System Development Process and Information System at Tata Steel Essay - 1

System Development Process and Information System at Tata Steel - Essay Example According to the research findings, social, cultural and organizational issues are affecting the system development and knowledge management process of Tata Steel. The organization has adopted and implemented several knowledge management aspects, processes and strategies in the business operation process in order to maintain its leading and competitive position in Indian as well as global market place. Earlier, Tata Steel was only a general manufacturing organization. But, the organizational management has realised that there are internal issues that may affect the business performance of the organization. The management of the organization purposely adopted knowledge management aspect in the organization operational process to overcome organizational, cultural and social issues. In terms of organizational issues, the management of the organization was only focusing on the centralization process and strict hierarchical structure. This aspect affected system development process as cen tralized organizational structure and culture affected the motivation aspect of both employees other important organizational stakeholders. It is true that, The management of Tata Steel has adopted several programmes and development processes regarding knowledge management, but lack of employee engagement before the KM process affected strategy development and decision making process. Inadequate workplace diversity also created issues for the management of the organization. Before the implementation of knowledge management system in the organizational process, the management of Tata Steel found out some culture-related issues in the management. The employees of the organization were self-centric and they did not feel free to share their views and knowledge with others. It actually affected the collaborative workplace performance of the organization. From the year 2000, the management of Tata Steel effectively and strongly integrated knowledge management strategies and processes in o rder to improve workplace as well as business operation performance.

Better Asphalt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Better Asphalt - Essay Example Several major research projects have taken place and are currently in progress. The National Cooperative Highway Research Program has a major study currently underway to evaluate skid resistance. The study is not yet complete, but it does show promise in offering improvements in skid resistance through the use of finer grade aggregates. However, due to the fine grade of the aggregate, water may be slow to run off and create a wet condition hazard. Friction is created where the rubber meets the road. The composition of the open coarse grade and its components are a first consideration. The microtexture, the fine aggregate in an asphalt mixture, is most influential force creating the necessary surface friction between the pavement surface and automobile tires (Williams). Over time, the surface wears away and exposes the coarse aggregate. Coarse aggregate size becomes a major consideration on the surface to improve skid resistance. Recent tests in the United Kingdom has indicated that 6 to 10 mm chips at a 1.4 mm depth offered improved skid resistance at high speeds (United States Department of Transportation).

Mix Racial and Cultural Groups Are Growing in the United States Essay Example for Free

