Tuesday, August 25, 2020

Olap, Data Marts and Warehouses Essay Example For Students

Olap, Data Marts and Warehouses Essay The key thing that all OLAP items share for all intents and purpose is multidimensionality, yet that isn't the main prerequisite for an OLAP item. An OLAP application is focused to convey most reactions to clients inside around five seconds, with the least difficult examinations taking close to en second and not many taking over 20 seconds. Fretful clients regularly accept that a procedure has fizzled if results are not gotten with 30 seconds, and they are able to execute the CB finger salute or Cite*Strict+Diet except if the framework cautions them that the report will take longer. Regardless of whether they have been cautioned that it will take altogether more, clients are probably going to get diverted and lose their chain of thought, so the nature of investigation endures. This speed isn't anything but difficult to accomplish with a lot of information, especially if Oromo. Fly and impromptu counts are required. A wide assortment of methods are utilized to accomplish this objective, including particular types of information stockpiling, broad pre-counts and explicit equipment prerequisites, however a great deal of items are yet completely enhanced, so we anticipate that this should be a region to creating innovation. Specifically, the SAP Business Warehouse is a full pre-figuring approach that flops as the databases basically get as well. Moreover, doing everything on-the-fly is excessively delayed with enormous databases, regardless of whether the most costly server is utilized, Slow inquiry reaction is reliably the frequently refered to specialized issue with OLAP items. OLAP is utilized for the most part for investigation. This implies the framework adapts confidence any business rationale and measurable investigation that is significant for the application and the client, and keep it simple enough for the objective client. This examination is done in the applications own motor or in a connected outside item, for example, a spreadsheet. All the necessary investigation usefulness can be given in an instinctive way to the objective clients. This could incorporate explicit highlights like time arrangement investigation, cost portions, money interpretation, objective chasing, specially appointed multidimensional instructional exercise changes, non-procedural demonstrating, exemption alarming, information mining and Other application subordinate highlights. The OLAP framework actualizes all the security necessities for privacy. Not all applications need clients to compose information back, however for the developing number that does, an OLAP framework handles different updates in a safe way. Multidimensional information is a key necessity. In the event that one needed to pick a one-. Passage meaning of OLAP, this is it The OLAP framework gives a multidimensional reasonable perspective on the information, including full help for progressive systems and various pecking orders, absolutely the most consistent way o break down your business or Organization. Data is accumulated dependent on business needs, any place it is and anyway much is significant for the application. The definite limit of different applications regarding how much inputted information, contrasts extraordinarily the biggest OLAP applications can hold in any event a thousand fold the amount of information as the littlest. Numerous contemplations are made here, including information duplication, memory necessities, circle space use, execution, combination with information distribution centers and such. Information WAREHOUSE AND DATA Most information in OLAP applications begins in different frameworks. Be that as it may, in certain applications, (for example, arranging and planning), the information may be caught legitimately by the OLAP application. At the point when the information originates from different applications, it is normally vital for the dynamic information to be put away in a different, copied, tort for the OLAP application. This might be countered to as an information stockroom or, all the more normally today, as an information shop. The most widely recognized utilizations for an information distribution center incorporate execution, multi-information stores, information purging, information altering, timing, and authentic investigation, Data stockrooms are frequently huge, however are by the by utilized for eccentric intuitive examination. This requires cap the information be gotten to quickly, which for the most part directs that it be kept in a different, improved structure which can be gotten to without harming the reaction from the operational frameworks. A Lesson Before Dying Injustice EssayActive parts Which permit web designers to manufacture dynamic sites, for example, web crawlers, internet business destinations, sell off houses, guardhouses, online interfaces, and the sky is the limit from there. Server-side is practically identical to its cousin customer. Side. The internet browser is the customer for this situation and the web server is clearly the server. ASP has certain constructed. In objects that can be utilized to store and recover factors, get data from client submitted structures, get data about the server itself and, obviously, compose HTML dependent on this data. ASP additionally permits you to run protests on the server which give access to ODBC consistent databases created Active Data Objects or custom parts which give any capacity or diviner. ice that be modified in Windows. By and large however, ASP can be utilized to make exceptionally intuitive and dynamic website pages that dont require a great deal of customer side programming. The customer side contents control things inside your internet browser. In any case, preceding you get to an ASP empowered website page, an ASP content forms the content on a server, That page doesn't generally exist. You may expect there to be a HTML archive (I. E. Page) on the web server which was sent to your internet browser. UT that is not the situation by any means. What really happens when you mentioned the page is undeniably all the more fascinating. The mentioned site page is an ASP record which was put on the web server, yet the document isn't a site page It is a content which is intended to assemble an eve page. The ASP pages are worked in insignificant milliseconds before it was sent to the internet browser _ The upside of this is the ASP page can educate the server to fabricate the HTML code altered only for the web surfer relying upon Whether or not their utilizing a Microsoft or Netscape eve program, or relying upon their I. P. Address, r relying upon Whether or not they have ever visited the site previously! Accordingly, it is conceivable to construct genuinely unique pages. For example, an ASP content can peruse data from a database and show it in a website page and the page substance would then be controlled by the records in the database, which were recovered by the content. All things considered, its feasible for a solitary ASP document to have a great many various countenances, if the database has that numerous records. The most well-known utilization of ASP is database association.

Saturday, August 22, 2020

PREPARING THE FEASIBILITY STUDY 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Setting up THE FEASIBILITY STUDY 2 - Essay Example This guides in deciding if the undertaking is significant to the association. Moreover, CBA is valuable to the association as it gives them an away from of the CBR (cost, advantage and dangers) which can likewise be utilized in looking at substitute ventures that can be turned out by the association (FreeTutes 1). CBA decides the advantages just as the reserve funds foreseen from the framework and contrasts it and evaluated venture cost. There are a few instances of cost lifecycle including; work force, supplies, gear, overheads and consultants’ charges (Plowman 1). Expenses can likewise be comprehensively partitioned into two general classes which are advancement and working expenses. Improvement costs incorporates wages and gear, while working expense incorporates supplies and overhead expenses. Support additionally is cost concentrated, and ought to be kept an eye on later on to maintain a strategic distance from any misfortunes from the undertaking. It ought to be noticed that upkeep charges are required to guarantee that the machines are going consistently (FreeTutes 1). CBA has a three sections related with it. In the first place, the potential expenses to be brought about, besides, foreseen benefits related with the proposed activities lastly, the distinction to decide whether the undertaking is doable (+results) or non-achievable (- results) (Plowman 1). The method to be followed while doing a CBA incorporates assessment of the projects’ advantages and cost. To viably accomplish an ideal CBA, the group head of the undertaking must think about the means one needs to follow. Incorporates conceptualizing the expenses and advantages of doing the venture. The rundown of the considerable number of expenses and advantages ought to be made accessible while undertaking the examination. They ought to likewise consider sudden expense during the procedure. The subsequent stage includes relegating the financial incentive to the expense and these incorporates the assets required, that of human exertion utilized. This is moderately simple to think of the appraisals. Stage three is appointing

Sunday, August 9, 2020

Wild Parties, Vaginas and Suburbia

Wild Parties, Vaginas and Suburbia Ive recently had the opportunity to see three MIT productions I know, I know, three plays AND five elections and/or speakers, how does she do it? Last week I saw Musical Theater Guilds Wild Party, which Keri produced entirely during the Month of January/IAP. It was about a couple during the 1920s that decides to throw a party to make themselves feel better about their failed relationship, and the party turns out a lot more exciting than either of them expected. I really liked the music because it was jazzy and the show in general was pretty energetic and nice to watch. Like Ive said before, I am not a great photographer, but apparently Jax Kirtley is, and since their photos are on the Wild Party photo page, they hopefully wont mind if I use a couple. I never wrote about it, but I saw MTGs production of Cabaret early this year which I really enjoyed I believe it was their summer production. The pictures are taken from the website. Again. So anyway, back to this semester, I saw Dramashops production of Suburbia. It was about some kids in a small town that hang out in a parking lot and their various issues, usually centered around Being Stuck In This Crummy Place, Not Caring That Youre Stuck In This Crummy Place, and Trying to Escape This Crummy Place. I cant find any pictures of the play, which is really sad because one of my friends pointed out that the set was AMAZING it was incredibly detailed, and especially considering it was just a parking lot and a 7-11, I was really really impressed. Last semester I also went to a Gilbert and Sullivan Players show called Cox and Box. It was quite a small affair only three or four characters, but I really enjoyed it. If you havent caught on by now, I really love all sorts of theater. Im not talented in any way in this department, unfortunately, but thats okay, Im busy with other things and am quite alright leaving it to the experts. I feel really bad about myself whenever I dont have pictures for you guys, or I do have pictures but theyre terrible. Seriously, when did it become an unstated prerequisite that you have to be a great photographer to be a blogger? Even my normal, non-artistic pictures turn out badly. Maybe I should take a class. Anyway, moving on. The most recent show I saw (last night) was the Vagina Monologues. Id never seen it, but its pretty famous so I was excited to do so. Apparently, on February 14th, or V-Day (for Valentines Day, Violence and Victory), thousands of Vagina Monologues productions are put on around the world to raise awareness and money for campaigns and charities that work to stop violence against women. MITs production of it It was held in the Stata Center in a large auditorium with soft red chairs, I might add, since people seem to care a lot about chairs nowadays. I was surprised to see the turnout: the 318-person auditiorium was full! Look at all the people that love to hear about vaginas! This is the only picture taken by me in the whole entry. Now you know why I rely on other people for photos.After discussing the (very entertaining and hilarious and sometimes sad) play with my guy friends,I noticed that they all believed that this was wild feminist propaganda that belittled men and encouraged women to keep to themselves. Id like to take this moment, with thousands of you listening, both guys and girls, to state that this is not what the play is about. Okay, so it is empowering towards women, it makes us feel good about being female and it makes us feel more comfortable with ourselves, and though there may be a few pokes taken at the opposite gender, in general, it is not an attack on men, nor is it counter-productive towards making society equal. Its hard to explain without you actually seeing it, but it is two simple things: a feel-good production, and just as importantly, an awareness campaign. Thats not to say that each production is not unique and that some may turn it into something else which is fine just dont make assumptions about something you havent actually seen. Funnily enough, I think I ended my last entry on a similar note. I dont mean for this to be uber-serious or anything. Just something to keep in mind. Any questions about theater at MIT will probably not be answered by me, because Im just a groupie ;) Someone from ARTalk can probably help you out :)

