BIS220 Information Systems Proposal Essay Example for Free

BIS220 nurture Systems Proposal EssayDear collegue as we embark on this adventure of starting our own Records Company, thither ar some things that we need to become familiar with in order to be successful. We need to get acquainted and become knowleageable with some of the different Information Systems that pull up stakes help our compny be a successful ane. See below for some of the necessary systems that we will be needing.Integrating certain information systems at heart a business organization will not only prove for a faster more efficient workplace but will likewise meliorate the bottom line for company growth. Even though there are numerous information systems that can be implemented and utilized to improve the growth and expansion of the company, there are five information systems that the company should focus on utilizing mathematical function Automation System, keen System, Management Information System, electronic Commerce System, and Transaction Processing Sy stem. The recommended information systems listed in this purpose are simple to use and cost effective. Each information system needs to be evaluated based on their advantages and disadvantages, we will discuss them in detail.Management Information System (MIS) This system is in charge of managing all organizational networks and ensuring all systems are running accordingly. The MIS would also include knowledge of all employee information as well as tracking customer sales and handling company budgets. traffic with allocated budgets could pose an ethical issue depending on the manager in charge, which, if based on a clean background check and character, should not be an issue.Office Automation System This system will help the flow of employee productivity maintain a constant and progressive pattern. This system, or the OAS, will provide employees with the square-toed tools to create effective documents for everyday business related needs.Transaction Processing Systems (TPS) This is needed in order to conduct daily operationsThe point of sale (POS) is one such system that can be designed make transactions efficient by collecting and storing sales transactions, generating purchase orders, and providing tracking numbers for someone sales. Data can transfer and used with accounting and inventory control software programs. These systems will follow the transaction from start point through the finished process and has the capability to capture records and data.Electronic Commerce System This system will enable you to conduct transactions with different organizations and between your business and your consumers.Expert System This system is the system that will approve credit separate. The system crashing and causing us not to be able to take credit cards thenleaving us without the transaction causing us not to meet our goal.Keep in mind that all of these sytems have their drawbacks and if they happen to failed they will cause a great deal of management pain with ing your company. The hassles could be from time keeping with your employees to payroll problems withing the companyRespectfully request you consider my proposal as it clearly meets the criteria for establishing a long and prosperous operation for your company. Again, thank you for the opportunity to provide a proposal for your business. If you have any questions, Id be happy to meet you and discuss this proposal.RespectfullyPedro O. BeltranJOC Watch Officer/Intel AnalystSOUTHCOM J33ReferencesReiner Jr, R. K., Cegielski, C. G. (2011). Introduction to Information Systems (3rd ed.). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database

Benefits of Outsourcing Essay Example for Free

Benefits of Outsourcing EssayThere ar a number of outsourcing benefits that have been recognized by the researchers and they are as many as xxx two advantages of outsourcing. The following will describe the various benefits that will be provided to the university if it plans to outsource the activities in the future. The first kind of advantage that is received by outsourcing is that the overall be of those functions are reduced and there are no more overhead costs for the university. This means that the company would try to reduce its overhead costs by simply passing on the costs to the outsourced company so that it would be at an advantage. The second advantage is that of off-loading non core functions. As has been mentioned before in the paper, when a university would outsource, it would make sure that it out sources the non core functions so that it can concentrate more on the core activities that it is supposed to perform. This in turn would quit the university to becom e more competent in its field and allow the university to concentrate more on the work that it is good at. This is the main purpose of outsourcing to a company. other advantage from outsourcing is that the personnel would at once be shifted to the core activities.This means that the company would now take upon the non core activities and leave the university with the benefit of shifting its employees to the core activities of article of faith and research where the employees can work with one another to explore new areas that have not yet been researched by people and many other ways. The employees would now be able-bodied to concentrate more on the core activities and give their full attention in stead of being worried about the day by day chores that were to be completed on time in order to instigate ahead with their work later on.This was a hassle and a barrier for the employees to move ahead in life and bring new changes in the university. Once the employees are able to ach ieve the sense of not having to complete the daily chores because they are being handled by someone else, they can concentrate on their skills and how they will be used more accurately and in the right way in order to help the employees an the university to move ahead and face the competition that they have from various other universities as well as the online gos that are provided by them. There are a few more advantages that are listed below such as 1. Get access to specialized skills2. Reduce need for subjective commitment of specialists 3. Save on manpower and training costs 4. Control operating costs 5. Improve efficiencies through economies of scale 6. Improve speed and service 7. Level out cyclical or seasonal fluctuations 8. Eliminate peak staffing problems (Tips and Trivia, 2005 ) Conclusion In conclusion, it can be said that the university can think of outsourcing its operations to other companies that can handle the work so that there is no disruption for the university to do its work on time. The university will now be able to face the fierce competition that is there in the filed of education.

Relationship between Business Strategy and IT Strategy

Relationship amidst Business Strategy and IT StrategyBUSINESS-IT ALIGNMENT (BITA)The relationship amongst Business outline and IT dodge and the work of scheme culture on this strategicalalal coincidence in Saudi firms will form the bottom of the research in this research. As such(prenominal), the literature re inspected hither will survey major research and consecrate in the backing-IT strategic confederation domain for the purpose of deriving a research framework, or computer simulation, of pipeline organization-IT strategic connective that will unite the key principles contained within the literature. The intention is to develop a perplex simple plentiful for application that will provide a practical tool both for management and IT practitioners.2.1 BITA A CHRONLOGICAL HISTORYStudy on the strategic concurrence supposition will soon be puzzler a quarter of a decades worth of knowledge. Henderson Sifonis (1988) began instructing this nonion during the lat e 80s when conjunction emerged from a focus on strategic rail line planning and long IT planning whither IT plans were created in brave out of corporate strategies Chan Reich (2007, p. 298). Nevertheless, strategic junction has retained its interest and comfort in the rail line and IT communities and is still a popular topic today for governments perhaps even more(prenominal) than so as technological advancement continues to dominate the exchange of information. Not surprisingly, its evolution has followed closely the developmental appear of IT itself which began with the operational era continuing through the re-engineering invitepoint and the unexampled economy as figure 2.1 illustratesThe initial phase, the operational era, was concerned primarily with the operations that an organisation performed and focused on setting up mainframes, managing ne twainrks of PCs, and backing up organisational data. IT provided the nuts and bolts to facilitate automation of back-of fice makes through the development of softw be and had solitary(prenominal) a verificatory role. Strategic junction was thus viewed merely as a view asing act for every-day operations with its softwargon applications.The second phase, re-engineering, arose from the increasing trend toward dependency on the automation of origin processes by IT which non nevertheless offered back-office extends support but the promise of total automation within an organization as a total through IT softw ar applications. At this stage, IT was still viewed only as a certificatory tool with no stand foration in the business end of an organisation. For example, business managers expressed their system quests which the IT department embraced and went on to develop and deploy a saucily softw atomic number 18 application in isolation. These early strategic bond projects were not always achieverful. It was discovered that the development of softw atomic number 18 (with embedded processes) for automation of a business function was no guarantee of improvement over its to begin with manual operation, indeed it could end up being more era-consuming and therefore less efficient as operators were not necessarily au fait with the application. in that location was not a full understanding of what IT could do and how it could enhance a comp whatsoevers position beyond speeding up communions and thereby creating more measure for production or interfacing. A Them and Us atmosphere prevailed with the techies in a separate world to the mangers or drivers of the business, neither fully understanding the early(a)s leases elements that be also considered further in the organisation culture aspect of this research and dealt with in the next chapter. In the 1990s, Baets theater of European banks (Baets, 1996) supported the findings of Vitale and colleagues ten historic period ahead (Vitale et al., 1986) that knowledge of IT had to be on a par with expert business knowledge for the both to create whatever comprehension and thereby rough-and-ready application of strategic fusion in organisations.The third phase, b atomic number 18-ass economy, saw IT commanding greater importance and status as organisations began to emerge that were embracing e-commerce. The demands of the impudent e-business projects ask involvement of IT existatives in their management and strategic planning. The implementation of Internet technologies to augment business processes for productivity or profitability improvements brought the role of IT into the spotlight, according it intuition and strategic responsibility. Along with the newly elevated status of the old IT department there was a greater familiarity with technology and its capabilities and the prejudice that had foregoingly scorned the nerds disperse somewhat as managers and forcefulness became more knowledgeable and the IT military group more essential beyond a lab coat and a screwdriver cf artifacts causi ng division, Schein (1992) and Trompenaars (1997) in chapter 3. Despite the current global economic crisis and the demise of the new economy IT continues to assume new responsibilities and organisations have even more need for strategic co-occurrence projects. An IT department in 2010 must manage relations with partners and bear business responsibilities concerned with the development and customisation of softw atomic number 18 that will improve how a business functions coiffure impelling project management to control costs and maximise efficiency and ensure that the introduction of any new hardwargon or softw atomic number 18 support operations and infra expression, maintaining the crucial corporate data that helps managers throughout the enterprise to make intelligent and informed decisions Hoque (2002, p. 31). Kearns Lederer, (2003) and Seggie et al. (2006) agree that strategic connective is a means to make up competitive wages and Sabherwal Chan (2001), Wagner et al. (2005) and Zhou et al. (2008) further add that it improves organisational performance.2.2 DEFINING BITADetermining a conclusive definition