established itself as a lineage of masters emphasizing the teachings of a particular text, in this

Investing in Chinese Manufacturing Industry

Investing in Chinese Manufacturing Industry Free Online Research Papers ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank our lecturer, Mr. A.B Teoh for the great help and support he has given me. He was always ready to help me whenever I had a problem. I would also like to thank my senior mates who helped me when I didn’t understand some areas. Lastly, I shouldn’t forget God, who has given me the strength in completing this assignment without any major problems. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This assignment is about an official working in a firm in Tanzania known as Global Connection offering advice and recommendation to SMEs that are looking to invest in China in the sector of manufacturing industry. This document will present a PEST analysis (Political, Economical, Social and Technological environment) that will affect Small Media Enterprises (SMEs) that want to invest in China. This document will specify which industry SMEs are looking forward to invest in. Benefits of investing in China will also be seen so that SMEs know what they planning on doing in long term. Table of Contents 1.0 INTRODUCTION 05 2.0 PEST ANALYSIS 06 2.1 POLITICAL 06 2.1.1 GOVERNMENT TYPE AND POLITICAL STABILITY 06 2.1.2 RULES AND REGULATIONS DOING BUSINESS IN CHINA 06 2.1.2.1 STARTING A BUSINESS IN CHINA 06 2.1.3 FORMS OF INVESTMENT IN CHINA 07 2.1.3.1 EQUITY JOINT VENTURE. 07 2.1.3.2 CONTRACTUAL JOINT VENTURE. 07 2.1.3.3 WHOLLY FOREIGN-OWNED ENTERPRISE. 07 2.1.4 TAXES 08 2.2 ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT 09 2.2.1 GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT (GDP) 09 2.2.2 CURRENCY AND FOREIGN EXCHANGE RATE 09 2.2.3 LEADING INDUSTRIES 09 2.3 SOCIAL AND CUTURAL ENVIRONMENT 13 2.3.1 DEMOGRAPHY AND POPULATION GROWTH 13 2.3.2 RELIGIOUS BELIEFS. 14 2.3.3 LANGUAGE 14 2.4 TECHNOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT 15 2.4.1 TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE. 15 2.4.2 INTERNET USAGE 15 2.5 RECOMMENDATIONS 16 2.5.1 MODE OF ENTRY 16 2.5.2 BENEFITS 16 3.0 REFERENCES 17 3.1 BOOKS 17 3.2 WEBSITES 17 4.0 APPENDIX 21 1.0 INTRODUCTION China is a market oriented country located in Asia with a population of 1.3 billion people. It is a country with a mixture of many cultures and religions. China is country that booming up in modern technology. Even though the country’s population is of great number but the people are very hard working. China has its own languages as any other country but English is well spoken now in the country so as to ease communication with foreign people mostly tourists and foreign business people that visit China. China has many industries such as tourism, agriculture, manufacturing, technology industries. So if SMEs are looking to invest in foreign countries than China is the right place to do so. The future of the country is determined by decisions made by the Communist Party of China (CPC). SMEs in China are estimated that they are responsible for 60% of the country’s industrial output and should employ 75% of the workforce in the country’s cities and towns. SMEs are suppose to create urban jobs since the Chinese government is aware that SMEs are job creators. â€Å"Flexible SMEs are generally well positioned to take advantage of opportunities created by Chinas entry to the WTO†. (Embassy of the United States united states of Beijing. China, 2002) 2.0 PEST ANALYSIS 2.1 POLITICAL Political environment includes factors in government, level of political stability, the law and regulatory system that affects an organization when operating. 2.1.1 GOVERNMENT TYPE AND POLITICAL STABILITY Even if China has changed from a planned economy to a market oriented country the political economy stays the same. The CPC (Communist Party of China) take the decision which determines the future of the country. The power centers in China are: i. Conservatives ii. Liberals iii. President Hu Jintao iv. Former president Jiang Zemin v. Military 2.1.2 RULES AND REGULATIONS DOING BUSINESS IN CHINA 2.1.2.1 STARTING A BUSINESS IN CHINA A permit is needed so as to do business in China, so your agent or distributor will put all documents needed together and provide them to Chinese custom agents. â€Å"Documents that may be required include import permits and Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine inspection (AQSIQ) clearance. Most imports to China do not need an import license if they are registered with Chinas Ministry of Commerce (New Zealand Trade Enterprise, 2008). Just few items come across licensing or permit procedures, such as drugs, chemicals, weapons. If a local agent is being used then it is important to make sure they have an import license. If not, the importer will have to look for links which will lead to higher costs in delivery. So as for the case of shoe manufacturing in China a license or permit is needed so as to start the business. By having connections before starting the business than it is made a lot easier and less expensive. 2.1.3 FORMS OF INVESTMENT IN CHINA Investment is divided to direct investment and indirect investment. In China there are three main types of direct investment: 2.1.3.1 EQUITY JOINT VENTURE. Equity joint venture refers to working together between two individuals a local individual and a foreign individual in other words a Chinese and an overseas individual, they share mutual rewards and risks. Here is where the Chinese government and businesses are concerned. â€Å"Overseas parties are only allowed to invest at most 25% of the entire registered capital in the form of cash or trade property rights etc. The parties to the joint venture shall share the rewards, risks and losses according to the ratio of investment.† ( Starmass International, 2001) 2.1.3.2 CONTRACTUAL JOINT VENTURE. Rights and responsibilities and all liabilities are agreed on a contract before joint venture. This is when the parties will agree on the form of administration and profit division. â€Å"The major difference between an equity joint venture and a contractual joint venture as means in China market entry is that the latter neither necessarily calculates the shares in the form of currency nor distributes profit in proportion to their share, but share profit according to the form of investment and the ration of profit sharing as per the contract.† (Starmass International, 2001) 2.1.3.3 WHOLLY FOREIGN-OWNED ENTERPRISE. This refers to the established enterprises by foreign investors with their own capital according to the law of China. Since China offers joint ventures with other countries than SMEs should use this chance to enter in the manufacturing industry in China due to reasons such as: ? Cheap labour ? Availability of raw materials ? High technology 2.1.4 TAXES There are different kinds of taxes in China which SMEs have to know. The kinds of taxes available are as follows: KINDS OF TAX DESCRIPTION Business tax This is a tax payable against turnover by all enterprises and individuals doing business of construction, finance and insurance, selling immovable properties. It varies from 3% to 20% of the sales turnover Value added tax(VAT) VAT is applied if your company is selling, manufacturing, processing or repairing tangible goods. VAT Rate for â€Å"General Taxpayers† is 17%, or 13% for some goods. â€Å"small scale tax payers get lower rates of about 4% for Trading enterprises and 6% for other production and other enterprises Foreign enterprise income tax EIT is calculated against the net income in a financial year after deducting reasonable business costs and losses; i.e. profits. Withholding tax: Withholding Tax is a PRC tax levied on overseas companies providing services to China based business. If you are based outside the PRC but are supplying services to clients in China, your invoices are in effect. Individual income tax If you are sent to China and your salary is being paid elsewhere not in China and spend more than 183 days in China then you would have to pay IIT in China based on the number of days you effectively spent in The country. (Source from: agn.org/regions/ap/MainlandChinaTaxationOverview.pdf) 2.2 ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT 2.2.1 GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT (GDP) Gross Domestic Product is an essential part of Gross National Income. It is the total value of goods and services produced within the country in one year. GDP is used to access countries whose multinational sector is significant share of activity. During the reform period China’s GDP has risen from Rmb 362.4 billion in the year 1978 to Rmb13.7 trillion in 2004. â€Å"The share of primary industry in GDP has fallen from 28% in 1978, at the beginning of the reform period, to 15% in 2004. This fall occurred because agricultural output grew more slowly than output of other economic sectors.† (China Statistical Yearbook, 2004) Manufacturing industry grew faster than the GDP over that period from 48% to 53% during the manufacturing boom. â€Å"Individuals have also become richer, with annual GDP per head rising during that time from Rmb379 to Rmb10,502† (China Statistical Yearbook, 2004) â€Å"Chinas phenomenal economic growth in recent years was primarily due to growth in the secondary and tertiary sector of the economy.†( Heilig, 2009) Agriculture in China which is the primary sector only grew a little since 1996. Fig1 China’s GDP by sector, 1978 2003 (Heilig, 2009) [Accessed on 03 August 2009] 2.2.2 CURRENCY AND FOREIGN EXCHANGE RATE The currency of China is known as Renminbi which means people’s money. China’s monetary authority issues the money in China. â€Å"During the previous decade, Mainland Chinas Currency was pegged to the U.S. dollar at 8.28 RMB. On July 21, 2005, it was revalued to 8.11 per U.S. dollar, following the removal of the peg to the U.S. dollar. The revaluation resulted from pressure from the United Stated and the World Economic Council.