Writer's choice Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Writer's choice - Research Paper Example Ibsen’s knowledge of humanity is nowhere more obvious than in his portrayal of women. He amazes one by his painful introspection; he seems to know them better than they know themselves. Indeed, if one may say so of an eminently virile man, there is a curious admixture of the woman in his nature (Jacobus 131). As the play commences Nora is projected as a typically naive, openhearted woman basking in her husband’s love and affection where she continuously gives in to her husband’s views and opinions and curbs the desire to voice her own. As it is apparent from their mild argument over spending and loans when Torvald says, â€Å"A home that depends on loans and debts is not beautiful because it is not free† Nora finally acquiesces and says, â€Å"Everything as you wish, Torvald† (Act 1). The docility with which Nora accepts her husband’s point of view initially projects her to be a victim of a woman living a voiceless life. From a structural point of view Nora’s character develops over the course of the play as it is apparent from her first conversation with Mrs. Linde that initially she is projected to be childlike in her understanding of the world. Over the course of the play her character will develop in terms of education, maturation, and the shedding of her supposed naivetà ©. While Nora clings to the romantic notions about love and marriage, Mrs. Linde has a more realistic understanding of marriage, gained from her experience of being left with â€Å"not even an ounce of grief† (Act 1) after her husband’s death. Nora’s incredulity at Mrs. Linde’s remark indicates that Nora has live a sheltered life first under the protection of her father and then her husband. Feminist strains of independence begin to emerge towards the end of Act 1 as Nora’s character begins to unravel for the readers. Her rebellion of eating macaroons against her husband’s wish is

Entrepreneurship Master Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Entrepreneurship Master - Assignment Example Craftadelic was set up in January 2004, a little over two years ago, by an individual who loved to make handmade greetings cards, using items found from her worldwide travels. Following a visit to a local craft store - Hobbycraft - the individual saw that crafts were very popular with other people, and started to think that there may be a future in selling the items she had found on her travels. Many people had commented on her cards, and when she had exhibited at local craft fairs, selling her cards, many people had asked her where the items she had used on her cards were from, and if they could be brought - other people therefore seemed interested in using the same items on their cards, as the items were very unusual, obviously reasonably priced, and of high quality. This fact, coupled with the fact that the local craft store was full of people buying supplies for their crafts, suggested that there would be a strong market for the goods she was thinking of selling. Within a few months of thinking of the idea to set up the business, her personal circumstances had changed, following a car accident, which caused damage to her shoulder and hands, and which left her unable to work on her main job (writing). At this point, she decided to use some of her savings to set up the craft business. She set about buying stock in bulk from her suppliers, whose names/addresses/business terms she had gathered on her travels. She had also located some British suppliers for some craft supplies that were too heavy, and therefore not cost effective, to post from abroad in small, initial, quantities (for example, card). It soon became apparent that in order to be able to buy in bulk from some suppliers, she had to prove her trading status, and so the decision was made at this point to register for VAT, which would give the business credibility, and which would be necessary anyway, as it was expected, from market research, that the business would be trading over the VAT threshold within its first few months of sale, and definitely within the first year of trading. Whilst the supplies were arriving, she made the decision that the business had to be run through an online store front, in order to catch the greatest number of customers, and in order that no initial outlay was made on renting premises, as in this way, the business could initially be run from her home, through the website. She set about using her local contacts to find someone who would be able to build the website for her, as she did not possess the relevant skills, and was not able, anyway, in her physical condition, to work on such a large project, involving such a lot of computer time. After a few months, the website was developed, through a collaborative process between the web designer and the individual. Many issues came up in the design process, such as branding and imaging of the business, graphic design, methods of payment acceptance etc., and in order to deal with these issues at the time of initiation of the business, and in an easily manageable, ongoing, manner, a plan was created by the individual for the development and implementation of these issues. For example, analyzing the set-up costs versus the ease of use, it was decided that PayPal would be used as a payment processor, not any of the more expensive payment processors (such as WorldPay), as many crafters use PayPal, as eBay

Effect of Organisational Culture on Information Technology

Effect of Organisational Culture on Information Technology The Effect of Organizational Culture on Information Technology/Business Strategic alignment in Saudi Firms Abstract This research effort is intended to study the dynamic relationship between the IT Strategy and the overall Business Strategy in Saudi Firms. IT strategies perceived to be developed in isolation, meaning that such strategies are put forward by IT managers without any involvement of top business managers. The IT manager may be oblivious or he/she may not have a clear idea of the business strategy leading to a strategic diversion where all important technical investments decisions are made by the IT director alone. The researcher recognized some major factors that influence alignment including Organizational Culture; therefore the researcher investigated the current organizational Culture at large selected Saudi firms. In addition, perceptions of Information Technology Value and utilization in the targeted companies was identified and analyzed through set of questionnaires and interviews in order to help the researcher to establish the relationship between Information Technology and Organizational Culture, since it would be a valuable part of forming the proposed strategic alignment model. The Saudi firms, where questionnaires have been distributed, and interviews have been conducted are SABB (Saudi British Bank), Saudi Airlines, AL-Marai, and AlTawniah. The researcher is aiming to collect further data from previous Strategic Alignment Models, and collect more information through additional interviews and questionnaires in order to interpret and validate the findings of the first stage that will lead to the design of the final stage of the Strategic Alignment Model. All data will be combined to give the base for a Strategic Alignment Model. This new model will be a practical one that should fit the Saudi environment. 1. Introduction Strategic alignment has become one of the most important topics for researchers in all industries. Its main objective is to establish and arrange a relationship between business and IT strategies. From a competitive advantage point of view, organizations with such alignment will have edge over others. 2. Context of the Research In the last few decades, the gap between business strategy of organizations and their IT strategy has been noticed by researchers and practitioners across the globe. Numerous research articles have been written to indicate this fact and to highlight the importance of bridging the gap between IT strategy and business strategy of organizations, to achieve coordinated results and efficiency for the enterprise. MIS professional, researchers have understood the significance of the issue which exists at global level [1]. Figure (1) summarizes the Information System/Business relationship which can be described as ‘Interdependent; where any changes in the IS (Software, Hardware, Database and Telecommunication devices will have an impact on the Business and vice versa; any change in the business (Strategy, Rules and Procedures) will have its impact on the Information Systems function of the organization [2]. FIG01-07Since Information systems and organizations influence each another. On the one hand, information systems must be aligned with the organization to provide information that is important to different groups according to the organization need. On the other hand, the organization must be aware of and open itself to the influences of information systems in order to benefit from new technologies [3]. Figure 1: The interdependence between organizations and information systems (Laudon Laudon, 2006) The interaction between information technology and organizations is very complex and is influenced by a great many mediating factors, including the organizations structure, standard operating procedures, politics, culture, surrounding environment, and management decisions as shown in figure (2). One mediating factor was selected by the researcher, which is the organizational culture, and the purpose of this selection will be discussed in a later section. Managers must be aware that information systems can markedly alter life in the organization. They cannot successfully design new systems or understand existing systems without understanding organizations. Managers decide what systems will be built, what they will do, how they will be implemented. Sometimes, however, the outcomes are the result of pure chance and of both good and bad luck [2]. 3. Original Work in Strategic Alignment Strategic Alignment is defined as the process of creating and managing a business driven IT organization, for which the main focus is implementing information oriented Solutions, that is most important to meeting the business goals, objectives, and strategies of the enterprise [4]. In order to make organizations successful, it is important for all parts of the organization to move in the same strategic direction. Of particular importance is that the business strategy and the IT strategy are complementary. If they are trying to move the organization in different directions the risk of failure may increase. Given the high level of resources invested in IT by most organizations it is important for it to be used as a strategic resource to contribute towards the achievement of business objectives. The strategic alignment would measure the relationship between an organizations IT function and its business objectives. The degree to which alignment is present in an organization will depend o n many factors. These factors will include the knowledge of the subject by management, the organizational infrastructure and culture, the nature of the business, the technology in use, and the ability of the organization to manage change. It is very important to realize that Strategic alignment is a process and not a project. Also Alignment issues should be considered at all levels of the organization, meaning that the occurrence of alignment at one level does not guarantee alignment at another [5]. 