Analyzing ‘The Fool’ As Used By Jaques

Breaking down ‘The Fool’ As Used By Jaques In Shakespeare’s As You Like It, Jaques is a static, despairing character who constantly wants to stay expelled from the impulsiveness of affection, wishing he could express his real thoughts without reprehension. As opposed to the vast majority of different characters, who take advantage of chances for change, Jaques, generally, effectively opposes the enchantment of the Forest of Arden. His utilization of the word â€Å"fool† is telling. He every now and again utilizes the term ‘fool’ to depict others, for example, Orlando and Touchstone, for seeking after adoration. Additionally, the post of a simpleton in court interests him, for such numb-skulls are permitted to express their genuine thoughts without result †a capacity that Jaques wants. In the end an inversion of conditions renders Jaques the numb-skull, which makes his difficult character give way and perceive the benefits of affection and heartfelt discourse. This article shows how the word and job of â€Å"fool† both reinforce and humble Jaques. Jaques utilizes â€Å"fool† habitually in Act II, scene vii, where it only depicts the calling of a court jokester. Such a bonehead can say anything he wishes in light of the fact that anyway mocking or gnawing his announcements towards others may be, they could be deciphered as quip and excused. He talks with Duke Senior about how he â€Å"met a dolt i’ th’ forest,† and how he wants to be a nitwit so he may â€Å"blow on whom he please,† or reprimand whomever he needs to without outcome. In any case, he changes the significance of the job of the idiot that he wishes to play from a hopeful one, to one increasingly dull and overwhelming of direction. The entertainer in the woodland was pondering commonly about fortune and the progression of time, while if Jaques somehow managed to be able to talk unreservedly, he would â€Å"Cleanse the foul group of th’ contaminated world,/If they will quietly get [his] medicine.† By expressing his lon ging to ‘purge the universe of its infections,’ he spoils the reason for the nitwit from that of essentially making a circumstance increasingly carefree to ‘lifting the world from its wrongdoings.’ Although the intentions are comparative †changing a negative circumstance into a positive one †Jaques decides to word the motivation behind a buffoon so that a negative viewpoint of the world is underscored; the words â€Å"foul body o th’ tainted world† loans a reverberating picture of discharge and rotting substance, which one would not normally partner with a court fool. Jaques likewise proposes prevalence of thoroughly considered the particular blockhead that he met in the woodland by ridiculing the fool’s knowledge. He giggled for an hour â€Å"sans intermission† in the wake of hearing the insightful thoughts of the numb-skull, and later thinks about the fool’s mind to an ocean bread that has been dried after a journey, having â€Å"strange places cramm’d/With perception, which he vents/in damaged forms,† or having a clutter of musings which he neglects to introduce intelligently. By proposing the incompetence of the numb-skull in the backwoods, Jaques inalienably suggests that he gets himself increasingly canny, thus further legitimizes his idea propensities of harping on the negative; presently, in addition to the fact that he views the world as a progressively negative spot, however feels that he is all in all correct to think so and those that think in any case are not as brilliant as he. To guarantee he doesn 't contrast he own keenness with that of the fool’s, he stresses his craving to wear the apparel of a moron: a â€Å"motley coat,† or interwoven outfit. By wishing to just dress as a blockhead, he accomplishes the option to free discourse without bargaining his suppositions and ‘sinking’ to a degree of insight where he would keep up the confused considerations of the numb-skull he met. In Act III, scene ii, Jaques’ utilization of the term â€Å"fool† shifts during a discussion with Orlando. He at first offers Orlando to sit with him and â€Å"rail against our escort the world, and all our misery,† or whine about the condition of the world. At the point when Orlando will not sit with Jaques, Jaques reacts, â€Å"The most noticeably awful issue you have is to be in love,† and later, further puts down Orlando by tending to him as â€Å"Signior Love.† Jaques has clarified that he relates Orlando emphatically with Orlando’s distraction with adoration, and considers ineffectively Orlando for it. Without a doubt, he states, â€Å"By my troth, I was looking for a nitwit when I discovered you,† Jaques may have been searching for a â€Å"fool† as in a court buffoon, yet upon its relationship with Orlando, the importance of the word changes from that of a jokester to that of ‘one who has an insufficiency in sense a nd understanding.’ Again, with the guide of the word â€Å"fool,† Jacques has laughed at the standards of adoration. In any case, the idea of Orlando’s answers stings Jaques. Orlando expresses that the simpleton Jaques was looking for has â€Å"drown’d in the brook,† and if Jaques somehow happened to glance in, he should discover the idiot. At the point when Jaques answers he would see just his appearance, Orlando proceeds, â€Å"Which I take to be either a simpleton or a cipher.† He can't suffer being known as a numb-skull and leaves unexpectedly. Out of nowhere, his methods for fortifying his despairing has sold out him; he has utilized the term â€Å"fool† for his potential benefit up to this point and miserably wound up to be the subject at which it is coordinated. Through this inversion of who is called, â€Å"fool,† Jaques’ predominance complex is held within proper limits, and in spite of the fact that he keeps on calling such darlings as Orlando, â€Å"fools,† he likewise shows black out acknowledgment of the thinking behind the quest for adoration. In the last scene, Act V, scene iv, when Touchstone and Audrey enter the wedding scene, he comments, â€Å"There is certain another flood toward, and these couples are going to the ark.† He thinks about the darlings to a couple of creatures looking for the asylum of Noah’s ark, perceiving the ‘flood’ of ever-present risks that dwell outside of the backwoods: debasement, contempt, and the wrathful, moving toward armed force of Duke Frederick. He likewise perceives the ‘shelter from the storm’ that marriage may give; it would permit them to concentrate on a progressively private and adoring partner and divert them from the dangers that lie in the outside world. Nonetheless, such acknowledgment is brief, and he topples any flash of compassion he may have had for the darlings with his next sentence, â€Å"Here comes a couple of unusual brutes, which in all tongues are call’d fools.† Even however he has transparently noticed the securi ty which marriage would give, he continues to articulate the imprudence of the quest for affection, and wonders about the ‘strangeness’ of the couple. Such an assessment infers, that Jaques would incline toward the tempest of the outside world than the place of refuge that affection gives, reconfirming Jaques’ negative demeanor and his inclination for a perspective in which the feelings of trepidation of the world are not disregarded, yet transparently perceived and grasped. All through the remainder of the scene, Jaques shows proof of both keeping up his antipathy for affection and perceiving its benefits, yet he keeps on utilizing â€Å"fool† to reinforce his predominance of thought. Tending to Duke Senior concerning Touchstone, Jaques comments â€Å"Is not this an uncommon individual, my master? He’s in the same class as anything, but a fool.† Since Touchstone is both a blockhead by calling and a numb-skull to Jaques since he is enamored, Jaques’ line can be deciphered with the utilization of the two implications of â€Å"fool†: ‘he’s incredibly keen, despite the fact that he is just a jester,’ and ‘he’s remarkably shrewd, yet still stupidly in love.’ Either way, Jaques extends a demeanor of prevalence over Touchstone he puts the regard of the calling underneath that of his own a court fool and infers that a moron would not be of equivalent knowledge to him, and in the translat ion where ‘fool’ holds the importance of one in affection, Jaques makes a decision about Touchstone and arranges him as one without figuring and reason. During his flight discourse, his ramifications of predominance are kept up in that he offers blessings on a significant number of the characters that were not his to give. For example, he ‘bequeaths’ Duke Senior’s previous respect to him, and offers Rosalind to Orlando once more. Be that as it may, he passes this chance to impart his negative insights with others, and rather, talks genially to them. In his re-giving of Rosalind, he says to Orlando, â€Å"You to an adoration, that your actual confidence doth merit,† perceiving the excellence of Orlando’s reliability and the decency that it merits, again perceiving the joys and advantages of affection. He tends to Touchstone amiably too, and suitable to Touchstone’s position as an entertainer, messes with him about the quality of his relationship with Audrey, expressing, â€Å"†¦thy adoring journey/Is yet for two months victuall’d,† implying that his adoration for Audrey isn't the sort of profound love that would last past two months. Also, despite the fact that he despite everything will not participate in affection or the merriments related with it, he withdraws the scene to join Duke Frederick and his gathering of strict proselytes expressing, â€Å"There is a lot matter to be heard and learned [from them].† He leaves the crowd with the feeling that, in spite of the fact that he has not developed to adore, his relentlessness in his negative points of view has been lowered somewhat through his communications with different characters. Jaques’ despairing is an object of interest the crowd doesn't have the foggiest idea why he decides to brood over the world the manner in which he does, remaining so singular, yet Jaques makes it understood through the us

Freedom in Mark Twains The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Essay -- Adventur

Nothing is increasingly significant in the book The Adventures of Tom Sawyer than opportunity. Opportunity assumes a gigantic job in the book Tom Sawyer. Regardless of whether it is individuals gaining opportunity or individuals not being conceded it, each little youngster in St. Petersburg needed some type of opportunity. The word opportunity implies the ability to state and do what you need. Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn and Joe Harper are on the whole young men looking for opportunity. Opportunity is the key explanation the young men flee to Jackson Island. Opportunity is one of the principle subjects in the book. Tom is continually searching for approaches to gain opportunity. One of the principle plots in the story is Tom’s mission for opportunity. Opportunity gives Tom a feeling of achievement after he completes a deed or assignment. â€Å"The mystery to bliss is opportunity. The key to opportunity is courage.† - Thucydides Ancient Greek Historian In some cases he doesn’t acquire it yet he endeavors to escape his duties. Tom is continually begrudging Huck for his dormant way of life. His Aunt Polly isn't an aficionado of opportunity she feels that young men ought to do their errands and be socialized. â€Å"Spare the bar and ruin the kid, ...

