Demographic Paper Essay Example

Demographic Paper Essay Running head: DEMOGRAPHIC PAPER Demographic Paper Gabija Nezabitauskaite University Of Phoenix Cindy Nettestad Perkins HCS/490 3/31/2011 Demographic Paper Population demographics in the United States are experiencing increasing changes that may affect health care and its practice. Changes in population demographics do bring diversity in culture, economics, religion and believes, education and social disparity. According to Yali and Revensons, (2004), â€Å"Given the current levels of social and racial disparities in health and the likelihood that these disparities will not decrease under the current health system, we presume that as the American population continues to change, these disparities will have an even greater impact on health â€Å"(pg. 147). The expansive changes in population demographics can and will affect the health care in various ways. In the following paragraphs the senior management team can become familiar with the identified targeted population, data about this population demographics, the general impact that changing demographics may have on the health care market, and the ways the changes of demographics of this particular population will affect health care. Moreover, a few keys of health related- challenges to this population will be analyzed including the care costs, the effects of chronic disease wellness program and is effects on the costs for this demographics will be discusses. We will write a custom essay sample on Demographic Paper specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Demographic Paper specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Demographic Paper specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Last, the senior management team can finalize their reading with the writer’s opinion about these demographics effects on marketing needs and services, and how these challenges can be addressed. Targeted population and demographics data The number of aging population is substantial increasing, particularly the ones in their oldest age, who are the highest demanders for health care consumption. The age of world’s population is increasing for a few reasons. The decline in fertility and the increased life expectancy result in increased numbers of elderly also called the â€Å"Baby Boomer Age†. Hence aged population uses the public health system and social and medical services the most, in compare to a younger population. For example, many older adults are affected by chronic diseases, have any sort of disability that leads to an increased long-term health care costs. According to CDC, (2003), â€Å"In the United States, the proportion of the population aged over 65 years is projected to increase from 12. 4% in 2000 to 19. 6% in 2030. The number of person aged over 65 years is expected to increase from approximately 35 million in 2000 to an estimated 71 million in 2030, and the number of persons aged 80 years is expected to increase from 9. 3 million in 2000 to 19. 5 million in 2030† (para. 2). States as California, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Florida contain the largest numbers of older population. We are experiencing the demographic change that is highly influenced by low fertility and delayed mortality rather than the other way around. Thus the result of such a change links to demographic transition impacting the worldwide age distribution. Demographic impact on the health care market Aged population has many specific demands on health care impacting the health care market. For instance, pharmaceutical companies are more concentrating on manufacturing drugs for older generation. The advertisement on TV is aiming 70 % percent more for older audience rather than younger audience. Besides drug advertisement, long-term care facilities, and insurances such as Medicare that serves only the elderly, are booming on TV, magazines, and news papers. Such demographics also affect the orthopedic market. For example, because the elderly population in the US is increasing hence there is higher incidence of musculoskeletal conditions that only happens with aging. Therefore the orthopedic occupation is becoming very important because of the high demand. Hence the health care market is focusing on targeted population that affects health care delivery and consumption. Why and how the demographics of aged population affect health care/increased health care and prescriptions, and long-term care costs Aged population will and already is impacting the health care, as it drives the health care costs up. For example, some medical statistics show, persons 65 and over consume three to five times more health care costs, that the ones who are younger than 65. According to CDC, (2003), â€Å"†¦the rapid growth in the number of older persons, coupled with continued advances in medical technology, is expected to create upward pressure on health- and long-term-care spending† (para. 8). The biggest concern of the effects on the health care is the imposed challenge associated with long- term care on families and public resources. For instance, the expenditures for long-term care are rapidly increasing, placing a burden for public financing. As of 2001, $132 billion dollars were spend for public programs including Medicaid and Medicare, of which 60% were covered by the federal government and 30 by patients and their families. Another concern in the health care industry challenging the seniors is the rise in costs for prescription drugs. One of the main reasons why the pharmaceuticals are becoming more and more expensive is the aging population and the increased use of expensive specialty medications. Chronic disease wellness program affect the costs for this demographic Chronic disease wellness programs are very important for such demographics as seniors because this group of age is increasing as proportion of the entire population and contributes to health care cost escalation. Wellness programs are necessary for the elderly because it helps to improve their wellbeing. For example, such programs include increased physical activity, healthy nutrition, elimination of smoking and alcohol consumption. Hence the issue on utilization in such programs is the elevated expenditures that reflect on reduced in-patient admissions. As mentioned above the demographics of seniors are rapidly changing, and more beneficiaries are enrolling in Medicare. As of 2011 about 46 million people are receiving benefits, by the 2030 it is estimated that about 78 million people will be enrolled. According to Coberley, Rula, and Pope (2011), â€Å"Over 95 percent of the amounts currently spent by Medicare on the nation’s senior population is consumed by beneficiaries with one or more chronic diseases. These factors, taken together and notwithstanding the reduced costs projected as a result of health care reform, have led the Medicare Trustees to estimate that the program will be insolvent by 2029† (pg. 45). Another concern that has an impact to the cost for chronic disease wellness program is the increase in overweight people who sooner or later will suffer from diabetes. Current statistics from CDC show an increase in diabetes patients from 8 per 1000 people as of 2008, to 15 per 1000 in 2050. Marketing needs and/or services needed for aged population As we discussed above, chronic disease wellness program are elevating health care costs for seniors because of a high demand for such programs. Hence a solution would be an increased marketing and services for wellness programs that would help the pre-seniors before their retirement and to prevent chronic disease or at least mellow the symptoms with a healthier life style. Therefore, marketing various wellness programs, including fitness and healthy nutrition would prevent seniors and the Medicare from costly treatment of chronic disease. For example, few studies showed that health care related expenses resulted in reduction because of the association with community based physical activity program. Hence seniors with diabetes should have a particular interest to focus on wellness programs because of the financial impact of diabetes on Medicare expenditures. Marketing needs for wellness aiming the elderly should be striving. The individual patient, the community, and society as a whole addressing these challenges The current demographic situation with the aged raises alarms about the ability of the health care system to cope with the future health care needs. This particular demographic is facing following challenges, the increased healthcare issues including chronic diseases, unstable healthcare insurance coverage, high medical expenses, and debt problems. Hence given the circumstances older people before approaching retirement could do the following to address these challenges. For instance, add special health accounts of Medicare for expenses that are not covered, eliminate the waiting period, which is two years, for disabled individuals to be covered by Medicare, and allow the elderly to enroll early helped by tax credits for low income people. Community and the whole society should focus on healthy lifestyle to prevent from chronic diseases. Public health should make available and promote fitness-based wellness programs, healthy nutrition shops including farmer’s markets, and social outdoor activities. Conclusion The discussed demographics of aged population reflect various issues in health care. The number of elderly is rapidly increasing for two reasons, lower birth rate, and higher life span. Some of the issues in health care affected by the seniors include the cost elevation of health care services, prescription drugs, and long-term care. Chronic disease wellness programs are experiencing reduced in-patient admissions, as the costs became a burden for the Medicare beneficiaries. Marketing service is highly focusing on promoting fitness-based wellness programs, and chronic disease prevention incentives. There is much what an individual, the community and the whole society can do to address the challenges that this demographic is facing. References Yali, A. M. , and Revenson, T. (2004). How changes in Population Demographics Will Impact Health Psychology: Incorporating a Broader Notion of Cultural Competence Into the Field. Retrieved from, http://web. gc. cuny. edu/Psychology/socpersonality/TAR/docs/04HowChangesinPop. pdf CDC. (2003). Public Health and Aging: Trends in Aging-United States and Worldwide. Retrieved from, http://www. cdc. gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5206a2. htm Coberley, C. , Rula, E. , and Pope, J. (2011). Effectiveness of Health and Wellness Initiatives for Seniors. Retrieved from, http://www. healthways. com/uploadedfiles/popHealthManagement/EffectivenessofHealthWellnessForSeniors. pdf

