Strategy Analysis Blue Ocean Strategy Essay - 1698 Words

Introduction When an organization embarks on any expansion or acquisition, intensive financial projections or analysis accompanied by the investigation by managers, are followed by the board proposal reviews, and, if necessary, then presented to investors and the financial community. Financial analyses are widely used to assess investment projects and proposals, but less commonly to evaluate strategy. Strategy, both at business unit level, and the overall strategies for the organization includes strategic leadership, functional level strategy, global strategy, and corporate level strategy need continuing evaluation. Overall Strategies For The Organization Kim and Mauborgne (2014) have offered a compelling argument and proposed a strategy for a company’s overall strategy, through maximizing profits while minimizing expenditure. The researchers introduced the terminology called blue ocean strategy (BOS), with principles of value innovation that covered both strategy formulation and execution. They emphasized on the quality of the experience rather than the benefits of new technology and noted three key concepts: (a) value innovation, (b) tipping point leadership, and (c) fair process. Depending primarily on value innovation, when the utility, price, and costs align with the change, a blue ocean appears where a firm’s actions favorably affect both costs as it eliminates, increases, reduces or creates qualities, to find a new global market space, and its value for buyers. TheirShow MoreRelatedBlue Analysis : Blue Ocean Strategy1725 Words   |  7 PagesTHE BLUE OCEAN STRATEGY The term blue ocean was coined by two professors W.Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne in their book titled â€Å"Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and the Make Competition Irrelevant† (2005). The authors present the idea of a business being able to operate in a league of its own, without intense competition. The company is able to set its own pace to create, sell and profit from unique products and services in high potential new markets. The blue ocean is takenRead MoreBlue Analysis : Blue Ocean Strategy1056 Words   |  5 Pagesarticle â€Å"Blue Ocean Strategy† and Blue Ocean Strategy: From Theory to Practice challenges firms to distance themselves from the fierce competition in the marketplace by utilizing Blue Ocean Strategy versus the dominantly used Red Ocean Strategy. Both Blue and Red Oceans are distinctly different strategies, both logics are important to understand, and they both coexist. By understanding by the underlying logic of both strategies companies will be able to make decisions on what strategy they willRead MoreBlue Ocean Strategy Analysis of Wikipedia674 Words   |  3 PagesWikipedia: A Blue Ocean Strategy Section A: Group 4 Analysis of Wikipedia, as a Blue Ocean Strategy Wikipedia, the collaboratively edited free internet encyclopaedia is a household name. Launched in 2001 by Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger, it has now grown to be the seventh most visited website with approximately 365 million users worldwide. How is it that the small encyclopaedia market grew more than a hundred times in the space of 8-10 years and changed its orientation in such a path breakingRead MoreBlue Ocean Strategy Tools Analysis4953 Words   |  20 PagesReal-world Business Analysis: Blue Ocean Strategy Tools Analysis Paper MMBA-6570 Business Strategy for a Competitive Advantage Dr. Schulz Stephenie Wegmann April 15, 2013 Introduction The purpose of the blue ocean strategy is to focus on making the business itself better without focusing on the competition. Kim and Mauborgne (2005) state that â€Å"blue ocean strategy challenges companies to break out of the red ocean of bloody competition by creating uncontested market space that makes theRead MoreAnalysis Of Kim And Mauborgne And Their Blue Ocean Strategy1977 Words   |  8 Pagesof Kim and Mauborgne and their blue ocean strategy which represented a revolution in the competitive market. This strategic paradigm is presented as a revolution! Its implementation will lead the company adapted to success by creating new demand and avoiding competition. This strategy seems to be similar to a dream, do not worry! The dream is overtaken by reality. This report is a critical review of â€Å"Blue Ocean† strategy. It examines and explains both the blue ocean and porter’s model as a conventionalRead MoreAnalysis Of Blue Ocean Strategy By W. Chan Kim And Renee Mauborgne1231 Words   |  5 Pagesgood unit to measure success or failure; it’s the strategies the companies take, which decide the success or failure of the company. And the â€Å"Blue Ocean† Strategy, the term introduced in the book â€Å"Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make Competition Irrelevant†, by W. Chan Kim and Renà ©e Mauborgne, is one, which ensures a company to have a long stretch of uncontested success away from the competition. Key Concepts Red Ocean: A market space filled with several players competingRead MoreAnalysis Of Michael Porter s Value Migration, And W. Chan Kim And Renee Mauborgne s Blue Ocean Strategy1813 Words   |  8 PagesTechnical University There are a number of well know strategic planning models. Of these, I will explain in some detail three. Michael Porter’s Five Forces, Adrian Slywotzky’s Value Migration, and W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne’s Blue Ocean Strategy. The first, Michael Porter’s Five Forces, is based on Harvard Business School’s professor Michael Porter’s research, originally developed in 1979, which states that business is about who is the most profitable, not necessarily, the biggestRead MoreLego Group And Their Entrance Into The Board Game Industry1527 Words   |  7 Pagesproduce a competitive advantage: a) Highlights what a