A Madman’s Diary, The True Story of Ah Q and The New Years Sacrifice Essay Example for Free

A Madman’s Diary, The True Story of Ah Q and The New Years Sacrifice Essay I. Introduction: Much of Lu Hsun’s stories are recollections of his past struggles. He admits this in the preface of his collection of works entitled, Call to Arms. But as this collection was viewed by Lu Hsun himself as a way to encourage young dreamers to pursue their aspirations and spare themselves of the agony of his youth, much of it becomes a mirror as well of the Chinese culture and history. Hence, Lu Hsun is not only a chief commander of China’s modern Cultural Revolution; he is also the founder of modern Chinese literature. This paper aims to make a modest critical analysis of Lu Hsun’s work using his first three short stories namely; A Madman’s Diary, The True Story of Ah Q and The New Years Sacrifice. These are chosen to identify patterns of themes, subjects and beliefs that are embodied in his writings. Also, we hope to be able to understand Chinese traditions and heritage using the same short stories. In the end we may find literature as a strong method of making a noble contribution to the world with its inherent power to opine, philosophize and influence. Let us begin with a brief telling of the stories’ plots and details. After which we enumerate the significance of each and lastly to provide a general assessment of the story’s lessons and socio-cultural and political implications. This last part of the analysis is relevant as we have had hints already of the intentions of the author to provide an empowerment to the readers for the attainment of certain goals. The paper will end in such a way that Lu Hsun is commended for his creativity in the craft to have shown consistency of his agenda as manifested in his literary machinery ergo, becomes successful and compatible endeavors of revolutionary and literary toils. II. A Madman’s Diary The first story is a narration of Lu Hsun’s reading of a diary of his old friend. The latter referred to as the madman, through his personal accounts have expressed the nature of his illness. He sees his own brother, relatives, neighbors and doctor as man-eaters. The content of the diary may seem weird and dreadful yet the author of the diary charged of insanity has managed to think and speak of historical accounts to prove his case. For instance, he called a previous enemy, Ku Chiu which in translation means â€Å"Ancient Times†; his doctor, Li Shih-chen who in history was a famous pharmacologist and authored the Materia Medica. Both usage have latent meanings and will be explained later. The madman also has knowledge of several traditional myths like his mention of Yi Ya, who according to ancient records cooked his son as present to Duke Huan who was ruler since 685 to 643 B.C. of Chi; he mentioned also Chieh and Chou who were known tyrants in history; Hsu His Lin who during the end of Ching dynasty was a revolutionary executed in 1907 whose heart and liver were believed to have been eaten because of his assassination of a Ching official. Again, these historical descriptions have significance in the goal of the author of Madman’s Diary. The context of the story may seem to its audience a basic case of mental illness but this is true unless proper decoding is employed. The story suggests that there is a past experience which the madman has underwent which we could think of as the cause of his psychosis. According to the author, the madman has suffered from persecution. The sentiment of the main character at the time he was sick already against other people characterizes the same feelings he felt against them before this condition. Man-eating in the story symbolizes the feudal system in China. The oppression that the tenants suffer from their land lords has caused the madman to perhaps hate the former. The man-eaters in the story as observed by the madman consist of his neighbors, brother, doctor, etc.; basically all those who are of the land-owning class. The conspirators making themselves man-eaters as well include his own mother- this is due to the latter’s inability to reprimand his brother. To the madman’s mind, those who support and those who are silenced by the oppression are alike. This is why he refers to them as man-eaters as well – they all look at him in the same way like fierce animals ready to eat him and his flesh. Everyday, the madman has to deal with the same looks and reactions. He thought he was doing a good job of having been able to decipher their true intentions of killing and eating him. In the end however it pained him to have known that his sister could have died in the same experience of being eaten by other people. It pained him that his own family has not done anything while his mother’s weeping did not change the fact of her daughter’s tragic death. The seemingly unjust treatment of the community against a madman like him is translated into the majority’s incapacity and lack of buoyancy to uphold a revolution such as that which would overhaul feudalism and promote equality. Yet, the madman has seen that Mr Chao for instance did not look solely at him with anger but with fear as well. One is afraid to change the status quo where he/she is already benefiting. Just like Mr Ku Chiu who was displeased with his intervention on his account sheets twenty years ago. Ku Chiu meaning Ancient Times symbolizes