The History of The Scientific Method †Science Essay

The History of The Scientific Method – Science Essay Free Online Research Papers The History of The Scientific Method Science Essay Beginnings of science originate in the Middle East, and the early civilizations of the Tigris-Euphrates valley and the Nile valley. Advances were made in both technology and theory, but separate groups within each culture were responsible for the progress. The Babylonians devised methods for solving algebraic equations, and they compiled extensive astronomical records. In Egypt there were also developments in mathematics and astronomy and the beginnings of the science of medicine. Early Greek contributions by The Pythagoreans, Aristotle, and Plato marked a different approach to Science but made notable studies in the area of biology and anatomy. Many more are to follow, and as things were discovered and theorized, observation and manufacturing techniques were passed on from one culture to another. Using ancient methods, and building upon them, have allowed scientists to not only study and create science, but create it quicker; especially in the computer age of today. In this essay I will help you understand how technology has played a big role in the creation of new science and technologies. The roots of science lie in the technology of early tool making and other crafts, while scientific theory was once a part of philosophy and religion. Until recent times, technology encouraging science rather than the other way around was the norm. Thus, the history of science is essentially intertwined with that of technology. The Babylonians devised methods for solving algebraic equations, and they compiled extensive astronomical records from which the periods of the planets revolution and the eclipse cycle could be calculated. This was the birthplace for our current calendar system of 12 months in a year, 7 days a week, etc. Wheeled vehicles and bronze metallurgy were imported to Egypt where iron smelting was discovered. But some of the greatest changes were in the area of technology, in the development of new sources of energy and their application in transportation, communications, and industry. The development of these worked as an alternator in sorts; scientists u se science to create science. The creation of new tools and measuring equipment, cleaner facilities with which to work out of, the ability to go places unable before, and to observe new things, has had a great influence on how science is done. The industrial revolution, which some might argue was greatest in the 13th and 16th century, applies more towards the years 1750 and 1850. Revolutionary economic change was apparent during the13th and 16th centuries, but between 1750 and 1850, dramatic changes in social and economic structure took place, as invention and technological innovations created the factory system of large-scale machine production, causing those formerly employed in agriculture (in which production had also increased as a result of technological improvements), to gather in great urban factory centers; for instance, Detroit. Many large facilities are located here, and it is still one of the biggest exporters of automobiles, even though it has, and is still going through some very rough times as automation is taking over where employee’s once worked. Measurement, being one of the fundamental processes of science, provides the data on which new theories are based, and by which older theories are tested and retested. A good measurement should be both accurate and precise. Accuracy is determined by the care taken by the person making the measurement and the condition of the instrument. Old instruments might wear or break and provide inaccurate results. Precision is determined by the design of the instrument; the finer the instruments scale and the greater the ease with which they can be read, the more precise the measurement. CAD (Computer Aided Design), CAM (Computer Aided Manufacturing), and computers themselves, might have been the greatest achievement in the development of science. With CAD, rather than having to build prototypes and change components to determine the effects of tolerance ranges and theories, scientists can use computers to simulate these operations. The invention of micro electronics have become useful in laboratories and factories, where CAM, a form of computer automation evolved from the numerically controlled machines of the 1950’s, has revolutionized the manufacturing process. Today a single computer can control banks of robotic testing equipment and systems. Computer controlled sterile environments aid in laboratories where dangerous materials must be handled very carefully, and the contamination of bacteria is a big worry. In the world of automobile repair, todays BMW’s have pushed the envelope even further, and where we already saw a great step in compu terized error-reporting equipment, the car alerts you when a service is due or something is malfunctioning, and send messages to BMW headquarters which in turn sets you up for an appointment for your repair; automatically. In conclusion, you can see we have not only made achievements in the creation of new technologies, and the understanding of our earth and universe, but we in turn use these new technologies in a recursive process, to aid in the way information is gathered, to create complex and reliable tools used for observation, to automate the calculation and testing of theories, and, while become increasingly unpopular for many factory workers, to reduce or eliminate the requirement of human input. No telling how far the influence of new technology on science will take us into the future, but as we continue to learn more about the human body, build our space-station’s, discover new forms of life in the depths of the oceans, and find cleaner energy sources, the possibilities are endless; especially if you’re one of those that think WE are merely a small experiment in the vast laboratory called the Universe. Research Papers on The History of The Scientific Method - Science EssayCanaanite Influence on the Early Israelite ReligionBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andPETSTEL analysis of IndiaMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesGenetic EngineeringThree Concepts of PsychodynamicOpen Architechture a white paper

Product, Pricing, Channel, Promotional Strategies Essay

Product, Pricing, Channel, Promotional Strategies - Essay Example Considering the expenditure effect, consumers tend to choose alternative options if they feel the price is high and unaffordable.   Soft drinks are usually priced on similar lines, unlike healthcare products. Consumers unwilling to spend more money on healthcare products, which are occasional requirements and are often unplanned in their expenditure, tend to consider price before choosing the product. Considering the shared-cost effect, consumers look for external financial help to buy specific product, especially health care product, through insurance and other means.   When they can aid their health care expenses through insurance, they do not feel the pressure of high pricing. The Price-Quality effect plays a major role in choosing specific pharmaceutical products as it is associated with their psychology.   If consumers had earlier had good experience with certain medicines, then fluctuating or increased price will not be a deciding factor in purchasing the same product onc e again. Unique value effect that consumers experience with some treatments or medicines make the consumers less sensitive to products price because the differentiating value of the products become more important.   Most consumers prefer their health and well being to price or expenditure, when in grave need for betterment of health. Channels of different lengths and intensities may be used to reach maximum consumers and obtain large market share.   For instance, intensive channels are formed by including all possible intermediaries like agents, wholesalers, retailers, distributors etc. Whereas, exclusive channels are formed by including only one intermediary.   Intensive channels are best suitable for marketing convenience products such as soft drinks, groceries etc.   Few selective channels are used, such as only wholesalers or distributors, when reaching out to multiple retail outlets for products that consumers pay more attention before buying. Consumers tend to search f or information before buying these products.   Sales of such products are lesser than convenience products, hence including lesser intermediaries would be the best option for such products. Exclusive channels are used to market products that are highly priced; such channels are restricted to exclusive retailer in the market. Specialty products that are expensive and infrequently purchased are limited to exclusive retailers or show-rooms, and are provided sufficient after sales support.   For example, specific automobiles are available only through exclusive retailers. Unsought products are usually marketed by the company or through single channels such as contracted marketers.   These products are relatively new and are unknown to the consumers.   Hence, the company takes the responsibility of bringing the product into the market before trusting it to third-party channels.

The relationship between changing of labor force(total labor number ) Research Paper - 2

The relationship between changing of labor force(total labor number ) and Unemployment rate - Research Paper Example The drop was sharp in 2002 heightened by the global financial crisis where most firms were laid off their staff. However, the situation was later on put under control (STOICA, pp.3-7). Additionally, the study that was carried out in the same locality indicated that a decline in the population caused the number of employable persons to fall. It was that the number decreased by more than 13900 people. There were low rates of migration into the locality, low birth rates, high mortality rates and a great number of the aging population. The factors caused the total number of labor to decrease sharply (STOICA, pp.3-7). However, the trend was slightly different in other localities where there was an increase in the labor force due to a population increase. More so, most of the people chose to reside in urban settlements where employment opportunities were more available than rural areas. Additionally, the demographic indicators within the area indicated population increase was as a result of increase birth rates, low mortality rates, increased population due rural to urban migration (STOICA, pp.4-5). Shierholz, (paras.1-3)came up with a report that indicated there was a decrease in labor force participation between 2008 to 2012.The decline was about 2.5% from the previous years where the participation was 66.2%.Due to the decline, the rate of unemployment reduced significantly. A decrease in labor participation was caused by unwillingness by most of the people to seek for employment opportunities because of low wages that were being offered in the job market. However, he indicated that if industries provided lucrative job opportunities, there was a possibility for the market to be by prospect job seekers hence raising the rate of unemployment in an economy. Plumer, (2013) showed that the labor force in the US was sharply weakening. According to his publication, about 66% of Americans had managed to secure a job vacancy or were still in the

EasyJet plc (airline strategy report) Assignment - 1

EasyJet plc (airline strategy report) - Assignment Example Its technology is at a strong point though there is need for improvement with constant growth of new technology (Simister 2011). Threat of entry is very low compared to heavy budget connected to airline demands. Globalization is providing the company with new opportunities for new markets allowing the company expands through different nations. EasyJet has a great potential of growth within the airline industry because of its ability to operate in small airports where other airlines in these airports is very low (Bamber et al. 2009). The diagram above indicates that EasyJet is in a favorable position giving it the ability to take up a growth strategy which is aggressive. It is evident that the airline is operating in a stable and attractive industry giving it competitive advantages coupled with significant financial strength. From the above analysis, it is quite evident that EasyJet strategy is adequate in relation to the airline industry market demand. However, there are several issues that the company needs to address to strengthen its strategies. The following recommendations are necessary; There is need for EasyJet to expand its geographical market to other market apart from its concentration in Europe and countries near Europe. By so doing the company will be able to capture low cost airline demand especially in developing countries. In order to increase its competition in the low cost airlines, it is important for EasyJet to improve its facilities of operating the flights. Improving its facilities will provide the airline with opportunities to operate better in markets. Even in establishment of low cost flights, EasyJet need to create different boarding classes to fit a wide segment of its target market. For instance, businessmen prefer business class while travelling which cannot be the same case for other individuals. The company can engage its customer through offering group discounts for customer travelling as group. For

Skills And Knowledge For Successful System Development Information Technology Essay