firm does differently from competitors; therefore, creates a niche to focus on creating a wedge in. b) Crafts an analysis of how firm, supplier and customer interact, including the costs of moving the product to end-user (i.e. buyer costs, supplier cost/performance). c) Provides analysis of customers to serve. For example, in order to widen the gap and create a competitive advantage the value chain shows what products appeal to certain customer segmentsRead MoreEssay about Blue Ocean Strategy825 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿ Blue Ocean Strategy Paper Adel Erolsky University of Phoenix MKT/421 Ron Rosalik August 25, 2014 Blue Ocean Strategy Paper In today’s business world, competition is a big concern for nearly every corporation. The competition on the market is getting stronger and more difficult to overcome, in many situations corporations terminate their products, production, or their services, just because it is impossible to continue; the cost is too high to focus on gathering developmentRead MoreEssay on strategy marketing1247 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿Team : Hetong Xu; Jin Liu; Jieqi Jin. Blue Ocean Strategy 1. What is a blue ocean strategy? What is a red ocean strategy? Explain these from the perspective of company, competition, costs, and markets. Blue ocean strategy, as a business method, is about company creating a new market or industry where there is no competitor. Companies play not by traditional rules, never use the competition as a benchmark. They could ether create greater value for customers at a higher cost or create reasonable

France And Canadas Health Care Systems - 1775 Words

Running head: FRANCE AND CANADA’S HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS 1 France and Canada’s Health Care Systems: A comparative Analysis of France and Canada’s healthcare systems Ileke Redemption Iyeteku 5994383 Ottawa University FRANCE AND CANADA’S HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS 2 This paper will compare France’s health care system with Canada’s health care system. When compared to other countries around the world, France was ranked number one in overall health system performance (World Health Organization (WHO), 2000). There are some similarities between France and Canada health care systems (Mossialos Wenzl, 2014). I selected France because it has the best health care system in the world (WHO, 2000).Various topics about Canada and France’s health care system will be discussed in the paper. Firstly, France and Canada’s health care systems and funding structures will be described. Secondly, France and Canada’s health care governance and monitoring systems will be explained. Thirdly, health care infrastructures, professional expertise and health technologies of both health care sys (Mossialos Wenzl, 2014)tems will be discussed. Fourthly, both health care systems will be compared and analyzed. Lastly, positive and negative aspects of both health care systems will also be discussed. France has a mixed health care system; it has a public and private sector (Chevreul, Brigham, Durand- Zaleski, Hernandez- Quevedo, 2015). The publicShow MoreRelatedSimilarities Between France and Canada’s Health Care System846 Words   |  3 PagesMany would agree that a worthy, controlled health system, above all, should essentially contribute to good health. The responsibility of a health care system is that the organization of people, institutions, and resources deliver the health care services required and meet the health needs of focus populations. Another duty that the health care systems stimulate is the reduction of inequality to race, gender, social status and religion. Each health care system is different when looking at specific countriesRead MoreHealth Care Systems For Every Country1042 Words   |  5 Pages Health care systems are institutions and resources whose main purpose is to improve health. There are different health care systems for every country. The United Kingdom (U.K) has a universal health care that is called the National Health Service (NHS). In the U.K everyone that is a resident has access to the same health care. It is free for people who are not residents (visitors) only if in an emergency or if the person has some infectious disease. One pro of the U.K health care system is thatRead MoreThe French Health Care System1548 Words   |  7 Pagesï ¿ ¼! The French health care system was once a redundant, poor system that was less than satisfactory in providing care to its patients. Now, though, it is among the best in the world - and other countries have taken note. Canada, specifically as a post-industrial nation, has a poor health care system when compared to its European counterparts. Thus, Canada’s overall health would be better if we were to shift to French-st yle practices in the health section of the welfare state.! ! ! Its important toRead MorePublic Health Care Is the Way to Go Essay1113 Words   |  5 PagesPublic health care is definitely the only health care which should be placed within society. When health care is socialized it ensures that it is available to everyone equally. No person, no matter their social class, or economic status should be denied medical attention for any reason. All humans are equal, which means equal treatment should be given to all. With public health care a person cannot be rejected treatment because they cannot afford it, or do not have health insurance. In a privateRead More Canadas Declining Health Care System and the Brain Drain Essays884 Words   |  4 PagesCanadas Declining Health Care System and the Brain Drain Canadas government-funded health care system in under attack. Despite the mandate of the Canada health act, which was meant to assure universality, comprehensiveness, equitable access, public administration and portability of our health care system, (Braithwaite 17), Canadians today make the issue of health care their most important political concern. One of the biggest crises the Canadian health care system faces is for strangeRead MoreInfluencing Factors of Healthcare Expenditure2721 Words   |  11 PagesInfluencing Factors of Health Care Expenditure: Opportunities to Improve Canada’s Statistics [Authors Name] [Institutional Affiliation(s)] Author Note [Include any grant/funding information and a complete correspondence address.] 