Saturday, May 23, 2020

Healthcare Finance Chapter#9 Answers Essay - 1221 Words

Financial Condition Analysis, Chapter 9 Problems: P 9.1-9.4, 9.8 amp; 9.11 HM 707 Health Management Foundations II Problem 9.1 Find the following values for a lump sum assuming annual compounding: a) The future value of $500 invested at 8 percent for one year: FVN = FV1= PV Ãâ€" (1 +I)N = $500 x (1 + 0.08) = $500 x 1.08 = $540 b) The future value of $500 invested at 8 percent for five years: FVN = FV5= PV Ãâ€" (1 +I)N = $500 x (1 + 0.08)5 = $500 x (1.08)5 = $734.66 c) The present value of $500 to be received in one year when the opportunity cost rate is 8 percent (discounting): PV = FVN = $5001 = $500 = $462.96 (1 + I)N (1 + 0.08)1 (1.08)1 d) The present value of $500 to be received in†¦show more content†¦Effective annual rate (EAR) = (1 + Periodic rate)M - 1.0 = (1 + 0.08/4)4- 1.0 = (1.02)4- 1.0 = 0.0824 = 8.24% Therefore the annual interest rate is 8% and the effective annual rate compounded quarterly is 8.24% Problem 9.4 Find the following valuesShow MoreRelatedEssay on Healthcare Finance Chapter 1 and 22348 Words   |  10 PagesChapter 1- Question and Answers 1.1 a. 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To obtain access, e-mail yourRead MoreEcon2406 Words   |  10 Pagesï » ¿Homework Assignments Problems Applications Chapter 1 Homework 4. You win $100 in a basketball pool. You have a choice between spending the money now or putting it away for a year in a bank account that pays 5% interest. What is the opportunity cost of spending the $100 now? 5. The company that you manage has invested $5 million in developing a new product, but the product is not quite finished. At a recent meeting, your salespeople report that the introduction of competing productsRead MoreMid term case9450 Words   |  38 PagesLin21477_ch01_001-020.qxd 8/26/11 2:10 PM Page 1 What Is Statistics? 1 Learning Objectives Goals When you have completed this chapter, you will be able to: LO 1-1 List ways that 1 Organize data into a frequency distribution. statistics is used. FPO LO 1-2 Know the differences 2 Portray a frequency distribution in a histogram, frequency between descriptive and polygon, and cumulative freinferential statistics. quency polygon. LO 1-3 Understand the differ3 PresentRead MoreModern Beliefs Regarding The Treatment Of Child Abuse Victims2465 Words   |  10 Pagesissues due to some kind of abuse or abusers who will not pay. It has been proven that children who were abused grew up to be abusers if they did not receive help early on. Many question how to keep prisons from overflowing with these individuals. The answer is not difficult: the government must make the resources available, or be responsible for consequences and at fault for the rise of deaths. The disadvantaged lives of child abuse victims reveal the individuals’ challenge: affording and receivingRead MoreThe Primary Path High School2871 Words   |  12 PagesChapter 1 The majority of jobs in America are filled by people without a four-year degree. While these positions don’t need to be filled by a college graduate, they do generally require that the some level of skill in order to be a qualified candidate. Individuals can obtain skills by earning an associate’s degree, becoming certified, or through on the job type training. When examining the current education system, there is an unbalanced concentration on college preparation. Secondary schoolsRead MoreSocial Policy, Social Welfare, and the Welfare State11346 Words   |  46 Pagesexpenditure Analysing social policy Social policy as intentions and objectives Redistribution The management of risk Social inclusion Social policy as administrative and ï ¬ nancial arrangements Social policy as social administration Social policy as public ï ¬ nance Social policy as outcomes Social welfare The welfare state Deï ¬ ning the welfare state Comparing types of welfare state The development of the welfare state A consequence of industrialization or of political competition? Conclusion: Has the ‘goldenRead MoreA Project Report on Employee Engagement10634 Words   |  43 Pagescapsule, it was more of an observation to find the effectiveness of Employee Engagement. CONTENTS †¢ Chapter 1 : Introduction †¢ Chapter 2 : Industry Profile Company †¢ Chapter 3 : Employee Engagement at Genpact †¢ Chapter 4 : Research Methodology †¢ Chapter 5 : Analysis, Diagrammatical Representation †¢ Chapter 6 : Conclusion †¢ ANNEXURE o Genpact o Questionnaire †¢ BIBLIOGRAPHY Abstract Employee engagement is the level of commitment and involvementRead MoreThe Government and Not-For-Profit Environment100975 Words   |  404 PagesChapter 1 The Government and Not-For-Profit Environment TRUE/FALSE (CHAPTER 1) 1. F The main objective of a typical governmental or not-for-profit entity is to earn a profit. 2. TA government’s budget may be backed by the force of law. 3. FGovernmental entities have no need for an accounting system. 4. TA government’s internal managers rely on general purpose financial statements for a considerable amount of information about their government. 5. FGovernments and not-for-profitsRead MorePediatric Safety and Quality11531 Words   |  46 Pagesbelieve that growth and developmental stages in life are based to their ages and they exhibit similar qualities in each of those stages. Understanding the various stages in life is fundamental to handling patients, especially, hospital children. Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION Pediatric inpatient safety and quality of care are intricate and difficult phenomena. The paper purposes to discuss about the efforts in progress by both pediatric stakeholders and the specialty groups in implementing an evidence-based

Tuesday, May 12, 2020

Analysis Of The Poem Beach Burial By Kenneth Slessor

With every journey comes a destination which is dependent on the degree of the individual and their will to potentially better themselves. A journey offers travelers the opportunity to extend themselves physically, intellectually and emotionally as they respond to challenges. Ruby Moon by Matt Cameron is a contemporary fractured fairytale in the form of a play that explores the grim, Australian legend of the missing child. This text portrays real issues in an absurd representation which forces the reader on an imaginative journey as well as the characters in an inner journey to establish an identity. Beach Burial by Kenneth Slessor is a distressing elegy about loss of life through war. Slessor’s sophisticated language, allows the responder to empathise and mourn the wastefulness of life in war while also to appreciate the commonality of human existence. This text highlights the concept of journeying of the soul from both the reader and the responder. Through the use of a varie ty of visual and written techniques, these texts portray the concept of an existential journey, the indefinite search for true self and true personal meaning in life. Deep loss of an individual or one others’ individuality triggers an existential crisis and without journeying imaginatively, the chance to create one’s purpose becomes absent. Though the loss of Ruby Moon solely dominates the play, the battle each character undergoes to create a false realm in order to gain purpose in life goes farShow MoreRelatedAnalysis of Beach Burial1259 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿ Analysis of ‘Beach Burial’ Kenneth Slessor’s poignant poem, ‘Beach Burial’ contemplates on the improper and unfair burial that the Australian soldiers, who were at war with the Germans during World War 2, receive as a result of the fact that they could not get back home. The main idea that the poet was trying to get across was that as a result of the soldiers not being able to get a proper burial, they are not able to be recognized and are considered to be just another casualty of war:

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Combating Juvenile Delinquency Free Essays

These programs are the most recent ones in which as been around since 1901 to 1983 . There’s two programs in which I look for has being able to geared on a straight path for success. Both are similar around the same action being pointed out for understanding in others viewpoint that take on with In a community that makes It stay in a clean community. We will write a custom essay sample on Combating Juvenile Delinquency or any similar topic only for you Order Now The programs are the BSP and D. A. R. E. Programs that has taught our kids success from personal experience and from strict up bring Instead of spearing the rod rules. The BSP stands for The Big Brothers Big Sister Programs which is geared around families needs that helps to instill children who needs help focusing in living arrangements raising up on a not so good area neighborhood or just need that guide to achieve a goal in general with in the community. Dealing with problems with family incarceration. The kids age group are from 6-18 years of age. The BBS programs are models shown one-to-one relationship. The most that are active in the immunity are Community-based mentoring school, Mentoring children of prisoners, being able to build blocks health children Initiative. Another program is the D. A. R. E program that stands for Drug Abuse Resistance Education that’s been around since 1983 It works with in 43 countries around the world. The D. A . R. E programs age starts form preponderating to the 12th grade. The police educators teach with In a class room setting, by which teaching kids ways to avoid outsides trying to drift them away to drugs gangs, and violence. The performance an clean and better life structure. The main sociological theory shown tit in two programs above shows teaching and educate kids to stay on the good path to keep a good community, stop the crime form occurring in the society, is the Theory Institutions Anomie Theory which Steven Messier and Richard Responded presented o the Marten’s. Propose an idea that would improve the community would be to having better information about different way in which families work on keeping kids in more extra activities. Such as being able to teach with out hold low standers on their children. Be able to work with more educated adults that truly care of the well being of other regardless of their background. In the community have the church’s step up and be more concise with trying to put forth more resource an time an money alone with outsource programs to encourage families an friends to educate instead of discriminate toward others. References (2011) Big Brother Big Sister of the Triangle, So many ways to get started 2/23/2014 Http://www. Abstracting. Argot (2014) Dare Dare Teaching students good decision making skills to help them lead safe and health lives. 2/23/2014. Http:// w. W. W. Dare. Org/about-garage Delis, M. , Hewitt, J,. Region, R. (2014). Delinquency in Society ( 9th deed. ). Burlington, MA: Jones Bartlett Learning. How to cite Combating Juvenile Delinquency, Papers