† (Danwei 2002) In 2003 the value of dollar dropped causing value of Renminbi to fall also making exports more competitive in China mainland. â€Å"This led to some pressure on the PRC from the United States to increase the value of the RMB in order to encourage imports and decrease exports.† (Danwei 2002) 2.2.3 LEADING INDUSTRIES China is a fast growing country and the industries have changed the economic status in the country especially Foreign Direct Investment. Manufacturing industry is the leading industry in China as stated in the diagram below. So SMEs can consider investing in manufacturing industry by choosing to joint venture with local investors in the country. Fig 2 Almanac of China (Emerald Group Publishing Limited) [Accessed on 04 August 2009] 2.3 SOCIAL AND CUTURAL ENVIRONMENT TANZANIA CHINA Culture Tanzania is a nation with a mix of races, traditions and cultures. Religions found in Tanzania are Christianity, Islam, and Hindu. Daoism, Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, popular folk religion (village religion). Population â€Å"The population of Tanzania in 2003 was estimated by the United Nations at 36,977,000† (Advameg, 2009) â€Å"1.3 billion people (1,330,044,605 as of mid-2008)† (About.com 2009) 2.3.1 DEMOGRAPHY AND POPULATION GROWTH â€Å"The decline of dependency ratio has created a productive population age structure with an affluent supply of labour force. Empirical results illustrate that the Chinese demographic transition has contributed to 15-25% of economic growth and 5-21% of savings rate in the reform era. With the acceleration of population aging, demographic dividend will be depleted at the end of 2013.† ( Fang Dewen,) Since mid 1960s China has been able to harvest its demographic dividend due to changes in population age structure. So the reduction of working age population will cause rise in wages. The Chinese are hard working people and are very healthy. So if wanting to join ventures with China to start a manufacturing company then China is the right place to do so. China has a population that exceeds 1.25 billion people in the country and it increases approximately 12-13 million people each year. 2.3.2 RELIGIOUS BELIEFS. The Chinese are not very religious people. â€Å"Chinese culture was perhaps the first to develop an intellectual skepticism concerning the gods.†( SACU, 2001) Religions practiced in China include: Daoism (Taoism) Islam Buddhism Christianity Popular folk religion (village religion) Spirituality 2.3.3 LANGUAGE Every country has its own language, so does China. Mandarin Chinese is the official language and is difficult for foreginers to learn and understand. â€Å"As one of the six official languages used by UN (United Nations), Chinese now has earned itself greater status in the World.† (TravelChinaGuide, 2009). Many Chinese speak basic English especially the youth which makes more better for SMEs to start a business in that certain country because communication won’t be a problem when working together. But it is still a problem in certain areas in China where language is a barrier in communication, so it gets difficult for foreigners to communicate with the locals. Even though China is growing fast in technology language is still a problem in some areas. 2.4 TECHNOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT 2.4.1 TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE. China is in the middle of a massive upgrade of its transportation. China has realised so as to keep their economy growing they are going to need efficient system so as to move goods and people around the country. â€Å"According to World Bank statistics, goods lost due to poor or obsolete transportation infrastructure amounted to one percent of Chinas GDP† (US commercial service, 2001-2009) Ports are being improved for more use of the country’s waterways and even airports. China is about to open a 36km six lane highway across Hazngzhou Bay which will reduce travel time between the two busiest ports in China in about two hours. So transportation is being made easier for doing business in China. 2.4.2 INTERNET USAGE Internet in China is growing fast according to China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) the country’s online population has grown 41.9% in 2008 to 298 million users. Even though China’s internet penetration is still fairly low even if it exceeds the world’s average. Access of internet through mobile phones is very popular, it is said that the number of internet users through mobile phones in China went up to 133% from 2007. 2.5 RECOMMENDATIONS According to the PEST analysis in China technology industry, tourism industry, manufacturing industry and agriculture industry are the fast growing industries in China. SMEs are recommended to enter into manufacturing industry because it is the leading sector of industries in China. SMEs should invest since there is availability of cheap labour, raw materials and modern technology. 2.5.1 MODE OF ENTRY When starting a new business large capital is needed, since SMEs have limited capital so it is suggested mode of entry is to joint venture with local manufacturing industries. Joint-venture has medium control as it have more than two companies involve in management (Daniels et al, 2007, p470). SMEs benefit in this country through joint-venture method whereby they don’t have to start a company from the bottom, the company’s image is established by current companies in the country. 2.5.2 BENEFITS China is now given the title â€Å"end of cheap China† because many have started business in China due to cheap labour and availability of resources. SMEs benefit from China because of: Currency Quality Natural resources VAT rebate cuts 3.0 REFERENCES 3.1 BOOKS Ball, D, A, McCulloch, V, H, Geringer, J, M, Minor, M, S McNett, J, M 2008, International Business: The Challenge of Global Competition, McGraw-Hill, Boston. Daniels, J, D, Radebaugh, L, H Sullivan, D, P 2007, International Business, Pearson Education, New Jersey. Hill, C 2007, International Business: Competing in the global marketplace, 6th ed, McGraw-Hill, Boston. 3.2 WEBSITES About.com 2009, China Population, viewed on 31 August 2009, http://geography.about.com/od/populationgeography/a/chinapopulation.htm>. Advameg, Inc, 2009, Encyclopedia of the Nations, viewed on 27 July 2009, . Asia for Educators, Columbia University 2008, Population in China, viewed n 05 August 2009, . Case Studies in Business Management 2009, Center For Management Research, viewed on 02 August 2009, . Chan, K 2009, China Finance Accounting, viewed on 29 July 2009, . China Statistical Yearbook 2004, China’s economy and business climate, viewed on 30 July 2009, . Danwei 2002, Danwei Chinese Media, Advertising, And Urban Life, viewed on 31 July 2009, . Embassy of the united states of Beijing.china 2002, Embassy highlights, viewed on 29 July 2009, Fang, C Dewen, W 2001, Demographic Transition and Economic Growth in China, viewed on 03 August 2009, . Glencoe 2004, Marketing Essentials, viewed on 01 August 2009, . Heilig, G, K 2006, GDP By Sector, viewed on 30 July 2009, . New Zealand Trade Enterprise 2008, Sales and Marketing, viewed on 03 August 2009, . Society for Anglo-Chinese Understanding, SACU 2001, Religion in China, viewed on 27 July 2009, . Starmass International 2001, Investment In China, viewed on 01 August 2009, . TechCrunch 2009, internet usage in China, viewed on 04 August 2009, TravelChinaGuide.com 1998, Language, viewed on 04 August 2009, . The World Bank Group 2009, Doing Business Measuring Business Regulations, viewed on 28 July 2009, . Urban Insight 2000, Infrastructure on the Rise in China, viewed on 01 August 2009, . US commercial service 2001, Transportation, viewed on 29 July 2009, . 4.0 APPENDIX (Source fromdoingbusiness.org/ExploreTopics/StartingBusiness/Details.aspx?economyid=185) TANZANIA CHINA List of procedures List of procedures Apply for VAT certificate with the Tanzania Revenue Authority Obtain a notice of pre-approval of the company name Apply for clearance of the proposed company name at the Registrar of Companies Obtain capital verification report from an auditing firm Apply for taxpayer identification number (TIN) with the Tanzania Revenue Authority Obtain the approval to make a company seal from the police department Revive VAT/stamp duty inspection Register with Social Welfare Insurance Center Register for the workmen’s compensation insurance at the National Insurance Corporation or other alternative insurance policy Register for both state and local tax with the tax bureau (Source from: httpwww.freshfields.compublicationspdfs200614675.pdf) DIRECT INVESTMENT Direct investment is done through joint venture with domestic investors and domestic owned companies in a country by investing its invested capital and participating in investment activities. INDIRECT INVESTMENT Indirect investment is the type of investment through purchase of shares, bonds, share certificates, security investment fund. Investors do not directly participate in management of investment activity. Research Papers on Investing in Chinese Manufacturing IndustryDefinition of Export QuotasPETSTEL analysis of IndiaRiordan Manufacturing Production PlanAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into Asia19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationQuebec and CanadaTwilight of the UAWNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This Nice

