Research Korner: Conceptual Framework Qualitative Research

Project success can also be due to proper planning and wise use of strategies

Chapter I: Introduction for the project Background for the project Public utilities like piped water, power, gas, telephone and rail services need physical networks which it would usually be uneconomic to duplicate. Rival water pipes down every street would benefit nobody but the pipe makers. The elements of monopoly may change with changing technology. For example telecommunications can become more competitive as they cease to depend on copper wire or fiber-optic networks (1999). But wherever a single network is the most economical provision, there is said to be a natural monopoly Some American utilities are publicly owned but many are not. Where they are not, private operators typically get their monopoly rights and routes from government, and have their rates and services regulated by government. Their problems vary from industry to industry, but some of the most troublesome have been those of the railroads (1999).  Various companies sell public utilities like gas. One company that sells gas is Towngas. To provide their clients gas risers are used. Risers are pipelines that supply gas to the company’s various clients. The pipelines are made of metal and may deteriorate over time. If the gas pipelines are corroded, maintenance/replacement will be needed. There is a need for a system that will make sure that the risers will be maintained and inspected thoroughly. This system will be web based so that it can be used alternatively as a way for clients to order gas and its products. This paper is a dissertation on the streamline process flow along the riser inspection and maintenance process to achieve higher productivity and enhance overall effectiveness. Company Profile The oil industry is regarded as one of China's pillar industries. The restructuring of the oil industry is significant for the reform of China's large State owned Enterprises (SOE) and for the country's effort to construct competitive modern companies. Following the nation-wide restructuring of the industry, he company-wide restructuring for flotation created two giant integrated companies, PetroChina (PetroChina Company Limited) and Sinopec (China Petroleum and Chemical Corporation). The two companies have been successfully listed on the international market and have entered the league of top ten publicly-traded oil companies in the world. In China, the oil sector is held up as a beacon for other sectors to study in restructuring to face the challenge of globalization and consolidation. China's oil industry is of great importance for the global political economy, with major implications both for the main supplying regions, for the high-income countries, and for the firms based in those countries. Each of the global leading oil companies has major investment commitments in China and has formed various partnerships with the Chinese majors ( 2004).    The global leading firms must recognize that the transformation of the business capabilities of the Chinese majors is not easy to predict. It is necessary for them to keep in mind the fact that large Chinese companies operate in a different political-economic environment from theirs. China's political leaders have to consider the huge difficulties that stem from the existence of around one billion poor people within their boundaries, and the complexities involved in the reform of China's political system. Locking China into the world economic system by agreeing to accept the rules of the WTO does not guarantee a politically stable and economically rational environment for investment. China still has a long way to go in its transition. China's large firms were to experience widespread defeat, especially in key 'strategic industries', in the battle on the global level playing field of the WTO, that would raise deep issues not only for the Chinese government, but also for international relations, and, ultimately, for the large firms headquartered in the high-income countries ( 2004).  One major oil company in Hong Kong and China is Hong Kong and China gas Co. Ltd.  Hong Kong and China gas Co. Ltd. (Towngas) was the first public utility in Hong Kong. Currently, with more than 3,000 km of pipeline network and an 85% economic reach, the Company supplies town gas to over 1.5 million customers in the territory. The core business comprises production and distribution of gas, marketing of gas and appliances, and comprehensive after-sales services. In recent years, Towngas has diversified into various green businesses including LPG filling stations and utilization of landfill gas. There are about 16,000 residential buildings using Towngas in Hong Kong. As service risers are installed at the same time when building constructed, their ages are about the same as their buildings ages. Among all the buildings, 24.9% of buildings are between the ages of 20-30 years, while 19.6% of buildings are over 30 years old. Since the aging problem of service riser increase, workflow management system was considered not only to improve their performance, but also to create a platform for better management. Project management process Triple constraint of project management Projects are fraught with risks of many kinds. When the project contract is finalized, many factors will have been considered and an agreement about the risk assumption will have been reached. There are three prime risks associated with project construction and completion. Generally, they are described as cost overrun risk, risk of delay, and technical risk. Cost overrun risk refers to the fact that many projects are finished significantly over estimated cost (1997). One constraint for the project is the scope or reach of the project. This involves what aspect of the business will be changed. The scope determines the boundaries of the project.  Another constraint for the project is the time that will be used to finish the project. Time is important because it will determine which aspect of the project needs more focus. This constraint needs to be balanced thoroughly so that the project can achieve all of its purpose.  Lastly a constraint for the project is the budget. The budget is the one used to finance all that will be needed to finish the project.  The budget is important because without it the project cannot move on to its other aspects.   Aim, objectives and Scope Aim The goal of this project was to design an efficient workflow management system in Riser inspection and maintenance. The recommendation aimed to simplify and smooth out the various processes that involved the operation in regular safety inspection section.   Objectives 1.                  Propose solutions to the existing problems in the section. 2.                  Design a simple and efficient process flow, make good use of resources 3.                  Propose regulation and guidelines to standardize the riser inspection and maintenance processes. 4.                  Increase performance level while creating a more desirable working system for the employee. 5.                  Better management over the information in the section. The leader for the project and their skills   Project leader The leader for the project will be the manager of the company’s maintenance team. He will closely work with the top management and the administration staff. The project manager needs to have perseverance and diligence in making sure that all aspects of the project will push through.  The project manager needs to have the drive that will help them finish the project no matter what happens.   The project manager needs to make sure that he can relate well with all the personnel that will be involved in the project. The project manager needs to have enough patience in dealing with various kinds of personnel.  The project manager need to make sure that he is responsible and is willing to do the best they can to finish the project.  He needs to plan wisely the actions that will be taken and take full responsibility once the project fails. The Project manager should be prepared for the criticisms and intrigues that will be hurled towards him.  He needs to be ready for all people that will try to discredit them or the improvements he has done in the project.   Stakeholders for the project The stakeholders for the project include the management team of Towngas, the clients of the company, the company’s employees and the lawmakers of the country. The management team of Towngas is a stakeholder because the success of the project will depend on how well they supervise the planning and implementation of the project. The clients are stakeholders because the success of the project and the improvements of the system used in the gas risers will give them satisfaction. The employees are stakeholders because improvements in the risers can help improve their effectivity and efficiency. The lawmakers are stakeholders in the case because they are that ones that will create or change laws pertaining to the use of gas risers      Scope The scope of this project includes the development of a web-based workflow management system for productivity monitoring, process lead time measurement and outstanding order notification. Aside from the development of such web-based system, there is a need for a system that will standardize the riser inspection and maintenance workflow so that the time and human resource for the process are reduced for better performance. Structure of dissertation There are different chapters for this project. Each chapter has a different focus for a specific course of action that will benefit the study. The different chapters will contribute to the success of the study and it can be used as a starting point for further studies. The first chapter was the introduction part wherein general ideas and goals of the study were discussed.  The second chapter will be the literature review part. The second chapter used various resources to gather necessary data. The literatures presented will come from books and other sources that are deemed to be helpful in the advancement of awareness concerning the subject. The third chapter will focus on discussing the instruments and methods used for the study to be a success. The fourth chapter will focus on the identification of the problems. In this chapter the issues with the project will be discussed. The barriers of the project will also be given attention at this chapter. The last chapter will focus on the progression of the project and the changes it has created.   Chapter 2 Literature Review This section of the study primarily focuses on the different researches and other literatures that focused on several aspects that will help with the progression of this study. The study will put its focus on determining web based systems that will create better means to inspect and maintain gas pipelines or risers. The literatures presented will come from books, journals, and reports that are deemed to be helpful in the advancement of awareness concerning the subject. Information systems The early stage of development of an information system is called systems analysis. An information system development project is divided up into a number of different stages. This is called the system life cycle. There are a number of different approaches to the development of computer-based information systems, but the principles behind each are similar. After a number of years in operation, business needs will have changed, so that there is a fundamental need for change and therefore the cycle will start again. By adopting this life cycle approach the project can be better managed (2002). Information systems are not created for their own sake. They serve or support people engaged in what for them is meaningful action. Now, when one system is thought of as serving another, it is a fundamental principle of systems thinking that in order to think carefully about, and conceptualize the system which provides the support, it is first necessary to define carefully the nature of the system served. This is necessary because how people see the system served will define what counts as support to it. The information systems needed to support a manufacturing operation will be very different if it is conceptualized as a system to optimize the use of a production facility rather than as a system to meet a market need (1999).   Any information system will deliver output which is meaningful in the way the designers of the system defined, users of the system will, as autonomous human beings, still be free to assign their own meanings to it. The output from the organizational information system which consists of collated information about sales of the new product will mean different things to the managing director concerned with the company's share price, the salesmen on the road seeking bonus payments, the production planner working on raw material requirements, and the director whose private agenda is to subvert the whole project (1999). Information systems are designed to create reports, report-generating systems, decision systems, work flow systems, group systems, and enquiry systems of all sorts. The categories, classifications, measurements, codings, and summarizing techniques employed by a particular information system are a function of its design, and the direction of research in information systems is towards making the possibilities for creating representations as open ended and flexible as possible (1999).   The article by  illustrated what information systems can do to change the procedure of providing service. The article by  provided an insight on how the use of information system can create changes to society. Information systems were developed from various desires to improve service and improve the life of people in a certain region. Information systems process the data and information in a certain company. It provides value to users through the interchange of messages. It makes information be accessible to people in an organization when such need arises.  The information systems have helped businesses improve their services, it made life easier for businesses and their clients.  Growth of Information systems Change management consultants will need to be there with the appropriate interventions to help both old and new organizations become more streamlined and flexible. Additionally, they must become more capable of improving themselves continuously in response to trends in the economy, the work force, and the technology (2000). There is, however, every indication that many organizations are not aware of these practices; still others will resist the help that change management consultants can offer them. For example, despite the attention given to the growth of e-commerce in an economy that knows no boundaries, many organizations have not begun to prepare themselves to be active players in e-commerce and are not prepared to organize into networks or to successfully manage strategic alliances. But these are the organizations of the future, and they will, with the assistance of change management specialists, invent entirely new entrepreneurial structures capable of exploiting new ideas and technologies quickly ( 2000).   