Richter case - Infrastructure Essay Example for Free

Richter case Infrastructure Essay Looking at the current (2007) IT governance of Richter, Szà ¼cs is the IT director and is working together with around 50 people in the head department in Hungary. Those 50 people are focusing on four different areas: â€Å"IT operations (12), procurement and service (15), SAP support (12), IT strategy and projects (4)† (Mitchell et al., 2007). Altogether they develop a strategic plan which is expected to support the business processes at Richter. However, a plan is not very flexible since it first has to be approved by the CFO of Richter and then still has to be agreed on by the senior management. This process though takes place only once a year, namely each year in June. But there is not only the headquarter of Richter in Hungary but different affiliates all over the world (e.g. Poland, India, Russia, Romania). Those affiliates have their own IT departments and IT directors. Major important infrastructure/IT decisions and decisions regarding the SAP modules have to be coordinated and discussed with Szà ¼cs and the head office in Hungary. If the affiliates develop a plan they have to present them like Szà ¼cs but to their respective CEOs. This structure shows the level of importance of IT to Richter and has some strengths as well as weaknesses. As mentioned above IT has more of a supporting role for Richter’s business processes and there are IT directors who develop plans with a team of different specialists but cannot implement them by themselves. Looking at Broadbent and Weill (1997), Richter has a dependent infrastructure view. Their IT as a percent of expenses are around the average relative to its competitors and they also want to achieve cost savings but still be relatively flexible. This has the advantage of staying competitive without that much risk. Due to top management requiring to approve the plans developed by the IT director they can evaluate the cost and risk exactly. However, since top management might not have the best IT knowledge it could happen that they do not approve a plan because they think it is too expensive and risky. But if they would have enough IT understanding they might see the value this plan will add to the company. Also, the meetings are just once a year which let them lose some flexibility. Another infrastructure view is the enabling view. Having this view, Richter would have much higher IT expenses and their IT infrastructure would always  be on the edge. This view has its strengths and weaknesses as well: They would be a lot more flexible and management of IT would probably be different. The IT directors would not have to get approval by the CFO and top management but rather work together with them looking for opportunities to be innovative and get a competitive advantage for some time. This view has its downsides, though: Investing much money and being the first to invest in something new is always connected with a lot of risk. Also, if the affiliates would be allowed to decide everything on their own failures might be discovered too late and increase the loss. Yet, another view is the utility view with which the firm has low IT expenses and focuses on cost savings. IT is clearly used as a supporting tool. The IT director (if there even is one) gets told what is needed and just tries to find the most cost-saving solution. The firm has low risk since it does not invest much money but is not very innovative and maybe loses some profits because it probably imitates competitors later on.

Criticism of The Storm by Kate Chopin Essay -- Kate Chopin Storm Sexua

Criticism of The Storm by Kate Chopin While it has traditionally been men who have attached the "ball and chain" philosophy to marriage, Kate Chopin gave readers a woman’s view of how repressive and confining marriage can be for a woman, both spiritually and sexually. While many of her works incorporated the notion of women as repressed beings ready to erupt into a sexual a hurricane, none were as tempestuous as The Storm. Kate Chopin was a woman whose feminist viewpoints were far ahead of her time, which of course garnered her more than her share of criticism. In a time when women were expected to behave "properly" and sexual desire was considered to be something only experienced by men, Chopin spoke with exceptional openness about human sexuality. She lambasted society for its perpetual close-mindedness in a time when righteousness was considered to be an attribute, and she helped to generate more enlightened attitudes among both the women and men of her time. In The Storm, the character of Calixta is unable to fulfill society's standards of virtue, despite her perceived purity by her lover Alcee. When Alcee professes, "If she was not an immaculate dove in those days, she was still inviolate" (p. 34), he is basically saying that just because a woman is not chaste, does not mean she is not pure of heart. After all, it was Calixta's marriage which had stripped her of her chastity status. So why should her morality be called into question? Of course the morality i...