Teaching Life Skills in the Classroom

Teaching Life Skills in the Classroom Life skills  are the skills that children need to be eventually become successful and productive parts of their society. They are the kinds of interpersonal skills that allow them to develop meaningful relationships, as well as more reflective skills that allow them to see their actions and responses critically and become happier adults. For a long time, this kind of skills training was the province of the home or church. But with more and more children - typical as well as special needs learners - showing life skills deficits, its become more and more a part of school curriculum. The goal is for students to achieve transition: going from children in school to young adults in the world. Life Skills Vs. Employment Skills Politicians and administrators often beat the drum for teaching life skills as a pathway to employment. And its true: Learning how to dress for an interview, answer questions appropriately and be part of a team are useful for professional careers. But life skills can be more general - and fundamental - than that.   Heres a list of crucial life skills and suggestions for implementing them in the classroom: Personal Accountability Teach personal responsibility or accountability by setting up a clear framework for students work. They should know to complete learning tasks on time, hand in assigned work and to use a calendar or agenda for school and home assignments and longer-term projects.   Routines In the classroom, routines include class rules such as: follow directions, raise your hand before speaking, remain on task without wandering, work independently, and cooperate by following the rules. Interactions Skills to be addressed through a lesson plan include: listening to others in large and small groups, knowing how to take turns, contributing appropriately, sharing, and being polite and respectful during all group and classroom activities. At Recess Life skills dont stop during lesson time. At recess, crucial skills can be taught, such as sharing equipment and sports items (balls, jump ropes etc.), understanding the importance of teamwork, avoiding arguments, accepting sports rules, and participating responsibly. Respecting Property Students need to be able to care appropriately for both school and personal property. This includes keeping desks tidy; returning materials to their proper storage locations; putting away coats, shoes, hats etc. and keeping all personal items organized and accessible. While all students benefit from life skills curriculums, it is especially helpful for special needs children. Those with severe learning disabilities, autistic tendencies, or developmental disorders only benefit from day-to-day responsibility. They need strategies in place to help them learn the essential life skills. This list will help you set up tracking systems and work with students to enhance those necessary skills. Eventually, self-tracking or monitoring can be achieved. You may want to devise a tracking sheet for specific areas to keep the student focused and on target.

