Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Advantages Of Outsourcing ICT In An Organization Information Technology Essay

Advantages Of Outsourcing ICT In An Organization Information Technology Essay This is a report about Tescos company ICT outsourcing and knowledge management. In the following paragraphs two questions are going to be answered and analyzed according to the information existing in Tescos case and also strategic managements theory. Outsourcing ICT is quite commonly used by organizations as an approach to strategic management. Access the advantages and disadvantages that outsourcing can bring in developing effective uses of information systems in an organization such as Tesco. The huge amount of competion and the global economic crisis that organizations have to face nowadays have made Information Communications Technology outsourcing a really attractive management tool in order to cut expenses in non-core activities, specific in overheads of Information Technology departments. By deciding to outsource, there would be a lot of benefits but also a number of risks associated with it. It is important for a decision maker to be aware of the advantages and disadvantages of ICT outsourcing, before making the decision to outsource. Outsourcing ICT has to do with the whole information science, helping the business field. It is about networks, web design, programming, online shops etc. Network services is the most common ICT services activity that is being outsourced and that outsourcers who do not comply with contract has the most influence on ICT outsourcing inherent risks. The Technology of information and communication is growing fast and the vendor business has to be updated and synchronized with the era of 2010. So it would be far easier for them to sell their products and serving their customers in every possible way. For a company that has to deal with so many products from soap to bread it would be more difficult to take the risk and create their own Information and communication department from scratch and keep It upgraded while their whole business is running. The result of this difficulty is to outsource ICT specific in Tescos case to Trilogy Company. The advantages of outsourcing ICT in an organization such as Tesco. ICT is vital to Tesco. Every aspect of their operation is controlled or monitored by ICT stock, distribution, payroll, communication methods, and so on. ICT is essential to the running of a modern store. It is used for planning, monitoring, auditing and communicating between store operations. For example, when an item has its barcode read at the checkout, the system not only logs the price onto the till, but also logs the financial transaction between Tesco and the customer and the fact that the stock has been reduced by one item. On the distribution side, instructions from the mainframe computer are sent directly to forklift truck operators at depots by radio links. This shows the integration of departments by using ICT. All stores are connected to the mainframe at Head Office via the Tesco Network. Another advantage of Outsourcing ICT from a business perspective is that organizations are realizing that owning and operating their own IT infrastructure no longer makes sense. The cost of that is much bigger and the results are never guaranteed. This coupled with the common resource lack make outsourcing a viable alternative. It is important for organizations to adopt the right approach in order to reap the benefits of outsourcing. They should demand the following from any ICT company they are going to cooperate. Selectively outsource specific ICT functions in stages Grow into a mutually beneficial relationship Gradually leverage on the benefits of outsourcing Continuously review performance and make adjustments Have Technical support from experienced system engineers Gain confidence and in-house acceptance before outsourcing more functions With the right approach and the suitable outsourcing of ICT the organizations will manage to stay high at the competitive edge in the market. Serving the customers in the best way and surprise them with new ways of purchasing their products (for ex. via online-shops) will keep their loyalty and the margin will be for both sides. A big company like Tesco has many sub-stores, some in the same country and some abroad. The communication between them and the line the company sets everywhere should be established well. ICT helps with this area and it was the primary reason that chain branches use ICT. In summary outsourcing ICT for a company such as Tesco is important for increasing the ability to reach the goals of the company, reduce human risks, saving time, helping the company to stay competitive and minimize the operating costs. The Disadvantages of Outsourcing ICT in an organization such as Tesco. As it was already mentioned above, the outsourcing ICT has also disadvantages that raise the risk the company has to take. For example, At times, it is more cost-effective to conduct a particular business process, rather than outsourcing it, not that much in IT but maybe if the upgrade the company wants to make is small and the fee the ICT Company asks is big. When you begin to outsource your business processes, you might find it difficult to manage the offshore provider when compared to managing processes within your organization. In case, your outsource ICT service provider becomes bankrupt or goes out of business, your organization will have to immediately move your business processes in-house or find another outsourcing provider The employees in your organization might not like the idea of you outsourcing your processes and they might express lack of interest or lack of quality at work also outsourcing can create potential redundancies for your organization, a lot of employees may lose their jobs. Your outsourcing provider might not be only providing services for your organization and maybe the quality of the service isnt always guaranteed, especially in low-price agreements. Since your provider might be catering to the needs of several companies, there might be not be complete devotion to you and your company something that couldnt happen if you owned the ICT department. In outsourcing, you may lose your control over the process that is outsourced and dont be able to fix something in time because you are not in charge of this field. Outsourcing, though cost-effective, might have hidden costs, such as the legal costs incurred while signing a contract between companies and you might also have to spend a lot of time and effort in getting the contract signed. There can be several disadvantages in outsourcing, such as, renewing contracts, misunderstanding of the contract, lack of communication, poor quality and delayed services amongst others. The disadvantages of outsourcing give organizations an opportunity to think about what they are stepping into. However if you find a reliable outsourcing partner you probably wont experience any of these disadvantages of outsourcing.