Juggle Balls

Juggle Balls Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air. You name them work, family, health, friends and spirit and youre keeping all of these in the air. You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls family, health, friends and spirit are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged or even shattered. They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for balance in your life. How?Dont undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others. It is because we are different that each of us is special.Dont set your goals by what other people deem important. Only you know what is best for you.Dont take for granted the things closest to your heart. Cling to them as you would your life, for without them, life is meaningless.Dont let your life slip through your fingers by living in the past or for the future. By living your life one d ay at a time, you live ALL the days of your life.Dont give up when you still have something to give. Nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying.Dont be afraid to admit that you are less than perfect. It is this fragile thread that binds us each together.Dont be afraid to encounter risks. It is by taking chances that we learn how to be brave.Dont shut love out of your life by saying its impossible to find. The quickest way to receive love is to give; the fastest way to lose love is to hold it too tightly; and the best way to keep love is to give it wings.Dont run through life so fast that you forget not only where youve been, but also where you are going.Dont forget that a persons greatest emotional need is to feel appreciated.Dont be afraid to learn. Knowledge is weightless, a treasure you can always carry easily.Dont use time or words carelessly. Neither can be retrieved. Life is not a race, but a journey to be savored each step of the way.By Coca Cola CEO Brian Dyson

The Bonds of a Language Essay - 1070 Words

The Bonds of a Language Amy Tan is the author of several novels including The Joy Luck Club and The Kitchen God’s Wife. She was born in the United States to parents who immigrated to California from China (Gruber 35). In her article entitled â€Å"Mother Tongue†, Tan focuses on the English shared between her mother and herself versus the English that she speaks with everyone else, and how it has affected her outlook on language. Through her examples, she presents to the audience the obstacles faced by her mother’s â€Å"limited† English. Tan demonstrates that no matter how much someone may change, the most important things lay back in their roots. Tan directs this article in a certain way to allow for several people†¦show more content†¦While intriguing the reader, Amy Tan also presents a strong argument. Tan displays a couple types of argument structures in her article. She gives several examples of problem solving in her experiences with her mother. If her mother needed something and her limited English prevented her in any way from accomplishing that, she would use Amy to assist her. The example of her in the hospital shows a solution to the problem of people not being able to understand Tan’s mother. To help the doctors to do what her mother was asking, they had to call Amy, who immediately solved the problem. Another structure used throughout the article was the spatial structure. Tan comes from a different â€Å"community† having been raised in a Chinese home. She became immersed in the culture of China in her own home, learning about the history and heritage of her parents. She later had to learn to become part of the American culture, which is vastly different. Fortunately, she still holds a special place in her heart for the language that she speaks with her mother, which is different from the English she speaks with everyone else. 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Elements and Functions of Communication Essay - 1245 Words

Communication has been around for centuries. Cave men communicated with one another by their motions or the occasional â€Å"arg.† Animals communicate through growls or shrieks. We as humans communicate in a more revolutionized way. We have a form of language that can be interpreted in numerous ways. The process of communication seems fairly straight forward to most people. When it comes to communication at a professional level, it can get a bit technical at times. There are a few steps one must learn in order for communication to be successful and effective. Knowing the elements and functions of communication will lead to better environments for the paralegals and law firm personnel. Communication has been defined in numerous ways. One of the†¦show more content†¦Informal channels are another way of communicating. These are just the random conversations amongst the departments, often known as gossip. This channel can be as random as two paralegals clarifying a case status to the attorney. This channel is needed to link the numerous departments in order to solve cases or to help a client who has just been released. There are occasions where barriers occur but knowing how to avoid those hurdles is also another form of effective communication. How information travels within your organization and how it relates to the basic communications model Within the agency I interned, there is a lot of strength within their communication. They were willing to hear the concerns of all employees as well as interns. Support from the higher ups give the employees a sense of satisfaction. This has also provided to be a form of motivation for the employees, since the leaders are willing to support any new attempts for productivity. Within the local Public Defender’s office, I only witnessed a few conflicts. The one that stands out the most was a pretty big problem within the office. 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Respiration in Plants and Animals Free Essays

Temperature and Its Effects on Respiration in Plants and Animals Introduction Cellular respiration is the process of breaking down organic compounds to create usable energy for plants and animals. Energy that results from this metabolic process is stored in the form of ATP (adenosine triphosphate) but carbon dioxide and water are also end products of this reaction. This makes it possible to study the amount of respiration of a plant or animal by measuring the rate at which carbon dioxide is released by the organism. We will write a custom essay sample on Respiration in Plants and Animals or any similar topic only for you Order Now In this experiment, crickets and germinating seeds will be tested at three different temperature ranges and the carbon dioxide output measured and compared. Method To prepare the test, insert the CO? (carbon dioxide) probe into an empty respiration chamber and allow 90 seconds for the probe to warm up. Next, calibrate the CO? probe and allow 30 seconds for the CO? reading to be calculated and record the base reading. After the base reading has been taken weigh an empty respiration chamber in grams and then place 5 to 10 adult crickets, or 5 to 10 germinating seeds into the respiration chamber. Record the weight once again with both the respiration chamber and the organisms combined. Now, subtract the weight of the empty respiration chamber from the weight of the organisms and the respiration chamber together to determine the mass of the crickets or seeds. Continue to prepare the test by placing the probe snugly onto the respiration chamber and ensure that all other holes are sealed. Begin to measure the CO? output in ppm (parts per million) at 10-15Â ° C (ice bath), 20-25Â ° C (room temperature) and 35-40Â ° C (heated water bath. Allow five minutes for the temperature to stabilize when beginning to test a new temperature range and then proceed to collect data with the CO? probe. After a 3 minute period of data collection record the temperature inside the respiration chamber. Find the most linear part of the graph created from the data collected and determine the slope of the line. Divide the slope of the line by the mass of the crickets or seeds to determine the units i n ppm/sec/g. Each temperature should be tested 2 to 3 times to get an average respiration rate for each temperature range tested. Hypothesis The test performed at the highest temperature will increase the rate of respiration of an organism, while the test conducted at the lowest temperature will decrease the rate of respiration of an organism. Results Respiration Rates at Various Temperature Ranges Respiration of Germinating Beans in ppm/sec/gRespiration of Crickets In ppm/sec/g TemperatureGroup 1Group 2Group 1Group 2 10-15Â °C0. 0020. 9231. 1430. 10 0. 18 1. 1790. 3830. 24 20-25Â °C0. 0960. 8940. 9630. 41 0. 2261. 0911. 1180. 50 35-40Â °C0. 273. 2552. 4621. 14 0. 473. 8662. 4771. 94 The rate of respiration in the germinating beans gradually increased as the temperature rose. However, groups 1 and 2 studying the germinating beans collected some inconsistent data in the 20-25Â °C temperature range. The overall trend was similar in the data collected from the crickets’ respiration rates. They also respired at a greater rate when the temperature was elevated. Additionally, group 1 studying the crickets also recorded some erratic measurements in the 10-15Â °C temperature range. Conclusion The results of this test supported the hypothesis. It is clear that there is a direct relationship between temperature and respiration in plants and animals. The tendency among both the germinating seeds and the crickets was an increase in respiration as the temperature intensified. The few inconsistencies that occurred throughout the test could have been attributed to not allowing sufficient time for the temperature to stabilize between testing different temperature ranges. Also, the CO? probe could have not been tightly sealed allowing oxygen to enter the respiration chamber and affecting the readings of CO? concentrations. When repeating this test it would be important to ensure that these errors are more closely controlled or corrected so that accurate readings could be recorded and evaluated. How to cite Respiration in Plants and Animals, Essay examples

Delinquency In Adolescent And Recommendations †Free Samples

Question: Discuss about the Delinquency In Adolescent And Recommendations. Answer: Criminology research proposal The purpose of this research proposal is to establish factors that contribute to the onset of delinquency in adolescent. In that connection, the proposal aims at the criminal justice system who main purpose is to help in the process of intervention of young offenders before they move into the criminal justice system (Siegel, 2014). Thesis statement in this proposal will be factors contributing to the onset of delinquency in adolescent and recommendations on how to prevent it. The key areas to be covered include: Introduction and research question: this will discuss Juvenile delinquency and needs to prevent it since young offenders do not cope well with criminal justice system. Literature review: this section will provide information on how childhood maltreatment is linked to development of delinquencies. Research questions and hypothesis (Alan, 2004): this will cover three main areas. That is, contributing factors to the onset of delinquency in adolescent, lack of monitoring in adolescent and childhood maltreatment. Hypothesis should also be formulated from these areas. Research site and research subject: this should review reports on juvenile delinquency. Research design and sample: the sample should be taken to the most appropriate where criminal justice system find fit for the research. There are three major issues to be considered that form part of criminological perspective. They include lack of monitoring during adolescent period, neighborhood disadvantage and childhood maltreatment. These issues expose young people to commit criminal activities. Therefore, in order to understand and prevent the onset of delinquency in adolescent, it is very crucial to have a better understanding on what causes juvenile delinquency. Therefore, through this research, the concept of criminology will be applied so as to determine what causes delinquency, what and how this criminal aspect can be prevented (Bohm, 2013). In that case, the main objective of the research involve removal of those causes so as to bring up a better community full of community awareness and services. The most appropriate timeframe for research analysis would be 12 months. References Alan, B. (2004). Social Research Methods, 2nd edn. New Yolk: Oxford University Press. Bohm, R.M. (2013). Introduction to Criminal Justice, 8th edn. McGraw-Hill Education. Siegel, L.J. (2014). Criminology: The Core, 5th edn. Wadsworth Publishing.