for conglutination is as ch eachenging as its function and application. in that location be many perspectives and multiple definitions including in chronological order strategic alignment (Henderson and Venkatraman, 1993) harmony (Luftman, 1996) fit (Porter, 1996) bridge (Ciborra, 1997) integration (Weill and Broadbend, 1988) fusion (Smaczny, 2001) IS alignment (Chan et al., 2006 Benbya and McKelvey, 2006) business-IT alignment (Luftman, 2007) and IT alignment (Chan, 2007). It is understandable that there is such diversity as definitions depend on our understanding of language. The semantics involved are precarious because the new technologies are often described in technical terms and applying simplistic synonyms to explain the intention of alignment in the context of business IT in terminology that is tacit without associated jargon is very difficult. Over totally, the definitions offered, though they have nuances of difference surrounded by them, do relate to the improvement of organisational capability through technology.Broadbent and Weills (1993) early definition, purports that it is the degree to which information strategies support, engender and/or enable any business strategies. A later definition offered by Reich and Benbasat (1996) asserts much the like but frames it in terms of the missions of the IT and business objectives and plans on both sides. Luftman (2000) was the first to introduce the element of evolution into the definition and argued that it essential strength as the key element from leadership, senior management and working relationships, combined with a release understanding of the business and technical environments, fitting prioritisation, correlative trust, and of course, sound communion. Hirschheim and Sabherwals (2001) definition included the idea of a reciprocal arrangement as fundam ental to its center and stated that alignment was the achieved amid dodging and supporting constructions that allowed both IS (information systems) and business to function and communicate responsively each way to one an other.Most accepted definitions do highlight the alignment dichotomy described by Kearns and Lederer, (2000), where the argument is that the IS plan ought to align with the business plan (ISP-BP) and vice versa (BP-ISP) the business plan ought to align with the IS plan. individually perspective serves to increase the understanding of IT at organisational level and assist the prioritisation of IT projects. Reich and Benbasat (1996) were protagonists of the ISP-BP sit, which they declared signified, IS managements comprehension of the business strategy. Whereas Bensaou and Earl (1998) contrarily preferred the BP-ISP alignment perplex as they taked it simulated a greater understanding on the part of the business comprehension of the IT aspects and thus the pl an and the resources would ally more effectually together as a result of this knowledge, understanding and commitment. These elements are believed to be enablers of alignment (Luftman et al., 1999). In the definitions offered some view alignment as a specific happening or feature and others regard it is an ongoing process.Duffy (2001) saw BITA as a process of achieving competitive favour through a developed and sustained business and IT symbiosis. Maes et al. (2000) claimed BITA to be a continuous and continual process that involved management and design sub-processes with conscious and coherent interrelation of all elements and mechanisms within the business/IT relationship offering ploughshare to the ongoing performance of the organisation. Moodys (2003) definition saw BITA as a form of comprehensive resources management (people/ technology/ outside resources) that provides a set of IT services and capabilities that are in line with the business needs and priorities. And Senn (2003) was assured that each action executed by IT individuals was to focus on the creation and delivery of shareholder/stakeholder valuate through supporting business operations and/or achieving business goals.2.3 BITA PERSPECTIVES AND DIMENSIONSWith the diversity of definitions offered to explain the essence of the strategic alignment thought, as outlined in the previous(prenominal) section, there is a need to further explore the differences to discover why there is such variety. Part of the explanation whitethorn be that as the fancy has evolved it has been closely linked to the evolution of technological capabilities. Attitudes have changed as organisations have adopted new technologies and personnel have be place more familiar with their voltage and their operation. These dynamics and the evolution of strategic alignment are reflected in the number of sentimentualisations and their definitions will be analysed in the context of the differing perspectives afforded to them . BITA with regard to its perception as a strategy, an aftermath, a continuous process, a performance indicator, an assessment tool, a social model and as an operation will be briefly outlined on a lower floor to expand on the definitions in the literature from their different dimensions.2.3.1 BITA AS A STRATEGYIt has been a tradition for literature to refer to Business-IT alignment as strategic alignment. Considering it in these terms frames it as an intellectual notion rather than something more concrete or practical and as such it keister be high-jacked to represent whatever strategy suits the organisation that is considering alignment. There is no harm in referencing alignment in this manner for it allows debate and therefore change, essential for evolution and adopting a strategy suitable to the structure, culture and level of alignment required. By referring to it in this way however, the literature suggests that strategic alignment is dependent on the fit between IT strate gy and business strategy, and on how the IS plans are established to support such a fit (Teo and King, 1997). Many authors in the strategic alignment field commence alignment purely at the strategic level, e.g. Baets (1992), Broadbent and Weill (1993), Chan et al. (1997), and Luftman (2003). At the core of their conceptualisations is the notion that business strategy itself must first be analysed and only thereafter be used to determine a complementary IT strategy. In this scenario the business strategy is paramount and the IT strategy ploughshare secondary, it is a means to an end rather than a means in its own right. However, despite the alignment between business strategy and IT strategy where emphasis is laid on defining IS strategy plans (Benbya and Mckelvey, 2006) strategic alignment continues to be problematical in many organisations. Thus, make an agreed definition that details IS strategic plans is important for strategic alignment however, is it not becoming on its o wn for the achievement of such alignment (van der Zee and de Jong, 1999).2.3.2 STRUCTURAL TOPOLOGY AFFECTING BITAThe literature often takes for granted the strategic element of the concept and delves further into its implications for organisations, concentrating on the behaviour and nature of BITA what it does when you introduce it and also is a strong feature of the organisational culture signs discussed in the pursuance chapter. This depends largely on what character of a structure into which it is introduced. A white-tie structure, an in buckram structure or a hybrid structure, each having its own merits and each being capable of sound function when the circumstances and environment are conducive to the choice made (Brown and Magill, 1994). A turn inst their tierce identified structures, Earl (1989) identified five potentialityly suitable structures centralized, business unit, business venture, decentralised, and federal. Tavakolian (1989) found a direct correlation betwee n competitive and conservative strategies within an environment and the corresponding decentralised or centralised IT structures evident in an organisation and this finding is supported to some extent by Bergeron et al. (2001) with the caveat that it is not solely the complexity of structure that impacts performance but that other factors are influential too. Chans (2001) view is that informal structure, relationship-based structures that transcend the formal division of labour and coordination of tasks (Chan, 2001, p67) sens be just as useful as formal structure with the human element rather than intellectualised models and processes drive alignment, often with more impact and success than a formal arrangement.Structure, therefore rat add a new dimension to the perspective of alignment as it places it in a setting that will impose its own constraints on the practice and execution of alignment exercises and ideals.2.3.3 BITA AS AN END IN ITSELFFor some authors it alignment doesn t unwrapm to do anything rather it is a business unit that lacks the dynamics others pull in in it. The implication is that it is something that is brought in like an object concrete and physical and recognised by its static end state where some sort of equilibrium is achieved between the IT and business sides in an organisation. In the previous section, some of the definitions only present strategic alignment as an outcome achieved through the employment and adoption of different models, techniques and processes (Ortiz, 2003). Broadbent and Weill (1993), Chan et al. (1997), Luftman (2003) and Reich and Benbasat (1996), also see strategic alignment as something to be arrived at, a destination that is terminated when an optimal situation has been achieved. This whitethorn be a misunderstanding of the full kernel as the attitude that having strategic alignment the business married with the technology required for effective fulfillment of objectives crappernot stand alone and it would be nave to believe that BITA was a panacea for all business problems so perhaps the authors see it as an optimal achievement when all the other factors, or perspectives, also come into play to make BITA a worthwhile thing in itself.2.3.4 BITA AS A CONTINUING PROCESSIf a business is static it will slog and if a business wishes to grow, like IT, it must always continue to evolve through a naturally occurring dynamics that are integral to the implementation of policies such as strategic alignment. Baets (1996), Luftman et al. (1999), and Rondinelli (2001) agree that these dynamics require constant monitoring and appropriate adjustment. Therefore, strategic alignment is not something put onable but something constantly in development, as it is variously described by Henderson and Venkatraman (1993), Baets 1996, Maes et al. (2000), Duffy (2001), Moody (2003), and Senn (2004). An issue that has remained relatively unchallenged and unquestioned is how to align IT that is relativel y fixed once implemented in an organization, with a business strategy and associated information requirements that are constantly in need of adjustment Galliers (2007, p. 228).Even within this perspective there are two schools of thought the classical school of thought with emphasis on contingency adaptations and the processual salute (Whittington, 1993) that emphasises the importance of addressing internal and power issues, particularly how pagan elements influence the formal elements of rationality and the decision process in strategic alignment and rejects IT as merely an adaptation but gives it greater weight as a resource. Furthermore, practitioners are being advised to adopt a view of strategic alignment as a continual process. In Pearlmans (2004) article advice to CIOs, in summary, is that they should communicate, demonstrate, lead, collaborate, govern and mannikin if they wish to achieve alignment.2.3.5 BITA FOR PERFORMANCE INDICATIONIt is the consideration of several aut hors that strategic alignment is not only a process but also a tool whereby they can reflect on the business value that organisations top executive possess, or not. In studies analysed the relationship between strategic alignment and competitive advantage or organisational performance were tracked, (Venkatraman, 1989 Sabherwal and Chan, 2001 Kearns and Lederer, 2003 Wagner, 2005 Seggie et al., 2006 Zhou, 2008). Tallon and Kraemer (2003) were responsible for the additional concept of business value being included as an element to the performance indication point of view of strategic alignment and analyse business value by relating it to organisational IT goals and measuring the IT return of investment from a strategic alignment viewpoint.2.3.6 ASSESSMENT USING BITAIn response to the question how do organisations know how good their strategic alignment is? different authors have developed Maturity Models (MMs) (de Koning and der Mark, 2002 Duffy, 2001 Luftman, 2003 van der Raadt et a l., 2005). MMs describe the development of a specific domain over time. This perspective is in itself a more mature outlook than other perspectives as it has