The full impact of the ICT revolution clearly has some distance to go and a fourth phase of global integration is now visible in the growth of electronic commerce. Reflective of the underlying movement in the technology trajectory from hard to soft, and the growing importance of network markets, especially telecommunications, this new world of cyberspace literally eliminates borders so that the term domestic policy could become an oxymoron ( 2000). Convergence-harmonization of domestic policies and institutions and the erosion of national sovereignty-will be fed by locational competition for investment and regulatory arbitrage by MNEs; global rivalry for finance and markets; and rapidly changing communications modes which are transforming market power dynamics and creating newly empowered global actors. These are all natural forces for convergence. But, of course, governments are part of the game and international economic policy in both multilateral and regional forum reflects the deeper-integration momentum (2000).   The growth of e-commerce has been one of the most exciting developments in the competitive intelligence (CI) profession in recent history. This growth has benefited CI professionals by improving access to myriad sources of public information. To wade through all of this information, however, a CI professional must be e-commerce savvy and practice effective electronic competitive intelligence (E-CI). There is much hidden information available on networks such as the Internet and various tools and services can help CI professionals navigate through the vast amounts of data available ( 2003).  The researcher agrees with  article that pertains to the information systems and related technologies as creating a huge impact to how people live.  Information systems are something that is constantly evolving and being improved over the course of time. Information systems are currently being used in all kinds of business transactions. It grows and adapts to the changes in the society Information systems can be in the form of Internet and E-commerce technologies. Impact of the internet The merger between the Internet, corporate and co-operative networks introduced changes in all three. This must be kept in mind when assessing the nature of cyberspace that develops with the Internet, as many find it easy to dismiss the Internet because of its origins in military funding. There are two main social forces that have driven the Internet to its present position. The first is the military-industrial complex, which has provided the main funding for some of the more grandiose projects that make up cyberspace and which provides an important cultural background to certain technological choices that have been made ( 1999). The second influence is a grassroots and populist attempt to create networks and computers that place the power of computers in the hands of individuals, precisely so that the establishment and elites can be undermined. Here can be found the enthusiasts who created the personal computer, the programmers who have created and shared free software and an ethic of free and open use of networks that still dominates many parts of cyberspace. It is impossible to predict precisely the future of the Internet and the cyberspace it supports ( 1999).   The success of a packet-switching distributed network of computers is undoubted and will form the basis of future networks. Those on the Internet use it extensively, usually at least once a day, and use it for a range of activities that include work and entertainment in equal measure. Internet and Web users are, then, not only from the most privileged sections of society; they are also committed to cyberspace and use it extensively. A world-wide computer network that allows people to communicate with each other exists. It has been created not in fiction but in fact through the efforts of governments, individuals and corporations. Its users have a clear and now largely stable demographic profile, with the sole exception of some uncertainty over whether gender equality lies in the future. This is a world not of disembodied consciousnesses having access to the sum total of human information, but of myriad acronyms, corporate rivalries and gradually growing sources of information and opportunities to communicate with other humans (1999). An enterprise might be very strongly affected by the Internet through other institutions even though it itself did not connect or utilize the technology. If competitors use the Internet to obtain advantages in input and output markets and to increase productivity, a firm not using the Internet may find itself at a severe competitive disadvantage, and indeed be forced out of business. Institutions are seen as permeable. Each person participates in many institutions, and the experience with the Internet in one institutional role can affect other institutional roles (2000).  provided their ideas on how the internet impacted society. The researchers agree with the three authors on their ideas of how the internet created changes in the environment and what is the value of the internet to society.  The internet has created an impact to almost everything in this world. Although it is believed that internet is being used by individuals to gain power and prestige, it cannot be ignored that the internet made sure that services can be done on a faster time. E-commerce All estimates concerning the growth of e-commerce have one thing in common. They point to phenomenal growth over a very short period of time. Categories such as cars or flowers ordered over the Internet and delivered physically may be included in wider estimates. Companies that adapt and exploit the new opportunities will gain competitive advantage and others will be left behind. On a larger scale, existing indications show a widening gap between developing and developed economies in terms of competitiveness in this area. The absence of important and far-reaching policies in the developing economies could lead to the loss of existing industry and failure to attract new industries. This would mean a reduction in employment and tax revenue, with obvious negative consequences for overall economic performance in these countries ( 2002).   Just as the internal combustion engine and jet engine have radically changed people's lives, the Internet is beginning to do the same. In the short time of its existence the Internet has greatly affected business and society. The Internet’s evolution and future development are set to continue. The Internet has fundamentally changed business activity. The buying and selling of products and services, market making, the forging of relationships between companies and customers or between two or more organizations; all these activities are increasingly being digitized (2001).  Although the success of these efforts is not guaranteed, the business landscape is now truly digitized. Some types of e-Commerce are not likely to succeed. The digital technology that enables e-Commerce is progressing and will continue to offer companies opportunities for further changing their business activities. Firms looking to remain competitive in the e-Business arena have to be prepared to reorganize and restructure themselves more or less continuously. If the restructuring of traditional businesses really is so central to their development of successful e-Business strategies, it is essential to understand how to manage change effectively in order to sustain competitive advantage ( 2001).While there are undoubtedly many firms that have an established tradition of successful inter-organizational networking, Internet developments have made such initiatives increasingly central to e-Business strategy. One of the first challenges companies face when attempting to embrace e-Business and its corresponding technologies is how to move from being a physical or bricks and mortar organization to being a digital or virtual organization (2001). The researchers agree more with the article of  since it discussed more about e-commerce and what will happen once e- commerce technology grow and develop. The researchers agree with  in how they explained what triggered how the internet and its related systems developed. The internet and e-commerce or web based systems can be used not only to monitor and inspect the pipelines that will be used to deliver gas products, it can also be used as an advanced ordering system wherein clients can give the details of their order, personal information about them and how they intend to pay for the gas ordered. Maintenance and inspection of Oil and gas products Product differentiation in the crude oil market is basically the different oil qualities. These differences are expressed in the price differentials set by the extra costs of refining heavier crude oil. The margins can change somewhat due to differences in demand for different qualities. The simple rule is that the main quality indicator is the API (American Petroleum Institute) gravity the higher the gravity, the higher the price. But the demand for different qualities changes, seasonally and over time. Also, different sectors of consumption can experience different demand paths, causing the composition of demand for oil qualities to change ( 2000). More important for the cooperative bargaining between the oil producers is that quality differentials can be an effective way to cover price discounts. If a higher-priced oil quality is discounted, the price can in nominal terms be higher than prices of heavier oil types but still be valued as cheaper by the refiners. It thus imposes pressure on the price of the other oil qualities. Different oil regions have different compositions of oil qualities, making prices vary across regions. There are obviously levels of technological skills among oil producers ( 2000).    In particular, when oil is first discovered in an area, the countries concerned usually lack the ability to develop the resources on their own. However, in the present situation, with the international oil companies operating globally, the owner of the resource can buy the necessary expertise from them as long as it also provides sound investment condition. As long as oil prices are well above development costs, other producers' behavior has little effect on development decisions of new potential producers. Given the existence of oil resources on their territory, states tend to encourage the development of them. The concentration of oil production makes the crude market central to the understanding of the total oil industry. The demand elasticity is important for the success of oil-producer cooperation, as it determines the relationship between price and consumed volume. If demand is inelastic, small changes in production create large price changes (  1997). If demand is more elastic, the price effect from regulation of production is smaller. Thus, in a situation of demand inelasticity, oil producer cooperation more easily creates large benefits for the producers than a situation of elastic demand. The recent history of the international oil market suggests that demand for crude oil is inelastic in the short run and more elastic in the longer run. The reason for this is the lag between increased oil prices and consumers' adaptation through conservation and substitution. This suggests that oil producers cooperating by limiting output are able to reap substantial benefits in the short term, but the strategy can be less profitable in the longer term ( 1997).   There is a need to make sure that materials used to deliver oil products particularly gas will be well maintained and inspected. The pipelines used in delivering gas products need to be directly controlled by the company through advanced systems to ensure that it will not create other problems and concerns. There is a danger in keeping and transporting such products thus the need for fool proof systems and technologies. Chapter 3: Methods and Procedures This chapter will give a discussion of the different methods and procedures used and done in the study; this chapter will discuss the research method; this chapter will also give a description of the research method, the different techniques used in the research method will be discussed to give explanation of its purpose and application to the study.   Research methods This study employed the qualitative research method, since this research intends to find theories that would explain the relationship of one variable with another variable through qualitative elements in research. The qualitative research method will make use of studies and literatures to determine the available means or systems that will help in the inspection and maintenance of risers. Qualitative research designs in the social sciences stem from traditions in anthropology and sociology, where the philosophy emphasizes the phenomenological basis of a study, the elaborate description of the meaning of phenomena for the people or culture under examination. Often in a qualitative design only one subject, one case, or one unit is the focus of investigation over an extended period of time. Qualitative research is multi method in focus, involving an interpretive, naturalistic approach to its subject matter. This means that qualitative researchers study things in their natural settings, attempting to make sense of, or interpret, phenomena in terms of the meanings people bring to them. Qualitative research involves the studied use and collection of a variety of empirical material such as case study, personal experience, introspective, life story, interview, observational, historical, interactions, and visual texts on the described routine and problematic moments and meanings in individuals' lives. Observation is the most frequent data-collection method used in qualitative research. Observation has greater face validity than a second-hand account gathered either through interviewing or document study (  1998).   Observation is the technique of gathering data through direct contact with usually another human being. The researcher watches the behavior and documents the properties of the object. It is a very important method of data collection used by both qualitative and quantitative researchers. Quantitative scholars usually have an a priori highly structured plan that directs them to remain aloof and observe certain behaviors. In contrast, qualitative researchers usually observe from a phenomenological perspective; they immerse themselves in natural environments and watch a situation as a diffuse, ambiguous entity and allow themselves to be struck with certain peculiarities or interesting happenings. In many examples of qualitative research, the researcher goes into the field to observe and interview people. This raises an important concern about how the researcher is to present him or herself in the community being studied. One option is that researchers could be anonymous so no one in the situation being studied would know the researcher is there to gather data. The interpretive nature of qualitative research does indeed present a real problem to scholars who attempt to explain the process. This is why most theoreticians do not explicate the process of analysis as a set of steps. Rather, they talk about the analysis process as an organic whole that begins in the data-gathering stage and does not end until the writing is completed. The process allows for multiple iterative passes back and forth from data gathering to writing and back to data gathering (1996).   