Masculinities represented in music Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

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Managing people for a competitive advantage Assignment

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The individual as representive of society's values Essay

The individual as representive of society's values - Essay Example Given this issues, this paper will try to look at two parallel stories to identify the social values represented by the protagonists and main characters. William Faulkner’s â€Å"Intruder in the Dust† with Lucas Beauchamp as the protagonist and main character and Richard Wright’s â€Å"Native Son† which revolves around the life of Bigger Thomas. Looking at the plot of William Faulkner’s story â€Å"Intruder in the Dust†, it can be observed that it revolves around the life of Lucas Beauchamp, a black man that is known to mingle among their white neighbors and unlike any other of the black race, he is not afraid to belong in the white man’s world (Faulkner). Similarly, the plot of Richard Wright’s story, â€Å"Native Son†, revolves around the life of Bigger Thomas also a black man. Bigger Thomas, unlike Faulkner’s Lucas, is living a lowly life and is not very much favored in his society (Wright). Analyzing the plots of the two stories, it can be noted that they are parallel yet the protagonist and the main character differ in how they act and react in the norms of their respective societies. Among the differences of the two stories include, Lucas having defied the usual perspective and actions of his race and Bigger Thomas having acted what was the white men’s perceived to be actions and reactions of black men towards the situation. However, both plots include murder and both Lucas and Bigger Thomas is accused of the crime. The similarity of some acts in both stories will enable us to compare and contrast the representative social values each of the character possessed and portrayed. Looking in depth, it can be noted that Lucas Beauchamp is characterized in the story as a proud, independent negro with the integrity not to accept payment for the good deed that he showed to others especially to white men. He is considered both by his own race and the white man’s race as a threat to their interests since he considers himself of equal footing to any man and did not conform to the stereotyped role the society dictates a colored man should be. He is also characterized as self-serving as he is only interested in his self-preservation yet in contrast, the story also implied that he is a social being given by his good relationship with Chick and other white men in the story (Faulkner). Bigger Thomas on the other hand grown up under the racial prejudice among his race, hence, considered himself as a marginal being and not capable of doing anything great. His character in the story resorted to committing crimes such as robbery, murder and rape. His very existence is characterized by anger, fear and frustration in his previous and current situation in which he effectively hidden in his tough personality. Unlike Lucas, Bigger Thomas never considered himself of equal footing with his white neighbors and perceived them as constant threat to his survival and oppression to h is rights such that he perceived them as entities dictating him his every action and even thoughts. He is also a self-preserver as he resorted to lying and conning in order not be accused of the crimes he committed. However, it cannot be excluded that being black and oppressed, he is not really of bad disposition but only resorted to such things in hopelessness and fear brought about by the racist and

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Teen smoking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

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Project management 'New museum' Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Project management 'New museum' - Assignment Example Projects have a start and end date, the funding limits, consumes human and nonhuman materials (Kerzner, 2006). Project management involves planning and monitoring of the project compares the intended and the actual end of the project. Analyze the impact and making adjustments as needed. (Meredith, 2006). Project management changed from hierarchical matrix to a linear matrix with the Project Manager responsible for the project from planning to completion. This makes selection of a project manager that has a set of skills that allows successful completion of the project. A manager needs experience, knowledge, good communication skills, interpersonal relationship, and the ability to make subset of the teams work in harmony and move the project to completion. Project Managers use a series of planning tools to assign tasks, monitor progress, and ability to adjust project timelines as needed (Meredith, 2006). Stakeholder charts identifies individual and groups with an interest in the proje ct. Some of these stakeholders will work on the project as a team member. Work flow charts break the process used into segments each part dependent on the deliverables of the prior team efforts. In practice several phases operate at the same pace with deliverables due in the same time frame. Gannt charts track progress of the teams and allows for adjustment if one team's deliverable falls behind the due date. Introduction Gotham Science Museum planned expansion has received a legacy from a museum sponsor to fund the entire cost of the project. His bequest asked that environmental science as the focus of the new wing. The education director says that requests for programs dealing with environmental science are increasing. The present education space limits the ability to deliver hands-on environmental classes. The need for more space has become critical due to increase requests for classes and special programs related to the science. Current education department space handles approxi mately 120 students at one time. The education director has a waiting list of schools wanting to programs in the sciences to enhance learning experience of their students in the science disciplines (Chrysler Museum of Art, 2010). . Project The present museum structure has expanded twice in the last twenty years and has reached the limit of expansion capacity. The museum director recommended to the board of directors that the museum locate a building or vacant lot in close proximity to the main museum building as an education annex. A new facility offers potential to carry out the request of the legator that the new center concentrate on environmental science. An acquisition committee searched the available buildings and lots that fill the museum's vision of the annex. The city council stepped in with an offer of the Gotham Bank Building. The building is located close to the industrial section of the city, and in close proximity to the waterfront park. The building is five stories an d offers an opportunity to completely gut and renovate the building using green technologies. The site selected, a planning committee organized of professional museum staff, members of the museum's support staff, and the city assigned an engineer and building inspector to the committee to advise on the feasibility of possible renovation concepts. The planning committee

A Married Man's story by Katherine Mansfield- innovative literary Essay

A Married Man's story by Katherine Mansfield- innovative literary devices - Essay Example The questioning spirit of modernism can be seen as part of a basic search for ways to make a new sense of a society torn apart by the World Wars. The Modernist style of writing used satire and psycho-analysis, meta-narratives (story within a story), discontinuous narratives etc. The general thematic concerns of Modernist literature were a sense of alienation, despair and frustration of the individual with life and the social obligations of society. Throughout her career as an author Katherine Mansfield wrote many short stories that deal with friendship, matrimony and family life. In â€Å"A Married Man’s Story† Mansfield employs the modernist literary devices of psychoanalysis and meta-narrative to describe the emotional turmoil of an unnamed married man. Mansfield’s story takes place almost entirely inside the head of the narrator. It is composed totally of thoughts, jotted down like a confessional on paper. In this manner the reader is always distanced even from the scene of the tale i.e. the typical Modernist meta-narrative style. This man is unhappy in his relation with his wife and relates his past and present life in writing his memoirs. These are disjointed and follow no timeline giving the story a sense of timelessness; also this process leads to the writer (the married man) realizing some truths about himself and his familial relationships (self-realization is an important aspect of Modernist lite rature). The thematic style of the story also follows the modernist trend of dealing with an individual’s inner struggle to relate to a society and relationships where he feels himself exiled and out of sync. â€Å"Outside it is raining,† he writes, and he pictures himself outside in the cold darkness; â€Å"while I am here, I am there, lifting my face to the dim sky, and it seems to me it must be raining all over the world,† he concludes (Mansfield, 1923:609). These lines from the story clearly