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‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦2 Comparing Health System Performance†¦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 Sweden’s Healthcare Policy Framework†¦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‚¬ ¦...8 Canada’s Opportunities for Improvement†¦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‚¬ ¦..9 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¢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‚¬ ¦Read MoreThe World Health Organization Essay examples594 Words   |  3 PagesThe World Health Organization (WHO) is the United Nations specialized agency for health, and was established on April 7, 1948. The WHOs objective, is the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health. The WHO defines health in its Constitution as, a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. The World Health Organization uses several categories to establish standards that show how countries stand up to othersRead MoreThe Healing Of Americ A Global Quest For Better, Cheaper, And Fairer Health Care1351 Words   |  6 PagesCheaper, and Fairer Health Care. New York: Penguin, 2009. In The Healing of America: A Global Quest for Better, Cheaper, and Fairer Health Care, T.R. Reid, a Washington Post reporter and NPR commentator, compares the United States’ health care system to the systems of other industrialized democracies. In this journey, he analyzes costs, quality, and overall functioning of the different systems. Through his first hand experiences around the globe, Reid illustrates a variety of systems, emphasizing theRead MoreThe Healing Of America1047 Words   |  5 Pagesperspectives the doctors have concerning his shoulder. The main goal is to find the best healthcare system in the world by observing countries similar to the United States and ranking how their healthcare system ranks and differs to the United States. T.R. Reid uses cost, quality, and choice to fully evaluate healthcare systems all around the world. As an American citizen, I have always thought our system was unfair. The poor suffer more than the rich for going to see a doctor for the same reason. Read MoreCanadas Immigration System Act1519 Words   |  7 PagesOn June 28, 2012, the Protecting Canada’s Immigration System Act (Bill C-31) took effect. This act was put in place to bring further reforms to the asylum system, add measures to address human smuggling, and add the requirement to include biometric data as part of a temporary resident visa, work permit, and study permit application. These changes were claimed to help the system to function better, cut down wait time, make the process faster, screen applicants better, and to prevent needless complications

Why is it difficult to define a “new social movement” Free Essays

string(58) " to problems in terms of what can and cannot be included\." When one thinks of â€Å"new social movements† (NSM’s) it is fair to say that a number of images may spring into peoples’ minds. To some, Swampy chaining himself to a tree will automatically be imagined, for others, they may think of the anti-globalisation protests in Seattle or on the streets of London. The fact is that both of these ideas come under this broad title and it is for that reason that it can de difficult to define exactly what is meant by an NSM. We will write a custom essay sample on Why is it difficult to define a â€Å"new social movement†? or any similar topic only for you Order Now This essay will attempt to address why NSM’s have come into existence, which sections of society choose to become involved and how these groups operate. Having done this, the essay will then attempt to show why defining an NSM is problematic. It is fair to say that most people who choose to participate in NSM’s do so because they feel that conventional politics does not or has not dealt with the issues that they feel are important. It is, therefore, the aim of the NSM’s to highlight these issues and bring them to the attention of either the politicians or the general public in the hope that government policy will adopt a different strategy. It has been said that â€Å"one repeated motif in the discussion of new social movements is the view that they are, in contrast to older movements, primarily social or cultural in nature and only secondary, if at all, political. † (Scott, 1990:16). What Alan Scott is saying here is that the main ideas behind social movements are the attempts to change the way society exist as a whole and not necessarily the way people view their politics. Being part of a social movement is not just a way of thinking; it is a belief in a certain ideal that transcends all aspects of your life. In this way, it can be said that NSM’s are expressive in their views as opposed to political parties, who are instrumental. An NSM is not necessarily motivated by achieving a pre-set goal but by the belief itself. This is one reason that can explain why members or ‘adherents’ of social movements are fully prepared to make self-sacrifices, such as imprisonment, for their cause. One important ramification of this is that the adherents to social movements are prepared to step outside the law to achieve their goals. This creates a very serious dilemma for governments because if people are prepared to act illegally then the threat