Peer to Peer Networking In Business Research Paper - 1

Peer to Peer Networking In Business - Research Paper Example Peer to Peer Networking in Business Chapter 1 Introduction Background Peer to peer networks have attracted a significant amount of attention in the press as popular network architecture and this brings the need for a clear understanding of this application. Peer to peer (P2P) technology has seen an increase in usage since 21st century with both beneficial and destructive practices depending on which end of technology one is at. Millions of people are routinely trading in this digital in search of audio files, video, software, music games, and movies thanks to P2P technology. The increase in demand of the users and businesses is initiating the need for exploring the ways in which this digital content can best satisfy human wants in business to achieve maximum profitability. It is clear that p2p systems can either create or destroy huge amounts of contents depending on various conditions of use during file sharing process thus should be monitored keenly. The technology is beneficial to business development and application due to good profit returns and the ease associated with it use. P2P file sharing is important application in the conventional world following office application and business ethics in terms of benefits for business ideas and business ethics in terms of infringement of other people’s rights. ... Moreover, this technology can also be used in business to lower the cost of computing power following its capacity to enable parallel processing of information. Since this is a new technology in business, it has its pros and cons considering the nature of its application that is unique to business. Legally, the issue of copyright infringement has been the debate concerning P2P, application that is viewed by some law enforcers to be copyright infringement. Statement of the problem A number of businesses are in the verge of boosting their sales and efficiency of their business models to achieve good profits and this call for technology application. This has prompted some business owners to apply the best and latest techniques in business application, which includes P2P networking in business to enable them, compete profitable with other firms. The increased application of P2P technology has seen many business firms on the wrong side of the law and thus the aim of research is to establi sh whether businesses are comfortable with P2P technology. Purpose of the study The legal and ethical issues, which arises from the continuous use of P2P technology needs a careful study aimed in justifying the application and the use of this new technology in business networking. The business people need to get approval from research if the benefit of P2P application outweighs loses so that they can continue with its application. Hypothesis The review of related literature shows that there is less need collaboration between the business owners, copyright owners and the legal fraternity. The collaboration should be aimed at enabling business owners to make profits using P2P in such a way

The Benefits of Hybrid Cars Essay Example for Free

The Benefits of Hybrid Cars Essay There was once a time when you could turn on the news and not hear about the terrible state of the environment or the impending doom that is global warming. That time has become part of the past. The standard automobile can be blamed for a large portion of the conflict. Today’s large gasoline engines spew harmful emissions into the air every time we drive. Of course as a result, the United States government has started to resolve these problems. As a result, the United States government has been attempting to solve the environmental problem. One such solution is the hybrid electric car, which can save resources by giving off less emission. And my claim is one of the ways to assist the environmental situation is using hybrid cars. First of all, what do we know about the hybrid car? HEV’s or hybrid electric vehicles differ from standard vehicles by their source of power. According to Michael Westbrook, who is recently retired as the manager of technological research with the Ford Motor Company, â€Å"any vehicle that has more than one power source can be classified as a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV)†(142). The first-ever hybrid cars appeared in the middle of the nineteenth century. These primitive constructions sped up no more than 10 km/h (Westbrook, 11). The main energy that propelled vehicle was steam source. In 1905 Belgian, Henry Pieper, invents and patents a hybrid chart for a car. Ferdinand Porsche developed the idea of the Belgian inventor. A car carried the name Lohner Porsche and was very popular at that time. Company Lohner Porsche produced a few varieties of hybrid cars of the most different orientation: freight, automobile, busses, fire trucks and ambulances. But unfortunately, in 1906 production of hybrids of System Lohner Porsche was stopped from their unprofitability as compared to cars on petrol. A new wave of interest in the hybrid vehicles emerged after 40 years, in the early 60’s, last century. But it was just the beginning of an interest in hybrid vehicles (Westbrook, 20-21). Permanent price advances on oil and gas in the late twentieth century, and also strengthening of requirements to ecological descriptions of cars, have compelled developers again to take up developments of ecofriendly and economical motor vehicle. (Westbrook, 23) After a long time, the forgotten ideas of hybrid auto were needed designers. In 1997, Toyota began selling the Prius. Below is the example of two hybrid cars from different manufacturers. (Siler) After two years, another Japanese company Honda produces a hybrid vehicle, which is called Insight. This car satisfied not only the Japanese market, but the US too. But already in 2000, The Toyota Prius went on sale begins to expand to foreign markets, primarily in the United States. It was a huge success. According to the magazine Forbes The Toyota Prius enters in the ten cars that changed the world and also as the most sold hybrid car in the world (Westbrook, 26-27). In the meantime, due to the progress of hybrid cars and due to the high standards to automobile companies the situation with air pollution significantly changed. The chart below shows six major air pollutants and in the first place is carbon monoxide, which is emitted by vehicles, then nitrogen oxides, then volatile organic compounds, etc. (Cooper) But we should mention that comparisons from 1970 to 2002, the carbon monoxide in the air is so much decreased, and the reason for decreasing carbon monoxide is the hybrid car, because as we remember from the history of the hybrid cars in these years were the main progress in the development of hybrid cars. (Cooper) According to Nurretin Demirdoven’s investigation, which is the professor of Engineering System Division at the MIT, comparing the energy potency of hybrid and fuel cell vehicles, as we have with combustion engines, showed that fuel cell vehicles don’t provide more important benefits than hybrid-powered vehicles in urban vehicles in urban driving settings. There are other pros of using hybrid electric vehicle, such as: 1. Cost effectiveness. Hybrid car uses less fuel, as is able to move only the electric range by battery power. 2. Ecological compatibility. Intermittent use of ENGINES is ensured, while the electric motor does not produce harmful emissions into the atmosphere. Toyota Prius to 85 percent less polluting than the class car with traditional power installation. 3. Low noise. Electric motors are virtually silent. Hybrid car has its drawbacks: 1. High cost. For modern technology, environmental friendliness and cost efficiency car buyers have to pay the price for its purse. 2. The complexity of repair and insufficient development of a network of service centers in selected countries. 3. Potential danger to pedestrians who often just dont notice because they are hybrids of noiselessness. (YouManitoba) Hybrid cars are good for the environment. Hybrid cars are one among the promising types of new generation cars. Hybrid cars are more reliable than electric cars from what we are seeing to date and they have gasoline as an alternate fuel. Hybrid cars are currently more expensive to buy than conventional cars. So, we may pay more now but we should see great gains and thus yields is solving our current and long term energy needs when it comes to our people mover desires. Hybrid automobile technology has been accepted as an answer for the car pollution issues of the day. And in the end, I would like to conclude by quoting Gandhi: à ¢â‚¬ If you want to change the world, start with yourself.† Let’s change the world! Works Cited Cooper, Mary H. â€Å"Air Pollution Conflict.† CQ Researcher 14 Nov. 2003: 965-88. Web. 2 Nov. 2012. Demirdà ¶ven , Nurettin, and John Deutch. â€Å"Hybrid Cars Now, Fuel Cell Car Later.† American Association for the Advancement of Science. 13 Aug. 2004: 974-976. Web. 2 Nov. 2012. Siler, Wes. â€Å"By The Numbers: 2010 Toyota Prius Vs 2010 Honda Insight†. Jalopnik. 13 Jan 2009. Web. 6 Dec. 2012 Westbrook, Michael H. â€Å"The Electric and Hybrid Electric Car.† London: SAE International and Institution of Electrical Engineers, 2001. Print. YouManitoba. â€Å"What Are The Advantages Of Hybrid Electric Cars?† YouTube. 19 Oct. 2010. Web. 20 Oct. 2012

Convenience Store as Metaphor for a University :: Expository Essays

Convenience Store as Metaphor for a University The university is a convenience store located along the highway of life. It's not a place the customer-student necessarily wants to stop at, but looking at the gas gauge of opportunity, the customer has decided to stop and fill up on knowledge in order to continue on the journey. Everything the university offers can be compared with an item offered at the convenience store. The knowledge a student is buying can be compared to the different grades of gasoline available to the customer of a convenience store. What kind of performance the gasoline-knowledge gives to the customer-student depends on the commitment the customer-student has. The customers who want to get the most of their gasoline will go for the expensive, high grade gasoline, and the customers who don't care what kind of performance the gasoline gives, will opt for the cheapest gasoline. Likewise, the students who want to get the most out of their education pay the higher price in school by spending more time with their studies and taking more challenging courses, and the students that don't care what kind of education they get choose to minimize the amount of work necessary by taking less challenging courses. The customers' goal is to save money by purchasing cheaper gasoline, and the students' goal is to maximize the amount of free time they have to pursue personal interests. Generally, ma ny students follow the example of the customer who buys the mid-grade gasoline, and they choose to give up a little more free time in order to gain a little more knowledge. Like the many items in a convenience store competing for the customer's money, organizations, activities, and personal interests compete for a student's time. The many clubs and organizations a university offers are much like the different types of junk food lining the shelves in a convenience store. They are available for students to take part in, and there is a great variety to appeal to the many different tastes of students, but it is a matter of individual opinion whether one activity is more fulfilling than another. In many ways these activities can be good for students and allow them to have lives beyond their studies, much like eating breaks up the monotony of a long drive. Sometimes though, students may put priority on the wrong interest, jeopardizing their grades by doing something like spending all day watching television, much like the customers that buy a carton of cigarettes every day are jeopardizing their health.

Animal Intelligence Essay -- Papers

Animal Intelligence Intelligence is defined as the ability to acquire and apply knowledge. Psychologists have exploited this concept in many ways to try and determine whether non-human animals are capable of intelligence. From social learning it is logical to assume that, since non-human animals are able to both acquire and use new behaviours, they must be intelligent in some way. Heyes stated that there are 6 types of behaviour which suggest intelligence. These are imitation, self-recognition, social relationship formation, role-taking, deception and perspective taking. These 6 behaviours are referred to as the theory of mind (ToM). Imitation is the ability to copy another's behaviour, this may be because the behaviour is adaptive. Kawai (1965) studied Japanese macaques and found that due to one monkey's actions (Imo), a large amount of the macaque population acquired a useful behaviour in a 5-year period. Kawai reported that Imo would wash her sweet potatoes before consumption, later other macaque monkeys showed the same behaviour. Kawai thus suggested that the rest of the monkeys had imitated Imo's behaviour. Galef suggested that this behaviour was due to social learning. Given the time period, of 5 years, it is possible that other monkeys had learned this potato washing behaviour by themselves instead of imitating Imo. The observers in this experiment provided the sweet potatoes, and would pay more attention to the monkeys that washed the potatoes. This attention would be a reinforcer of the behaviour causing other monkeys to copy it. Although there is not enough supportive evidence for imitation, some behaviours ca... ...ceive the trainer in white and pay attention to instructions given by the trainer in green. The chimpanzee successfully got the food most of the time. This supports the idea that non-human animals are capable of deceit. The characteristics of this behaviour are very like a conditioned behaviour. It is nearly impossible to say whether non-human animals are intelligent. Most studies, in this field of psychology, were carried out on primates, and it is thought that these animals are naturally superior. It seems most behaviour in the research discussed in this essay can be explained through association learning, therefore not actually a result of intelligence. It is difficult to falsify whether animals are intelligent or not because, although they are able to solve problems they only show some aspects to suggest ToM.