3.1 Strategic Alignment Models Alignment models show the relationship between the various domains (Business: mission, vision, objectives and tactics and Technical: processes, skills and knowledge) that influence alignment, which is dynamic with a strategy or technology decision impacting on one or more of the other domains. The alignment model within an organization must be continually reviewed due to the ongoing change in the internal and external environments. Corrective action must be taken to realign the organization when necessary. Many managers do not realize that a decision imposed on one domain may impact on one or more of the other domains [6]. Different people depending on their experience and background will have different strengths in each domain. An IT professional would likely have strengths in IT strategy or infrastructure while a business manager would likely have strengths in business strategy or organizational infrastructure. This could lead to problems if communication channels are not strong an d management processes are not in place to facilitate alignment. There are number of models which were designed to attempt to come up with such an alignment. Some of the most important models are the following: A. Strategic Alignment Model (Henderson and Venkatramon, 1993) The model has four domains or variables: business strategy, IT strategy, organizational infrastructure and IT infrastructure [7]. Butler and Fitzgerlad defined the context of the business strategy domain as business scope which refers to â€Å"the decisions that determine where the enterprise will compete†; distinctive competencies which â€Å"pertains to the areas that determine how the business will compete in delivering its products and services† and business governance which concerns â€Å"the choices that enterprises make when competing in the market place, e.g., whether alliances are entered into or not†. While administrative infrastructure refers to â€Å"the roles, responsibilities, and authority structure†; the business processes are â€Å"the manner in which key business functions are carried out† and skills refer to â€Å"the knowledge and competencies of organizational actors. In the context of IT strategy define technology scope as â€Å"the specific types of technology that are considered to be critical to the organization†; systemic competencies refer to â€Å"the salient characteristics and technological strengths of the IT systems† and IT governance as â€Å"issues refers to the manner in which IT systems are developed†. On the other hand, The IT architecture as â€Å"the policies and decisions made in regard to the integration of application systems, systems software, and hardware into cohesive platforms that are captured by the IT architecture dimension†; The processes are referred to as â€Å" how IT systems are planned, developed, implemented, and operated† and the skills dimension is captured by â€Å"the experience, competencies, commitments, values, and norms of the participants in the planning, development, implementation, and operation processes† [8]. B. Top-Down Alignment Model The theory consist of an input-process-output model, seven constructs, six Causal relationships and six hypotheses as shown in figure 4 The input-output-process model provides the initial bases for the theory. The Seven constructs are: the external environment, the internal environment, Planning resources, the planning process, the strategic information systems plan, the implementation of the strategic information systems plan, and the alignment of the strategic information systems plan with the organizations Business plan. These seven constructs exhibit causal relationships among each other illustrated through hypotheses [9]. 4. Knowledge Gap Based on the above, and through screening some of the existing strategic alignment models in the literature review, the researcher figured out that to achieve such an alignment there is a need to consider and integrate the following points: 1. Most of staff, if not all, is unaware of business goals, especially in the environment of Saudi Arabia [10]. 2. Important technical investments decisions are made by the IT manager alone [11]. 3. No relationship exists (Gap) between Business strategy and IT strategy [12]. 4. A lot of factors are not taken into consideration when forming strategic alignment, such as Structure, Culture, politics, and others [13]. 5. Strategic alignment models discussed only top management level and discarded other levels [14]. 6. Previous strategic alignment models are hard to be understood and implemented in reality [15]. The models discussed in the literature review may have achieved one or two of the above six points, however, there is no existing model that has achieved the above six points altogether. Based on the above, I have selected Strategic Alignment as a starting and a centre area of my research that the researcher is building on to fulfill the other points mentioned. The model that the researcher is aiming to establish, differs from the existing ones in that it will meet the requirements and challenges of the Saudi environment taking into consideration the 6 above points. 5. Research Aims Significance * To bridge the gap between Business Strategy and Information Technology Strategy through developing and designing a simple Strategic Alignment Model, that includes the essence of the major research works in addition to other strategic alignment theories available * To highlight the role of socio-cultural aspects as a critical success factor for successful IT implementation, which were not taken into consideration in the past * To measure the contribution of such a model to business performance. * To encourage Saudi Firms to use such a model to gain competitive competition. * To reduce the associated costs of implementing Information Systems in Organization 6. Research methods The researcher has used the mixed research methodology. Mixed research involves the mixing of quantitative and qualitative methods or paradigm characteristics within a stage of the study or across two of the stages of the research process. It collects data either sequentially of simultaneously to best understand research problems [16]. Advantages of using mixed research includes: the major goal for researcher who design and conduct mixed research is to follow the fundamental principle of mixed research, in other words, the researcher should mix quantitative and qualitative research methods, procedures, and paradigm characteristics in a way that the resulting mixture or combination has complementary strengths and non-overlapping weaknesses. When different approaches are used to focus on the same phenomenon, while providing the same result, is a strong evidence for the result. Other important reason for doing mixed research are to complement one set of results with another, to expand a set of results, or to discover something that would have been missed if only a quantitative or a qualitative approach had been used[17]. Questionnaire One of the most widely used research techniques can be defined as collecting data through written questions [17]. There are a number of different ways in which questionnaires can be administered; for example: posted to the intended respondents or administered over the telephone or face-to-face. A questionnaire design provides a quantitative description of trends, attitudes, or opinions of a population by studying a sample of that population. From sample results, the researcher generalizes or makes claims about a population [18]. Interviews Interviews are considered to be the main tool of the qualitative researcher for data collection [18]. Additionally, since the interpretive stance is also being followed, interviews are viewed to be the main and appropriate source from where data has been collected. According to Walsham, interviews allow the best access to the interpretations that the participants have regarding the actions and events, which have or are taking place and the views and aspirations of themselves and other participants. An added benefit is that it allows researchers to step back and examine the interpretations of their fellow participants in some detail, and this is an advantage that other methods may not allow [18]. Data analysis Data gathered will be analyzed through frequency distributions. These will give way to reviewing the data categories and the number of referrals in each category. With relation to data analysis, the indicators that will be used in evaluating the study include the age of the respondent; the social status; the educational attainment of the respondents; the occupation of the respondents and their length of stay in the company they belong to [19]. The research has involved 4 large organizations, SABB (Saudi British Bank), Saudi Airlines, AL-Marai, and AlTawniah, where interviews have been conducted with CIOs and CEOs to have a clear idea about the companys business strategy. Also, other interviews will take place with IT directors to investigate about the Information Technology (IT) strategy and its relationship with the business strategy. In addition,2 sets of questionnaires were distributed among different levels of the organizations to come up with the types of organizational culture and the use of Information technology in those organizations. At the end, data were collected and analyzed through using SPSS software. 