Saturday, May 2, 2020

System Thinking Theory and Practice

Question: Discuss about the System Thinking Theory and Practice. Answer: Introduction: Google company is a technological company that is functioning in providing internet services that include advertising, computing in the search cloud and development of hardware and software technologies. Google has employed 57,100 employees that are tasked to provide innovative services to the company. This helps it to remain viable in the market due to the rapid technological changes that are taking place. Google has created a conducive environment for innovation from its employees. This has been achieved by existing forums that enable the employees to contribute. Google cafes provide platforms that bring about interaction with their fellow employees. This brings about exchange of ideas during the conversations. This channel enables motivation and insight ideas how the innovation can be bettered. In the weekly segment of TGIF, employees have the opportunity of interacting freely to the top leadership. This includes asking questions and giving of ideas that will better the company. This platform enables innovation as ideas can be discussed and opinions will determine the viability off the idea. This platform enables innovation and makes the employees feel the sense of belonging to the company (Steiber 2014, p. 18). It is also supplemented by the internal innovation reviews meetings that are held on an occasional basis for brainstorming. Employees have an opportunity of sending direct mails to any of the companys leaders. This factor enables innovation as ideas are shared without necessarily meeting the top leadership of the company. The sending of mails enables scrutiny of the idea by the various teams and if it achievable, it is implemented. The twenty percent time allocation gives the employees time to research and better the ideas that they have (Scott 2008, p. 57). Illustrates the communication of the employees to any of the leaders hence giving innovative ideas. B- Receiving feedback about the said idea and other recommendations about the same. C- ideas/ innovations discussed in the caf being communicated to the technical team. D- Receiving feedback from them. E- Discussion of ideas during the weekly meetings. F- Feedback after insight. G- Ideas to engineers after research. H- Feedback on the idea. I- Researching the idea received via email before giving a feedback. J- Researching ideas generated during interactions in the caf. K- Researching on ideas raised in the meeting. Promoting innovation closed loop A closed loop system is commanded automatically in a process that the operating design is confirmed by a feedback. The promoting innovation goal can be achieved by creation of avenues that enable the employees to be innovative in the company (Joseph 1995, p.97). The closed loop above on innovation illustrates the inputs that are the factors that will enable innovative ideas to be conceived. The actuator fine tunes to get the necessary information that is required towards the innovation. The comparator determines the viability of the idea before the sensor determines if it can be implemented. It achieves this by considering the factors that are of importance before it can be implemented. The final decision is made when the idea looks productive to the company. The system is designed to achieve the desired outcome by determining the relationship with the real condition (Sebastian 2013, p.39). This system minimizes the chances or errors. It is advantageous as the system is not prone to sensitivity that may be due to external factors.An organizational structure is a planned framework that that dictates how various activities that are undertaken by the company help it achieve its goals. The structure helps in defining the environment and the orga nizations objectives (Edward 2012, p. 6). The structure functions by defining the policies and the operating procedures and determines the necessary individuals that will participate in the decision making process. Efficiency- this role ensures that the output is maximized and time and energy are conserved. Harnessing experience aims at ensuring that the right people get to do the job. This gives room to very minimal error in the organization. Decision making is a crucial aspect in the structure of an organization. The structure defines who is entitled to give orders and the roles other persons are to perform. This role determines the survival of an organization in an industry. Communication in the organization helps to pass the relevant information to different persons (Daniel 2008, p. 23). This will help in improving and achieving the objectives of the company. The span of control dictates the extent to which persons manage the organization. This helps one not to overdo and hurt o ther individuals in the organization. Reasons for organizational failure Increased hierarchy levels- this factor can facilitate failure of an organization. Many levels of hierarchy slow down the decision making process. This leads to delayed timeframe in achieving company goals (David 2007, p. 197). Poor communication can also hinder the progress of a company. It can lead to decreased morale in the working environment. This can happen when the language of communication becomes inappropriate hence leading to work breakdown. Poor communication also leads to loss of businesses and connections. If a client is wronged due to poor communication, he or she will not refer other potential clients to the organization. Lack of efficiency leads to lose of company resources. If persons tasked to achieve an objective within a determined timeframe and they fail to, resources will be lost to cover for the error (Robert 2000, p. 33). Googles communication needs can be achieved if they utilize the emergent structure. This structure aims at incorporating all persons in the working environment. This structure enables the environment to be conducive to all innovative persons (Bartel 2014, p. 28). Their ideas can be supported and they will be helped to achieve it. This emergent structure aims at reducing the management levels to four levels. These levels function independently and are fed a feedback that is related to its specialization. This can be achieved by forming three research personnel groups. One will function to provide relevant information from the internal and external environment, the decision support team for decision making and the technical team that implement after researching (Ali 2014, p. 63). This can be justified from T205B under how the organizations cope with the increasing uncertainty. This can be achieved by creating a slack of resources. This factor however can lead to reduced innovation in g oogle, decreased customer services and increased cost of operation. This can be caused by reducing the hierarchys information that they are supposed to handle or increasing the capacity to handle information in the hierarchy. Sequential interdependence will also enable google to achieve it is communication target. The task based teams in emergent structure will also help in reducing the uncertainties. Outsourcing also can function to manage the communication needs of google. Having experienced personnel will enable google to meet its needs. This process is efficient but can lead to people losing jobs as they will not be useful to the company (Fredric 2000, p. 79). Delegation of duties will enable people to work towards certain objectives hence achieving the companys goals. Information technology will also help the communications team to achieve the set objectives. Role of organizational culture in shaping organizational performance. Organizational culture is a defined way of life of people that have similar values, beliefs and assumptions in an organization. These culture dictates how members of an organization will carry themselves including how they will dress, handle their work and their actions in the workplace environment. The culture is based on characteristics that enable the organizations performance to be based on the culture (Joanne 2001, p. 7). Innovation in an organization helps members to take the risk and perform. In organizations that innovation is not highly valued, employees work without morale and there is little or no invention to improve their performance. Attention to detail culture helps in ensuring that the employees perfect on the work that they are required to do. Good culture that values attention to detail enables their employees to do their work to accuracy. Emphasis on the outcome enables a companys performance to focus on meeting the customers needs. This helps in turn in changing with the latest technological advancements. Emphasis on people culture functions to ensure that their clients needs are met to precision (Jan 2009, p. 19). This in turn helps to refer the company to other potential customers. Teamwork enables good interaction of employees in the work place. Organizations that facilitate teamwork tend to perform better due to diversity of information. This factor enables extensive research that facilitates better product output. Aggressiveness in an organization enables an organization to outsmart their rivals Organizational culture helps in creating a brand image. This enables the employees to have the distinct personality that is connected to their workplace. Employees have to achieve the organizations goals so as to elevate the performance of the company.. Openness in Google enables the company to achieve its innovative agenda as employees have the freedom to give their opinions towards achieving innovation. This is achieved when they hire persons that are passion oriented towards the job. Google also emphasizes on excellence, same as attention to detail enables the company have an enabling environment. The employees are tasked to produce products that are up to precision. The innovative culture at google is self-explanatory as they target people with potential over people with experience but cannot perform. Supporting smaller companies enables google to create that family support in their organization. This in turn motivates on the performance of the smaller companies and google too. The leadership structure in google has provided for an enabling culture in the organization. The structure has enabled the employees to have the freedom to research and come up with new ideas without much supervision. Googles culture on TGIF, email and ca f have promoted innovation in the company and thus increased its output to the public. Organizational learning concept and assessment on Googles learning. Organizational learning is a systematic process in which an organization facilitates the creation of knowledge, holding it back to themselves then sharing it within the organization. This factor enables an organization to improve in its functions with time as it gains experience (Raanan 2014, p. 3). From the experience gained, the company is able to bring about its knowledge that improves the companys functions. Knowledge can be created either as a group, organization, inter organization or on individual basis. The learning curve is used to determine the progress that an organization has taken in its learning. The curve illustrates how the company increases its output, authenticity, dependability and quality as time goes by. The components that enable learning in an organization include: Systematic problem solving mechanism. This includes utilizing modern methods in determining the downfall and solving the issue accurately without guesswork. This enables an organization to have consistency in its learning (Stephen 2000, p. 6). This factor enables them to utilize the learned techniques in solving issues within the company. Experimentation functions to ensure that a company does its research extensively before implementing a certain ideology. This factor is driven by the opportunity seen in the market and need to expand the territories. Learning from past experience enables an organization to solve their underperforming culture. Learning from other people enables a company to grow. This enables the company to gain a better perception of the situation. This factor unearths the mechanisms that are utilized by others and thus enabling learning (Lois 2011, p. 23). Knowledge transfer within an organization facilitates learning within an organization. Shared ideas impact in organization positively compared to when held by few individuals. Google has created a conducive learning environment through the existing structures, these structures include the caf. It facilitates interaction between the employees and this leads to exchange of ideas. The weekly segment of TGIF facilitates interaction where employees give their ideas towards innovation. Emails between the Google staff also functions to facilitate learning from each other. Google also allocates time for its employees to engage in research. This time is useful as they are able to stumble upon useful information that can better the organization. Principle of systems thinking, effectiveness in management for problem solving and decision making. Contrast with principles of strategic management (Jamshid 2011, p. 7). Systems thinking is a branch of management concerned with apprehension of a components by determining the connection and association between them. Failure of the components is vivid if the company fails to be aggressive. This can be deduced to the slowness in embracing new components in the market due to rapid technological changes. Systems thinking differs from other mechanisms that are used to solve problems (Taghreed 2009, p. 27). It aims at giving a complete solution to a product whereas other techniques segment the problem before solving it. Systems thinking tries to incorporate the interaction between the various components before giving a solution. Perspective is the ability to foresee the negative implication that will befall when undertaking a certain management decision. This facilitates the need of divergent opinions that will be catered for in systems thinking. Emergence is the product that has become that was not anticipated during the decision making process. This product can be used to provide value to their clients by addressing the challenges and patterns that were initially used. Strategic management comprises of conceptualization and execution of objectives that have been decided by the top level management in place of the owners. These decisions are made in line with the current market demands taking into consideration the resources and the organizational surrounding (David 1999, p. 2). The principle of focus in strategic management ensures that the organizations important objectives are achieved on a daily basis. Leverage strength principle ensures that the company remains competitive in the market. The management has to discover the driving force that enables it achieve its sales and hence profit. Having understood the driving force, addition of innovation will enable the company move forward. This factor differs with systems thinking as they are not able to discover their strengths in time. Communication in strategic management is vital just as in systems thinking. Communication to the employees and giving them a forum to ask questions and give their com ments helps them feel that they are part of the strategic policies being implemented. Strategic management principle on raising the energy level aims at ensuring that the employees remain motivated in the work place (Curtis 2004. P. 36). In systems thinking, motivation of the employees is not emphasized as seen in strategic management. Flexibility in strategic management helps to ensure that he organization is able to make drastic adjustments when need arises. In systems thinking, they also have the same provision of being dynamic in emergence situations. Investing in outside help works to ensure that the company has some external skilled labor that will facilitate the process. In most cases, the proprietors of the businesses have the opportunity to participate. In this forum, they challenge the proposed ideologies and seek clarification. This factor however differs with systems thinking as the proprietors have no chance of challenging the management on the decision that they make. Reference list Ali Farazmand 2014.crisis and emergency management: Theory and practice. 2nd edition. Annika Steiber 2014. The google model. Managing continuous innovation in a rapid setting. Bartel Van De Walle, Murray Turoff,Starr Roxanne Hiltz, 2014. Information systems for emergency management. Curtis W. Roney 2004. Strategic Management methodology. General accepted principles of strategic management. Daniel P. Kinney 2008. Organizational structure in community college. Past, present and future. 2nd edition. David E. Hussey 1999. Strategic management: From theory to Implementation. David knights, Hugh Willmott 2007. Introduction to organizational behavior and management. Second edition. Edward R. Maguire 2012. Organizational Structure in American Agencies. Fredric M. Jablin, Linda L. Putnam 2000. The New Handbook on Organizational Communication Jan A. Pfister 2009. Managing Organizational culture for Effective control of a company. Jamshid Gharajedaghi 2011. Systems Thinking. Managing chaos and complexity. Intelligence in action. Second edition Joanne Martin 2001. Organizational culture. Mapping the Terrain and leadership. Joseph J. Distefano, Allen Stubberud, Ivan Williams 1995. Schaums outline of feedback and control systems. Second edition. Lois J Zachery 2011. Creating a mentoring culture. The Organizations Guide, Resource Management, New York, Free Press Robert T. Golembiewski 2000. A Handbook on Organizational Behavior. Revised. Second edition. Sebastian Preube 2013. Technologies for Engineering, Manufacturing systems Control in closed loop. Stephen J. Gill 2000. A Managers Pocket Guide to learning management Taghreed Adam 2009. Systems thinking for a healthy system strengthening. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality, vol. 14, Virginia A. Scott 2008. Google. Page 57