to consider many of the dynamics forwardshand being able to construct an effective strategic alignment. Because of the in-built review and evaluation required for this perspective it has to look at all aspects that the alignment may affect. Researchwork and systems are subject to assessment and revision through these maturity models and their monitoring. On the home of the assessments of those MMs, organisations can fine tune and calibrate their strategic alignmentIdentify any alignment-related aspects/processes improvements required to obtain a higher level of strategic alignment maturity.Initiate any change processes to ensure that the identified improvements eventuate.In much the resembling way, acceptance of the cyclical nature of strategic alignment as posited by Burns (1996) lead-lag model implies assessment in respon se to intermittent predictable and episodic changes as does the punctuated equilibrium model of Sabherwal et al. (2001) where interruptions to stability demand a fresh look at the long term plan and goals of strategic alignment.2.3.7 BITA AS A SOCIAL INFLUENCEIf an organisation intends to work toward achieving strategic alignment it will necessitate discourse that will involve negotiation, collaboration and plebeian understanding elements not always present a specific organisational structure or culture. This talk can blur the boundaries of traditional or conventional approaches and therefore becomes a driving force behind social attitudes and perceptions. Chan (2002) and Huang and Hu (2007) uphold this view that maintaining effective communication in an organisation will impact on corporate strategic alignment culture. Concord must be developed for effective channels of communication, transparency in the exchange of knowledge and sharing of learning (Hoque, 2002 Daneva and Hu , 2007), and the use of informal communication is just as important a factor for adjustment and control (Mintzberg, 1993 Chan, 2002 vander Raadt et al., 2005), to generate an atmosphere of trust and an effective response to business needs from an IT perspective. Reich and Benbasats (2000) study further confirms that strategic alignment is more likely to succeed when business and IT executives have an importantly expressed and mute shared common vision of ITs contribution.2.3.8 BITA AND OPERATIONSStrategic alignment when it is all-encompassing and embraced by all as part of an organisational culture necessarily involves organisational issues of communication, structure and, particularly, coordination processes that are operational to the business in specifically performed actions (Wieringa, 2008). Operational strategic alignment consists of aligning the operational activities of IT and business people with each other so that optimal IT support for business requirements is achieved. In this context, Peak and Guynes (2003) put the onus of success on the IT side of the equation, though it does imply some reciprocity in the initial communication of quality requirements and they state that strategic alignment will only be polish offed when an organisations IT staff can deliver quality information and quality IT products and services to the business side.2.4 BITA MODELS2.4.1 MIT90S FRAMEWORK (1991)During the 1980s, research conducted at the world illustrious MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) initiated interest in the academic community to the potential of the strategic power of IT. In the attempt to exploit the possibilities revealed in the model from the research it was suggested that idea innovation involving IT investment could carry substantial reward if key elements of strategy, structure, technology, management processes and individuals and their roles were kept in alignment (Morton, 1991).Organisation can be visualised as a set of five forces in dynamic equilibrium subject to external influences from the technological environment and the socio-economic environment. In this view, a core task of commonplace management is to ensure that all five forces (represented by the boxes), can flow without restriction or impediment in order to achieve the organisations goals and objectives.With management at the centre of the model its role is central too. Though some areas faculty not necessarily be in direct contact with each other they are connected via the management process which plays the principal role and ensures organisational response to shifts in demands from the external variables.2.4.2 THE HENDERSON AND VENKATRAMAN STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT MODEL (1993)Henderson Venkatramans (1993) strategic model (Figure 2.3) is a widely used four-part illustration favoured by many researchers and organisations for the assessment of the level of alignment in a company. for each one of the four parts quarters contain triplet distinct and indi viduals elements which, when collectively analysed, can be used to define each quarter operationally. These twelve elements- further expanded in Table 1 are used to establish the level and type of alignment within a corporation (Henderson Venkatraman, 1993 Papp, 1995).Table 1 Components of the Strategic Alignment ModelWithin the model it can be seen how external influences may affect change on either processes lower sectors or strategies upper sectors. A vertical link couples the upper and lowers sectors and shows the relationship between strategic fit to accommodate strategy with infrastructure. A horizontal link for functional integration shows how IT strategies must adapt as business strategies change, and displays the dependence and required response of each sector upon anothers adaptations particularly in relation to skills and operation. Giving focus to three of the four quarters of the model at a tending(p) time can permit a simultaneous address to both strategic fit and fu nctional integration (Papp, 1995 Luftman et al., 1999).The SAM (Strategic Alignment Model) model has prove empirical authenticity and has provided valid conceptual and practical value (Goedvolk et al,. 1997 Avison et al., 2004). Nevertheless, it is subject to confines, eg, the applicability of the SAM model may vary depending on the IT-intensity of an industry and the assumptions expounded might not be relevant to the circumstances (Burn and Szeto, 2000).As mentioned, the model does have reference and a number of scholars have further elaborated on it (e.g., Luftman et al., 1993). Goedvolk et al.s (1997) extension service service of the SAM model gave greater focus to technical and architectural attributes. Avison et al.s (2004) addition to the SAM model was able to provide practitioners and academics with further practical ways to attain alignment in their advocacy of examining projects retrospectively to determine alignment. This form of alignment monitoring, can allow pre-emp tion in a change in strategy and implementation of a new alignment perspective by re-allocation of project resources.The SAM model inspired Maes et al. (2000) to produce a framework that incorporates even more layers pertinent to function and strategy where information providers are separated from the systems providing information in a new information domain representing knowledge, and exchange of information through communication and coordination. Their third dimension addresses specific sub-architecture areas.2.4.3 IS CAPABILITY AND ORGANISATIONAL PERFORMANCE MODEL (2004)Peppard and Wards model (2004) shows IS capability at the core of everything, inherently affecting competencies and emanating an influence on all areas that interrelate business strategy/business operations/IT operations and services/IS/IT strategy and impact upon the organisational performance. Such focus on the importance of this core element demonstrates the value IS capabilities can create and is therefore an organisation-wide responsibility that cannot be delegated to the IS function alone (Peppard et al., 2000). Peppard and Ward (2004) later asserted that though an organisation might envisage an IT based innovational strategy, it will be their IS capabilities that permit such a vision to come to fruition.2.4.4 CO-EVOLUTIONARY IS ALIGNMENT (2006)By 2006 the model suggested by Benbya and McKelvey (2006) through its graphic presentation appears a more fluid representation suggesting, even visually, that there is more of a flow between relationships in alignment. It still addresses the need to analyse relationships between business and IT (horizontal IS alignment) but introduces a need to merge the views at different levels strategic/operational/individual of analysis (vertical IS alignment) through shared understanding and communication. The co-evolutionary IS alignment perspective conveys the necessity for mutual adaptation within a dynamic interplay of co-evolving elements. Co-evolutio n does not necessarily seek harmony between the elements but a respect for their position and the innovation that may result from the circumstances and environments in which they function.2.5 ASSESSMENT APPROACHES OF BITAIn this section MMs (maturity models) are referred to that have been developed for the assessment of BITA.2.5.1 DUFFYS MM (2001)Duffys (2001) MM is founded on the principle that a dependable, mutually compatible partnership between IT and business executives is elementary in order to achieve a worthwhile BITA. Without this premise there cannot be a successful desired outcome. Accepting that there is a level of interdependence between IT and business objectives, any schism or division between IT and non-IT areas would debase any efforts to establish alignment. This model is arranged about a series of key success drivers (the domains human resources organisation and management/innovation and renewal strategy/IT/business architecture/IT/business partnership/operationa l excellence/ROI strategy management) which are operationalised in KPIs (key performance indicators) that each contain five contributory factors aspects knowing to address explicit and significant questions within the KPI where it is included. The six domains are briefly explained beneathHuman resources organisation and management. In this domain reference is made to an organisations personnel and emphasis is habituated to the importance of workforce recruitment, retention and management by an organisation.Innovation and renewal strategy. The focus here is how mod an organisation is with an emphasis on currency and validity having a bearing upon understanding when renewal is required to processes and capabilities in an organisation.IT/business architecture. This domain is concerned with the relationship and interaction of entities involved in the information and applications in the business environment of an organisation.IT/business partnership. This domain reflects how the rec ent upgrading of the role of the IT function affects an organisation Technology is critical to business success and this co-dependency drives the need for the IT and non-IT executives to pursue a win/win relationship Duffy (2003, p. 4).Operational excellence. This domain deals with the performance outcomes of the organisation. Duffy recognises that operational excellence can only be achieved if an organisation can recognise the value of ideals embedded in learning and partnerships, and can respond to market demands promptly.ROI strategy and management. This domain investigates the importance of the metrics and processes required for efficient and effective financial management within organisations and accepting IT costs and benefits as having parity with business ones.Duffys six domains address the IT and non-IT assertion as well as received strategic elements within an organisation but there are no explicitly stated maturity levels for them. Instead, Duffy merges the six domains o f the model into four BITA scenarios where organisations fall into the following categories uneasy alliance, supplier/consumer relationship, co-dependence/grudging respect, and united we succeed, divided we fail. These laymans terms are loose at best and though intended to be descriptive only serve to confuse in their interpretation. Such scenarios are the maturity levels in the model.2.5.2 LUFTMANS MM (2003)Luftmans model (2003) was constructed on the basis of practical experience and research into enablers and inhibitors of alignment (Luftman et al, 1999), incorporating reference to various other models here listed chronologically and not in order of importance or influence Nolans stages of growth model (Nolan, 1979), SAM (Henderson and Venkatraman, 1993) and CMMs (Capability Maturity Model) reach and range concept of (Keen, 1996). Luftmans MM is an endeavour based in six domains (skills/technology scope/partnership/governance/ cogency measurements/communications) to discover a sp ecific organisations BITA profile. A brief description of each domain followsSkills addresses