Native Americans

Introduction For many years Native Americans have endured segregation, prejudice, and racism. This has left many with the question of what place the Native Americans hold in the US society. They have struggled for many years to achieve equality. Many have died and the surviving ones are still facing many problems in their lives. This essay will look at how the Native American came to occupy America and also look at some of the injustices and conflicts they have experienced throughout the years and at present.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Native Americans specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More History of Native Americans It has not been easy to tell the exact history of the Native Americans, but estimates indicate that close to 90 million Native Americans were living in America by the time Europeans set foot in America. It is widely believed that Native Americans travelled through a land bridge from Serbia i nto the present Alaska. They were first called Indians by Christopher Columbus who by mistake, thought he had landed in the Indies. They were later called American Indians, but at present they are simply known as Native Americans. It is believed that the Europeans were the first people to get in touch with the Indians, who warmly received them in their land (Native American, 2011). Enmity Arises With time the Europeans disregarded the hospitality extended to them and disputes arose mostly concerning land. This led to the White settlers considering the Native Americans as their enemy. They saw them to be less human who were not supposed to live at the same societal level as the whites. They therefore killed those who opposed or tried to stand up against the European invasion of their land. The disregard of the human rights of the Native Americans by the Whites put in place the foundation for racism, prejudice, and discrimination for all the Native Americans for decades in the future. The whites saw Native Americans as a backward people who needed to be civilized. This idea later became an American policy. The Natives who did not budge to the pressure were removed from their land by force. This led to wars, the famous Indian wars in which many Indians perished. Those who remained were put in reserves where living conditions were poor. In such conditions, the natives were attacked by diseases such as cholera, smallpox and many other deadly diseases that wiped out entire villages (Native Americans, 2011). Outright Discrimination Prejudices become explicit when the Spanish labeled Native Americans as brutal and unenlightened. They took all the resources from the Natives land and killed many in the disguise of religious and racial superiority. Soon the Native Americans were reduced to manageable numbers and thus became subordinates to the Europeans.Advertising Looking for research paper on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The nineteenth century experienced widespread segregation of the Native Americans. The US government policies worked to the advantage of the now dominant whites while disregarding the natives. The policies advocated for the relocation of natives to pave the way for the settlement of whites (Digital History, 2006). When the whites relocated the Native Americans, they put them in special areas that we have already identified as reservations. In doing this, they were going against environmental justice of the native people. The reservations were mostly land that the whites regarded as fruitless and therefore not useful to them. Those natives living in the western territories were relocated into rocky areas of the desert. These areas were close to deserts that become sites for testing bombs in times of war. At present, there are reservations that are located near oil plants, factories and industries. Such places present many health hazards to these people (Kamps, 20 01). Near Slavery In the 19th century, Native Americans were subjected to dual labor markets. Records show that the natives sometimes willingly undertook to work under these conditions, but the fact will always remain that they had no other choice. There culture shows that Native Americans were a people who valued trade and their stuff traded. The white traders capitalized on this by willingly putting Native Americans into debt as a way of inducing them to get them more furs. Failure to pay led the natives to work for the whites, a practice that eventually developed into peonage. Those natives who worked on the farms received varying wages regardless of the amount of work done. Financial institutions in the US are at present using redlining discriminating against neighborhoods occupied by poor Native Americans when making investments. People residing in redlined areas are denied access to loans. This is why Native Americans living in reservations are still poor today. They are denie d a chance to develop (Gillespie, n.d.). Remedy These injustices saw the introduction of affirmative action to reduce the oppression meted on Native Americans by the dominant whites. This is whereby women and minority groups are given more consideration in education, jobs and other social privileges over the dominant groups. This also led to enactment of legislations that gave more rights and privileges to the Natives.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Native Americans specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Organization advocating for affirmative action were started such as the Native American Career Education in natural Resources, a program that was started in a state university in California. Its aim is to provide education to Native Americans. The introduction of such programs came with the issue of reverse discrimination where those who are regarded as the dominant group are denied their rights in the name of helping the minority. For instances, some institutions started considering job applications from Native Americans over the other applicants (Boham, 1987). My Life I grew in Alaska and most of my childhood was spent living with my grandfather, a Native American. He told many stories about American Indians. According to him, Indians valued silence, a virtue they cultivated and was useful in their lives. It helped them in social situations to accommodate anger and discomfort. Many people see this as indifference and therefore, use this indifference to label the natives as unfriendly people. They also believed in patience, that everything unfolds with time that is why the first Native Americans valued their work which they mutually did. Mutualism was the mainstay of their lives, it promoted a sense of belonging and solidarity to their society. The other groups came into America and disturbed this order. Conclusion Although I have grown up hearing all sorts of bad things about Native Americans, I believe that all this bad traits were shaped by the bad influences that came into their lives. Being a Native American, I identify more with the mainstream American culture because I believe that the America of today should not be identified on ethnic lines but by what it stands for, equality for everyone. This does not mean that minority groups should be pushed to the periphery. We should respect and appreciate everyone, should mutually coexist. We should be proud of our heritage. References Boham, V. R. (1987). Reverse discrimination. What do the figures say? Journal of American Indian Education. Web.Advertising Looking for research paper on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Digital History. (2006). Native American Voices. Digital History. Web. Gillespie, D. (n.d). The Plight of the Cherokee Indian. Axia College University of Phoenix. Web. Kamps, K. (2001). Environmental Racism, Tribal Sovereignty and Nuclear Waste. Nuclear Information and Resources Services. Web. Native American (2011). Native American History-Early History. All About History. Web. This research paper on Native Americans was written and submitted by user Eloise Whitaker to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Jim Morrison essays

Jim Morrison essays Jim morrison as a child , jim was always into pranks and jokes. once while riding on a sleigh with his two sisters he traped there legs in the sliegh up untill his dad stopped them just moments before they hit there cabin. jim,all though a prankster at heart made straight A's through school. In college he experimented with drugs and was interested in poetry. Once reported, he was crashing at his girl friends house he smoked 6 ounces of pot in one day. Later on in life, he hit it big with his band the Doors. Tragically he died after pukeing up blood in his hotel room's bathtube in london and died. Though only 2 people acually reported seeing his body. ...

Provide a 3-pg summary of the book 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Essay

Provide a 3-pg summary of the book 7 Habits of Highly Effective People - Essay Example Again, after a while the personality ethic was reverted back to the character ethic, which meant that greater weight was now given to the foundations rather than the outward appearances or the superficial. Then Covey goes on to say that each person sees the world subjectively – meaning, every man tends to see the world from his own individual perspective (1989). Although each one thinks that every person sees things objectively, this is not actually the case. Henceforth, Covey suggests that each person should be open to the possibility of a paradigm shift, which may sometimes be instantaneous or at certain instances may take time to nurture/develop (1989). Such paradigms should be based primarily on principles, which in turn are said to be, generally, the foundation of character ethics. Covey defines habit as ‘the intersection of knowledge, skill and desire’ (Covey, 1989). Knowledge is the ‘what’ and the ‘why’, skill is the ‘how’, and desire is the ‘want’ to do things (Covey, 1989). A habit cannot be formed if one of these three components is absent. Then, as a person grows, his habits are also developed in the so-called ‘maturity continuum’ of ‘dependence, independence, and interdependence’ (Covey, 1989). Dependence is being reliant on others; independence is self-reliance; interdependence is cooperation with others while eyeing the end-goal of success. Being ‘based on principles’, the seven habits are said to be ‘habits of effectiveness’ (Covey, 1989). Covey states that for the 7 habits to be truly effective, a balance between the P/PC (Production/Production Capability) has to be achieved (1989), that is, in most aspects of a person’s life. It is not only the product which should be given attention, but the maintenance of the production capability so that the

Strategic supply chain & logistics management Essay - 1

Strategic supply chain & logistics management - Essay Example The company website is a 24/7 interactive method wherein customers can make suggestions and also air their complaints. Zara is also affected by the growing tide of globalization. It is a knowledge-based organization and its workforce is composed of a pool of talented and expert individuals. Zara has invested on its employees. The company also aims for customer satisfaction and loyalty; that is why, its products and services are quality-oriented. Inditex, Zara’s mother company, sees to it that the company adheres to quality management and best practice. The company’s financial standing is as healthy as ever. Zara’s supply chain is effective. They ensure product quality and deliver it with speed and accuracy, making the customer asks for more. It’s what Zara has been doing all through the years. The main body Zara is owned by Inditex and is into the international apparel market and fashion, which are customer-driven markets. It is continuously growing and is a leading competitor in this kind of industry. Its closest rival is Hennes and Mauritz (H&M) which outsources most of its products to lower cost. On the other hand, Zara is a company that is quality-oriented. It produces 60% of its products and is into quality management. Unlike H&M, Zara ensures that its customers are satisfied and hopes to come back to buy more of its products. With the application of computers, the Internet and Information Technology, Zara provides speed of information to its customers. The Internet provides customer interaction; thus Zara’s website provides 24/7 service to update customers of its latest products and services. In the age of globalization, knowledge is both a product and resource. Organizations are now focused on knowledge-based economies, and are more concerned with the knowledge people possess; this is termed ‘people-embodied knowhow’. Firms take care of their workforce because of the knowledge they possess. They have invest ed much on their workforce. Zara aims for talents and customer’s focus and loyalty. This is the job of the marketing manager. It also sees the importance of focusing on their employees because they see the relation between contented employees and contented customers. Satisfied employees result in satisfied customers. Meeting the customer’s needs and wants is a business trend in the age of globalization. Zara aims for customer loyalty while keeping cost of production low. This is shooting two birds in one shot but difficult to achieve; difficult because meeting the customer’s needs and wants at the same time minimizing cost of production do not ensure quality product or service. But Zara focuses on quality in its many products. With respect to its closest competitor H&M, the two rivals have closely similar characteristics, for example their financial status, their operating revenues, etc. What is remarkable however is that Zara is a bit more liquid than H&M; Zara has a manufacturing plant that manufactures most of its products, while H&M only stores its products in a warehouse. These products come from outsourcing companies, mostly Chinese companies that manufacture products for a very low price. Inditex, Zara’s mother company, is an effective company which adheres to best practice and quality management. It has an operating profit much higher than H&M, and also adheres for expansion by building more stores according to company surveys and studies using scientific projects and anticipated