7. Expected Research Outcomes The results from this research are anticipated to be of great help to top managers, strategic planners, IT managers, and other work force in Saudi environment, and will contribute to the following factors: * Increasing the awareness of the importance of Strategic Alignment Model Concept. * Selling the quick wins, by having strategic alignment achieved effectively. * Showing the importance of the use of Information Technology in organizations * Identifying the organizational culture as a major factor of achieving strategic alignment. * Encouraging decision makers and top management to apply and implement strategic alignment throughout the organization. * Highlighting the weaknesses of previous strategic alignment models and the lessons learned, which would help other researchers for future work 8. Indicative Thesis Structure The thesis will contain seven chapters (tentative): Chapter 1: Introduction: Presents an overview about the research subject. It shows the importance of strategic alignment in all sectors, followed by bridging the gap between business strategy and IT strategy, and the factors that affect strategic alignment. The research aims and significance then was explained followed by a brief discussion of the research methodology, research framework, then prospected research contribution was mentioned. Chapter 2: Literature Review: Provides the literature review for this research. It begins with explaining Business strategy, Business planning and its tools, followed by a discussion of IT strategy, IT planning, and its tools. Then a discussion of strategic alignment was presented. And ended with an overview of previous strategic alignment models. Chapter 3: Research design and methodology: Describes the research design and methodology conducted in this study. It starts with discussing the research general strategy, methodology and the reasons for selecting the methods of data collection. Followed that is a detailed explanation of the quantitative and qualitative methods, were a detailed description of the design of the research instruments was presented. Chapter 4: Developing the Parameters of the Strategic Alignment Model: Presents the need for a strategic alignment Model that can bridge the gap through identifying 3 parameters: Organizational Culture, Business strategy and its domains, and IT strategy and its domains Chapter 5: Questionnaires Analysis: Discusses and examines the data collected through the questionnaires for both, identifying the organizational culture, and the use of IT in the 4 Saudi firms Chapter 6: Interviews Analysis: Talks about and analyses the data collected through the interviews in the 4 Saudi firms. Chapter 7: Conclusion and Recommendations: Proposes the new strategic alignment model, and concludes the study and gives recommendations and future directions. 9. Training Undertaken * Using electronic library resources in Sep-2006. * Stage I part A on 30/Aug/2006. * Stage I part B on 31/Aug/2006. * Stage II Part A (presentation) on 26/Jul/2007. * Stage II Part B (Academic writing) on 26/Jul/2007. 10. Review of the research Undertaken * Wrote 2 chapters of the thesis (Introduction, Overview and Background about Business Strategy, IT Strategy, and Previous Strategic Alignment Models). * Completed of first level of data gathering (questionnaires Interviews). * Passed the ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) Foundation Certificate. * Published two conference papers. * Presented posters at the ARU 1st 2nd Annual Research Student Conference 11. Action Plan The necessary steps for completion of the research are as follows: 1. Type of organizational culture and Information Technology use was investigated by the researcher through questionnaires(phase 1) 2. Interviews with CEOs and IT managers were conducted in terms of Business strategy and IT strategy existence(phase 1) 3. Data analysis was carried out, which involved performing statistical analysis (SPSS) into the gathered data. 4. Distributing mores questionnaires and conducting further interviews to in order to establish a relationship between Organization Culture and Strategic alignment and show its important effect on the selected Saudi firms 5. All data from the (phase1) and (phase 2) will be combined and linked together to give the base for designing the Strategic Alignment Model. 6. Design the proposed Strategic Alignment Model 7. Writing up of the PhD thesis and preparation for the oral exam. 8. The plan of work also includes writing and submitting papers, attending conferences related to the study and presenting the work. Gantt chart The following chart depicts the action plan of the project and the time expectations for each step in details and it is as follows: Years 2007 2008 2009 2010 Tasks 2 4 6 8 10 12 2 4 6 8 10 12 2 4 6 8 10 12 2 4 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 References [1] David W. Nickles, IT-BUSINESS ALIGNMENT: WHAT WE KNOW THAT WE STILL DONT KNOW, Proceedings of the 7th Annual Conference of the Southern Association for Information Systems, 2005 [2] Kenneth C. Laudon and Jane P. Laudon, Management Information Systems: Managing the Digital Firm, 9th Edition, Prentice Hall, 2006 [3] McNurlin, B.C., and Spargue, R.S., Information Systems Management in Practice, 6th Edition, Prentice Hall, 2002 [4] Raymond Pap, Introduction to Strategic Alignment, Idea Group Inc, 2001 [5] Yolanda E. Chan, Why havent we mastered Alignment? The importance of the informal organization structure, MIS Quarterly Excusive, 2002 [6] Allen, D. and Wilson, T., â€Å"Vertical trust/mistrust during information strategy formation, International Journal of Information Management, 2003 [7] Henderson, J.C. and Venkatraman, N., â€Å"Aligning business and IT strategies†, in Luftman, J.F. (Ed.), Competing in the Information Age: Strategic Alignment in Practice, Oxford University Press, New York, NY, 1996 [8] Butler, T. and Fitzgerlad, B., â€Å"Enterprise Transformation and the Alignment of Business and Information Technology Strategies: Lessons from Practice, 1998 [9] Ruohoueu Parnisto, Proceedings of the First European Doctoral Seminar on Strategic Information Management, Turku centre for computer Science, 1996 [10] Hatem Tamimi, Ala M. Abu-Samaha Sufian Yousef ,Perceptions of Information Technology/Information Systems Value/ Utilisation in Saudi Organisations Proceedings of the ECIME conference, France, pp 1 12, September 20 21, 2007 [11] Bassellier, G. and Benbasat, I. (Business Competence of Information Technology Professionals: Conceptual development and influence on IT-business partnerships), MIS Quarterly 28(4): 673-694, 2004. [13] Baker, E.H. Leading Alignment, CIO Insight 1(45) 19-20, October 15, 2004. [14] Benbya, H. and McKelvey, B. (2006). Using Coevolutionary and Complexity Theories to Improve IS Alignment: A multi-level approach, Journal of Information Technology 21(4): 284-298 [15] Chan, Y.E., Sabherwal, R. and Thatcher, J.B. Antecedents and Outcomes of Strategic IS Alignment: An Empirical Investigation, IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management 51(3): 27-47, 2006. [16] Creswell, JW, Research design: qualitative and quantitative approaches, Sage, Thousand Oaks, California, 1994 [17] Tashakkori and Teddlie, Mixed methods in social behavioral Research, Sage Publications, Inc, 2002 [18] Denzin and Lincoln, the Landscape of Qualitative Research, Sage Publications, Inc, 2003 [19] Walsham, Interpretive case studies in IS Research: Nature and Method, European Journal of Information Systems, 1995 Publications 1. Hatem Tamimi, The Effect of Organizational Culture on Information Technology/Business Strategic alignment in Saudi Firms, 1st Annual Research Student Conference, ARU, Cambridge,2006 2. Hatem Tamimi, Ala M. Abu-Samaha Sufian Yousef ,Perceptions of Information Technology/Information Systems Value/ Utilisation in Saudi Organisations Proceedings of the ECIME conference, France, pp 1 12, September 20 21, 2007 3. Hatem Tamimi, The status of IS Planning in Saudi Firms, 2nd Annual Research Student Conference, ARU, Cambridge,2007 4. Hatem Tamimi, Strategic IS Plans; do they exist in Saudi Firms?, IACeT2008,The International Arab Conference on e-Technology, Arab Open University, Amman-Jordan, October 15-16, 2008 Appendix A The Designed Questionnaire Survey On Strategic Information System Planning Assessment in Saudi companies. The objective of this survey is to investigate how Saudi managers use Information Technology (computer-based information, software, database, networks, communication, and other devices) to support their Strategic Planning. Your assistance in providing information regarding how often you use IT systems, the reasons for using these systems, and whether these systems satisfy your informational needs will be greatly appreciated. This survey is conducted under the direction of Mr Mike Smith, Department of Information Technology, Anglia Ruskin University, Chelmsford, UK. All responses are confidential and will remain anonymous. The success of this study depends on the completeness and the quality of information you provide. We ask you to be as thorough and free as possible in answering the questions in this. Thank you for your time and cooperation! NOTE: Please answer this questionnaire only if you are a user of Information Technology (computer-based information, software, database, networks, communication, and other devices). If you are not a user of Information Technology would you ask a manager in your corporation who is to complete this questionnaire. I. PERSONAL BACKGROUND 1. Organisation name: 2.Sex (M/F): 3. Age: 4. Education: Please choice highest degree attained (Please choice one): A. High school graduate or less B. Baccalaureate Degree C. Masters Degree D. Doctorate 5. Please indicate (how many) college (University) level courses you have completed in Information Technology (Information Systems, Computer Science, Programming, Networks or Communication). (Please choice one): 0 1 2 3 4 ≠¥5 II. PRESENT JOB RESPONSIBILITIES 6. Functional area (Please choice one) : A. Accounting B. Finance C. Marketing D. Manufacturing E. Research and Development F. Personnel G. Corporate Administration H. Information Systems I. Other (Please specify): 7. A. Management Level (Please choice One): 1. First Line Supervisor or Manager 2. Mid-level Manager (Supervising other managers) 3. Executive (Top) Level Manager (Vice president, President, Chairman of the Board of Directors etc. B. Job Title: III. USE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (PC, Software, Databases, Networks, Internet, and other devices): 8. Managers perform a number of Planning roles. For each of the following roles, please indicate the value of IT. (Please choice a number for each role): Decision roles Of Great Value Of Moderate Value No Value At All Does Not Apply Choice A. Capitalist (Identifies and initiates changes) 5 4 3 2 1 0 B. Trouble Handler (Handles important and unexpected troubles) 5 4 3 2 1 0 C. Resource Allocation (Approves and allocates all organisational resources 5 4 3 2 1 0 D. Negotiator (Represents the organisation at major negotiations 5 4 3 2 1 0 1. Planning consists of several steps. For each of the following steps, please indicate the value of IT. (Please choice a number for each step) : Decision steps Of Great Value Of Moderate Value No Value At All Choice A. Identifying problems or issues 5 4 3 2 1 B. Generating alternative courses of action 5 4 3 2 1 C. Evaluating the out comes of each alternative 5 4 3 2 1 D. Ranking the alternatives and choosing one 5 4 3 2 1 E. Implementing the chosen alternative 5 4 3 2 1 2. As a Planner you may use both IT-based and non IT-based in decision making. The percent of IT you use for supporting the following Planning tasks is: (Please choice a number) Decisions >80% 61% to 80% 41% to 60% 21% to 40% None Choice A. Long Term (Strategic) Planning 5 4 3 2 1 0 B. Mid-Term (Tactical) Planning 5 4 3 2 1 0 C. Short Term (Operational) Planning 5 4 3 2 1 0 3. Managers have a mental model (i.e., an image, idea, or conceptualization of the organisation) which they use for planning, controlling and operating purposes. How helpful is the Information Technology Systems (IT) you are presently using in forming or revising the mental model of your corporation? (Please