Chicago-style pizza Essay Example for Free

Chicago-style pizza Essay Pizza is a very common food Item you can find anywhere in New York, it can provide a quick fix if you are hungry but it can also have another purpose. The two most commonly found would be thesis Deep dish1 and New York style2 pizza but I believe the best pizza is home made3 since to me it promotes family togetherness. There are specialties shops like UNO’s that prepare pizza â€Å"Chicago style† which is basically deep dish pizza and has a thicker crust. Deno/des I find the pizza to be doughy and personally I am not too fond of chunky tomatoes in my sauce. In my opinion it seems to fill the pizza more than anything else. Pizza hut and Dominos also provides a deep dish option made differently without the chunky tomato sauce that I find more appealing to my taste that is not Chicago style. While they all can be a family night out for dinner this can at times become routine and boring. The common pizza shop makes a typical pizza pie we are all used to in New York, the â€Å"slice†. deno/des Some make pizza soggy, crunchy, or oily we all have our preferences and typically are drawn to those shops that make it the way we like it. This to me is a quick sit down lunch or dinner with your family, children or child then you are off again to continue your activities. There is no fun to it just becomes routine to grab a quick bite and carry on. In my opinion my personal favorite is making it at home with fresh dough purchased at my local supermarket. Deno/des My daughter helps roll out the dough on the pizza pan with a little flour so it does not stick to the pan. She also helps me shred the mozzarella cheese constantly reminding me to watch my fingers as to not get cut on the shredder. My three year old has already mastered putting the sauce on the pizza, sauce out of the can that is. We place it in the oven and wait. I have to say the bonding that takes place making pizza is priceless and the pizza we create is better than anything you can find anywhere in NYC. This also reminds me of my own childhood making pizza in the same manner with my father, these are the memories you carry on forever. To this day the pizza I made with my father only comes second to the pizza I make with my daughter. Des In conclusion I believe being a single parent myself and raising my 3 year old little girl, I would prefer making homemade pizza. The bonding that comes from the interaction of making a pizza with my daughter from scratch brings back memories of when I was a child making pizza with my parents. Those memories are everlasting. To those who do not have such memories or traditions this is an opportunity to create them while creating memories your child will always remember. The bonding and togetherness from this interaction with your child is something you cannot get from going to your local pizzeria.