the long history of feudal oppression in China. The madman might have made wild statements in his diary but to a madman this signifies discontent, confusion, mixed emotions of fear and pain, none of which is equivalent to happiness and peace. He said he has not seen the moon for over thirty years. He must have been imprisoned or isolated that long from the community, the people barely recognize him just like the dog which looked at him twice. In the new day or perhaps new circumstance he is into, he only remembers the feelings of annoyance against them. Yet he witnessed the children, lively as they may appear but the madman, reluctant about their purity thought they also had eyes that misinterpret him. When he said their parents could have told them about his story, he was referring to the possible transfer of the tradition of tyranny to the new generation and the hindrance to their quest for truth, justice and equality. The madman abhors the fact that the own victims of this cruelty have not done anything to antagonize but why do they look at him like that? This is expressed in the part below: â€Å"†¦Those people, some of whom have been pilloried by the magistrate, slapped in the face by the local gentry, had their wives taken away by bailiffs, or their parents driven to suicide by creditors, never looked as frightened and as fierce then as they did yesterday†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Lu Hsun, A Madman’s Diary, April, 1918) He sees their laughers, discussions of him, teeth and speech as comprising their secret signs. There are statements in the story which the author has provided for us to understand further the nature of the norm in their history. Like when the madman remembers the time when he would be commended by his brother for his indifference vis a vis wrong doings: â€Å"†¦I remember when my elder brother taught me to write compositions, no matter how good a man was, if I produced arguments to the contrary he would mark that passage to show his approval; while if I excused evil-doers, he would say: Good for you, that shows originality†¦Ã¢â‚¬  At that time , it would have been better if you are blind and deaf and perhaps insane to resist the subjugation. This is also presented in the part where Mr. Ho, the doctor tells the madman: â€Å"Dont let your imagination run away with you! Rest quietly for a few days and you will be alright†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The madman sees this statement as a warning for his deed of courage and integrity. to be brave and righteous yield death of a man. Toward the end of the story, the madman asked a twenty year old lad if it was right to eat human beings and if such was an accepted act simply because it has always been like that. The author here is arriving at an assumption that a tradition of cruelty could have been regarded by most of them as justifiable by its permanence and embedded nature. But a challenge has been set forth in the end; that is to become a real man. For the madman, real men don’t eat human beings. Although as claimed, primitive people have done so, he advised his brother that to remain like them is the same as reptiles and animals who eat flesh and must be ashamed of themselves. This is a way for the author to propose that to desist tradition (the four thousand years of eating flesh) is to put a halt to oppression – this is the act of a real man. He calls on a change of spirit and ideas so he tells them in the story; â€Å"You should change at once, change from the bottom of your hearts! You must know that in future there will be no place for man-eaters in the world . . . .† His final words are equally challenging and meaningful. It was a call for change especially for the youth – â€Å"Perhaps there are still children who have not eaten men? Save the children. . .† III. The True Story of Ah Q The second story is written in December, 1921. Ah Q is a worker in the Weichuang village who has become a laughing stock and destination of insult from amongst his fellow villagers. His death was a tragic one considering that while his origin has not been known to the author or to the village people in the story, the cause of his execution is also neither defined by him nor his fellowmen. It is in this cycle confusions and uncertainties that the story becomes a revelation of the situation of China during the early nineteenth century. Lu Hsun has used characters in the story with meaningful roles in China’s history. Mr. Chao and Mr. Chien are both influential and wealthy people in the village whose sons have given them pride by passing the examination and having been posted to high positions in the society; Whiskers Wang and Young D who are servants like Ah Q had different perspectives and never united; The Imitation Foreign Devil who studied in Japan and has returned to the village without any meaningful contribution; the nun whom Ah Q have maltreated for his perceived false modesty of her; the townspeople; the military captain; the successful provincial candidate; the old man with a clean shaven head – they all did not spare Ah Q a little. It appeared that Ah Q was fond of drinking wine, sleeping after a day’s job at the Tutelary God’s Temple and imagining his own definition of victories. For Ah Q being beaten by a son is a victory; and every time he is teased by the village folks for his scar that looked like ringworm on his head and crushed