Sunday, March 22, 2020

Women in Technology Fields

Introduction As society evolves to become more dependent on science and technology for growth and development, the occupational segregation of women in the sciences relative to men, not only in terms of absolute numbers but also in terms of visibility in the upper echelons of the professions, represents a misuse of scarce human capital and continues to alarm academics, policy makers and mainstream commentators (Hatchell Aveling, 2008).Advertising We will write a custom dissertation sample on Women in Technology Fields specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More That’s good writing. As observed by a number of scholars (e.g., Huffman et al, 2010; Benson Yukongdi, 2005), it is indeed true that the gendered segregation of jobs and occupations in these critical sectors of the economy is a persistent characteristic in many labour markets globally, and is the proximate foundation of many forms of gender inequality. An extensive and well es tablished literature documents the destructive outcomes of gendered occupational segregation in science and technology fields (Deem, 2007), which include lower wages, expansive income disparities, fewer promotions, and less significant wage increases (Schweitzer et al, 2011). The worrying trend being replicated in nearly all economies worldwide is that although more women are being absorbed in the fields of science and technology than ever before, they persist to be considerably outnumbered by their male counterparts (Jones, 2010; Bhatia Amati, 2010). It is the purpose of the present study to perform a critical analysis of why women continue to be underrepresented in the telecommunication industry in Europe and Middle East. Very good start! Towards the realization of this broad objective, this section sets out to review and analyze extant literature on women’s occupational segregation in technology fields, with specific focus on the telecommunication sector in Europe and Mid dle East. The section will, among other things, analyze existing literature on women in engineering and technology fields, the dynamics of occupational segregation of women in these sectors, barriers to gendered occupation equality, and issues that need to be addressed to encourage and retain women in technology fields.Advertising Looking for dissertation on gender studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It is imperative to note that due to paucity of literature on women occupational segregation in the telecommunication sector, the analysis of critical literature will assume a broader scope to encompass segregation of women in technology fields based on the rationale that the telecommunication sector is technology-oriented. Women in Technology Fields Hersh (2000) cited in Kusk et al (2007) observed that although there have been marked increases in the number of women taking up technology-oriented occupations over the last two decades, women still remain a minority in these fields in nearly all countries across the world. Indeed, according to Gillard et al (2008), as many Western technology-oriented organizations endeavour â€Å"†¦to recognize and validate difference through diversity policies, they in fact leave the power mechanisms of conformity unchallenged and intact, individualize the inequities, bypass tensions of coexistence, and actually reinforce and homogenize difference† (p. 266). In particular, these authors note that although the telecommunication and information communication technology (ICT) workforce forms fairly new professional sectors, women persistently occupy a minority of positions and gender segregation that has been well documented in many other occupations is being simulated in the telecommunication/ICT industries. Available literature demonstrate that women in telecommunication/ICT industries tend to be concentrated in particular occupational spheres, which are norma lly the lower skilled information technology (IT) jobs related to data entry, implying that women in these critical sectors of the economy comprise a marginal percentage of managerial, design, and software development personnel (Gillard et al, 2008). Yet, according to Bystydzienski (2004), as increasing numbers of women get absorbed into the telecommunication/ICT professions, not only are they faced with a slump in salaries, status, and working conditions but they also have to contend with the domain of masculinity that is well entrenched in these sectors. In other words, men still dictate access to, and advancement in, paid employment in telecommunication/ICT fields (Benson Yukongdi, 2005; Hafkin Huyer, 2007).Advertising We will write a custom dissertation sample on Women in Technology Fields specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Trends in various countries and regions Trends in the United States According to a report released by t he U.S. Department of Labour (2005) cited in Oswald (2008), women currently make up approximately 50% of the total workforce, but they continue to be segregated in many occupations, particularly in engineering and technology-oriented occupations. This gendered occupational segregation, it seems, has its roots in the educational achievements of women. A report completed in 2007 by the National Science Foundation also cited in Oswald (2008) revealed that â€Å"†¦women earned only 29% of the bachelor’s degrees in math and computer science, 21% of the degrees in engineering, and 42% of the bachelor’s degrees in physical science† (p. 196). These disciplines form the foundation for a career trajectory in the telecommunication field. Available literature demonstrates that leading women engineers and ICT experts in the United Sates are regularly burdened with concerns about not being taken seriously, perceived non-performance, exclusionary social dynamics, reliance on hostile workmates or seniors, and excessive pressure to imitate the male paradigm of doing science (Etzkowitz et al, 2010). Such experiences, according to these authors, not only obstruct interpersonal relationships but frustrate the women’s capacity to reach their full potential, no matter how able or talented they are. A survey conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labour cited in Coder et al (2009) indicates that while women made up an estimated 43% of the information technology (IT) workforce in 1983, the percentage dropped to a paltry 26 % in 2008 in spite of the fact that the total IT workforce had more than doubled for the indicated period. Trends in United Kingdom Sappleton Takrui-Rick (2008) posit that â€Å"†¦despite 30 years of equality legislation, women in science, engineering and technology in the U.K. remain severely underrepresented† (p. 284). Indeed, the U.K. has one of the highest levels of gendered occupation segregation in the European Union, pa rticularly in science, engineering and technology domains. Available statistics contained in a report by the Engineering Council UK (2004) cited in Sappleton Takrui-Rick (2008) â€Å"†¦suggest that only 8% of those employed in engineering work and 15% of those employed in information, communication, and technology (ICT) work in the U.K. are female† (p. 285).Advertising Looking for dissertation on gender studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Current trends, however, demonstrate that organizations are increasingly realizing the intrinsic benefit of encouraging and retaining women in these fields though tangible results are yet to be achieved (Bhatia Amati, 2010). The limited success of intervention strategies aimed at achieving equal gender representation in these fields, according to Sappleton Takrui-Rick (2008), can be partially accredited to the fact that, after â€Å"getting in,† certain influences obstruct women in the U.K. from â€Å"staying on† and â€Å"getting on† in the sectors in parity with their male counterparts. In a recently concluded case study on network engineer training programs in Britain running the Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) module, it was demonstrated that career openings commensurate with their skills were substantially restricted for women employees in general, but particularly so for women single parents (Gillard et al, 2008). A study conductad by Franzway(2 009), found that a large number of men are attracted to technical training programmes and courses. A study conducted by Hafkin Taggart (2001) cited in Gillard et al (2007) found that employers in the UK were reluctant to recruit women CCNA programmers and instructors ostensibly because women are poorly qualified and lack fundamental work experience. Indeed, according to Gillard et al (2008), the â€Å"†¦employers frequently maintained that not only were the supposed physical and computational demands of the job too exacting but that it was too risky to permit inexperienced personnel to tinker with the vital network infrastructure† (p. 272). Preferring to recruit men, this unconcealed stereotyped discrimination in expertise recognition has also been experienced by female telecommunication engineers and network administrators in other parts of the world, with job advertisements for telecommunication/ICT professionals frequently specifying male job applicants (Gillard et a l, 2008; Hafkin Huyer, 2007). Extant literature (e.g., Bystydzienski, 2004; Benson Yukongdi, 2005; Bhatia Amati, 2010) demonstrate that once in formal employment in these technology-oriented sectors, however, women perform as well as, if not better than, their male counterparts. Trends in Middle East Although gendered occupation segregation is far more entrenched in the Middle East and other Arab-dominated regions than in other areas, this is mainly because, the Islamic religion is the main religion in the Middle East region. The Islamic religion, believes that women should concentrate more on their household responsibilities than technical careers. Bhatia Amati (2010) note that it becomes hard to dissect the problem due to paucity of statistical data, particularly sex-segregated data on gender inequality in the Middle East. However, various rationales as to why the problem is so deeply entrenched in the Middle East have surfaced. Benson Yukongdi (2005) posit that owing to reli gious and socio-cultural barriers, many countries in the Middle East abide by a social convention in which women are widely expected to play a supporting role relative to men. According to Hafkin Huyer (2007) cultural prohibitions in many countries in the Middle East restrict women from undertaking any gainful employment outside the home. According to Benson Yukongdi (2005), men in the Middle East are traditionally placed in core occupations and departments, and this becomes the basis for gender divergences in recruitment, promotion, training, rewards and decision-making authority. Dynamics of Occupational Segregation in Technology Fields Available literature demonstrates that in spite of their talent, ability, and opportunity, women continue to be underrepresented in engineering and technology-oriented sectors of the economy (Schweitzer et al, 2011; Bhatia Amati, 2010). This notwithstanding, it is indeed true that unlike other historically male-dominated jobs that have registere d considerable gains in attaining gendered equality, many engineering and technology-oriented fields have remained noticeably unbalanced in terms of gender (Deem, 2007). Still, other studies (e.g., Kusk et al, 2007; Coder et al, 2009; Kotsilieri Marshall, 2004) have demonstrated that underrepresentation of women in engineering and technology-oriented sectors continue to widen as women engineers and technicians find themselves swimming against the tide of prejudice intrinsically reinforced by the social, cultural, psychological and economic realities of life. A study by Hatchel Aveling (2008) found that women telecommunication engineers are eight times more likely to be working part-time, while women working in ICT are six times more likely to be working part-time. This section aims to explore critical literature on the dynamics of occupational segregation in technology-oriented fields, with particular focus on telecommunication and ICT sectors. Consequently, literature on the pipe line theory, the social constructionist perspectives, meritocracy and its implications, and organizational policies and culture, will be evaluated with a view to understand why the problem of gendered occupational segregation in technology-oriented fields continue to persist despite the spirited