Impact of Teleworking on Innovation

Impact of Teleworking on Innovation This study seeks to explore the relationship between high-tech firms, innovation, and the teleworking trend. Specifically, an examination of the high-technology sector in the UK is provided, followed by explanations of teleworking, innovation, and high-tech firms as they relate to the scope and focus of this study.   The above is based on published findings of empirical research and published reports.   This study then considers how teleworking has impacted innovation at the Intel Corporation, a leading manufacturer of semiconductors who allows employees in certain positions to telework part or all of their workweek.   Innovation and impact are considered at an overall corporate level, rather than at an individual level. Findings of this research indicate that teleworking one to two dayseach week has no discernibly negative impact on innovation, and mayactually enhance innovation, provided systems to encourage andfacilitate innovation are in place.   Implications for organisationsentering the teleworking arena and the sector as a whole are followed by recommendations for high-tech companies and for future research. Teleworking is a cultural trend in much of Europe and the Americas.   While it provides many plusses and a few minuses to theindividual teleworkers, its impact on organisations and particularlyinnovation at those organisations has not been sufficiently explored.  This study seeks to consider the impact teleworking has onorganisations, specifically high-technology organisations, and theirability to generate, initiate, and implement innovative products,processes and administrative ideas. A review of previously published findings related to teleworking,innovation, and high-technology is provided, covering these topics ingeneral.   The focus of the study then narrows, addressing organisationsthat both use and produce high-tech products or services, and finallyconcentrating on innovation in the computer hardware and softwaresector.   Ideas and conclusions from these studies are then combinedwith information from Intel Corporation, a leading manufacturer ofsemi-conductors and similar computer products, to analyse the specificimpact of teleworking at Intel.   It is hoped the conclusions drawn from Intel’s experiences will beuseful to other high-tech firms practicing or considering teleworking,as well as encourage others to pursue related research. High-technology has evolved in the past thirty years from something outof a science fiction novel to part of the average Britain’s everydaylife.   The UK contributes over 5% of the world’s research anddevelopment, although it has less than one percent of the world’spopulation.  Ã‚   The UK additionally has the larges software and computerservices sector in the EU, and a significant semiconductor industry(Anon 2005).   From Bristol, at the end of the M4 hi-tech corridor, toSheffield, where software has replaced steel, to the hi-tech centres inCambridge and Hertfordshire, high-tech is replacing and revitalisingthe declining UK industrial sector. It is important to note that the high-tech sector differs in severaldistinct ways from other sectors of the economy.   First, the speed atwhich technology changes is simply unmatched in other productionsectors.   This requires not only constant innovation in product, butconstant innovation in the process and administrative arenas as well(Edquist 2003).   Property rights considerations have starkly differentapplications in high-tech organisations.   If companies wait until theirnew ideas were licensed or patented before progressing into production,the market will likely pass by them and their product before it evenmoves into sale (Cohan 1997).   High-tech organisations are also morelikely to share information and partner on products, particularly intheir non-core technologies, and share the profits with another firmrather than miss a market entirely (Edquist 2003). The local high-technology sector differs in some ways from that inother countries.   The UK has historically lagged behind the UnitedStates and Japan in its ability to move a product from idea toproduction in the high-tech arena.   UK firms, unless part of aninternational company who mandates certain practices, have not made asmuch effort to design intra-organisational systems to encourageinnovation (Surrey 2004).   In a study by the University of Surrey,Ellie Runcie stated that after studying UK and U.S. high-tech firms,she found UK organisations have â€Å"often no discussion at all is made ofthe role of user research in innovation† (Surrey 2004).   This is aconcern regarding the UK high-tech sector that needs to be considered. The UK also has a lower per-capital computer literacy and computer use,particularly in the home sector, than most other high-tech nations.   Ona more positive note, the UK government has launched a campaign toincrease computer literacy and home computer use.   Intel, BT, andMicrosoft are the three major organisations working with the OeE, DTIand DfES on this campaign (Intel 2004). One of these leaders from the high-technology sector, the IntelCorporation, will be considered in greater detail.   Although aU.S.-headquartered firm, Intel has facilities in several places in theUK, as well as worldwide.   Intel is a major manufacturer ofsemi-conductors and computer processors, and will be used as an examplein this research of how teleworking can contribute to innovation in thehigh-tech environment. As this study considers the topics of teleworking, innovation, andhigh-technology, it was felt necessary to define and set parameters foreach.   The following literature is considered in the scope of thisresearch, with specific delineations of the three main study componentsoutlined in detail.   We have recently entered an important new phase in the ongoinginformation technology revolution. It is difficult to pick up abusiness magazine or newspaper today without reading about anorganisation offering teleworking and virtual offices for remoteworkers. There has been fair media coverage in how companies haveembraced the idea of teleworking, including the likes of ATT,Ernst and Young and IBM.   A monthly magazine is even devoted toâ€Å"today’s flexible workplace,† Telecommute, published by the nationaltrade organisation, the International Telecommuting Advisory Council(ITAC). Part of a general trend towards remote work, teleworking is a naturalresult of the information revolution, fuelled by the growth ofknowledge work and the rapid advance in technology.   The trend isconsistent with predictions made by futurist Alvin Toffler in his 1980book The Third Wave, that the location of work would outgrow typicalsites such as offices or factories, and begin to take place in alllocations. Teleworking is especially becoming popular in high-technologyorganisations.   During my work placement at Intel Corporation, I wasalso exposed to various team members teleworking from home one to twodays per week. While this trend is popular with employees, it behovestoday’s high-technology company to consider the impact of teleworkingon innovation.   This sector of the business environment is particularlydependent on innovation to remain viable, and it is important,therefore, that the initiation and implementation of innovation not besacrificed to worker preference. Examination of various sources reveals a lack of consensus as to thedefinition of teleworking, or as it is sometimes called,telecommuting.   ‘Teleworking’ is more common in European literature,while ‘telecommuting’ is more common in but not limited to Americanliterature.   Unfortunately, this lack of a universally accepteddefinition of teleworking causes problems academically; as either termcan be used to mean ‘home-working’, ‘working-at-a-distance’, ‘off-siteworkers’, or ‘remote-workers,’ it hinders the ability to comparefindings from different sources. Therefore, it is necessary to chooseand define a single term before proceeding. The term ‘telework’ is generally preferred on this side of theAtlantic, and will be used here.   Huws, Korte, and Robinson (1990)define telework as work â€Å"which is independent of the location of theemployer or contractor and can be changed according to the wishes ofthe individual teleworkers and/or the organisation for which he or sheis working† (10).   Olson (1988) argues, â€Å"the term telework is used torefer to organisational work performed outside of the normalorganisational confines of space and time, augmented by computer andcommunications technology. The work is not necessarily performed in thehome (77).   The EU holds that ‘telework’ â€Å"covers a range of new ways ofworking, using the telecommunications as a tool and, for at least partof the time, outside a traditional office environment (EuropeanCommission, 1996, 11).   Jack Nilles defined telecommuting as â€Å"an arrangement that entailsworking outside the conventional w orkplace and communication by way oftelecommunications or computer-based technology (Bailey and Kurkland,2000).   According to The American Telecommuting Association, 2002,telecommuting is â€Å" replacing or supplementing physical travel to theoffice by using modern telecommunications equipment to bring officeresources to the employee. While computers serve to augmenttelecommuting, it is possible to telecommute with only paper, penciland telephone.† Distilling the above into a workable definition, important elements of telework for the purpose of this study include: à ¢Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚ «Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   the person doing the telework is an employee of the organisation for which she or he works à ¢Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚ «Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   computers and communication technology are used à ¢Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚ «Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   it is not necessarily performed in the home, but does occur outside a traditional office environment Telework is therefore defined as any substantial part of an employee’swork performed by employees that is physically separated from thelocation of their employer using information technology (IT) foroperation and communication.  Ã‚   Three groups are affected by teleworking:   the employers ororganisations, the individual teleworkers, and society as a whole.  Benefits and drawbacks to individual teleworkers vary greatly fromperson to person, and are difficult to evaluate.   Benefits to societyare primarily environmental, as reduced commuting decreases pollutionand reduces transportation-related injury.   This study will thereforefocus on the affect of teleworking on the employer or organisation.  