choice a number): Very Helpful Moderately Not Helpful Helpful At All 5 4 3 2 1 12. How valuable is the information the existing IT provides to your mental model in guiding your planning, controlling and operating decisions? (Please choice a number): Of Great Value Of Moderate Value Of No Value At All 5 4 3 2 1 13. Overall, how important is IT for Planning that are critical to the success and effectiveness of your managerial duties? (Please choice a number): Very Important Moderately Important Not Important At All 5 4 3 2 1 Iv. SOURCES AND TOOLS USED TO OBTAIN IT-BASED INFORMATION 14. You obtain the IT-based you use for Planning mainly (Please choice one): A. By yourself B. Through a designated person C. Through a request to an information systems group D. Other (Please specify): 15. Please indicate, on the average, how many hours per week you actually use a personal computer (PC) or a terminal to obtain computer-based information which is essential for the performance of your duties. (Please choice one): A. >16 hours B. 9 -16 hours C. 5 -8 hours D. 1 -4 hours E. 16. Please indicate the average number of hours per week use each of the following hardware pieces: A. I dont use any hardware pieces. Yes/No? Hours/week hours B. 1. Stand-alone personal computer (PC) hours 2. PC or other terminal connected to an internet hours 3. PC or other terminal connected to an â€Å"On-line† distributed computer system hours 4. PC or other terminal connected to a Local Area Network (LAN) hours 5. Other (Please specify) : hours 17. Please indi Effect of Organisational Culture on Information Technology Effect of Organisational Culture on Information Technology The Effect of Organizational Culture on Information Technology/Business Strategic alignment in Saudi Firms Abstract This research effort is intended to study the dynamic relationship between the IT Strategy and the overall Business Strategy in Saudi Firms. IT strategies perceived to be developed in isolation, meaning that such strategies are put forward by IT managers without any involvement of top business managers. The IT manager may be oblivious or he/she may not have a clear idea of the business strategy leading to a strategic diversion where all important technical investments decisions are made by the IT director alone. The researcher recognized some major factors that influence alignment including Organizational Culture; therefore the researcher investigated the current organizational Culture at large selected Saudi firms. In addition, perceptions of Information Technology Value and utilization in the targeted companies was identified and analyzed through set of questionnaires and interviews in order to help the researcher to establish the relationship between Information Technology and Organizational Culture, since it would be a valuable part of forming the proposed strategic alignment model. The Saudi firms, where questionnaires have been distributed, and interviews have been conducted are SABB (Saudi British Bank), Saudi Airlines, AL-Marai, and AlTawniah. The researcher is aiming to collect further data from previous Strategic Alignment Models, and collect more information through additional interviews and questionnaires in order to interpret and validate the findings of the first stage that will lead to the design of the final stage of the Strategic Alignment Model. All data will be combined to give the base for a Strategic Alignment Model. This new model will be a practical one that should fit the Saudi environment. 1. Introduction Strategic alignment has become one of the most important topics for researchers in all industries. Its main objective is to establish and arrange a relationship between business and IT strategies. From a competitive advantage point of view, organizations with such alignment will have edge over others. 2. Context of the Research In the last few decades, the gap between business strategy of organizations and their IT strategy has been noticed by researchers and practitioners across the globe. Numerous research articles have been written to indicate this fact and to highlight the importance of bridging the gap between IT strategy and business strategy of organizations, to achieve coordinated results and efficiency for the enterprise. MIS professional, researchers have understood the significance of the issue which exists at global level [1]. Figure (1) summarizes the Information System/Business relationship which can be described as ‘Interdependent; where any changes in the IS (Software, Hardware, Database and Telecommunication devices will have an impact on the Business and vice versa; any change in the business (Strategy, Rules and Procedures) will have its impact on the Information Systems function of the organization [2]. FIG01-07Since Information systems and organizations influence each another. On the one hand, information systems must be aligned with the organization to provide information that is important to different groups according to the organization need. On the other hand, the organization must be aware of and open itself to the influences of information systems in order to benefit from new technologies [3]. Figure 1: The interdependence between organizations and information systems (Laudon Laudon, 2006) The interaction between information technology and organizations is very complex and is influenced by a great many mediating factors, including the organizations structure, standard operating procedures, politics, culture, surrounding environment, and management decisions as shown in figure (2). One mediating factor was selected by the researcher, which is the organizational culture, and the purpose of this selection will be discussed in a later section. Managers must be aware that information systems can markedly alter life in the organization. They cannot successfully design new systems or understand existing systems without understanding organizations. Managers decide what systems will be built, what they will do, how they will be implemented. Sometimes, however, the outcomes are the result of pure chance and of both good and bad luck [2]. 3. Original Work in Strategic Alignment Strategic Alignment is defined as the process of creating and managing a business driven IT organization, for which the main focus is implementing information oriented Solutions, that is most important to meeting the business goals, objectives, and strategies of the enterprise [4]. In order to make organizations successful, it is important for all parts of the organization to move in the same strategic direction. Of particular importance is that the business strategy and the IT strategy are complementary. If they are trying to move the organization in different directions the risk of failure may increase. Given the high level of resources invested in IT by most organizations it is important for it to be used as a strategic resource to contribute towards the achievement of business objectives. The strategic alignment would measure the relationship between an organizations IT function and its business objectives. The degree to which alignment is present in an organization will depend o n many factors. These factors will include the knowledge of the subject by management, the organizational infrastructure and culture, the nature of the business, the technology in use, and the ability of the organization to manage change. It is very important to realize that Strategic alignment is a process and not a project. Also Alignment issues should be considered at all levels of the organization, meaning that the occurrence of alignment at one level does not guarantee alignment at another [5]. 3.1 Strategic Alignment Models Alignment models show the relationship between the various domains (Business: mission, vision, objectives and tactics and Technical: processes, skills and knowledge) that influence alignment, which is dynamic with a strategy or technology decision impacting on one or more of the other domains. The alignment model within an organization must be continually reviewed due to the ongoing change in the internal and external environments. Corrective action must be taken to realign the organization when necessary. Many managers do not realize that a decision imposed on one domain may impact on one or more of the other domains [6]. Different people depending on their experience and background will have different strengths in each domain. An IT professional would likely have strengths in IT strategy or infrastructure while a business manager would likely have strengths in business strategy or organizational infrastructure. This could lead to problems if communication channels are not strong an d management processes are not in place to facilitate alignment. There are number of models which were designed to attempt to come up with such an alignment. Some of the most important models are the following: A. Strategic Alignment Model (Henderson and Venkatramon, 1993) The model has four domains or variables: business strategy, IT strategy, organizational infrastructure and IT infrastructure [7]. Butler and Fitzgerlad defined the context of the business strategy domain as business scope which refers to â€Å"the decisions that determine where the enterprise will compete†; distinctive competencies which â€Å"pertains to the areas that determine how the business will compete in delivering its products and services† and business governance which concerns â€Å"the choices that enterprises make when competing in the market place, e.g., whether alliances are entered into or not†. While administrative infrastructure refers to â€Å"the roles, responsibilities, and authority structure†; the business processes are â€Å"the manner in which key business functions are carried out† and skills refer to â€Å"the knowledge and competencies of organizational actors. In the context of IT strategy define technology scope as â€Å"the specific types of technology that are considered to be critical to the organization†; systemic competencies refer to â€Å"the salient characteristics and technological strengths of the IT systems† and IT governance as â€Å"issues refers to the manner in which IT systems are developed†. On the other hand, The IT architecture as â€Å"the policies and decisions made in regard to the integration of application systems, systems software, and hardware into cohesive platforms that are captured by the IT architecture dimension†; The processes are referred to as â€Å" how IT systems are planned, developed, implemented, and operated† and the skills dimension is captured by â€Å"the experience, competencies, commitments, values, and norms of the participants in the planning, development, implementation, and operation processes† [8]. B. Top-Down Alignment Model The theory consist of an input-process-output model, seven constructs, six Causal relationships and six hypotheses as shown in figure 4 The input-output-process model provides the initial bases for the theory. The Seven constructs are: the external environment, the internal environment, Planning resources, the planning process, the strategic information systems plan, the implementation of the strategic information systems plan, and the alignment of the strategic information systems plan with the organizations Business plan. These seven constructs exhibit causal relationships among each other illustrated through hypotheses [9]. 