to the wall for his eccentricities, he considers them losers – for they are his sons. This weird claim of Ah Q has made the people a lot more irritated of him. To him his only two defeats were namely; his defeat by Whiskers Wang who he regard as his equal; and by the Imitation Foreign Devil. He found dignity in humiliating a small nun. When he lost his job due to an incident with a maidservant at the Chao family house, he headed to the other town where a stroke of luck provided him with goods enough to be sold and become a source of his new profit. Yet along with his return to the village and his renewed sense of respect for himself when the people started to talk about him and his fortune, a revolution occurred. Without much clarity, he was caught as suspect to a robbery by the revolutionaries at the Chao family. He told the captors that he might have approved of the revolution but he was not allowed to join because the Imitation Foreign Devil prohibited him. Uneducated, Ah Q was made to draw a circle as signature in a paper whose content was unknown to him and later that day, he was set as an example to the people and all other revolutionaries for death execution. One must have knowledge of China’s history to be able to appreciate further Ah Q’s story. The Qing dynasty with its long-lived rule and enormous failures has caused a deterioration of performance along traditional lines. The arrival of foreigners who were driven by the industrial revolution of the West had caused much indignation and loss of resources for the prideful denizens of China. With their superior weaponry and cultural superiority might have brought China’s independence they have nonetheless encountered opposition. This foreign presence has resulted to changed political demands among the revolutionaries. The Taiping Uprising for instance considered as the longest peasant rebellion denounced Confucianism and found new aspirations in Christianity. The dynasty resorted to the Chinese provincial armies to suppress the Taipings. A lot has changed since the abolition of the civil service examination in China based on the Confucian classics. There has been a program of sending students to Japan for modern studies that brought radical ideas convinced of overthrowing the dynasty and revolutionizing China. This success of reformation however by Sun Yat Sen has not abandoned feudalism, and has worsened due to China’s dependency in the new market economy and international trade, the condition of the peasants who were displaced and deprived. Warlordism and the lack of nationalism have deepened the problem of China until the success of the CCP in the 1940s. These events took place prior and perhaps during the writing of Lu Hsun’s Ah Q. Clearly, Ah Q represents the peasant revolution which has been isolated from the intellectuals’ endeavor. When Ah Q was denied participation by the Imitation Foreign Devil, the author has implied here that those who have attained education in Japan in the nineteenth century have not fulfilled the true essence of a revolution. They failed to establish unity among its people as superiority among the land owning class prevails. Thus, Ah Q might have wanted to revolt for as he claimed in the story, â€Å"revolution is good†, but it was late for him to prove his strength and capacity. He was executed in a crime he has not committed.   His lack of knowledge failed him to understand the situation – this is more painful for him.

Differentiating Between Market Structures Essay Example for Free

Differentiating Between Market Structures Essay There are many TV service providers available in the U. S; however there are only two companies that offer services via satellite. Dish operates within the monopolistic competition market. Dish has been in business since the early 1980’s and has gradually worked its way up to become one of the leading satellite provider and innovator of new technology. In 2013 they offer service to over 14 million subscribers nationwide. This market in which it competes is where all firms have some market power, which controls the market price. They produce the same product as Direct TV and no other provider is in the same market. They know all competitor prices and services in order to be able to compare services and offer the best value to potential customers. Within the market structure buyers/consumers have the ability to know the prices of both companies so that they can decide which one will be better for them. In this market customers have the ability to leave the service at any point in time. They can choose to cancel services if they are not content with the quality of the product, some may leave with no penalty while others may have to pay a penalty for the cancelation. Dish is a leader in the TV industry when it comes to equipment, programming and pricing,. They have to maintain a level of competitiveness in order to compete with other providers. Dish like any other company, is looking to maximize profit and will provide service that is appealing to the customer in order to increase customer base in turn increasing profit. Differentiating Between Market Structures In the pay TV industry, Dish has managed to out rank Direct TV in many areas such as customer service, equipment technology and pricing for programming. Dish is a company that offers promotions to all buyers/consumers in order to make the sign up more enticing. The