of legal action will not act as a deterrent. In other words, if people have a strong enough will then in the end, there is nothing to stop them. As Russell Dalton and Manfred Kuechler wrote â€Å"the new social movement approach claims that many NSM’s intentionally remain outside the institutionalized framework of government. † (Dalton et al. , 1990:14). The NSM’s prefer to remain in this position to avoid being forced to compromise their goals. What this suggests is that NSM’s actively promote criminal behaviour and rationalize it by saying that it is for a good cause. However, in a survey conducted by Alan Marsh in 1977, it was found that 55 per cent of the people questioned believed that â€Å"it is justified to break the law to protest about something you feel may be very unjust or harmful. † (Byrne, 1997:4). Although these activities are illegal, the majority of people are prepared to act as such anyway. This illustrates the complications that arise when one tries to define NSM’s. On the one hand, you could say that they choose to be troublemakers, committing crimes and illegal protests, but on the other hand, you see that in fact a substantial proportion of the population shares their views on the appropriate course of action. A major difficulty with trying to define NSM’s is to distinguish with what exactly we are dealing. What is meant by this is what sort or group of people or section of society do we class as a new social movement? For example, we would class feminists and green activists as social movements but this also leads to difficulty in defining what an NSM actually is. In terms of ideology, feminists and green activists have little in common yet they would both fall into the category of NSM’s. A very extreme example of this is the Al’ Queida terrorist network and the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND). These two groups could not be more different if they tried but to a certain extent they can both be classed as social movements. On the one hand, you have the CND, an organisation at the heart of the Peace Movement, whose â€Å"supporters have employed tactics which extend from serious academic work on the probable effects of nuclear warfare, to mass demonstrations, and to a wide variety of non-violent direct action. † (Byrne, 1997:11). On the other hand, you have the Al’ Queida terrorist network, the alliance responsible for the September 11th attack upon New York’s World Trade Centre and the Pentagon. This group is responsible for the deaths of thousands of innocent people – the CND, however, call for an end to weapons of mass destruction. How then can you class the Al’ Queida terrorist network as a social movement? Its members are willing to step outside the conventional channels to achieve their goals. They are prepared to fight and die for their cause as long as by their death they have advanced towards their end goal – the destruction of the US. The Al’ Queida is one extreme example of how an NSM can be described as irrational and unreasonable. Their adherents are not motivated by self-interest but by their unbreakable belief in the cause. They also seem to think that they are justified in breaking the law or ignoring any kind of conventional methods. Here we can see how defining a NSM can be made difficult. The spectrum when it comes to social movements is so diversified that it leads to problems in terms of what can and cannot be included. You read "Why is it difficult to define a â€Å"new social movement†?" in category "Papers" It is difficult to comprehend that two such different groups can be classified under the same heading. The Al’ Queida terrorist network is, to a certain extent, an example of how NSM’s choose to exist in terms of their structure. The Al’ Queida exists with more recognizable members, such as Osama Bin Laden, but the fact remains that if he were to be captured or killed then that would have little effect on the remainder of the group. The adherents will still believe in their cause and they will still do all they can to realize their vision. Of course, this is a very extreme example of a NSM and when we look at more mainstream groups the structure is less militant but the basic ideas remain the same. On a whole, NSM’s attempt to avoid the hierarchical approach of the conventional political parties and instead choose to opt for a more co-operative system. The CND is actually an example of how a structured organisation can exist within the informally organized Peace Movement. It is difficult to describe the structure of an NSM as even the word ‘structure’ suggests some kind of organisation. Referring to NSM’s as groups also causes problems as this suggests that there would be some kind of hierarchy when in fact, as Brand et al. suggest â€Å"New social movement theorists maintain that these groups prefer a decentralized, open, and democratic structure that is more in tune with the participatory tendencies of their supporters. † (Dalton et al. , 1990:13). It is clear that NSM’s choose to steer away from creating any formal structure as to avoid becoming the political parties that they are attempting to influence. The structure of NSM’s has strong links with their ideology. NSM’s are inclined to believe more in a co-operative society where every person has his or her own personal space in which they have the right to exist and the right to choose how they wish to live their lives. This means that NSM’s have no leaders as such due to the adherents wish to maintain a sense of autonomy. To many adherents of social movements it is important for them as individuals to maintain their rights to exist as they see fitting. The idea of autonomy is of great importance when trying to discuss NSM’s and the fact that they demand various aspects of this autonomy adds weight to the arguments for difficulty with definition. The