Reliability refers to consistency in measurement. In common terms the reliability of a test is the extent to which subsequent administrations would give similar results. A test which is not reliable will give different results every time it is taken. Accepted practice uses such measures as test-retest reliability coefficients to indicate reliability. In qualitative research, reliability suggests that different qualitative researchers would come to the same conclusions given exposure to the same situations. The extent to which data relate to objective criteria will improve reliability. When the data are based on personal impressions they tend not to be reliable. However, when they relate to counts or physical measurements or the number of correct math problems, they are generally reliable (1998). There are two basic approaches to defining qualitative research problems, open and focused. It entails collecting a broad spectrum of data and is typically used to discover the nature of the phenomenon, often leading to hypotheses as well as conclusions. Qualitative and quantitative researchers alike define problems, select research designs, develop methodologies, collect, analyze and interpret data, and report findings. There is, however, one significant difference between the two. In qualitative research, the researcher is the principal data collection instrument; whereas in quantitative research, scientifically designed data collection tools are developed (1998). Qualitative research intends to find theories that would explain the relationship of one variable with another variable through qualitative elements or components in research. The qualitative research is described as multi-method in focus, involving an interpretative, naturalistic approach to its subject matter. This means that a qualitative researching procedure acts on studying things in their natural settings, attempting to make sense of situations, or interpret events in terms of the meanings people bring to them. Qualitative research makes use of written and recorded sources of information.   Research Design The research process onion of  (2003) will be used in the entirety of the study in order to formulate the most suitable research approaches and doable strategies for this study. The first layer raises the question of the research philosophy to adopt, the second considers the subject of research approach that flows from the research philosophy, the third examines the research strategy most applicable, the fourth layer refers to the time horizon a researcher applies to his research, and the fifth layer is the data collection methods to be used (2003). The research process onion assists the study in gathering detailed information on the different methods used to know the means or the systems that can be used in inspection and maintenance of risers. The research process onion will act as a guide and it will provide the step by step procedure that will make sure that the goals of the study will be met.  Ethical Issues that might be faced Informed Consent Worries about protecting clients' rights to privacy can similarly be understood as concerns about issues of autonomy. The right to privacy follows from the assumption that autonomous individuals have the right to make decisions about their own lives and the information relevant to it, including to whom that information is confided. Thus, for example, although students and supervisees may not have the right to confidentiality in a strict sense when they confide information to professors or supervisors, they do have a right to expect that the information will be treated with respect and kept private to the extent that it is possible (2000). The use of informed consent in research, practice, and teaching is certainly no panacea for the ethical problems psychologists face. On the other hand, informing consumers or participants ahead of time about the aspects of the experience that may cause them discomfort or clarifying misconceptions could go a long way to helping psychologists avoid ethical mistakes ( 2000).   Whether in practice or in research attending, to the competence of the participant to give consent, the clear disclosure of necessary information, the participant's understanding of the information, the voluntariness of the decision, and the right of the person to authorize consent helps fulfill the spirit of consent. It may be necessary to experiment with different methods of providing consent depending on the group involved ( 2000). From an ethical perspective, maintaining confidentiality is grounded in the principles of autonomy and fidelity. Respect for autonomy, or the right to self-governance, implies that individuals have the right to make decisions about those with whom they wish to share private information and those from whom they wish to withhold it ( 2000). Without control over who has access to information about themselves, individuals could not protect private information or guard against dangerous disclosures ( 2000).   Second, respecting the privacy of intimate human interactions and the personal secrets others share is at the core of human relationships, thus, the principle of fidelity adds further justification for keeping confidences. Third, when consumers or research participants share private information about themselves after a psychologist has extended a professional promise of confidentiality, a fiduciary relationship has been formed (2000).Any person/organization asked to participate in a certain research should be given enough information on why the research is important and how the information acquired for the research will be used. It will give the sources of information assurance that the information will be used in accordance with proper respect and within boundaries and limitations set by the society. It will also assure them that the information that they divulge will not be used against them. The research about the different systems that can be used to maintain and inspect risers will ensure that proper information about the need, objectives and future implications for the research will be given to the sources of information. Issues on Confidentiality This extends to the way in which researchers treat people involved in their study. It is tempting to slip into a mode of seeing informants as sources of data rather than as interesting human beings. Violating their person through disrespect in this way may scar them for a long time, and cause them to see future research in a cynical or negative light. In some instances, researchers may be collecting data from people who cannot take complete responsibility for their own decisions, such as children or consumers with learning difficulties. They need special protection (2002) .Privacy and protection from harm is closely related ethical principles because, if a researcher betrays participants' rights of privacy, then they are failing to protect them from harm. Rights of privacy are neglected if they publish research findings which present confidential information, or if they expose confidences which can be traced back to participants ( 2002). Confidentiality is an important aspect of qualitative research because it can help in making sure that sources of information will have the trust and confidence to participate in research undertakings in the future. If confidentiality is violated, sources of information may not want to share information that can be valuable to future research. The research will not disclose personal information of the sources of information. This will result in lesser ethical problems.  It is necessary for the researchers to explain to the sources of information that the information collected will be used solely for assessment. The researchers will inform the sources of information that the study will allow them access to the designed results. Chapter 4: Problem Identification Project success can be due to external factors like assistance from the government, community, and others.  It can be due to proper financing, having a sense of balance or use of appropriate timing. Project success can also be due to proper planning and wise use of strategies. Without the use of good information systems and the guidance of a good manager the factors in project success will not be enough.   For the project to be a success it needs to identify the point in time when the project finishes. The project needs to have an end point so that participants in project making will know their time limitations. This will also force the project making team into budgeting well their time. The end point will give the project stakeholders idea on how long will they have to wait for the project to be completed. Project success can be determined by looking at the potential problems in the progress of the project.  The current customer relationship management system Siebel provides support to front office business process only. It store customer, order and quote information. It does not support statistical information and analytical function.   Problem 1 The productivity of the section cannot be measured by using this system, the staffs need to collect the data manually, and this process is very time-consuming. Also it is difficult to ensure the data accuracy and integrity. Due to lack of information, the management level would be difficult to have a precise decision and forecasting. Problem 2 There are many service and work orders in one month. Unfortunately, Siebel does not provide a tool that can give the needed statistics. Also, some technician carried the service before an order was created. The front line technician workload cannot be determined, the manager cannot estimate the technician daily workload, and their performances were difficult to track. The strategic workforce planning cannot be executed to achieve higher profitability for the future.   Problem 3 Regarding the communication mechanism with EMSD, the lead time of the entire process would be the key factor concerned, but it is difficult to monitor due the limitation of existing system. Also, there are no clear guideline of document flow to the engineer and clerk, it made many inaccurate data, and thus the critical path cannot be determined precisely.   Problem 4 The current system does not fit the section operation; the staffs always do the analysis monthly by using Microsoft Office, wherein the share level of the file is low. This in turn made some problems on information security and integrity. The data decentralization system being developed made the data inconsistent and disorganized.   Chapter 5 Project Progress Proposed System In the heady days of business the pressure was on speed and flexibility. Getting new web-based products, services, and channels to market quickly seemed to be critical in the quest for first mover advantages, grabbing customer share and brand recognition, attracting further capital, and winning races to learn. Second, as learning occurred, adaptability and flexibility was the key. Launch and learn were followed by respond and revise. So time replaced cost as the currency of information technology (IT) and entrepreneurialism and fun displaced formality and structure (2003).  In particular, conventional information systems planning processes were challenged. Rolling IT plans were one interesting response to this new context. Then, as e-commerce became serious, another realization occurred; IT in many senses was the business. If the system went down, the channel was down and thus the product was unavailable and the customer may have switched to another provider. The operational mantra was 24–7. And, if business grew, the system and infrastructure had to be scalable, preferably in a seamless way. So speed and responsiveness had to coexist with robustness and scalability which are two opposites seen by most IT professionals in the past as tradeoffs. Three-tier architecture was a response to these pressures (2003).    Architecture is the conceptual framework for IT infrastructure. Its main purpose is to strive for and satisfy the objectives of systems integration, technology interoperability, platform reliability, application maintainability, and IT cost management. Architecture therefore guides technical decisions and supplier choices on computing configurations, telecommunications topologies, data standards and schemas, and application interdependencies and interfaces. Architecture planning is helped if overarching business principles can be agreed. Indeed, they are required not only to drive architecture, but also to justify and defend it.  Experts advocated the crafting of maxims at the corporate or enterprise level to drive a more strategic and enabling architecture rather than doing deals and employing tactical sophistry, which tends to end up producing an architecture supportive of the business, but only in a short-term, business as usual fashion ( 1999). This grand view of architecture however does face two recurring problems. The first is that it works better under conditions of business certainty, which in reality is rare. This is why the maxims versus deals school becomes expressed in organizational politics as blue sky techies versus myopic business managers. The second is that it works better under conditions of technological certainty (1999).   