attempts by governments and organizations across the world to curtail the inequality progression. The unsuccessful Pipeline Theory According to Schweitzer et al (2011), â€Å"†¦the pipeline theory suggests that increasing the number of women in male dominated fields should lead to more equality in the labour market†¦This presumes that women and men in the pipeline expect comparable career outcomes† (p. 422). Given institutional, organizational and countrywide efforts to get girls into engineering and technology-oriented disciplines in institutions of higher learning, it was expected that, with a large proportion of women entering the engineering and technology fields, they w ould obviously filter into the traditionally male-dominated upper levels of these critical sectors in large numbers (Hatchel Aveling, 2008; Franzway et al, 2009). Indeed, according to these authors, the metaphor of the â€Å"pipeline effect† was based on the assertion that gender imbalances noted in engineering and technology-oriented occupations would be successfully dealt with once women overcame their reluctance to enter these sectors and acquire the requisite qualifications. However, as has been demonstrated in a number of research articles concerned with assessing the reasons behind gender-based underrepresentation in the labour market, the movement of more women into the pipeline failed to correspond with the attainment of enviable trends for women careers, particularly when it comes to engineering and technology-oriented sectors of the economy (Schweitzer et al, 2011; Coder et al, 2009). Hatchel Aveling (2008) are of the opinion that the pipeline theory promised â₠¬Å"†¦false hope as the pipeline turned out to be very leaky indeed† (p. 357). This view is reinforced by a host of other scholars (e.g. Coder et al, 2009; Bhatia Amati, 2010), who suggest that women are yet to achieve comparable outcomes relative to men in these sectors even after sustained efforts from various quarters, including organizations and governments, to â€Å"feed† the women into the pipeline. Various scholars have attempted to dissect why the â€Å"pipeline effect† failed to deliver the intended outcomes, particularly in the attainment of comparable career outcomes for women in engineering and technology-oriented occupations. Hatchel Aveling (2008) maintain that the pipeline theory has several limitations that make it impossible for women to achieve comparable career outcomes. According to these authors, the theory â€Å"†¦posits a straightforward linear career progression that is quite restrictive and does not easily accommodate the more complex life-patterns of females† (p. 358). Women employees have unique needs and demands, which in most occasions act as barriers to successful gendered occupation equality not only in the science fields but also in other areas (Gillard et al, 2008). These barriers will be discussed at length in the succeeding sections of this review. Other scholars have observed that the pipeline theory fails to take into consideration the multiple layers of culture in its attempt to guarantee comparable career outcomes for women relative to men. To understand the dynamics of occupational segregation and institute a framework which will enable women to achieve comparable career outcomes, therefore, â€Å"†¦gender must always be seen in terms of its cultural context, in which the intersection of gender and culture is closely linked to the issue of power† (Hatchel Aveling, 2008 p. 358). Lastly, the pipeline theory fails to account for why women are leaving science, engineering an d technology-oriented organizations in large numbers relative to their male counterparts (Screuders et al, 2009), even after successful efforts made by various agencies to encourage more girls into science and technology at the school and even the undergraduate level (Hatchel Aveling, 2008). The Social Constructionist Viewpoints Various scholars have attempted to explain the occupation segregation of women in engineering and technology-oriented occupations using the social constructionist perspectives. Kotsilieri Marshall (2004) are of the opinion that the experiences and characteristics accredited to women, portrayed in academia and industry as contributing to their current occupational segregation in engineering and technology-oriented fields, are not timeless and universal but are socially, historically, psychologically, and politically located. To deduce that all women judge, think, or relate in distinctive and universal ways when making career choices, particularly in fields traditionally considered as male-dominated, inarguably denies the contextualise that frames behaviour (Benson Yukongdi, 2005). To better understand the social constructionist perspectives in general and, by extension, the contextuality that denies behaviour, it is important to explain the difference between sex and gender. Gillard et al (2008) explain that â€Å"†¦while sex reflects biological difference, gender – although often based on biological sex – is a social construction† (p. 264). This therefore implies that individuals are born and straight away categorized as female or male, but with time obtain a gendered identity, that is, what it implies to be feminine or masculine. These authors further posit that â€Å"†¦both gendered concepts are relational, that is, they are construed in relation to each other by defining what the female is not in relation to the Western masculine norm; this varies from one environment to another and shifts over tim e† (p. 264). According to Bhatia Amati (2010), one of the most elaborated features of the social constructionist perspective is the recognition that women and men are located divergently in society and that not all women or all men share similar experiences or challenges. In pursuing the social constructionist line of thought, Gillard et al (2008) observe that the gendering of work, technology and indeed many other facets of occupational life and orientation â€Å"†¦constitute individuals as different types of value-added labourers can be made visible by documenting cultural values, beliefs, and activities, which contribute toward identity formulations, roles and responsibilities, and personal aspirations and opportunities† (p. 265). Consequently, these authors underline a value preposition suggesting that the micro dimensions of our everyday existence, reinforced by community, organizational and institutional hegemonic philosophies and processes that maintains th e normalized status quo, provides the basis for gendered occupational segregation not only in technology-oriented fields but also in other areas. Meritocracy its Implications The concept of meritocracy came into the limelight in the late 1950s to denote a social system that prescribes to merit, talent and capabilities as the foundation for recruiting employees into positions and dispensing rewards (Castilla Bernard, 2010). To date, opinion still remains divided on whether meritocracy promotes gendered occupation equality or occupational segregation. As observed by these authors, â€Å"†¦advocates of meritocracy stress that in true meritocratic systems everyone has an equal chance to advance and obtain rewards based on their individual merits and efforts, regardless of their gender, race, class, or other non-merit factors† (p. 543). This implies that men and women in engineering and technology-oriented occupations have equal opportunities for advancement despite the exi stence of gendered imbalances and barriers that may act to hinder one group, particularly women, to advance in their careers. Indeed, meritocracy has been culturally accepted as a reasonable and justifiable distributive standard in many developed capitalist countries and organizations (Castilla Bernard, 2010). In her research, Deem (2007) noted that meritocracy is a universal value that is absolutely compatible with gendered occupation equality, ensuring that recruitment and promotion in the workplace is through open competition rather than through concession or networks of associates. Critics of meritocracy, however, argue that the concept has failed to deliver equal gender representation in a number of occupations, particularly in the sciences. In their research, Castilla Bernard (2010) came up with what they called the ‘paradox of meritocracy’ to refer to a situation where organizations that prescribe to meritocratic principles were found to demonstrate greater bia s in favour of men over equally competitive and performing women. Many modern technology organizations, though based on meritocracy in recruitment and promotions, are heavily bureaucratized. Gillard et al (2008) note that â€Å"†¦the bureaucratization of gender guidelines all too often tends to reinforce institutional influence and silences those whose voices rarely get aired in the development forums where decisions are made† (p. 266). Recent empirical studies as quoted in Castilla Bernard (2010) found that occupational segregation continues even with the adoption of merit-based recruitment and reward systems, affirmative action and other diversity-oriented policies and strategies. Indeed, according to these researchers, some organizational practices and procedures instituted to entrench the meritocratic paradigm in the organization have been found to negatively affect employees’ opportunities and professions, particularly those practices developed to diminish i nequalities for women and ethnic minorities. This assertion leads Bhatia Amati (2010) to conclude that some organizational policies and practices supposedly adopted to enhance meritocracy are only factored in for symbolic reasons and do not in any way achieve their stated objectives. For example, research has revealed that some organizational recruitment programs and reward practices intended to reflect the meritocratic paradigm act to increase gender and racial inequalities by virtue of the fact that they introduce bias into employee recruitment and compensation decisions (Baron Cobb-Clark, 2010). Deem (2007) noted at least two challenges with the conception of meritocracy in relation to gendered occupation inequality. First, the researcher argued that meritocracy hindered women’s recruitment and progress in key sectors of the economy due to the â€Å"†¦individualistic focus of meritocratic judgments that reward the successful and stigmatize the unsuccessful† ( p. 617). Meritocracy, it was argued, has the supremacy to transfer the responsibility for unequal recruitment and promotional results back onto the individual and consequently to stigmatize the unsuccessful applicants as unskilled or incapable. A second challenge with meritocracy, according to this particular researcher, is the insinuation that it applies culturally and value-neutral standards to the recruitment and promotion of workers. However, it is unfeasible to develop totally neutral standards or evaluations by virtue of the fact that cultural and social ideals do enter into the recruitment and promotion processes. Organizational Policies Culture Organizational policies and cultures, of different societies, act as facilitators of gender segregation. A number of studies (e.g., Gillard et al, 2008; Bhatia Amati, 2010) have attempted to offer a gender construction in which critical reflection is applied to how occupational segregation of women in science and technology fields, of which the telecommunication sector is an integral component, is woven in organizational, national and international policies, business practices and concerns, and public and private employment configurations. Many organizational policies and strategies orient themselves to the unfounded paradigm that women posses less levels of human capital relative to men (Benson Yukongdi, 2005). Some organizational perceptions practiced in many countries, particularly in the Middle East, makes it permissible for occupations to be allocated along gender lines, implying that women are left with little prospect to develop the necessary work experience that is fundamentally needed in many technology-oriented organizations. On the other hand, there was something in the news last week about men being not allowed to serve customers in women’s clothing shops. For example, men in the Middle East are traditionally placed in core occupations and departments, and this becomes the basis for gender divergences in recruitment, promotion, training, rewards and decision-making authority. In a similar fashion a broad range of organizational policies and practices