first aspect is personal autonomy. The idea that adherents have the social ‘space’ to grow as individuals and develop their own views and ideas, as opposed to being limited by constraints placed upon them by society. An example of this sort of autonomy can be found when we look at the Women’s movement of the early seventies. Here women were not only fighting for their sex as a whole but for their own personal right to equality within the male dominated system. The Women’s movement is also a good example of the second aspect of autonomy: that of group autonomy. Here we can consider the issue of abortion and the rights of women. This issue can be evaluated on both levels: personal and as a group. On a personal level, the efforts of the movement mean that the choice is there and whichever path is chosen is not dictated by anyone other than the parties involved. The women’s movement fought for the rights of all women to choose whether or not to have abortions so that no matter what background you come from or what religion you are, every woman has the right to choose. The third aspect of autonomy is described as the ‘autonomy of struggle’, which is to say â€Å"the insistence that the movement and those it represents be allowed to fight their own corner without interference from other movements, and without subordinating their demands to other external priorities. † (Scott, 1990:20). We now see that this issue of autonomy is very important to NSM’s. A social movement sees itself through its own rights and the rights of its adherents to live their lives in a certain fashion. This leads on to the idea of a social movement helping people to define themselves in terms of their place in society. This is prime example of how adherents differ to members of conventional political parties. A Conservative does not really have to make any concessions upon his or her lifestyle in order to be a member of the Conservative party but being an environmentalist is about a change in how one acts in general. What this illustrates is the argument that NSM’s do not necessarily take action towards political reform but in fact towards social reform. One of the main elements that makes defining NSM’s so difficult is who makes up the adherents of these movements. Over the last thirty years, there has been an increase in the so-called new politics but can this all being attributed to the uprising of the student movement or are the adherents far more diversified? As has already been mentioned, different people have different views on what they consider to be an NSM. Are we supposed to believe that all adherents are in fact longhaired, unwashed students who have nothing better to do with their time that form squatter camps and disrupt building work? The classical approach to NSM’s suggests that most adherents turn to social movements due to relative deprivation. The idea that they are somehow incapable of participating in conventional politics so they choose NSM’s as an alternative. However, when classicalists looked at the type of people involved in the civil rights movement in the US during the fifties and sixties, they found that it was not only the alienated black population that was involved but also the white middle class. The theory of ‘resource mobilization’ was put forward as an alternative to the classical theory. Here, the authors of the theory believed that participation in NSM’s was to do with resources. What ‘resources’ mean is the availability of finances, office space and other intangible assets such as time and education. It suggests that there has been an evolution of the middle class to include people such as teachers and lecturers who have created a class not through economic wealth but through their knowledge and intelligence. The typical adherent to NSM’s is far from the image of a tree-hugging extremist but is, in fact, a member of this new middle class, a technocrat. What are the reasons behind this? That is a hard question to answer but Ronald Inglehart suggested the theory of ‘post-materialism’. â€Å"Inglehart argues that the post-war generation have been socialized into such higher order or ‘post-material’ values, and its this which motivates their support for social movements. † (Byrne, 1997:55). Here, the argument is that the people who choose to become involved in NSM’s are those who feel that they have achieved all the material possessions that they can and are therefore, looking for some other kind of personal fulfillment. This theory holds a number of flaws, for example, how can Inglehart be sure that people would choose to become involved in social movements instead of charity work in their quest for personal fulfillment? Another problem arises when you try to quantify the level of material wealth that constitutes satisfaction and at which point the person decides to give up the search for more money. However, the fact remains that it has become more apparent over the years that it is this new middle class that is the typical adherents to the NSM’s but it has not become clear why it is this group. The fact is that these new social movements choose to exist outside the conventional channels of politics. They do not have the same structure as the mainstream political parties as they are not supposed to be as such. They are an ideology that is followed through choice and lead to more extreme measures than usual politics to the extent that adherents make a lifestyle decision. The difficulty in defining NSM’s comes from all aspects of their existence. The title of a social movement covers such a diverse range of beliefs and ideas that any kind of set rules will ultimately fail as no statement can be truly all-inclusive. Neither would NSM’s want to be able to be defined as it goes against all the ideals for which they stand – the ideals of a hierarchy free alliance where the emphasis is on co-operation and not leadership. This statement itself causes problems, as it is a sweeping generalization of the group of social movements as a whole. The difficulties of defining new social movements appear because of the fact that no two movements or beliefs are exactly the same. How to cite Why is it difficult to define a â€Å"new social movement†?, Papers