practical human resources issues such as cross-training in IT and business issues regarding the heathen environment and its impact on innovation and organisational change.Technology scope refers to how much provision of comprehensible and flexible infrastructure comes from IT, the implementation of emergent technolRelationship between Business Strategy and IT StrategyRelationship between Business Strategy and IT StrategyBUSINESS-IT ALIGNMENT (BITA)The relationship between Business strategy and IT strategy and the influence of organisation culture on this strategic alignment in Saudi firms will form the basis of the research in this research. As such, the literature reviewed here will survey major research and practice in the business-IT strategic alignment domain for the purpose of deriving a research framework, or model, of business-IT strategic alignment that will unite the key principle s contained within the literature. The intention is to develop a model simple enough for application that will provide a practical tool both for management and IT practitioners.2.1 BITA A CHRONLOGICAL HISTORYStudy on the strategic alignment concept will soon be reaching a quarter of a decades worth of knowledge. Henderson Sifonis (1988) began studying this notion during the late 80s when alignment emerged from a focus on strategic business planning and long IT planning where IT plans were created in support of corporate strategies Chan Reich (2007, p. 298). Nevertheless, strategic alignment has retained its interest and value in the business and IT communities and is still a popular topic today for organisations perhaps even more so as technological advancement continues to dominate the exchange of information. Not surprisingly, its evolution has followed closely the developmental come of IT itself which began with the operational era continuing through the re-engineering viewp oint and the new economy as figure 2.1 illustratesThe initial phase, the operational era, was concerned primarily with the operations that an organisation performed and focused on setting up mainframes, managing networks of PCs, and backing up organisational data. IT provided the nuts and bolts to facilitate automation of back-office functions through the development of software and had only a supportive role. Strategic alignment was thus viewed merely as a supporting act for every-day operations with its software applications.The second phase, re-engineering, arose from the increasing trend toward dependency on the automation of business processes by IT which not only offered back-office functions support but the promise of total automation within an organization as a satisfying through IT software applications. At this stage, IT was still viewed only as a supportive tool with no representation in the business end of an organisation. For example, business managers expressed their system needs which the IT department embraced and went on to develop and deploy a new software application in isolation. These early strategic alignment projects were not always successful. It was discovered that the development of software (with embedded processes) for automation of a business function was no guarantee of improvement over its earlier manual operation, indeed it could end up being more time-consuming and therefore less efficient as operators were not necessarily au fait with the application. There was not a full understanding of what IT could do and how it could enhance a companys position beyond speeding up communications and thereby creating more time for production or interfacing. A Them and Us atmosphere prevailed with the techies in a separate world to the mangers or drivers of the business, neither fully understanding the others needs elements that are also considered further in the organisation culture aspect of this research and dealt with in the next chapt er. In the 1990s, Baets study of European banks (Baets, 1996) supported the findings of Vitale and colleagues ten eld earlier (Vitale et al., 1986) that knowledge of IT had to be on a par with expert business knowledge for the two to create any comprehension and thereby effective application of strategic alignment in organisations.The third phase, new economy, saw IT commanding greater importance and status as organisations began to emerge that were embracing e-commerce. The demands of the new e-business projects required involvement of IT representatives in their management and strategic planning. The implementation of Internet technologies to augment business processes for productivity or profitability improvements brought the role of IT into the spotlight, according it recognition and strategic responsibility. Along with the newly elevated status of the old IT department there was a greater familiarity with technology and its capabilities and the prejudice that had previously sc orned the nerds spendthrift somewhat as managers and personnel became more knowledgeable and the IT personnel more essential beyond a lab coat and a screwdriver cf artifacts causing division, Schein (1992) and Trompenaars (1997) in chapter 3. Despite the current global economic crisis and the demise of the new economy IT continues to assume new responsibilities and organisations have even more need for strategic alignment projects. An IT department in 2010 must manage relations with partners and bear business responsibilities concerned with the development and customisation of software that will improve how a business functions practice effective project management to control costs and maximise efficiency and ensure that the introduction of any new hardware or software support operations and infrastructure, maintaining the crucial corporate data that helps managers throughout the enterprise to make intelligent and informed decisions Hoque (2002, p. 31). Kearns Lederer, (2003) and Seggie et al. (2006) agree that strategic alignment is a means to gain competitive advantage and Sabherwal Chan (2001), Wagner et al. (2005) and Zhou et al. (2008) further add that it improves organisational performance.2.2 DEFINING BITADetermining a conclusive definition for alignment is as challenging as its function and application. There are many perspectives and multiple definitions including in chronological order strategic alignment (Henderson and Venkatraman, 1993) harmony (Luftman, 1996) fit (Porter, 1996) bridge (Ciborra, 1997) integration (Weill and Broadbend, 1988) fusion (Smaczny, 2001) IS alignment (Chan et al., 2006 Benbya and McKelvey, 2006) business-IT alignment (Luftman, 2007) and IT alignment (Chan, 2007). It is understandable that there is such diversity as definitions depend on our understanding of language. The semantics involved are precarious because the new technologies are often described in technical terms and applying simplistic synonyms to explain the intention of alignment in the context of business IT in terminology that is understood without associated jargon is very difficult. Overall, the definitions offered, though they have nuances of difference between them, do relate to the improvement of organisational capability through technology.Broadbent and Weills (1993) early definition, purports that it is the degree to which information strategies support, establish and/or enable any business strategies. A later definition offered by Reich and Benbasat (1996) asserts much the same but frames it in terms of the missions of the IT and business objectives and plans on both sides. Luftman (2000) was the first to introduce the element of evolution into the definition and argued that it required strength as the key element from leadership, senior management and working relationships, combined with a make out understanding of the business and technical environments, fitting prioritisation, mutual trust, and of course, effective commu nication. Hirschheim and Sabherwals (2001) definition included the idea of a reciprocal arrangement as fundamental to its convey and stated that alignment was the achieved between strategy and supporting structures that allowed both IS (information systems) and business to function and communicate responsively each way to one another.Most accepted definitions do highlight the alignment dichotomy described by Kearns and Lederer, (2000), where the argument is that the IS plan ought to align with the business plan (ISP-BP) and vice versa (BP-ISP) the business plan ought to align with the IS plan. Each perspective serves to increase the understanding of IT at organisational level and assist the prioritisation of IT projects. Reich and Benbasat (1996) were protagonists of the ISP-BP model, which they declared signified, IS managements comprehension of the business strategy. Whereas Bensaou and Earl (1998) contrarily preferred the BP-ISP alignment model as they believed it put on a grea ter understanding on the part of the business comprehension of the IT aspects and thus the plan and the resources would ally more effectively together as a result of this knowledge, understanding and commitment. These elements are believed to be enablers of alignment (Luftman et al., 1999). In the definitions offered some view alignment as a specific happening or event and others regard it is an ongoing process.Duffy (2001) saw BITA as a process of achieving competitive advantage through a developed and sustained business and IT symbiosis. Maes et al. (2000) claimed BITA to be a continuous and continual process that involved management and design sub-processes with conscious and coherent interrelation of all elements and mechanisms within the business/IT relationship offering contribution to the ongoing performance of the organisation. Moodys (2003) definition saw BITA as a form of comprehensive resources management (people/ technology/ outside resources) that provides a set of IT s ervices and capabilities that are in line with the business needs and priorities. And Senn (2003) was assured that each action executed by IT individuals was to focus on the creation and delivery of shareholder/stakeholder value through supporting business operations and/or achieving business goals.2.3 BITA PERSPECTIVES AND DIMENSIONSWith the diversity of definitions offered to explain the meaning of the strategic alignment concept, as outlined in the previous section, there is a need to further explore the differences to discover why there is such variety. Part of the explanation may be that as the concept has evolved it has been closely linked to the evolution of technological capabilities. Attitudes have changed as organisations have adopted new technologies and personnel have become more familiar with their potential and their operation. These dynamics and the evolution of strategic alignment are reflected in the number of conceptualisations and their definitions will be analyse d in the context of the differing perspectives afforded to them. BITA with regard to its perception as a strategy, an event, a continuous process, a performance indicator, an assessment tool, a social influence and as an operation will be briefly outlined below to expand on the definitions in the literature from their different dimensions.2.3.1 BITA AS A STRATEGYIt has been a tradition for literature to refer to Business-IT alignment as strategic alignment. Considering it in these terms frames it as an intellectual notion rather than something more concrete or practical and as such it can be high-jacked to represent whatever strategy suits the organisation that is considering alignment. There is no harm in referencing alignment in this manner for it allows debate and therefore change, essential for evolution and adopting a strategy suitable to the structure, culture and level of alignment required. By referring to it in this way however, the literature suggests that strategic alignm ent is dependent on the fit between IT strategy and business strategy, and on how the IS plans are established to support such a fit (Teo and King, 1997). Many authors in the strategic alignment field approach alignment purely at the strategic level, e.g. Baets (1992), Broadbent and Weill (1993), Chan et al. (1997), and Luftman (2003). At the core of their conceptualisations is the notion that business strategy itself must first be analysed and only thereafter be used to determine a complementary IT strategy. In this scenario the business strategy is paramount and the IT strategy contribution secondary, it is a means to an end rather than a means in its own right. However, despite the alignment between business strategy and IT strategy where emphasis is laid on defining IS strategy plans (Benbya and Mckelvey, 2006) strategic alignment continues to be problematical in many organisations. Thus, reaching an agreed definition that details IS strategic plans is important for strategic alignment however, is it not enough on its own for the achievement