market structure in which Dish operates would be the monopolistic competition. Within the TV industry that Dish operates there is only one other company that is included, Direct TV. These two companies offer similar products and customers can choose whom they do service with. It is ideal for Dish to compete in this market because there are only two companies within the same industry. This market structure is suitable for Dish because it provides more opportunity to maximize profit due to the competition. Dish has more availability to customers and the opportunity to be able to increase customer rate in turn increasing the profit due to the fact that there are only two service providers. It cannot be in a monopoly market because there is another company that provides the same service or product. It also does not have extremely high prices or excessive barriers to obtain services. They always provide affordable prices that will also benefit the company to increase profit. (Monopolistic Competition, 2013). Dish has many promotions that are being offered to obtain new customers and also retain the existing consumers. The company offers upfront discounts as a sign up bonus to gain the attention of those prospective consumers. It offers up to $30 credits up front on the programming for the first twelve months of service. With a qualifying promotion the customer will have the activation and the equipment fees waived saving the consumer over $200. When existing customers look for any type of promotion they will have anything from discounts for a few months up to free programming. Even if the customers receive free programming Dish will still be making a profit because of all the other programming, equipment and services they provide. A company is making profit with any service it provides because it continues to sell its service because it continues to sell its services to consumers. The strategies for Dish to obtain new customers are a good way for the company to increase profit and obtain new customer base. Even though the company is making a profit off all the services they provide there are some changes to the promotions. For example, on the promotions that are offered to new customers I would recommend that they make the qualification process a little easier. They could reduce the credit score criteria and make it less of a hassle to qualify for Dish. There are some promotions for those customers that do not qualify for the highest promotion but the fees are much higher. They must pay for the activation fee plus the equipment fees. This can get expensive depending on the equipment the customer chooses. With the qualification being so strict many potential customers will be swayed to not obtain services. With the upfront discounts there should be on extension in the time they are offered but reducing the amount being given. For some of the customers that qualify may receive a credit up to $30 other may get credits ranging from $10 to $25 for the first twelve months of service. If the company reduces the amount given to customers and extends the time allowed for the credit more customers would be content and more likely continue with Dish service. ( Dish Network L. l. c. , 2013). There are customers that leave the service due to the credits ending and seeing an increase in the statements. Some of the consumers do not take into consideration any penalty for early termination. Customers will keep looking for the best deal that they can possibly obtain. If we provide more options on the discounts Dish would be able to retain more customers in turn increasing customer base. Another recommendation that would be made to Dish would be that they make upgrade on equipment more feasible and less expensive for consumers. For those customers that want different equipment than the one that was installed. In some cases there would be a fee to upgrade the equipment the customer is deciding to obtain. The fees can range anywhere between $0 up to $300 with a twenty four month commitment. Of those customers some may find the fees excessive and will decide to keep what they have or go with a different provider. This is preventing Dish from obtaining more revenue and increasing profit. For every company the main focus is to maximize profit. They have many different options in order to do so. Dish operates in a monopolistic competition market where there are only two companies that offer similar services. In this market Dish offers many promotions for potential customers as well as existing customers. The consumers are allowed to leave services at any point during the service period. Some may leave with no penalty and other with a penalty due to breaking a commitment. Dish, even with all the discounts, manages to still increase profit because of all the other services that Dish offers. They make money off of programming, equipment, internet services, online service, and phone service and with the company blockbuster that was recently purchased by dish. With Dish and Direct TV in the same market and no other satellite competitor they are allowed to place their own market power when it comes to price. They compete with each other for all potential consumers as well as existing customers. Each company wants as much of a customer base as possible in order to increase profitability. They will go to great lengths to obtain those consumers and increase profitability.

