Can Information Technology change Organisational Behaviour Essay

Can Information Technology change Organisational Behaviour - Essay Example The main purpose of the research is to present that in this era of globalisation and industrialisation, innovation of information technogy (IT) is one of the most significant and emerging concepts which facilitated the transmition of large scale of information or knowledge very easily from one place to the other. The development of information technology concept offered revolution in the world of technology which rather proved to be highly beneficial. The term Information technology (IT) mainly deals with technology or knowledge to treat varied information. The acquirement, managing, storing and propagation of vocal, picturesque, documented and numerical information by a microelectronics-based arrangement of electronic telecommunications. This is a modern concept of transmition of information of recent times which proved to be efficient in each and every sector such as banking, retail or telecommunication. Moreover, Inforamtion technology helps in controlling technology and wide exte nt of areas including computer software, information technology, computer hardware, programming languages’ but are not restricted to aspects namely processes, and assemblance of data. In addition, information technology (IT) is defined as the concept that transfers data, knowledge or facts in any visual configuration with the help of multimedia distribution instrument, which is often considered as one of the significant components of IT domain. In addition, introduction of information technology not only improved the productivity of the organisations but also augmented human activities as well. IT augmented the skills and knowledge of employees thereby improving the productivity and profitability of the organisations. Therefore, introduction of IT improved both organisational behaviour along with the culture thereby enhancing its sustainability in long run (Forester, 1985). This is a report which highlights the influences and benefits of information technology (IT) in mainly three sectors namely retail, telecommunication and banking in a concise and structured way. It is divided into three parts namely introduction, discussion and conclusion. The discussion part is again sub–divided into three fractions namely case 1, case 2 and case 3 spotlighting the impact of IT on organisational behaviour (OB) in three sectors. 1.1.DISCUSSION Information technology (IT) is that area of engineering which works with the utilisation of varied electronic computers and telecommunications in order to retrieve, accumulate and convey large amount of information from one part to the other in a simple and trouble–free way(The Mathematical Association of America, 2012). The term ‘OB’ is described as the study of the employees actions or performances in a specific workplace. Moreover, it is

The Change of Jem and Scout Essay Example for Free

The Change of Jem and Scout Essay She began to see how cruel the world could be to someone who is a little different or strange. She gained the knowledge of the pure hate that one man can show another. The kid’s relationship with Atticus starts out normal. Though, as the story progresses, they recognized he’s different then other men. This shows when Scout says â€Å"He did not do the things our schoolmates’ fathers did: he never went hunting, did not play poker or fish or drink or smoke. He sat in the livingroom and read† (pg 89). Atticus had the courage to take the case of a black man, Tom Robinson. It was obvious they didn’t stand a chance going against a white man in court but Atticus did it anyways. He did something that no other man would do, not for the glory, but because he can show a great example to his kids and it is the right thing to do. The kids learned not to be prejudice and not be ashamed if they have friends who are a different race then they are, for example Calpurnia. The way the children’s relationship changed about Boo is probably the most interesting part in the book. It went from an obsession to an unconditional love. First the children believed that anything that comes from the Radleys property is poison. Jem yells at Scout once saying about the Radley property: â€Å"Dont you know youre not supposed to even touch the trees over there? Youll get killed if you do! † (pg. 33). The kids didn’t know that Boo admired them, even though he barely knew them. After a while they noticed that Boo was giving them little hidden presents, and they realized that he is the one who folded and sewed together Jem’s pants. He showed an unconditional love that most people his age would not show. When Boo saved the children’s lives, he proved that he loved them. He was so kind that he risked his own life for the children, and that is why Scout grows to loved him, instead of being tremendously scared of him. Jem’s faith in truth and justice is very badly damaged. When the shameful courtroom proceedings are over he retreats into a troubled state of deep disillusionment. Prejudice and racism do not make any sense to Jem, because he never noticed it in his environment. He does not understand why all of this is happening. The kids matured a lot during the course of this book, especially Scout. She went from a six year old child with no knowledge of the real world to an about ten year old who had a lot of life’s most important lessons shown to her at a very young age. They had to learn, very quickly, that life would not always be easy, fun and fare. We cannot let children face the ugliness that they learned. It was too much, to fast, even for Scout who is so smart. We must show love to everyone so that children will show love back.