Areas of benefit include increased productivity and financialadvantages.   Drawbacks security concerns, management issues, andreduction in interaction and exchanged of ideas.   Each of thesebenefits and drawbacks will have impact on innovation inhigh-technology environments. INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY According to The American Telecommuting Association, various surveyshave documented teleworking employees’ productivity gains of up to 60%(1992).   They claim that extra productivity is consistently clocked at10-15% in nearly every study in the past two decades.   The SocialMarket Foundation (2004) argues that teleworking can increaseproductivity by up to 30%. They further claim that the more than twomillion UK workers now regularly telecommute with employees use thetime saved from commuting and meetings for extra work.   Huws (1992),Salmon and Shamir (1985), Caudron (1992), and Metzger and Von Glinow(1998) all report indications of improved productivity, reliability andwork quality among teleworkers. The increase in employee productivity resulted from teleworking isalso supported by G. E. Gordon, who claims there are a variety ofreasons for increased productivity in employees who telework.   Theseinclude decreased time spent commuting to work, fewer distractions inthe workplace, and giving telecommuters the opportunity to better matchtheir work times with their peak productive periods.   He notes thatproductivity gains ranging from 15-30% are common with such programs(Gordon 1986). Employee motivation is another cited reason for improved productivity.  Employees perceive being the ability to telework as an indication thattheir employers have sufficient trust and faith in them to workindependently.   It could also be argued that teleworkers in fact workharder than non-teleworking employees as they feel the need to prove totheir office peers that they are not indolent as a result of working athome without supervision. Teleworkers may also feel the need to workharder to achieve promotions (). However, various theorists argue that some employees find that becausethey have their work resources at home, they tend to work more. Thiscould interfere with family life.   In addition, telework can be viewedas an intrusion of the workplace in the home. The office at home is aconstant reminder of work.   There is the real problem of definingconcrete working hours when the distraction of home life is a constantpresence.   Working hours and social versus home time can becomeblurred.   Another form of intrusion is when family members or socialinterruptions constantly disrupt teleworkers from completing work.  This may add extra pressures and stress.   Teleworking employees whoexperience such disruption and time management issues may actually havedecreased motivation and productivity due to these outside factors.  Therefore, it is important that employees exercising their option totelework draw strong boundaries that will enable them to workeffectively.   Guidance from t he organisation and possiblity sometraining in effective teleworking should be included by an organisationemploying teleworkers. Smith (1997) suggests telecommuting reduces absenteeism amongstemployees.   For example, employees who may feel too ill to complete afull day and commute, may be well enough to work a partial day.  Individuals are more likely to continue working even when feelingunwell due to being in a more comfortable and relaxed work environment,i.e. their home.   Smith counters that teleworkers often havedifficulty, especially at first, with separating home and work time.  This increases if children are in the teleworking location, most likelythe home.   However, adjustments are usually successful in the long term. Further, the Bureau of Labour Statistics reports that businessproductivity, the measure or output per work hour, has risen 2.8% since1998.   This correlates positively and directly with an increase inteleworking. Teleworking has been perhaps, therefore, most effective inincreasing productivity. Clearly, these human resource managers are very satisfied with theirprograms a nd believe their telecommuters are satisfied as well.   Ifhalf of the firms included in the above research are reporting morework done at a better quality in comparison to the traditional workforce, there must be considerable merit to teleworking increasingproductivity. FINANCIAL SAVINGS Teleworking can also save firms money in a number of ways.   It providesthe employer with an expanded pool of potential employees. The skillsof employees with commuting difficulties, childcare conflict,disabilities and geographical barriers employees are all made availableto the employer who adopts the telecommuting practice.   Smith (1997)supports this, claiming teleworking offers attractive workingconditions, which aid in the recruitment and retention of skilledemployees and help to reduce voluntary separation of key employees.  This represents considerable savings to the employer in terms ofreduced hiring and training costs. Reduced overhead is another financial benefit.   Teleworking reducestime and travel costs for meetings, conferences and training thusminimising organisational overheads.   Individual teleworkers alsobenefit from reduced costs in transportation, clothing, childcare, andreduced absenteeism.   Teleworking can also help firms remain in the same location and avoidfuture relocation to larger premises.   This particular cost saving ishighly remunerative due to the increasing real estate prices in urbanareas today and the substantial cost savings in office space.   Peoplewho telework do not use office space and do not create overheads.   Evenin case of part-time teleworking space savings are generated.   This isevident at IBM, who is expected to save between 15 to 20 percent inspace requirements by taking away the desks of more than five thousandof its employees and telling them to work at home, in their car, or attheir clients’ offices (Swinton 2002). The claim that teleworking reduces organisational overheads is alsosupported by BT who introduced its â€Å"Workstyle 2000 flexible working†programme ten years ago.   The claim that the programme has saved them134m as a result of teleworking practices.   This includes reducing thenumber of employee desks in London from 10,000 to 3,000, saving  £6,000per desk per year.   There has also been a five% reduction in companycar mileage, resulting in fuel savings of  £9.7m this year alone.   BTalso reports a 20% increase in productivity and that 75% of alltelephone conferences are replacements of face-to-face meetings. Opponents of teleworking argue there are often some initial increasedcosts due to outfitting the teleworkers and making adjustments tocompany computers to accommodate them.   Ford (1995) claims thattelecommuting programs lead to extra costs. He claims that extra coststypically involve additional equipment requirements and funding theprovision of human reso urce services, training, fringe benefits, andrelocating. He continued to argue that the question of cost alsoincludes the equipment and space costs associated with telecommutingprogram and that telephones and electronic equipment cost more fortelecommuters than for traditional workers. It is important that hardware and software provided to teleworkersstarts out and remains uniform because this simplifies supportimmensely.   The required initial investment and length of time forpayback will vary sharply from company to company, however, with themost technologically advanced incurring the least upfront costs.   Giventhat high-tech firms are those under consideration in this study andthey have the most access to the latest and most efficient technology,it then follows that these expenditures do not detract from the savingsfor high-tech firms adopting or practicing teleworking. Additionally, many companies report current pressures on their supportdesk and according to Classe (2000) this will intensify by theintroduction of a remote workforce.   As teleworkers usually worknon-standards hours, longer hours of support cover may be required,which will confer additional associated costs to the employer.   Thecost factor for such support spread across a larger high-t ech companywill have little impact; the same costs spread across a smaller companymay be significant and should be considered a potential drain onresources that could support innovation implementation. SECURITY Security is a major concern for high-tech companies with teleworkingemployees.   Confidential information must be accessible to theteleworkers remotely, information that may range from a product indevelopment to a change in production methods to sensitive profiles offuture customer bases.   This makes the same information more accessibleto hackers and competitors; it is highly unlikely a company couldafford or an employee would want equal security measures on theirprofessional facilities and residences.   In addition, information used and generated by teleworkers willtypically be uploaded to a server for accessibility.   Others within thecompany then have increased chance of access, compromisingintra-company security. Eric von Hippel, however, in his study of knowledge location andinnovation solving, noted â€Å"conducting innovation-related problemsolving at remote sites need not compromise an innovator’s ability toprotect commercially important secrets† (1994).   While greaterpotential for security breaches exist, this in no way indicatessecurity need be compromised by teleworkers. MANAGEMENT One of the biggest problems for managers and staff involved withtelework is measuring and monitoring the work done by employees.Management recognise that it is easier to monitor the level of workdone by employees when they are in the office and managers often worrythat their staff will not work as hard from home.   Teleworking presentspotential issues with the ability to discipline telecommutingemployees, provide a career path, and provide promotionalopportunities.   Those in supervisory positions often see difficultiesin relation to mangers’ human resource management responsibilities(Werdigier and Neibuhr 2002). Ford (1995) also raisies the issue of the telecommutting impact on thesupervisors span of control.   Due to the workers being so spread out,Ford claims that many companies will be forced to reduce the averagespan of supervisory and will not have sufficent control to accommodatethe unique problems of telecommuters.   Ford suggests that another majoraspect of th e supervisory issue is the ability of the manager tocontrol distractions in the work setting and to ensure that theemployee does not become displaced from the informal help and adviceavailable through interaction with a work group. Clearly, managers of such programs need to be trained in remotesupervision.   