of such alignment (van der Zee and de Jong, 1999).2.3.2 STRUCTURAL TOPOLOGY AFFECTING BITAThe literature often takes for granted the strategic element of the concept and delves further into its implications for organisations, concentrating on the behaviour and nature of BITA what it does when you introduce it and also is a strong feature of the organisational culture types discussed in the following chapter. This depends largely on what type of a structure into which it is introduced. A formal structure, an informal structure or a hybrid structure, each having its own merits and each being capable of effective function when the circumstances and environment are conducive to the choice made (Brown and Magill, 1994). Against their three identified structures, Earl (1989) identified five potentially suitable structures centralized, business unit, business venture, decentralised, and federal. Tavakolian (1989) found a d irect correlation between competitive and conservative strategies within an environment and the corresponding decentralised or centralised IT structures evident in an organisation and this finding is supported to some extent by Bergeron et al. (2001) with the caveat that it is not solely the complexity of structure that impacts performance but that other factors are influential too. Chans (2001) view is that informal structure, relationship-based structures that transcend the formal division of labour and coordination of tasks (Chan, 2001, p67) can be just as effective as formal structure with the human element rather than intellectualised models and processes driving alignment, often with more impact and success than a formal arrangement.Structure, therefore can add a new dimension to the perspective of alignment as it places it in a setting that will impose its own constraints on the practice and execution of alignment exercises and ideals.2.3.3 BITA AS AN END IN ITSELFFor some au thors it alignment doesnt seem to do anything rather it is a business unit that lacks the dynamics others see in it. The implication is that it is something that is brought in like an object concrete and physical and recognised by its static end state where some sort of equilibrium is achieved between the IT and business sides in an organisation. In the previous section, some of the definitions only present strategic alignment as an outcome achieved through the employment and adoption of different models, techniques and processes (Ortiz, 2003). Broadbent and Weill (1993), Chan et al. (1997), Luftman (2003) and Reich and Benbasat (1996), also see strategic alignment as something to be arrived at, a destination that is terminated when an optimal situation has been achieved. This may be a misunderstanding of the full meaning as the attitude that having strategic alignment the business married with the technology required for effective fulfillment of objectives cannot stand alone and it would be nave to believe that BITA was a panacea for all business problems so perhaps the authors see it as an optimal achievement when all the other factors, or perspectives, also come into play to make BITA a worthwhile thing in itself.2.3.4 BITA AS A CONTINUING PROCESSIf a business is static it will stagnate and if a business wishes to grow, like IT, it must always continue to evolve through a naturally occurring dynamics that are integral to the implementation of policies such as strategic alignment. Baets (1996), Luftman et al. (1999), and Rondinelli (2001) agree that these dynamics require constant monitoring and appropriate adjustment. Therefore, strategic alignment is not something attainable but something constantly in development, as it is variously described by Henderson and Venkatraman (1993), Baets 1996, Maes et al. (2000), Duffy (2001), Moody (2003), and Senn (2004). An issue that has remained relatively unchallenged and unquestioned is how to align IT that is relat ively fixed once implemented in an organization, with a business strategy and associated information requirements that are constantly in need of adjustment Galliers (2007, p. 228).Even within this perspective there are two schools of thought the classical school of thought with emphasis on contingency adaptations and the processual approach (Whittington, 1993) that emphasises the importance of addressing internal and power issues, particularly how cultural elements influence the formal elements of rationality and the decision process in strategic alignment and rejects IT as merely an adaptation but gives it greater weight as a resource. Furthermore, practitioners are being advised to adopt a view of strategic alignment as a continual process. In Pearlmans (2004) article advice to CIOs, in summary, is that they should communicate, demonstrate, lead, collaborate, govern and make water if they wish to achieve alignment.2.3.5 BITA FOR PERFORMANCE INDICATIONIt is the consideration of se veral authors that strategic alignment is not only a process but also a tool whereby they can reflect on the business value that organisations might possess, or not. In studies analysed the relationship between strategic alignment and competitive advantage or organisational performance were tracked, (Venkatraman, 1989 Sabherwal and Chan, 2001 Kearns and Lederer, 2003 Wagner, 2005 Seggie et al., 2006 Zhou, 2008). Tallon and Kraemer (2003) were responsible for the additional concept of business value being included as an element to the performance indication point of view of strategic alignment and analyse business value by relating it to organisational IT goals and measuring the IT return of investment from a strategic alignment viewpoint.2.3.6 ASSESSMENT USING BITAIn response to the question how do organisations know how good their strategic alignment is? different authors have developed Maturity Models (MMs) (de Koning and der Mark, 2002 Duffy, 2001 Luftman, 2003 van der Raadt et a l., 2005). MMs describe the development of a specific domain over time. This perspective is in itself a more mature outlook than other perspectives as it has to consider many of the dynamics before being able to construct an effective strategic alignment. Because of the in-built review and evaluation required for this perspective it has to look at all aspects that the alignment may affect. Researchwork and systems are subject to assessment and revision through these maturity models and their monitoring. On the basis of the assessments of those MMs, organisations can fine tune and calibrate their strategic alignmentIdentify any alignment-related aspects/processes improvements required to obtain a higher level of strategic alignment maturity.Initiate any change processes to ensure that the identified improvements eventuate.In much the same way, acceptance of the cyclical nature of strategic alignment as posited by Burns (1996) lead-lag model implies assessment in response to intermitt ent predictable and capricious changes as does the punctuated equilibrium model of Sabherwal et al. (2001) where interruptions to stability demand a fresh look at the long term plan and goals of strategic alignment.2.3.7 BITA AS A SOCIAL INFLUENCEIf an organisation intends to work toward achieving strategic alignment it will necessitate communication that will involve negotiation, collaboration and mutual understanding elements not always present a specific organisational structure or culture. This communication can blur the boundaries of traditional or conventional approaches and therefore becomes a driving force behind social attitudes and perceptions. Chan (2002) and Huang and Hu (2007) uphold this view that maintaining effective communication in an organisation will impact on corporate strategic alignment culture. Concord must be developed for effective channels of communication, transparency in the exchange of knowledge and sharing of learning (Hoque, 2002 Daneva and Hu, 2007 ), and the use of informal communication is just as important a factor for adjustment and control (Mintzberg, 1993 Chan, 2002 vander Raadt et al., 2005), to generate an atmosphere of trust and an effective response to business needs from an IT perspective. Reich and Benbasats (2000) study further confirms that strategic alignment is more likely to succeed when business and IT executives have an importantly expressed and understood shared common vision of ITs contribution.2.3.8 BITA AND OPERATIONSStrategic alignment when it is all-encompassing and embraced by all as part of an organisational culture necessarily involves organisational issues of communication, structure and, particularly, coordination processes that are operational to the business in specifically performed actions (Wieringa, 2008). Operational strategic alignment consists of aligning the operational activities of IT and business people with each other so that optimal IT support for business requirements is achieved. I n this context, Peak and Guynes (2003) put the onus of success on the IT side of the equation, though it does imply some reciprocity in the initial communication of quality requirements and they state that strategic alignment will only be attained when an organisations IT staff can deliver quality information and quality IT products and services to the business side.2.4 BITA MODELS2.4.1 MIT90S FRAMEWORK (1991)During the 1980s, research conducted at the world notable MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) initiated interest in the academic community to the potential of the strategic power of IT. In the attempt to exploit the possibilities revealed in the model from the research it was suggested that tooth root innovation involving IT investment could carry substantial reward if key elements of strategy, structure, technology, management processes and individuals and their roles were kept in alignment (Morton, 1991).Organisation can be visualised as a set of five forces in dyna mic equilibrium subject to external influences from the technological environment and the socio-economic environment. In this view, a core task of planetary management is to ensure that all five forces (represented by the boxes), can flow without restriction or impediment in order to achieve the organisations goals and objectives.With management at the centre of the model its role is central too. Though some areas might not necessarily be in direct contact with each other they are connected via the management process which plays the principal role and ensures organisational response to shifts in demands from the external variables.2.4.2 THE HENDERSON AND VENKATRAMAN STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT MODEL (1993)Henderson Venkatramans (1993) strategic model (Figure 2.3) is a widely used four-part illustration favoured by many researchers and organisations for the assessment of the level of alignment in a company.Each of the four parts quarters contain three distinct and individuals elements whic h, when collectively analysed, can be used to define each quarter operationally. These twelve elements- further expanded in Table 1 are used to establish the level and type of alignment within a corporation (Henderson Venkatraman, 1993 Papp, 1995).Table 1 Components of the Strategic Alignment ModelWithin the model it can be seen how external influences may affect change on either processes lower sectors or strategies upper sectors. A vertical link couples the upper and lowers sectors and shows the relationship between strategic fit to accommodate strategy with infrastructure. A horizontal link for functional integration shows how IT strategies must adapt as business strategies change, and displays the dependence and required response of each sector upon anothers adaptations particularly in relation to skills and operation. Giving focus to three of the four quarters of the model at a given time can permit a simultaneous address to both strategic fit and functional integration (Papp, 1995 Luftman et al., 1999).The SAM (Strategic Alignment Model) model has be empirical authenticity and has provided valid conceptual and practical value (Goedvolk et al,. 