Impacts of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)

Impacts of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) 1.0 Introduction This paper will labour to explicate the intricacies of enterprise resource planning (ERP), a concept that has long fascinated many in both academic and professional work environments, including the United Nations (UN). In fact, the UN has expressed the need to implement ERP. As part of their examination into this procedure, the UN has implemented ERP at the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Pristine, Republic of Kosovo, and other agencies of the UN. As they look into the ramifications of ERP implementation, so does this case study. This study attempts to make predictions of the impact of ERP implementation on the business processes and organisational culture of the United Nations secretariat based on results from the UNDP. 1.1 Introduction to the Problem Since the late 1990s, businesses have flocked to implement enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, e.g., one study showed that more than sixty percent of Fortune 500 companies had adopted an ERP system (Stewart et al. 2000). The United Nations, as one of the largest organisations in the world, has lagged behind in adopting the transformation in the management of its resources. The United Nations has been seriously hampered in its ability to deliver results effectively and efficiently due to the lack of an integrated information system for managing its resources (Report of the Secretary-General, 2008). According to Davis and Olsen (1985), ERP is an integrated system that provides information to support operation management and decision-making functions in an organisation. Therefore, the goal of implementing an ERP system is to build an integrated global information system that fully supports the needs of the United Nations, enables the effective management of human, financial and physical resources, and is based on streamlined processes and better practices (Report of the Secretary-General, 2008). 1.2Background of the Study 1.2.1 Existing System Currently, the United Nations uses an in-house developed system—commonly referred to as Integrated Management Information System (IMIS)—for the management of human, financial and physical resources. The development of IMIS was a milestone in the use of information technology as a discipline that can beneficially affect many, if not all, areas of administration and management in any given organisation. IMIS was developed as a functionally integrated system, which combines all departments to support key processes such as human resources management, payroll, finance and accounting, requisitioning and funds control, budget execution and travel management. IMIS was introduced in conjunction with desktop, networked computing and office automation tools such as electronic mail in many offices. â€Å"If an organisation is not yet sure of the need for client-server networks, the state of the art in enterprise-wide computing, it has only to consider the Integrated Management Information System (IMIS) of the United Nations,† (Rowe Davis, 1996, p. 122). The launching of IMIS was subsequently affected and conditioned by major developments in the technological market, and an accelerated shift of focus in the United Nations to field activities. In short, IMIS was designed and developed at a time when the context began to change rapidly and profoundly. Yet, only a few years after the implementation of IMIS, it has become evident that the system cannot take full advantage of the advancement in technology; e.g., even though IMIS is functionally integrated, it was deployed and managed locally at each geographical location, which makes reporting and global management very difficult. The implementation in the United Nations peacekeeping operation was partial, as it is a separate department in the UN, and was not able to support the supply chain and logistical management (Report of the Secretary-General, 2008). â€Å"The IMIS was not an alternative communication technology to paper and telephones, but it involved the synchronization of multiple data sources and the linking of them to several mainframes,† (Rowe Davis, 1996, p. 122). An investment in tactical systems, which includes a stand-alone system and a modular integration into IMIS through interfaces, was able to address the functional gaps of IMIS. However, the organisation today faces challenges that demand profound transformation beyond the capabilities of IMIS and its ancillary legacy systems currently being used (Report of the Secretary-General, 2008). 1.2.2 The need for change â€Å"The United Nations struggled to get everybody in their building to connect electronically. It soon realised that it was time to connect the world with a client-server network,† (Rowe Davis, 1996, p. 122). The need for the United Nations to take on the International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) lead to the requirement of significant change in the accounting processes and systems in order to comply with the international public sector standard for accounting. The requisite changes, indeed, were so fundamental that it is fair to say that the life of IMIS had come to an end after fourteen years; moreover, the benefits that the staff and managers expected from the information system in day-to-day operations and decision-making no longer matched the cost of maintenance and ongoing support. This is because IMIS is no longer able to cope with the fast technological development, and the cost of maintenance and ongoing support has become very expensive (Report of th e Secretary-General, 2008). â€Å"The success of your organisations quality initiative depends upon your ability to communicate the need for change throughout the organization,† (Arcaro, 1997, p. 146). The United Nations as an organisation needs to improve the value and cost-efficiency of the services it provides. They report that the existing systems are not up to the standard, not integrated, duplicative, and are inefficient (Report of the Secretary-General, 2008). According to the UN, the effective management, planning and decision-making have been hampered by the lack of integration and complete data on resources (ibid). As the organisation continues to grow in complexity in its activities, they are dissatisfied with the lack of integration and data-sharing between different departments as it has become a bigger problem, and the need for a new ICT global enterprise system for streamlining and simplifying processes has become more crucial as the nature of the organisation is changing itself (ibid). 1.2.3 Goals and objectives of implementing an Enterprise Resource Planning System The United Nations reports that the implementation of an ERP system will present the opportunity to fully combine resources and functions across the organisation by replacing the existing IMIS system (Report of the Secretary-General, 2008). Minahan (1998) reports ERP to be a multifaceted system that integrates and automates the basic processes of a business such as finance and budget management, human resources management, supply chain management, central support services, and other corporate core functions. Most importantly, the main value of an ERP system is the opportunity to streamline and improve the operations of an entire organisation through process reengineering, sharing of common data, and implementation of best practices and standards, and perform as the inter-organisation information backbone for communication and collaboration (OLeary, 2004). According to reports from the United Nations (Report of the Secretary-General, 2008), the main objectives of the ERP project can be summarised as follows: To have a global operating system that precisely captures core resource data from each department and agency at the UN while linking them together to provide better decision-making. This will minimise the time required to perform administrative processes and enable easy access to necessary reports for each department, thus increasing the efficiency of the organisation and directing the focus to high priority situations. The main functionalities sought from the new ERP system are expected to encompass functions such as programme planning, budgeting, contributions and performance; human resources management and administration; payroll, including management of benefits and contribution to pension, medical and insurance schemes; supply chain management, including procurement; assets and facilities management; general accounting, travel and other administrative flows; reporting to management and stakeholders, and more (Report of the Secretary-General, 2008, p. 8). Specific United Nations peacekeeping operations functions such as logistics, transportation, fuel and rations systems need to be supported by the new ERP system, as these functions are not held in common with other organisations of the United Nations operations. 1.3Purpose and Significance of the Study The research done in this study will attempt to answer the following question: What will be the impact of ERP implementation on the business transformation and business culture of the United Nations? Specifically, this study will attempt to establish the relationship between the business process transformation and organisational culture change offered as the result of ERP. These questions and findings are expected to provide an increased ability in evaluating the performance and standardisation of the business processes within the United Nations, as well as an increased awareness of its effect on the business culture and productivity over time in the UN. In addition, answers to these questions will subsequently enable other researchers to gain more insight into ERP implementation and business process reengineering. It will also enable the management of the United Nations to see how ERP can be a better means of technological reform, thus providing the opportunity to re-evaluate the existing business processes. 1.4 Research Questions The question that constitutes the primary point of pivot for the paper is: What will be the probable future impact of ERP on the business process transformation and business culture of the UnitedNations? The three subsidiary questions of the present work are: > How will ERP implementation make the organisation better off in the foreseeable future? > What will be the effect on the reformed business culture in terms of productivity? > How does the organisation perceive the benefit of ERP on the standardisation of business processes? 1.5Structural Approach The rest of the dissertation has been structured as follows. Chapter 2 provides a review of relevant literature including ERP, business process reengineering, and their impact on organisational culture. Chapter 3 discusses the methodologies used for the case study and describes the data and the various proxies employed for analysing ERP implementation in the United Nations. Chapter 4 provides empirical findings on the relationship between ERP implementation and its effects on business processes and organisational culture. Chapter 5 analyses the research findings. Chapter 6 concludes the research by pointing out the key impacts of ERP on the UN. Chapter 7 makes various recommendations for policy direction and potentially fruitful areas of ERP systems for further research. Chapter 8 reflects on the study as a whole. CHAPTER II 2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW The following Literature Review will focus on four main areas of evaluation regarding enterprise resource planning (ERP) on the business process transformation (BPR) in organisations, and more specifically, the United Nations. These are: 1. ERP: definition, evolution, implications 2. BPR: definition, evolution, implications 3. ERP and organisational culture 4. BPR and organisational change This review will analyse the abovementioned systems and related processes insofar as the available data in the literature will allow for a comparison of ERP and BPR and their effects on the United Nations and other large organisations. 