4. Knowledge Gap Based on the above, and through screening some of the existing strategic alignment models in the literature review, the researcher figured out that to achieve such an alignment there is a need to consider and integrate the following points: 1. Most of staff, if not all, is unaware of business goals, especially in the environment of Saudi Arabia [10]. 2. Important technical investments decisions are made by the IT manager alone [11]. 3. No relationship exists (Gap) between Business strategy and IT strategy [12]. 4. A lot of factors are not taken into consideration when forming strategic alignment, such as Structure, Culture, politics, and others [13]. 5. Strategic alignment models discussed only top management level and discarded other levels [14]. 6. Previous strategic alignment models are hard to be understood and implemented in reality [15]. The models discussed in the literature review may have achieved one or two of the above six points, however, there is no existing model that has achieved the above six points altogether. Based on the above, I have selected Strategic Alignment as a starting and a centre area of my research that the researcher is building on to fulfill the other points mentioned. The model that the researcher is aiming to establish, differs from the existing ones in that it will meet the requirements and challenges of the Saudi environment taking into consideration the 6 above points. 5. Research Aims Significance * To bridge the gap between Business Strategy and Information Technology Strategy through developing and designing a simple Strategic Alignment Model, that includes the essence of the major research works in addition to other strategic alignment theories available * To highlight the role of socio-cultural aspects as a critical success factor for successful IT implementation, which were not taken into consideration in the past * To measure the contribution of such a model to business performance. * To encourage Saudi Firms to use such a model to gain competitive competition. * To reduce the associated costs of implementing Information Systems in Organization 6. Research methods The researcher has used the mixed research methodology. Mixed research involves the mixing of quantitative and qualitative methods or paradigm characteristics within a stage of the study or across two of the stages of the research process. It collects data either sequentially of simultaneously to best understand research problems [16]. Advantages of using mixed research includes: the major goal for researcher who design and conduct mixed research is to follow the fundamental principle of mixed research, in other words, the researcher should mix quantitative and qualitative research methods, procedures, and paradigm characteristics in a way that the resulting mixture or combination has complementary strengths and non-overlapping weaknesses. When different approaches are used to focus on the same phenomenon, while providing the same result, is a strong evidence for the result. Other important reason for doing mixed research are to complement one set of results with another, to expand a set of results, or to discover something that would have been missed if only a quantitative or a qualitative approach had been used[17]. Questionnaire One of the most widely used research techniques can be defined as collecting data through written questions [17]. There are a number of different ways in which questionnaires can be administered; for example: posted to the intended respondents or administered over the telephone or face-to-face. A questionnaire design provides a quantitative description of trends, attitudes, or opinions of a population by studying a sample of that population. From sample results, the researcher generalizes or makes claims about a population [18]. Interviews Interviews are considered to be the main tool of the qualitative researcher for data collection [18]. Additionally, since the interpretive stance is also being followed, interviews are viewed to be the main and appropriate source from where data has been collected. According to Walsham, interviews allow the best access to the interpretations that the participants have regarding the actions and events, which have or are taking place and the views and aspirations of themselves and other participants. An added benefit is that it allows researchers to step back and examine the interpretations of their fellow participants in some detail, and this is an advantage that other methods may not allow [18]. Data analysis Data gathered will be analyzed through frequency distributions. These will give way to reviewing the data categories and the number of referrals in each category. With relation to data analysis, the indicators that will be used in evaluating the study include the age of the respondent; the social status; the educational attainment of the respondents; the occupation of the respondents and their length of stay in the company they belong to [19]. The research has involved 4 large organizations, SABB (Saudi British Bank), Saudi Airlines, AL-Marai, and AlTawniah, where interviews have been conducted with CIOs and CEOs to have a clear idea about the companys business strategy. Also, other interviews will take place with IT directors to investigate about the Information Technology (IT) strategy and its relationship with the business strategy. In addition,2 sets of questionnaires were distributed among different levels of the organizations to come up with the types of organizational culture and the use of Information technology in those organizations. At the end, data were collected and analyzed through using SPSS software. 7. Expected Research Outcomes The results from this research are anticipated to be of great help to top managers, strategic planners, IT managers, and other work force in Saudi environment, and will contribute to the following factors: * Increasing the awareness of the importance of Strategic Alignment Model Concept. * Selling the quick wins, by having strategic alignment achieved effectively. * Showing the importance of the use of Information Technology in organizations * Identifying the organizational culture as a major factor of achieving strategic alignment. * Encouraging decision makers and top management to apply and implement strategic alignment throughout the organization. * Highlighting the weaknesses of previous strategic alignment models and the lessons learned, which would help other researchers for future work 8. Indicative Thesis Structure The thesis will contain seven chapters (tentative): Chapter 1: Introduction: Presents an overview about the research subject. It shows the importance of strategic alignment in all sectors, followed by bridging the gap between business strategy and IT strategy, and the factors that affect strategic alignment. The research aims and significance then was explained followed by a brief discussion of the research methodology, research framework, then prospected research contribution was mentioned. Chapter 2: Literature Review: Provides the literature review for this research. It begins with explaining Business strategy, Business planning and its tools, followed by a discussion of IT strategy, IT planning, and its tools. Then a discussion of strategic alignment was presented. And ended with an overview of previous strategic alignment models. Chapter 3: Research design and methodology: Describes the research design and methodology conducted in this study. It starts with discussing the research general strategy, methodology and the reasons for selecting the methods of data collection. Followed that is a detailed explanation of the quantitative and qualitative methods, were a detailed description of the design of the research instruments was presented. Chapter 4: Developing the Parameters of the Strategic Alignment Model: Presents the need for a strategic alignment Model that can bridge the gap through identifying 3 parameters: Organizational Culture, Business strategy and its domains, and IT strategy and its domains Chapter 5: Questionnaires Analysis: Discusses and examines the data collected through the questionnaires for both, identifying the organizational culture, and the use of IT in the 4 Saudi firms Chapter 6: Interviews Analysis: Talks about and analyses the data collected through the interviews in the 4 Saudi firms. Chapter 7: Conclusion and Recommendations: Proposes the new strategic alignment model, and concludes the study and gives recommendations and future directions. 9. Training Undertaken * Using electronic library resources in Sep-2006. * Stage I part A on 30/Aug/2006. * Stage I part B on 31/Aug/2006. * Stage II Part A (presentation) on 26/Jul/2007. * Stage II Part B (Academic writing) on 26/Jul/2007. 10. Review of the research Undertaken * Wrote 2 chapters of the thesis (Introduction, Overview and Background about Business Strategy, IT Strategy, and Previous Strategic Alignment Models). * Completed of first level of data gathering (questionnaires Interviews). * Passed the ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) Foundation Certificate. * Published two conference papers. * Presented posters at the ARU 1st 2nd Annual Research Student Conference 11. Action Plan The necessary steps for completion of the research are as follows: 1. Type of organizational culture and Information Technology use was investigated by the researcher through questionnaires(phase 1) 2. Interviews with CEOs and IT managers were conducted in terms of Business strategy and IT strategy existence(phase 1) 3. Data analysis was carried out, which involved performing statistical analysis (SPSS) into the gathered data. 4. Distributing mores questionnaires and conducting further interviews to in order to establish a relationship between Organization Culture and Strategic alignment and show its important effect on the selected Saudi firms 5. All data from the (phase1) and (phase 2) will be combined and linked together to give the base for designing the Strategic Alignment Model. 