Mix Racial and Cultural Groups Are Growing in the United States Essay Mixed Racial and Cultural Groups is increased by a marginal number in the United States. The growth of these multiracial groups started to surface through migration of different ethnics and raised most of their families in the United States even through marriage. These are some of the issues that have been raised by individual people of having an entity separation of mixed race and cultural or to considered them as Americans without a hyphen. Thinking about this issue myself, and thinking of my two children who married to a different ethnic rather than Samoans. These questions come to mind about this issue: How, Why, and what the three words that needs a big explanation about this matter. According to multiracial Americans, Americans whose identity as two or more races identifies with just one group culturally and socially. From statistics that I got from online, stated that about 2.9% of the population in the year 2010 are self-identified as multiracial. The identity or the classification of the people’s identification is generally according to the culture they were raised in. Social segregation in many areas of the country is forming interracial unions or cultural group. The diversity of social conditions through migrations brought new groups of people to the United States. Through these migrations, mixed races started to rise when interracial marriage were born and started to increase in the United States. The movement of multiracial identity by more than one ethnicity has taken place and strong. Statistics from the year 2010 census in the United States shows that the largest multiracial groups were white and black which is 1.8 million. The other 1.7 millions are white and some other race, white and Asian is 1.6, white and American Indian and Alaskan Native is 1.4 million. I have learned that the largest growing group in multiracial is white and black which is about 134%. That is more than 1 million people. MIX RACIAL AND CULTURAL GROUP According to Susan Saulny of the New York Times, title Race Remixed, said that â€Å"sea of change is how we think about race, ethnicity and its place in society†. I believe that a challenge to trend towards multiracial from a sociological perspective is a leap that we should take. The understanding of racial and ethnic categories of their boundaries can be a problem to other multiracial groups. I think that ancestry is the biggest influence in identities through a number of generations through migrations. I also believe that each multi mix or racial group should be treated the same regardless of their identity. If they are legally citizens of the United States, they have the right to be treated equally. I believe that they have contributed to the wellbeing and welfare of the United States through their services in employment within the government, military or private companies. Regardless of the race and ethnicity, they should be treated and considered Americans. President Obama is good example of what I mean about treating them the same no matter what color of their skin or where they are from. I know that some of these mix race entities are trying to separate themselves with-in the United States but when they travel to other countries of the world, they considered be call Americans. As a citizen of New Zealand, I am proud to call myself to be an American and I respect the land that my children were born. What can the United States or these multiracial groups gain from wanting to be separated from their identity. Through my search online, I came across Mrs. Karissa Sulliva’s draft and she said that ancestry influences identities. She said that socialization is the crucible of racial and ethnic identity formation. Farley in 2002, construct racial and ethnic classifications which was adopted by the government for each race or reconsidered themselves to either refuse to identify their own race and ethnic category. MIX RACIAL AND CULTURAL GROUP I believe that mix racial and cultural groups are increasing daily by the number throughout the United States. However, research shows that children with an original multiracial identity grow up to be happier than those of single-race identity. Some of the statistics shows that another addition to the growth of mix race is through adoption of children from countries outside of the United States. According to Fact’s for Families 2010, parents are coping with these pressures in having open communications with the families about their culture and race. Encouragement and support in every multicultural group for families to be familiar with their language, traditions and customs within their families. They have to support and try to establish a good relationship by creating a network for their children, parents, family member, relatives and the community. In conclusion, the separation and classifications between mix racial and multicultural groups is not an easy task or thing to do. Two of my children are married to different ethnic. My oldest daughter is married to an African American and my son is married to a girl who is beautiful and white but has about four or five mix blood in her. I believe in democracy and the United States is nowhere in having a separation of any mix race and cultural group who are living in the United States. God Bless America, God bless the people of the United States. References: Perez, Anthony Daniel, Hirschman, Charles. The Changing Racial and Ethnic. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2882688/ The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (March-2011). Facts for Families, no.71 Multiracial Children. http://www.aacap.org/galleries/FactsForFamilies/71_multiracial_children.pdf Dr. Nicole Martinez and Mrs. Karissa Sullivan. May 6, 2013 .docx.

Crime and Punishment :: essays research papers fc

The Websters Dictionary defines degradation as a fall from higher to lower rank or degree(Websters, 205). Fyodor Dostoyevsky illustrates degradation of morals for several characters in Crime and Punishment. He links the quality of money or lack thereof to the their moral degradation to design complex characters. Dostoyevsky draws a picture of society that is similar to the society depicted in Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables. The poor become greedy and the rich become greedier. And, good moral decision making can be greatly overpowered by the need or want of more money.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The degradation of society and lack of money cause Raskolnikov to kill the greedy pawnbroker, Alyona Ivanovna and her sister Lizaveta. Raskolnikov believes that killing them for their money will be a great conquest for himself and society. After fighting with himself about whether or not he should commit the crime, he overhears someone talking about the same plan.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hundreds, perhaps thousands of lives could be put on the right path, dozens of   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  families rescued from poverty, from ruin, from collapse, from decay, from venereal   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  wards of the hospitals-- all this with her money! Kill her, take her money, dedicate   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  it to serving mankind, to the general welfare. Well --what do you think -- isn’t   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  this petty little crime effaced by thousands of good deeds? (63, part 1) Raskolnikov decides he must go against his good judgment and commit murder for the good of society and himself.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dostoyevsky also takes the character of Raskolnikov to the opposite extreme. After his mother sends him money, he uses it to help out the Marmeladov family in an act of pure charity. He comes across Marmeladov injured by a carriage and without hesitation offers to help.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"I know him!† and he pushed all the way forward. â€Å"It’s the clerk, the retired titular   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  councilor, Marmeladov! He lives near here, in Kozel’s house....Somebody get a   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  doctor! I’ll pay. Here!† he fished money out of his pocket and showed it to the   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  policeman. (170, part 2) Dostoyevsky is showing how Raskolnikov’s decision making is effected by money or lack thereof.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Svidrigailov is a character who was poor and in jail. He was bought by Marfa Perovna and lived a good life off of her money. Unlike Raskolnikov, Svidrigailov’s moral degradation becomes worse with his increase of wealth. He cheats on his wife, causing her to eventually kill herself, and gets a fifteen year old pregnant. He then admits to Raskolnikov that he was in love with his sister, Dunya, but now just wants to sleep with her. â€Å"Secondly, I fancy you won’t refuse me a little help in a certain project of mine that