In addition, they should recognise the possibility thattheir teleworking employees may not have adequate access to training,career and promotional opportunities.   More importantly, theseemployees may miss the informal information sharing that occurs in atraditional work environment.   This will be shown to have a significantimpact on innovation.    REDUCED SOCIAL INTERACTION AND POLITICAL INFLUENCE Social isolation seems to be mostly acknowledged by scholars as themost significant potential or actual drawback of teleworking.  Ã‚   Whilesome employees welcome the new freedom that comes with lesssupervision, others say they miss the camaraderie and socialinteraction that comes with face-to-face office operations.   However,this usually depends on the professional level of the employee.   Smith(1997) argues that the higher the level, then the more electroniccontacts and networks; hence, less social isolation is experienced. Video conferencing could help ease the psychological trauma that comeswith social isolation, allowing multiple numbers of people to converseand perform work together in an electronic version of face-to-facecommunication.   This may allow teleworkers to increase the humanemotion and communicational flexibility often lacking in electroniccommunication.   Social isolation also implies that for teleworkersthere is minimal peer availability for informal work relateddiscussions as one might get, for example, in a staff cafeteria atlunch times. In addition, teleworkers may lack the political connections and cloutto get innovations approved or funded.   With reduced opportunities tobuild relationships on the job, they are forced to propose or supportinnovation solely on the merits of the proposal (Werdigier and Neibuhr2002).   While this theoretically could be a positive result ofteleworking, in practice it reduces the chance of innovative input fromteleworkers being initiated or implemented. DECREASED KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE It could similarly be argued that the largest detraction of teleworkingon innovation in high-technology organisations is the reduction ofknowledge exchange from employee interaction.   Informal and proximitylearning is an ongoing opportunity for training in the traditionaloffice environment not available to teleworkers.   If both are in thesame location, an inexperienced worker can observe another moreexperienced worker and learn from this observation.   This is asignificant training tool for office-based or facility-based workersand one of the main ways knowledge is acquired and exchanged in anorganisation (Classe 2000). CASE STUDY BT The various benefits of telecommuting to the employer can be supportedby the findings of a study conducted amongst 2000 BT employees (2002).  The study revealed that enabling staff to work from home resulted inincreased company productivity and better employee health and qualityof life.   BT claimed that telecommuting saved them  £35m a year inaccommodation, recruitment costs and absenteeism and that teleworkerswere four times less likely to take sick days, averaging three days offa year compared with twelve for office-based staff. The study also revealed that almost 80% of teleworkers claimed to bemore productive thanks to reduced disruption, commuting time andstress, and greater flexibility about when and where to work.  According to Alison Garner, marketing manager for social responsibilityat BT making staff feel part of the BT community was key to theschemes success. Although a small number of teleworkers complain about increased workinghours, four out of five survey respondents claimed that teleworking isimportant or very important for their quality of life.   Almostthree-quarters described their work/life balance as good or verygood.   BT also maintained that its teleworking policies paid off interms of staff recruitment and retention. CASE STUDY – THE SUSTEL PROJECT The Sustel Project, created in 2002 by the EUs Information SocietyTechnologies programme, found that telework increases businessresilience since it allows work to be done when building operations aredisrupted by factors such as the weather. The Project also showed that the influence of telework on human capitaldevelopment, the personal competencies and skills needed to createwealth, was mostly positive.   Seven of the studies found that teleworkhad a significantly positive effect on internal communication andknowledge sharing, often due to the conscious implementation oftechnological tools during telework program deployment.   At theindividual level, the main financial benefit of telework was reducedcommuting costs, which almost all respondents saw as being greater thanthe increased cost of energy in their home. BENEFITS AND DRAWBACKS – CONCLUSION At the present time there is a lot of controversy in both academic andpractitioner literatures with respect to how telecommuting affectsorganisation employees.   At one extreme, telecommuting is considered aflexible work arrangement that will solve a multitude of problems.   Atthe other extreme, authors have implicated telecommuting causing anumber of negative consequences including loneliness, isolation,exploitation and increased stress.   While there are a legitimate numberof potentially negative effects of telework, these effects can beminimized by proper program management. A balanced view is presented from Baruch and Nicholson (1997) andGoodrich (1990) who claim that the best output from telecommuting isachieved if it is conducted on a part-time basis. They argue,teleworking on a part-time basis can prevent or significantly reducethe social isolation of teleworkers. There are a number of benefits and drawbacks that should be consideredspecifically by high-tech organisations implementing teleworkprogrammes.   From a broad organisational perspective, the positives ofsuch a programme seem to outweigh the negatives.   However, the twodrawbacks of teleworking with legitimate effect on innovation in thehigh-technology sector are reduced political influence, and knowledgeavailability and exchange.   As these have been identified as ofgreatest impact, these areas will be focused on in this study.   As with teleworking, there are a number of different proposeddefinitions of innovation.   One of the most complete is offered byDamanpour (1996), who defines innovation as â€Å"the adoption of an idea orbehaviour new to the adopting organisation,† which usually occurs as â€Å"aresponse to changes in the external environment or as a pre-emptiveaction to influence the environment† (694).   Innovation is â€Å"departingfrom existing norms and practices,† and â€Å"requires risk taking†(Damanpour 1996, 698).   Edquist (2003) defines innovation as â€Å"newcreations of economic significance, primarily carried out by firms†(2).   Depending on the researcher, innovation is held to require either twoor four steps to implementation.   In the four-step model, theinnovative idea is first discovered or created.   This usually happenswith one individual or a small number of individuals working as ateam.   The idea is then presented to and accept ed by a decision-makingleader or body.   Initial adoption of the innovative idea by theorganisation is the next step, with the company allocating someresources to the development of the idea, such as pilots or testcases.   Implementation occurs when the innovative idea reaches broadacceptance within the organisation and becomes part of its regularproduct, process, or routine (Styles and Goddard 2004).   The two-stepcombines the first three steps of the four-step model under oneheading, initiation (Damanpour 1996). There are three types of innovation:   product innovation, processinnovation and administrative innovation (Edquist 2003).   Allcompanies, and small firms in particular, are more likely to innovatein the product arena, where results are tangible and measurable.  Larger firms will also innovate in process areas.   However, processinnovation is more difficult to implement than product, as it requireschange across multiple systems.   Administration innovation occurs mostfrequently in large, structurally complex companies, as it requires themost widespread changes to the organisation (Damanpour 1996).  Ã‚   Innovation within these three areas can be radical or incremental.  Radical innovation â€Å"produces fundamental changes in the activities ofthe organisation and represent a large departure from existingpractices† (Damanpour 1996, 699).   Radial innovation requires a largerknowledge base and free resources.   Incremental innovation is adoptedmore slowly, and produces less pronounced changes to organisationalsystems and activities. Innovation, therefore, is defined in this study as a change in theproduct, process or administration of an organisation; a new idea thatdeparts from existing norms and practices to respond to the firm’scurrent or future environment.   Innovation implementation requires knowledge, creativity, politicalsupport (within the organisation), and adequate resources.   Increasingany of the above or making the systems that control them moreeffective, therefore, has a positive effect on innovation.   Asinnovation requires both change and risk, companies will only undertakeinnovation if it is perceived as necessary to their survival or can beshown to have financial incentives.   Recognizing the forces driving the organisation to innovate isimportant.   For example, environmental uncertainty and environmentalcomplexity both contribute to increased innovation.   Uncertainty aboutthe future leads directly to a concerted effort to increase knowledgebase and exchange.   This influx of information then leads to increasedinnovation (Damanpour 1996).   This is especially evident inhigh-technology firms, where a market leader product today may becompletely obsolete by next year.   Definite, articulated identificationof the need for and support of innovation within the organisationgreatly enhances the chance of implementation of an innovative idea. Similarly, development or adjusting organisational systems to encourageand support innovation increases the chance of innovative success.  Damanpour found that â€Å"large organisations can facilitate theimplementation of innovations by adopting more flexible structures andorganising themselves into smaller units† (1996, 700).   Creation ofinnovative ideas is more likely in complex organizations, where thereis a larger knowledge base and an increase in knowledge exchange(Damanpour 1996).  Ã‚   However, larger organisations are less likely tomove innovative ideas to implementation as they are typically moreformalized, with lower managerial incentive to innovation (Hitt,Hoskisson and Ireland 1990).   An example of this is IBM, which made a sy