Inventory Management Developed for Australian Labs

Question: Discuss about the Inventory Management for Developed for Australian Labs . Answer: Introduction The report is developed for Australian Labs to develop and implement an automated inventory management system at their end. A paper based inventory management and tracking system is currently used in the Australian labs which causes a number of faults and mismanagement and leads to unhappy customers. The project will develop an advanced inventory management system linked with the latest database to manage all the tests that are received by the labs along with the provision of providing accurate status updates and turnaround estimates. The report suggests the two approaches for system development along with the functional and non-functional requirements associated with the project. Project schedule, stakeholder analysis and the information investigation techniques have also been covered in the report. Approach to Systems Development Approach 1 The first approach that can be used to develop the inventory management system for Australian labs is the predictive waterfall model for software development. This approach will apply to this project as the requirements for the development process are well clear and there are lesser chances of major changes and inflation associated with the same. The waterfall model for software development proceeds in a step by step manner and will include the following phases: Requirements Analysis and Definition The requirements that will be provided by Jim Larsen will be analysed in order to decide the project strategy and understand the project objectives. The requirements will also be classified in functional and non-functional categories. Resource allocation, cost/benefit analysis and project schedule will also be completed in this phase (Lott, 1997) System and Software Design On the basis of the requirement specifications, design specifications will be created in the form of a number of design diagrams and blueprints. System Development and Unit Testing The coding phase will begin in this phase along with the setting up of the database for the system. A unit testing of the entire code will be done to rectify the basic issues detected. System Testing and Implementation The entire software build provided by the development team will be tested as per the test approach and the defects will be reports. There will also be change requests and performance management done under the implementation of the system. Operations and Maintenance This is the last phase in this approach which will deal with the release activities and the post-production tasks such as handling of issues at the users end. Approach 2 The second approach that has been suggested for the development of inventory management system for Australian labs is the Agile Software Development methodology. This is the adaptive approach towards software development that works on the ad-hoc basis. The requirements are more of static in this project and are less likely to change. However, there can be a few last minute changes and this methodology will allow incorporating the same without any re-work. Also, the customer will be involved in every single phase of the project and would be able to provide the valuable comments and feedback at every step (Habib, 2013). The development process will proceed in the form of iterations which are termed as sprints as per the agile methodology. Every sprint will work on a sub-set of the entire list of the requirements and will have a daily scrum meeting of a short duration to understand the progress and required effort. One sprint will last for three to five weeks and the customer will be involved during the entire set of activities. The customer feedback along with the product and sprint backlog will be utilized in the next sprint. The end product will then be produced as the final outcome. Sources of Software There are a number of sources of software which are as listed below along with the advantages of each. Information Technology Service Firms This is the source in which an IT firm outsources its software to other organizations. These can be customized as per the required application and are preferred as they come with vendor support, documentation and customization. Packaged Software Products These are also termed as off-the-shelf software as the organizations offer these packages for commercial utilization. These are generally cheaper and are available immediately (Hoffer, George, Valacich, 2016). Enterprise Solutions Software These are also a widely used software source as it provides complete integration with the current business processes of an organization. Cloud Computing This is the newer form of the software source as it comes free from the requirement of a computing infrastructure for using the same. The software is provided over the internet and the customers can easily use the same from over there. Open Source Software These are the software that are available for free and come with the basic to advanced features for the users. In-House Development Organizations also tend to go for in-house development of the required software if they have the required skill set present. This form of software is always designed such that the required specifications are fulfilled. There are a number of off-the-shelf software packages that are available. The choice of the same shall depend upon the need and requirement of a particular