Media and censorship

The media is everywhere you turn. The media can be found in various forms such as newspapers, magazines, television, and radio. In the process of capturing ratings, whom is the media hurting more? Is it people who are accused of a crime, such as O.J. Simpson, or is it the American public's stupidity for believing everything they hear. The job of the media should be to find the truth and tell it to the people. The reporters' work ought to be like a pane of glass, flawlessly clear and unspotted, through which the reader might view the important events of the day. The media has the power to inform the public, but often the information it receives is distorted. The media has the power, although indirect, to influence people's opinions; it has shaped our view of society and the process by which we choose our leaders, make our rules, and construct our values. The media promotes what it believes is easiest for the public to accept, but in the process it fails to cover the issues appropriately. The media can make us wiser, fuller, and more aware. Unfortunately, the media's tendencies veer more towards clouding the public's judgments, and causing confusion and disillusionment. Therefore, limitations greatly need to be placed upon the United States Constitution in regard to freedom speech and of the press because presently the media is doing more harm than good. In general, censorship is the regulation and control of information and ideas that are circulated among people within a society. It refers to the examination of electronic and print media for the purposes of altering and/or suppressing parts of the media thought to be inappropriate and/or offensive (Microsoft Encarta) The implication of censorship is that it is necessary for the protection of the viewing public. Pornography, praise of crime, gangs, terrorism, subversive, violations of national security, morality, opposition to the political or religious establishment are materials that can be exchanged through the above mentioned media, and are subjected to censorship. Throughout history there have been attempts to censor what people can read, write, speak, create, listen to and view. The verb â€Å"to censor† is defined in Webster's Dictionary as â€Å"to alter, delete, or ban completely after examination.†Ã‚   One attempt to regulate the media came when the Fairness Doctrine was established in 1934. This doctrine was instituted to ensure that publicly owned television and radio stations would not be biased and would not promote their own views. The Federal Communications Council (FCC) was created to enforce this doctrine. In 1987, under the Reagan Administration, the Fairness Doctrine was revoked. (Hull) The role of the FCC changed, therefore evolving to monitor the decency of materials presented on the radio and television. With the abolishment of the Fairness Doctrine, the window for controversial journalists was opened. Thus, America saw the emergence of two strong willed personalities – Rush Limbaugh and Howard Stern (Green). The Communication Decency Act (CDA) adopted in 1996, is the most important recent development in the United States, regarding censorship and the Internet. The CDA made it an illegal crime to send â€Å"indecent material by the Internet into others computers† (Wilkins, 5).   â€Å"Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers†. (Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 19)   The Freedom of expression is a right that â€Å"shall not be subject to prior censorship.† (The American Convention on Human Rights states, Article 13). International laws allow governments to restrict the free flow of information as a way of protecting confidential data such as national security or public ethics. Materials should be subjected to a certain lever of examination inline with international standards before it is published, and prior to censorship, which normally includes inquiry whether there are various ways to protect those interests that are less restrictive of the right to free expression. Society has been affected and will continue to be affected not only by television but the media in general. Television is a constant form of entertainment and occasionally an average source of news. However, television has been blamed for much of societies flaws because it is easy to attribute it to violence in the media and a social of lack of initiative. Television is a small part of a much larger societal picture and should be weighed as such. Television is a multi billion-dollar industry. The