Automotive Industry and Porsche Production Line

Shona L. Thomas- Porsche Case Study 1. ) General Environment Factors for Porsche: A. ) Demographic segment for Porsche is Age and Income distribution. Porsche target age is group is consumers is male over the age of 40 in addition to an average income of 180k a year. That has a positive effect on this segment because they have defined their niche audience that best responds to their line of cars. B. ) Political and Legal segment directly affects the future production of Porsche vehicles with regulatory gas mileage requirements and EPA guidelines.If the 2020 CAFE plan is implemented in North America Porsche will not be able to sell cars in North America. Political issues and governmental decisions affect the development of the local economy as for example the increase of oil prices during the Iraq war and the drop of the dollar compared to other currencies, they can also have an influence on sales in the automotive industry. This is a negative effect as the VW sales group has laid a p lan to exceed GM and Toyota in sells by 2018 but with pending EPA guidelines this may create a definite challenge.C. ) Technological segment for Porsche is leading in product innovation, factory applications and knowledge. Porsche production line has the ability to manufacture two cars seamlessly at the same time without losing any production time or driving cost up. Their technology is a positive and is evident because they offer consulting services to competitive and noncompetitive automobile companies. 2. ) Porsche brand is so strong and unique that the only two forces I can thoroughly support are Threat of new entrants and bargaining power of Buyers. A. Porsche has a threat of new entrants due to automobile manufacturers such as BMW, Nissan and GM. However Porsche has product differentiation and Capital Investments. Porsche is also known for prestige, variety of Porsche emblems and its full line up. Consequently BMW, Nissan and GM have all produced one or two comparable cars. B. ) Bargaining power of Buyers is relevant because due to recent economic recessions internationally the price point of Porsches automobiles they followed suit of other competing luxury brands and released more affordable automobiles such as the Cayenne.The production of the Cayenne set record sales for Porsche. Therefore this is a high force. 3. ) The two major competitors of Porsche are BWW and Audi. BMW as designed models such the Z4 and Audi has designed models such as the R8 to compete with Porsche's Cayman and Boxter. Prices points on both models are within the same range as the aforementioned Porsche brands. These two models (BMW and Audi) both have competitive points in regards to engineering, exclusivity and service.The future actions of BMW and Audi that show evidence competitive activity is both automobile companies are creating a more modern design which is attracting more consumers, more drive power options for an economical price and puts luxury and comfort versus Porsc he sports then luxury. 4. ) The most important Value Chain areas for Porsche are: A. ) Management Information Systems- Joint venture with MHO has led to awards such as Silver Partner service and SAP Channel Partner Gold. The performance and oriented approach allows Porsche to consistently implement new design, technologies and functionalities.Porsche at purchased ownership in MHP and later purchased a controlling share which lead to new business techniques and technologies. The MIS has created sustainable competitive advantage through superior operating performances and the ability to respond with flexibility and quickly to changes in technology. They are superior to each competitor as they do not patent their technological gains but allows others to copy. B. ) Supply Chain Management: Porsche SAP technology Leipzig has created a seamless distribution in logistics. Within the same plant, the two models, Panamera and Cayenne can be built simultaneously.Each model requires a high degr ee of integration and cooperation with other Porsche plants. As parts are delivered every hour, the flows of goods are real-time. No inventories, any waiting times, but the highest degree of precision and flexibility. Even if faced with a change on short notice, production will be able to stay in synch. Porsche is the leading manufacturer in the world and is superior to all other competitors for the aforementioned reasons. C. ) Marketing and Sales: In 2011 VW group inclusive of Porsche and other brands ranked number 3 in the world trailing Toyota and GM.However in Europe the VW group leads sales amongst competitors. Porsche relates their increase in marketing and sales to the CRM processes in SAP. All systems are originated in German but the data is also shared North America as well as Canada. North America and Canada represents the biggest market for the car manufacturer almost 40 percent of all luxury cars are sold there. The second reason is that the orientation of the pilot proj ect toward a non-German market prevented a focus that can be considered too German influenced. 5. The most significant financial and nonfinancial factors for Porsche are: Return on investments. Three Porsche product lines – the 911, the Boxster, and the Cayenne has had high operating margins compared to nearly any other major automobile manufacturer. The two newer product lines, the Boxster and Cayenne, had both been launched with the capital and technology from its other lines of cars. The Porsche Boxster was manufactured by Valmet of Finland under a licensed manufacturing agreement allowed Porsche to use means of financial support.Valmet owns its own factory and tools, and builds the Boxster for Porsche. This reduces the capital Porsche needs to support its own business significantly. The Porsche Cayenne was co-manufactured with Volkswagen. The Cayenne was assembled on the same production line as the Volkswagen Touareg therefore reducing the required capital to support Pors che’s business. 6. ) The strength is that Porsche has a high brand presence and reputation across the globe. Porsche preferred consumers are wage earners in excess of 250k. Few car models are available but it has a wide range of variants.They have built a trust worthy brand that has international recognition in the domestic as well as racing industry. A weakness of Porsche is that it lacks presence in the middle income segment which is the fastest growing of all classes. The cars have very high maintenance and running cost in an extremely luxury car market. The opportunities that Porsche has it that they can capitalize on its exclusivity and increase sales. They also have a sector of the company that has first class technology that will give them a competitive edge on future generation and concept cars.In addition to increased manufacturing facilities and distribution as well as a servicing network. The threats that face Porsche are the Governmental policies in some countries especially North America. The looming recession this may decrease purchasing power and the intense competition from automobile leaders. The top three competitors are BMW, Audi and Mercedes Benz. 7. ) The major competitive advantages of Porsche using VRIN are The most valuable capital this company has is its loyal customers with their sense of Porsche responsibility. The most aluable support for this company is its work force, technology and its tradition of outstanding performance. (Parity producing because other companies can re-evaluate their customer relations and change the scope of employees to gain the loyalty and recognition that Porsche has. ) Porsche is rare because the cars have a virtually untarnished reputation and are considered among the finest performance vehicles in the world. (Temporary competitive advantage because they BMW and Audi have models that compete with Porsche vehicles. ) Porsche technology is costly to imitate.Porsche has become a leader in automobile m anufacturing and advanced technology that has led to winning Performance awards. Therefore allowing Porsche to consistently implement new design, technologies and functionalities. (Sustainable competitive advantage because Porsche provides consulting to automobile manufacturers and have not patent protected their technological advances; therefore companies rely on them for the most up to date technology) Porsche is nonsubstitutable because lineup is quite broad for a specialty automaker and now even includes a luxury super sport sedan, the Panamera.Throughout its history, Porsche has exhibited amazing resilience, weathering changes in consumer tastes and the economic climate. (Competitive Advantage is the brand name. ) 8. ) Porsche uses Corporate Strategy. The overall scope and direction is to diversify business operations, further advance technology and work together to achieve particular goals. As part of its corporate strategy for 2018, Porsche wants to double its vehicle sales a nd increase its presence in the individual markets. This growth strategy is to increase the workforce by 50 % from its present level of 14,000 worldwide.Porsche is creating wide-ranging electric mobility vehicles in Germany and has launched the roll-out of three electric-powered Boxter cars. Electro mobility is one of the central challenges of the coming years. The engineers at Porsche want to contribute something in their usual high-performance way to meet the challenge. 9. ) 7s Implementation factors that are the most important is: 1)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Strategy: plan to gain a sustainable advantage over the competition (BMW and Audi) 2)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Structure: how people and tasks are rganized (Consulting and Automobile division) 3)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Systems: processes and procedures that are currently in place (Manufacturing plants) 4)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Style: leadership style (Brand imaging) 5)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Staff: employees and their gener al capabilities (ongoing training) 6)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Skills: competencies and skills of the employees (ongoing training) 7)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Shared Values: culture, beliefs, values and traditions (Mission statement) 10. ) Two questions:Do you think Porsche will meet the CAFE requirements for 2018 or will they actually stop selling cars in North America? How will that affect the American Porsche consumer? Cadillac has now developed and launched a car that has a Ferrari engine how will that compare or will it compete with the Porsche Panamera? How will new entrants such as American based cars that is adding technology comparable to Porsche affect future market opportunity and ,undecided target consumers?

Fifth Chinese Daughter essays

Fifth Chinese Daughter essays Chinatowns were formed for many of the same reasons as other areas of large cities like the Irish areas in Boston and the little Italy section of North Beach. The immigrants were not accepted readily by Americans and needed a place to congregate with others who shared the same beliefs and traditions. Racism was visible in Jade Snows life. I first noticed it in the very beginning of the book on page 51 when the family is moving into the basement. Her father hired Negroes to chisel out part of the brick walls. The rest of the workers involved in the move did no harsh physical labor. Also, Jade experiences racism against herself when she goes to her new school. A boy named Richard harasses her by calling her chinky. Jade Snow does not respond to him because she knows that she is smarter than he is and feels that he can not help his insensibility. The sex roles were divided in Jade Snows culture. Little boys were celebrated more than girls were in families. Jade Snows younger brother, Forgiveness from Heaven was given much attention and Jade Snow recalled that other female babies did not receive that kind of attention. Women did most of the cooking and cleaning and assisted the men whenever they could. Men were responsible for making most of the financial and family decisions. In the Wong family, the father gave the mother a lot of input on the family. He felt that an educated woman was of more use than one who was not. He said, since sons and their education are of primary importance, we must have intelligent mothers. If nobody educates his daughters, how can we have intelligent mothers for our sons?(14-15) Family was very important in the Chinese culture. A girl would always keep her maiden name. It would even go on her tombstone when she died. When saying names, the last name goes first to show family importance. Jade Snows u ...

Biographical Profile of Virginia Woolf

Biographical Profile of Virginia Woolf (1882-1941) British writer. Virginia Woolf became one of the most prominent literary figures of the early 20th century, with novels like Mrs. Dalloway (1925), Jacobs Room (1922), To the Lighthouse (1927), and The Waves (1931).Woolf learned early on that it was her fate to be the daughter of educated men. In a journal entry shortly after her fathers death in 1904, she wrote: His life would have ended mine... No writing, no books: inconceivable. Luckily, for the literary world, Woolfs conviction would be overcome by her itch to write. Virginia Woolf Birth: Virginia Woolf was born Adeline Virginia Stephen on January 25, 1882, in London. Woolf was educated at home by her father, Sir Leslie Stephen, the author of the Dictionary of English Biography, and she read extensively. Her mother, Julia Duckworth Stephen, was a nurse, who published a book on nursing. Her mother died in 1895, which was the catalyst for Virginias first mental breakdown. Virginias sister, Stella, died in 1897; and her father dies in 1904. Virginia Woolf Death: Virginia Woolf died on March 28, 1941 near Rodmell, Sussex, England. She left a note for her husband, Leonard, and for her sister, Vanessa. Then, Virginia walked to the River Ouse, put a large stone in her pocket, and drowned herself. Children found her body 18 days later. Virginia Woolf Marriage: Virginia married Leonard Wolf in 1912. Leonard was a journalist. In 1917 the she and her husband founded Hogarth Press, which became a successful publishing house, printing the early works of authors such as Forster, Katherine Mansfield, and T. S. Eliot, and introducing the works of Sigmund Freud. Except for the first printing of Woolfs first novel, The Voyage Out (1915), Hogarth Press also published all of her works. Bloomsbury Group: Together, Virginia and Leonard Woolf was a part of the famous Bloomsbury Group, which included E.M. Forster, Duncan Grant, Virginias sister, Vanessa Bell, Gertrude Stein, James Joyce, Ezra Pound, and T. S. Eliot. Virginia Woolf Achievements: Virginia Woolfs works are often closely linked to the development of feminist criticism, but she was also an important writer in the modernist movement. She revolutionized the novel with stream of consciousness, which allowed her to depict the inner lives of her characters in all too intimate detail. In A Room of Ones Own Woolf writes, we think back through our mothers if we are women. It is useless to go to the great men writers for help, however much one may go to them for pleasure. Virginia Woolf Quotes: I would venture to guess that Anon, who wrote so many poems without signing them, was often a woman.One of the signs of passing youth is the birth of a sense of fellowship with other human beings as we take our place among them.- Hours in a LibraryMrs. Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself.- Mrs. DallowayIt was an uncertain spring. The weather, perpetually changing, sent clouds of blue and purple flying over the land.- The Years To the Lighthouse Quotes: What is the meaning of life?... a simple question; one that tended to close in on one with years. The great revelation had never come. The great revelation perhaps never did come. Instead there were little daily miracles, illuminations, matches struck unexpectedly in the dark.The extraordinary irrationality of her remark, the folly of womens minds enraged him. He had ridden through the valley of death, been shattered and shivered; and now, she flew in the face of facts... A Room of Ones Own Quotes: Imaginative work... is like a spiders web, attached ever so lightly perhaps, but still attached to life at all four corners.... But when the web is pulled askew, hooked up at the edge, torn in the middle, one remembers that these webs are not spun in midair by incorporeal creatures, but are the work of suffering, human beings, and are attached to the grossly material things, like health and money and the houses we live in. More Details of Virginia Woolfs Life: In A Room of Ones Own, Woolf writes, When...one reads of a witch being ducked, of a woman possessed by devils, of a wise woman selling herbs, or even of a very remarkable man who had a mother, then I think we are on the track of a lost novelist, a suppressed poet, of some mute and inglorious Jane Austen, some Emily Bronte who dashed her brains out on the moor or mopped and mowed about the highways crazed with the torture that her gift had put her to. Indeed, I would venture to guess that Anon, who wrote so many poems without signing them, was often a woman.From the time of her mothers death in 1895, Woolf suffered from what is now believed to have been bipolar disorder, which is characterized by alternating moods of mania and depression. In 1941, at the apparent onset of a period of depression, Woolf drowned herself in the Ouse River. He dreaded World War II. She feared that she was about to lose her mind and become a burden on her husband. She left her husband a note explaining that she feared she was going mad and this time would not recover.