serve to prevent women from entering technology-oriented occupations. Benson Yukongdi (2005) point out the challenge of statistical discrimination, where organizations not only in telecommunication/ICT sectors but also in other fields make decisions on recruitment, promotion and training â€Å"†¦based on generalized data rather than on the actual experiences of individuals† (p. 287). For instance, absenteeism data for all women in the firm would be utilized to evaluate the commitment of particular women applying for promotion while not taking into consideration other dynamics that are unique to women, such as maternity leave and family responsibilities. Such an orientation only serves to enhance gendered occupational segregation. In line with this, it is indeed true that many organizations either do not have a statistical database on women occupational segregation or fail to collect such data in a consistent and regular manner, making it almost impossible to address the challenge (Franzway et al, 2009). As underscored by Hafkin Huyer (2007), the paucity of statistical data on gendered occupational segregation in the telecommunication/ICT sectors makes it difficult, if not unfeasible, to develop a case for the inclusion of gender issues in telecommunication/ICT policies, plans, and strategies to employers and policymakers. Extant literature demonstrate that although there is a substantial increase in the number of women joining engineering and technology-oriented firms (Morganson et al, 2010), the gains are being watered down by misplaced organizational policies and governance issues, which ensure that women do not stay longer in these critical sectors of the economy (Huffman et al, 2010). As noted by Hatchel Aveling (2008), â€Å"†¦the issue is no longer one of attracting women into the sciences but rather one of keeping them there† (p. 359). Morganson et al (2010) observes that when women complete undergraduate training in technical disciplines, they persist to be underrepresented in these fields and are more likely to leave the labour force than are men. A number of researchers (e.g., Bhatia Amati, 2010; Bystydzienski, 2004; Franzway et al, 2009) have blamed the gendered dimensions of organizational culture for the high turnover of women in engineering and technology-oriented organizations, while others (e.g., Gillard et al, 2008; Hafkin Huyer, 2007) argue that structural, cultural, interactional, and identity arrangements, even though irreversibly associated, are important classifications in understanding why women’s occupational segregation in engineering and technology-oriented fields can be fundamentally attributed to the gender subtext of organizations. Barriers to Gendered Occupation Equality in Technology Fields Many studies have be en conducted over time to understand the reasons behind the current gendered occupational segregation of women in engineering and technology fields. Kusk et al (2007) is of the opinion that women’s success in engineering and technology-related fields is often contingent upon them adopting an overtly male career pattern, implying that male domination in these sectors is barrier to entry of more women. This view is consistent with Morganson et al (2010) observation that the technology environment is often typified as a chilly environment, â€Å"†¦which tends to be male-dominated, highly impersonal and individualistic† (p. 169). According to these authors, the lack of support in the traditional engineering and technology working environments may be particularly destructive to women given that a number of researchers and theorists have continuously emphasized the fundamental importance of personalized relationships and interpersonal associations to women’s psyc hological development and well-being. The education system continues to be blamed for the swelling underrepresentation of women in technology-oriented fields, such as the telecommunication sector. According to Bhatia Amati (2010), girls in institutions of higher learning observe that there are few women in science and technology fields and, consequently, make a conclusion that a career trajectory in these fields is more suitable for men than for women. Indeed. Faced with the knowledge of both the bleak and subtle obstacles that face women in the male-dominated science and technology fields, girls in colleges and universities opt out of the disciplines and orient themselves for other fields that guarantee better opportunities of educational and career success. This view has been reinforced by Benson Yukongdi (2005), who observe that â€Å"†¦education, and particularly higher levels of education, has been denied to many women as families and society place more emphasis on wome n’s role as mother and homemaker† (p. 287). As a direct consequence, few women ever make it to technology-oriented occupations because these fields traditionally require higher levels of education. Historically, the image of technology fields have been perceived under the lens of complexity, time-intensive, challenging tasks, and involving machinery, and, consequently, both women and men continue to perceive engineering and technology fields as masculine both in nature and association (Kusk et al, 2007). Gillard et al (2008) describe how employees in telecommunication/ICT fields, interacting across time and space, are constantly obliged to work long hours to accommodate divergent time zones and regularly operate in crisis mode with strict project deadlines while having to continually update the job skills in response to rapid shifts in technology. In addition to these occupational demands, â€Å"†¦the mobile nature of these types of occupations often works to wome n’s disadvantage as they experience difficulties when faced with long hours, expectations of overseas travel, and participation in informal social networks† (Gillard et al, 2008 p. 271). Benson Yukongdi (2005) observe that even in instances where women have similar levels of education to their male colleagues, childbirth and family responsibilities implies that, for many women, gaining the pertinent and equivalent work expertise needed in technology-oriented occupations is impossible. Academics and industry view the gender pay gap as a strong contributing factor toward continued gender segregation of labour in science, engineering and technology sectors. As observed by Blau Khan (2007), women telecommunication engineers continue to earn substantially less than men even when they are tasked with the same responsibilities. Many research articles (e.g., Blau Khan, 2007; Franzway et al, 2009) have digested a positive correlation between gendered pay gap on the one hand a nd prejudice and discrimination on the other. Baron Cobb-Clark (2010) suggest that the notion of prejudice and its negative ramifications are readily transferrable to women versus men, while Etzkowitz et al (2010) conceptualized discriminatory preferences of women in engineering and technology fields as arising from an active desire by engineering-oriented organizations to maintain social distance from women due to their perceived family responsibilities, which negatively affect their performance and productivity. To reinforce this view of normalized discrimination in the workplace, Hatchel Aveling (2008) observe that many technology-oriented organizations are more likely to hire males than women, not mentioning that males working for these organizations are more likely than females to be given credit for ideas, concepts or work completed. According to Etzkowitz et al (2010), women are expected to work twice as hard to prove that they are capable of becoming productive telecommuni cation engineers, systems analysts and ICT experts. There is compelling evidence that women continue to be discriminated against in science and technology-oriented occupations due to their low levels of experience relative to men (Franzway et al, 2009). As rightly pointed out by Blau Khan (2007), â€Å"†¦the qualification that has proven to be quite important is work experience because traditionally women moved in and out of the labour market based on family considerations† (p. 9). Experience and the accumulation of skills that are fundamental in science and technology fields go hand in hand. Consequently, available studies (e.g., Blau Khan, 2007; Franzway et al, 2009; Deem, 2007) have demonstrated that women may particularly avoid career trajectories obliging large investments in skills that are distinctive to a particular endeavour mainly because of the fact that the returns to such investments are reaped only as long as the employee remains with that employer. Indee d, many employers may exhibit reinforced reluctance to hire women for such occupations because the organization bears some of the costs of such sector-specific training, not mentioning that their fear is further compounded by the fact that they may not get a full return on that investment due to higher turnover of women telecommunication engineers (Jones, 2010; Bhatia Amati, 2010). The lack of benefits perceived to be unique to women has worked to the disadvantage of women in technology-oriented fields. Indeed, Gillard et al (2008) posit that the majority of newly created technology and telecommunication occupations in developed as well as developing countries are predominantly found in the private sector, but the absence â€Å"†¦of benefits available means that women are unlikely to pursue these types of employment, instead having to opt for public sector work that is more likely to offer childcare provision, flexible hours, and maternity leave† (p. 272). As some gover nments formulate policies aimed at passing legislation for these benefits, which are perceived to encourage more women into technology and telecommunication occupations, the full responsibility for availing them often falls into the hands of private sector employers who are then inclined to discriminate against offering job positions to women in a bid to circumvent the financial cost of affording these services and benefits (Gillard et al, 2008; Baron Cobb-Clark, 2010; Franzway et al, 2009; Deem, 2007). Benson Yukongdi (2005) note that some organizations avail little in the way of family friendly policies or child care that would assist women professionals to deal with the role conflict arising from engagement with family related responsibilities as they perform organizational roles. According to Kusk et al (2007), â€Å"†¦explicit admittance of a belief in gender differences serve as a mechanism to sustain the status quo of the gender order by affirming current inequalities and prejudices as a natural difference† (p. 111). Women traditionally are perceived to be more oriented toward undertaking family responsibilities than engaging in paid labour. Where women engage in paid work, they nevertheless undertake major domestic responsibilities in addition to their organizational responsibilities. In many instances, as noted by Benson Yukongdi (2005), the gender-based division of family responsibilities and domestic work leaves women with few choices but to downsize their professional ambitions to fit with their family demands. In addition, some growth mind-sets have been found to influence girls into believing that they are not as good as boys in science and technology-oriented fields, and that men are more appropriate to venture into scientific careers than are women (Jones, 2010). Consequently, when girls and women take a stand that they only have a fixed amount of knowledge that is undesirable in scientific careers, they are more likely to believ e in the stereotype, lose confidence and self-belief, and eventually disengage from science, engineering and technology-oriented disciplines. This implies that women career trajectories in the mentioned disciplines become misplaced early in life due to the stereotype (Gillard et al, 2008; Schreuders et al, 2009). Inflexible and unfavourable organizational environment, reinforced by strategies and policies that are unfavourable to the progression of women in engineering and technology fields, have been blamed by leading scholars and practitioners as one of the foremost barriers to gendered occupational equality in these fields (Franzway et al, 2009). Indeed, Kusk et al (2007) observe that some of the best women telecommunication engineers are opting to retire early and set up their own businesses because they can create the type of environment that is free of unfavourable organizational policies and working environment. Encouraging