primary concern of the television industry is to net a profit and then entertain the consumers. The network with the highest rating means more profit the network. Censorship is not only controversial but also quite difficult to implement. Who decides what is inappropriate or too violent, such vague terminology would be difficult to define. For many years the film industry has practiced a form of self-censorship. Increasing demands from the public forced the industry to develop a system classification in 1968. (Microsoft Encarta)   The major networks voluntarily adhere to a self-regulating system this is in conjunction with regulations established by the Federal Communications Commission. The V-chip is the most current weapon in the TV censorship battle. Parents are able to block certain channels so that children are not exposed to violent programming. (Aversa) Generally, knowledge is disseminated in the form of films, publications, computer games, and Internet content, and the Internet is considered the main media via which information can be shared and accessed easily.   The Internet is the embodiment of the Information era, and the explosive growth of the Internet brought all corners of the world to reach anyone with a computer, by surfing through a seemingly endless library of information. The rules governing the Internet are to some extent less strict than those controlling the media that are widely accessible to the masses like publications and broadcast.   Computer Bulletin Boards Systems (BBS) are operated by individuals, or organizations. The published material is usually topic oriented presenting information on interests and hobbies, while BBS systems may also contain adult oriented material, and attempts are exerted to limit minors from accessing the information enclosed in those systems. (Electronic Frontier Foundation) As digital technology is growing, liberties in cyberspace and in publications are threatened by government and corporate practices. According to some committees, foundations and movements, censorship is a dangerous weapon in the hands of governments. Some of these foundations are: The Free Software Foundation, The Citizens Internet Empowerment Coalition (CIEC), Electronic frontier foundation (EFF), The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). (Microsoft Encarta) In conclusion, how should the media be regulated? Many people feel that the solution to the problem is to create a new media doctrine of self-restraint. Opponents of this feel that this would alter the information and this country would evolve into a dictatorship. But, if something is not done soon, who know what will happen? If the media does not establish an internal system of self-regulation, the government will surely intrude; this is a step that will begin with regulation and ultimately lead to total censorship. Freedom of the press is the cornerstone of America's image of itself. The question of free speech is arguably one of the most complex of all constitutional issues. To solve the problem, there must be a partnership between the media and the American public. If the public commits to not wanting the lies and gossip, the media is not going to try to feed it to them; but as America continues to be fascinated by lies and gossip, then the press will continue to print it. The likelihood of this occurring is very slim. The government, therefore, needs to step in. Special amendments to the Constitution regarding the right to freedom of press and speech need to be put in place in order to avoid such conflicts in the future. While it should not be the government's position to decide what kind of information the media may release, unfortunately no other medium currently exists through which this information can be sifted. Bibliography:  §Ã‚   The American Convention on Human Rights, 22 November 1969,   2004  §Ã‚   Universal Declaration of Human Rights. UN Website, 2004  §Ã‚   Green, Jonathan. The Encyclopedia of Censorship. New York: Facts on File, 1990.  §Ã‚   Hull, Mary E. Censorship in America: A Reference Handbook. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 1999  §Ã‚   Wilkins, J. â€Å"Protecting our children from Internet smut: moral duty or moral panic?† The Humanist, 57 (Oct/Nov), 1997  §Ã‚   Aversa, Jeannine. FCC Adopts V-Chip Rules They Associated Press. 12 March 1998  §Ã‚   â€Å"Censorship,† Microsoft ® Encarta ® Online Encyclopedia, 2004  §Ã‚   Electronic Frontier Foundation. Online Censorship & Free Expression, Internet Blocking & Censorware. 2004   