The Sociological Imagination

The Sociological Imagination Diet is increasingly being viewed as a key component of health, and food and related topics have become of great interest to health professionals and sociologists. Sociological Imagination What C. Wright Mills called the sociological imagination is the recognition that what happens in an individuals life and may appear purely personal has social consequences that actually reflect much wider public issues. Human behaviour and biography shapes society, and vise-versa and one cannot be properly understood without the other. If a sociologist was trying to understand two friends having coffee for example then they would examine it as social interaction, as acceptable drug taking, and as part of a complex mix of social and economic processes. They might also assess the fact that coffee is produced by the poor but drunk mainly by the better off, they would examine the history of coffee drinking. (Giddens, 2001). This paper will examine why it may be the case that diet is increasingly being viewed as a key component of health, and food and related topics have become of great interest to health professionals and sociologists. It will begin with a brief explanation of sociologys interests and will then examine why diet, food and related topics have generated such interest. Finally, the paper will investigate this question through the use of the sociological imagination. The study of society became an important feature of academic life in the nineteenth century. It is generally acknowledged that the founding fathers of sociology are Marx, Durkheim, and Weber. Auguste Comte was also an important figure and actually coined the term sociology Sociologists study peoples lives and try to understand the nature of reality through people. One of the reasons that diet has become of increasing significance within social science discourse is due to the fact that sociologists regard the ways in which people eat, and also what they eat, as a social practice. Giddens (2001) argues that in all societies eating and drinking are most often accompanied by social interaction, celebrations and rituals and this makes them of interest to sociologists. Recognisable changes in eating habits are also of interest to sociologists because these changes signify other changes in the social structure. Choosing to eat a particular food can play a part in shaping the market for that kind of food. This then affects the lives of those who produce it, some of whom may live on the other side of the world. Sociologists have long argued that the medical establishment operates on a bio-medical model of health which holds that disease is located in the person and health can be restored through appropriate medical treatment. Sociologists, on the other hand, argue that health and illness are socially and culturally defined and they, along with many health professionals, believe that human beings make choices which affect their health and well-being. Improvements in health during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries were the result of higher standards of public hygiene. Clean drinking water and the effective disposal of sewage helped reduce the number of deaths from infectious diseases, the infant mortality rate also dropped (Bilton et al, 1996). The gap between rich and poor, or the connections between social class and other factors such as health have been of sociological concern since Marx’s work on capitalism. Those people who belong to higher social classes tend to have better life chances, be more healthy, and live longer than those lower down the social scale. The better off people are, the more inclined they are to eat well and healthily (Giddens, 2001). In the Third World, vaccination programmes are not as effective as they should be because people do not have enough to eat. Being well fed is the best way of preventing disease that there is and this is one reason why diet is of concern to health professionals and sociologists. Increasingly it has also become a factor in government policy making. The Black Report of 1980 was commissioned by the Conservative Government to investigate class inequalities in health (Townsend et al 1988).. Margaret Thatcher was unhappy with the findings which carried an enormous cos t factor for the government (Giddens, 2001). Her Government introduced marketisation into the health service thus producing a model of providers and purchasers of care. During the past twenty years there have been significant changes in policy making because of concerns over the costs of public health. Governments have tended to focus on public health campaigns such as healthy eating programmes in an attempt to get people to take more responsibility for their health and to save public money. Thus some of the focus that health practitioners and sociologists place on diet and food is as a result of, or in response to, changing Government policies and the production of Government White Papers such as the 1992 Health of the Nation paper. In the nineteenth century a large number of deaths were a result of what has been called the disease of poverty (Browne, 1998:443) because most of those who died were poor and badly nourished. In the twentieth century the diseases of poverty have been replaced by what have been called the diseases of affluence, where people eat too much of the wrong things, for example foods that are high in fat and cholesterol, and smoke and drink too much (Browne, 1998). It is linked to over-consumption in other areas because as people earn more money they are able to afford more but these consumption patterns are not only detrimental to individuals but also to our environment. More than two thirds of the world are starving and have a shortfall in their crop supplies and an increasing population. Yet in the Western world where population growth is much slower there are often huge surpluses of grain (Giddens, 2001). Some large companies have seen a market here for genetically modified foods. They sa y that the introduction of gm foods could transform the world’s food supplies. Lifestyle choices like exercise and diet are regarded as a key factor in whether a person is ill or healthy. In modern industrialised societies the problem is not caused by too little food, but too much food that is not good for us. So we have new forms of illness such as obesity, stomach ulcers, diabetes and heart disease where more people suffer from chronic illness than they may have done in the past. These diseases are largely preventable but in recent years there has been increased public concern over the food supply. Scares such as CJD and BSE in beef along with a number of outbreaks of food poisoning have caused considerable concern and some health professionals have blamed asthma on poor diet. Cancer has also been linked in a government report (1997) to the type of food that people eat. The branding and marketing of junk food has been highly successful. Huge multi-national companies such as MacDonalds are not just selling fast food, they are selling a life-style that is attra ctive to many young people. Sociologically it’s interesting if only for the resulting standardisation, the recognisable brand. You can find a MacDonalds in almost every country in the world and know, at least to some extent, what you are going to get. In Britain we eat a much more processed diet where food often has colourings flavourings and preservatives that are harmful to health, and produce what has beome a medicalised condition of hyperactivity in children. Although some health professionals recommend a change in diet the medical establishment has tried to ‘cure’ it with a drug called Ritalin rather than drawing attention to the social causes (Giddens, 2001). Why do we eat unhealthy foods? The foods that are good for us, such as organic fruit and vegetables and wholemeal bread are more expensive than mass produced processed food. Multi-national firms control the food market and they are more concerned with making a profit than anything else. Healthy foods are also a money spinners and the health food industry makes a huge profit on vitamins and food supplements. As Browne (1998) argues health itself has become big business, companies sell it and at the same time they continue to produce the types of food that contribute to health problems, disease, and death. Conclusion Through the use of the sociological imagination this paper has investigated why sociologists and health professionals have taken such an interest in diet as a key component of health and in food and related subjects. There appear to be a number of explanations, not least the increasing inequalities in healthcare provision and the continuing differences in life chances between rich and poor. The marketisation of health has also generated a number of government policies that focus on personal responsibility, personal choice, and healthy eating programmes. Sociologists have always been interested in the power differentials at work in society. Bilton et al (1996) contend that the medical profession have had considerable power in controlling definitions of health and illness. Public concern with health, diet, and debates about food will continue to be of interest to sociologists because they argue that these things are socially and culturally produced and it is becoming increasingly more evident that these discourses are closely allied with major economic and political interests.