2.1 Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP): Definition, Evolution, and Implications Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems are commonly described as commercial software packages that allow the assimilation of data and processes throughout an organisation (Markus Tanis, 2000, cited in Kim et al. 2005). ERP enables the flow of information among all business areas such as â€Å"finance, human resources, manufacturing, sales and marketing,† (Tan Theodorou, 2009, p. 52). Basically, it allows data from all departments to exist in one computer system (Pang, 2001), making the managerial dream of unification of all information systems into one computer system come true (Adam ODoherty, 2003, cited in Revia, 2007). This unification should offer many benefits to the UN and other large organisations. Large organisations may have a more difficult time relaying information from one sector to another as they have many different departments and even multiple locations. The combination of all departments in one system, presents benefits of relaying data in a timely mann er. Rather than sending files through inter-office mail or needing to track down one particular staff member, each employee will have access to the information required for their job by simply logging into the system. The researcher will attempt to discover whether this unification does indeed allow for more time-efficiency as well as making simple operations tasks easier to accomplish in the UN. The start of ERP systems came about in the 1960-1970s with the invention of Inventory Control (IC) and Materials Requirement Planning (MPR) systems, which managed inventory in manufacturing. In the 1980s, Manufacturing Resources Planning (MRP II) systems came into use to manage both inventory and production requirements together. In 1973, the first ERP system was created with the goal of supporting all business needs. Since then, ERP systems have become much more popular. In fact, by the year 2000, enterprise resource planning systems were estimated to have serviced $23 billion USD in profits for the various organisations that have been implementing them (Pang, 2001). ERP systems are larger, more influential and faster growing than any other systems in the industry (Finney Corbett, 2007). This is probably why the UN has shown such interest in ERP. The increase in ERP implementation does not seem surprising as ERP allows corporations to update to a new integrated system cutting out the previous legacy systems known for their difficulties in maintenance, large size, and old age, as they are segregated systems (Martin, 1998; cited in Boudreau, 1999). This appears to be helpful for the UN as they reported difficulty with their current legacy system (Report of the Secretary-General, 2008). It is likely that employees of the UN will be satisfied with the replacement of the legacy system due to the reported problems it has. However, there is a chance that employees may be intimidated by this change as they will have to learn an entirely new system. Advantages of ERP systems for organisations include overcoming fragmentation by streamlining activities and processes, which provides direct access to real-time information by supplying a group of software modules that encase all departments of a business (Koch, 2003, cited in Finney Corbett, 2007). This implies that all information accessed through the new system will be current as it is constantly being updated by various employees based on the tasks they complete. Rather than there being pieces of information in various places, all information regarding the same issue will be together implying that employees can look in one place and have all the information they need rather than searching through various documents or consulting multiple co-workers. However, it provokes the question as to how employees can be sure the information entered is accurate. This aspect of ERP systems will be investigated at the UNDP in Kosovo in order to determine whether this feature is beneficial. Furthermore, ERP systems are said to provide cost-reduction in addition to increased flexibility (Siriginidi, 2000 cited in Al-Fawaz et al. 2008). Since the initial costs of implementation are so high, it doesnt seem like cost-reduction can be achieved anytime close to implementation. However, Rowe and Davis (1996) reported, the IMIS system which is the current system being used in many UN agencies does not cut down the amount of paper needed in order to do processes. Switching to an ERP system should reduce costs related to this amongst other things, as suggested by the literature. For the UN, this would mean more money to use for their peacekeeping missions or other operations. The reduction of costs and flexibility appear to be linked in some way as decreasing operation costs would imply having more flexibility to perform other processes. Then again, its possible for the availability of data to imply flexibility in making decisions, or flexibility could result from rearranging t he organisations processes and being better equipped to perform certain tasks. ERP systems have been reported to enhance business performance by accelerating the merger of organisational resources as well as strengthening the operational efficiency of the company through minimising human error (Shin Knapp, 2001, cited in Wang, 2006). The implication that ERP reduces human error seems to be correct as there is less opportunity to make a mistake for employees because there is generally only one time they need to input information for data-sharing as opposed to the multiple steps needed to take before but how can employees be sure that the initial information entered was accurate? One may argue that if multiple people are doing the same step there is increased accuracy as there are that many more people assessing the situation. Aside from that, it seems these benefits should assist the UN in accomplishing some of their proposed goals, such as linking all departments within one operations system, which decreases the time required for administrative processes. The UN hopes implementation will increase their operational efficiency by allowing valuable time to be spent focusing on high priority situations rather than simple operations tasks (Report of the Secretary-General, 2008). More advertised benefits include improved information accuracy and decision-making capacity (Siriginidi, 2000 cited in Al-Fawaz et al. 2008). The UN wants to make use of these proposed advantages (Report of the Secretary-General, 2008). Decision-making is a large part of the UN as they have to make difficult decisions everyday that effect large numbers of people; making a bad decision is not necessarily easily corrected in this case. Furthermore, many situations the UN deals with are time-sensitive; if its easier to access data, and the accuracy of that data is improved, officials can rest assured that they are making decisions with proper knowledge. In implementing ERP, organisations no longer have to create their own applications that are then unique to their company. They now have standard software available for their business processes, referred to as Best Business Practices (BBPs), which came into existence around the same time as ERPs. BBPs are general guidelines to assist companies in the way of handling certain business processes, meaning that each company can now improve itself on the basis of the experience of other corporations that share similar functional processes (SAP, 2007, cited in Revia, 2007). It seems any organisation would be hesitant to implement a system that has not proved to benefit other large organisations as the risk of failure is not unlikely (Moon, 2007). However, each organisation is unique so BBPs may not work for every organisation. .Some of the disadvantages of ERP are that the implementation requires time, costs and risks (Boudreau, 1999), as they tend to be â€Å"large, complicated, and expensive† (Mabert et al. 2001, cited in Al-Fawaz et al. 2008, p. 3). ERP implementation calls for serious time commitment from all involved as it is often the biggest project that an organisation will ever face (Moon, 2007). ERP execution requires new procedures, employee training and managerial and technical support (Shang Seddon, 2002, cited in Al-Fawaz et al. 2008), which can be accomplished through good communication of the corporate strategy to all employees (Umble et al. 2003, cited in Al-Fawaz et al. 2008). Consequently, the biggest problem is not actually the implementation itself but the expectations of board members and senior staff as well as not having a clear plan or realistic projections (Somers Nelson 2004, cited in Al-Fawaz et al. 2008). However, the UN has already proposed clear goals and plans for t heir implementation. The question is whether or not they will be able to successfully translate these goals/plans to all employees of the organisation and whether or not they will be successful. Finally, the importance of selecting the appropriate ERP package is stressed. Corporations must make sure they select the appropriate ERP package that will match their organisation as well as its business processes (Chen, 2001, cited in Finney Corbett, 2007). This seems obvious as every organisation is different. Some corporations strategise around providing excellent customer service while others focus on decreasing costs to customers as a way to attract more business. However, there are studies that show that customising ERP packages beyond minimal adjustments is discouraged; these studies show that organisations should adjust their processes to fit the package rather than adjust the package to fit the processes (Murray Coffin, 2001 cited in Al-Fawaz et al. 2008). 2.2 Business Process Transformation (BPR): Definition, Evolution, and Implications Business process reengineering (BPR) was not very popular until the release of the book Re-engineering the Corporation by Michael Hammer and James Champy (Barker, 1995). Hammer and Champy introduced the term â€Å"Business process reengineering† in 1990 and defined it as a â€Å"fundamental rethinking and radical redesign of business processes to achieve dramatic improvements in critical, contemporary measures of performance, such as cost, quality, service and speed† (Grover Kettinger, 2000, p. 151). Business process reengineering is also defined as a strategic redesign of important business processes, including the systems and policies that support them, in order to achieve maximum productivity of an organisation (Manganelli Klein, 1994). This would suggest a link between ERP and BPR as they are both structured around the redesign of core business processes. In fact, some goals of BPR are the reduction of cost, cycle-time, defects, and the increase of worker producti vity (Hales Savoie, 1994), very much the same as ERP. The aim of BPR is to change current business processes in order to make them more efficient overall, again mimicking ERP. In fact, Some researchers suggest that ERP systems â€Å"are the major tools for making business processes better, leaner and faster through associated business process reengineering,† (Shang Seddon, 2003, cited in Revia, 2007, p. 25). It is not yet known whether or not BPR will be performed at the UN. It is assumed that it will as it is so closely related to ERP. Additionally, reports have shown that ERP often causes BPR to occur due to its very nature (Seebacher Juszczyk, 2002). It seems that in order for ERP to be most successful, BPR should be performed (Sumner, 2000 cited in Law Ngai, 2007), otherwise the UN may not recognise exactly which processes are most important for their operations. Or, they may not be fully aware of the exact way in which ERP should be performed in relation to the core business processes, which is vital to understand for the selection of the proper ERP package. BPR has its origins in the private sectors as a management tool for companies to deal with change and reorganise their work to â€Å"improve customer service, cut operational costs, and become world-class competitors,† (Hamid, 2004, cited in Wang, 2006, p. 5). Generally, business process transformation takes business processes and allows them to be done routinely through a computer system. It incorporates peoples perspectives and input to make sure that the processes fit needs specific to each corporation (Wang, 2006). This suggests benefits for ERP implementation in any organisation as the systems are supposed to be designed around core processes specific to each company. It would be helpful for the UN to determine which processes are vital to their operations. Furthermore, cutting operational costs should prove to be very valuable for the UN as many of the services it provides are non-profit. Of course, whether or not this will be achieved is a question of interest. Here is a further look into what a core business process is: A core business process is one that gives value to the customers or stakeholders of the company. These are the most important processes within the organisation and are the ones that will set a company above their competitors if done well. In order to figure out what processes are core, one may ask the following questions. 1) Does the process make valued contributions to the customer? Does it improve customer service, increase response-time, decrease customers costs? 2) Is it important for the production/operation of the company? 