Effect of Organisational Culture on Information Technology

Effect of Organisational Culture on Information Technology The Effect of Organizational Culture on Information Technology/Business Strategic alignment in Saudi Firms Abstract This research effort is intended to study the dynamic relationship between the IT Strategy and the overall Business Strategy in Saudi Firms. IT strategies perceived to be developed in isolation, meaning that such strategies are put forward by IT managers without any involvement of top business managers. The IT manager may be oblivious or he/she may not have a clear idea of the business strategy leading to a strategic diversion where all important technical investments decisions are made by the IT director alone. The researcher recognized some major factors that influence alignment including Organizational Culture; therefore the researcher investigated the current organizational Culture at large selected Saudi firms. In addition, perceptions of Information Technology Value and utilization in the targeted companies was identified and analyzed through set of questionnaires and interviews in order to help the researcher to establish the relationship between Information Technology and Organizational Culture, since it would be a valuable part of forming the proposed strategic alignment model. The Saudi firms, where questionnaires have been distributed, and interviews have been conducted are SABB (Saudi British Bank), Saudi Airlines, AL-Marai, and AlTawniah. The researcher is aiming to collect further data from previous Strategic Alignment Models, and collect more information through additional interviews and questionnaires in order to interpret and validate the findings of the first stage that will lead to the design of the final stage of the Strategic Alignment Model. All data will be combined to give the base for a Strategic Alignment Model. This new model will be a practical one that should fit the Saudi environment. 1. Introduction Strategic alignment has become one of the most important topics for researchers in all industries. Its main objective is to establish and arrange a relationship between business and IT strategies. From a competitive advantage point of view, organizations with such alignment will have edge over others. 2. Context of the Research In the last few decades, the gap between business strategy of organizations and their IT strategy has been noticed by researchers and practitioners across the globe. Numerous research articles have been written to indicate this fact and to highlight the importance of bridging the gap between IT strategy and business strategy of organizations, to achieve coordinated results and efficiency for the enterprise. MIS professional, researchers have understood the significance of the issue which exists at global level [1]. Figure (1) summarizes the Information System/Business relationship which can be described as ‘Interdependent; where any changes in the IS (Software, Hardware, Database and Telecommunication devices will have an impact on the Business and vice versa; any change in the business (Strategy, Rules and Procedures) will have its impact on the Information Systems function of the organization [2]. FIG01-07Since Information systems and organizations influence each another. On the one hand, information systems must be aligned with the organization to provide information that is important to different groups according to the organization need. On the other hand, the organization must be aware of and open itself to the influences of information systems in order to benefit from new technologies [3]. Figure 1: The interdependence between organizations and information systems (Laudon Laudon, 2006) The interaction between information technology and organizations is very complex and is influenced by a great many mediating factors, including the organizations structure, standard operating procedures, politics, culture, surrounding environment, and management decisions as shown in figure (2). One mediating factor was selected by the researcher, which is the organizational culture, and the purpose of this selection will be discussed in a later section. Managers must be aware that information systems can markedly alter life in the organization. They cannot successfully design new systems or understand existing systems without understanding organizations. Managers decide what systems will be built, what they will do, how they will be implemented. Sometimes, however, the outcomes are the result of pure chance and of both good and bad luck [2]. 3. Original Work in Strategic Alignment Strategic Alignment is defined as the process of creating and managing a business driven IT organization, for which the main focus is implementing information oriented Solutions, that is most important to meeting the business goals, objectives, and strategies of the enterprise [4]. In order to make organizations successful, it is important for all parts of the organization to move in the same strategic direction. Of particular importance is that the business strategy and the IT strategy are complementary. If they are trying to move the organization in different directions the risk of failure may increase. Given the high level of resources invested in IT by most organizations it is important for it to be used as a strategic resource to contribute towards the achievement of business objectives. The strategic alignment would measure the relationship between an organizations IT function and its business objectives. The degree to which alignment is present in an organization will depend o n many factors. These factors will include the knowledge of the subject by management, the organizational infrastructure and culture, the nature of the business, the technology in use, and the ability of the organization to manage change. It is very important to realize that Strategic alignment is a process and not a project. Also Alignment issues should be considered at all levels of the organization, meaning that the occurrence of alignment at one level does not guarantee alignment at another [5]. 