Different Types of American Families :: essays research papers

Family Norms   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This is a guide to the norms of an American family; if you are not from America and plan to live here you will find this information useful. Family to most Americans is one of the most cherished aspects of America. All families are different; but as a part of the American society they share certain norms.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A typical American family is the nuclear family; this consists of the mother father and children. The nuclear family is the most common type of family. A polygamous family includes more than one spouse. This type of family is considered wrongful in American society and in most states it is illegal. The extended family includes the mother, father, children, and other relatives like grandparents, aunts or uncles. This type of family is also common in America, but not as common as the nuclear family. Whom do Americans consider their relatives? An American family considers anyone from their bloodline to be their relatives. When two people become married they inherit the relatives on both sides of the family, referred to as the in-laws. Whom do Americans marry?  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  America is almost completely open on the idea of whom they can marry. One of the most wrongful marriages are those that are incestuous. The marriage of close kin is a huge taboo in America. This is illegal and will get you a free ticket to jail. Another type of marriage that is taboo to America is same-sex marriages. Two people of the same-sex can not be legally married in almost all of U.S. Who has the authority in American families? It used to be that only the male of the family had the most authority; but that has slowly been changing. With increasingly good money making jobs opening up for women; the authority of some families have shifted toward women because they are now the bread winner of the family. Different Types of American Families :: essays research papers Family Norms   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This is a guide to the norms of an American family; if you are not from America and plan to live here you will find this information useful. Family to most Americans is one of the most cherished aspects of America. All families are different; but as a part of the American society they share certain norms.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A typical American family is the nuclear family; this consists of the mother father and children. The nuclear family is the most common type of family. A polygamous family includes more than one spouse. This type of family is considered wrongful in American society and in most states it is illegal. The extended family includes the mother, father, children, and other relatives like grandparents, aunts or uncles. This type of family is also common in America, but not as common as the nuclear family. Whom do Americans consider their relatives? An American family considers anyone from their bloodline to be their relatives. When two people become married they inherit the relatives on both sides of the family, referred to as the in-laws. Whom do Americans marry?  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  America is almost completely open on the idea of whom they can marry. One of the most wrongful marriages are those that are incestuous. The marriage of close kin is a huge taboo in America. This is illegal and will get you a free ticket to jail. Another type of marriage that is taboo to America is same-sex marriages. Two people of the same-sex can not be legally married in almost all of U.S. Who has the authority in American families? It used to be that only the male of the family had the most authority; but that has slowly been changing. With increasingly good money making jobs opening up for women; the authority of some families have shifted toward women because they are now the bread winner of the family.