Learning Chinese with Skritter

Learning Chinese with Skritter In many regards, learning Chinese is much like learning any other language. This means that some apps are universally useful for learning languages, including Chinese, such as general flashcard apps like Anki or those that put you in contact with native speakers like LinqApp. However, any service, program or app that target language learners, in general, will inevitably miss some things, because Chinese isnt 100% like other languages. Chinese characters are fundamentally different from most other writing systems and require a unique approach and tools specifically designed for learning characters. Enter: Skritter Skritter is an app for iOS, Android and web browsers that offers the same functions as most other flashcard programs (spaced repetition, for instance), with one, important exception: handwriting. While there are apps that allow you to write characters on the screen of your mobile phone or using a writing tablet for your computer, Skritter is the only one that gives you corrective feedback. It tells you when youre doing something wrong and what you should have done instead. The most important advantage with Skritter is that writing on screen is much closer to actual handwriting than many alternatives. Of course, the best way to learn to write by hand is to have someone check your handwriting manually all the time, but this is impractical and would be prohibitively expensive if you hired someone to do it for you. Skritter isnt free either, but it allows you to practice as much as you want and is always available. There are several other advantages: Skritter keeps track of stroke order for you, so just by using the app, you will quickly learn the correct stroke order of characters and character componentsActively writing characters is a much more efficient way of reviewing characters than just looking at them or doing multiple-choice questionsUse mnemonics to remember characters and words - There are many mnemonics included (created by other users) and you also have the option of creating your ownIts practical since you need nothing except your phoneSkritter also tests your tones, definitions, and PinyinSkritter includes vocabulary lists for most textbooksWriting on-screen is more fun with feedback than without You can see an official trailer for the iOS app here, which shows how Skritter works in general. the web browser and Android apps dont look exactly the same, but generally speaking, they work the same way. If you want to know more about Skritter, you can check out a longer review here: Boosting your character learning with Skritter. Getting More out of Skritter if youve already started using Skritter, I suggest you make a few changes to the settings to get more out of the app: Increase the stroke order strictness in study options - This enforces correct stroke order and wont allow you to continue reviewing unless youve given the right answer.Turn on raw squigs - This is much closer to real handwriting and you dont fool yourself into believing that you know things you have actually forgotten.Study regularly - The best thing with mobile learning is that it can be done anywhere any time. Use the small gaps in your schedule to review a dozen characters.

Company law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Company law - Essay Example Contemporary legal provisions have it that shareholders who are also known as the owners of the company have the advantage of not being disturbed by the various issues that the company may have with regard to the managerial process and also with regard to the manner in which it does in the forex market if the company is public1. It is important to recognize that this comes in as strength in the legal provision as the shareholders have the privilege of indulging in other activities that they may have. The legal provision however states that it is the rights of the shareholders to get information regarding the company upon their request in a bid to recognize or rather manage their investments2. The contemporary law however does not provide for certain factors that ought to come in as a major importance to the company. One of these factors is the amount of money that shareholders ought to get. According to the law, any company after making profits ought to put in some of the money to th e companies running for the purpose of acquiring new stock and other managerial tasks. However, shareholders ought to get a certain share of the company’s earnings in a rather precise manner. ... The power of the shareholders would increase from the fact that their investments would be brought back in terms of dividends3. Despite the various weaknesses identified in the law, there are strengths that it has with regard to class rights of the shareholder. One of the strengths is the fact that the shareholder has the right to apply for an appeal in the case of a variation being cancelled4. Variation identifies the contemporary strength of the company under review and the shareholders might get inclined to inquire about the state of the company through this method. Shareholders do this in an effort to identify how his contribution or rather investment is doing in case they seek to get dividends. It is the right of each shareholder to have this power and failure of the company to allow the shareholder to do this might get them seeking legal justice5. However, this only applies to people who hold above 15% of the company’s shares. This is because some shareholders might hold a very minimal amount of shares in the company and consequently make decisions that may affect the company’s running and best interest. There is strength in the legal system in the fact that it provides for the right of the shareholder to vote. There are many times that a company might get faced by very difficult decisions concerning the eligibility of some of the working conditions and market prices of their commodities. The law provides for the shareholders to engage with the management team of the company in that they can vote in a major decision making conquest. The law however does not suggest a clear approach with regard to the class right of a shareholder attending the meetings6. The law states that it is not always appropriate for the shareholders to attend all the

Technological advances that have affected health care delivery in Essay

Technological advances that have affected health care delivery in America - Essay Example A survey that was conducted by r/j Blendon in 2001 indicated that majority of the US population is not satisfied with the healthcare systems in the country. Moreover, they are dissatisfied with the private insurances in the country. The survey is conducted every five years in order to understand the reaction of the American population on issues related to health. One of the major causes of a decrease in public confidence on the health care systems is lack of technological development (Kabene, 2010). On the other hand, some people feel that the recent technology is being used to collect data unethically. This is data that can be used against the patients. The second historical perspective is related to American capitalism. Although the healthcare system is mainly concerned with provision of high quality and affordable care to the members of the public, it is mainly run by a business model which is profit oriented. Technology advancement has enhanced the level of capitalism in the health care system (King, 2003). For instance, through the use of technology, it has become more efficient and faster to provide high-quality services to the people. This has made the healthcare organization to become more profitable. One of the major technological advancement that has affected health care delivery in United States is the evolution of Smartphone. Although Smartphone is not related to health care, it has played a significant role in enabling the doctors to access patient information. In addition, the development of different applications related to health has improved the well being of the people. In an example, a Checkup Experience application which was developed by Masimo Company has enabled people to check their pulse rates. The application comes with a specific device which can be easily placed on the finder and read the oxygen, pulse rate, and perfusion rate of the person. Such

'local governance creates problems for accountability both to citizens Essay

'local governance creates problems for accountability both to citizens and to consumers' - Essay Example Some of the issues analyzed in the report include the ideas around accountability, ideas around the change of accountability to public services, accountability around citizens and accountability around consumers. The report looks into the new initiative by the Bridgend County Borough Council called   Children and Young People's Partnership and the implications this new program may have on the council’s accountability. Furthermore, the chances of a accountability disequilibrium arising out of a discord between the demands made by the citizens and consumers, and the probable   deficiencies in supplying those demands by the council, is detailed in the report. TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..4 Children and Young People†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚ ¬ ¦4 Bridgend County Children & Young People’s Partnership†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.5 Bridgend County Borough Council and Accountability†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...7 Accountability of Partnerships†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦7 Problems Created by Accountability of Partnerships†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...8 Ideas Around Accountability†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...9 Ideas Around the Change of Accountability to Public Services†¦..10 Accountability Around Consumers†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦11 Accountability Around Citizens†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..13 Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢ € ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.14 References†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.16 Introduction Bridgend County Borough Council was established under the Local Government Act 1994. With a total population accounting to 130,000 people it was formed on 1st April 1996. Bridgend basically aims at improving the living conditions of everyone and providing them with a quality life. They also aim at protecting and improving the pathetic condition of our environment (Bridgend County Borough Council, 2011). Children and young people are the future of every country, so the upbringing and the condition of the young brigade should be of prime importance for everyone. Bridgend County Borough Council aims at amending the lives of both the children and the young people. With the Children And Young People's Partnership, they have been working very hard to make the B ridgend County's children and young people's life better by involving not only the children and the youth but also teachers, care takers, parents, local authority, and voluntary committees. Children and Young People The partnership aims at giving full opportunity to every child and youth to flourish and prosper. The Bridgend County Borough Council intents at giving all the children and young people of the county of Bridgend benefits to lead a good life with the help of the following Seven Core Goals :-  · Have A Flying Start To Life: This means that they are born into a secure and a loving family who takes care of all their needs and requirements.  · Be Healthy And Free From Exploitation: This means that they do not get exploited in any way from anyone and remain healthy and secured.  · Access Play, Leisure, Sporting And Cultural Activities: By this we mean that they are given the right to enjoy their lives and be allowed to participate as per their will, irrespective of their talent and abilities.  · Have Access To Appropriate Educational And Learning Opportunities: This means that

Course work (see uploaded file) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Course work (see uploaded file) - Essay Example In this vein, a firm might use price discrimination to increase sales. Secondly, a firm might use price discrimination to prevent other competitors from capturing the market, for example, a UK business might want to lower prices in a town where cheap Chinese competitors are trying to penetrate. CONDITIONS FOR PRICE DISCRIMINATION For price discrimination to be successful, there are two main conditions that must exist in the market (Tutor2u). First of all, there must be differences in price elasticity of demands between the different markets within which a firm operates. This means that the firm can increase the price of a given product where the demand is inelastic because customers will buy anyway. However, where demand is elastic, prices need to be kept low because it can lead to buyers refusing to buy and the firm will run at a loss. The second condition necessary for price discrimination is that there should be barriers that prevent consumers from switching from one supplier to a nother. This is because when consumers have options, they are likely to switch to other brands or substitutes when prices fluctuate in a way they find unfavourable. Price discrimination could be beneficial or detrimental to consumers. It could be beneficial when the prices are reduced or promotions are run. However, there are some price discrimination drives that exploit consumers. ... Another example is the fact that some professional groups like Chartered Institute of Marketers charge different prices for students and different prices for members although they can access about the same privileges. Second degree price discrimination occurs when prices are varied based on quantities of goods purchased by a consumer (Fisher & Waschik, 2002). An example is a situation where a person gets a discount for buying a certain quantity of goods. Another example is where businesses run promotions where people are given extra units of a product when they buy a given quantity of the product. Third degree price discrimination is where a producer segments the market and varies prices because of distance, cost of production in zones or customers’ identity (Fisher & Waschik, 2002). An example is where a factory based in London charges clients in New York more. Another example could be the situation where university students from some countries are charged higher fees. CASE S TUDIES When Tesco sells Digestive biscuits at ?2.10 per pack, but also have a ‘3 for the price of 2’ offer, there is a second degree price discrimination. The rationale for this is that Tesco wants to increase sales and with a large volume of biscuits sold, they will get a large volume of profits which will be collectively higher than the profits they would have gained by selling a smaller quantity of biscuits at ?2.10 per pack. Also, the profits will come in faster and they can use the revenue for other business activities. In a situation where the return train fare from Birmingham to London is ?35 at 11am, but is ?200 at 8am, it can be concluded that the managers are utilising the principles of the elasticity of demand here. This is because at 8am, there is a high number of people ready