3.1 Strategic Alignment Models Alignment models show the relationship between the various domains (Business: mission, vision, objectives and tactics and Technical: processes, skills and knowledge) that influence alignment, which is dynamic with a strategy or technology decision impacting on one or more of the other domains. The alignment model within an organization must be continually reviewed due to the ongoing change in the internal and external environments. Corrective action must be taken to realign the organization when necessary. Many managers do not realize that a decision imposed on one domain may impact on one or more of the other domains [6]. Different people depending on their experience and background will have different strengths in each domain. An IT professional would likely have strengths in IT strategy or infrastructure while a business manager would likely have strengths in business strategy or organizational infrastructure. This could lead to problems if communication channels are not strong an d management processes are not in place to facilitate alignment. There are number of models which were designed to attempt to come up with such an alignment. Some of the most important models are the following: A. Strategic Alignment Model (Henderson and Venkatramon, 1993) The model has four domains or variables: business strategy, IT strategy, organizational infrastructure and IT infrastructure [7]. Butler and Fitzgerlad defined the context of the business strategy domain as business scope which refers to â€Å"the decisions that determine where the enterprise will compete†; distinctive competencies which â€Å"pertains to the areas that determine how the business will compete in delivering its products and services† and business governance which concerns â€Å"the choices that enterprises make when competing in the market place, e.g., whether alliances are entered into or not†. While administrative infrastructure refers to â€Å"the roles, responsibilities, and authority structure†; the business processes are â€Å"the manner in which key business functions are carried out† and skills refer to â€Å"the knowledge and competencies of organizational actors. In the context of IT strategy define technology scope as â€Å"the specific types of technology that are considered to be critical to the organization†; systemic competencies refer to â€Å"the salient characteristics and technological strengths of the IT systems† and IT governance as â€Å"issues refers to the manner in which IT systems are developed†. On the other hand, The IT architecture as â€Å"the policies and decisions made in regard to the integration of application systems, systems software, and hardware into cohesive platforms that are captured by the IT architecture dimension†; The processes are referred to as â€Å" how IT systems are planned, developed, implemented, and operated† and the skills dimension is captured by â€Å"the experience, competencies, commitments, values, and norms of the participants in the planning, development, implementation, and operation processes† [8]. B. Top-Down Alignment Model The theory consist of an input-process-output model, seven constructs, six Causal relationships and six hypotheses as shown in figure 4 The input-output-process model provides the initial bases for the theory. The Seven constructs are: the external environment, the internal environment, Planning resources, the planning process, the strategic information systems plan, the implementation of the strategic information systems plan, and the alignment of the strategic information systems plan with the organizations Business plan. These seven constructs exhibit causal relationships among each other illustrated through hypotheses [9]. 4. Knowledge Gap Based on the above, and through screening some of the existing strategic alignment models in the literature review, the researcher figured out that to achieve such an alignment there is a need to consider and integrate the following points: 1. Most of staff, if not all, is unaware of business goals, especially in the environment of Saudi Arabia [10]. 2. Important technical investments decisions are made by the IT manager alone [11]. 3. No relationship exists (Gap) between Business strategy and IT strategy [12]. 4. A lot of factors are not taken into consideration when forming strategic alignment, such as Structure, Culture, politics, and others [13]. 5. Strategic alignment models discussed only top management level and discarded other levels [14]. 6. Previous strategic alignment models are hard to be understood and implemented in reality [15]. The models discussed in the literature review may have achieved one or two of the above six points, however, there is no existing model that has achieved the above six points altogether. Based on the above, I have selected Strategic Alignment as a starting and a centre area of my research that the researcher is building on to fulfill the other points mentioned. The model that the researcher is aiming to establish, differs from the existing ones in that it will meet the requirements and challenges of the Saudi environment taking into consideration the 6 above points. 5. Research Aims Significance * To bridge the gap between Business Strategy and Information Technology Strategy through developing and designing a simple Strategic Alignment Model, that includes the essence of the major research works in addition to other strategic alignment theories available * To highlight the role of socio-cultural aspects as a critical success factor for successful IT implementation, which were not taken into consideration in the past * To measure the contribution of such a model to business performance. * To encourage Saudi Firms to use such a model to gain competitive competition. * To reduce the associated costs of implementing Information Systems in Organization 6. Research methods The researcher has used the mixed research methodology. Mixed research involves the mixing of quantitative and qualitative methods or paradigm characteristics within a stage of the study or across two of the stages of the