By contrast, most businesses also have the need, as discussed earlier, for large-scale, robust, efficient, and scalable transaction processing systems, data warehouses, and networking. Furthermore, incumbent companies will have trusted legacy systems that they wish to build on and certainly not abandon. The emerging approach to resolving the tension between quick-build and volatile front-end applications and robust and scalable back-end foundations is three-tier architecture. In essence, this is the pursuit of both speed and stability. Tier one of three-tier architecture comprises the front-end web-based/portal/user view of the product (2001). Tier three comprises the back-end engines of IT and the middle tier comprises middleware and technical wrapping, which translates data messages between the two. The middle layer stores processing logic, data objects, and translation rules. The endowment from this commerce discovery of three-tier architecture is that it provides a more practical and sustainable praxis than former ideas. All firms and all IT departments face some degree of business and technological uncertainty and architecture planners always were challenged by the speed and flexibility need versus the robust and efficiency need. The three-tier model has the potential to make IT architecture a practical reality. Performance of client-centric tools degrades further when they are used to access large corporate databases, execute complex queries/reports, or serve a large number of users. The solution is a three-tiered architecture ( 2001). Three-tier is a client-server architecture in which the user interface, functional process logic computer data storage and data access are developed and maintained as independent modules, most often on separate platforms. Apart from the usual advantages of modular software with well defined interfaces, the three-tier architecture is intended to allow any of the three tiers to be upgraded or replaced independently as requirements or technology change. Currently, the database was developed by access and followed entity-relationship modeling. And the program is on the design phase. Some system pages have been coded, it is used for test the end-user requirement. If the testing is completed, the system will be coded, and go to implementation phrase. The need for productivity in the firm The employment skills of the twentieth century are not necessarily critical for organizational innovation in the information and electronic age. In fact, the ones people have known as marketable skills from their success in the management of traditional organizations, especially the ones of the twentieth century, are of little use in knowledge organizations (2002). Skills that will be the most important for knowledge organizations are those that are associated with the intellect of the individual. Presently, these skills are hard to teach and harder to assess. The challenge that institutions of higher learning worldwide will face will be their ability to equip their pupils with these creativity skills. Those universities around the world that will succeed in devising and revising curricula emphasizing these skills will be able to take over the leadership of the education for the twenty-first century and beyond ( 2002).   Employees possessing much needed skills will enable knowledge organizations to engage in ingenious actions to bring about innovation and productivity.  As the size of organizations expanded and required recruitment of outside help, managers continued to uphold the family model as the way to organize and manage ventures with outside members. In such organizations work is designed so that almost everyone in the organization is able to perform, without any concern for efficiency, any and all types of work needed to run the organization. As the workforce changes and encompasses a wider variety of employee backgrounds, it is imperative that organizations entail more flexibility and labor interchangeability so that production may be maximized.  The gains in productivity rise not because people switch jobs frequently but because of the satisfaction people feel in having selected a job they like and the power they have to pick another task if they do not like what they are doing (2002). Productivity is an important topic. National economies, industries, individual organizations, and parts of individual organizations are all concerned about productivity. Concern about productivity is not limited to profit-making organizations. Government agencies, educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, and the military are all interested in productivity and its improvement ( 1990). It is easy to understand why productivity, especially productivity improvement, is so important. If market-based economies, industries, or individual organizations become more productive, they provide better products and services at lower cost and thus remain competitive, increase their market share, and in general have more resources to work with (1990). Productivity is important in all aspects of living, not only in business. Productivity helps in making sure that the organization will offer a much better product or service. It will help the organization maintain its internal or external competitiveness since more products or services are given at a much faster time and with lesser instances of errors.  Productivity helps in improving an organization’s image to the public. To make sure that productivity would be maintained in the company, the system would be often updated to speed up processes. The proposed system would make sure that the personnel would not have difficulty in doing various processes thus they will attain higher levels of productivity and effectiveness. Effective delivery of service The essence of the quality movement is meeting or exceeding customers' expectations; and those expectations are largely established with the customers by salespeople. Sales and service are the front and back of the same hand, and salespeople must take responsibility for the total customer experience, whether they are the service person as well, or serving as a liaison and advocate for the customer for another person or department(1998). Effective salespeople will pay the price to gain significant product and service knowledge so they can set appropriate expectations with customers. Effective sales professionals go for no deal the minute they suspect that mutual benefit is in question. This not only preserves the relationship and possible future business, but it sends a rare message to the customer that the relationship and mutual benefit are more important to the organization than any mere transaction. Another benefit to salespeople is that it keeps them out of the obsolete linear numbers game, a quantity paradigm created by investing only serious quality time with customers whose needs are clear and current, and where there is high probability of a long-term relationship (1998).   This is further enhanced by identifying in advance the characteristics of the company's ideal long term customers and targeting only those that meets their criteria. Think what the company's personal satisfaction level for sales would be if most lengthy interactions led to a strong, lifelong customer relationship. This approach eliminates the stressful burnout of battling objections with marginally qualified prospects in win-lose situations. Managing a customer relationship strategy that covers the full range of collaborative-to-transactional customers is difficult. Segment and account within-segment priorities must be clearly articulated to, and accepted by, key personnel. Strategic partners are the strategic priority, with a goal of penetrating and differentiating the business and selling model to achieve 100-percent customer satisfaction and joint profit improvement (1998).   An organization may grab at diverse opportunities that happen to look good in the present without tying them into a long-term strategy for planned growth consistent with the organization's mission. When this happens, the organization becomes diversified beyond its strength, placing a strain on resources. After a while, it is attempting to do so many things, it becomes less effective at doing them, and frequently even less effective at doing what it originally set out to do ( 1991). When organizations that are funded solely by generated income fail to satisfy clients, they feel it. That is why most good organizations spend a substantial amount of time and money on trying to find out exactly what it is that their customers need and what their level of satisfaction is regarding current offerings (1991). The need to satisfy clients is eminent in every business.  The clients and their satisfaction with the company is an important measure of the business’ success. If one client is dissatisfied with the company, it has to reconsider its performance and productivity, losing more than one client due to dissatisfaction can be a reason for panic within the company. Program of work for Project A. Initial stages of the project -          Find out the issues of the project -          Gather needed resources B. Project implementation -          Research about how durable the project will be -          Know the boundaries of the project -          Research about other similar projects and its weakness. C. Final stage of the project -          Determine whether the project is feasible or not -          Know the problems that might be encountered   Time sheet       Time needed The first stage of the project will take around 1 to 2 weeks. The first stage focuses on the initiation on the project. This part focuses on the initial part of the project.  The resources for this activity includes different sources that can provide information on how the business can grow and achieve its goals; the other resource for this stage includes different notes and information  that will provide the different changes that needs to be done with regards to the employees and the initiation process. In this stage the project manager will gather the needed resources. The second stage of the project includes the planning stage. The second stage of the project will take one week so that proper planning, testing and analysis of the new project can be made. In this stage the budget, human resource, and job responsibilities have been known and are ready to be used in the use of a new system.  The third stage of the project will take three to four weeks for proper adjustments. In this stage the project is on the full implementation stage wherein the goal is to slowly use the new system in the local market. The resources for this stage are proper information and training tools for employees. The fourth stage of the project will involve the control, validation and evaluation of the project. The resource for this stage included informative materials that will be distributed to the different project managers that will be used to understand the changes the project has done to the company and what are the current problems of the initiated project. The fourth stage will check how the project succeeded in its goal and how the project should change. The last stage of the project will take around one to two weeks. Budget One major responsibility of many project managers is developing and adhering to a budget for the project. Often they will be rated a success or failure as project managers according to whether the project comes in under, on, or over budget (2003). Project costs are typically composed of four components: direct labor costs, overhead, fringe benefits, and auxiliary costs (2002).The budgets can either come from the parent company or from other sources like investors. The budget will be used to pay for the different expenses of the firm in operating in a new market. The budget will be used to pay for the expenses on the new system, the payment for all the employees that will participate in the project, the cost of supplies used in making the project, the cost of electricity, the cost of office materials and other costs or expenses.  The next part will give a visual representation of the budget. This is for the first month only. It will be divided into the expenses and source of funds. Sources of funds Company funds              $20,000 Investor contribution    10,000 Bank loans                    5,000 Total Funds               $35,000   Expenses Expenses on the new system     $11,000 Overall employee salary               12,000 Cost of supplies                              6,300 Cost of electricity                               600 Cost of office materials                      200  Other expenses                                100 Total Expenses                            $30,200   Total Funds          $35,000 Total Expenses      30,200 Cash at hand           4,900 Project control and validation The first of factors for success is a group of External ones like government, community, general economic conditions, ecology, and so on. The second set of factors affecting the viability of project definition is that the project offers a sense of cost-benefit relationship and that the terms of the Financing of the project make sense (998). The last factor affecting the project definition is the project's Timing. Curiously, this aspect is often totally ignored in the project management literature which tends instead to dwell on scheduling methodologies. Timing means the pace at which the project is developed: its urgency, its phasing, and the placing of the strategic review points (1998).The project itself must then be implemented using a range of concepts, tools, and techniques which have traditionally been thought of as the province of project management. These include matters of organizational structure responsibility and contract strategy, terms and conditions; issues of personal leadership and management style, resourcing, systems, and procedural conflict management and industrial relations, team-working, and matters of control and communication (1998).  The project will be constantly monitored to check its effect on the company and the changes it has done on the new region. The initial problems on the project will be known fixed to reduce the emergence of other problems. To control the project communication systems will be used between the members of the organization. The communication systems will assist in monitoring the project. The project will be validated via its effect on the company and the industry. Project evaluation In a business setting there is a chance that projects might fail. Projects are not perfect it will contain certain flaws. If these flaws merge wit forces within the environment the result would be the failure of the project. Project failure can be due to the lack of preparation or planning wherein the manager became too concentrated on the end result rather than the specifics of the project. Project failure can also be due to lack of cooperation between the manager and his subordinates. When there is no teamwork between the manager and the subordinates’ aspects of the project will not be completed. Another cause of project failure is when the manager does not take risks. The risk may have given the project a better chance for success. Moreover a cause of project failure is the lack of alternative strategies that should be used whenever there are small problems or irregularities seen when the project is being undertaken.  Lastly a cause of project failure is the inability to use the approved strategies. There are certain times that project managers fail to make use of strategies set by the organization, this results to an altered direction for the project and in the end failure of the project.  To avoid project failure, the project should be constantly checked and evaluated to see if it still performs according to standards. Evaluation will focus on checking how the firm has adjusted to the new system and how the firm has grown after changing its riser system. Evaluation will be used to determine the things or issues that should be changed within the project and determine the next courses of actions that should be taken to achieve success.