Poverty is one of the worst issues in the United States

Poverty is one of the worst issues in the United States. Despite this, poverty has potential to be fixed. Poverty as Capability Deprivation introduces â€Å"capability deprivation† as a method for lowing poverty and strengthening society. Amartya Sen emphasizes social gender roles and other countries’ prioritization on health, education, and job training. We are told that these are areas where United States lacks focus. In The Capabilities approach and Social Justice By Martha Nussbaum, similar issues are addressed and the text supports the same claims that Sen introduces. Nussbaum, however, goes further. She moves into the areas of social justice, gender justice, and the central human capabilities. She proves that central human capabilities are important traits that we have within ourselves, but fail to strengthen due to the lack of experience, skills, and resources. In the last reading, Swamp Nurse by Katherine Boo, we see an example of a case study that took place in Louisiana. This case study focused on what can be done for the part of the population living in poverty. The article examined programs made to help these people in poverty and enhance their skills so that they can find a job, properly care for their children, and take care of themselves. These programs are centered around steps and lectures on health, education, and social skills. Capability deprivation is a more powerful approach to fighting poverty than focusing on the income of the poor because it creates an independent population rather than a government dependent population. At current, low income people are dependent on the government without earning it. They are forced to rely on the government because they do not have the skills, jobs, or means to provide for their families due to their impoverished situations. If we raise the incomes of the poor we would have more balance in our society. Ideally it would be best to raise the income slightly as well as creating programs to teach the poor new trades and skills because this would open more opportunities for people that are in poverty. Capability deprivation is the key for helping fight poverty because it empowers poor people to motivate themselves to get out of poverty. Sen begins to explain ways to enhance capabilities and how other countries show importance to education and health as he says† Asian economies – first Japan, and then South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore, and later post-reform China and Thailand and other countries in East Asia and southeast Asia- have done remarkably well in spreading the economic opportunities through an adequately supportive social background, including high levels of literacy, numeracy, and basic education; good general health care; completed land reforms; and so on†( Sen 3). Sen states that in the Asia countries they are more focus on providing education and health care for free then providing just and people depending on government help. This is not only in Asia countries but in Latin America countries. Having Cuban roots my family tells me how things are different from the United States and some of the things that the Cuban society focused on. For example my aunt has never paid school tuition and she went to school to be a doctor. She is very proud that she is and can provide for her family. Another big thing is that they do not pay for health care, its free for her and her family. In many Latin Americas this follows as well. Sen believes in capability deprivation and proves facts that this can lower poverty in many societies, Sen states â€Å" Better basic education and health care improve the quality of life directly; they also increase a person’s ability to earn income and be free of income-poverty as well. The more inclusive the reach of basic education and health care, the more likely it is that even the potentially poor would have a better chance of overcoming penury† ( Sen 3). Sen is explaining that we have many different always to improve poverty and isn’t just providing people with financial help from the government but, its providing them with the basic educational skills, health care and social skills. To have a foundation of basic knowledge to help provided for yourself, to find jobs, know how to take care of yourself and family. Making the society dependent on government help is not going to help these people in the long run because they have become so dependent on getting financial support that it makes it hard to become independent. The government should provide for more programs to enhance the human inter capabilities that we already instinctively have. In the Holy Bible there is a passage where John teaches the people how to fish rather than just giving the hungry people dinner. You are teaching a group of people to fend for hemselves, to acquire what they need by means that they have learned. In giving the poor skills to raise their income, or the ability to do so, you are eradicating poverty. You are not treating it like a chronic disease you are curing it. By the government providing necessary services that accentuate people’s natural abilities capabilities, they are creating a society that tries to help itself rather than relying on just funding. That goes next to what Nussbaum discusses about the central human capabilities that we have. These categories are: life, bodily health, bodily integrity, senses, imagination, thought, emotions, practical reason, play, control over one’s environment and affiliation. Each of these categories has its own meaning and is a natural aspect of our lives that we understand innately. Nussbaum specifies that not everyone reaches these capabilities. Out of the ten capabilities, the three most important are: â€Å"control over one’s environment†, â€Å"bodily health† and â€Å"sense and imagination. The environment includes one’s political view, being able to participate effectively in political choices that govern one’s life having the right of political participation and protections of free speech association. Bodily health includes staying healthy and taking care of one’s body. This also includes being adequately nourished and having adequate shelter. Lastly, sense, imagination and thought exist as senses we use. To imagine, think and reason and to do these things in a â€Å"truly human† way, a way informed and cultivated by an adequate education, including basic mathematical and scientific training are all part of this category. This also includes using imagination and thought though experiencing and producing works and events. Why does Nussbaum think these human capabilities are important? She states â€Å"Central human capabilities as a focus both for comparative quality of life, basic political principles of the sort that can play a role in fundamental constitutional guarantees. These ten capabilities are supposed to be general goals that can be further specified by society. In some form, all are part of a minimum account of social justice: a society that does not guarantee these to all its citizens, at some appropriate threshold level, falls short of being a fully just society, whatever its level of opulence† ( Nussbaum 5). This statement demonstrates that it is not only important to further education, but Sen and Nussbaum are also implying it’s often the most basic aspects of life that are forgotten. Certain programs would help to enhance people’s lives and help them become independent. Nussbaum says that you have to be dependent before becoming independent.