Skills And Knowledge For Successful System Development Information Technology Essay There is no doubt that information system analyst is playing an increasingly important role in most of the successful system project development. To achieve this, information system analyst must possess a wide range of qualities which involves appropriate skills and abilities as well as sufficient knowledge in the implementing system of users supports and functioning of business. It has to be considered that information system analyst carries responsibilities to analyse and understands the complex needs of human resources, people skills, technical understanding and process facilitation and it is basically applied from the first day of the system projects existence. It is crucial for every information system analyst to have dynamic project teams which are not static and unchanging as to ensure that they are able to articulate the needs that are associated with the key problem to be solved or opportunity to be realized. There are also several barriers exist in gathering and interpretin g of system development that needs to be concerned by information system analyst as this will affect the results of the system and the effectiveness of system development. This paper is critically emphasized on the skills and knowledge of an information system analysts and how these skills and knowledge have impacted in the successful in system project development. The structure of the paper will begin with the introduction, terminologies section, knowledge required by system analyst, most important skills and competencies for a system analyst as well as a conclusion as the summarization of the whole topic. Keywords: system analyst, system analysis, knowledge, analytical skills, technical skills, interpersonal skill, managerial skills, communication skills 1.0 INTRODUCTION Initially, information system analyst is highly necessary to run a system project. Without an information system knowledge and appropriate skill set, it is hardly to achieve projects goals. There are various formal and informal roles that system analyst play in creating successful. In short, every system analyst in a project has their own responsibilities that carry both formal and informal task and sometimes they are also assigned to run in a big or small project concurrently based on the project requirements to achieve project successfulness. Essentially, a system analyst plays an important role in the process of system development life cycle tasks which involved project planning, analysis, design, implementation and support process. Each process requires a system analyst to perform a different task and they must possess a wide range of skills with sufficient knowledge. This is important as system development is a very difficult activity that needs very careful planning, control an d execution. With the emergence of information technology, system has become increasingly role in most of the organization. In fact, a good system becomes the solely sustainable advantage for organizations to gain a winning position in todays highly competitive world. Parallel with that, the task of a system analyst becomes more difficult because they have to deal with a different organization with different requirements. According to Misic and Graf (2004), systems analyst perform their job is characterized by a constant changes where the change of the environment and uncertainty places forces the system analyst to regularly and consistently updates their task and activities. Meaning here, the system analyst should be able to adapt to the environmental changes. For that, a system analyst has to learn the culture or environment for every organization that they assigned to develop a system in order for them to effectively perform their job and meet the projects goals. In addition, they also need to have full understanding of system development and try to apply it within the organization with the support of knowledge and skills as it is very important and necessary to ensure the organization gain value and outperform rivals. Numerous articles have been written about system analyst skills and knowledge by many authors. Various authors have expressed different opinions on the skills that should be possessed by a system analyst such as analytical, technical, managerial and interpersonal or communication skills. There are two key skills that are needed to perform system analysis tasks, fact-finding for the investigation of system requirements and modelling of a business process based on the system requirements (Satzinger, Jackson and Burd, 2009). Therefore, the purpose of this article is to provide thorough information on the aspects of tasks, knowledge and important skills of todays system analyst as well as to identify the impact of these aspects towards the effectiveness of system development. 2.0 DEFINITION OF KEY TERMS: SYSTEM ANALYST, KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS There are several of definition of a system analyst have been identified by many professionals. The meaning of the terms may vary from various authors depending to business process, workflow and discipline where it is used; however, the concept of a system analyst remains the same. According to Dennis and Wixom (2003), system analyst can be defined as the individuals who generate ideas and suggestions for how information technology can improve business processes, define new processes with the help of a business analyst, design a new information system and ensure that all the standard information systems maintained. In contrast, Whitten and Bentley (2007) have defined system analyst as a specialist who is responsible in identifying and study the organization problems and needs as to determine how people, data, processes and information technology can contribute to the business developments. Some people get confused the meaning between system analyst and computer programmer. Basically, a system analyst is not a computer programmer; he or she is individuals that decided what form of information technology to be used in the development of a system, whereas a computer programmer is individuals which are responsible in putting appropriate instructions with specific code into a computer system. However, both Information System professionals have similar skills needed in system development, which is emphasized on technical skills (Lee, 2002). Systems analyst and computer programmer are related in some way or another, but they are not exactly the same. Systems analyst requires different skills. Instead, computer programmer is focused on a particular emphasis of the study. Systems analyst and computer programmer like other professions were forced to have a sense of ethics. As viewed by Kagan and Sobolo (1987), systems analyst job involves analysis of the problem or needs informa tion on the organization and resolve the problem through the design of an efficient pattern of information flow from the source data into the computer. In different point of views by Green (1989), system analysts are service providers who are work closely with users as to define, develop and implement computer based system in order to meet business and other requirements. The involvement of users is required to help the system analyst to do analysis and synthesis tasks on a particular system. Almost similar with Misic and Graf (2002) views, system analyst acts as problem solver where they work closely with users and management in collecting and analyzing information on current and/or future computer-based system. Information system knowledge and appropriate skills for effective tasks and duties is needed to be an excellent system analyst. Several authors reviewed knowledge as an actionable or relevant information available in the right format at the right time and at the right place for decision making. In other words, people seek knowledge because it assists them to improve performance and succeed in their work. Knowledge also is the most precious therapy for complexity and uncertainty. Further, the process of system development depends heavily on knowledge so that, by having right knowledge, organization can produce a good decision making with producing good product and services to ensure meet the business requirements. In the case of information systems, knowledge can be referred to as content or technical information needed to do an adequate job and is usually acquired through formal education, on job training and information media such as the manuals (Cheney, Hale and Kasper, 1990). Meanwhile, skills are referred to the specific psychomotor processes necessary to meet the current requirements of job a specific job. Skills also include facilities to choose from between the repertoire of action that may be most appropriate for their specific actions (Cheney, Hale and Kasper, 1990). Environmental projects may differ from an organization to organization and project to project, however, some skills will help in almost any environmental project. These skills include understanding the changes and understand how the organization works within the social, political and physical. Important to realize, understanding the importance of system analyst activities and the related skills and knowledge may be critical in successful of system development. 3.0 KNOWLEDGE REQUIRED BY SYSTEM ANALYST Before starting to analyze and design a system, it is very important for a systems analyst to have sufficient knowledge about the various fields of knowledge depends primarily on the duties and level of development of the system. Based on Vitalari (1985), there are six key concepts of the knowledge base have emerge, namely, core system analysis domain knowledge, high-rated domain knowledge, application domain knowledge, functional domain knowledge, organization specific knowledge and knowledge of methods and techniques. Vitari (1985) said that core system analysis domain knowledge is essential components of system analysts knowledge to achieve satisfactory levels of performance. It is very important to meet the needs of the user to ensure the output of the system development will produce high satisfaction to the users. Important to realize that, systems analysts need to know what commitments are expected from the user and the user also knows what is expected of the systems analyst. In addition, by having this knowledge it help the system analyst to avoid committing mistakes and delaying the project to be completed. Whereas high rated domain knowledge is referred to the knowledge that distinguishes high rated analysts from low rated analysts. Application domain knowledge is a knowledge related to several information system applications such as expert system, decision support system, transaction processing system and end user computing. 4.0 MOST IMPORTANT SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES FOR SYSTEM ANALYST The system analyst needs certain skills to conduct system development. They need the skills to do systems analysis and design, where they have to understand what stakeholders (users, clients and technical staffs) need as to analyze the flow of data or enter data in a systematic, process or transform data, store data, and output information in the specific context of the business (Kendell and Kendell, 2010). Systems analysts aim to improve and develop information systems and information technology to get the best benefits for business especially in solving the business problems. Essentially, job skills support the core information system capabilities to determine the effective exploitation of technology innovation for IT organizations (Lerogue, Newton and Blanton, 2005). There are number of opinions that describe the skills that system analyst should be possessed to be successful. Following is the most important skills and competencies for a system analyst as pointed by various author s. Analytical skills According to Misic and Graf (2002) in their article entitled System analyst and skills in the millennium, analytical skills were considered the most important skills in the system development. Analytical skills can be defined as the ability to examine things critically and/or minutely, to separate the clear picture into its individual components (Misic and Graf, 2002). As indicated by Misic and Graf (2002), these skills provide the primary basis for an individual to adapt to changes in technology and by focusing on the development of their current employees and / or recruiting new employees that strong analytical skills of focusing mainly on a technical background, management information system will form a team development to be successful today and also in the face of the next wave of inevitable change and stress in their technological procedures. They also indicated that, this skill is applied in defining and analyzing requirements and insuring the fit within the organizations info rmation system environment. In other hands, analytical skills were involved in the analysis process where it is the task to understand the whole of something by breaking it down into important components. By understanding its components and how they fit together in a larger whole, it leads to understand the whole better. Analytical skill requires a system analyst to precisely in defining the problems. It is a fact that, knowing how to define a problem is a tough part. They have to find a way to break things into elements and utilize those elements to understand the real situations. The system analyst tasks might involve visualizing, articulating, and solving complex problems and concepts, and making sensible decisions based on information available. Analytical skills assist the system analyst to figure out the needs of the organizations and then try to satisfy those needs with a new system development. The growing use of technology has become a major part of the organization around the world. This led to the making the task of properly defines the problem ever more difficult. The system analyst has to be more precise in defining the problem besides determining the scope of a new system. This is the task where, system analysts have to properly define the possible problem and the target where they aim to hit. Important to know that, if the problem is wrongly identified it may impact on the system development, such as the new system will not well known, more time needed to do some research on a new system and many possible issues might be occurred. In contrast, if the problems are well identified with the analytical skill is applied to do this; the solutions to the particular problem are usually straightforward. Furthermore, to ensure the problem is precisely identified, systems analysts need to analyze and address the available information, to know what information sources are good, to be able to access and to make effective use in developing a new system. Identifying very clearly defined and specific problem is an important step to successfully implement the first solution. Interpersonal skills and communication skills Interpersonal and communication skills are other skills that required by every system analyst. Such skills are required at various stages of the development process for interacting with the users and try to identify their requirements in order to find out possible solutions to that particular problem. Interpersonal skills are related with individual skills needed to interact with individuals that associated with an IS project. In other words, interpersonal skills also can be referred as a behaviour and attitudes of individual, interpersonal communication and group behaviour in the IS context (Lerouge, Newton and Blanton, 2005). According to Lerouge, Newton and Blanton, (2005) in their study, IS managers have viewed these skills as the most important set skills for a system analyst in affecting IS success, whereas, for CIOs and end users indicated that technical skills were the most vital skills in successful of system development. Several authors indicated that behavioural, social, c ommunication and soft skills are sometimes referred to interpersonal skills as its characteristic represents the individual behaviours such as articulating and speaking skills to interact with the users, ability to work in a team such as programmers, analysts and other system professionals, personal motivation and working independently, good listener, ability to write and many more. Based on Odini (1991), interpersonal skills are term use to describe variety of social and communicative skills that involve two way communication skills, styles of positive behavior, leadership and teamwork and understanding of human behavior and interpersonal relationships in terms of interaction with relevant individuals. In contrast, Misic and Graf (2004) have distinguished interpersonal and communication skills into two different categories. Interpersonal skills are the ability to interact with other workers including end users, other system analyst, managers and outside vendors. Meanwhile, communic ation skills are referred to the ability of people to effectively write and speak clearly, able to summarize a document and that document must be understandable to the users. Most of the company IT based found that interpersonal skills or communication skills in both speaking and writing and ability to work in a team are very important and necessary to carry out their task. A system analyst needs to have communication skills as they are required to write user requirements into technical specifications. It is a fact that, good communication skills is significance to help the system analyst to interact with users in order to identify their needs, to interact with system designers to assist them in developing of a system interface as well as to communicate with the system developer as to keep track of system development. According to Green (1989), system analysts believe that they must rely on behavioral skills to effectively interact with user during the crucial stages of problem definition and analysis. As indicated by Misic and Graf (2004), if a system analyst is able to interact well with users, it shows that he or she has the ability to work with member s of the project team. Moreover, a system analyst should spend time getting close to the diverse stakeholders such as users, client and technical staffs in order to obtain information as they are the group of people who will use a new system and will benefit most from it. Generally, interpersonal skill is a significant factor in the success of a system analyst in developing system. The excellent system analyst is involved in every aspect of the system development process, and is actively involved in the interaction design for the system. They have an understanding of the various ways the stakeholder need to interact with the system, understand the different needs and to identify the different aspects of design that will work for different stakeholders. Based on Green (1989), management must recognize that successful system development depends on both behavioral and technical skills. He added that, training to improve behavioral skills such as interviewing and listening is needed. This is because they have to interact with many groups of people in various businesses where this group of people provides valuable insights to ensure the system satisfies the business needs. Besides, system analysts also liaise with almost every department of the business that is involved in solving the system problem. In addition, management must also provide an orientation program for the users involved in new projects. This program is mainly about the specific activities of system development and related skills needs for analysis. This program may facilitate the improvement of interaction skills and promoting greater consumer awareness of the importance of behavioral skills for systems development functions (Green, 1989). Technical skills There is no doubt that technical skills are areas commonly considered major to the computer related profession including system analyst. According to Misic and Graf (2004) technical skills are the ability to use techniques such as the development of systems of functional decomposition, data flow diagrams, process specifications, object-oriented analysis, data modeling, computer programming, hardware and software knowledge and other tools that are recognized to help in the development of a system. Similar with Lerouge, Newton and Blanton (2005) technical skills referred to hardware, software and programming aspects of information systems. In different point of views, Gallagher et. al (2010) indicated that technical skills can be divided into three major categories, foundational skills, operational skills and essential skills. Table 1, shows some of the technical skills that need to be possessed by every IT professional. Table 1: Technical Skills Foundational Skills Operational Skills Essential Skills Programming System testing Desktop Support/ Helpdesk Database Design / Management Operating Systems Voice / Data Telecommunications Operations Service Hosting Continuity / Discovery Planning Mainframe / Legacy Systems Analysis Systems Design IT Architectures / Standard Source: Adapted from Gallagher et. al (2010) Based on the above table, it can be assumed that system analyst requires all three technical skills as to stay competitive with todays dynamic environment, especially in the emergence of the internet and intranet technologies. This rapid change in technology forced the system analyst to prepare and focuses on the system analysis and development of a system by mastering all relevant technical skills. Foundation skills are skills to be obtained in advance by system analysts for their basic knowledge for continued career growth as well as before further develop to a higher level of skills. Whereas as indicated by Gallagher et. al (2010), operational skills often in particular, but they are usually not firm-specific. Though, they may be specific to technology providers such as, IBM mainframes or Microsoft server products. These skills are important to solve problems that are related to the computers and both hardware and software. Meanwhile, essential skills are the most important skills in assisting a system analyst to perform task in analyzing and designing of system development. There are changes in the system analyst technical skill set due to the development of technology. In addition, these skills have increasingly emphasized across all IS job. According to Lee (2002), the skills involved were desktop, operating systems, third generation languages, database and packages as well. In contrast, Haga et. al (2007), have identified three major technical skills set that is listed in the job bank, there are, database skills, operating system skills and other miscellaneous skills. Table 2, summarizes the technical skills required for a system analyst listed in the job bank. Some of these skills are crucial for them to operate and implement the system development. Table 1: Technical skills required for system analyst listed in the job bank. Database Skills Operating System Skills Other Miscellaneous Skills Oracle SQL PL/SQL Database DB2 SQL Server Powerbuilder Sysbase Data Mining/ Data Warehousing Informix Delpi UNIX/LINUX Win NT Win 95/98/2000 AS400/ OS400 Mainframe JCL Novell Sun Solaris DOS MAC OS MS Office Internet/ Intranet Development Networking/Telecom SAP Accounting (pay-roll, etc) Peoplesoft Tech Support/ Help Desk ERP Lotus Notes uml Crystal Reports Vision Source: Adapted from Haga et. al (2007) 5.0 CONCLUSION It can be concluded that excellent system analyst only can be developed through appropriate skills and sufficient knowledge. While developing an effective project team members, the team leader also need to have multiple skills in managing those people in the project management. According to Tan (2004), due to multi-disciplinary and multi-dimensional of project management, a good manager is an individual that can wear multiple hats and work in any discipline of development to plug up any shortcomings. For system analysts, it is necessary for them to fulfil the excellent system analyst characteristic in order to achieve project goals on time and within the budget besides preventing a conflict with others in the same project.