Sunday, January 19, 2020

Using evidence from available research, describe and analyse the experi

For any individual prison can be a daunting and psychological challenge. Experiences can have lifelong effects and can often traumatise those incarcerated. However the experience minority ethnic prisoners face can be deemed diverse. They can become victims of discrimination, racism violence and harassment all on the basis of their race, skin colour, or nationality. Scott and Codd (2010, P. 70) note that ‘prisoners from certain believed culturally or biologically determined ‘racial groups’ are understood as being genetically, intellectually or socially inferior beings, thus contributing to their own poverty of life experiences and criminal identity'. Scott and Codd (2010) state that ‘the prison place racism is a key dimension of the expression of power, shaping prejudicial decisions, exclusionary practices and the physical manifestation of violence, bullying and intimidation’. Scott and Codd (2010, P.70) put forward that ‘this penal terror go es even further for some, such as foreign national prisoners, as it can exacerbate the structured pains of the prison itself. Jewkes and Johnston (2006, P.107) found that ‘prisoners from ethnic minority backgrounds have faced a long struggle in getting the Home Office and Prison Service to recognise their diverse cultural, religious and dietary needs’. Jewkes and Johnston (2006) put forward that the UK prison population has risen by 15,000 since New Labour came to power in 1997, and has doubled since Margaret Thatcher took office in 1979. Inmates from ethnic minority backgrounds account for a large percentage of this figure. For example the white population increased by 36 per cent, Black population grew by 196 per cent, south Asian populations grew by 120 per cent and Chinese/other Asian... ...cial harassment to get their complaints investigated. Overcrowding enforced cell sharing and became a problem of poor management from governors. Gadd and Dixon (2010) announced that Keith (2006) produced 88 steps to rectify these shortcomings. These included the following; the end of enforced cell sharing, the implementation of risk assessment in decisions about cell allocation; violent reduction strategy, Keith (2006) suggest this approach makes prisoners think they have let other prisoners down if they resort to violence on other inmates. Mental health screening and routine reviews on prisoners’ emotional well-being were also included (Gadd and Dixon 2010). Conclusion Looking at the work of Edgar (2007) his four typologies of understanding racisms in prison can help give a broader acknowledgment of what BME groups face and experience when incarcerated.