3) Can it be used for other businesses? If the answer is yes to one of these questions, then the process under consideration can be considered core (McHugh et al. 1995). The UN may consider any process involving cash flow to be core as that is a huge component to many of the services they provide. Furthermore, any documentation of information from one department to another is probably considered core as this organisation relies on data-sharing for its decision-making capabilities. Therefore, it seems that these types of processes will be affected by ERP implementation and will most likely be reengineered. The three most basic strategies that increase a business success are lowering prices, offering more value in products, or focusing on less diversity in commodities and specialising in a certain area (Berrington Oblich, 1995). This suggests that BPR would be structured around these strategies when reorganising core business processes. If the UN is restructuring using BPR, they are likely to focus on a combination of strategies. As already mentioned, the cost of operations is a huge factor for the United Nations to consider as they provide aid to many countries without expecting any favours in return. This implies they would focus on reduction of costs. However, the main reason they are an organisation is to provide services to those in need. That would suggest they would reorganise their business processes around the strategy of offering more value in their services. In implementing BPR, organisations are asked to choose five or six of the processes that are central to the operation of the company and focus on those to see the ways in which they can make them more efficient (McHugh et al. 1995). Concentrating on making sure core processes are completed to the best of the companys ability only ensures the organisation will do better. In the case of the UN, focusing on data-sharing and managing cash flow suggests an increase in the organisations efficiency as those components are vital to their operation. These changes would suggest benefits for both the cost-reduction strategy as well as providing better service to â€Å"customers.† 2.3 Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Organisational Culture Organisational culture is a set of core beliefs, values, and behaviours shared by all members of one company, thereby affecting the productivity of the business. It is often described as â€Å"a pattern of shared assumptions produced and manipulated by top management† (Schein, 1992 cited in Boersma Kingma, 2005, p. 131). Organisational culture is influenced through many aspects, including leadership, personal characteristics, interactions of members, as well as tradition. Culture has visible signs and hidden insinuations. Visible signs include behaviour while the hidden insinuations entail morals and beliefs (Rousseau, 1990 cited in Cooper, 1994). The culture of an organisation is even displayed in the way certain processes are done as well as the outcomes of these processes, which will be examined at the UNDP in Kosovo. Because ERP systems involve most departments in a company, they change many business processes and thereby affect the more deep-seated organisational culture of a corporation. Companies that focus on incorporating their cultures into organisational efforts are said to have an edge in accordance with their productivity. Organisations can focus on culture and work with the people to shape new values, morals and work ethics. If employees are happy to be working for the organisation, they will be more apt to want to work, implying there will be an increase in productivity (Farbrother Marc, 2003). Enterprise resource planning can lead to changes in organisational culture e.g., ERP is implemented in order to increase productivity by changing current business processes (Deal Kennedy, 1982 cited in Cooper, 1994). These changes are maximal and cannot be simply brushed aside. When a company implements ERP, if the organisational culture is ready for the changes it will bring, the employees can work with the system to increase productivity. Consequently, the culture within the business must be one that can be made amenable for change (Nah et al. 2001 cited in Finney Corbett, 2007). There is the belief that positive and supportive attitudes of those embarking on implementation of ERP will actually bring about a successful transition (Chatterjee et al. 2002 cited in Law Ngai, 2007). However, if the culture has not been made ready for change or the employees are unwilling to change, the system will be less likely to succeed. A system cannot work if there are no users. â€Å"System implementation represents a threat to users perceptions of control over their work and a period of transition during which users must cope with differences between old and new work systems,† (Sternad Bobek, 2006, p. 285). The social setting of a company and its technology most definitely shape each other; they are hardly independent of one another (Boersma Kingma, 2005). A mistake companies frequently make is to presume that people can change their habits easily when in actuality such changes are considerably taxing for many people. These companies underestimate the effect ERP implementation will have on their employees. Many employees panic when nothing looks the way it used to, nothing works the way it used to, and they can no longer go through their workday with the previously earned sense of familiarity and assurance (Koch, 2007 cited in Revia, 2007). One study showed that it took over two years for users of the new system to forget the process problems they found initially and to gain new knowledge of the system (Seddon Shang, 2003 cited in Revia, 2007). A Chief Information Officer from Nestle sums up this concept very well—she says, â€Å"‘No major software implementation is really about the software. Its about change management†¦You are changing the way people work[†¦]You are challenging their principles, their beliefs and the way they have done things for many, many years† (Boersma Kingma, 2005, p. 123). It seems the best way to ensure that employees are on board with proposed changes is to make them aware of these changes. It is important for them to feel that they are included in the decision to create new values and procedures for the company. Otherwise, they will be clinging to the old culture and ways of doing things. The change will be stressful and forced rather than welcomed with ease. They should feel that the change is happ Impacts of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Impacts of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) 1.0 Introduction This paper will labour to explicate the intricacies of enterprise resource planning (ERP), a concept that has long fascinated many in both academic and professional work environments, including the United Nations (UN). In fact, the UN has expressed the need to implement ERP. As part of their examination into this procedure, the UN has implemented ERP at the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Pristine, Republic of Kosovo, and other agencies of the UN. As they look into the ramifications of ERP implementation, so does this case study. This study attempts to make predictions of the impact of ERP implementation on the business processes and organisational culture of the United Nations secretariat based on results from the UNDP. 1.1 Introduction to the Problem Since the late 1990s, businesses have flocked to implement enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, e.g., one study showed that more than sixty percent of Fortune 500 companies had adopted an ERP system (Stewart et al. 2000). The United Nations, as one of the largest organisations in the world, has lagged behind in adopting the transformation in the management of its resources. The United Nations has been seriously hampered in its ability to deliver results effectively and efficiently due to the lack of an integrated information system for managing its resources (Report of the Secretary-General, 2008). According to Davis and Olsen (1985), ERP is an integrated system that provides information to support operation management and decision-making functions in an organisation. Therefore, the goal of implementing an ERP system is to build an integrated global information system that fully supports the needs of the United Nations, enables the effective management of human, financial and physical resources, and is based on streamlined processes and better practices (Report of the Secretary-General, 2008). 1.2Background of the Study 1.2.1 Existing System Currently, the United Nations uses an in-house developed system—commonly referred to as Integrated Management Information System (IMIS)—for the management of human, financial and physical resources. The development of IMIS was a milestone in the use of information technology as a discipline that can beneficially affect many, if not all, areas of administration and management in any given organisation. IMIS was developed as a functionally integrated system, which combines all departments to support key processes such as human resources management, payroll, finance and accounting, requisitioning and funds control, budget execution and travel management. IMIS was introduced in conjunction with desktop, networked computing and office automation tools such as electronic mail in many offices. â€Å"If an organisation is not yet sure of the need for client-server networks, the state of the art in enterprise-wide computing, it has only to consider the Integrated Management Information System (IMIS) of the United Nations,† (Rowe Davis, 1996, p. 122). The launching of IMIS was subsequently affected and conditioned by major developments in the technological market, and an accelerated shift of focus in the United Nations to field activities. In short, IMIS was designed and developed at a time when the context began to change rapidly and profoundly. Yet, only a few years after the implementation of IMIS, it has become evident that the system cannot take full advantage of the advancement in technology; e.g., even though IMIS is functionally integrated, it was deployed and managed locally at each geographical location, which makes reporting and global management very difficult. The implementation in the United Nations peacekeeping operation was partial, as it is a separate department in the UN, and was not able to support the supply chain and logistical management (Report of the Secretary-General, 2008). â€Å"The IMIS was not an alternative communication technology to paper and telephones, but it involved the synchronization of multiple data sources and the linking of them to several mainframes,† (Rowe Davis, 1996, p. 122). An investment in tactical systems, which includes a stand-alone system and a modular integration into IMIS through interfaces, was able to address the functional gaps of IMIS. However, the organisation today faces challenges that demand profound transformation beyond the capabilities of IMIS and its ancillary legacy systems currently being used (Report of the Secretary-General, 2008). 1.2.2 The need for change â€Å"The United Nations struggled to get everybody in their building to connect electronically. It soon realised that it was time to connect the world with a client-server network,† (Rowe Davis, 1996, p. 122). The need for the United Nations to take on the International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) lead to the requirement of significant change in the accounting processes and systems in order to comply with the international public sector standard for accounting. The requisite changes, indeed, were so fundamental that it is fair to say that the life of IMIS had come to an end after fourteen years; moreover, the benefits that the staff and managers expected from the information system in day-to-day operations and decision-making no longer matched the cost of maintenance and ongoing support. This is because IMIS is no longer able to cope with the fast technological development, and the cost of maintenance and ongoing support has become very expensive (Report of th e Secretary-General, 2008). â€Å"The success of your organisations quality initiative depends upon your ability to communicate the need for change throughout the organization,† (Arcaro, 1997, p. 146). The United Nations as an organisation needs to improve the value and cost-efficiency of the services it provides. They report that the existing systems are not up to the standard, not integrated, duplicative, and are inefficient (Report of the Secretary-General, 2008). According to the UN, the effective management, planning and decision-making have been hampered by the lack of integration and complete data on resources (ibid). As the organisation continues to grow in complexity in its activities, they are dissatisfied with the lack of integration and data-sharing between different departments as it has become a bigger problem, and the need for a new ICT global enterprise system for streamlining and simplifying processes has become more crucial as the nature of the organisation is changing itself (ibid). 