The Performance Evaluation and Bonus

Perhaps one of the most challenging aspects of managing a company is to provide a performance evaluation technique that does not frighten employees. The fear in my organization, among those marginal performers, is that the evaluation may cause their being fired. â€Å"One of the most controversial tools for boosting performance is ranking employees and dismissing the laggards. Proponents argue that the practice stretches star employees†¦(Marchetti 2005 16). Those at the bottom of the performance scale tend not to be as motivated as they might be, simply because the fear of being poorly evaluated stifles their determination to improve. While there are many companies which automatically provide a cost of living raise to their employees (sometimes due to labor contracts), the idea of providing bonuses or merit awards also can cause some serious problems, and such â€Å"merit raises† often cause more conflict within a business than they solve in the way of increased productivity and/or efficiency. Here is one author's proof: â€Å"It's clear that employers' compensation systems aren't making the grade. Only 10 percent of organizations describe their merit pay programs as â€Å"very effective,† according to an employee attitude survey conducted in 2002 of 335 companies by Hay Insight (the research and survey arm of Philadelphia-based HR consulting firm The Hay Group), WorldatWork and Loyola University of Chicago† (Wells 2005 76). One problem with many businesses today is that management is too lenient, too worried about hurting someone's feelings. In today's competitive world, where every worker must pull his weight or make way for someone who can, such leniency may be costly. Wells (2005) suggests something called â€Å"tough love.†: â€Å"By contrast, adopting–and enforcing–the get-tough approach to merit pay has clear advantages: It doesn't waste increasingly precious salary-budget dollars, it sends the right message that improvement is imperative, and it doesn't fund under-performers at the expense of high-performing employees† (Wells 2005 78). In my particular organization, the idea of performance evaluation and some sort of bonus or merit award is now no longer strictly limited to the top performers. It is the middle level, what some tend to call â€Å"B performers† that have some stake in the company's bottom line. Again, here is some proof of that: â€Å"Midlevel performers thrive when they know they've got something to work toward–and you've got to give that to them. In fact, 52 percent of respondents who qualify for incentive programs at their companies–which typically reward the top 10 percent of workers–feel they have only somewhat or no chance of winning an award. This is far from motivating. ‘Your B-players have a significant effect on your bottom line,' says Rodger Stotz, vice president and managing consultant for Maritz Inc. ‘You'll always have a top five percent, but those rewards don't move the middle'† (Galea 2005 9). What is needed to ease the pain and strain of performance evaluation and resultant merit increases or bonuses is the fact that top management must now set specific targets and goals, by the month, by the quarter, by six months, annually, and even provides some projections for one, two and five years into the future. With such goals specifically outlined, employees- whether on a production line or white collar, now know exactly what is required of them. To make performance evaluation less painful; and more effective requires supervisors to keep track of performance of their section or departments, as well as individual employees. In this way, if someone falls short, there is an opportunity for a one-on-one discussion that may provide both a reason for such a shortfall and a means of improving performance. This personal oversight by supervisors can go a long way to eliminate the fear of being discharged as a marginal or low performer, and at the same time reward what Galea (2005) calls â€Å"B Performers.† Therefore, what will make performance evaluation and compensation tied to it far more effective in my company is to focus on these mid-=level performers as well as providing a means â€Å"up the ladder† for the marginal ones, knowing the top performers will always continue to shine. By also stressing teamwork, it becomes the responsibility of everyone within a section or department to make sure everyone contributes to reaching the goal.

11 Motivational Quotes For When You Are Job Seeking

11 Motivational Quotes For When You Are Job Seeking Looking for a job is often a long and challenging process. One of the most difficult things about it is staying motivated when it just seems like you have spent hours formatting one line on your resume or sending out another cover letter. But it is important to remember that it takes a lot of work to find a good job, let alone one that is right for you and your career direction. When you are down, say some of these to yourself: 1. Live life as if everything is rigged in your favor. – Rumi  2. There is no hierarchy expect quality. – Arianna Huffington  3. Schedule your creative time. – John Legend  4. Nothing kills creativity more than stress. – Arianna Huffington  5. There is only one way to avoid criticism: Do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing. – Aristotle  6. The person who says it cannot be done should not interrupt the person who is doing it. – Chinese Proverb  7. We become what we think about. – Earl Nightingale   8. If you’re going through hell, keep going. – Winston Churchill  9. Good things come to people who wait, but better things come to those who go out and get them. – Unknown  10. Self expression is the new form of entertainment   11. Okay, the trampoline was a bad idea. But you know what? At least I’m out there trying new things. – Homer Simpson