Indian Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Indian Art - Essay Example This artwork is in the form of a stone sculpture have dimensions of 26 x 34.9 cm (10.25 x 13.75 in.) done on schist material. The sculpture depicts a Hercules holding a lion’s skin and learning on a stick, while looking back at an approaching Nemean lion. The wresting scene is what connects this sculpture to the Greco-Roman period where man used to fight with animals such as lions in a big arena and, if they triumphed over the lion, would then be crowned as a hero.2 Also, Greco-Roman art has a theme of depicting people fighting and the only difference with this sculpture is that Greco-Roman art focused mainly on men fighting not men with animals. Some of the earliest schist or stone sculptures can be traced back to Indians. Others argue that they are the ones who started curving stones to produce art. Thus, this sculpture can be traced back to the Indians.3 Also, worshipping of idols was also widespread among Indians as it still today. Such a sculpture depicting a Hercules as a hero is a form of idol worship in the eyes of any critics can be considered as idol because people are praising him through an object. This sculpture, according to Behrendt, is part of a set of 21 panels, which inflated the stairway of a stupa, most probably on the western part of the Swat valley. 4 The treatment of the structure of these athletic men is fascinating in terms of both the schematization and naturalism of the musculature relating to the men of the Greco-Roman era. The oars that they have and the acanthus foliage that appear to nurture out of their bodies propose that they are marine deities like those of the Greco-Roman age. 5 The sculpture is done on Serpentinite and its dimensions are H. 16.8 cm (6 5/8 in.) and 43.2 cm (W. 17 in.). On an Indian art, holding a sword symbolized eradication of vices, like this men in the sculpture look as if they are from a fight and they have triumphed

Course work (see uploaded file) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Course work (see uploaded file) - Essay Example In this vein, a firm might use price discrimination to increase sales. Secondly, a firm might use price discrimination to prevent other competitors from capturing the market, for example, a UK business might want to lower prices in a town where cheap Chinese competitors are trying to penetrate. CONDITIONS FOR PRICE DISCRIMINATION For price discrimination to be successful, there are two main conditions that must exist in the market (Tutor2u). First of all, there must be differences in price elasticity of demands between the different markets within which a firm operates. This means that the firm can increase the price of a given product where the demand is inelastic because customers will buy anyway. However, where demand is elastic, prices need to be kept low because it can lead to buyers refusing to buy and the firm will run at a loss. The second condition necessary for price discrimination is that there should be barriers that prevent consumers from switching from one supplier to a nother. This is because when consumers have options, they are likely to switch to other brands or substitutes when prices fluctuate in a way they find unfavourable. Price discrimination could be beneficial or detrimental to consumers. It could be beneficial when the prices are reduced or promotions are run. However, there are some price discrimination drives that exploit consumers. ... Another example is the fact that some professional groups like Chartered Institute of Marketers charge different prices for students and different prices for members although they can access about the same privileges. Second degree price discrimination occurs when prices are varied based on quantities of goods purchased by a consumer (Fisher & Waschik, 2002). An example is a situation where a person gets a discount for buying a certain quantity of goods. Another example is where businesses run promotions where people are given extra units of a product when they buy a given quantity of the product. Third degree price discrimination is where a producer segments the market and varies prices because of distance, cost of production in zones or customers’ identity (Fisher & Waschik, 2002). An example is where a factory based in London charges clients in New York more. Another example could be the situation where university students from some countries are charged higher fees. CASE S TUDIES When Tesco sells Digestive biscuits at ?2.10 per pack, but also have a ‘3 for the price of 2’ offer, there is a second degree price discrimination. The rationale for this is that Tesco wants to increase sales and with a large volume of biscuits sold, they will get a large volume of profits which will be collectively higher than the profits they would have gained by selling a smaller quantity of biscuits at ?2.10 per pack. Also, the profits will come in faster and they can use the revenue for other business activities. In a situation where the return train fare from Birmingham to London is ?35 at 11am, but is ?200 at 8am, it can be concluded that the managers are utilising the principles of the elasticity of demand here. This is because at 8am, there is a high number of people ready

International Issues in Accounting and Audit Essay

International Issues in Accounting and Audit - Essay Example Considering the growing complexity of accounting work, many countries have adopted IFRS as their basis for financial reporting as it is expected that IFRS can significantly improve the quality of information on corporate finance. Although there are numerous potential advantages associated with a common set of global reporting standards, it is difficult to implement IFRS in a way that the benefits of a harmonised reporting system could be achieved. This paper will critically explore and discuss the potential benefits as well as negative impacts/limitations of adopting the IFRS in the United Kingdom. International Financial Reporting Standards, commonly abbreviated as IFRS, are designed as a common global reporting framework for businesses so as to make company accounts well understandable and comparable despite cross-border barriers. The growing international shareholding and trade activities make it necessary to establish a common global language for business affairs with regard to accounting and reporting. Such a common global framework is also particularly important for firms that have a presence in several countries. Today the IFRSs increasingly replace different national accounting standards as multinational corporations wish to keep their accounts easily understandable and comparable across the globe. IFRS are authorised on the ground of historical cost paradigm with the exception of IAS 29 and IFRIC 7, which are authorised on the ground of constant purchasing power paradigm (Legardere, 2007). Although IFRS was initially introduced as a framework to harmonise accounting practices and procedures across the European Union, this concept has progressively become attractive around the world due to the increased value of harmonisation. IFRS are sometimes referred to as the original name of International Accounting Standards (IAS). The International Accounting Standards Committee (IASC) issued IAS over the period 1973-2001. On 1st April 2001, the new International Accounting Standards Boards (IASB) undertook the responsibility for setting international accounting standards from the IASC (Value based management.net, n.d.).  

Legal framework for social work in United Kingdom Essay Example for Free

Legal framework for social work in United Kingdom Essay Legal framework for social work in United Kingdom Introduction            Social work is defined as a professional and academic discipline that will seek to have improvement on the individuals, groups’ and communities’ quality of life and their well-being through having policies, conducting researches, organizing communities and teaching for the good of the people affected by social limitations that may include poverty, mental and physical sickness, social injustice including violation of human rights. International (Federation of Social Workers 2000). These groups may include school dropouts, the elderly in the society, juvenile offenders, drug and alcohol abusers and the homeless            Social workers will work in different settings within a set of framework of legislation and practices. The setting may include a school situation, the service users’ home, a hospital or a public sector premise Social work values            Social work is argued to be value based. Since it is a profession on, social work ethics (values) thus refer to a set of guidelines that have to govern the way professionals treat the people they interact with and the sort of actions that are regarded as right or wrong. They offer a vision and discernment (Bernstein 1970)            Social work in the United Kingdom occurs in four spheres. The first sphere is majorly a concept relates to the moral philosophy that creates the ethical arguments on social work. The second sphere is based on the legislation that has created an environment for practice of social work with reference to the social work cases. The third sphere is the political ideas and concepts and their influence in shaping and sculpturing the social work models, social work methods and practices. The last sphere presents the historical part of the beginning of social work as a profession and its struggle for professional identity. These spheres are extended, mid range and restricted definitions of social work ethics and values (Bernard et al 2008, p. 6)            This paper will focus on the second sphere in reference to the United Kingdom. Social work and law            Social work as a profession has to follow certain laws and regulations which govern the profession. The legal framework involves the statute laws and case laws and tries to explain the relationship that links them. Moreover, it details legislation of the government under acts of parliament, the international laws, policy guidance, and the local government circulars that articulate the purpose and guidance principles of legislation. Health and Care professional Council code of practice            As a social worker, it is paramount to be aware of the legal obligations required of them to create a healthy and safe working conditions. The General Social Care Council code of practice imposes more duties for employers of social workers. The code states that (Brayne Carr 2002, P. 49) The social worker shall protect and promote interests of the service users The social worker will strive to establish, maintain trust and confidence of the service users The social worker will promote independence of the service users while giving them protection from possible harm The social worker shall respect the rights of the service users while ensuring that their behavior will not harm other people and themselves The social worker shall uphold the public trust and confidence in the social care services The social worker shall be accountable for quality in their work and taking responsibility for maintenance and improvement of their knowledge Acts of parliament The Carew standard Act 2000            This Act has a significant role in the social care work as it did extend the registration regime for the social care in England and that of Wales for provision of the children’s services, the Act requires the following: Registration of children homes Registration of family centre’s Registration of the independent fostering agencies Registration of the voluntary adoption agencies Registration of support agencies            To be a permanent registered member one has to meet a set of regulations tailored to each individual service. In coming up to a decision whether the regulatory requirement shave been fulfilled, the registering authority must have a regard to minimum National standards. England’s registration authority is Office for Standards in Education, Childrens Services and Skills (OFSTED). The Social workers and the social care services cannot function without having satisfied the above requirements. As a social worker or a social care service provider, there is a need to have knowledge to avoid prosecution by Law The health and social care Act 2012            This bill was agreed upon by both houses and obtained the Royal Assent on the 27th of March to become an act of parliament. The bill created an independent National Health Service Board to promote choices made by the patients in regard to their health issues and reduced the administration tool of the National Health Service. A National Health Service Board was also created to allocate resources and provide guidance on commissioning of social care services. Powers of the government’s ability to commission services on behalf of patients were increased. The function of the Care Quality Commission was strengthened and Section 209 of this Act amended. The powers of the new law under Section 60 of the 199 Act gave her majesty the power by order in the council to regulate social workers and social care practitioners of England. This placed the role of social workers and the role of social health care providers directly under her majesty (Britain 2012, p. 9). This A ct placed a lot of Significance on Social Care services being provided in the United Kingdom. A consideration on the adult social care was emphasized. For example, allowing the transfer of public health to the local authorities through local health and the well being boards. Various new bodies have emerged such as the Local health watches which have a function of checking on health and the social care standards. Children’s Act 2004.            In England, the law protects the right of children. Section 11 and 12 of this Act places a statutory duty on all agencies to co-operate and promote the welfare of the children. The government guidance for social workers and other professionals that interact with children is that: the social worker has a duty of keeping the children safe. There should be constant feedback to the children social care local authority on suggestions and assessment and lastly every person who has a role should not think that he/she has the absolute right to the child’s needs. Professionals sometimes fail to report the abuse and neglect cases do not face penalties for crime however; they might be subjected to professional discipline Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012            The bill got a Royal Assent on 8th of March. The bill aimed to give strength to the social enterprise businesses sectors and make relevant the concept of social value and its importance in the placing and providing of public services. With this bill a National Social enterprise strategy was created to encourage the engagement in social enterprises. The local government act 2000 section 4 was then required to have a sustainable community strategy proposal that promote the engagement of social enterprise in their areas. The Local Authority Social Services Act 1970            This Act brought together the different fields of social work into a single Social service department in every local authority. With this establishment, an emphasis was laid on a co-ordinated and comprehensive system of approach to the social care, the support of families and identifying the need for people to seek aid. The formulated departments then became responsible for domestic aid, residential accommodation and recreational services. Care council of Wales            All social workers should be registered. It is one of the bodies mandated to register and regulates the activities of the social workers and all other social care in Wales. The care council is set up under the Care Standards Act 2000. It includes the codes of professional practice, conduct rules, and a well established guideline on the complainant’s procedure. Some other features accessed include consultation services, annual reports, the newsletters and the e-bulletins. Registration of workers ensures that there is as constant data of available social workers and social health care workers in a given state or region. It is easy to verify a genuine worker and avoids imposters who might be out on criminal activities Care and Social Services of the inspectorate of Wales            This is a body mandated to regulating and inspecting the establishment of agencies that offer social care services in Wales region. It carries out duties on behalf of the ministers of Wales. It has been given power under Act 2003 of the Social and Health care to look into the handling of social services by the local authorities. On their website, one is able to raise a query on social workers conduct for necessary action. Rights and freedoms of Social workers and limitations Guide to information sharing            Social work is a professional duty. When dealing with children, England places emphasis on effective information sharing between the local agencies and the social workers on identification and assessment of service provisions. These are defined in â€Å"Working together to safeguard children (PDF). Under this guidance, paragraph 1.24 states clearly that fears that arise on sharing personal information should not hinder promotion of a child’s welfare and safety. All social workers and social care provider thus are required to have an efficient information discernment process to avoid a scenario of neglect in believe that another individual will do the task. Limitations to this guide            These provisions however do have limitations. In Wales’s guidance on information sharing is found in chapter 14 of Safeguarding children working together under the Children Act 2004 (PDF). In these guidance paragraph 14.5 overlaps the guidance for professionals in England. It states that â€Å"The safety and welfare of a child or young person must be put into consideration first when making decisions about sharing information about them† and that must be superseding public interest in revealing the information. The guidance then further goes on to give the way forward in sharing on information. Paragraph 14.6 states that â€Å"the best way of ensuring that information sharing is properly handled is to work within carefully worked out information-sharing protocols between agencies and professionals involved, and taking legal advice in each case where necessary. Guide to Loss and damage            Social workers have been mandated with a legal duty of caring and service providers. In essence these role places the employers with responsibility of paying up damages their employees suffer while in line of duty. In the event those being taken care of suffer adverse damage as a result of social work interference, then they are entitled to sue the social work company for negligence. These may be as a result of physical damage, emotional or psychological damage. While this is the case, the law prohibits the suing of social workers when performing certain statutory functions like safeguarding children. Employers need to understand the times which their employees may be liable to protection under the law and when not. Legislation on discrimination on Personal privacy            In line of duty, social workers provide aid services. In order for them to carry out these functions effectively, it is paramount for them to have knowledge of the raft of legislation that protects individuals for discrimination basing on their gender, age, sexual orientation, religion, disability or ethnicity. These are domestic laws of the United Kingdom and are complemented by European Convention on human right which protects the citizens of the United Kingdom against unjustified state interference with their life. It is always possible for government and social work agencies getting into people’s life when they are not willing. In this event then the public can resort to the human rights protection of privacy and autonomy. Social workers and social work agencies need to have knowledge of the rights and privileges granted to the masses under the European convention for both parties to avoid violating them while at the same time helping individuals who hav e had their rights contravened The Human rights            Human rights are legal obligations that are to be adhered to universally. Human rights are defined as â€Å"the universal right to standard living that is adequate for healthy and well being of individuals and their families.†(Roosevelt 2000, p.5). These are also embodied by global social work perspective by stating that â€Å"The struggle for dignity and fundamental freedoms, which allows for the full development of human potentials, boils down to two words: human rights.†(IFSW 1996).The presence of this law, social work in the United Kingdom is bound to human rights which are considered sensitive to human race and collective citizenship. The social work must then be conceptualized and sensitized to the culture in which the services are offered. Thus a social worker in England should be able to accept the culture and laws of a state or region in which he/she is working in. Conclusion            Social work and social care has a pivotal role in service delivery to the society. This view cannot go unnoticed. The values, ethics of social work such as respect for humanity, equality and service to all have played a major role in helping the less privileged in the United Kingdom. The beneficiaries have included the mentally ill, the old, women and children. The United Kingdom having realized the vital role of social care came up with various laws not only to check but to guide the professionals in their field of work. These laws have been defined in various Acts of parliament, Scholarly publications and various codes of ethics and conduct of the Social work profession. Social workers and social care workers interact with different people on daily basis. In order for a harmonious and efficient system of operation to uphold, these laws and various publications have played a major role. However the legal stipulations have also had a negative side of the story bein g felt where they have had to hamper the operations of social workers and social care practitioners. Technological advancements and constant reviews of challenges that have risen in the working environment of this profession I believe can act as a catalyst to new ideas to command this noble profession to greater heights in the United Kingdom References BRITAIN, G. (2012). Health and social care act 2012: chapter 7. [S.l.], Tso. BRAYNE, H., CARR, H. (2012). Law for social workers. Oxford, Oxford University Press. BRITAIN, G. (2012). Health and social care act 2012: chapter 7. [S.l.], Tso. BARNARD, A., HORNER, N., WILD, J. (2008). The value base of social work and social care. Maidenhead, England, Open University Press. ROOSEVELT, E. (2000). Universal declaration of human rights in English, Spanish, French, Chinese, Russian, Arabic. Bedford, Mass, Applewood Books. HEALY, L. M. (2008). International social work: professional action in an interdependent world. Oxford, Oxford University Press. REAMER, F. G. (2006). Social work values and ethics. New York, Columbia University Press. BERNSTEIN, P. (1997). American work values: their origin and development. New York, State Univ. of New York Press. BANKS, S. (2012). Ethics and values in social work. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire, Palgrave Macmillan. (2004). Children Act 2004: Explanatory notes. [S.l.], Stationery Office. Source document