1997 Avison et al., 2004). Nevertheless, it is subject to confines, eg, the applicability of the SAM model may vary depending on the IT-intensity of an industry and the assumptions expounded might not be relevant to the circumstances (Burn and Szeto, 2000).As mentioned, the model does have recognition and a number of scholars have further elaborated on it (e.g., Luftman et al., 1993). Goedvolk et al.s (1997) extension of the SAM model gave greater focus to technical and architectural attributes. Avison et al.s (2004) addition to the SAM model was able to provide practitioners and academics with further practical ways to attain alignment in their advocacy of examining projects retrospectively to determine alignment. This form of alignment monitoring, can allow pre-emption in a change in strategy and implementation of a new alignment perspective by re-allocation of project resources.The SAM model inspired Maes et al. (2000) to produce a framework that incorporates even more layers pertinent to function and strategy where information providers are separated from the systems providing information in a new information domain representing knowledge, and exchange of information through communication and coordination. Their third dimension addresses specific sub-architecture areas.2.4.3 IS CAPABILITY AND ORGANISATIONAL PERFORMANCE MODEL (2004)Peppard and Wards model (2004) shows IS capability at the core of everything, inherently affecting competencies and emanating an influence on all areas that interrelate business strategy/business operations/IT operations and services/IS/IT strategy and impact upon the organisational performance. Such focus on the importance of this core element demonstrates the value IS capabilities can create and is therefore an organisation-wide responsibility that cannot be delegated to the IS function alone (Peppard et al., 2000). Peppard and Ward (2004) later asserted that though an organisation might envisage an IT based innovative strategy, it will be their IS capabilities that permit such a vision to come to fruition.2.4.4 CO-EVOLUTIONARY IS ALIGNMENT (2006)By 2006 the model suggested by Benbya and McKelvey (2006) through its graphic presentation appears a more fluid representation suggesting, even visually, that there is more of a flow between relationships in alignment. It still addresses the need to analyse relationships between business and IT (horizontal IS alignment) but introduces a need to merge the views at different levels strategic/operational/individual of analysis (vertical IS alignment) through shared understanding and communication. The co-evolutionary IS alignment perspective conveys the necessity for mutual adaptation within a dynamic interplay of co-evolving elements. Co-evolution does not necessarily seek harmony between the el ements but a respect for their position and the innovation that may result from the circumstances and environments in which they function.2.5 ASSESSMENT APPROACHES OF BITAIn this section MMs (maturity models) are referred to that have been developed for the assessment of BITA.2.5.1 DUFFYS MM (2001)Duffys (2001) MM is founded on the principle that a dependable, mutually compatible partnership between IT and business executives is elementary in order to achieve a worthwhile BITA. Without this premise there cannot be a successful desired outcome. Accepting that there is a level of interdependence between IT and business objectives, any schism or division between IT and non-IT areas would corrupt any efforts to establish alignment. This model is arranged about a series of key success drivers (the domains human resources organisation and management/innovation and renewal strategy/IT/business architecture/IT/business partnership/operational excellence/ROI strategy management) which are o perationalised in KPIs (key performance indicators) that each contain five contributory factors aspects designed to address explicit and significant questions within the KPI where it is included. The six domains are briefly explained belowHuman resources organisation and management. In this domain reference is made to an organisations personnel and emphasis is given to the importance of workforce recruitment, retention and management by an organisation.Innovation and renewal strategy. The focus here is how innovative an organisation is with an emphasis on currency and validity having a bearing upon understanding when renewal is required to processes and capabilities in an organisation.IT/business architecture. This domain is concerned with the relationship and interaction of entities involved in the information and applications in the business environment of an organisation.IT/business partnership. This domain reflects how the recent upgrading of the role of the IT function affects an organisation Technology is critical to business success and this co-dependency drives the need for the IT and non-IT executives to pursue a win/win relationship Duffy (2003, p. 4).Operational excellence. This domain deals with the performance outcomes of the organisation. Duffy recognises that operational excellence can only be achieved if an organisation can recognise the value of ideals embedded in learning and partnerships, and can respond to market demands promptly.ROI strategy and management. This domain investigates the importance of the metrics and processes required for efficient and effective financial management within organisations and accepting IT costs and benefits as having parity with business ones.Duffys six domains address the IT and non-IT assertion as well as definite strategic elements within an organisation but there are no explicitly stated maturity levels for them. Instead, Duffy merges the six domains of the model into four BITA scenarios where organisat ions fall into the following categories uneasy alliance, supplier/consumer relationship, co-dependence/grudging respect, and united we succeed, divided we fail. These laymans terms are loose at best and though intended to be descriptive only serve to confuse in their interpretation. Such scenarios are the maturity levels in the model.2.5.2 LUFTMANS MM (2003)Luftmans model (2003) was constructed on the basis of practical experience and research into enablers and inhibitors of alignment (Luftman et al, 1999), incorporating reference to various other models here listed chronologically and not in order of importance or influence Nolans stages of growth model (Nolan, 1979), SAM (Henderson and Venkatraman, 1993) and CMMs (Capability Maturity Model) reach and range concept of (Keen, 1996). Luftmans MM is an endeavour based in six domains (skills/technology scope/partnership/governance/ talent measurements/communications) to discover a specific organisations BITA profile. A brief descriptio n of each domain followsSkills addresses practical human resources issues such as cross-training in IT and business issues regarding the cultural environment and its impact on innovation and organisational change.Technology scope refers to how much provision of comprehensible and flexible infrastructure comes from IT, the implementation of emergent technol

Codes of Conduct in the Workplace

Codes of Conduct in the WorkplaceTOPIC CODE OF CONDUCTGROUP MEMBERS NAMESPATRICIA MELANETKONAYE NDUNATJASE NAUDETCUMANI NAKOTABONGILE MKEFATTHEOPHILLUS MGWADLEKATDEVON MARTINTA encipher of add is a set of guidelines clarifying the responsibilities of an individual, a theme of people or organization. Other concepts that are similar to computer code of demeanour are apparitional laws, moral codes and ethical. Code of conduct is also known as ethics, set, standards or rules of sort that monitor the decisions or measures of an organization. It contributes to the welfare of an organization and it applys sure that it compliments to each one and every individual of that organization. A code of conduct has to be build or formulated under different departments and legislations (laws) depending on the goal or which position the code conduct has to be drawn under.It has to be approved by all members of the radical. It must be signed by the board and be medium to all the separate members. It serves as an oath on every state of legislation. Code of conduct must have certain procedures that the members need to follow. It includes principles that are intentional to help victors to conduct business with honesty and integrity. A code of conduct document may have a summary of a mission and comforts of a business or organization, and how the members should approach unethical incidents in the working environment.The code of conduct assists the individual to perform professionally. It subprograms as a barrier to make it point that members dont cross certain points in an organization. It helps individual to contribute effectively to the tasks given. Code of conduct have an advantage in it exceptional when it comes to conflict. This means having a set of rules that individuals work according fewer conflicts involve. Those who violate or fail to comply with the code of conduct will be impress to disciplinary measures that might include dismissal if it is twind u pon.A code is also a tool to encourage discussions of ethics and to improve how employees/members deal with the ethical dilemmas, prejudices and gray areas that are encountered in everyday work. A code is meant to complement relevant standards, policies and rules, not to substitute for them.Codes of conduct offer an invaluable opportunity for creditworthy organizations to create a positive public identity for themselves which flowerpot lead to a more supportive political and regulatory environment and an increased train of public confidence and send among important constituencies and stakeholders. (Principles of Stakeholder Management, The Clarkson Centre for chore Ethics, 1999, p. 12.)Codes of conduct have been around for quite some time. The purpose of the code of conduct is to make a point that the rules and standards of a business or organisation are met. They serve as a base to carry common obligations. Even, though people complex them with law rules. They capture vision fo r excellence for individuals and organizations. Codes are not meant for professional environment only you can find them at church, political parties, schools, communities, organizations and businesses. There are there to emphasis dedication to employees and individuals to make them responsible not to create trouble or blame one another about certain things in a assembly or team.Codes of conduct are designed different their can have a negative and positive influence towards the employees or members. A former US Supreme Court Justice, Earl Warren wrote law float on a sea of ethics. In my own understanding this summons means everything that concerns the law is dealt with a according to the rules or ethics. A good social and cultural consideration helps with implementing code of conduct. Code of conduct determines economic increase and development of a certain business or organization.The code of conduct is approved by Island Council that it provides guidance to members on what stand ards they must or expected to conduct them according. Therefore members are required to comply with the code of conduct. According to the Pitcairn Island code of conduct its a priority for members to learn the meetings. If they dont attend justification of being absent is required. Members must come prepared to the meeting and arrive in time. Nolan principle emphasis that the members must comply according to the spare-time activity aspects selflessness, integrity, objectives, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership. If conflict boot outs as a declaration of clashes in one of the mentioned principles public is more favoured (when experiencing conflict between mortalal and public integrity, after a decision is made public integrity is more favoured). (Prime Minister John Mayor.20 October 2011.Committee on Standards in Public Life).Online.Availablewww.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/committee_on_Standards_in_Public .20 Mach 2014).Some people dont agree with the code of conduct so t hat means it has disadvantages as well. Opponents conserve that codes of conduct are often only pleasant, predictable and worthless words without any obligation. However, if the code of conduct has been established jointly by every person in the business or organization, and it is constantly reviewed due to changes and new experiences it will have a great value. Opponents often see code of conduct simply as a resourceful marketing and public relation tool. Thought, an existed code of conduct demonstrates its value in crisis circumstances rather than in trouble free times. Employees or members will be the ones who will face painfully experience as the result of an unnoticed written code of conduct.Critics doubt that management really expects employees or members to obey to the ethical values of its code of conduct, if it would mean losing business or cut back profits. Upholding high ethical standards is important to stay in a business and maintaining long term profitability. Therefo re management and the owners of the business expect employees to always act according to ethical principles. It has been recommended that a code of conduct is not in the interest business or organization. The more the business or organization focuses to a code of conduct the greater the advantage of members or employees to cheat.An industry that believes in ethical behavior doesnt take time in punishing the person who broke the rule. Occasionally it is felt that a code of conduct is reassuring unrealistic expectations, that it is self-righteous talk and spiritual beliefs about what is possible in a hard, realistic business world. One main crisis with a code of conduct is that it needs to take subjective standards and make them objective. Indeed this is their main point to take subjective standards and make them a common sequence of standards. A disadvantage of a code of conduct it needs to be forced (consequences) in distinguish for people to obey it. Code of conduct is vague, what it says is not what it means because top managers interpret it according to managers needs.A code of conduct is a companys professional belief of ethics morals, values and appropriate behavior for its operation, imposed by the leaders. In order for a code of conduct to work in an organization or business it must be flexible to employees. Managers must allow employees to participate in formulating a code of conduct. Code of conduct it doesnt consist of positive ethical rules and it doesnt give employees freedom of choice. I think its a good idea to revisit the code of conduct now and then to see if its still on point with whats passage on in the business or organization.Bibliographyhttp//www.djargoproject.com/conduct/2013 -04-08 17 abut 2014Ethics codes codes of conduct as tools for Promoting an Ethical Profession Public Service Comparative Success Lesson. 