Free Essays - Animal Farm :: Animal Farm Essays

Social commentary is sometimes found at the heart of good art, whether that art form is literature or popular music. The novel, Animal Farm by George Orwell, and the rock album, Animals written and performed by Pink Floyd share the same characteristic of scathing social commentary. The artworks also share an animal metaphor that serves to cast a dark light on human social interactions and stratification functions. Conversely, the artworks individually attack the diametrically opposed, socio-economic systems of communism (by Orwell) and capitalism (by Roger Waters). The artworks are individually astounding, but when viewed in tandem, alludes to the idea that socio-economic systems are still evolving and in time the terms capitalism and communism will be thought as ineffective as feudalism.   The shared characteristics of social commentary and animal metaphor literally, are what make these particular artworks the amazing examples of their respective genres that they are. The animal metaphor tends to depict humans as being motivated by our animalistic desires, as well as the tendency among ourselves to be highly competitive and often, ruthless. In Animal Farm, Orwell puts the pigs as being the leaders, or the exploiters of the masses, depending on your point of view. Waters does the same in Animals, depicting the pigs as uncaring, self-involved, and overbearing masters of the masses. In both works, dogs are an enforcer-type, driven either by a sense of patriotism, honor, and pride, but also those misanthropes who relish in the power they have been given and enjoy abusing those weaker than themselves. The sheep are a shared characteristic of both works, depicting them as easily manipulated and led to the slaughter.   The works diverge from one another in which philosophy they individually espouse. Orwell’s novel is an obvious attack against communism. The pig characters of the novel represent the political figures of the early days of the Soviet Union. Orwell goes on to depict the system of the so-called â€Å"class-less† society as an incredible failure, while time would ultimately prove his early analysis as being correct. Any large-scale, highly organized society in all of human history has required social stratification, and Russia of the early twentieth century would prove to be no different. As with any society, those with power have been and still are tempted to abuse that power for their own individual ends, often at the expense of those that have granted them their power. Capitalism is not immune from this inherent flaw in social stratification either.