Importance of Knowledge Management in Organisations

Importance of Knowledge Management in Organisations CHAPTER ONE 1.0 Introduction This chapter provides a brief introduction about the research topic along with the research aims and objectives in detail. Further in this chapter, the scope of research, personal interest and the motivation to choose this particular research topic are all discussed briefly. Finally, the dissertation structure content of the six chapters is highlighted. 1.1 Introduction to the Topic The use of Internet and Intranet technologies within an organisation has changed drastically over the past ten years. Modern organisations are striving hard to maintain an appropriate strategy towards knowledge management in order to provide the employees of the organisation with the data related to their work. The main use of using a companys knowledge-base by employees is to help them develop their skills in all aspects and at the same time helps an individual to learn from any mistakes highlighted during projects undertaken. All past experiences and solutions provided at that time are recorded so experts can analyze these mistakes and make sure that they are not repeated in any of their future product developments or assignments. This research will evaluate whether knowledge management is an effective way to enhance an organisations profit and at the same time achieve employee training and development. Furthermore this research will evaluate whether Intranet and Internet services within an organisation play an important role in knowledge management process. 1.2 Personal Interest and Motivation During the learning process at the university, the author was exposed to different modules of Information Technology (IT), such as, Project Management, IT Management, Knowledge Management and Professional Issues that prevail in the present IT industry. Among these modules the author developed a kind of affection with the subject of Knowledge Management and wished to know more about it. Therefore the author has chosen to taken up this opportunity to explore this research topic and gain further understanding of knowledge management in more detail. This has not been an easy task, but with good guidance and advice from my mentors, tutors and my loved ones it has helped to finalize this topic choice and commence the research work. 1.3 Main Topics Discussed In this section, the main topics and sub topics discussed in the literature review are listed: Introduction to Intranet and Internet Services, Information Technology (IT), Impact of the Intranet on Organisations, Knowledge Management Studies, Knowledge Management, Types of Knowledge Management, Benefits of Knowledge Management Implementation in Organisations, Knowledge Circulation Process (KCP) for Organisational Performance and Management of Knowledge. All the above main topic and sub topics are related to one another which gives a complete understanding about the topic and its necessity within todays organisations. With this understanding a survey questionnaire is formulated which is analyzed at later stages of the research work/discussion. 1.4 Scoping of the Research The main purpose of this study is to evaluate whether knowledge management systems are necessary in todays organisation and also the study is to point out the important features of knowledge management when implemented within organisations. This research topic has been a major attraction for many researchers; a lot of studies have been carried out on this topic. At present, the authors research identifies a few opinions about the topic and its importance within the scope of an organisation. 1.5 Aims and Objectives The main aim of this research study is to evaluate whether knowledge management is important in todays organisations and also to discover whether knowledge management helps in employee development and learning processes. Furthermore, the research also provides a chance to evaluate the role of the Internet and Intranet technologies in implementing knowledge management. Below is a list of objectives: To understand the research topic in depth Provide a clear understanding of the role of Internet and Intranet technologies Seek information in relation to Knowledge Management 1.6 Structure of the Dissertation The dissertation structure is divided into six chapters and the contents of each chapter are briefly discussed below: Chapter One In this chapter, a brief introduction concerning the topic is discussed. Furthermore, the aims and objectives of the research topic are detailed, personal interest/ motivation, scope of the research, main topics and sub topics related to the research topic are discussed. Finally, the chapter concludes with a dissertation outline, this provides the reader with a structure of the research work that will be carried out. Chapter Two This chapter mainly focuses on the literature review based on the research topic. The discussion focuses on the analysis of a variety of researchers views and different authors opinions about the chosen topic area. Additionally, literature on knowledge management systems, types of knowledge management, and benefits of knowledge management when implemented within an organisation, knowledge circulation process, Internet and Intranet services within organisations are all briefly discussed. Chapter Three In these chapter different research paradigms, research strategies and data collection methods are discussed briefly, out of which only appropriate research paradigm, research methodology, research strategy are chosen based on the topic. Further in this chapter, assumptions and ethical issues are also discussed. Chapter Four In this chapter, the data collected from participants are gathered together, the data is stored in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and the data is then analyzed by relating it to the research aims and objectives in order to meet them. Chapter Five This chapter includes a brief discussion of the analysed results of the obtained data from participants. The data is represented in the form of graphs and each graph is followed by a discussion. Chapter Six This is the conclusive chapter. In this chapter, the obtained results are compared to that of research aims and final conclusions are drawn from the analysis. The discussion focuses on relating to and linking the survey data to the aims and drawing conclusions. Finally, the chapter suggests future recommendations. 1.7 Conclusion This chapter has provided a brief outline of the dissertation structure where the researcher as well as the reader can gain a quick understanding about the work that has been planned. Additionally this chapter has introduced the topic chosen, highlighted the aims and objectives and briefly discussed the main topics within the study that will hopefully provide a clear understanding for both the author and the reader. Furthermore, this chapter also discusses the authors personal interest/motivation behind choosing this particular topic area and the scope of the research. In the next chapter, literature on the research topic is analysed and discussed this: includes opinions of different researchers and authors. CHAPTER TWO 2.0 Introduction The use of intra-organisational information by employees is widely recognized as an essential part of knowledge sharing within organisations. This way of sharing knowledge helps an organisation to tackle supporting operational and strategic corporate decision makers within the organisation. Intranet technology has proven to be one of the effective ways of accessing and disseminating data or knowledge available within the organisation (Lai and Mahapatra, 1998). The main problem that an organisation faces is the decision-making capability. Managers who are responsible for decision making within a project lifecycle are unable to make appropriate decisions due to the required data not being available. Due to large amounts of data that are available within the organisation, organisations are striving hard to find appropriate tools and techniques to manage their knowledge. Although, techniques such as data warehousing and digital libraries are implemented within the organisation, but these services are limited to a certain range. In order to manage these kinds of situations within an organisation, better solutions are evaluated and the term Intranet evolved (Tan, et. al., 2003). Expertise has identified services offered by the Intranet, some of these services that can be utilized are: alternative approach of managing dispersed enterprise data and decision support services. Intranet usage integrates individual, group, departmental, corporate communication and information sharing tasks together and provides a solution or option for each and every individual who uses it. Organisations have developed in terms of managing data available within their departments, sharing of knowledge within their departments, communication within company employees and sharing of knowledge are available for decision making was found to be improved (Lai and Mahapatra, 1998). Intranets can develop the collaboration among employees who are working for an organisation by creating networks of share spaces which are developed based on common understanding. Employees of an organisation can use this service as a medium to share available knowledge and expertise amongst each other. They have the opportunity to interact with their team and share their advice on work carried out. Though the main use of the Intranet in an organisation was meant to be for data sharing, but the extra features with the use of Intranet in organisations made it popular and these services are widely used in organisation irrespective of their market area (Khasnabish and Saracco, 1997). Strategic engagements that are held by an organisation have seen a new topic that has emerged in the knowledge based view of an organisation. This provides us with a theoretical basis on how a knowledge based resource plays a vital role in increasing the sustainable competitiveness of the firm. It also provides us with a clearer picture of how changes could be brought about to ensure no hassle in the process of knowledge management (Hoegl and Schulze, 2005). If an organisation constantly checks on its resources and promotes knowledge based perspective that postulates a competitive advantage and also builds on the privately developed resources, then tacit and explicit knowledge in an organisation will exist. At the same time, the knowledge based view or perception of an organisation assumes that the present knowledge assets exist at any time provided a valid opportunity for sustainable competitive advantage (Kebede, 2010). The use of previously existing assets along with the creation, accumulation and sharing the new assets amongst the other individuals would happen in an easier way by employing Information Technology and an Information System (IS) in that particular organisation, this is considered here. In an organisational view, it can be explained in a convincing manner the reason why a certain number of organisations or firms are more competitive under the prevailing market conditions (Kebede, 2010). Knowledge assets pertaining to a particular organisation are all dependent upon the quality of organisational knowledge and also the intangible assets of the organisation in general. This generally depends on the methods that are used to store the knowledge within the organisational limits and the extent of its usage within its employees. There is a serious need for metrics and statistics to justify all knowledge management initiatives that are taken up on priority within an organisation. Taking the knowledge management process a step forward would help senior management to justify and also help them improve their ability to manage the knowledge assets in a better manner. The benefits that are extracted from the knowledge management are all intangible and there is one method of measurement called the Balanced Scorecard. This would take both the perspectives like Financial and also the others (e.g. customers or internal business processes, innovation and learning etc.) (Liebowitz and Megbolugbe, 2003). However it is not a justifiable fact to relate knowledge management initiatives to performance. One cannot relate knowledge management with performance in every situation within organisational life, There is a need to have a superior metrics system to assess knowledge management performance, with also the ability to clear it; and also at the same time it also suggests futuristic and strategic actions for an organisation to take up. This not just keeps the work organised, but also improves the performance for the knowledge management process. 2.1 KM Studies The discussion that is taken up in previous sections of this dissertation briefly highlights that knowledge management is built on multiple disciplines such as management, computer science and information systems theory. It also has been reviewed in previous knowledge management literature at the start and the same are summarized in Table 1 below by Lee et. al., (2005). Table 1: KM studies, (Lee et. al., 2005) There are few prior Knowledge Management studies that relates with the Managerial and the Social issues. These issues have brought about the needed change and also brought about the necessary importance into place on specific processes and activities within knowledge management such as the knowledge acquisition, generation, storage, distribution, application and also its measurement (Nonaka and Takeuchi, 1995). On the same grounds, the research agenda and also the general perspective of knowledge management based on the literature review are all addressed with the priorities that were set for them without any deviations. There are few points that have taken the managerial perspective and have requested the reasons as to how a ‘learning organisation could obtain sustainable competitive advantage. Work needs to be conducted within the organisation to develop the same knowledge as there would not be any single individual in an organisation who has all the required knowledge. It is not predictable when an individual working with any certain organisation would choose to leave it, for the offer of a better poosition. Hence relying on a single individual for his knowledge could lead to very drastic effects. The way or the process within which the knowledge has been acquired and the way it is assembled and restructured particularly provides a definite competitive advantage for an organisation. As per the scholar Kebede (2010) states, the process of learning was the only sustainable competitive advantage and there has been a single learning situation that is resulted in organisational knowledge (or memory). Corporate memory has a remarkable effect on the present decisions that are taken and also plays a vital role in the success of an organisations operations and the responses to the changes and challenges. There are numerous attempts that are made and numerous methodologies that were put in place to improve and revive the present learnings and learning capabilities of the individual employees in an organisation, this helps an organisation become a ‘learning system (Kingston and Macintosh, 2000). In the process of improving an organisations learning capabilities, there were problems that were identified at various stages of the process by a considerable number of scholars. These identified reasons and issues were then studied to give a better environment to resolve the same. There are also studies that mentioned the relationship of role of Information Technology in Knowledge Management (Lee and Kim, 2001) (Kingston and Macintosh, 2000). There is a general consideration that a Knowledge Management System (KMS) is a specialized Information System for knowledge management using the latest available technologies (e.g. the Internet, Intranet, data warehouses, software agents) to synchronize, facilitate and also to expedite organisation wide knowledge management. Knowledge Management System research primarily consists of general and also conceptual principles, case studies, scenarios and thesis of such systems of a few organisations. A study by Lee and Kim (2001) states that how a KMS can enhance the effectiveness of the teams that sit and analyse the complex, non-recurring problems by improving all the trouble some areas and also improving the way these teams compositions evolve. Knowledge mining would be the synonymous phrase that could be used as like Data mining. Using this we would be able to see our self in a situation where you can provide the right information to the right persons at the right time (Kingston and M acintosh, 2000). The strategic use of the Internet for all such knowledge management activities is well dealt with in lot of activities. There has been a point that was mentioned regarding the usage of the Internet and Intranet in developing the distributed Knowledge Management systems by (Goodman, 2006). XML (Extensible Markup Language) was developed to transport and store data, this is considered as an ideal tool for knowledge retrieval and for use in knowledge management. 