2005. Prem, World Bank, Washington DC.1 76.Driscoll, Dawn-Marie and W. Michael Hoffman, Ethics Matters How to Implement Va lues-Driven Management, 2000, p. 77.Principles of Stakeholder Management, The Clarkson Centre for Business Ethics, 1999, p. 12.http//www.allbusiness.com/human-resources/employee-development-employee-ethics/913929-1.html Louise Balle 20 March 2014https//www22.verizon.com/about/careers/pdfs/CodeOfConduct.pdf 19 March 2014http//www.allbusiness.com/professional-scientific/accounting-tax-preparation/4500132-1.html 18 March 2014Www.pwc.co.za. (2008) Code of conduct the way we do business. Online Available from http //www.pwc.co.za/en_ZA/za/assets/pdf/pwc-code-of-conduct-june-08.pdf. Accessed 18 March 2014.Island Council. 9 November 2011. Code of Conduct. 1 6. term On Moodle CRITICISMS OF A CODE OF CONDUCT/ETHICS (UNKNOWN)CODE OF CONDUCTIn our group we understand a code of conduct as a set of conventional principles and expectations that are considered binding on any person who is a member of a particular group. Code of conduct is rules and regulations that guide the group to a common go al and delegating the responsibilities to individuals for proper and effective running of the task given. Its an agreement on rules of behavior by the group. In our group we expect all the group members to obey, follow and comply to the code of conduct, if not there will be consequences faced.Statement of Core ValuesBuild trust and Credibility the success of the group depends on the trust that we earn from each other as a group members. Commitment is important when working in groups, showing integrity, honesty and trustworthy.Respect for the individual respect is very important when working with people. Every individual in a group deserve to be treated with respect and dignity. If we treat each other with respect there will be fewer conflicts.Intercultural Communication everyone should be treated equally, so that they can feel comfortable to express their feelings and views. Understanding other peoples culture makes communication easy between one another.Conflicts of Interest wh en conflict arise the group leader mustnt take sides because the conflict involves his/her friend. The conflict must be solved in a fair manner to both parties. club all group members are required to participate in a group task and take responsibility by doing their work in time.Sub-Groups during group discussion there must be no sub-groups within the groups. This can cause conflict and its so dis regardful to do that.Communication professional way of communicating is very important it gives others a chance to voices their thoughts. When talking all at the same time nothing will be resolved or conflict will arise.Time Management everyone is expected to arrive in time during meetings. Members should inform the group in advance if they are going to be absent with a valid reason.Plagiarism copying of other peoples work is not encourage as we all know that plagiarism is a big offence to commit. Every research you do must be reference so that you can be safe.Team Work working unit edly save time. Makes the tasks very easy and you have an advantage of finishing n time.Cell phones playing with a cell phone while we are in a meeting is not allowed. This means that you dont want to be part of the meeting. When receiving a call you can go out softly and answer your call.Language since we diverse cultural group, English is an appropriate language to use so we can understanding each otherAggressive behavior vulgar language, aggressive attitude and violence are not allowed. We need to be respectful to others and talk to each other in a respectful way.Confidentiality no confidential information may be disclosed without permission of a group.CONSEQUENCES WHEN CODE OF CONDUCT IS BREACHEDPenalties of breaching a code of conduct depend on many factors such asWho breached the code of conduct?How and when did they breached the code of conductWhat were the effects of the breach?Whether the behavior has taken place repeatedly or is a once off thing?Penalties would be as followsRequest the person to change their behaviorIssue an informal or formal warning (written or verbal)If the behavior continues in several occasions ask the person to leave the group immediatelyLast action is to ban the person from coming to the group

Issues of Discrimination in Sports

Issues of Discrimination in SportsThere ar many different aspects that define the culture of a sort of tribe. Whether it is the nutrition or the music or the traditions, either single person in this world lives based on the culture that surrounds them. iodine vital discover of a culture is sports. Games atomic number 18 a source of revenue, income, gos and entertainment. They create bonds between batch who would otherwise take a shit nothing in common, whether fans, athletes or administrators. A chance of well-informed competition between individuals of a ball club is the basis for the games in which a select few stir upicipate and millions watch. Especially for the population of the United States, sports are so ingrained into the culture that it would be hard to imagine a country without them.Sports have been praised for their ability to be a melting pot (Lumpkin), an idea soft understood by the United States, which holds the same nickname. They are considered to be t he great equalizer because more attention is given to the abilities of a person than to who they actually are (Humara). Most people believe that sports provide equal opportunities for both majorities and minorities alike (Kahn). But what if this is not true? Just as minorities are discriminated against in commonplace society, there is speculation and debate that discrimination occurs in neat institutes as well.Economists and the general public have become more interested in the essence of discrimination against minorities in professional sports (Kahn). This topic is easily engage and assessed considering statistics are readily available for the public, much(prenominal)(prenominal) as the gender, age, race, ethnicity and wage of lickers in professional sports much(prenominal) as baseball, football and basketball game (Kahn). A growing number of sports sociologists are focusing on these inequalities and trying to discover if there is an actual problem and if so how it can be corrected (Eisen 127).The general issue of discrimination in institutions was addressed by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This article prohibits consumption discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex and national origin (Hanna). Some people argue that there is still evidence of racial discrimination in sports today, though. Despite laws, the situation becomes sticky when it comes to racial discrimination. Is it really possible to prove that approximatelyone was not hired based on their race? In some cases, yes, still in others, no. The government cannot force people to hire certain scenes, but their ability to punish institutions for denying a position to a candidate based on race is limited (Hanna).Within the institution of sports, there are several ways that a person can be discriminated against, such as during the hiring process, what position he or she is allocated, or how much he or she is paid in salary (Kahn). Discrimination can come from employers, c oworkers, customers, and people who hold prominent positions such as sportscasters, Hall-of-Fame selection committees, sports executives and franchise possessors (Leonard). Discrimination not only affects if someone is able to be a part of a team, but how they are treated while on that team.Minorities are said to experience discrimination during the hiring process simply based on their origin and the feature that those in decision-making positions are more inclined to hire those who are similar to themselves. Since several administrators are uncontaminating males, they are more likely to hire white males when given the chose between several well-qualified candidates. Those who are hired could possibly experience discrimination through the allocation of their positions minorities may be given less-prominent leadership and critical-thinking positions such as pitchers and quarterbacks (Kahn). Salary is a difficult area to determine discrimination due to the detail that numbers may be biased, figures may be omitted, players perform different positions at different skill levels, veterans are paid more than rookies, and contracts may differ based on the number of years and the salary to be paid (Kahn). Customers may show their own form of discrimination by refusing to attend games or purchase certain merchandise, as well as racial slurs said during taunting or trash talking (Lumpkin).The three sports that are voted as the most popular in the United States are baseball, basketball and football. These three only offer a handful of positions 737 in Major League Baseball (MLB), 245 in the field Basketball Association (NBA) and 1400 in the National Football League (NFL) (Eisen 230). The chances of someone securing a position on a team in these institutions is miniscule, with four out of every 100,000 Caucasians, two out of every 100,000 African Americans and three out of every 100,000 Hispanics successfully doing so (Egendorf 95).Professional sports organizations a re required to submit a Racial and sexual practice taradiddle visiting card to assess the hiring practices of women and people of color in each organization. These assessments ensure that minorities are justly invented in such prominent organizations by considering the composition of the players, coaches and administration. For example, if African-Americans represent twenty-four percent of the population then twenty-four percent of the positions held in a sports organization must be held by African-Americans. In the 2010 Racial and Gender Report Cards, the MLB, NBA and NFL each scored an A in racial hiring practices, with the MLB and NFL improving from an A- and the NBA dropping from an A+ in 2009 (CBA).The color barrier in baseball was broken by Jackie Robinson in 1947 when he joined the Brooklyn Dodgers and ended segregation in professional baseball (Kahn). At the start of the 2010 season, minorities composed over forty percent of the players in the MBL, including African-Ame ricans, Latinos and Asian-Americans. Nine people of color (three African-Americans, five Latinos and the first Asian-American) hold the title of manager in the MLB, bringing the total managers of color to thirty percent. Thirty-two percent of coaching positions are held by minorities, and they are also well represented in administration positions as well (CBA).The National Basketball Association employs the highest contribution of minorities with octety-two percent of their players being African-American, Latinos and Asian-Americans. Seventy-seven percent of those players are African-American. International players hold eighteen percent of positions on NBA teams. Michael Jordan is the only African-American majority owner of a professional sports team, but there are four African-American presidents in the NBA. Thirty percent of the head coaches are of a minority, with one American-Asian and eight African-Americans holding positions, while forty-one percent of the assistant coaches are of color (CBA).Administration in the National Football League hosts many positions for minorities as well, with cardinal percent of the positions being held by African-Americans, Latinos, Asians and Native Americans, but no person of