Is knowledge management a fad? Essay

Abstract Knowledge management is a broad term that includes tools and theories from various fields. T.D. Wilson had been impeaching the need for knowledge management and he had come to the conclusion that knowledge management is just a fad started by consultancy companies and IT/ICT departments. This paper examines the righteousness of this proclamation and provides explanations and specifications of some conclusions that had T.D. Wilson provided in his work â€Å"The nonsense of ‘knowledge management’†. Is knowledge management a fad? 1 The need of KM in information society With the instantaneous global information sharing is arising the need of knowledge management. This is based on the evolution and transformation of society. Every year the amount of the whole human knowledge is doubled. The role of information in current organization has transferred from peripheral and incidental to central and fundamental. Management is no longer supervising their employees, but instead is prioritizing feedback from the employees and therefore the function of the manager has shifted from pure decision making to information processing (Brunet-Thorton, 2010). Information society is characterized by the interconnection of information sources, the ease of transferring categorizing and saving information with the help of applied use of data digitalization. In the definition of information society has the large importance the fact that inner telecommunication structures are more and more dependent on outer telecommunication systems. An example of this interconnectedness can be the internet, which is for our society nearly indispensable. And therefore is enabling the impressive growth of communicational and informational business organizations. With the beginning of the 21st century we can observe strong globalization tendencies – huge networks if users, which are able to communicate and share information without the presence of third persons. This way the volume and amount of knowledge information and data is astonishingly expanding. The communication infrastructure is slowly becoming the infrastructure used for knowledge sharing. The information society is indirectly enabling smaller companies and businesses to get involved in global trade market. For accomplishing their business objectives, these companies can get advantage in using new paths for trading such as on time production and delivery, online publishing, teleworking and network based virtual teams. The rapid evolution of information-globalized market is supporting the transformation to perfect market – from the economical perspective. New businesses opportunities are emerging form these technology shortcuts. Specific examples from the present can be Google or Facebook, which have so far used the information globalization most prospectively. Information society can bring new paths to advance the economy and contribute to increasing the number of highly skilled jobs, but at the expense of reducing the number of working positions with lower or no qualifications. A key factor is the role of education and retraining of unskilled workers, especially in government and public administration. This is closely related to other difficulties emerging from information society – safety and protection of information. You will need to modify the legislation together with the development and emergence of new information technologies. The fight against cyber-crimes, data protection, information privacy, i.e., to prevent fraud with the certification authorities and prevent the spread of malicious code should be a top priority in the developing information society. 2 Data, Information, Knowledge We can define data as a â€Å"crude facts relating to things and events that have not been processed or organised† (Thorton, 2010). An example can be database filled with numbers. Without knowing the context – what the abbreviations describing each column mean we cannot get any information from these data. Another example can be a text in a foreign language. Without knowing this language we are not able to transform data (characters) into any information (meaning of whole words and sentences) and consequently we are not able to obtain any knowledge from this text. Data become information, when they havebeen manipulated permitting its meaning to be understood. (Thorton, 2010) One of the tons of definitions of knowledge is: â€Å"Knowledge is directly related to understanding and is gained through the interpretation of information. Knowledge enables us to interpret information i.e. derive meaning from data. The interpretation of meaning is framed by the perceiver’s knowledge.â€Å" (Mark Sharratt & Abel Usoro, 2003, p.188). The definition of knowledge management becomes more interesting then definition of knowledge, because of the various views on this term as Wilson points out (Wilson, 2002, What is ‘knowledge management’?, para. 1). Despite the recent lack of agreement on what is meant by knowledge management, the definitions of knowledge management aim at three core components of knowledge management: knowledge/information repositories, communities and networks and experts and knowers. (Chatti & Jarke & Frosch-Wilke, 2007, page 406) 3 Tacit explicit and implicit knowledge Wilson has also raised the question about explicit knowledge. He is literally asking the reader â€Å"Does it make any difference to the argument if, in the diagram, we replace â€Å"tacit knowledge† with â€Å"knowledge† and â€Å"explicit knowledge† with â€Å"information†?† He is not answering his question, so it may seem unanswered, but while reading the whole paragraph, which is quite critical to the established distinction between explicit knowledge and information, I stopped looking for the answer, because it quite evident that this question is just rhetorical. Other authors are fairly more specific about the term of explicit knowledge. One of the views is offering Stenmark: The fact that routines, procedures, rules, manuals, books, blueprints, and all the other examples given above are useful does not make it knowledge. They all need knowledge to be decoded and are therefore not knowledge but information, albeit interwoven with the knowledge required to create it. Knowledge, which remains tacit, is also needed to interpret the information. Although some argue that â€Å"knowledge† may be embedded in a text (e.g., a balance sheet where columns and totals have predefined meanings), the reader cannot appreciate it without bringing the required personal knowledge (2002, page 6). As a conclusion I think a can say that the term explicit knowledge can be used synonymously with information. 4 Knowledge in VSE courses In order to show the importance and purport of knowledge management I am presenting here the syllabuses of few courses from The University of Economics, Prague that engaged with knowledge. 4IZ210 – Information and Knowledge Processing Aims of the course: To familiarize students with basic methods for both information storage and retrieval, as well as for acquisition and processing of formalized knowledge. Furthermore, the aim is to highlight the interrelationship of these areas and outline anticipated developments. Learning outcomes and competences: Find and process information about companies and present the processed information, especially for analysis of the competitive environment. The emphasis is put on working with electronic information resources. Apply the selected method for knowledge discovery in databases on a given data and publish acquired knowledge to an expert. The emphasis is put on working with association rules. Understand the basic methods selected for processing information and knowledge within presented subjects. Course contents: The method for storing and retrieving information, methods of obtaining and processing of formalized knowledge, solving practical problems. (4IZ210 syllabus, n.d.) This course is dealing with all free levels of intelligence produced by humans: data information and knowledge. Student should be able to distinguish between these three easily and they should also be capable of transforming one to another. 3MA661 – Management of Knowledge Workers Aims of the course:Introduce students to modern tools and methods of management convenient for management of knowledge workers. Demonstrate those tools and methods in real life corporate situations. Learning outcomes and competences: distinguish between tacit and explicit dimension of knowledge, use basic tools for work with explicit and tacit knowledge, identify knowledge workers in organization and classify them to groups in relation to their importance for organization and style of work, manage and develop knowledge workers in relation to their personality type, manage personal development of knowledge workers, initiate and manage process of knowledge sharing among knowledge workers, create visions and get the support of knowledge workers for them. Aims of the course:Explain importance of knowledge for business and management. Present key concepts and processes of knowledge management and demonstrate them on case studies. Explain the term tacit knowledge and teach students to work with it. (3MA661 syllabus, n.d.) This syllabus is quite unspecific about specifying knowledge management tools used for managing knowledge workers. It seems, just from the text of this syllabus that this course is overlapping with majority of the topics with the Knowledge management course. 4SA320 Information Management Basics Aims of the course: Course offers basic theoretical background as well as practical application of information management. It presents information management as multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary science, which integrates knowledge in three areas – modern management, system approach and informatics. The content of the course accents global overview of the information society, its development and presents main topics of managerial work in conditions of actual information society. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to know the legal frame of information society in conditions of the CR, work with components of Integrated Management System, actively know how to use basics of knowledge management in the area of enterprise informatics. (4SA320 syllabus, n.d.) I absolved this course last year. From the syllabus it seems that student will have to do lots of with knowledge. So thought I, and although I wasn’t really able to tell much difference between information and knowledge, my expectations were aimed on knowledge – from my today’s point of view. But this course is purely focused on Information management. It peeks more into technological and legal fields than in management of knowledge itself. And as the last I would like to present not a course of The University of Economics, Prague but a student’s site called vseborec.cz. It’s not primarily a knowledge management tool, but rather an information sharing site. But from simple sharing site for student’s notes to lectures it has developed to a ‘database of student knowledge’. It’s quite interesting that has expanded to today’s proportions thanks to the sharing and unselfish naturel of students on a school which aim is to teach its student to compete and not to share. You can find out what will be the professor and his lectures like even before enlisting in the course. 5 Web searches analyse To support or refuse the formulation of Wilson that knowledge management is just a fad (2001, â€Å"Conclusion†, pa. 1) I made an analyse of web searches on Google in the period of the last six years. If the term ‘knowledge management’ is in the business world used just as a synonym for the term ‘information management’ the total amount of searches for the term’ knowledge management’ should be increasing to the prejudice of the term ‘information management’. The absolute amount of web searches for both, the information and knowledge management, has been obviously decreasing in the period of the years 2004 and 2007. The drop of searches is simultaneous for both of the terms, therefore we cannot say that knowledge management is replacing information management, at least in the sphere of web searching. Among the most popular places around the world for searching the term knowledge management in the period of last 12 months is leading South Africa followed by Kenya Malaysia and India. But in the year 2004 in the top ten places for web searching ‘Knowledge management’ we can find countries such as United Kingdom, Italy and Australia. The shift of popularity from western countries to African and Asian areas is evident. (Google Insights, 2010) Graph 1 Web search worldwide (Google Insights, 2010) This is the conclusion that has T.D. Wilson come up with: â€Å"The inescapable conclusion of this analysis of the ‘knowledge management’ idea is that it is, in large part, a management fad, promulgated mainly by certain consultancy companies, and the probability is that it will fade away like previous fads.†(Wilson, 2002, â€Å"Conclusion†, para. 1). And according to my web searches analysis it really looks like that knowledge management is just a fad. The interest in knowledge management has been decreasing for the last six years. But I think that this is only due to the acceptance of knowledge management as such in western cultures and the simultaneous inception of knowledge management awareness not just in business world but also at universities and in a public sector. And due to this conclusion I presume that the growth of interest in knowledge management in South Africa, Kenya, India, Malaysia and other south Asian and African countries is because of the lack of general awareness about knowledge management and not because of the late arrival of â€Å"fashionable knowledge management† to less developed countries. 6 Reasons of knowledge management popularity rocketing Wilson presented in his paper five arguments, why he thinks that knowledge management has been experiencing such a boom in the past decade. Here are they: First, and largely because of a fixation on internal organizational data, the term ‘information’ has become almost synonymous with data in the minds of organizational heads. For example, I’ve been told that the National Electronic Library for Health uses the term ‘Knowledge’ because in the NHS information=data and a different term was needed. We have to lay this, I think, at the feet of the information systems profession whose focus for years was data and data definitions, etc. In fact, they dealt not with information systems but with data systems. (Wilson, 2001, pa. 2) This is, of course, misinterpretation of data and information. If is somebody using this terms incorrectly in one organization, that doesn’t mean that everybody else should take these terms as synonyms. Information systems are by definition â€Å"computerized tools that assist people in transforming data into information† (DiBiase, 2008) but data systems are just groups of facts presented in a specific order (pixels forming a picture, radio waves broadcasted at one frequency). Secondly, and opportunely for the software houses and IT firms, ‘km’ came along just as they were being hit by the wave of scepticism over the possibility of IT ever delivering more than problems – and certainly never likely to deliver productivity and performance. ‘Whoops, we’ve cracked it!’ cried the IBMs and MSofts of this world – ‘We should have been dealing with ‘knowledge’ all along, and now we are – Lotus Notes is no l onger groupware and personal information management, it’s KnowledgeWare!’ So they are happily marketing the same product under a new name. (Wilson, 2001, pa. 3) As I mentioned earlier, the term knowledge management is on its raise, not because of marketing strategy of IT/ICT companies, but because of its popularity increasing with the needs for better entitlement of the information society. Thirdly, the organization and management boys finally began to realise that all this text that people were creating on word-processors, etc., needed to be managed effectively and, indeed, organized, shared and disseminated more effectively, but they couldn’t use ‘information management’ because that was ‘information systems’ and data, wasn’t it? So it must be ‘knowledge’, right? If we can only get people to share their ‘knowledge’ performance must improve because it is the communication barriers that are preventing the free flow of ‘knowledge’ (i.e., information). So, now, every aspect of organization and management theory has to have a ‘knowledge’ dimension, other wise you aren’t in the game. In the literature, of course, this amounts to the token use of the term ‘knowledge management’ and the use of ‘knowledge’ as a synonym for ‘information’. (Wilson, 2001, pa. 4) Knowledge shouldn’t be used synonymously with information and I hope that this is not happening, at least at academic level. Also Wilson is not differentiating between data and information system which definitions are noted above. Fourthly, at the forefront of all this were the management consultancies – why? Because BPR and Organizational Learning were running out of steam. Amusingly, all organizational learning work appears to come under the heading of ‘km’ – more search and replace marketing. So, the consultancies grabbed at km in order to have something to sell at the end of the 90s. (Wilson, 2001, pa. 5) The consultancies are always looking for the needs of business market and therefore they should be reflecting the needs of this market, at least to some point, so this point might be valid on a small extent of a scale. Finally, most (or at least many) departments of information management or information science, and departments of information systems in academia, are somewhat low on the totem pole in most of their institutions, and each needs to differentiate itself from the other in order to try to work its way up that greasy pole, so both have seized on km as an aid in the struggle. I foresee turf-wars over which department, where there is one of each, has the right to run degrees in km. Where only one of the kind exists, it will seek to make km all-embracing of management, computer science, information systems, etc., etc. – because the logic leads nowhere else 🙂 ‘If we deal with knowledge – then how can anyone else presume to do so?’ (Wilson, 2001, pa. 6) The logic of Wilson leads nowhere else, because that is exactly what knowledge management is about: people, culture, technology, processes. The knowledge management is closer with its aim to the management and organization and the departments of information management are rising from IT/ICT fields so the need to go up should be also emerging from management places and not from information management departments. 7 Conclusion With the development of new technologies in information and communication sector the new term ‘knowledge management’ has begun to be used in business sector. The term as such is not useless and meaning less as suggested by Wilson in his research. Wilson is asking the readers in the conclusion of his paper:†If getting promotion, or holding your job, or finding a new one is based on the knowledge you possess – what incentive is there to reveal that knowledge and share it?†(2002, â€Å"Conclusion†, pa. 2). And my answer to this probably rhetorical question is: Your working experience, your social and cultural background and most importantly your education. From all of these you can predict the amount of knowledge one possesses. Although it cannot be evaluated by any empirical measures, the existing society is surviving without these accurate measurements and surprisingly she is doing quite well. This is not to say that enabling people to contribute effectively to the management of organizations is impossible and that sharing knowledge and enabling people to use their creativity in innovative ways in organizations is impossible – simply that it is very difficult, and that it does not reduce to some simplistic concept of ‘knowledge management’! It demands a change in business culture, from the macho Harvard Business School model, to something more thoughtful and understanding of what motivates human beings. Organizations need to learn to think about problems, rather than grab at proffered ‘solutions’ – which often turn out to be expensive side-tracks away from the main issues (Wilson, 2002, â€Å"Conclusion†, pa. 3). And that’s why knowledge management isn’t just a simplistic concept. It includes tools from various fields such as and uses them for improvement of knowledge culture within the organization. The slight decrease in popularity of knowledge management in the last six years shows not the recess of knowledge management as a fad, but it rather shows the wide acceptance of knowledge management in the western society. The views presented by Wilson are shocking and very easy to understand and that’s why I find this view presented by Wilson too simplistic and demagogic to some extent. References 3MA661 – Management of Knowledge Workers FPH – WS 2010/2011 course syllabus, (n.d.), The University of Economics, Prague, Retrieved from: https://isis.vse.cz/auth/katalog/syllabus.pl?predmet=68577 4SA320 – Information Management – Basic FIS – WS 2010/2011 course syllabus, (n.d.), The University of Economics, Prague, Retrieved from: https://isis.vse.cz/auth/katalog/syllabus.pl?predmet=68886 4IZ210 – Information and Knowledge Processing FIS WS 2010/2011 course syllabus, (n.d.), The University of Economics, Prague, Retrieved from: https://isis.vse.cz/auth/katalog/syllabus.pl?predmet=69183 Brunet-Thorton, R. (2010) Knowledge management. Presented at The University of Economics, Prague 3MA624 Knowledge Mangement lecture. 11th November Chatti, M.A. and Jarke, M. and Frosch-Wilke, D (2007) The future of e-learning: a shift to knowledge networking and social software. Int. J. Knowledge and Learning, Vol. 3, Nos. 4/5, 2007 Retrieved from: http://cites eerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.141.3202&rep=rep1&type=pdf DiBiase, D. (2008) Pennsylvania Spatial Data Access Glossary. Retrieved from: http://www.pasda.psu.edu/tutorials%5Coutreachglossary.asp Google Insights (2010) Retrieved from: http://www.google.com/insights/search/#q=knowledge%20management%2Cinformation%20management&cmpt=q Sharratt, M and Usoro, A. (2003). Understanding Knowledge-Sharing in Online communities of Practice. Page 188. Retrieved from: http://www.thestep.gr/trainmor/dat/%7B7a8f15e0-b7eb-404e-864a-ef0eb1403751%7D/article.pdf Stenmark, D. (2002), Information vs. Knowledge: The Role of intranets in Knowledge Management, Proceedings of the 35th Hawaii