Project success can also be due to proper planning and wise use of strategies

Chapter I: Introduction for the project Background for the project Public utilities like piped water, power, gas, telephone and rail s...

Do you agree that nurses have less privileged position among health care professionals? Justify your arguments with illustrations.

Do you agree that nurses have less privileged position among health care professionals? Justify your arguments with illustrations.   Nurses are responsible for the majority of patient care and hence they perform some of the most important duties in the patient’s stay in the hospital from monitoring vital signs into administering needed medications. Nursing, whom King (1981) defined as a helping profession that assists individuals and groups in society to attain, maintain and restore health, is the central tenet of health promotion. Nurses as human beings interact with their supervisors as human beings and both are open systems that also interact with the environment (Meleis, 2007, p. 330). Basically, the goal of nursing is the “attainment, maintenance or restoration of health to allow clients to achieve maximum potential for daily living.” Naturally, the same goal goes with the clinical practitioners including the nurses. Interactions are fundamental in the clinical context; individuals are purposeful and goal-directed particularly for the nurses who have direct interface with the patients. Nonetheless, the individuals who are involved in interaction bring various perceptions to the exchange. Plausibly, there must be a basic understanding that perception occurs differently in the nurse and in the supervisors aside from the clients. As Boyd (2005) puts it, the theory is a systems model which derived its conceptual framework from three dynamic interacting systems: persona, interpersonal and social. Individual system embraces the concept of perception, self, growth and development, time and space. Perception is considered to be the most important within the personal system because of its influence on behavior (1981, p. 19). Individuals or group(s) reacting to one another made up the interpersonal systems, and comes in three: as a dyad, a triad or a larger group. Kozier et al (1995) relate that concepts associated with such system include interaction, transaction, communication, role and stress. Social systems, finally, comprise of groups of people in a community or society that share common goals, interests and values (Williams, 2001) and are linked with the concepts of organization, authority, power, status and decision-making. Supervisors hold a specific power of influence among the nurses. Such condition basically manifests the varying perception of supervisors and nurses. As a supervisor, they have more authority and influence to the health care system. As such, the relationship that exists between supervisors and nurses is multi-paradigmatic in nature. Two among these paradigms that support the power inserted by the supervisor over a professional yet mentoring relationship is evident on systems. The former is central on structural-functional view of role, open systems and social systems while the latter focuses on the self who is either the supervisor or the nurse. This also points out that an individual as a social element is both an actor and a reactor. Aside from the client’s personal information, the professional intimacy between a nurse and a patient is realized through the psychological and social elements associated with the encounter. In the outpatient clinical setting, it is unavoidable that a nurse will have to rely on his/her supervisor for professional counseling needs. This is yet another goal of the nurses which is to involve in a relationship without sacrificing the professionalism of the job. Realizing a lot about the nurse-patient relationship which is basically founded on specific boundaries and that crossing such boundary may impose serious consequences. The purpose of the relationship is goal-oriented; simply to provide care to client, that is. Of course, the emphasis is on the role of the nurses. The nurses are responsible for establishing and sustaining the professional relationship and so his/her behavior is guided by code of ethics and professional standards. These nurses also have the responsibility to prepare for the relationship via acquiring formal knowledge, orientation and training.    References Boyd, M. A. (2005). Psychiatric nursing: Contemporary Practice (3rd ed). Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. King, I. M. (1981). A theory for nursing: Systems, concepts, process. New York: John Wiley & Sons. Kozier, B., Erb, G., Blais, K. and Wilkinson, J. M. (1995). Fundamentals of nursing: concepts, process, and practice (5th ed). Redwood City, CA: Addison-Wesley. Meleis, A. F. (2007). Theoretical Nursing: Development and Progress. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Williams, L. A. (2001). Imogene King’s interacting systems theory – Application in emergency and rural nursing. Online journal of rural nursing and health care, 2(1).

Do you agree that nurses have less privileged position among health care professionals? Justify your arguments with illustrations.

Do you agree that nurses have less privileged position among health care professionals? Justify your arguments with illustrations. ...