The models For Organizational Diagnosis

Organizations undertake a diagnosis of their operation for purposes of checking the effectiveness and efficiency of their work processes. It is because they owe it to their stakeholders, stockholders and other interest groups to assure that their needs and expectations are met. When an organization is regularly checked and diagnosed, problems can be pinpointed and resolved and/or anticipated and avoided. Diagnosis and evaluation of the operation and management of an organization can pave the way for initiatives and innovations towards change and the betterment of the company.The different types of organizational diagnostic models are: Force Field Analysis: This model is a simple method designed by Kurt Lewin in 1951. It takes into consideration the two major forces affecting an organization: the restraining forces that are borne from the limitations of the company; and, the driving forces that are borne out of the effective and positive characteristics of the organization. In applyin g this diagnostic method, the desired balance in enhancing the driving forces to counter the restraining forces will be achieved.Leavitt’s Model This diagnostic tool model desgined by H. J. Leavitt in 1967 looks into the contributing variables in an organization. These variables are the tasks performed; the structure designed; the technology implemented and the human resources available.What this model checks are the changes in any and each of the variables and how they affect each other. In diagnosing an organization using this will pinpoint effectiveness of change that will benefit all the variables. Likert System Analysis R.Likert designed a diagnosis model in 1967 that addresses the motivation; communication; interaction; decision making; goal setting; control and performance aspects of an organization. These aspects of an organization are reflected in four different management systems such are the exploitative-authoritative type; the benevolent-authoritative type; the co nsultative type; and the participative group type. This model uses the questionnaire tool to assess an across the board opinion among the employees, thus, a true consensus can be derived at and better analyzed as the responses are graphed and plotted to see trends and transitions.Open Systems Theory Organizations are deemed to be a social entity and the open systems theory greatly considers the feedback from its environment and outside factors. This diagnostic model considers inputs; throughputs; outputs and renewed inputs in and out of the organization to achieve the desired dynamics towards efficiency. In diagnosing through the open systems theory, the organization has a wider leverage to really see the finer details of its function in the inside and in the outside that will lead to a more comprehensive identification of more factors towards change.Weisbord’s Six-Box Model This model as designed in 1976 by Weisbord outlines the categories in an organization that must be dia gnosed: its purposes; structures; relationships; leadership; rewards and helpful mechanisms. Everything that work and play around those categories must be identified and congruently be evaluated towards initiated and innovative, appropriate change. This will identify the â€Å"what is† aspect of the categories and then arrive at â€Å"what should be†. In applying this model, an organization can profoundly dissect its functions thru the very pinpointed questions to be asked.The Congruence Model for Organization Analysis This model is a dynamic combination of the principle of the Open Systems Theory; the Leavitt System Analysis and the Weisbord Six-Box Model. Nadler-Tushman developed this analytical method with the assumption that organizations are dynamic entities operating within a wider environment outside of its confines and that there are behaviors among its employees as individual and groups that transpire and interact and transact.This model is remarkable because it zeroes-in into the aspects of the functions in the organization in terms of whether they fit or they do not fit. It is a model that analyzes relevance and congruence in the interaction of the functions. McKinsey 7S Framework Within the framework of an organization as what the McKinsey Consultants identified in 1981 are the â€Å"7-S† that interact: style; staff; systems; strategy; structure; skills; shared values. These variables are illustrated as cells and molecules which makes them interdependent with each other.The framework therefore rationalizes that to achieve efficiency in an organization, all of those variables must be simultaneously, equally efficient. Any change on any of the variable must correlate with a change in the others. The benefit of using this model is that any initiatives towards change will be reflected in each and every variable of the organization and not just on only one. Tichy’s Technical Political Cultural (TPC) Framework This is a model that further analyzes the environment an organization is in, together with its history.It was designed in 1983. In this diagnosis, the cultural, political and technical dynamics of the organization are identified. The merit of this model is that it considers diagnosing to