project along with the project budget and the skill set that is available with the organization. In case of the Australian labs project, the following off-the-shelf software can be utilized to remain low on cost and high on availability and requirements: Microsoft Project for designing and managing the project schedule Adobe Dreamweaver for coding MySQL database for keeping the customer and vendor information stored and also to manage the same Word processors and spreadsheets for reporting and other documentation (Zentz, 2013) Systems Requirements Functional Requirements Login Functionality The users will be allowed to login to the application and the three types of users will be setup as administrator, customer and technician. Inventory Tracking The option would allow the user to enter their order id and the tracking details will be displayed in terms of a report that will contain the customer information, date of request, current status and the delivery date. Extraction of Reports The customers will also be allowed to print or save their test reports and the collection details will also be displayed. Cancellation Requests The customers will also be provided to cancel the requests after 12 to 24 hours of the placement of the same. Request tracking for technicians The option will be allowed only for the technicians to view the requests that are pending to be completed along with the ones that have already been completed. It will allow them to devise the strategy accordingly. Automatic Alerts The system will generate alerts to the users on the completion of their requests. Admin role The admin will be able to set up user privileges along with setting up of the priorities on the requests that are received. Non-functional Requirements The following set of non-functional requirements will be fulfilled by the inventory management and tracking system. Usability: The system must be usable for the customers as well as form the technicians. It should have smooth navigations and must be designed to fulfil all the requirement specifications for Australian labs. Reliability: The information that is presented on the system must be reliable and accurate in nature. It must be updated regularly to show the latest piece of information from the database. Performance: The system should score well on the performance in terms of the response time and the user experience. Scalability: The system should be scalable in nature that is it should always have the scope to upgrade and add new functionalities without compromising on the existing ones (PUROHIT, 2016). Availability: The system must be available on a 24x7 basis and the downtime in case of an attack or a disaster should be minimal. Project Cost Benefit Analysis Cost benefit analysis is defined as a process where decisions are made on the basis of cost invested and benefits obtained from an information system in order to find whether the investment would be of any use. In this project, the process has been carried out to find the economic feasibility of the project. For this, Net Present Value and Return rate are calculated. In addition to this, payback period is also being calculated. As shown in the calculations above, NPV is positive and net return of investment is 7% and break even occurs between 3 and 4 years i.e. 3.99 years i.e. payback period turns out to be 4 years. Hence, from this analysis, the proposed system is feasible and can be started. This result comes with 6% discount factor. Fiscal Year Program Element Element Manager 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 Element 1 Total cost $80,000 Element 2 Maintenance $25,000 $25,000 $25,000 $25,000 Program Total Costs By Year $80,000 $25,000 $25,000 $25,000 $25,000 Program Grand Total Cost $180,000 Fiscal Year Benefit Sources 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 Cost Reduction $40,000 $40,000 $40,000 $40,000 $40,000 Total Benefits Per Year $0 $40,000 $40,000 $40,000 $40,000 $40,000 Confidence Factor 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% Benefits Claimed for Analysis $0 $40,000 $40,000 $40,000 $40,000 $40,000 Program Grand Total Benefit $200,000 Fiscal Year 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 Undiscounted Flows Costs -$80,000 -$25,000 -$25,000 -$25,000 -$25,000 $0 Benefits $0 $40,000 $40,000 $40,000 $40,000 $40,000 Net Cash Flow -$80,000 $15,000 $15,000 $15,000 $15,000 $40,000 Discount Factors Discount Rate 6.0% Base Year 2016 Year Index 0 1 2 3 4 5 Discount Factor 1.0000 0.9434 0.8900 0.8396 0.7921 0.7473 Discounted Flows Costs -$80,000 -$23,585 -$22,250 -$20,990 -$19,802 $0 Benefits $0 $37,736 $35,600 $33,585 $31,684 $29,890 Net -$80,000 $14,151 $13,350 $12,594 $11,881 $29,890 Cumulative -$80,000 -$65,849 -$52,499 -$39,905 -$28,023 $1,867 Net Present Value $1,867 Internal Rate of Return 7% Table 1: Cost Benefit analysis However, with 10%, the NPV is negative, hence it is not economical feasible to develop the proposed system. Project Schedule Work Breakdown Strutcure DESCRIPTION START DATE END DATE DURATION (days) 1. Inventory Management and Tracking System 8/25/16 11/11/16 76 1.1 Initiation 8/25/16 9/7/16 12 1.1.1 Evaluation Recommendations 8/29/16 8/31/16 2 1.1.2 Develop Project Charter 8/31/16 9/2/16 2 1.1.3 Deliverable: Submit Project Charter 9/2/16 9/3/16 1 1.1.4 Project Sponsor Reviews Project Charter 9/3/16 9/5/16 2 1.1.5 Project Charter Signed/Approved 9/5/16 9/7/16 2 1.2 Planning 9/7/16 9/19/16 12 1.2.1 Create Preliminary Scope Statement 9/7/16 9/12/16 5 1.2.2 Determine Project Team 9/12/16 9/13/16 1 1.2.3 Project Team Kickoff Meeting 9/13/16 9/13/16 0 1.2.4 Develop Project Plan 9/13/16 9/16/16 3 1.2.5 Submit Project Plan 9/16/16 9/16/16 0 1.2.6 Milestone: Project Plan Approval 9/16/16 9/19/16 3 1.3 Analysis and Design 9/19/16 10/7/16 18 1.3.1 Project Kickoff Meeting 9/19/16 9/19/16 0 1.3.2 Verify Validate