Stephen Lawrence Case - Crime and Disorder Act 1998 The WritePass Journal

Stephen Lawrence Case - Crime and Disorder Act 1998 Crime and Disorder Act 1998 Stephen Lawrence Case Crime and Disorder Act 1998 , and this came into effect as early as 25th November 2012. The act has identified new definite crimes such as stalking and equally generated racially or religiously motivated versions of these crimes. Click Here to get a FREE Quote To demonstrate that the Stephen Lawrence case would be policed differently if it had occurred today, it would be imperative to link the happenings to a similar scenario in R v Rogers (2007) W.L.R.280, the defendant was involved in racial verbal attack on the plaintiffs, the court upheld that even if the defendant was a product of xenophobia, he had no constitutional obligation to attack others racially. The UK government asserts that it embraces an environment where free, tolerant and democratic populace thrives. However, the balancing act of integrating individual freedom with the duty of the state must be observed, this has given rise to a more vibrant and informed society which is equally assisting the authorities to fight crimes (Schuster 2003). In this way, it would be important to note that the issue of incompetence could not have surfaced if the case had taken place today. The problem with the previous police involvement was marred by lack of adequate skills, poor understanding of racism effects on the society, institutional racism as well as a failure of headship by leading police officers. However, today these accusations cannot be tolerated since the populace is more informed and the governments have incorporated effective measures of empowering the police force (Roediger 2010). It would be prudent to note that the element of institutional racism including professional incompetence are no longer accepted or tolerated within the current UK police force. Today, racial essentialism is no longer accepted, with the gradual police reforms the case would be handled in a way that reflects a reformed criminal justice system as well as an inclusive investigation (Roediger 2010). The modern UK police force is surrounded by citizens who knows and understands their rights. The influence of societal pressure which is propelling the police force to work effectively would equally compel the police to handle the case in a transparent manner. Other factors which could contribute to better policing of the case would entail the modern scientific approach to crime scene as well as procedures of conducting investigations. Likewise, the scope of police reforms which were initiated after MacPherson enquiry have contributed to better handling of the case so as to avoid public outcry in addition to negative media coverage (Schuster 2003; Scott 2007). However, currently the police have better recording and surveillance tools which they can employ to react to such instance as Stephen Lawrence case in gathering and conducting credible investigations. On the other hand the structure as well as organization and the management of all crime investigations have been reformed and equipped with adequate facilities to match the expected degree of competence in handling racism associated cases. The other aspect entails liaison with the affected family so as to have a deeper analysis of the affected person, regular and updated consultation with locals, and overall excision of racist language from the entire police force. Such measures would see that the case is positively and adequately handled without instances of negligence and professional ignorance (Rattansi 2007). Another instrumental factor which could have helped the case to be policed adequately today lies in that the scope of culture, religion and racism is well understood by current British populace, and thus implementing measures which could avoid future instances of racial associated crimes. It is paramount to argue that an informed populace, reformed police force as well as government willingness to stem the vice would have played a central role in ascertaining the case was adequately handled. Thus, if the Stephen Lawrence case had taken place today various factors could have ascertained that nothing was left for chance. Such aspects would have included: open and honest investigations, unbiased interrogation, and a dedicated police force. Such issues coupled with a knowledgeable society and media would have facilitated for a proper handling of the case. References List Rattansi, A., 2007. Racism: A Very Short Introduction .Oxford: Oxford University Press. Roediger, D., 2010. The Wages of Whiteness.NY: Verso. Schuster, L., 2003, The Use and Abuse of Political Asylum in Britain and Germany .Berlin: Frank Cass. Scott, J W, 2007., The Politics of the Veil .NY: Princeton University Press. Thurlow, R., 1998. Fascism in Britain: from Oswald Mosley’s Blackshirts. Oxford: IB Tauris Get Your Custom Dissertation or Essay Right Here