Foreshadowing in Lord of the Flies essays

Foreshadowing in Lord of the Flies essays Foreshadowing is a device often used in literature to hint at major events of a piece of writing, or the climax. William Golding masterfully uses this technique in his novel many times to grab the reader's attention, and add depth. Lord of the Flies, his 1954 work about a group of boys stranded on an island, where bedlam is ever present, has foreshadowing to the myriad of crises that occur. This foreshadowing hints at how quickly a utopia will dissolve into dystopia, and the marooned boys losing their innocence. Such events include instances of savagery, death, and societal degeneration. From the moment they get their bearings on the island, the savagery of these boys starts to rear its ugly head. The poor, unappreciated Piggy is the first to bear the brunt of apathy, when Jack berates him and strikes him hard enough to break his glasses. In this instance, Jack is infuriated by Piggy's scorn at the fire being let out. Jack is then driven to violence. He took a step, and...[struck Piggy down]...and Jack smacked Piggy's head,? (GOLDING 71). Piggy's glasses then fly off, and break on a rock. Jack shows no remorse, and even mocks Piggy. Although Jack is the best example of morals unravelling, other castaways show an underlying truculence that later engulfs their entire personality. Roger, one of the boys from Jack's choir, starts to enjoy taunting the littl?uns. Despite being still hindered by the social mores with which he was raised, his sadistic side starts to show, especially in his dealings with young Henry. Roger stopped, picked up a stone, aimed, and threw it at Henry - threw it to miss...Roger gathered a handful of stones and began to throw them? (62). This event grimly foretells of Roger's stone throwing in later chapters. Perhaps the best example of initial savagery is the rage Jack feels when he fails to kill the first pig. Jack sits, waiting for a pig,down like a sprinter...his face a few inches fr...