color has ever held majority ownership of an NFL team. The representation of minorities is relatively high for African-Americans at sixty-seven percent, but Latinos and Asian-Americans are only represented with one and two percent, respectively. Out of all of the professional sports organizations, the NFL has the smallest percentage of international players with two percent. The coaching lag of the NFL boasts six African-American coaches and one hundred fifty seven assistant coaches of color (CBA).Based on the data collected from the Racial and Gender Report cards of Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association and the National Football League, minority representation fares well in these professional sports. Certain measures, such as this report card, have been taken to ensure that minorities are represented in sporting institutes (CBA). One such measure is the Rooney figure, enacted by the NFL in 2002. The Rooney Rule was headed by Dan Rooney of the Pittsburgh Steelers and states that any NFL team seeking to hire a head coach must interview one or more minority applicants (Hanna). This formula is most likely accountable for the fact that one fourth of NFL teams have a minority coach. Measures like these enable minorities to have an equal opportunity to be represented in the sporting organizations in the country in which they reside.While the numbers show that discrimination is very low, if not nonexistent, in sporting organizations in the United States, they can only go so far. Discrimination is not just about how many players of color are on a sporting team, but what they had to do in order to achieve their position and how they are treated once they are a part of the team. Blacks were excluded from profess ional sports all in concert until the 1940s, after World War II (Kahn). Before this time, African-Americans began their own black leagues that mirrored the white-only versions of the sport. For example, Rube Foster founded the National Negro Baseball League in 1920 that offered an alternative for black athletes excluded from the major leagues (Eisen 138). These leagues were a chance for African-Americans and other minorities to play sports they loved, although they were far from equal to their white counterparts.Once minority players were allowed to become a part of professional sports alongside white people, it was an uphill battle. African-Americans were striving for success in institutions that were controlled and defined by white standards (Eisen 135). They had to face the fact that they were both black and American playing white sports (Eisen 133). They wanted to be classified equally with their teammates, but they were defined by their color and not their ability (Eisen 138). These players strove to gain acceptance but never completely broke away from being defined by their race (Eisen 136). Wins symbolized symbolic nails in the coffin of racial inferiority but losses were evidence of their limits as minorities (Eisen 133). Many prominent minority athletes used their social status to help those in their race that were less fortunate while they pursued their careers (Eisen 136).Some may argue that discrimination exists in sporting organizations in the United States today. Qualifications and abilities may be overlooked because of the race of the applicant (Egendorf 103). Since many dogmatic positions in both professional and collegiate sports are held by white males, minorities have less of a chance of being hired due to the fact that the employer is more likely to hire someone similar to themselves (Egendorf 99). Athletes who have played the sport should be awarded leadership positions, but more often than not whites are hired over minorities (Egendorf 98). Minority athletes, many of whom grow up in lower-income areas, are denied equal training facilities during high school and are therefore at a disadvantage compared to their white counterparts when it comes to trying out for spots on professional sports teams (Kahn).Others do not see discrimination present in organizations such as the MLB, NBA and NFL. These people look at the statistics and bill of fare that minorities are represented more in sports than they are in the entire population (Kahn). They also notice trends, such as the fact that the NBA is representative of more minorities than whites and that the NFL is increasingly composed of Pacific Islanders and Latinos (Egendorf 97). Since white players have more opportunities in society after retirement, they are more likely to retire earlier and therefore will not be as valuable as a minority who will play for a longer amount of time (Kahn).Either way the situation is looked at, minorities are fast becoming a majority (Jus tice Reader 2). Since the United States have been considered a melting pot for people from so many cultures and the country offers so many more opportunities, more and more people are immigrating in search of a better life. Although America has been defined as white, that is slowly beginning to change (Justice Reader 2). So how is justice ensured to minorities wishing to pursue a career in professional sports? The principle of distributive justice should be followed, or rewards, rights, opportunities, services and treatments because of who that person is, what he or she has done or to which group he or she belongs (Justice Reader 40). If an African-American athlete and a white athlete train equally for a position on a team, they should be given an equal opportunity to try out for that position. Their chances should be fair and consistent. Justice should be understood as merit focused on what is owed a person by virtue of his or her actions, efforts and impacts (Justice Reader 49).In the Old Testament of the Bible, we are told that God loves justice (Isaiah 618). The sin of humanity creates injustice in the world, yet we are called to live just and righteous lives (Micah 68). A reoccurring theme in the Old Testament is the law that God calls His people to live by. When the law is followed, we are able to live in harmony with God and other humans. This law has been broken, though, creating the injustices that we are dealing with in our day and age.One of the main focuses of the New Testament is the teachings of Jesus. In these teachings, He calls us to love our neighbors as ourselves (Mark 1231). By treating our brothers and sisters in just ways, we are loving them as we love ourselves and treating them how we would want to be treated. The New Testament also tells us that we are all one body of Christ and therefore everyone is equal (Galatians 328). Why should some have privileges over others or be treated with injustice?Sporting organizations are very prevalen t in the culture and society of the United States. The issue of minority representation has always been a controversy in the sporting world due to the fact that a successful career in athletics leads to success away from the athletic world (Eisen 221). Not only is minority representation important since they are a large part of the culture, but minorities are given more opportunities through a career in sports. Creating a system that gives equal opportunities and treatments to both majorities and minorities is one way to solve injustices in sporting organizations. Some actions to begin this system have been started, such as the Rooney Rule in the NFL. Individuals can voice their opinions when it comes to sporting organizations, such as protesting unjust actions and treatments. One voice may not be a lot, but many voices together can make a loud sound.

An American :: essays research papers

What is an American?What does it mean to be "American?" What makes it "American?" And how does it make us "American?" American stands for the beliefs, the unison, as well as the people that enter from this great nation.The beliefs of this great nation speak every language. These beliefs stretch from the furthest reaches of Africa to the city life of New York. These beliefs are pride, freedom, and equality. American meat to be proud. It means to stand up for what you believe in and to fight for it wholeheartedly. American also means to have freedom, freedoms to do what you wish, to practice your own religious ceremonies, customs, and beliefs. With these freedoms comes a responsibility, a responsibility to be accountable for your actions. Equality is the basis of American society. Before equality for all, there was slavery. With this slavery came accounts of cruelty and disillusioned violence. Without help from first communicate accounts of slaves such as F rederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman, we would have never emerged from this dark era in American history.American music is the envy of nations around the world. From Frank Sinatra to the Beatles, American music continues to diversify and grow. American bands develop large masses of followers in nations of all different ethnic backgrounds. From Asia to Germany, American music continues to influence the music styles of the stay on of the world.Proud American men and women joined the armed forces to serve the country that they love and protect. These people show what it means to be American. Just as the colonists fought the British for Independence, they risk their lives, for something they believe in and cherish. These same people also stand for exploration and discovery.

Governmental Structures Essay -- essays research papers

As I began to micturate my ideal world, I realized thatwhat I cute was a mix of three different disposals/cultures. I wanted (and still do) a authorities truly of and for the people. I also wanteda government that was minimalist, one that made surethere was some kind of order and peace, provided one thatwas well, personal, while not interfering too muchwith the rights of its citizens. Additionally, Iwanted a government that would allow private industry,small businesses, and limited corporations. Thisgovernment would regulate the economy by being incharge of study industries and the minimum wage. Thisgovernment would even the playing field for everyonewho wanted to play on it. Education would beexcellent, but driven by the wants of the individual. Basically, I wanted a government that did not fit wellinto any of Stewarts categories. Please forgive meif this essay sounds vague at times, because withoutbeing able to mimic typic governments, my nation isdifficult to describe in th e way Stewart describeswhat has been before. My nation is neither DemocraticSocialist, nor Radical Liberal, nor Anarchist (thoughI would have loved to fixd an Anarchist culture, Iwas afraid to, after all, I am a child of the Reganyears) I suppose youll just have to read along anddiscern what type of government this is by how Idescribe it.In my previous "My Way" essay, I described a world inwhich a person was push backn tutelage of by the government andthemselves throughout their lives. Because ofeffective birth control methods implemented in theyear 2000, the population of the United Statesdecreased slowly, allowing for more change to takeplace because there were basically fewer people to complicate the change in governmentalstructure. From birth until death, a citizen was covered by the national health care body. This national system included all hospitalsand doctors under in 2050, a medical "umbrella" forthe entire nation. As life continued for a citizen of Ame rica in 2050,he or she would enter into their local school system,based upon Montessori-style education. Within 12-14years, they would graduate with the experience of asemester abroad and an Associates degree. The schoolsystem isnt based so much upon technological advancesas it is by fundamental changes in the way the sc... ...en lives a healthy life, one in which they arephysically able to achieve his or her goals. As acitizen in 2050, a person has the right to anexcellent education, made possible for everyonebecause of the smaller amounts of students in schools.The paradigms of 2050 create a community in whichpeople see each other as equals and this creates moreharmonious interaction between individuals. Thestructure of nationalized industries produces productsthat are chintzy and efficient. The new structureof government allows regular people to communicatewith and effect government without selling out to apolitical party. Perhaps my system isnt perfect, but it is the bestpossi ble idea I can conceive of right now. I justwanted to create a system that would in turn, create acommunity of individuals who really cared about eachother. In each of the systems I looked at, I foundgood and bad points, so I took as many of the goodpoints from all of them to create the best system Icould. So, this is my system one in which healthy,educated people live together in a community,supported by a system of checks and balances, whichkeep a just and stable government