2.2 Impact of the Intranet on Organisations Intranet services are growing rapidly within every possible sector of business due to its wide range of benefits. Some of the impacts where Intranet has changed the business strategy are listed below: It is less expensive to implement as it runs inside the organisations network. Excellent performance enhancement can be achieved because of limited user access Employee performance is increased due to availability of necessary resources and advices due to better communication with their expertise. Effective communication amongst the employees Efficient knowledge sharing process within different departments of an organisation Helps to maintain effective customer relationship Immediate access of data regarding organisational data and documents is possible with the help of Intranet service (Bernard, 1996). 2.3 WEB WEB is known as World Wide Web. It is a hypertext document which can be accessed over the Internet. With the use of these links an individual can actually access almost everything, right from an mp3 (MPEG- Moving Pictures Experts Group) file to video files. Different types of documents and books can be read or downloaded using this process. With the help of this facility an individual can perform some of his daily tasks in a different and a convenient way. The use of the Internet and web technology has changed the entire scenario of database management within an organisation on any given day. Due to the popularity of the web, a newer version of World Wide Web is launched and named it as the second version of it. With the help of web 2.0 one can experience a user friendly approach while accessing the Internet. The quality of web pages that are available is different and more exciting when compared to earlier version of web (W3c, 2010). 2.4 Knowledge Management Knowledge management in general tries to organise and make available important information like the know-how, wherever and whenever it is actually needed. This includes processes, procedures, patents, reference works, formulas, best practices, forecasts, fixes and the like (Maglitta, 1996). This process is not only used for managing organisations knowledge base but also looks for the proper management of the same. Utilization of this knowledge within the organisation at right time and at the right place is also ensured as a part of its activities. Success of an organisation depends less on developed products and more on the appropriate utilization of available information, appropriate sharing of information when needed. Thus knowledge management plays a vital and a key role for all these years and it will be change the future of managing the knowledge within an organisation as well (Kebede, 2010). 2.4.1 Types of Knowledge Mainly there are of two types of knowledge that is available for the individuals of an organisation and they are: Explicit Knowledge: This knowledge can be expressed in terms of specific language and is normally expressed in terms of data or formulae. The information obtained can be stored within the Organisational premises easily and reused whenever there is any need for it. Tacit Knowledge This type of knowledge is completely opposite to explicit knowledge. Knowledge is more personal and cannot be stored. It ‘indwells in a comprehensive cognizance of the human mind and body (Kebede, 2010). In simpler words, this type of knowledge is held within an individual and is not available for any other individuals of the organisation. This kind of knowledge in an individual builds a dependency on him and then the works would actually finish in a slower and un-organised manner. 2.4.2 Benefits of KM Implementation in Organisations One can expect an interactive environment around the organisation where people strive for knowledge and also to show their skills, some benefits of KM implementation are listed below: Provide new ways to collaborate. Boosts up productivity. Leads to innovation within the organisation. Overall profitability. Motivation and encouragement within employees. Reusability of resources (Dalkir, 2005). 2.4.3 What are Knowledge Based Systems? Human-centred would be an apt definition for a Knowledge Based System. Knowledge Based Systems derive their roots from the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and there are evident attempts from scholars to understand and also to imitate human knowledge in Computer systems. In whatever way we see, a Knowledge Based System falls short of the human intellect and the human touch. The system lacks creative powers like reproducing the same knowledge and also the learning capabilities are relatively primitive (Dreyfus, 1986). Compared to a human as such, there is no comparison with the Knowledge Based System. There is a wonderfully acknowledged fact that the intelligence of a Artificially Intelligent System is quite different from human intelligence. There are a second set of definitions that are defined and which only looks for the characteristics in the architecture of a Knowledge Based System. In such a way of defining a Knowledge Based System, it mainly categorizes four components namely: Knowledge base Inference Engine Knowledge engineering tool A specific user interface and is often natural language based (Ramirez and Antonio, 2007) The core of a Knowledge Based System is defined by the first two components namely the Knowledge Base and the Inference Engine wherein the former one is an active collection of ‘formal knowledge or an active database with lots of ‘formal knowledge, its primary purpose being how that data may be used in Practical life. The latter part, inference engine on the other hand defines the ways in which the knowledge base can be put to use to help resolve the situations at hand for an organisation (Ramirez and Antonio, 2007). The remaining two factors are just the added supplements for the Knowledge base and the Inference engine as these offer instruments for filling the Knowledge base with knowledge and act as a dedicated user interface for the user to understand and view the knowledge. Characteristically a Knowledge Based System user interface has to provide the basic know how and should also question itself letting the system explain its behaviour when the system deals with any particular problem. Definitions of a Knowledge Based System that are defined on the basis of architectural peculiarities are not at all satisfactory as compared to the definitions that are defined on the basis of human intelligence, there is an obvious resistance in the way they actually work with such definitions also (Akerkar and Sajja, 2009). The difference in the definitions could be seen when we consider a system based on neural nets and there are no separating aspects of a knowledge base, inference engine. There would hardly be any difference between the knowledge base and an inference engine in such cases where neural nets are considered for a system. Such definitions take the wrong meaning historical form chosen in several Knowledge Based Systems for the hallmarks of such systems. There is also a third set of definition that is given to a Knowledge Based System to indicate all the organisational IT applications that prove helpful and needful for managing the knowledge assets within an organisation. Few examples for such kinds of Knowledge Based Systems could be expert systems, groupware, data warehouses or even the Intranet. The mentioned applications in an organisation provide the individuals all the information that is needed to them to help them in all their day-to-day activities. These definitions are flatly rejected as these lead to the erosion of the meaning of the term Knowledge-based system. Knowledge Based System in our view is not just any IT system that is used to deal with the Knowledge that is present with an organisation (Leondes, 2000). The definition of a Knowledge Based System that provides the most satisfactory organisation-centred viewpoint comes when we focus on the â€Å"Knowledge Modelling†. Key activity in building a Knowledge Based System in that case is to find a formal model that allows the description of knowledge at a conceptual level or at the knowledge level itself, aiming at uncovering the basic schema linking the central concepts of a given domain in a particular organisation (Akerkar and Lingras, 2008). The best suited examples of formalisms for the knowledge representation are the production rules, predicate logic, frames, neural nets and objects. The definition of a Knowledge Based System as an outcome of the knowledge modelling process is very useful and it actually does not direct any discussions pertaining to the organisational values of it to the characteristics of the technology as such. The actual goals of knowledge modelling process could be achieved only by examining the elements of knowledge validly and then has to be described in any of the formalisms for knowledge representation (Ramirez and Antonio, 2007). Given the focus on the process of knowledge modelling not only aids in gaining the best insight into the characteristics of the knowledge, but also guides the discussions concerning the pros and cons of the use of knowledge. It then leads to the identification why or in which aspect of formalisation is not possible or not advisable (for example, it reduces the flexibility or does not do justice to any specific intricacies). The knowledge modelling process thus acts as a vehicle to show and focus thought about the organisational knowledge and also its functionality. The basic aim is to explore that part of the organisational knowledge and how to capture in the formal schemata, and to describe the benefits and the pitfalls that are implied. There are associated benefits of having a Knowledge Based System in place in an organisation. These act as a way to retain the knowledge even after an individual who has created/compiled it has opted out of the organisation or in their absence. These systems could be used for the new comers in their on-job training purposes to fetch whatever the details that are needed of them. There is a consistent way to improve the decision making process and also helps in increasing the availability of the needed expertise. They provide the building blocks or the Corporate Memory and also promotes of knowledge sharing etc. If the knowledge is well documented under KBS, the sole repository for all such information and knowledge then there wouldnt be any potential rivalry between these two. If there is any discrepancy then the risks that have to be incurred is not imaginary also (Nonaka and Takeuchi, 1995). Then those would not be considered the failure of a KBS installation but would unnecessary a nd undesirable side effects of a successful KBS implementation. Stating to the earlier point, these mainly derive from the fact that KBS totally depends on the determining and storing of the knowledge at a given point of time. It would be very tough and would be next to impossible to assess all the critical empirical assessments of the harm that a KBS may cause to an organisation. Considering such a point, there would be a definite negative impact on Job satisfaction and also on the labour quality. Once a KBS is implemented in an organisation, there should be an established value that has to be assigned to the same. The friendliness and the rivalry that exists between the KBS and the knowledge that is with held in the hands of an organisation are like the two poles of a continuum. The whole responsibility of having the data be accessible over the Internet/Intranet for all the individuals of an organisation is solely taken up by the organisation. The main area that is concentrated here in this discussion would be the organisational value of KBS, its assessment, and the effective know how process. There should be a proper and a systematic way to respond to all the questions that could be raised on the three issues (Akerkar and Lingras, 2008). Firstly there should be an assessment of the role and the value of the knowledge of the organisation; the measures of their activation. Only after this is done, there would be a proper understanding of the things that are to happen at a later stage in an organisation. Knowledge management is the whole process of considering and implementing measures that would be dealing with the organisational knowledge. There is always a need to have a suitable definition of this concept. Secondly, the provided definition for a KBS has to be appropriate to the context of investigation of the organisational aspects of knowledge. The relationship between the knowledge management and Knowledge Based Systems has to be established and the same should stand on sound grounds. If there are any mismatches found in the definitions, it would affect drastically on both the knowledge and the method through which the knowledge management is achieved. Thirdly, with a proper assessment of the value of a KBS, it needs a careful description of how a KBS relates to the other aspects of an organisation and the disposition of its knowledge. There is also a question that remains unanswered that is the earning that a KBS can obtain the tools that are used for knowledge management. To do all this, there is a particular framework that has to be presented. 2.5 Management of Knowledge There is a certain need for every organisation to crave for more knowledge than what is acquired by an organisation as it has to survive the competition that exists in the market. Every individual that is linked with any process of an organisation, they have to perform their day-to-day activities and routines; it may even add value to the work that an individual does. The knowledge that is acquired or retained within the organisational limits could be put into use by all the individuals in their day-to-day work. The knowledge that is already retained by an organisation has to be used in all the present scenarios and at the same time there are to be ardent efforts to create new knowledge or information are the only two core areas of concern for any organisation that is considered for this research study (Frappaolo, 2006). The knowledge that is acquired and maintained within an organisation should be relevant to the work that an individual works on and the same differs or changes over the time without any doubts. An organisation maintaining the Importance of Knowledge Management in Organisations Importance of Knowledge Management in Organisations CHAPTER ONE 1.0 Introduction This chapter provides a brief introduction about the research topic along with the research aims and objectives in detail. Further in this chapter, the scope of research, personal interest and the motivation to choose this particular research topic are all discussed briefly. Finally, the dissertation structure content of the six chapters is highlighted. 