Costs and Motives in Apprenticeship Training

Costs and Motives in Apprenticeship Training Introduction Developing an effective and efficient labor force is essential in organizations’ pursuit to achieve long-term excellence. Acemoglu and Pischke are of the opinion that human capital is the engine of achieving the desired growth (112). Human resource managers should ensure that their workforce has the right skills in order to improve the organizations’ performance.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Costs and Motives in Apprenticeship Training specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The effectiveness of an organization’s human capital will play a vital role in enhancing its competitive advantage and efficiency. Organizations characterized by quality-oriented employees will outdo quantity-oriented workforce. One of the ways through which an organization can transform its labor force into being quality-oriented is by investing in apprenticeship training. Investing in apprenticeship is an effe ctive way through which an organization can enhance employee development by instilling the desired skills and competence. This aspect increases the employees’ level of effectiveness and efficiency (Ryan The economics of training 56). Additionally, the skills acquired must be utilized effectively in order to achieve the desired growth. Acemoglu and Pischke contend that the long-term success of an organization is subject to the degree to which employees are committed in developing specific skills (112). Some of the specific skills cannot be acquired through general-purpose education. Currently, organizations are operating in a vibrant environment arising from the high rate of economic, social, political, and technological changes. Vemic asserts that the increase in the level of uncertainty, turbulence and complexity arising from the environment demands organizations to invest in knowledge (209). Subsequently, organizational managers have an obligation to invest in continuous le arning, which is effectively achieved through workplace training. In an effort to achieve the desired level of efficiency, policy makers including governments are increasingly appreciating the significance of apprenticeship. For example, during his first term in office, Clinton made skills development through training a key policy issue. The objective was to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the less skilled employees.Advertising Looking for term paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Acemoglu and Pischke are of the opinion that the â€Å"increase in the returns to a college degree and other skills experienced in the OECD countries over the past 20 years has added the sense of urgency to concerns regarding skills† (112). Considering the importance of apprenticeship in organizations’ efforts to achieve long-term survival, this paper evaluates the costs and motives of appr enticeship training on the employers’ perspective. In order to understand the significance of apprenticeship, the paper assesses its application in Germany and Switzerland. Cost analysis of apprenticeship training Mohrenweiser and Zwick are of the opinion that an â€Å"increase of the apprenticeship share in trade, commercial, craft, or construction occupations has a positive impact on establishment performance; however, apprenticeship training increases the net cost of operation during the apprenticeship period† (631). Subsequently, employers incur a number of costs by investing in apprenticeship training. Nechvoglod, Karmel, and Saunders cite apprentice wages as one of the major costs incurred by employers in their efforts to invest in apprenticeship (10). The apprentices’ remuneration increases due to the different aspects such as workers’ compensation, payroll tax, superannuation, and wages. Employers have an obligation to make payment to the apprenti ces’ superannuation fund (Wolter and Ryan 550). Acemoglu and Pischke assert that different countries have formulated extensive and complex legislations, which aim at protecting workers (119). During the apprenticeship period, employers have the duty of safeguarding the apprentice in the workplace. Consequently, the employer must ensure health and safety of the apprentices. In the event of an accident or injury, the employer has the responsibility of meeting the apprentices’ hospital bills. In a bid to safeguard against such issues, employers are required to include the apprentices in the workers compensation plan within the organization. Various governments have made it mandatory for organizations to ensure that apprentices receive a fair remuneration during their apprenticeship. The amount of remuneration is dependent on a number of factors. Some of these factors relate to the years of training, nature of apprenticeship, and year of school completion. Entry-level appr entices receive a relatively lower remuneration as compared to mature age apprentices.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Costs and Motives in Apprenticeship Training specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The differences arise from the view that mature apprentices are more productive as compared to their young counterparts, which contributes to higher organizational performance. For example, the UK government has made it mandatory for employers to pay apprentices during the entire period of their apprenticeship. According to the UK government policy, the payment has to be equal to the set national minimum wage. Apprentices serving for the first year and whose age is above 16 years are entitled to a minimum wage at the rate of  £ 2.68 per hour. After one year, the employers have an obligation to pay the apprentices at the rate applicable to their age. Furthermore, the remuneration is also pegged on the traineesâ€℠¢ educational grade. The remuneration paid has to reflect the training received, which reflects their responsibility. Booth and Snower argue that employers have an obligation to treat the apprentices in a similar manner as employees (19). This aspect means that the apprentices are entitled to other benefits similar to other employees in an organization. Some of these benefits include allowances and any other financial benefits that the employer may be required to pay over and above the set gross wages. In Australia, employers are required to pay apprentices all the benefits as outlined by the workplace agreement and the industry award. In addition to remuneration, employers also incur substantial costs in paying the training personnel (Stevens 37). In an effort to ensure that employees are trained adequately, an organization may decide to outsource the training function. Outsourcing the training function may be expensive for an organization. The outsourced firm may charge high train ing fees especially in training executives, which hikes the cost of outsourcing the training function. This assertion holds if an organization is required to train its workforce constantly. Furthermore, the organization may decide to source the training function in-house. Despite this aspect, the internal trainer may charge a high fee.Advertising Looking for term paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Mohrenweiser and Backess of such costs include administration costs, material wastage and extra maintenance, and apprentice supervision costs. During the apprentice period, the employer has an obligation to ensure that the apprentice receives appropriate qualification. Subsequently, the employer should ensure that the apprentice is supervised effectively during the entire apprenticeship program. Clark asserts that organizations should not assume that the apprentice is conversant with the responsibilities being allocated with time, hence diminishing the intensity of supervision (245). This assertion arises from the view that the apprentice will encounter new challenges in the course of undertaking the on-the-job training. In most cases, the supervisory responsibility is allocated to a qualified employee, who is charged with the responsibility of constantly reviewing the apprentice’s practices in order to ensure that he meets the intended quality, thus ensuring that his/her saf ety at the workplace is guaranteed. Therefore, the amount of time that the supervisor is actively involved in the operation of the firm is affected, which reduces his productivity. Nechvoglod, Karmel, and Saunders further argue that the cost incurred is relatively high if the apprentice does not complete the apprenticeship (10). This assertion emanates from the view that the employer does not enjoy the apprentice’s productivity later during his or her time in the organization. Substantial administration costs are involved in planning apprenticeship. For example, human resource managers spend a lot of time scheduling work and planning off-the-job training. The apprentices have the right to attend off-the-job training. In addition to the above costs, the employer also incurs a substantial costs originating from material wastage and extra maintenance. An organization may be required to purchase additional equipment and materials in order to undertake the training process success fully. An analysis of how the costs of apprenticeship are shared between employers, apprentices and the government Most governments are cognizant of the role of organizations in enhancing organizational performance. Subsequently, governments are increasingly supporting organizations in their operations. Dustmann and Schonberg contend that industrialized countries are appreciating vocational training as an important aspect in strengthening their growth and competitiveness (36). One of the avenues through which this goal is being achieved is by supporting organization’s apprenticeship programs. For example, Sweden, the US, Australia, Canada, Germany, and the UK are some of the economies that have advocated organizations to invest in apprenticeship. In an effort to support such initiatives, governments are contributing a substantial amount in supporting the apprenticeship schemes. Nechvoglod, Karmel, and Saunders cite incentive payments as one of the ways through which governmen ts are supporting apprenticeship schemes (24). One of the requirements that organizations are required to invest in includes off-job training such as in-class training. In a bid to support organizations, governments are increasingly paying the tuition fee for organizations that have incorporated a comprehensive apprenticeship-training program. Nechvoglod, Karmel, and Saunders assert, â€Å"The tuition fees charged to students make up a very small part of the overall apprenticeship cost† (24). However, governments support organization in order to sustain such apprenticeship programs in organizations. Dustmann and Schonberg argue that the appreciation of apprenticeship in some industrialized countries such as Austria, France, the US, and Italy have led to significant increment in support of apprenticeship programs through school-based and full-time apprenticeship colleges (36). Similarly, countries such as Switzerland and Germany have adopted firm-based apprenticeship programs. These schemes are designed to train employees through a combination of on-the-job training and school-based training. The programs last for 2 to 3 years (Dustmann Schonberg 36). In Canada, the provincial and federal governments are involved in funding the apprenticeship program. For example, during its â€Å"2011/2012 fiscal year, the Canadian federal government provided direct support to apprenticeship program amounting to approximately $185 billion† (Dustmann Schonberg 38). Furthermore, the government supported organizations that have adopted apprenticeship schemes through a $ 172 million fund, which was specifically set aside for the apprentices’ insurance. In Ontario, Canada, the provincial government provides employers, who have adopted the concept of apprenticeship, with a tax credit amounting to 35% to 45% of the total cost of recruiting an apprentice (Lerman 4). Other governments support apprenticeship by incorporating a subsidy on the training firms. For ex ample, the UK government has developed a fund through the National Apprenticeship Service. The fund covers the total costs incurred by organizations through off-the-job training. However, the fund only supports apprentices aged between 16 and 18 years. Furthermore, the UK government supports organizations that have adopted an apprenticeship-training program for individuals aged between 16 and 17 years through the Apprenticeship Grants for Employees, which was established in 2010. Employers who incorporate apprentices within the 16 to 17 years range receive  £2,500 grant. In Australia, training firms receive $ 1,250 support, which is increased to $ 4,000 upon completion of the training. This aspect highlights the extent to which governments are committed in supporting organizations to invest in developing their workforce through apprenticeship. Therefore, it is imperative for organizational managers in such economies to consider investing in employee development by investing in app renticeship programs. Governments’ support for apprenticeship training is also applicable in Germany and Switzerland. However, Dustmann and Schonberg assert that public funding in Switzerland and Germany is only applicable to part-time vocational education (36). This aspect means that Swiss and German companies receive minimal direct public funding as opposed to British firms, which receive substantial direct public funding. Comparison of apprenticeship training; Switzerland and Germany; cost and benefit analysis Soskice assert that a number of studies have been conducted in an effort to assess costs and benefits of apprenticeship training practices in Switzerland and Germany (25). These studies provide significant insight on the apprenticeship systems implemented in the two countries (Soskice 25). Available empirical research shows that apprenticeship training in Switzerland is subject to the net cost of the training program (Hanushek and Welch 618). Similarly, another study conducted in Germany shows that the costs and benefits associated with training have a significant influence on apprentice training in Germany. Dionisius et al. assert that Germany and Switzerland