1.2.3 Goals and objectives of implementing an Enterprise Resource Planning System The United Nations reports that the implementation of an ERP system will present the opportunity to fully combine resources and functions across the organisation by replacing the existing IMIS system (Report of the Secretary-General, 2008). Minahan (1998) reports ERP to be a multifaceted system that integrates and automates the basic processes of a business such as finance and budget management, human resources management, supply chain management, central support services, and other corporate core functions. Most importantly, the main value of an ERP system is the opportunity to streamline and improve the operations of an entire organisation through process reengineering, sharing of common data, and implementation of best practices and standards, and perform as the inter-organisation information backbone for communication and collaboration (OLeary, 2004). According to reports from the United Nations (Report of the Secretary-General, 2008), the main objectives of the ERP project can be summarised as follows: To have a global operating system that precisely captures core resource data from each department and agency at the UN while linking them together to provide better decision-making. This will minimise the time required to perform administrative processes and enable easy access to necessary reports for each department, thus increasing the efficiency of the organisation and directing the focus to high priority situations. The main functionalities sought from the new ERP system are expected to encompass functions such as programme planning, budgeting, contributions and performance; human resources management and administration; payroll, including management of benefits and contribution to pension, medical and insurance schemes; supply chain management, including procurement; assets and facilities management; general accounting, travel and other administrative flows; reporting to management and stakeholders, and more (Report of the Secretary-General, 2008, p. 8). Specific United Nations peacekeeping operations functions such as logistics, transportation, fuel and rations systems need to be supported by the new ERP system, as these functions are not held in common with other organisations of the United Nations operations. 1.3Purpose and Significance of the Study The research done in this study will attempt to answer the following question: What will be the impact of ERP implementation on the business transformation and business culture of the United Nations? Specifically, this study will attempt to establish the relationship between the business process transformation and organisational culture change offered as the result of ERP. These questions and findings are expected to provide an increased ability in evaluating the performance and standardisation of the business processes within the United Nations, as well as an increased awareness of its effect on the business culture and productivity over time in the UN. In addition, answers to these questions will subsequently enable other researchers to gain more insight into ERP implementation and business process reengineering. It will also enable the management of the United Nations to see how ERP can be a better means of technological reform, thus providing the opportunity to re-evaluate the existing business processes. 1.4 Research Questions The question that constitutes the primary point of pivot for the paper is: What will be the probable future impact of ERP on the business process transformation and business culture of the UnitedNations? The three subsidiary questions of the present work are: > How will ERP implementation make the organisation better off in the foreseeable future? > What will be the effect on the reformed business culture in terms of productivity? > How does the organisation perceive the benefit of ERP on the standardisation of business processes? 1.5Structural Approach The rest of the dissertation has been structured as follows. Chapter 2 provides a review of relevant literature including ERP, business process reengineering, and their impact on organisational culture. Chapter 3 discusses the methodologies used for the case study and describes the data and the various proxies employed for analysing ERP implementation in the United Nations. Chapter 4 provides empirical findings on the relationship between ERP implementation and its effects on business processes and organisational culture. Chapter 5 analyses the research findings. Chapter 6 concludes the research by pointing out the key impacts of ERP on the UN. Chapter 7 makes various recommendations for policy direction and potentially fruitful areas of ERP systems for further research. Chapter 8 reflects on the study as a whole. CHAPTER II 2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW The following Literature Review will focus on four main areas of evaluation regarding enterprise resource planning (ERP) on the business process transformation (BPR) in organisations, and more specifically, the United Nations. These are: 1. ERP: definition, evolution, implications 2. BPR: definition, evolution, implications 3. ERP and organisational culture 4. BPR and organisational change This review will analyse the abovementioned systems and related processes insofar as the available data in the literature will allow for a comparison of ERP and BPR and their effects on the United Nations and other large organisations. 2.1 Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP): Definition, Evolution, and Implications Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems are commonly described as commercial software packages that allow the assimilation of data and processes throughout an organisation (Markus Tanis, 2000, cited in Kim et al. 2005). ERP enables the flow of information among all business areas such as â€Å"finance, human resources, manufacturing, sales and marketing,† (Tan Theodorou, 2009, p. 52). Basically, it allows data from all departments to exist in one computer system (Pang, 2001), making the managerial dream of unification of all information systems into one computer system come true (Adam ODoherty, 2003, cited in Revia, 2007). This unification should offer many benefits to the UN and other large organisations. Large organisations may have a more difficult time relaying information from one sector to another as they have many different departments and even multiple locations. The combination of all departments in one system, presents benefits of relaying data in a timely mann er. Rather than sending files through inter-office mail or needing to track down one particular staff member, each employee will have access to the information required for their job by simply logging into the system. The researcher will attempt to discover whether this unification does indeed allow for more time-efficiency as well as making simple operations tasks easier to accomplish in the UN. The start of ERP systems came about in the 1960-1970s with the invention of Inventory Control (IC) and Materials Requirement Planning (MPR) systems, which managed inventory in manufacturing. In the 1980s, Manufacturing Resources Planning (MRP II) systems came into use to manage both inventory and production requirements together. In 1973, the first ERP system was created with the goal of supporting all business needs. Since then, ERP systems have become much more popular. In fact, by the year 2000, enterprise resource planning systems were estimated to have serviced $23 billion USD in profits for the various organisations that have been implementing them (Pang, 2001). ERP systems are larger, more influential and faster growing than any other systems in the industry (Finney Corbett, 2007). This is probably why the UN has shown such interest in ERP. The increase in ERP implementation does not seem surprising as ERP allows corporations to update to a new integrated system cutting out the previous legacy systems known for their difficulties in maintenance, large size, and old age, as they are segregated systems (Martin, 1998; cited in Boudreau, 1999). This appears to be helpful for the UN as they reported difficulty with their current legacy system (Report of the Secretary-General, 2008). It is likely that employees of the UN will be satisfied with the replacement of the legacy system due to the reported problems it has. However, there is a chance that employees may be intimidated by this change as they will have to learn an entirely new system. Advantages of ERP systems for organisations include overcoming fragmentation by streamlining activities and processes, which provides direct access to real-time information by supplying a group of software modules that encase all departments of a business (Koch, 2003, cited in Finney Corbett, 2007). This implies that all information accessed through the new system will be current as it is constantly being updated by various employees based on the tasks they complete. Rather than there being pieces of information in various places, all information regarding the same issue will be together implying that employees can look in one place and have all the information they need rather than searching through various documents or consulting multiple co-workers. However, it provokes the question as to how employees can be sure the information entered is accurate. This aspect of ERP systems will be investigated at the UNDP in Kosovo in order to determine whether this feature is beneficial. Furthermore, ERP systems are said to provide cost-reduction in addition to increased flexibility (Siriginidi, 2000 cited in Al-Fawaz et al. 2008). Since the initial costs of implementation are so high, it doesnt seem like cost-reduction can be achieved anytime close to implementation. However, Rowe and Davis (1996) reported, the IMIS system which is the current system being used in many UN agencies does not cut down the amount of paper needed in order to do processes. Switching to an ERP system should reduce costs related to this amongst other things, as suggested by the literature. For the UN, this would mean more money to use for their peacekeeping missions or other operations. The reduction of costs and flexibility appear to be linked in some way as decreasing operation costs would imply having more flexibility to perform other processes. Then again, its possible for the availability of data to imply flexibility in making decisions, or flexibility could result from rearranging t he organisations processes and being better equipped to perform certain tasks. ERP systems have been reported to enhance business performance by accelerating the merger of organisational resources as well as strengthening the operational efficiency of the company through minimising human error (Shin Knapp, 2001, cited in Wang, 2006). The implication that ERP reduces human error seems to be correct as there is less opportunity to make a mistake for employees because there is generally only one time they need to input information for data-sharing as opposed to the multiple steps needed to take before but how can employees be sure that the initial information entered was accurate? One may argue that if multiple people are doing the same step there is increased accuracy as there are that many more people assessing the situation. Aside from that, it seems these benefits should assist the UN in accomplishing some of their proposed goals, such as linking all departments within one operations system, which decreases the time required for administrative processes. The UN hopes implementation will increase their operational efficiency by allowing valuable time to be spent focusing on high priority situations rather than simple operations tasks (Report of the Secretary-General, 2008). More advertised benefits include improved information accuracy and decision-making capacity (Siriginidi, 2000 cited in Al-Fawaz et al. 2008). The UN wants to make use of these proposed advantages (Report of the Secretary-General, 2008). Decision-making is a large part of the UN as they have to make difficult decisions everyday that effect large numbers of people; making a bad decision is not necessarily easily corrected in this case. Furthermore, many situations the UN deals with are time-sensitive; if its easier to access data, and the accuracy of that data is improved, officials can rest assured that they are making decisions with proper knowledge. In implementing ERP, organisations no longer have to create their own applications that are then unique to their company. They now have standard