1.1 Introduction to the Topic The use of Internet and Intranet technologies within an organisation has changed drastically over the past ten years. Modern organisations are striving hard to maintain an appropriate strategy towards knowledge management in order to provide the employees of the organisation with the data related to their work. The main use of using a companys knowledge-base by employees is to help them develop their skills in all aspects and at the same time helps an individual to learn from any mistakes highlighted during projects undertaken. All past experiences and solutions provided at that time are recorded so experts can analyze these mistakes and make sure that they are not repeated in any of their future product developments or assignments. This research will evaluate whether knowledge management is an effective way to enhance an organisations profit and at the same time achieve employee training and development. Furthermore this research will evaluate whether Intranet and Internet services within an organisation play an important role in knowledge management process. 1.2 Personal Interest and Motivation During the learning process at the university, the author was exposed to different modules of Information Technology (IT), such as, Project Management, IT Management, Knowledge Management and Professional Issues that prevail in the present IT industry. Among these modules the author developed a kind of affection with the subject of Knowledge Management and wished to know more about it. Therefore the author has chosen to taken up this opportunity to explore this research topic and gain further understanding of knowledge management in more detail. This has not been an easy task, but with good guidance and advice from my mentors, tutors and my loved ones it has helped to finalize this topic choice and commence the research work. 1.3 Main Topics Discussed In this section, the main topics and sub topics discussed in the literature review are listed: Introduction to Intranet and Internet Services, Information Technology (IT), Impact of the Intranet on Organisations, Knowledge Management Studies, Knowledge Management, Types of Knowledge Management, Benefits of Knowledge Management Implementation in Organisations, Knowledge Circulation Process (KCP) for Organisational Performance and Management of Knowledge. All the above main topic and sub topics are related to one another which gives a complete understanding about the topic and its necessity within todays organisations. With this understanding a survey questionnaire is formulated which is analyzed at later stages of the research work/discussion. 1.4 Scoping of the Research The main purpose of this study is to evaluate whether knowledge management systems are necessary in todays organisation and also the study is to point out the important features of knowledge management when implemented within organisations. This research topic has been a major attraction for many researchers; a lot of studies have been carried out on this topic. At present, the authors research identifies a few opinions about the topic and its importance within the scope of an organisation. 1.5 Aims and Objectives The main aim of this research study is to evaluate whether knowledge management is important in todays organisations and also to discover whether knowledge management helps in employee development and learning processes. Furthermore, the research also provides a chance to evaluate the role of the Internet and Intranet technologies in implementing knowledge management. Below is a list of objectives: To understand the research topic in depth Provide a clear understanding of the role of Internet and Intranet technologies Seek information in relation to Knowledge Management 1.6 Structure of the Dissertation The dissertation structure is divided into six chapters and the contents of each chapter are briefly discussed below: Chapter One In this chapter, a brief introduction concerning the topic is discussed. Furthermore, the aims and objectives of the research topic are detailed, personal interest/ motivation, scope of the research, main topics and sub topics related to the research topic are discussed. Finally, the chapter concludes with a dissertation outline, this provides the reader with a structure of the research work that will be carried out. Chapter Two This chapter mainly focuses on the literature review based on the research topic. The discussion focuses on the analysis of a variety of researchers views and different authors opinions about the chosen topic area. Additionally, literature on knowledge management systems, types of knowledge management, and benefits of knowledge management when implemented within an organisation, knowledge circulation process, Internet and Intranet services within organisations are all briefly discussed. Chapter Three In these chapter different research paradigms, research strategies and data collection methods are discussed briefly, out of which only appropriate research paradigm, research methodology, research strategy are chosen based on the topic. Further in this chapter, assumptions and ethical issues are also discussed. Chapter Four In this chapter, the data collected from participants are gathered together, the data is stored in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and the data is then analyzed by relating it to the research aims and objectives in order to meet them. Chapter Five This chapter includes a brief discussion of the analysed results of the obtained data from participants. The data is represented in the form of graphs and each graph is followed by a discussion. Chapter Six This is the conclusive chapter. In this chapter, the obtained results are compared to that of research aims and final conclusions are drawn from the analysis. The discussion focuses on relating to and linking the survey data to the aims and drawing conclusions. Finally, the chapter suggests future recommendations. 1.7 Conclusion This chapter has provided a brief outline of the dissertation structure where the researcher as well as the reader can gain a quick understanding about the work that has been planned. Additionally this chapter has introduced the topic chosen, highlighted the aims and objectives and briefly discussed the main topics within the study that will hopefully provide a clear understanding for both the author and the reader. Furthermore, this chapter also discusses the authors personal interest/motivation behind choosing this particular topic area and the scope of the research. In the next chapter, literature on the research topic is analysed and discussed this: includes opinions of different researchers and authors. CHAPTER TWO 2.0 Introduction The use of intra-organisational information by employees is widely recognized as an essential part of knowledge sharing within organisations. This way of sharing knowledge helps an organisation to tackle supporting operational and strategic corporate decision makers within the organisation. Intranet technology has proven to be one of the effective ways of accessing and disseminating data or knowledge available within the organisation (Lai and Mahapatra, 1998). The main problem that an organisation faces is the decision-making capability. Managers who are responsible for decision making within a project lifecycle are unable to make appropriate decisions due to the required data not being available. Due to large amounts of data that are available within the organisation, organisations are striving hard to find appropriate tools and techniques to manage their knowledge. Although, techniques such as data warehousing and digital libraries are implemented within the organisation, but these services are limited to a certain range. In order to manage these kinds of situations within an organisation, better solutions are evaluated and the term Intranet evolved (Tan, et. al., 2003). Expertise has identified services offered by the Intranet, some of these services that can be utilized are: alternative approach of managing dispersed enterprise data and decision support services. Intranet usage integrates individual, group, departmental, corporate communication and information sharing tasks together and provides a solution or option for each and every individual who uses it. Organisations have developed in terms of managing data available within their departments, sharing of knowledge within their departments, communication within company employees and sharing of knowledge are available for decision making was found to be improved (Lai and Mahapatra, 1998). Intranets can develop the collaboration among employees who are working for an organisation by creating networks of share spaces which are developed based on common understanding. Employees of an organisation can use this service as a medium to share available knowledge and expertise amongst each other. They have the opportunity to interact with their team and share their advice on work carried out. Though the main use of the Intranet in an organisation was meant to be for data sharing, but the extra features with the use of Intranet in organisations made it popular and these services are widely used in organisation irrespective of their market area (Khasnabish and Saracco, 1997). Strategic engagements that are held by an organisation have seen a new topic that has emerged in the knowledge based view of an organisation. This provides us with a theoretical basis on how a knowledge based resource plays a vital role in increasing the sustainable competitiveness of the firm. It also provides us with a clearer picture of how changes could be brought about to ensure no hassle in the process of knowledge management (Hoegl and Schulze, 2005). If an organisation constantly checks on its resources and promotes knowledge based perspective that postulates a competitive advantage and also builds on the privately developed resources, then tacit and explicit knowledge in an organisation will exist. At the same time, the knowledge based view or perception of an organisation assumes that the present knowledge assets exist at any time provided a valid opportunity for sustainable competitive advantage (Kebede, 2010). The use of previously existing assets along with the creation, accumulation and sharing the new assets amongst the other individuals would happen in an easier way by employing Information Technology and an Information System (IS) in that particular organisation, this is considered here. In an organisational view, it can be explained in a convincing manner the reason why a certain number of organisations or firms are more competitive under the prevailing market conditions (Kebede, 2010). Knowledge assets pertaining to a particular organisation are all dependent upon the quality of organisational knowledge and also the intangible assets of the organisation in general. This generally depends on the methods that are used to store the knowledge within the organisational limits and the extent of its usage within its employees. There is a serious need for metrics and statistics to justify all knowledge management initiatives that are taken up on priority within an organisation. Taking the knowledge management process a step forward would help senior management to justify and also help them improve their ability to manage the knowledge assets in a better manner. The benefits that are extracted from the knowledge management are all intangible and there is one method of measurement called the Balanced Scorecard. This would take both the perspectives like Financial and also the others (e.g. customers or internal business processes, innovation and learning etc.) (Liebowitz and Megbolugbe, 2003). However it is not a justifiable fact to relate knowledge management initiatives to performance. One cannot relate knowledge management with performance in every situation within organisational life, There is a need to have a superior metrics system to assess knowledge management performance, with also the ability to clear it; and also at the same time it also suggests futuristic and strategic actions for an organisation to take up. This not just keeps the work organised, but also improves the performance for the knowledge management process. 2.1 KM Studies The discussion that is taken up in previous sections of this dissertation briefly highlights that knowledge management is built on multiple disciplines such as management, computer science and information systems theory. It also has been reviewed in previous knowledge management literature at the start and the same are summarized in Table 1 below by Lee et. al., (2005). Table 1: KM studies, (Lee et. al., 2005) There are few prior Knowledge Management studies that relates with the Managerial and the Social issues. These issues have brought about the needed change and also brought about the necessary importance into place on specific processes and activities within knowledge management such as the knowledge acquisition, generation, storage, distribution, application and also its measurement (Nonaka and Takeuchi, 1995). On the same grounds, the research agenda and also the general perspective of knowledge management based on the literature review are all addressed with the priorities that were set for them without any deviations. There are few points that have taken the managerial perspective and have requested the reasons as to how a ‘learning organisation could obtain sustainable competitive advantage. Work needs to be conducted within the organisation to develop the same knowledge as there would not be any single individual in an organisation who has all the required knowledge. It is not predictable when an individual working with any certain organisation would choose to leave it, for the offer of a better poosition. Hence relying on a single individual for his knowledge could lead to very drastic effects. The way or the process within which the knowledge has been acquired and the way it is assembled and restructured particularly provides a definite competitive advantage for an organisation. As per the scholar Kebede (2010) states, the process of learning was the only sustainable competitive advantage and there has been a single learning situation that is resulted in organisational knowledge (or memory). Corporate memory has a remarkable effect on the present decisions that are taken and also plays a vital role in the success of an organisations operations and the responses to the changes and challenges. There are numerous attempts that are made and numerous methodologies that were put in place to improve and revive the present learnings and learning capabilities of the individual employees in an organisation, this helps an organisation become a ‘learning system (Kingston and Macintosh, 2000). In the process of improving an organisations learning capabilities, there were problems that were identified at various stages of the process by a considerable number of scholars. These identified reasons and issues were then studied to give a better environment to resolve the same. There are also studies that mentioned the relationship of role of Information Technology in Knowledge Management (Lee and Kim, 2001) (Kingston and Macintosh, 2000). There is a general consideration that a Knowledge Management System (KMS) is a specialized Information System for knowledge management using the latest available technologies (e.g. the Internet, Intranet, data warehouses, software agents) to synchronize, facilitate and also to expedite organisation wide knowledge management. Knowledge Management System research primarily consists of general and also conceptual principles, case studies, scenarios and thesis of such systems of a few organisations. A study by Lee and Kim (2001) states that how a KMS can enhance the effectiveness of the teams that sit and analyse the complex, non-recurring problems by improving all the trouble some areas and also improving the way these teams compositions evolve. Knowledge mining would be the synonymous phrase that could be used as like Data mining. Using this we would be able to see our self in a situation where you can provide the right information to the right persons at the right time (Kingston and M acintosh, 2000). The strategic use of the Internet for all such knowledge management activities is well dealt with in lot of activities. There has been a point that was mentioned regarding the usage of the Internet and Intranet in developing the distributed Knowledge Management systems by (Goodman, 2006). XML (Extensible Markup Language) was developed to transport and store data, this is considered as an ideal tool for knowledge retrieval and for use in knowledge management. 