6. Design the proposed Strategic Alignment Model 7. Writing up of the PhD thesis and preparation for the oral exam. 8. The plan of work also includes writing and submitting papers, attending conferences related to the study and presenting the work. Gantt chart The following chart depicts the action plan of the project and the time expectations for each step in details and it is as follows: Years 2007 2008 2009 2010 Tasks 2 4 6 8 10 12 2 4 6 8 10 12 2 4 6 8 10 12 2 4 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 References [1] David W. Nickles, IT-BUSINESS ALIGNMENT: WHAT WE KNOW THAT WE STILL DONT KNOW, Proceedings of the 7th Annual Conference of the Southern Association for Information Systems, 2005 [2] Kenneth C. Laudon and Jane P. Laudon, Management Information Systems: Managing the Digital Firm, 9th Edition, Prentice Hall, 2006 [3] McNurlin, B.C., and Spargue, R.S., Information Systems Management in Practice, 6th Edition, Prentice Hall, 2002 [4] Raymond Pap, Introduction to Strategic Alignment, Idea Group Inc, 2001 [5] Yolanda E. Chan, Why havent we mastered Alignment? The importance of the informal organization structure, MIS Quarterly Excusive, 2002 [6] Allen, D. and Wilson, T., â€Å"Vertical trust/mistrust during information strategy formation, International Journal of Information Management, 2003 [7] Henderson, J.C. and Venkatraman, N., â€Å"Aligning business and IT strategies†, in Luftman, J.F. (Ed.), Competing in the Information Age: Strategic Alignment in Practice, Oxford University Press, New York, NY, 1996 [8] Butler, T. and Fitzgerlad, B., â€Å"Enterprise Transformation and the Alignment of Business and Information Technology Strategies: Lessons from Practice, 1998 [9] Ruohoueu Parnisto, Proceedings of the First European Doctoral Seminar on Strategic Information Management, Turku centre for computer Science, 1996 [10] Hatem Tamimi, Ala M. Abu-Samaha Sufian Yousef ,Perceptions of Information Technology/Information Systems Value/ Utilisation in Saudi Organisations Proceedings of the ECIME conference, France, pp 1 12, September 20 21, 2007 [11] Bassellier, G. and Benbasat, I. (Business Competence of Information Technology Professionals: Conceptual development and influence on IT-business partnerships), MIS Quarterly 28(4): 673-694, 2004. [13] Baker, E.H. Leading Alignment, CIO Insight 1(45) 19-20, October 15, 2004. [14] Benbya, H. and McKelvey, B. (2006). Using Coevolutionary and Complexity Theories to Improve IS Alignment: A multi-level approach, Journal of Information Technology 21(4): 284-298 [15] Chan, Y.E., Sabherwal, R. and Thatcher, J.B. Antecedents and Outcomes of Strategic IS Alignment: An Empirical Investigation, IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management 51(3): 27-47, 2006. [16] Creswell, JW, Research design: qualitative and quantitative approaches, Sage, Thousand Oaks, California, 1994 [17] Tashakkori and Teddlie, Mixed methods in social behavioral Research, Sage Publications, Inc, 2002 [18] Denzin and Lincoln, the Landscape of Qualitative Research, Sage Publications, Inc, 2003 [19] Walsham, Interpretive case studies in IS Research: Nature and Method, European Journal of Information Systems, 1995 Publications 1. Hatem Tamimi, The Effect of Organizational Culture on Information Technology/Business Strategic alignment in Saudi Firms, 1st Annual Research Student Conference, ARU, Cambridge,2006 2. Hatem Tamimi, Ala M. Abu-Samaha Sufian Yousef ,Perceptions of Information Technology/Information Systems Value/ Utilisation in Saudi Organisations Proceedings of the ECIME conference, France, pp 1 12, September 20 21, 2007 3. Hatem Tamimi, The status of IS Planning in Saudi Firms, 2nd Annual Research Student Conference, ARU, Cambridge,2007 4. Hatem Tamimi, Strategic IS Plans; do they exist in Saudi Firms?, IACeT2008,The International Arab Conference on e-Technology, Arab Open University, Amman-Jordan, October 15-16, 2008 Appendix A The Designed Questionnaire Survey On Strategic Information System Planning Assessment in Saudi companies. The objective of this survey is to investigate how Saudi managers use Information Technology (computer-based information, software, database, networks, communication, and other devices) to support their Strategic Planning. Your assistance in providing information regarding how often you use IT systems, the reasons for using these systems, and whether these systems satisfy your informational needs will be greatly appreciated. This survey is conducted under the direction of Mr Mike Smith, Department of Information Technology, Anglia Ruskin University, Chelmsford, UK. All responses are confidential and will remain anonymous. The success of this study depends on the completeness and the quality of information you provide. We ask you to be as thorough and free as possible in answering the questions in this. Thank you for your time and cooperation! NOTE: Please answer this questionnaire only if you are a user of Information Technology (computer-based information, software, database, networks, communication, and other devices). If you are not a user of Information Technology would you ask a manager in your corporation who is to complete this questionnaire. I. PERSONAL BACKGROUND 1. Organisation name: 2.Sex (M/F): 3. Age: 4. Education: Please choice highest degree attained (Please choice one): A. High school graduate or less B. Baccalaureate Degree C. Masters Degree D. Doctorate 5. Please indicate (how many) college (University) level courses you have completed in Information Technology (Information Systems, Computer Science, Programming, Networks or Communication). (Please choice one): 0 1 2 3 4 ≠¥5 II. PRESENT JOB RESPONSIBILITIES 6. Functional area (Please choice one) : A. Accounting B. Finance C. Marketing D. Manufacturing E. Research and Development F. Personnel G. Corporate Administration H. Information Systems I. Other (Please specify): 7. A. Management Level (Please choice One): 1. First Line Supervisor or Manager 2. Mid-level Manager (Supervising other managers) 3. Executive (Top) Level Manager (Vice president, President, Chairman of the Board of Directors etc. B. Job Title: III. USE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (PC, Software, Databases, Networks, Internet, and other devices): 8. Managers perform a number of Planning roles. For each of the following roles, please indicate the value of IT. (Please choice a number for each role): Decision roles Of Great Value Of Moderate Value No Value At All Does Not Apply Choice A. Capitalist (Identifies and initiates changes) 5 4 3 2 1 0 B. Trouble Handler (Handles important and unexpected troubles) 5 4 3 2 1 0 C. Resource Allocation (Approves and allocates all organisational resources 5 4 3 2 1 0 D. Negotiator (Represents the organisation at major negotiations 5 4 3 2 1 0 1. Planning consists of several steps. For each of the following steps, please indicate the value of IT. (Please choice a number for each step) : Decision steps Of Great Value Of Moderate Value No Value At All Choice A. Identifying problems or issues 5 4 3 2 1 B. Generating alternative courses of action 5 4 3 2 1 C. Evaluating the out comes of each alternative 5 4 3 2 1 D. Ranking the alternatives and choosing one 5 4 3 2 1 E. Implementing the chosen alternative 5 4 3 2 1 2. As a Planner you may use both IT-based and non IT-based in decision making. The percent of IT you use for supporting the following Planning tasks is: (Please choice a number) Decisions >80% 61% to 80% 41% to 60% 21% to 40% None Choice A. Long Term (Strategic) Planning 5 4 3 2 1 0 B. Mid-Term (Tactical) Planning 5 4 3 2 1 0 C. Short Term (Operational) Planning 5 4 3 2 1 0 3. Managers have a mental model (i.e., an image, idea, or conceptualization of the organisation) which they use for planning, controlling and operating purposes. How helpful is the Information Technology Systems (IT) you are presently using in forming or revising the mental model of your corporation? (Please choice a number): Very Helpful Moderately Not Helpful Helpful At All 5 4 3 2 1 12. How valuable is the information the existing IT provides to your mental model in guiding your planning, controlling and operating decisions? (Please choice a number): Of Great Value Of Moderate Value Of No Value At All 5 4 3 2 1 13. Overall, how important is IT for Planning that are critical to the success and effectiveness of your managerial duties? (Please choice a number): Very Important Moderately Important Not Important At All 5 4 3 2 1 Iv. SOURCES AND TOOLS USED TO OBTAIN IT-BASED INFORMATION 14. You obtain the IT-based you use for Planning mainly (Please choice one): A. By yourself B. Through a designated person C. Through a request to an information systems group D. Other (Please specify): 15. Please indicate, on the average, how many hours per week you actually use a personal computer (PC) or a terminal to obtain computer-based information which is essential for the performance of your duties. (Please choice one): A. >16 hours B. 9 -16 hours C. 5 -8 hours D. 1 -4 hours E. 16. Please indicate the average number of hours per week use each of the following hardware pieces: A. I dont use any hardware pieces. Yes/No? Hours/week hours B. 1. Stand-alone personal computer (PC) hours 2. PC or other terminal connected to an internet hours 3. PC or other terminal connected to an â€Å"On-line† distributed computer system hours 4. PC or other terminal connected to a Local Area Network (LAN) hours 5. Other (Please specify) : hours 17. Please indi

My Typical American Family :: Traditions Cultures Cultural Essays

My Typical American Family What is a typical American? What is generally viewed as a typical American is that your family has lived here for years and years and you don't personally know who immigrated here. Along with this, your family has molded into this typical view with no "foreign" traditions and things. A lot of people in my class can talk about their relatives that speak another language or have immigrated here. I don't have anything like that so I'll tell you about mine. According to Blauner: Members of an ethnic group hold a set of common memories that make them feel that their customs, culture, and outlook are distinctive. My family doesn't pass down stories or anything. No real passed on customs, no immigrant stories. Takaki thinks everyone should be educated in all culture that makes America so diverse. I don't really have a culture. My family more or less assimilated to the traditional mainstream American. AS far as I know, I am Irish, German, and Native American. Where or when each came together, I don't know. Randall Bass says: Individuals derive their sense of identitiy from their culture, and cultures are systems of beliefs that determine how people live their lives. Well I have my own story. I'll start by talking about my mother's side of my family. As far as I know both my grandparents grew up and lived in Detroit. They raised my mom and Uncle there too. My grandma stayed at home while my grandpa fixed airplanes. It's kind of cool because he was in WWII also to fix the fighter planes. They were fairly well off and had a boat on the river. They're background is Irish and German. Although they never personally told me there was German,I'm taking an educated guess because the last name (Volkening) looks really German. My dad's side is German and Native American. I've been told I have relatives in Germany with the same last name although I've never met them or know their names. My grandma also stayed at home and my grandma worked in a factory. They too lived in Detroit and raised my dad and my two Uncles in a two-bedroom house. My dad slept in the laundry room next to the water heater because there wasn't enough room in the other two rooms. My parents both met in Detroit and lived there for about twenty years. Both my parents worked through college to help pay for each other's tuition.