User Requirements 9/19/16 9/23/16 4 1.3.3 Design System 9/23/16 10/3/16 10 1.3.4 Procure Hardware/Software 10/3/16 10/5/16 2 1.3.5 Install Development System 10/5/16 10/7/16 2 1.4 Implementation 10/7/16 10/17/16 10 1.4.1 Project Management 10/7/16 10/17/16 10 1.4.2 Project Status Meetings 10/7/16 10/17/16 10 1.4.3 Risk Management 10/7/16 10/17/16 10 1.4.4 Update Project Management Plan 10/7/16 10/17/16 10 1.5 Testing 10/17/16 11/1/16 14 1.5.1 Test Scope 10/17/16 11/1/16 14 1.5.2 Test Plan Preparation 10/17/16 11/1/16 14 1.5.3 Test Case Creation 10/17/16 11/1/16 14 1.5.4 Test Execution 10/17/16 11/1/16 14 1.5.5 Defect Reporting 10/17/16 11/1/16 14 1.6 Closeout 11/1/16 11/11/16 10 1.6.1 Audit Procurement 11/1/16 11/11/16 10 1.6.2 Document Lessons Learned 11/1/16 11/11/16 10 1.6.3 Update Files/Records 11/1/16 11/11/16 10 1.6.4 Gain Formal Acceptance 11/1/16 11/11/16 10 1.6.5 Archive Files/Documents 11/1/16 11/11/16 10 The project schedule has been designed as per the activities that are covered in the Work Breakdown Structure of the project as shown above. Each of the activity has been allotted a time frame as per the list of the sub-activities that are present under the same along with the effort that is required to complete all of the tasks. Initiation and Planning activities have been allotted 12 days each as the base of the project will be formed in these two phases only. It is essential for the resources to have the time at their hands to cover and complete each of the activity with perfection to avoid risks and delays at the later stage. Analysis and design has captured the major schedule that is 18 days as this is the phase in which the actual design and development will take place. Implementation, testing and closeout have covered a share of 10 days each as there are a number of components that are involved under each of these. The entire schedule has been created such that the resources get the required amount of time and are able to meet the deadlines as well. The schedule has been designed as per the systems goals, requirements and scope. The basic aim of the system is to provide an automated Inventory Management and Tracking System to the users for smooth and quick working. The schedule covers all the required phases that will aid in achieving the same. Also, the time that has been assigned is in accordance with the same as described above. Figure 1: Gantt chart System Information Requirement Investigation Techniques Stakeholders There are a number of stakeholders that will be involved with the system which are as listed below: Internal Stakeholders: Project Manager System Developer System Designer Database Administrator Test Engineer Implementation Head External Stakeholders: Project Sponsor Jim Larsen and his team Customers Suppliers Vendors Technicians Information Investigation Techniques Technique 1 A questionnaire must be prepared by the analysts for all the parties that are involved. It shall cover the basic criteria of the information collection by including the questions that answer the objective of the system being developed, the business need of the system, the target audience and likewise. These set of questions can also be divided in a number of different categories to record the answers better. Technique 2 The second technique that can be adopted is a one-on-one interview session with the parties. The interviews would allow the personal standpoint of the entity which may be absent in the group discussions. It will also allow the analysts to understand the variety of viewpoints and come up with an effective analysis (processworksgroup.com, 2016). Technique 3 The third technique that can be used for information investigation and gathering is through workshops and sessions. These can be informal in nature so that the parties that are involved ease out and are able to provide effective information without any hesitation. It will allow the analysts to understand the behaviour and requirements of the participants in an excellent manner. All the three techniques that have been described are different from each other. Questionnaires and interviews are the most applicable when the anonymity of the resources has to be maintained. The third technique of workshops is applicable when it is necessary to understand the standpoint of an individual along with the group as a whole. These three techniques are extremely useful not only to extract the information from the parties that are involved but to also make the resources feel involved in a particular activity by assuring them that their viewpoints are being considered. These are also important for the analysts to understand the difference of opinion of an individual in a group atmosphere and in the standalone environment as well. Reflections and Conclusions The project development cost was restricted to $80,000,00 and the recurring cost was $25,000,00. The same had to be maintained to avoid any budget overruns. Also, the project schedule did not have any scope for delays and re-work. The project was designed for allowing the customers and technicians to have a better experience in terms of inventory related activities. It was developed to provide an automated solution to the associated parties and the requirement set also reflects the same. Non-functional requirements were also included in the project to make sure that the user experience with the system that is developed is of utmost quality and results in supreme level of customer satisfaction. References Ambler, S. (2016). The Agile System Development Life Cycle (SDLC). [online] Ambysoft.com. Available at: https://www.ambysoft.com/essays/agileLifecycle.html [Accessed 23 Aug. 2016]. Habib, M. (2013). Agile software development methodologies and how to apply them - CodeProject. [online] Codeproject.com. 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