2.2 Impact of the Intranet on Organisations Intranet services are growing rapidly within every possible sector of business due to its wide range of benefits. Some of the impacts where Intranet has changed the business strategy are listed below: It is less expensive to implement as it runs inside the organisations network. Excellent performance enhancement can be achieved because of limited user access Employee performance is increased due to availability of necessary resources and advices due to better communication with their expertise. Effective communication amongst the employees Efficient knowledge sharing process within different departments of an organisation Helps to maintain effective customer relationship Immediate access of data regarding organisational data and documents is possible with the help of Intranet service (Bernard, 1996). 2.3 WEB WEB is known as World Wide Web. It is a hypertext document which can be accessed over the Internet. With the use of these links an individual can actually access almost everything, right from an mp3 (MPEG- Moving Pictures Experts Group) file to video files. Different types of documents and books can be read or downloaded using this process. With the help of this facility an individual can perform some of his daily tasks in a different and a convenient way. The use of the Internet and web technology has changed the entire scenario of database management within an organisation on any given day. Due to the popularity of the web, a newer version of World Wide Web is launched and named it as the second version of it. With the help of web 2.0 one can experience a user friendly approach while accessing the Internet. The quality of web pages that are available is different and more exciting when compared to earlier version of web (W3c, 2010). 2.4 Knowledge Management Knowledge management in general tries to organise and make available important information like the know-how, wherever and whenever it is actually needed. This includes processes, procedures, patents, reference works, formulas, best practices, forecasts, fixes and the like (Maglitta, 1996). This process is not only used for managing organisations knowledge base but also looks for the proper management of the same. Utilization of this knowledge within the organisation at right time and at the right place is also ensured as a part of its activities. Success of an organisation depends less on developed products and more on the appropriate utilization of available information, appropriate sharing of information when needed. Thus knowledge management plays a vital and a key role for all these years and it will be change the future of managing the knowledge within an organisation as well (Kebede, 2010). 2.4.1 Types of Knowledge Mainly there are of two types of knowledge that is available for the individuals of an organisation and they are: Explicit Knowledge: This knowledge can be expressed in terms of specific language and is normally expressed in terms of data or formulae. The information obtained can be stored within the Organisational premises easily and reused whenever there is any need for it. Tacit Knowledge This type of knowledge is completely opposite to explicit knowledge. Knowledge is more personal and cannot be stored. It ‘indwells in a comprehensive cognizance of the human mind and body (Kebede, 2010). In simpler words, this type of knowledge is held within an individual and is not available for any other individuals of the organisation. This kind of knowledge in an individual builds a dependency on him and then the works would actually finish in a slower and un-organised manner. 2.4.2 Benefits of KM Implementation in Organisations One can expect an interactive environment around the organisation where people strive for knowledge and also to show their skills, some benefits of KM implementation are listed below: Provide new ways to collaborate. Boosts up productivity. Leads to innovation within the organisation. Overall profitability. Motivation and encouragement within employees. Reusability of resources (Dalkir, 2005). 2.4.3 What are Knowledge Based Systems? Human-centred would be an apt definition for a Knowledge Based System. Knowledge Based Systems derive their roots from the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and there are evident attempts from scholars to understand and also to imitate human knowledge in Computer systems. In whatever way we see, a Knowledge Based System falls short of the human intellect and the human touch. The system lacks creative powers like reproducing the same knowledge and also the learning capabilities are relatively primitive (Dreyfus, 1986). Compared to a human as such, there is no comparison with the Knowledge Based System. There is a wonderfully acknowledged fact that the intelligence of a Artificially Intelligent System is quite different from human intelligence. There are a second set of definitions that are defined and which only looks for the characteristics in the architecture of a Knowledge Based System. In such a way of defining a Knowledge Based System, it mainly categorizes four components namely: Knowledge base Inference Engine Knowledge engineering tool A specific user interface and is often natural language based (Ramirez and Antonio, 2007) The core of a Knowledge Based System is defined by the first two components namely the Knowledge Base and the Inference Engine wherein the former one is an active collection of ‘formal knowledge or an active database with lots of ‘formal knowledge, its primary purpose being how that data may be used in Practical life. The latter part, inference engine on the other hand defines the ways in which the knowledge base can be put to use to help resolve the situations at hand for an organisation (Ramirez and Antonio, 2007). The remaining two factors are just the added supplements for the Knowledge base and the Inference engine as these offer instruments for filling the Knowledge base with knowledge and act as a dedicated user interface for the user to understand and view the knowledge. Characteristically a Knowledge Based System user interface has to provide the basic know how and should also question itself letting the system explain its behaviour when the system deals with any particular problem. Definitions of a Knowledge Based System that are defined on the basis of architectural peculiarities are not at all satisfactory as compared to the definitions that are defined on the basis of human intelligence, there is an obvious resistance in the way they actually work with such definitions also (Akerkar and Sajja, 2009). The difference in the definitions could be seen when we consider a system based on neural nets and there are no separating aspects of a knowledge base, inference engine. There would hardly be any difference between the knowledge base and an inference engine in such cases where neural nets are considered for a system. Such definitions take the wrong meaning historical form chosen in several Knowledge Based Systems for the hallmarks of such systems. There is also a third set of definition that is given to a Knowledge Based System to indicate all the organisational IT applications that prove helpful and needful for managing the knowledge assets within an organisation. Few examples for such kinds of Knowledge Based Systems could be expert systems, groupware, data warehouses or even the Intranet. The mentioned applications in an organisation provide the individuals all the information that is needed to them to help them in all their day-to-day activities. These definitions are flatly rejected as these lead to the erosion of the meaning of the term Knowledge-based system. Knowledge Based System in our view is not just any IT system that is used to deal with the Knowledge that is present with an organisation (Leondes, 2000). The definition of a Knowledge Based System that provides the most satisfactory organisation-centred viewpoint comes when we focus on the â€Å"Knowledge Modelling†. Key activity in building a Knowledge Based System in that case is to find a formal model that allows the description of knowledge at a conceptual level or at the knowledge level itself, aiming at uncovering the basic schema linking the central concepts of a given domain in a particular organisation (Akerkar and Lingras, 2008). The best suited examples of formalisms for the knowledge representation are the production rules, predicate logic, frames, neural nets and objects. The definition of a Knowledge Based System as an outcome of the knowledge modelling process is very useful and it actually does not direct any discussions pertaining to the organisational values of it to the characteristics of the technology as such. The actual goals of knowledge modelling process could be achieved only by examining the elements of knowledge validly and then has to be described in any of the formalisms for knowledge representation (Ramirez and Antonio, 2007). Given the focus on the process of knowledge modelling not only aids in gaining the best insight into the characteristics of the knowledge, but also guides the discussions concerning the pros and cons of the use of knowledge. It then leads to the identification why or in which aspect of formalisation is not possible or not advisable (for example, it reduces the flexibility or does not do justice to any specific intricacies). The knowledge modelling process thus acts as a vehicle to show and focus thought about the organisational knowledge and also its functionality. The basic aim is to explore that part of the organisational knowledge and how to capture in the formal schemata, and to describe the benefits and the pitfalls that are implied. There are associated benefits of having a Knowledge Based System in place in an organisation. These act as a way to retain the knowledge even after an individual who has created/compiled it has opted out of the organisation or in their absence. These systems could be used for the new comers in their on-job training purposes to fetch whatever the details that are needed of them. There is a consistent way to improve the decision making process and also helps in increasing the availability of the needed expertise. They provide the building blocks or the Corporate Memory and also promotes of knowledge sharing etc. If the knowledge is well documented under KBS, the sole repository for all such information and knowledge then there wouldnt be any potential rivalry between these two. If there is any discrepancy then the risks that have to be incurred is not imaginary also (Nonaka and Takeuchi, 1995). Then those would not be considered the failure of a KBS installation but would unnecessary a nd undesirable side effects of a successful KBS implementation. Stating to the earlier point, these mainly derive from the fact that KBS totally depends on the determining and storing of the knowledge at a given point of time. It would be very tough and would be next to impossible to assess all the critical empirical assessments of the harm that a KBS may cause to an organisation. Considering such a point, there would be a definite negative impact on Job satisfaction and also on the labour quality. Once a KBS is implemented in an organisation, there should be an established value that has to be assigned to the same. The friendliness and the rivalry that exists between the KBS and the knowledge that is with held in the hands of an organisation are like the two poles of a continuum. The whole responsibility of having the data be accessible over the Internet/Intranet for all the individuals of an organisation is solely taken up by the organisation. The main area that is concentrated here in this discussion would be the organisational value of KBS, its assessment, and the effective know how process. There should be a proper and a systematic way to respond to all the questions that could be raised on the three issues (Akerkar and Lingras, 2008). Firstly there should be an assessment of the role and the value of the knowledge of the organisation; the measures of their activation. Only after this is done, there would be a proper understanding of the things that are to happen at a later stage in an organisation. Knowledge management is the whole process of considering and implementing measures that would be dealing with the organisational knowledge. There is always a need to have a suitable definition of this concept. Secondly, the provided definition for a KBS has to be appropriate to the context of investigation of the organisational aspects of knowledge. The relationship between the knowledge management and Knowledge Based Systems has to be established and the same should stand on sound grounds. If there are any mismatches found in the definitions, it would affect drastically on both the knowledge and the method through which the knowledge management is achieved. Thirdly, with a proper assessment of the value of a KBS, it needs a careful description of how a KBS relates to the other aspects of an organisation and the disposition of its knowledge. There is also a question that remains unanswered that is the earning that a KBS can obtain the tools that are used for knowledge management. To do all this, there is a particular framework that has to be presented. 2.5 Management of Knowledge There is a certain need for every organisation to crave for more knowledge than what is acquired by an organisation as it has to survive the competition that exists in the market. Every individual that is linked with any process of an organisation, they have to perform their day-to-day activities and routines; it may even add value to the work that an individual does. The knowledge that is acquired or retained within the organisational limits could be put into use by all the individuals in their day-to-day work. The knowledge that is already retained by an organisation has to be used in all the present scenarios and at the same time there are to be ardent efforts to create new knowledge or information are the only two core areas of concern for any organisation that is considered for this research study (Frappaolo, 2006). The knowledge that is acquired and maintained within an organisation should be relevant to the work that an individual works on and the same differs or changes over the time without any doubts. An organisation maintaining the