Blood Pressure

Hypertension A&P 1 Assignment 1 Amanda G. Smith ITT Tech Hypertension: Abnormal blood pressure above 120/80, Prehypertension systolic pressure ranging from 120 to 139 mm Hg or a diastolic pressure ranging from 90 to 99 mm Hg. Sage 1 Hypertension: Systolic pressure ranging from 140 to 159 mm Hg, diastolic pressure ranging from 90 to 99 mm Hg. Stage 2 Hypertension: Systolic pressure of 160 mm Hg or higher a diastolic pressure of 100mm Hg or higher. (WWW. Mayclinic. om/health/high-blood-pressure ) Blood pressure is the amount of blood your heart pumps and the amount of resistance to blood flow in your arteries, the more your heart pumps and the narrower the arteries the higher the blood pressure. It is measured by two numbers Systolic (top number: when the first heart beat is heard after releasing the pressure on the blood pressure cuff), and Diastolic (bottom number: the last heart beat heard when releasing the pressure on the blood pressure cuff. ) Hypertension is classified as a nega tive feedback system. (see figure on Pg. 728 7th edition A&P copy wright 2007 Elane N.Marieb &Katja Hoehn) Influence of selected hormones on Variables affecting blood pressure (see table 19. 2 Pg. 129 7th edition A&P copy wright 2007 Elane N. Marieb &Katja Hoehn) Organ systems involved Cardiovascular system Circulatory System Renal System Respiratory System With Hypertension the body is unable to maintain homeostasis because the heart is unable to maintain a proper heart rate. This may be due to a multitude of diagnoses the Pt. may have. Some Factors of Hypertension include: (Pg. 733, 7th edition A&P copy wright 2007 Elane N.Marieb &Katja Hoehn) Smoking: Nicotine enhances the sympathetic nervous system’s vasoconstrictor effects, thus narrowing blood vessels, and causing high blood pressure. Diet: Dietary factors that contribute to Hypertension, high intake of sodium: Causes the body to retain fluid, thus increasing blood pressure, saturated fats, cholesterol and deficiencies in certain ions (potassium, calcium, and magnesium. ) To little potassium: Potassium helps balance the amount of sodium in the cells, thus retaining to much sodium, thus retaining fluid and increasing blood pressure.Too little vitamin D: may affect an enzyme produced by the kidneys (renin) affecting blood pressure regulation. Obesity: being overweight can cause high blood pressure. Diabetes Mellitus Stress: Particularly Pts. whose pressure rises during a stressful event. Increase in your heart rate causing the heart to work harder and putting the Pt. at risk for a heart attack. Age: Clinically signs of hypertension usually show after age 40. Women are more likely to develop Hypertension after menopause. Medications: Birth control pills, illegal drugs, cold medications, decongestants. Chronic Hypertension is a common and dangerous disease that warns of increased peripheral resistance. An estimated 30% of people over the age of 50 are hypertensive. Although this â€Å"silent killerâ €  is usually asymptomatic for the first 10 to 20 yrs. , it slowly but surely strains the heart and damages the arteries. Prolonged hypertension is the major cause of heart failure, vascular disease, renal failure and stroke. Because the heart is forced to pump against greater resistance, it larges. When finally strained beyond its capacity to respond, the heart weakens and its walls become flabby.Hypertension also ravages the blood vessels, accelerating the progress of atherosclerosis. As the vessels become increasingly blocked, blood flow to the tissues becomes inadequate and vascular complications appear in the brain, heart, kidneys, and retinas of the eyes. Hypertension is defined physiologically as a condition of sustained arterial pressure of 140/90 or higher, the higher the pressure, greater the risk for serious cardiovascular problems. As a rule, elevated diastolic pressures are more significant medically, because they always indicate progressive occlusion and/ or hardeni ng of the atrial tree. (Pg. 733 7th edition A&P copy wright 2007 Elane N. Marieb &Katja Hoehn) Education to the PT. The Dr. has diagnosed you with Hypertension. I am going to explain what that means to you. I am also going to send you with some educational materials you can look over when you get home. Blood pressure is the amount of blood your heart pumps and the amount of resistance to blood flow in your arteries, the more your heart pumps and the narrower the arteries the higher the blood pressure.It is measured by two numbers Systolic (top number: when the first heart beat is heard after releasing the pressure on the blood pressure cuff), and Diastolic (bottom number: the last heart beat heard when releasing the pressure on the blood pressure cuff. ) You should pick up a small blood pressure monitor and take your blood pressure three (3) times a day. In the morning when you wake up, in the afternoon (lunch time) and in the evening before you go to bed. Also anytime in between wh en you feel your blood pressure to be abnormal. Take a note book and take down all the recordings with date and time. This you will bring back to the Dr. o he/she can proceed with your plan of care. This will also give you a good idea of what your blood pressure ranges. If the Dr. has prescribed any medications, be sure to follow the directions carefully. If you take too much it could result in your blood pressure dropping to rapidly. This will cause you to feel faint and dizzy. Please if you skip a dose contact the Dr. and again do not double up on the medication. Usually you can just take your next dose without any issues. If you are experiencing chest pain call 911 or go to the ER. Make sure you have a healthy diet, keep track of your sodium intake and if you smoke STOP.Make sure you exorcise regularly. Blood pressure runs differently for every person. Normal is 115/75 or 120/80,If it ranges 160 or higher diastolic or 90 or higher systolic contact the Dr. or go to the ER for a BP check. Complications if you do not follow your Dr. ’s orders. (WWW. Mayoclinic. com/health/high-blood-pressure) Heart attack or stroke: High blood pressure can cause hardening and thickening of the arteries, which can lead to heart attack, stroke or other complications. Aneurysm: increased blood pressure can cause your blood vessels to weaken and bulge, forming an aneurysm. If the aneurysm ruptures it can be life threatening.Heart failure: To pump blood against the higher pressure in your vessels, your heart muscle thickens. Eventually, the thickened muscle may have a hard time pumping enough blood to meet your body’s needs, which can lead to heart failure. Thickened, narrowed or torn blood vessels in the eyes: this can lead to vision loss. Weakened and narrowed blood vessels in your kidneys: this can prevent these organs from functioning normally and can lead to kidney failure. Sources used 7th edition A&P copy wright 2007 Elane N. Marieb & Katja Hoehn WWW. Mayoclini c. com/health/high-blood-pressure

Can Data Reduce Health Inequalities Health And Social Care Essay

â€Å" Health Inequalities † is a burgeoning field of research that has given rise to many inquiries and arguments about definitions of constructs, analytical schemes, reading of findings, and explanatory theoretical accounts. [ 1 ] The World Health Organization defines Health inequalities as ‘the differences in wellness position or in the distribution of wellness determiners between different population groups ‘ . These determiners harmonizing to W.H.O are â€Å" the conditions in which people are born, turn, populate, work and age, including the wellness system † .What is Data?Harmonizing to Webster ‘s lexicon â€Å" Data is factual information ( as measurings or statistics ) used as a footing for concluding, treatment, or computation. † Data is chiefly of two types i.e. Qualitative and Quantitative. Qualitative information is the type of informations that is non given numerically. Hence it ‘s based on people ‘s sentiment and picks. Quantitative informations on the other manus is purely based on numerical values and is subdivided into Discrete ( specific numerical values ) and a Continuous ( any numerical value ) information.Data & A ; Health Inequalities:The usage of informations records for wellness of population is nil new ; the earliest survey of a entire population was done by Halley, who, by utilizing informations for the metropolis of Breslau, Germany, for 1687 to 1691, calculated the mean life anticipation at birth. [ 2 ] However it was Aaron Antonovsky, a medical sociologist, who foremost shed visible radiation on the inequality in mortality rates in 1967, which finally lead to the usage of informations to enter wellness inequalities Surveillance of inequalities now is done extensively to supervise alteration and to mensurate the indexs of wellness inequalities among the different strata of any part. With every passing twelvemonth the usage of informations to supervise and control wellness inequalities has become more and more of import. Harmonizing to the 2007 declaration of The Measurement and Evidence Knowledge Network ( MEKN ) of the WHO committee on societal determiners of wellness, â€Å" Action on the societal determiners of wellness to better overall wellness results and cut down wellness unfairnesss will be much more effectual if basic informations systems are in topographic point, nationally and internationally, and there are mechanisms to guarantee that the informations can be understood and applied to develop more effectual intercessions. † [ 3 ] The point to foreground in this declaration is that informations should be understood right and applied affectively for it to do effectual intercessions. So the inquiry is does all this collected informations can be the premier ground for alteration and cut downing wellness inequalities? The simple reply would be that natural informations itself can non convey any alteration but the determinations that are taken after treating that informations are the chief agents of alteration.Management of Datas:Datas in itself is merely a aggregation of natural Numberss or characters. The information collected has to be converted into feasible information in order for it to be utile. Here the inquiry arises what the difference is between informations and information? Beynon-Davies used the construct of a mark to separate between informations and information. Datas are symbols while information occurs when symbols are used to mention to something. [ 4 ] It is people and computing machines who coll ect informations and enforce forms on it. These forms are seen as information which can used to heighten cognition. [ 5 ] Thus cognition is the aggregation of information that is stored or memorized with the purpose of doing it utile. For any cognition to go utile it must be analyzed and interpreted. The procedure of understanding the cognition that we have and utilizing it to synthesise new cognition is called ‘understanding ‘ . The apprehension is converted into wisdom when we exercise our innate human nature of morality and moralss. Therefore with the aid of apprehension and the ability to judge right from incorrect the information is eventually converted into wisdom. This transition of natural informations into wisdom is called the Data-Information-Knowledge-Wisdom hierarchy. ( Fig 1 Appendix ) Another method by which information is managed is the simple informations surveillance rhythm ( Fig 2 Appendix ) . In this rhythm the collected information is analyzed and synthesized and is so organized and stored into a information base. This database so aids policy shapers to move as they deem appropriate. By the survey of informations direction it shows that the determination made at the terminal of the procedure is what determines how efficaciously information has been used and whether information has been successful in conveying about a alteration. This determination doing procedure can be influenced by ambiguity, prejudice, desire for short-cuts, resources available and shortage of attending. Any break during the informations processing rhythm can besides hold negative effects on the determination devising. Data itself has many restrictions. It depends upon truth ; if