Nurse Patient Relationships

Could Imogene King’s theory of goal attainment be applied to your current practice setting?               A common fact is that a health practitioner’s decision-making will impact the patient’s condition/situation in ways more than one. Imogene King recognised the necessity of putting daily decisions in perspective and in accordance with practice and actions of health practitioners especially the nurses for the purpose of encouraging more positive health outcomes.  (1987) developed the theory of goal attainment that has the client goals at the heart of client-nurse relationship during the mid-1960s. Nursing, whom  (1981) defined as a helping profession that assists individuals and groups in society to attain, maintain and restore health, is the central tenet of health promotion. As such, the theory of goal attainment provides a way by which the nurse’s action and the client progresses could be effectively tracked ( 1996). In this report, the strengths and limitations of King’s theory will be assessed as well as its value and relevance. Insights and perceptions will be built upon the theory’s application in clinic setting.   King’s Theory of Goal Attainment               As already mentioned, King’s theory of goal attainment puts emphasis on the goals that govern the nurse-patient relationship. King’s basic assumption is that nurses as human beings interact with patients as human beings and both are open systems that also interact with the environment  (2005) puts it, the theory is a systems model which derived its conceptual framework from three dynamic interacting systems: persona, interpersonal and social. Individual system embraces the concept of perception, self, growth and development, time and space. Perception is considered to be the most important within the personal system because of its influence on behaviour . Individuals or groups) reacting to one another made up the interpersonal systems, and comes in three: as a dyad, a triad or a larger group. (1995) relate that concepts associated with such system include interaction, transaction, communication, role and stress. Social systems, finally, comprise of groups of people in a community or society that share common goals, interests and values ( 2001) and are linked with the concepts of organisation, authority, power, status and decision-making.   The Clinic Setting   Simply, within the clinic setting, the personal systems (nurse and patient) interact with each other in an interpersonal system (small and large groups) and the environment that is the social systems (institutional organisations). The clinic that I am working is situated as part of a public hospital in Hong Kong providing subsidized healthcare services. In general, it is an out-patient clinic, offering general diagnoses and treatments minus the need to stay overnight. Within this setting, several interactions and transaction occur within the day aside from the nurse and patients, including nurses and medical assistants, nurses and the family of the patient, nurses and doctors and nurses and other nurses.   Theory of Goal Attainment’s Application in Clinic Setting               According to  (1996), the value of the theory is its applicability in any nursing situation. Basically, the goal of nursing is the “attainment, maintenance or restoration of health to allow clients to achieve maximum potential for daily living” (as cited in 1995). Naturally, the same goal goes with the clinical practitioners including the nurses. Interactions are fundamental in the clinical context; individuals are purposeful and goal-directed particularly for the nurses who have direct interface with the patients. Nonetheless, the individuals who are involved in interaction bring various perceptions to the exchange. Plausibly, there must be a basic understanding that perception occurs differently in the nurse and in the client. This is because the distorted perceptions of a role may negatively impact upon achievement of goal set.      Nurses, as I always believed, hold a specific power of influence among the patients. Such condition basically manifests the varying perception of nurses and clients. As I have witnessed, nurses offers much of the stimulation that the patient will need. Four among the roles of the nurses that requires constant interaction with the patients are assessment, intervention, documentation and education, all of which are desired goals each day.

Nurse Patient Relationships

Could Imogene King’s theory of goal attainment be applied to your current practice setting? A common fact is that a heal...