Saturday, January 11, 2020

Counterterrorism vs Civil Liberties

The fall of Hussein’s regime marked the dawn of the advocacy towards counterterrorism. The war between the United States and the former Iraqi government had really severed the relationship of the two states (Davis, 2002). The war ended with the US as the victor. Yet the true battle has not been started yet. There are still potential forces that are really capable of destroying the world order again. Osama Bin Laden and his Al Qaeda group are not yet captured. Hence, there are reasons for US not to take its eyes off on the possibility of another outbreak may be it in the Middle East or any place in the globe.What Counterterrorism Is? Counterterrorism pertains to the techniques and strategies that are geared against terrorism (Howard & Sawyer, 2005). Counterterrorism does not limit itself from solely being formed and employed by a particular government. It includes all groups and sectors of the society. It is impossible to make the advocacy towards counterterrorism without needi ng the help of other agencies such the business sector. Certainly, the citizens of the state must be well-informed about the scope and limitations of such campaign so as to get their perspectives regarding it.The campaign for counterterrorism starts with a plan. In the formulation of the plan, various strategies, tactics, and techniques are also developed to respond to terrorist attacks. The plan normally includes â€Å"special forces† and teams that are directly responsible for the implementation of particular strategies against the terrorists (Howard & Sawyer, 2005). In this contemporary period, campaigns for counterterrorism are becoming prevalent not only in the Western regions but also in the Eastern and Southern regions.The United States has started to solicit support form its allied countries to materialize its plan of combating terrorism. US Policy on Counterterrorism As mentioned in the introduction, the great efforts of the US to strengthen its position against terr orism started after the September 11 bombing which put the whole of US in big indignity. The US drafted a national as well as international policy against terrorism. The US Counterterrorism Policy states that it strongly espouses a war against terrorism and all other forms of it.The policy stressed that the US shall vigorously act so as to defeat terrorist attacks against the state and the citizens (Naftali, 2005). According to the policy, the US government including all its major departments and agencies shall put great effort so in order to reduce the vulnerabilities of the US on terrorism (Naftali, 2005). All the departments and agencies mentioned in the policy shall see to it that the counterterrorism campaign of the state is given the highest priority. Such that it shall secure that all of their areas of responsibility are protected from terrorist attacks (Davis, 2002).In addition, the policy states that its implementation shall be appropriately and effectively employed by all US departments and agencies by shouldering all the costs of its implementation as well as developing efficient and useful technologies that can really contribute in countering terrorism (Naftali, 2005). The US Counterterrorism Policy is not only limited in the state’s national territory. In fact, its policy extends even outside US. It requires that countries who house particular terrorist groups shall be able to cooperate with them.It is clearly stated in the policy that the US government will be using all means to get terrorist groups from their host country no matter if the latter agrees or not. And those countries that refuse to do so would be labeled as advocates of terrorism thus they shall be treated as enemies of the state. Such is the scope of the US policy on counterterrorism (Howard & Sawyer, 2005). Counterterrorism vs. Civil Liberties The former or the traditional surveillance in the US has been developed into something that which is superior in terms of its strict implementation. Yet, as we all know, everything that exceeds the normal is evil.In US, people are said to be more secured and protected against any forms of violence particularly by terrorism (Darmer & Baird, 2004). This is due to the fact that the US government gives priority to the enforcement of the anti-terrorism or counterterrorism policy. As consequences, people are confident enough of their safety wherever they are in the globe. However, such strictness in the counterterrorism policy implies the curtailment of certain civil liberties of its citizens. As mentioned earlier, all US departments and agencies have been instructed to do their very best and to prioritize the campaign against terrorism.By doing so, people would not really be able do their thing as how they do it before. This means that they have to sacrifice their some of their freedom (i. e. privacy) just to ensure that the policy on counterterrorism is not being obstructed by anyone or anything (Darmer & Baird, 200 4). This seems to be problematic especially for those advocates of human rights. By implementing the policy, the government has given a direct authority over the citizen’s life so as to secure that there are no threats of terrorism. It may seem beneficial to all because they are being protected by the state.Yet people may also experience severe interference and intervention from the government (Howard & Sawyer, 2005). And these things are not really good for the government inflicts pointless suffering on its citizens. As reported, there are increasing numbers of human rights victims in the US whose grievances are caused by the policy on counterterrorism. Furthermore, it undermines the welfare of the people in the sense that it gives more priority (i. e. higher subsidy for military) to the campaign against terrorism than giving more funds for education, and social and heath services (Darmer & Baird, 2004).References: Darmer, M. K. , & Baird, R. M. (2004). Civil Liberties Vs. N ational Security In A Post 9/11 World . Prometheus Books . Davis, P. K. (2002). Deterrence and Influence in Counterterrorism: A Component in the War on Al Qaeda. RAND Corporation . Howard, R. D. , & Sawyer, R. L. (2005). Terrorism and Counterterrorism: Understanding the New Security Environment, Readings and Interpretations (2nd ed. ). McGraw Hill/Dushkin. Naftali, T. (2005). Blind Spot: The Secret History of American Counterterrorism . Amazon Remainders Account .

Friday, January 3, 2020

Anxiety Disorders And Social Anxiety Disorder - 1384 Words

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illnesses in the U.S, affecting 18% of the adult population. Among that population, Social Phobia or Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) is the second most common disorder, affecting 6.8% adults (ADAA, 2015). The onset of SAD generally happens around ages 13 up to 18, when people are more susceptible to the disorder. According to the American Psychological Association (2012), a Phobia is an anxiety disorder involving a persistent fear of an object, place or situation disproportional to the threat or danger posed by the object of the fear. Social Anxiety Disorder, can be defined as a marked, or intense, fear or anxiety of social situations in which the individual may be scrutinized by others. In the youth, fear and anxiety occurs in a peer setting. â€Å"Social anxiety disorder tends to follow a chronic and unremitting course associated with educational and social impairment among adolescents, which can increase the risk of suicide and substance abuse in adulthood† (Ingul, Aune, Nordahl, 2013) with those risks in mind, it is vital to treat SAD early on before challenges of adulthood create greater issues. Previous studies have indicated that treatments such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Psychoanalysis are effective in the treatment of SAD. However, there is a lack of studies that show the long term effects of short term CBT treatments in, specifically later in adulthood. 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