informations is non accurate it can damage a undertaking alternatively of helping it. Data should besides be complete in all respects i.e. it should supply all expected properties. The consistence of information is besides compulsory i.e. informations should be in sync across the endeavor ; sometimes informations is complete but is inaccurate and inconsistent. Data should besides be auditable i.e. it can be traced back to its beginning and can be verified for genuineness. Last, the most of import facet of informations quality is it timeliness. Datas should be fresh and up to day of the month so the steps and actions taken in response to the informations are appropriate.Examples of Data Surveillance in Curbing Health Inequalities:If we take the illustration of a developing 3rd universe state like Pakistan, so it seems as if informations can non assist cut down or alter anything. Here the inquiry arises that why should we ev en take the illustration of a underdeveloped state that is bound to neglect in controling inequalities? The ground for this is that Pakistan, even though being a hapless state, gets ample financess for its health care undertakings by donor administrations and other rich states. The international administrations such as WHO closely monitor the statistics of alteration in the wellness of the population of the state. So, with voluminous financess and aid from international administrations the consequence should demo an betterment in the wellness of the population, nevertheless in Pakistan ‘s instance where limited success has been achieved there has besides been failure, which proves that the regular surveillance statistics of WHO are non plenty for accomplishing success. This failure of surveillance can non be blamed wholly upon the gathered statistics but there is a complex process associated with it that plays an of import function in assisting the information be effectual.The Polio Eradication Campaign:In Pakistan the biggest illustration of the success of informations and so its subsequent failure is the national infantile paralysis obliteration thrust. Launched in 1994, 15 old ages after the planetary thrust against infantile paralysis, the infantile paralysis run started with an purpose to to the full eliminate the disease by the new century. Even after the century arrived and a decennary rolled by, Pakistan has been unable to carry through its promise of full obliteration of the disease by 2010. The run suffered from the legion alterations in authorities over clip. When it was launched, the run was fueled by a media blitz of consciousness plans and ads on Television and in newspapers. This caused the hapless, uneducated multitudes to get down accepting and swearing the authorities to let them to immunize their kids. The figure of confirmed instances of infantile paralysis based on acute flaccid palsy surveillance informations from across the state d eclined from 1155 instances in 1997 to 28 in 2005 [ 6 ] – the lowest of all time recorded in one twelvemonth ( Fig 3, Appendix ) . A really sensitive nationwide describing system was built up to guarantee the sensing of all staying infantile paralysis instances. The system captures all kids aged less than 15 old ages with acute oncoming flaccid palsy, and includes subsequent research lab testing of stool specimens. [ 6 ] The success was short lived as from 2007 the figure of instances came to a standstill, but there was an addition in figure of reported instances from little territories and states where entire unsusceptibility was achieved ( Fig 4, Appendix ) . In Punjab e.g. there were no reported instances in 2007 ; nevertheless in 2008 more than 8 instances were reported. The biggest reverse to the run is due to the on-going war on panic in Pakistan. In 2008, 2009 and every bit recent as February 2010 the instances reported were all from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas ( FATA ) where the people are highly hapless and uneducated and the next state of N.W.F.P. Two new instances were reported in the past hebdomad both from North West Frontier Province ( NWFP ) , conveying the entire figure of instances for 2010 to ten [ 7 ] . The most recent instance had onset of palsy on 27 February and that excessively was reported in the N.W.F.P. The radical elements in these countries have started a smear run against the infantile paralysis thrust and have warned the people to maneuver clear from immunizing their kids. This includes snatch of the infantile paralysis run workers and warnings of dire effects to the people of the part. [ 8 ] The recent engagement of the National Database and Registration Authority ( NADRA ) in Pakistan to immunize kids against infantile paralysis has met with great success. The NADRA new waves were successful in publishing ID cards to far flung countries and as a consequence of the success the authorities entrusted them with the responsibly of providing vaccinums to remote countries. Equally many as 20,000 kids were vaccinated as a consequence but the NADRA squad was still unsuccessful in embarking to the N.W.F.P and FATA parts. The migration of Afghan nomads into the countries of FATA & A ; N.W.F.P is another ground for failure. Poor sanitation and dirty H2O supply in the rural parts of the state can besides be the ground for the failure, as this causes diarrhea which in bend reduces the soaking up of the vaccinum in kids. [ 9 ] On top of these hurdlings the run is besides marred by corruptness including larceny of financess and vaccinums. [ 10 ]The National AIDS Plan:The national AIDS plan in Pakistan is one illustration of truth of informations and how any alteration can be hindered if the information is falsified. Pakistan ‘s Federal Ministry of Health established National AIDS Control Programme ( NACP ) in 1986-87. The state has received over 2.9 billion rupees as support. In its early phases, the programme focused on laboratory diagnosing of suspected HIV instances, but increasingly it began to switch its focal point towards HIV bar and control intercessions. The development of National Strategic Framework-one in 2001 provided strategic vision to the national response and authorities of Pakistan with support from World Bank launched an enhanced response in the signifier of Enhanced HIV and AIDS Control Programme. [ 11 ] HIV was foremost reported in Pakistan in 1987 with the aid contaminated blood transfusions. [ 12 ] The chief bearers of the virus were non resident workers chiefly working in the gulf part who were deported back to Pakistan in the wake of their diagnosing. [ 13 ] The full fledged outbreak nevertheless occurred in 2004 among the injection drug users ( IDUs ) in distant desert town of Larkana. Between 2003 and 2004 the rate of HIV in IDUs jumped from 0.4 % to an dismaying 7.6 % . Epidemiologic surveies have shown that out of the 100, 00 IDUs life on the streets, about 21 % are infected with HIV virus. [ 11 ] These IDUs do non indulge in the drugs merely for the bang but alternatively comprise of the highly hapless and flush subdivision of the society who are idle and as a consequence become drug users to get away from their problems. Lahore is the 2nd most thickly settled metropolis in Pakistan with over 3000 IDUs of which 4 % have HIV infection. Faisalabad is the 3rd most thickly settled metropolis with over 8000 IDUs of which 13 % have HIV. The most alarming fact is that surveies have found that about 50 % these IDUs are sexually active with their married womans. To do affairs even worse bulk of the married womans of IDUs work as cocottes. [ 14 ] Another demographic involved with the spread of HIV are the female and male sex workers. There are good known whorehouses in the metropolitan metropoliss of the state with up to 100, 000 female sex workers ( FSW ) in Karachi and 75, 000 in Lahore. The authorities organic structures estimate that HIV prevalence among FSW is 0.02 % [ 11 ] which is disputed by independent organic structures who say that it is about 15 % . Research has shown that these FSW have no information about rubbers or other bar methods. Less than half the FSWs in Lahore and about a one-fourth in Karachi had used rubber with their last regular client. In Karachi, one in five sex workers can non acknowledge a rubber, and three-fourthss do non cognize that condoms prevent HIV ( in fact, one tierce have ne'er heard of AIDS. ( UNIADS Update 2005 ) The other demographics for the disease include closeted homosexual work forces and Transvestites moonlighting as sex workers which are estimated to be approximately 30 % of the manner of transmittal. Breast eating female parents are another demographic that constitutes about 3 % of the manner of transmittal of the virus. The fist instance of transportation of HIV via chest eating was reported in 1994 in Rawalpindi. Irrespective of all this data the most lurid fact is the disproof and use of the informations by the National AIDS control plan who have estimated that there are about 3,000 instances of HIV in Pakistan since 1986. If we compare these estimations to the astonishing 70-80, 000 instances reported by the UNAIDS, we clearly see that the authorities enterprises are a frontage. This estimation is flooring plenty to ensue in immediate action by the authorities but that is non the instance. In world the authorities is to the lowest degree interested in turn toing the issue of AIDS as a world in Pakistan. This may be due to the fact that the state is a conservative Muslim state and even now issues like HIV & A ; AIDS are considered as tabu. In the uneducated and hapless rural sector the disease is still considered as a stigma even though there insecure and closeted sex pattern in these countries. The political determination devising in this issue seems to be influenced by the delicateness of the issue. The policy shapers are besides bound by the civilization of the state and they can non openly publicize safe sex patterns as this may be unacceptable to the people and the policy shapers do non desire to be seen as excessively broad by the conservative vote population. In the visible radiation of all this the World Bank in December of 2009 refused to further fund the AIDS plan in the state.Decision:The above illustrations show that informations itself can merely make so much. Astonishing and amazing figures may drive person to believe about the job and take some sort of action but the magnitude of that action is dependent upon the apprehension, reading and finally determination of that individual. In the instance of the infantile paralysis consciousness run the above illustration shows that informations can be used to an advantage in doing public change their beliefs and accepting alteration. But on the other manus informations can be useless, even if it is difficult striking, if no action is taken upon it i.e. in the instance of the AIDS run. If the Pakistani authorities wants it can alter the attitude of people towards safe sex pattern via an consciousness run but they choose to stay deaf-and-dumb person on the issue. Policy shapers can utilize i nformations to their advantage by utilizing the figures and acquiring the populace to believe about the job. Similarly the populace can utilize informations to demand a alteration from the authorities. Not merely determination devising but other societal factors besides stand in the manner of a complete or any success. Purportedly, If the illustration of a 3rd universe state is deemed unequal by person so we can ever take the illustration of Britain where there are beforehand methods of informations surveillance and a immense sum of research and money is being used to control wellness inequalities but a recent authorities study showed that the rates of indexs like life anticipation for adult females and infant mortality are still unchanged. This has prompted the wellness minster Dawn Primarolo to eventually acknowledge, in stead with our statement, that â€Å" wellness inequalities are hard to alter † .Appendix:Fig 1: DIKW HierarchyFig 2: Surveillance CycleFig 3: Graph 1 ( di minution of infantile paralysis over the old ages )Fig 4: Graph 2 ( diminution and revival of infantile paralysis in little territories of Pakistan )