Multinational Companies in the Context of Globalization

CHAPTER 1: Introduction   Multinational Companies in the Context of Globalization               The proliferation of multinational companies is attributed to the process of globalization. Globalization is an evolving, continuous and multi-faceted process covering political, economic and socio-cultural changes driven by technology (, 1983). In international relations, the United Nations established in 1945, embodies the cooperation of states towards a standard for political and economic development (2001). The establishment of venues for cooperation resulted to the conduct of political and economic activities of states and other entities in the context of international relations ( 1998). In international economics, production and trade is no longer limited to a country. International political cooperation led to agreements for the opening up of economies to accommodate the international flow of goods and investment from other economies. ( 1999) The General Agreement on Tariff and Trade 1947 is an agreement that facilitates free trade among the signatory countries under the capitalist system. (2005) Countries engaging in trade related agreements are considered as contracting parties with the freedom to stipulate the provisions of the agreement subject only to the limitations of the laws of the contracting states and international law. In international relations, businesses conducting international operations or multinational companies are accorded legal personality to contract with other companies or states.              Globalization translates in economic terms as capitalism, liberalization, and privatization. Capitalism is an economic system where most, if not all, resources are privately owned and where prices and the mode of production is determined by the free market. Liberalization refers to the process of relaxing state restrictions or regulation in certain activities. Privatization covers the transfer of the control and management of resources from the government of the private sector. (2003) Globalization means that the private sector control and direct economic activities. These activities are not only limited to the state but to other countries. Multinational companies emerged segmenting production in different parts of the world where production resources are competitive making production more profitable. This situation led to the competition of states for international investments, especially countries with underdeveloped economies that depend on foreign investment to sustain the economy. (1998)               Developing countries, that are not industrialized and overflowing with human resource, compete to provide investment opportunities to companies who want to engage or expand into other economies.  States who have resources but unable of efficiently manage their endowments become dependent on foreign investment as a source of revenue for the government and a source of finances for private businesses. This situation melts the economic restrictions and barriers in economic relations because the basis of dependence is need. While developing countries are dependent on large companies for investment, the large companies are in turn dependent on these countries for more profitable conditions for production. The private characteristic of the parties in the relationship of dependence excludes the control of the government over private transactions. The government exercise restrictions only to the extent of the limitations of laws but then again laws are changeable. (2002)   Multinational Companies in the Global Market   It is in the context of globalization that multinational companies developed and persisted and it is also in the context of capitalism, liberalization and privatization that the strategies of multinational companies are based. Multinational companies are business firms that controls and managers manufacturing processes in two or more countries. Multinational companies are multiplant firms operating in more than one state. (1996) Multinational companies are large firms operating in two or more countries through subsidiaries. Subsidiaries are companies controlled by a larger corporation. Control and ownership of the company may be shared with other companies. If the larger corporation fully owns and controls the subsidiary then the latter is a wholly owned company. (2001)   There are different categories of multinational corporations. One type is the horizontally integrated multinational corporation involved in the production activities located in more than one country for the manufacture of similar products. Another is the vertically integrated multinational corporation engaged in the production or manufacture of products in one country to be used in another production activity in another state. In the second category, the company produces or manufactures raw or processed materials in one country to be used in the production of a final product produced in another country. Still another category is the diversified multinational corporation involved in the management of production firms in different countries that are related neither horizontally nor vertically. (2003)               Multinational companies developed into competitive forces in the world economy. The focus of the operations of multinational corporations is on the coordination of the allocation of resources in its international operations in order to minimize production cost and maximize revenue. However, before companies can operate as multinational businesses, these firms also have to develop market-entry strategies to become competitive forces in a foreign economy. There are different strategies that multinational corporations may utilize to enter into a foreign market. The common strategies used in market entry are either marketing or operational. Marketing entry strategies include exporting and licensing where the company does not have to establish a physical base in the new market. Operational entry strategies include franchising, joint venture and foreign direct investment. After all these considerations, the multinational company can now concern itself with building a business structure, actual production, direct marketing as well as financial planning. Globalizing or Internationalizing a Business               The endeavor of entering and developing a foreign market is not easy because at the start of the process, the company is like starting a business and there are no sales or marketing structure in place and there is limited knowledge of the market. There is also a difference between domestic and international operations due to the difference in the operating environment and the strategic requirements for success. Although there is no actual difference between domestic and international operations in relation to marketing and operations theories, there are factors in global operations that affect management decisions. ( 1996)             Penetrating an international market involves a process with zero-base because the business does not have an existing business in the market, there is limited knowledge on the market and lack of managerial competence to operate in the new market. This situation implies that the business introduced in a foreign market is likely to experience a greater rate of change than the change in the business environment because there are many internal adjustments to be made by the business organization. The company has several options to address the situation. One option is entering into partnerships with local firms for the distribution of products. Another option is speeding up the process of changing the marketing strategy through a new product or expanding distribution or changing the marketing organization by acquiring sole distribution of products. (1996)   Globalizing a business involves the development of a multi-market network because of the influence of its previous experience in its businesses in other countries. The more international businesses that a company has, the more that operations will be done in an aggregate level. In terms of price, the company may apply a uniform price for its products with minimum influence by the domestic market or it may also vary price in the different markets especially in cases where one business is incurring increased sales and another suffering losses. International operation influences decision-making in different way than in domestic operations. (2003)   International business operations involve rapid changes in marketing strategy as the company grows or fails. Decision-making on strategies is affected by market factors as well as organizational development. Thus, in studying the strategies applied by existing multinational companies, market factors and organizational characteristics are the two major points to be considered. These two factors co-exist in the process of entering and developing an international market. In determining the strategies that contributed to the success of international businesses, the common experiences of these businesses are important to learn the evolution of marketing and organizational strategies from the initial entry until the successful introduction of the company. (2002) Justifications for Global Business Operations                         There are several justifications that support the strategy of some companies to enter the global market. First is to find cost-effective sources of raw materials that support the increasing production needs of the company. The domestic economy may not be able to provide the requirements of the company for raw materials and labor or the cost of raw materials and labor is too high making it not rational for the company to depend on the domestic economy for its raw material needs. When cost-effective sources of raw material and labor are available in other economies, companies expand into other economies to take advantage of cheaper raw materials and labor. One of the first companies to operate as multinational companies are those engaged in oil exploration such as British Petroleum and Exxon. (, 2003)               Second is to find new markets for their products. There are companies that experience decrease sales due to market saturation. Market saturation refers to the extent that a particular product is diffused or distributed into the market. The extent of distribution determines the remaining portion of the market for business expansion. Market saturation depends upon the following market factors: 1) the purchasing power of consumers; 2) competition; 3) prices; and technology. In the case of television, almost all of the households in industrialized countries such as the United States and Britain own television resulting to a very high diffusion rate. Companies manufacturing televisions are forced to compete based on innovations to attract households to purchase new television sets. Most companies selling televisions are multinational companies offering their products to new markets in developing countries. (, 2003)               Third is to rationalize the firms operating cost. Business firms with seeking to achieve cost-efficient production are attracted to expand their operations to other countries not only to lessen the cost of raw materials and labor but also to minimize cost required in production such as taxes and policy restrictions. In minimizing cost, the business firm is able to remain as cost competitive. Multinational corporations consider cost minimization in terms of its internal operations as well as the external factors that affect production. High business taxes and strict industry standards or restrictions are the most salient business environment features that repel business firms. Less tax and less stringent policy restrictions are the factors that multinational companies look for in choosing a country to expand its operations. Business firms that primarily became multinational companies to minimize operating cost are Texas Instruments, Intel and Seagate Technology. (, 2003)   Objectives of Global Business Operations               The justifications of business firms in internationalizing their operations are related to their objectives for growth and expansion. The most common manner of market entry is commenced through product distribution through local businesses or partners to gain entry in a short period. After introducing the product to the market, the business firm takes a more involved action by producing and marketing the product through a subsidiary. This is applied because it enables products to gain easy entry into the market even before the company has established its operations in the market. This also involves minimum risk since the company is given time to assess the acceptance of the market to its products. The reasons for market entry and development are to gain access to cost-effective sources of raw materials and labor, create demand or market for products and services and minimize cost.               These justifications are related to the objectives of investment decisions. First objective is to learn in lead markets (, 2001). There are business firms who incur cost in market entry primarily to learn from market conditions and secondarily to earn profit. Koc a Turkish conglomerate sought to enter Germany, considered as the leading global market for refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers and washing machines in terms of product specification and consumer sophistication. At the start of the endeavor, the company recognized that its brand is unknown in the market and great effort is needed to penetrate the market. However, the company also recognized that if its market entry strategies work it would gain great insight into the marketing situation in Germany and global market entry as well. The lead market differs in different countries. Software is the lead market in the United States, electronics and telecommunications in Japan and fashion in France and Italy.             Second objective is to pursue a competitive attack or competitive defense ( 1994). The investment decision to penetrate a market is a response to the earlier move of a competitor to enter a new market. The business firm takes the position of a follower. This is done when the company that previously entered a market is a major competitor and the entry is deemed as giving the competitor a great advantage. Apart from the great advantage that the competitor is expected to experience in terms of revenue, the company also perceives that leaving the company to operate alone in the new market will eventually lead to inequality in status to the disadvantage of the business firm. Another scenario that influences the decision to enter a new market is a defensive stance against the move of a major global competitor to enter the domestic market where the business firms are based. The business firm enters the domestic market of the competitor to force the competitor to incur increased cost in an intensified competition in the same way that it incurred cost in responding to the earlier move of the competitor.                Third objective is to take advantage of opportunities offered by a new marketing environment through incentives from domestic and foreign countries.  There are countries that encourage businesses to export by providing different kinds of support making it easier for business firms to expand into the global market. There are also countries that give incentives for foreign investments paving the way for the smooth entry of business firms into the market. (, 2000) CHAPTER 2: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE   Entry Strategies in the Global Market               Entering another economy requires the transfer of financial resources, management skills and technology to another market. There are several ways of gaining market entry for multinational firms, which are exporting, franchising, licensing, joint venture and foreign direct investment. Foreign direct investment provides greatest control of production by the foreign company but requires the greatest use of resources. Franchising and joint venture involves moderate degree of control as well as a moderate infusion of resources. Licensing offers the least level of control because it also involves the least utilization of resources. The entry strategy of a multinational corporation depends upon its business objective and the availability of resources.               Exporting refers to the process of marketing and distributing products to a foreign market. This activity involves the interaction between the exporter, importer, transport provider and the government of the foreign country. The goods distributed are not produced in the foreign market so that there is no need to establish a physical structure in the new market. Costs involved covers marketing activities of the company. This market entry strategy is ideal for business firms with limited knowledge and experience on international operations. ( 2003)             Piggybacking is an exporting arrangement that involves taking advantage of the channels of distribution in the global market instead of targeting a particular market. A company that successfully used this strategy is F&P Gruppo, an Italian rice firm that owns the Gallo brand. The company entered the Poland through its subsidiary in Argentina because the Argentinean air force was sending empty air freighters to Poland that comes back with imports. Food companies took advantage of the cheaper way of exporting products.  Another manner of piggybacking is the joining of two companies to take advantage of a channel of distribution. This is applied by IBM and Minolta with the latter taking advantage of the established distribution channels of IBM and the former welcoming a firm to share the cost of distribution. (2003)               Franchising is a market entry strategy as well as a hybrid manner of organizing the business by establishing a relationship of agency with the franchisees ( 1988). Franchising involves the convergence of a parent company and several small businesses. The parent company sells to the smaller businesses the right to distribute its products or use its trade name and processes. The agency relationship established between the parent company and the franchisee is governed by a contract ( 1992). The franchise contract defines the conditions of the agency and the duration of the relationship. ( 2004).               McDonalds celebrated its 50th anniversary in April 15, 2005 and remained true to the statement "As far as I can tell, the only place you can't get a Big Mac is in outer space." ( 1990, ) The company operates as a global business through franchising. In 2004, the company reported to have established 30,000 local restaurants located in 115 countries across five continents. It is the biggest fast food retailer conquering markets worldwide. In almost every country in the world, there is a McDonalds restaurant and in a single state or region, there are several branches. The company has spread so widely that the term “mcdonaldization” ( 1998,) was coined to describe the organization and culture of the company. The term has evolved to refer to the general business strategy of expansion.               