Retaining Women in Technology Fields While it is cl ear that some of the issues and challenges contributing to gendered occupational segregation in technology-oriented firms represent the unique situation in a particular country, various studies have concluded that, in most cases, the problems and challenges are more universal in nature and scope (Benson Yukongdi, 2005). This implies that the solutions to the gender inequalities can also assume universal dimensions. Upon undertaking a comprehensive review of extant literature on continued occupational segregation of women in engineering and technology fields, Kusk et al (2007) noted that â€Å"†¦encouragement from family, friends, teachers and advisors is pivotal both in choosing and succeeding in engineering education† (p. 111). Blattel-Mink (2002) cited in Kusk et al (2007) posited that â€Å"†¦true gender equality requires both that those individual women in scientific subjects should have strong career orientation and that structural, institutional and cultural environs should become more welcoming towards women† (p. 111). Benson Yukongdi (2005) posit that increased access to educational opportunities for women, particularly in tertiary-level course, could deal a major blow to gendered occupational segregation in technology-oriented fields. Organizations and countries need to pass legislation that will minimize gendered occupational segregation in technology-oriented field as â€Å"†¦legislative reform constitutes an important component of any strategy to achieve equality in employment† (p. 289). According to these authors, legislation can be instrumental in setting up a community standard, not mentioning that it can serve to demonstrate acceptable behaviour. However, legislation cannot avail a swift remedy to the embedded gender equality segregation in technology-oriented fields, and can lead to manifold informal strategies to outwit the intent of such legislation. Countries also need to pass legislation that would all ow the girl child to have access to technology in elementary schools with a view to downgrade or diminish the gendered stereotype that a career in technology is only meant for men. According to Hafkin Huyer (2007), â€Å"†¦ICTs impact men and women differentially, and in almost all cases, women have many disadvantages that result in their having less access to technology and therefore less use of it† (p. 26). Etzkowitz et al (2010) observe that the access to technology in many countries across the world has allowed women to enhance their economic conditions, progress politically and widen participation in science and technology-oriented occupations for future generations. Benson Yukongdi (2005) are of the opinion that increased marketization of childcare and domestic work could assist women to achieve equal employment opportunities in technology-related sectors by neutralizing the division of domestic labour and the role expectations placed on women. Increasing the ran ge of governmental and organizational support mechanisms through marketization of these services will go a long way to assist women institute a more focused and equitable balance between work roles and family responsibilities. This notwithstanding, the role conflict experienced by women as they attempt to balance their domestic responsibilities and organizational roles will only be assuaged when more substantial social, cultural and attitudinal change transpires within society (Benson Yukongdi, 2005; Deem, 2007; Schreuders et al, 2009). Coping skills and strategies should be taught in institutions of higher learning to make girls understand the barriers and limitations that women in engineering and technology-oriented curricula face and the coping strategies known to be effective in these environments (Morganson et al 2010). These researchers posit that â€Å"†¦coping is a transportable skill that can continue to assist girls and women in overcoming barriers as they move forw ard in their careers† (p. 170). It is important to note that men and women cope in different ways; while men tend to cope by attempting to either alter the stressor (problem-focused coping) or ignore it totally (avoidant coping), women, in contrast, engage in social support coping. Consequently, women must rely on others in the work environment not only for emotional support but as a way to deal with work or family related challenges and seek assistance from others to overcome the stressors (Morganson et al, 2010; Schreuders et al, 2009). Lack of adequate social support coping mechanisms in technology-oriented organizations, therefore, may translate into recruitment of fewer women and higher turnover of women. Conclusion From the analysis it is clear that despite spirited attempts by governments and organizations to achieve equal gender representation in engineering and technology-oriented fields, the problem is far from over. In countries which have achieved tangible outcomes in narrowing down the gap, â€Å"†¦the steady increase in participation of women in science is marred by the tendency of fields to lower in status as women achieve equality of representation, and by continued resistance to women reaching positions of authority† (Etzkowitz et al, 2010 p. 83). Consequently, these negative progressions must be reversed if women are to enjoy the economic and social gains that are attached to the highly prestigious fields of science, engineering and technology. Collecting and analyzing data on why women fail to, make a tangible impact in these fields is a necessary prerequisite to achieving more gendered occupation equality in the industry. As noted in a report by the United Nations Development Programme cited in Hafkin Huyer (2007), â€Å"†¦without data, there is no visibility; without visibility, there is no priority† (p. 26). It is this understanding that provides the impetus for the next section, which aims to collect data t o analyze why there are few women employees in the telecommunications sector in Europe and Middle East. Summary of Conceptual Frame Work From the analysis and statistics, carried out in various regions globally, it is evident that careers which comprise of; technology, engineering, computer science, mathematics, physics, telecommunication and ICT, have little or no women in them. This is because of the gender disparity that is exorbitant in diverse societies globally (Baron 2010, p.203). Whereby, the believes in these societies, define different careers in terms of being feminine or masculine. This has affected women in making career choices, where most of the women find it odd to choose careers that are more masculine in the society than they are feminine. Moreover, even when women take technical occupations, the job market prejudices them because it prefers men to do masculine occupations. Organisational policies that do not encourage women on technical careers have watered down e fforts to eliminate gender segregation in occupations (Schreuders 2009, p103). Meritocracy, which is a strategy developed to eliminate occupational gender segregation, has also failed due to this same prejudice in the job market. The pipeline theory, established to maximize and increase the number of women in masculine occupation, also failed since women who acted in reaction to this theory, did not take masculine and technological occupations (schreuders 2009, p110) On the other hand, unusually many societies globally have painted technical courses masculine. However, despite this, most men have shown a lot of unfading interest in these courses. This has raised a real, crucial question why it is so. Various sociological researchers have answered this critical intriguing question. First, the greatest fear of a man is to become a failure, and for man to overcome this fear he has to find something that is sufficient so as to overcome this fear. Hence or otherwise, most men go for tech nical courses because they are more prestigious in the society and moreover because the job market is remarkably open and diverse for technical course (Franzway 2009, p96). In addition to that, there’s an enormous guarantee that technical courses offer jobs to men. All in all, men have majorly many family responsibilities in life, and so it is necessary for a man to take a course that will guarantee the security of his family sufficiently. However, this is not enough reason for occupational gender segregation in technical courses. Lastly, occupational gender segregation can be eliminated with time if the systems of various organisations and associations globally can be changed to be more feminine friendly in relation to technical careers (Franzway 2009, p103) References Baron, J.D., Cobb-Clark, D.A (2010). Occupational Segregation and the Gender Wage Gap in Private- and Public-Sector Employment: A Distributional Analysis. Economic Record, 86 (273), pp. 227-246. Benson, J., Yukongdi, V (2005). Asian Women Managers: Participation, Barriers and Future Prospects. Asian Pacific Business Review, 11 (2), pp. 283-291. Bhatia, S., Amati, J (2010). ‘If these Women can do it, I can do it, Too’: Building Women Engineering Leaders through Graduate Peer Mentoring. Leadership Management in Engineering, 10 (4), pp. 174-184. Blau, F.D., Kahn, L.M (2007). The Gender Pay Gap: Have Women gone as Far as they Can? Academy of Management Perspectives, 11 (2), pp. 283-291. Bystydzienski, J.M (2004). (Re)Gendering Science Fields: Transforming Academic Science and Engineering. NWSA Journal, 16 (1), pp. 8-12. Castilla, E.J., Bernard, S (2010). The Paradox of Meritocracy in Organizations. Administrative Science Quarterly, 55 (4), pp. 543-576. Coder, L., Rosenbloom, J.L., Ash, R.A., DuPont, B.R (2009). Economic and Business Dimensions: Increasing Gender Diversity in the IT Workforce. Communications of the ACM, 52 (5), pp. 25-27. Deem, R (2007). Managing a Meritoc racy or an Equitable Organization? Senior Managers’ and Employees’ Views about Equal Opportunities Policies in UK Universities. Journal of Education Policy, 22 (6), pp. 615-636. Etzkowitz, H., Gupta, N., Kamelgor, C (2010). The Gender Revolution in Science and Technology. Journal of International Affairs, 64 (1), pp. 83-100. Franzway, S., Sharp, R., Mills, J.E., Gill, J (2009). Engineering Ignorance. Frontiers: A Journal of Women Studies, 30 (1), pp. 89-106. Gillard, H., Howcroft, D., Mitev, N., Richardson, H (2008). â€Å"Missing Women†: Gender, ICTs, and the Shaping of the Global Economy. Information Technology for Development, 14 (4), pp. 262-279. Hafkin, N.J., Huyer, S (2007). Women and Gender in ICT Statistics and Indicators for Development. Information Technologies International Development, 4 (2), pp. 25-41. Hatchell, H., Aveling, N (2008). Those same Old Prejudices? Gendered Experiences in the Science Workplace. Journal of Workplace Rights, 13 (4), pp. 355-375. Huffman, M.L., Cohen, P.N., Pearlman, J (2010). Engendering Change: Organizational Dynamics and Workplace Gender Desegregation, 1975-2005. Administrative Science Quarterly, 55 (2), pp. 255-277. Jones, J (2010). Closing the Gender Gap. Civil Engineering, 80 (7), pp. 60-63. Kotsilieri, F., Marshall, J (2004). Hellenic Women Managers in the Telecommunications Sector: Living in Transition. New Technology, Work Employment, 19 (3), pp. 177-191. Kusk, F., Ozbilgin, M., Ozkale, L (2007). Against the Tide: Gendered Prejudice and Disadvantage in Engineering. Gender, Work Organization, 14 (2), pp. 109-129. Morganson, V.J., Jones, M.P., Major, D.A (2010). Understanding Women’s Underrepresentation in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics: The Role of Social Coping. Career Development Quarterly, 59 (2), pp. 169-179. Oswald, D.L (2008). Gender Stereotypes and Women’s Reports of Liking and Ability in Traditionally Masculine and Feminine Occupations. Psy chology of Women Quarterly, 32 (2), pp. 196-203. Sappleton, N., Takrui-Rick, H (2008). The Gender Subtext of Science, Engineering, and Technology (SET) Organizations: A Review and Critique. Women’s Studies, 37 (3), 284-316. Schreuders, P. D., Mannon, S.E., Rutherford, B (2009). Pipeline or Personal Preference: Women in Engineering. European Journal of Engineering Education, 34 (1), pp. 97-112. Schweitzer, L., Ng, E., Lyons, S., Kuron, L (2011). Exploring the Career Pipeline: Gender Differences in Pre-Career Expectations. Industrial Relations, 66 (3), pp. 422-444. This dissertation on Women in Technology Fields was written and submitted by user Diamond Bishop to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Thursday, March 5, 2020