â€Å"have adopted dual vocational education and training [VET] system† (1). Therefore, the apprenticeship system is comprised of school-based education [training through special vocational institutions] and through on-the-job training. Subsequently, the two countries are effective in enhancing apprenticeship training (Wolfgang and Soskice1). However, the costs and benefits associated with the apprenticeship training behavior amongst the two countries vary significantly. Apprenticeship training in Switzerland is usually beneficial to an organization during the training period. German firms incur significant net costs in the course of training apprentices. The difference between the two countries emanate from the prevailing â€Å"structural differences such as industry structure, w age levels, and firm characteristics† (Dionisius et al. 1). Moreover, the differences between the two companies arise from the prevailing labor market regulations. The study conducted by Dionisius et al. shows a significant difference with regard to cost-benefit ratio from the employers’ perspective between the two countries (5). According to the study, â€Å"the average annual cost of apprentice training in Germany amounts to â‚ ¬15,537 and that of Switzerland is estimated to be â‚ ¬18,131† (Dionisius et al. 5). During the three years of the apprenticeship training, the total costs amounts to â‚ ¬7,785, thus making a substantial impact on the organizations’ wage bill. Despite this aspect, an organization can gain significant benefits during the apprenticeship program. Dionisius et al. assert that the â€Å"value of productive contribution of apprentices is high in Switzerland, where the average benefit amounts to â‚ ¬ 19,044, and thus the ave rage benefit accrued by training a single apprentice in Germany amounts to â‚ ¬ 8,008† (5). Apprenticeship training in Germany leads to higher net costs of approximately â‚ ¬ 7,528 per year as compared to a net benefit of â‚ ¬913 per apprentice in Switzerland. Consequently, the change between Germany and Switzerland with regard to a 3-year apprenticeship-training program amounts to â‚ ¬25,323. The net costs of apprenticeship training amongst German firms are relatively higher as compared to Swiss firms. The high net cost of apprenticeship arises from the costs of the training personnel and the apprentices’ wages (Ryan Apprenticeship 102). The cost of â€Å"training an apprentice at the managerial level is 46% higher while that of a full-time trainer is 24% higher in Switzerland as compared to Germany† (Dionisius et al. 7). Similarly, wages of training specific skill such as technicians, artisanship, and administrative skills are 53%, 71%, and 60% high er in Switzerland as compared to Germany. Additionally, training an apprentice who does not have any vocational qualification is 59% higher in Switzerland as compared to Germany (Dionisius et al. 5). Despite the above comparison, the wage costs incurred in training apprentices are higher in Germany as compared to Switzerland (Hanushek and Welch 618). Wage costs are higher during the first year, but they decrease significantly through the second and the third year. The chart below illustrates the change in wage costs for apprenticeship training during the 1st to the 3rd year. Year Change 1 â‚ ¬ 1,344 2 â‚ ¬ 456 3 -â‚ ¬ 981 Table 1: Graph 1 Source: (Dionisius et al. 6) The differences are as a result of the duration that an apprentice spends at the vocational school, which varies significantly between Switzerland and Germany. The difference is estimated to be â€Å"15 days, 10 days, and 8 days during the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd years in Germany† (Dionisius et al . 6). This aspect explains why apprentices in Germany spend a relatively long durations in undertaking external and internal courses and in undertaking internship programs in diverse establishments (Hanushek and Welch 619).On the other hand, Swiss apprentices spend most of their time at the workplace, which increases the performance and productivity of the training firm. Dionisius et al. assert that Swiss apprentices spend an additional 23 days during the 1st year, 18 days during the 2nd year, and 13 days during the 3rd year in of their apprenticeship training in the workplace (6). In addition to the above differences, the variation in the costs and benefits between Germany and Switzerland arises from the nature of training within a particular firm. Firms have the discretion in allocating tasks to apprentices during their training program. This aspect leads to the development of specific skills, and thus they can be allocated productive activities, which are usually undertaken by sk illed employees or other tasks undertaken by unskilled employees (Wolfgang and Soskice12). Previous studies show point to a significant difference on the allocation of duties between Swiss and German firms. The amount of time that apprentices in German firms are engaged in non-productive tasks is higher as compared to Swiss firms (Hanushek and Welch 618). The table below illustrates the extent to which duration within which apprentices are engaged in unproductive tasks in German firms exceed Swiss firms during the 3-year apprenticeship-training program. Year Points 1 +36% 2 +28% 3 +18% Table 2 Graph 2 Source: (Dionisius et al. 7) It is estimated that Swiss â€Å"apprentices spend over 468 days of their entire apprenticeship period at the workplace† (Dionisius et al. 7). Eighty three percent (83%) of this period is undertaken by productive activities. On the other hand, German apprentices use â€Å"approximately 415 days at the firm offering the apprenticeship tr aining of which 57% of this time is consumed by productive activities† (Dionisius et al. 7). The net cost of â€Å"apprenticeship training between German and Swiss firms is estimated to be â‚ ¬ 25,000 during a 3-year training program† (Dionisius et al.17) and this difference arises from a number of factors, which include the countries’ vocational education training systems, relative wages, and allocation of tasks amongst apprentices. The above comparison shows that German and Swiss firms can be in a position to influence the costs and benefits associated with apprenticeship training. Hanushek and Welch accentuate that most firms in Germany are willing to cover the net costs incurred in apprenticeship training (617). This assertion arises from the view that the German government has instituted effective employment protection legislations, which is not the case in Switzerland. Consequently, â€Å"Swiss firms are forced to train apprentices in a cost-efficient m anner† (Hanushek and Welch 618). However, the wage difference for apprentices between â€Å"skilled and unskilled apprentices is an additional motivation for Swiss firms to adopt production-oriented strategy rather than investment-oriented strategy in developing their apprenticeship-training program† (Hanushek and Welch 618). Incentives and disincentives of apprenticeship training to employers An organization can accrue a number of benefits through apprenticeship training. Acemoglu and Pischke argue that apprenticeship enables an organization to enhance firm-specific skills amongst its workforce (124). This move enhances the quality of output amongst the employees. Acquisition of firm-specific skills influences the efficiency and effectiveness with which an employee utilizes the general skills. Furthermore, adopting such skills fosters the effectiveness with which employees execute their duties effectively, which minimizes instances of injury and other safety hazards. M oreover, investing in apprenticeship training enhances the quality of work amongst employees. Subsequently, one can argue that apprenticeship increases the productivity of employees. For example, possessing knowledge on the application of certain software is beneficial to an organization if the employee uses the software to execute tasks specific to his division, which makes the general and specific skills to complement each other (Acemoglu and Pischke 124). Therefore, one can argue that investing in apprenticeship training increases the probability of an organization developing a pool of experienced human capital. This aspect culminates in significant improvement in an organization’s competitiveness, performance, and growth. Investing in human capital development through apprenticeship training presents employers with an opportunity to access government support. However, an organization must invest in in-class training. In addition, organizations may access future government support. One of the benefits that the organization may access relates to tax credit. For example, the government may waive a certain percent of the corporate tax during the period of apprenticeship. Such government support may improve the organizations’ long-term performance. By investing in apprenticeship, the employer is in a position to develop a strong human capital base. One of the ways through which this end is realizable is by incorporating the concept of diversity. The apprenticeship program incorporates apprentices of different demographic characteristics such as age and educational qualification. This aspect improves the effectiveness and efficiency with which the organization develops a pool of experienced workforce. Workforce diversity is one of the most important organizational assets as it enhances the development of a knowledge-based organization through information sharing (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development 111). Adopting apprenticeship as a way of recruiting employees can improve the effectiveness and efficiency with which an organization achieves competitive advantage with regard to human capital base. Subsequently, the likelihood of achieving business excellence increases, as apprenticeship training provides employees with an opportunity to progress through their career path. Consequently, the likelihood of achieving their desired career goals improves significantly. This aspect leads to a significant improvement in an organization’s corporate image, which further improves its competitiveness in the labor market. Saks and Haccoun are of the opinion that the image of an organization is fundamental in its quest to develop competitiveness with regard to human capital (209). This assertion arises from the view that potential employees prefer associating and working with such a company. Subsequently, the likelihood of such a firm succeeding in its recruitment drives is high. Soskice asserts that apprenticeship t raining increases the employee retention rate significantly (37). Despite the attractiveness of apprenticeship training as illustrated above, a number of aspects de-motivate employers from investing in such programs. One of the main disincentives relates to the cost involved in hiring and retaining apprentices. Different economies have stipulated a comprehensive bill of rights, which is applicable to apprentices. Some of the issues articulated in such bills relate to the right to fair and equitable remuneration. For example, apprentices have the right to all the benefits applicable to other employees. Subsequently, most organizations perceive the cost of apprenticeship training as a major factor in their operations. The other disincentive arises from the view that organizations are not guaranteed of the continued service of the apprentice in the organization. Some apprentices may leave the organization after or before completion of the training program, which is a major cost to the organization. Conclusion The above analysis identifies apprenticeship training as one of the most important elements in organizations’ efforts to develop competitive advantage with regard to human capital. Subsequently, governments are increasingly formulating policies advocating integration of apprenticeship training amongst firms. Furthermore, different governments are supporting apprenticeship programs directly or indirectly either through tax credit or by paying the tuition fee for apprentices. However, the paper shows that firms encounter a number of costs and benefits through apprenticeship training. Some of the major costs are associated with the â€Å"apprentices’ wages, costs of paying the training personnel, and wastage of materials† (Booth and Snower 88). These costs vary across countries. For example, the study shows that Swiss firms gain significantly as opposed to German firms. The difference in the costs and benefits arises from the prevailing leg islations and industry structure. Despite the costs incurred, an organization can gain a number of benefits from apprenticeship training. Some of these benefits relate to improved corporate image, developing competitive advantage with regard to human capital, and high rate of employee retention. Subsequently, it is imperative for stakeholders and policy makers to create an effective environment for companies to adopt the concept of apprenticeship training in developing their labor force. Acemoglu, Daron, and Jorn-Steffene Pischke. â€Å"Beyond Becker: Training in imperfect labor markets.† The Economics Journal 109.453 (1999): 112-142.Print. Booth, Alison, and Dennis Snower. Acquiring skills: Market failures, their  symptoms and policy responses, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996. Print. 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Managing performance through training and  Development, Toronto: Nelson Education, 2010. Print. Soskice, David. Reconciling markets and institutions; the German apprenticeship  System, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1994. Print. Stevens, Margaret. â€Å"Transferable training and poaching externalities.† Acquiring  Skills: Market Failures, their Symptoms and Policy Responses. Ed. Alison Booth and Dennis Snower. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1995. 19-40. Print. Vemic, Jelena. â€Å"Employee training and development and the learning organization.†Ã‚  Economics and organization 4.2 (2007): 209-216. Print. Wolfgang, Franz, and David Soskice. â€Å"The German apprenticeship system.†Ã‚  ECONSTOR 4.11 (1994): 1-29. Wolter, Stefan, and Paul Ryan. â€Å"Apprenticeship.† Handbook of the Economics of  Education, Volume 3. Ed. Eric Hanushek, Stephen Machin, and Ludger Woessmann. Amsterdam: Elsevier, 2011. 521-570. Print.