Licensing is the process of permitting a local company to use the property of the licensor in exchange for a fee. The property refers to intangible things such as patents, trademarks as well as production techniques. This arrangement involves the infusion of little resources enabling the licensor to obtain a high return on investment. However, there is a risk of revenue loss because the licensee produces and markets products and collects revenue. ( 1999)   Licensing also refers to the market entry of business firms with a distinct legally protected asset that constitutes their distinction in the market. Distinct protected assets covers brand name, technology, product design and manufacturing or service process. Licensing is not an exclusive strategy in global marketing. (  2004) Disney is a company renowned for licensing cartoon characters to manufacturing and other firms within and outside the United States. The central activity of Disney is its media productions while marketing is done by the business firms permitted to use Disney cartoon characters. In department stores cartoon characters are found in children’s clothing, shoes, bags, pens and toys  while in supermarkets Disney characters are used in shampoos, soap, diapers, milk, cereals and a wide array of other products.               Joint venture refers to the management arrangement that involves the partnership of a foreign company and a local company based on the sharing of capital, technological resources and other benefits. The foreign company benefits from the relationship by gaining entry into the market and taking advantage of the expertise of the local company on the political and economic environment while the local company benefits from enjoying the infusion of capital and technological innovations into its operations. The extent of control of the foreign and local firms in the joint venture depends upon the agreement and the legal limitations. ( 1999)                The New Corporation by its strategic joint ventures became a multinational company. Its corporate projects started out as a drive to expand its reach to other countries apart from Australia. It ventured into the UK purchasing newspapers both national and local and then it set foot in the United States to introduce his company as a potent competitor to existing companies. The most recent venture is developing its business in Asia particularly in China and Hong Kong, India, Indonesia and the Philippines which catered not only to the English speaking locals but also accommodated and aired the local events and locally produced movies and television programs. In countries where there are established broadcasting companies the strategy of The News Corporation is to gain control of the channels of distributing televised news by gaining controlling interest in  influential cable companies through joint ventures. When satellite television was introduced, it also acquired interests in satellite corporations. After being assured of the means of showing its programs, the company had the freedom to create and develop its shows. The company is known for hit movies Titanic and Independence Day and the kids channel Fox Kids. ( 2006)                         Foreign direct investment (FDI) is “a category of international investment that reflects the objective of a resident in one economy (the direct investor) obtaining a lasting interest in an enterprise resident in another economy (the direct investment enterprise)” ( 2003). Foreign direct investment implies the development of a lasting interest in the establishment of a continuing relationship of the direct investor with the enterprise including influencing the management of the firm to a certain degree (1996). Foreign direct investment allows the direct investor and the direct investment enterprise to experience certain economic benefits from the relationship. On one hand, the direct investor is able to engage in new ventures or expand into other economies by sharing capital, management expertise and technology to the direct investment enterprise (2003). On the other hand, the direct investment enterprise benefits from capital infusion, technological transfer and management skill acquisition necessary for growth. (1998) International business firms that fared well through foreign direct investment include General Motors that established a plant in the Philippines as well as Coca-cola and Pepsi with processing plants in every geographical region for cost-efficiency.   Operational and Marketing Strategies of Multinational Corporations               The success of the marketing strategy of multinational corporations depends upon the manner that the company takes advantage of the different opportunities and tools to improve its gain a place relative to its competitors and the market. Marketing efficiency means creating a market in the local economy by introducing and promoting products with the objective of extending product life cycle or introducing products that reached high levels of saturation in other markets. Strategy in global marketing considers the first mover advantage of the company. The multinational company may also take advantage of the higher price that people expect from new products. Risk as a strategy consideration refers to the benefits that the multinational company gets by spreading the operational and macroeconomic risks in different economies. Learning is a benefit achieved by the multinational company because management is able to expand its experience by operating in different economies and markets. Reputation is the benefit experienced by the company in increasing its brand equity in the global market through the influence of crossover customers. ( 1998)               Operating in the global market requires strategies based on accurate information about the marketing environment worldwide. The company can utilize marketing and operations theories but it should apply these in the context of the local environment. Operating strategies revolve around diversity. The company needs to consider and integrate three sources of information: firm-specific knowledge or information on the local market environment, country specific knowledge or information on the political and economic characteristics of the local environment, and knowledge of global environment to determine trends that affects decisions on business operations.  (, 1999)               Marketing strategy should focus on mass-marketing competence and establishing marketing channels. Mass-marketing competence is an important because this is the strategy demanded by the emerging market and it is the best way of fulfilling the objective of the business firm to develop a market for its products. Companies seeking entry into new markets initially price their products higher than local counterparts in order to maintain global price consistency and to prevent parallel importing threats. This results to their products accessible only to the elite segment of the market. In the long run the company does not obtain projected sales and it also allows local companies time to develop their products and brands. Establishing marketing channels is an important factor in market penetration because this strategy links the offer of the company to the demands of the customer. ( 2001)                         Kellogg, a cereal firm in the United States had trouble in marketing its products because it failed to consider the distinct marketing demand in India. The company wanted to increase its profit through the potential of developing a global market for its breakfast products. In 1995, Kellogg introduced its cereal products by exporting to India and selling it at its standard global price. After three years of marketing the product, the company was still unable to reach its projected sales. Kellogg has gained a measly $10 million in sales after three years. The company later found out that the low sales was attributed to the higher price of its products compared to other alternative breakfast and the market did not relate to the convenient breakfast advertising claim because people prefer to buy biscuits and tea in roadside stalls. In the next years, the company introduced varieties of biscuits in convenient packaging at an affordable price in roadside stalls. Kellogg’s is still in the Indian market and it has entered other markets through both exporting and foreign direct investment. ( 2003)               Unilever is a multinational company that succeeded in market development through mass-marketing and marketing channel competencies. When Unilever unveiled its new global brand in 2004 in South Africa, the company stressed that its objective is to stay relevant to consumers. Thus, the company launched a campaign to illicit funds for its HIV/AIDS advocacy based on the rationale that healthy and economically empowered people constitute a vibrant market. The advocacy program includes livelihood program for the community. The company also utilized mass distribution channels such as supermarkets and department stores. Unilever is present in almost every region in the world. Consumers belonging to different income groups buy its products. ( 2004)               Globalizing business firms may also consider transferring their brands to the local market or acquiring local sources of advantage. The decision is based on the objective of the company to compete either with other foreign companies or with local business firms or both. Transferring company assets into the market is done by marketing a brand in different markets or using the company name in the different physical structures. ( 2003) Coca-cola and Pepsi transfer company assets to different markets by introducing uniform brands and products worldwide.   Localization is the process of taking advantage of marketing opportunities in local markets. This is done by either taking an international brand or product and fitting these into the demands of the local market or acquiring local brands or products and integrating this into their brand and product portfolio. (, 2003)  The first strategy was used by Kellogg’s in India, when it introduced biscuits but marketed the products in smaller packages at a lower price in roadside stalls to become a significant breakfast supplier in the market. The second strategy was implemented by Coca-cola in Japan by acquiring the local brand Georgia iced tea to meet the demands of the local market. Heineken also utilized the second aspect of localization through the strategy of selling a combination of local brands and international brands, but maintaining Heineken as the flagship brand. Heineken also achieves broader positions and remain in the top or secondary positions in any market of local beer. ( 2005)   Another aspect of localization is taking advantage of distribution assets in the local market. Procter & Gamble earns $50 billion dollars a year in global sales. When the distribution channels of Eastern Europe collapsed during the transformation from communism to democracy, P&G developed local channels of distribution by funding several distributor businesses by providing vans, training and information technology capabilities. (, 2003) Palm, Inc. is a global computing company that succeeds in market entry through the acquisition of local computing companies and their products and merging these into a strong business firm so that the company takes advantage of the channels of distribution of these local companies. The firm is also engaged in innovations and product development to differentiate its products in the global market. ( 2003)   CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY   This study will be conducted to determine the success factors of most multinational companies and organizations in internationalizing their business operations in other countries/continents. In this study, the interview method of data gathering will be utilized, with a combined total of 50 employees from both Palm, Inc. and Heineken as participants. The research plan will proceed guided by the following conceptual framework:                                               Research Methods       The research will utilize the descriptive method in learning the strategies and techniques utilized by Palm, Inc. and Heineken in their international operations. The purpose of employing this method is to describe the nature of a situation, as it exists at the time of the study and to explore the cause/s of particular phenomena (, 1994). The researcher opted to use this kind of research to obtain first hand data from the respondents as basis for formulating rational and sound conclusions and recommendations for the study.   To come up with pertinent findings and provide credible recommendations, this study will utilize two sources of research: primary and secondary. Primary research data will be obtained through the questionnaire survey and in-depth interview. Secondary research data will be obtained from books, journals and studies on the same topic. Secondary data include raw data and published summaries, as well as both quantitative and qualitative data (2003). Research Design In order to come up with the most suitable research approach and plan for the study, the “onion” research process will be utilized. According to (2003), in order to come to the central issue of how to collect the data needed to answer one’s research questions, there are important layers of the onion that need to be peeled away: the first layer raises the question of the research philosophy to adopt, the second considers the subject of research approach that flows from the research philosophy, the third examines the research strategy most applicable, the fourth layer refers to the time horizon a researcher applies to his research, and the fifth layer is the data collection methods to be used.             Figure 1 shows how the researcher conceptualized the ‘onion’ research approach to be applied in this study. The first layer involves the application of the research philosophy of positivism where the researcher works in an actual observable environment (1998) and acts as an objective and independent analyst ( 2003) using a highly structured methodology (1997) to arrive at valid generalizations. Meanwhile, the second layer involves the deductive approach that has five sequential stages: deducing a hypothesis; expressing the hypothesis in operational terms; testing this operational hypothesis; examining the specific outcome of the inquiry to either confirm the theory or indicate the need for its modification; and finally, modifying the theory in the light of the findings whenever necessary (1993). Instruments to be used A self-administered questionnaire, or the type of questionnaire that is usually completed by respondents (2003), was constructed by the researcher to gather data. A survey questionnaire using the Likert Scale was prepared asking respondents to rate given statements according to their level of satisfaction.             Range                                                Interpretation                          3.50 – 4.00                                       Very Satisfied             2.50 – 3.49                                        Quite Satisfied             1.50 – 2.49                                        Quite Dissatisfied                               0.00 – 1.49                                        Very Dissatisfied             The survey-questionnaires contain open-ended questions to be used in a semi-structured interview. Interviews will take one and two hours. The questions that will be used in the interview are based on the research questions that have been reviewed, refined and approved by the project supervisor. Validation and Administration of the Instrument For validation purposes, the researcher will initially submit a sample of the set of survey questionnaires and after approval; the initial survey will be conducted to the 50 respondents.  After the questions are answered, the researcher will ask the respondents for any suggestions or any necessary corrections to ensure further improvement and validity of the instrument.  Afterwards, the researcher again will examine the content of the interview questions to find out the reliability of the instrument. The researchers then will exclude irrelevant questions and change words that would be deemed difficult by the respondents, to much simpler terms. The researcher will also tally, score and tabulate all the responses in the provided interview questions.             Apparently, there have been issues on the validation on using self-assessment as against an observer rating. The use of either one will significantly change the result of the findings. This study will opt to use both. While there are strengths of the approach, scholars have also presented future impediments and limitations of using this type of methodology.             Furthermore, the researcher will adopt the three-stage process devised by (2003). The first stage is assessing the overall suitability of data to research questions and objectives. In this stage, the researcher will pay particular attention to measurement validity (measuring / estimating whether the secondary data will result to a valid answer to the research questions and objectives) and coverage (this includes ensuring whether or not the data is wanted and can be included, as well as making sure that sufficient data remain for analyses to be undertaken once unwanted data have been excluded). The second stage is evaluating precisely the suitability of data for analyses needed to answer and meet the research questions and objectives. In this stage, the researcher will ensure the validity and reliability of the secondary data by assessing how it was previously gathered, who are its sources, and the likes. In addition, the researcher will be cautious not to commit measurement bias (which can occur due to deliberate distortion of data or changes in the way data are collected). Finally, the researcher will judge whether to use data based on an assessment of costs and benefits in comparison with alternative sources. Data Representative and Reliability             To ensure the reliability of interview results, test-retest will be conducted, or the administration of the same test to the same set of interviewees on two different occasions will be conducted.  This approach assumes that there is no substantial change in the construct being measured between the two occasions.  Thus, two tests will also be conducted: a pretest or a pilot test shall be done and a post-test.  Interviewees will be questioned twice. Furthermore, the proposed approaches, structured interview and telephone questionnaire will be interview-administered.  This part will encourage credibility and accuracy in the interviews. Ethical Considerations             In keeping with the procedures and in the interest of maintaining the integrity of the proposed research, the researcher will make every effort to ensure that the ethical guidelines in research will be strictly followed.  All data collected from the respondents will be kept in confidence. The names of the respondents and their answers will not be revealed. The appropriate measures of the data will be obtained with the selected statistical instruments, and all results of the study will be open to the respondents and the public.

Multinational Companies in the Context of Globalization

CHAPTER 1: Introduction Multinational Companies in the Context of Globalization The proliferation of multinationa...