software available for their business processes, referred to as Best Business Practices (BBPs), which came into existence around the same time as ERPs. BBPs are general guidelines to assist companies in the way of handling certain business processes, meaning that each company can now improve itself on the basis of the experience of other corporations that share similar functional processes (SAP, 2007, cited in Revia, 2007). It seems any organisation would be hesitant to implement a system that has not proved to benefit other large organisations as the risk of failure is not unlikely (Moon, 2007). However, each organisation is unique so BBPs may not work for every organisation. .Some of the disadvantages of ERP are that the implementation requires time, costs and risks (Boudreau, 1999), as they tend to be â€Å"large, complicated, and expensive† (Mabert et al. 2001, cited in Al-Fawaz et al. 2008, p. 3). ERP implementation calls for serious time commitment from all involved as it is often the biggest project that an organisation will ever face (Moon, 2007). ERP execution requires new procedures, employee training and managerial and technical support (Shang Seddon, 2002, cited in Al-Fawaz et al. 2008), which can be accomplished through good communication of the corporate strategy to all employees (Umble et al. 2003, cited in Al-Fawaz et al. 2008). Consequently, the biggest problem is not actually the implementation itself but the expectations of board members and senior staff as well as not having a clear plan or realistic projections (Somers Nelson 2004, cited in Al-Fawaz et al. 2008). However, the UN has already proposed clear goals and plans for t heir implementation. The question is whether or not they will be able to successfully translate these goals/plans to all employees of the organisation and whether or not they will be successful. Finally, the importance of selecting the appropriate ERP package is stressed. Corporations must make sure they select the appropriate ERP package that will match their organisation as well as its business processes (Chen, 2001, cited in Finney Corbett, 2007). This seems obvious as every organisation is different. Some corporations strategise around providing excellent customer service while others focus on decreasing costs to customers as a way to attract more business. However, there are studies that show that customising ERP packages beyond minimal adjustments is discouraged; these studies show that organisations should adjust their processes to fit the package rather than adjust the package to fit the processes (Murray Coffin, 2001 cited in Al-Fawaz et al. 2008). 2.2 Business Process Transformation (BPR): Definition, Evolution, and Implications Business process reengineering (BPR) was not very popular until the release of the book Re-engineering the Corporation by Michael Hammer and James Champy (Barker, 1995). Hammer and Champy introduced the term â€Å"Business process reengineering† in 1990 and defined it as a â€Å"fundamental rethinking and radical redesign of business processes to achieve dramatic improvements in critical, contemporary measures of performance, such as cost, quality, service and speed† (Grover Kettinger, 2000, p. 151). Business process reengineering is also defined as a strategic redesign of important business processes, including the systems and policies that support them, in order to achieve maximum productivity of an organisation (Manganelli Klein, 1994). This would suggest a link between ERP and BPR as they are both structured around the redesign of core business processes. In fact, some goals of BPR are the reduction of cost, cycle-time, defects, and the increase of worker producti vity (Hales Savoie, 1994), very much the same as ERP. The aim of BPR is to change current business processes in order to make them more efficient overall, again mimicking ERP. In fact, Some researchers suggest that ERP systems â€Å"are the major tools for making business processes better, leaner and faster through associated business process reengineering,† (Shang Seddon, 2003, cited in Revia, 2007, p. 25). It is not yet known whether or not BPR will be performed at the UN. It is assumed that it will as it is so closely related to ERP. Additionally, reports have shown that ERP often causes BPR to occur due to its very nature (Seebacher Juszczyk, 2002). It seems that in order for ERP to be most successful, BPR should be performed (Sumner, 2000 cited in Law Ngai, 2007), otherwise the UN may not recognise exactly which processes are most important for their operations. Or, they may not be fully aware of the exact way in which ERP should be performed in relation to the core business processes, which is vital to understand for the selection of the proper ERP package. BPR has its origins in the private sectors as a management tool for companies to deal with change and reorganise their work to â€Å"improve customer service, cut operational costs, and become world-class competitors,† (Hamid, 2004, cited in Wang, 2006, p. 5). Generally, business process transformation takes business processes and allows them to be done routinely through a computer system. It incorporates peoples perspectives and input to make sure that the processes fit needs specific to each corporation (Wang, 2006). This suggests benefits for ERP implementation in any organisation as the systems are supposed to be designed around core processes specific to each company. It would be helpful for the UN to determine which processes are vital to their operations. Furthermore, cutting operational costs should prove to be very valuable for the UN as many of the services it provides are non-profit. Of course, whether or not this will be achieved is a question of interest. Here is a further look into what a core business process is: A core business process is one that gives value to the customers or stakeholders of the company. These are the most important processes within the organisation and are the ones that will set a company above their competitors if done well. In order to figure out what processes are core, one may ask the following questions. 1) Does the process make valued contributions to the customer? Does it improve customer service, increase response-time, decrease customers costs? 2) Is it important for the production/operation of the company? 3) Can it be used for other businesses? If the answer is yes to one of these questions, then the process under consideration can be considered core (McHugh et al. 1995). The UN may consider any process involving cash flow to be core as that is a huge component to many of the services they provide. Furthermore, any documentation of information from one department to another is probably considered core as this organisation relies on data-sharing for its decision-making capabilities. Therefore, it seems that these types of processes will be affected by ERP implementation and will most likely be reengineered. The three most basic strategies that increase a business success are lowering prices, offering more value in products, or focusing on less diversity in commodities and specialising in a certain area (Berrington Oblich, 1995). This suggests that BPR would be structured around these strategies when reorganising core business processes. If the UN is restructuring using BPR, they are likely to focus on a combination of strategies. As already mentioned, the cost of operations is a huge factor for the United Nations to consider as they provide aid to many countries without expecting any favours in return. This implies they would focus on reduction of costs. However, the main reason they are an organisation is to provide services to those in need. That would suggest they would reorganise their business processes around the strategy of offering more value in their services. In implementing BPR, organisations are asked to choose five or six of the processes that are central to the operation of the company and focus on those to see the ways in which they can make them more efficient (McHugh et al. 1995). Concentrating on making sure core processes are completed to the best of the companys ability only ensures the organisation will do better. In the case of the UN, focusing on data-sharing and managing cash flow suggests an increase in the organisations efficiency as those components are vital to their operation. These changes would suggest benefits for both the cost-reduction strategy as well as providing better service to â€Å"customers.† 2.3 Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Organisational Culture Organisational culture is a set of core beliefs, values, and behaviours shared by all members of one company, thereby affecting the productivity of the business. It is often described as â€Å"a pattern of shared assumptions produced and manipulated by top management† (Schein, 1992 cited in Boersma Kingma, 2005, p. 131). Organisational culture is influenced through many aspects, including leadership, personal characteristics, interactions of members, as well as tradition. Culture has visible signs and hidden insinuations. Visible signs include behaviour while the hidden insinuations entail morals and beliefs (Rousseau, 1990 cited in Cooper, 1994). The culture of an organisation is even displayed in the way certain processes are done as well as the outcomes of these processes, which will be examined at the UNDP in Kosovo. Because ERP systems involve most departments in a company, they change many business processes and thereby affect the more deep-seated organisational culture of a corporation. Companies that focus on incorporating their cultures into organisational efforts are said to have an edge in accordance with their productivity. Organisations can focus on culture and work with the people to shape new values, morals and work ethics. If employees are happy to be working for the organisation, they will be more apt to want to work, implying there will be an increase in productivity (Farbrother Marc, 2003). Enterprise resource planning can lead to changes in organisational culture e.g., ERP is implemented in order to increase productivity by changing current business processes (Deal Kennedy, 1982 cited in Cooper, 1994). These changes are maximal and cannot be simply brushed aside. When a company implements ERP, if the organisational culture is ready for the changes it will bring, the employees can work with the system to increase productivity. Consequently, the culture within the business must be one that can be made amenable for change (Nah et al. 2001 cited in Finney Corbett, 2007). There is the belief that positive and supportive attitudes of those embarking on implementation of ERP will actually bring about a successful transition (Chatterjee et al. 2002 cited in Law Ngai, 2007). However, if the culture has not been made ready for change or the employees are unwilling to change, the system will be less likely to succeed. A system cannot work if there are no users. â€Å"System implementation represents a threat to users perceptions of control over their work and a period of transition during which users must cope with differences between old and new work systems,† (Sternad Bobek, 2006, p. 285). The social setting of a company and its technology most definitely shape each other; they are hardly independent of one another (Boersma Kingma, 2005). A mistake companies frequently make is to presume that people can change their habits easily when in actuality such changes are considerably taxing for many people. These companies underestimate the effect ERP implementation will have on their employees. Many employees panic when nothing looks the way it used to, nothing works the way it used to, and they can no longer go through their workday with the previously earned sense of familiarity and assurance (Koch, 2007 cited in Revia, 2007). One study showed that it took over two years for users of the new system to forget the process problems they found initially and to gain new knowledge of the system (Seddon Shang, 2003 cited in Revia, 2007). A Chief Information Officer from Nestle sums up this concept very well—she says, â€Å"‘No major software implementation is really about the software. Its about change management†¦You are changing the way people work[†¦]You are challenging their principles, their beliefs and the way they have done things for many, many years† (Boersma Kingma, 2005, p. 123). It seems the best way to ensure that employees are on board with proposed changes is to make them aware of these changes. It is important for them to feel that they are included in the decision to create new values and procedures for the company. Otherwise, they will be clinging to the old culture and ways of doing things. The change will be stressful and forced rather than welcomed with ease. They should feel that the change is happ