be very specific about every â€Å"strand† of the organization’s political, cultural and technical dynamics that they should be aligned, managed congruently for the organization to be efficient. High-Performance Programming This diagnostic model adopted the Likert System Analysis to work on the four levels in the organization.Level 1 is identified as the reactive level. The responsive level is the 2nd level. The 3rd level is the proactive level and the 4th is the high-performance level. It was in 1984 that Nelson and Burns designed this model to enable organizations to plan the right interventions towards the necessary transformation. Utilizing this model will enable an organization to truly empower e very individual in its employ that will lead to growth and development. Diagnosing Individual and Group BehaviorThis model specifically focuses on the individual behavior of employees in the organization. M. I. Harrison used in1987 the principles of the Open Systems theory in designing this model. This model takes into account the variable transpiring on the organizational level; the variables on the group level and the variables on the individual level. The distinctive premise of this model that is remarkable is that it considers the quality work life of employees. The Burke-Litwin Model of Organizational Performance & ChangeBurke-Litwin developed this diagnostic model in 1990, thus this is more modern method. This diagnosis process covers the 12 theoretical variables; the consideration of the variable effect of the climate and culture of an organization; the distinction between transactional and transformational dynamics of the organization; and, the specification of the nature an d direction of the effect of the variables. This diagnosis model is the most comprehensive method that will truly define an organization. A. T. &T. (merged with BellSouth Corporation)Going two notches higher because of its year 2008 revenue performance at US$124 billion –A. T. &T. ranked No. 8 amongst Fortune top 500 global companies. This is higher by 4. 3% from its 2007 revenue earnings. 2008 Profits is US$12 billion. Based in Dallas, Texas, A. T. &T. merged with BellSouth in the year 2006. At close of the last trading hour of the last trading day for the week, April 24, 2009 positioned A. T. &T. stock at US$. 25. 22 per share. At more than 100 years of corporate existence, A. T. &T.is the world’s largest communications holding company with most advanced, most innovative, most comprehensive telecommunication services from telephones, to internet, to multimedia services, to entertainment solutions meeting individual to multinational business needs of its 77 million cu stomers.Its research and development laboratories are the most advanced facilities in modern day technology. The leadership it has etched in telecommunication is due to the groundbreaking initiatives in innovations and inventions. Its technological advancements have merited seven Nobel Prizes and thousands of patents all over the world.A. T. &T. sustains its corporate governance by solidifying six strategic focus areas: through their commitments to the betterment of communities; through their meritorious investment in people; through their leadership with integrity, ethics and responsibility; through their environmental concerns for sustainable protection; through their efficient networking with people, businesses and customers; and through their consistently innovating technology. A. T. &T. has more than 300,000 employees worldwide. The career and work environment that the company offers its employees is holistic and comprehensive.Employees have a track opportunity to grow. They ar e made to be involved with the company’s advocacies. They receive above industry standard benefits and privileges. They are continually educated and trained. They dwell within the spirit of true teamwork and concern like a family.Due to the comprehensive global operation and services, the Burke-Litwin diagnostic model will dynamically ensure that continuity and sustainability of the excellence position and prestige that A. T. &T. pursues in the industry. The Burke-Litwin model has the tools and mechanics to analyze the very wide external environment of A.T&T.The many executive positions in the company together with its thousands of employees mandate a more astute conduct of interrelationship behavior plus a unifying culture, a conducive work climate and the alignment of skills, job and performance matching.The mission and strategy of the company together with its management practices can be very well checked by this model, together with the structure of the functions and the system of policies. A complex and dynamic A. T&T. will thrive further and better if they check and balance their organization with the Burke-Litwin model.References:Falletta, S.V., Ed.D.,   â€Å"Organizational Diagnostic Models:   A Review & Synthesis†. 2005. http://www.leadersphere.com/img/Orgmodels.pdf. â€Å"Fortune 500 of 2009† Fortune Magazine. CNNMone.com. http://www.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/2009/full_list/. A.T.&T. Corporate Profile http://www.att.com/gen/investor-relations?pid=5711.

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