14 Popular Fantasy Tropes (and How to Revitalize Them)

14 Popular Fantasy Tropes (and How to Revitalize Them) 14 Popular Fantasy Tropes - And How to Make Them Feel New Again Fantasy tropes, like any other type of literary trope, are recurring images, themes, or devices that are used to the point of being common conventions amongst its genre.When writing a genre  such as fantasy  (with such well-known concepts), authors often feel the need to straddle a fine line: include too many tropes and readers will get  dà ©j vu; don’t include a single clichà © and you risk losing readers who have come to expect certain themes and touchstones from a fantasy novel.The thing is, conventions commonly crop up in stories because most of them contain some element of universal relatability - and people enjoy the familiar. Even the best fantasy novels make use of tropes.So embrace the balancing act by acquainting yourself with some of the most popular fantasy tropes out there, and by learning how to prevent your characters, plots, and worlds from becoming a complete clichà ©. 14 popular fantasy tropes - and how to make them feel new again. Character tropesAt their heart, all stories are about characters who represent some aspect of human nature - and fantasy is no exception. Many novels in this  genre feature  archetypes, which is not necessarily a bad thing - so long as your characters' development aligns with the narrative arc and doesn't rely on clichà © pitstops.Tropes: we love to hate them and hate to love them. What are some of your favorites, or most eye-roll-inducing fantasy novel conventions? Let us know in the comments below!

Tuesday, February 18, 2020

Analysis of LivingWell Inc. Strategic Approach to Environmental Essay

Analysis of LivingWell Inc. Strategic Approach to Environmental Factors - Essay Example This essay evaluates the alternative or additional strategic options available for adaptation to ensure surviving and thriving of the LivingWell Inc. company in to the next decade. The researcher states that in today’s intensely competitive world, organisations are increasingly pressured to achieve targets and goals with limited and scarce economic resources. Effective deployment of organisational strategy directs the scare resources and efforts towards a charted course, eliminating waste arising from lack of direction. In crafting organisational strategies, the impinging internal and external environment factors needs to be analysed. The researcher of this essay aims to analyse the strategic approach taken by LivingWell Inc., in responding to the environmental factors influencing the industry. In conclusion, it can be noted that LivingWell has responded to business conditions prevailing and anticipated, through a mixture of corporate, business and functional level strategies. The company with its strong financial backing is in a strong position to benefit from attractive industry opportunities. The Health, Fitness and Leisure industry is still at its developing stages across the world and there is significant for growth. The researcher concluds his analysis and states that the company should continue with those strategies, which are proven effective while considering the deployment of alternative strategic options to retain and develop its competitive positioning in the industry.

Monday, February 3, 2020

Historical Milestones in Production and Operations Management Essay

Historical Milestones in Production and Operations Management - Essay Example While the process involved may vary from organization to organization depending on the nature of output be it tangible product or intangible service, the essential elements of production and operation management is concerned with the management of input-throughput-output process effectively and efficiently Operation Management can, therefore, be defined as â€Å"the management of the conversion process, which converts land, labor, capital and management inputs in to desired outputs of goods and services†. The progression of terms used for this management function over the centuries as manufacturing management, production management, and operations management, is a good indication of the evolution process it has undergone and the historical milestones it has achieved which will be the focus of evaluation in this essay. The origins of operations management can be traced to the Industrial Revolution era which began in the 1700s in England. The main features of the changes which t ook place during this era were the Centralized production, Powered machinery, and concept of Factory production. One of the landmark achievements of this era was the steam engine being invented by James Watt in 1764, which provided a new source of energy to power the factory concept. Another key milestone which revolutionized the discipline was the 1776 publication of Adam Smith’s seminal work known commonly as â€Å"The Wealth of Nations† which proposed the economic benefits associated with specialization of labor. His recommendation was that work should be broken down to subtasks, and assigned to workers where they became specialized in performing this tasks with efficiency through repetitive performance. As the industrial revolution gained momentum and spread to other parts of the world, Eli Whitney from America developed the concept of â€Å"Interchangeable parts† in 1970, laying the foundation for volume productions and standardized parts and the inception of large-scale factories in industries such as textile. By the mid-1800s, the traditional manufacturing systems associated with cottage and artisan productions was completely replaced by factory systems which also brought in new challenges such as managing the workforce and management of quality issues.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