research process. It collects data either sequentially of simultaneously to best understand research problems [16]. Advantages of using mixed research includes: the major goal for researcher who design and conduct mixed research is to follow the fundamental principle of mixed research, in other words, the researcher should mix quantitative and qualitative research methods, procedures, and paradigm characteristics in a way that the resulting mixture or combination has complementary strengths and non-overlapping weaknesses. When different approaches are used to focus on the same phenomenon, while providing the same result, is a strong evidence for the result. Other important reason for doing mixed research are to complement one set of results with another, to expand a set of results, or to discover something that would have been missed if only a quantitative or a qualitative approach had been used[17]. Questionnaire One of the most widely used research techniques can be defined as collecting data through written questions [17]. There are a number of different ways in which questionnaires can be administered; for example: posted to the intended respondents or administered over the telephone or face-to-face. A questionnaire design provides a quantitative description of trends, attitudes, or opinions of a population by studying a sample of that population. From sample results, the researcher generalizes or makes claims about a population [18]. Interviews Interviews are considered to be the main tool of the qualitative researcher for data collection [18]. Additionally, since the interpretive stance is also being followed, interviews are viewed to be the main and appropriate source from where data has been collected. According to Walsham, interviews allow the best access to the interpretations that the participants have regarding the actions and events, which have or are taking place and the views and aspirations of themselves and other participants. An added benefit is that it allows researchers to step back and examine the interpretations of their fellow participants in some detail, and this is an advantage that other methods may not allow [18]. Data analysis Data gathered will be analyzed through frequency distributions. These will give way to reviewing the data categories and the number of referrals in each category. With relation to data analysis, the indicators that will be used in evaluating the study include the age of the respondent; the social status; the educational attainment of the respondents; the occupation of the respondents and their length of stay in the company they belong to [19]. The research has involved 4 large organizations, SABB (Saudi British Bank), Saudi Airlines, AL-Marai, and AlTawniah, where interviews have been conducted with CIOs and CEOs to have a clear idea about the companys business strategy. Also, other interviews will take place with IT directors to investigate about the Information Technology (IT) strategy and its relationship with the business strategy. In addition,2 sets of questionnaires were distributed among different levels of the organizations to come up with the types of organizational culture and the use of Information technology in those organizations. At the end, data were collected and analyzed through using SPSS software. 7. Expected Research Outcomes The results from this research are anticipated to be of great help to top managers, strategic planners, IT managers, and other work force in Saudi environment, and will contribute to the following factors: * Increasing the awareness of the importance of Strategic Alignment Model Concept. * Selling the quick wins, by having strategic alignment achieved effectively. * Showing the importance of the use of Information Technology in organizations * Identifying the organizational culture as a major factor of achieving strategic alignment. * Encouraging decision makers and top management to apply and implement strategic alignment throughout the organization. * Highlighting the weaknesses of previous strategic alignment models and the lessons learned, which would help other researchers for future work 8. Indicative Thesis Structure The thesis will contain seven chapters (tentative): Chapter 1: Introduction: Presents an overview about the research subject. It shows the importance of strategic alignment in all sectors, followed by bridging the gap between business strategy and IT strategy, and the factors that affect strategic alignment. The research aims and significance then was explained followed by a brief discussion of the research methodology, research framework, then prospected research contribution was mentioned. Chapter 2: Literature Review: Provides the literature review for this research. It begins with explaining Business strategy, Business planning and its tools, followed by a discussion of IT strategy, IT planning, and its tools. Then a discussion of strategic alignment was presented. And ended with an overview of previous strategic alignment models. Chapter 3: Research design and methodology: Describes the research design and methodology conducted in this study. It starts with discussing the research general strategy, methodology and the reasons for selecting the methods of data collection. Followed that is a detailed explanation of the quantitative and qualitative methods, were a detailed description of the design of the research instruments was presented. Chapter 4: Developing the Parameters of the Strategic Alignment Model: Presents the need for a strategic alignment Model that can bridge the gap through identifying 3 parameters: Organizational Culture, Business strategy and its domains, and IT strategy and its domains Chapter 5: Questionnaires Analysis: Discusses and examines the data collected through the questionnaires for both, identifying the organizational culture, and the use of IT in the 4 Saudi firms Chapter 6: Interviews Analysis: Talks about and analyses the data collected through the interviews in the 4 Saudi firms. Chapter 7: Conclusion and Recommendations: Proposes the new strategic alignment model, and concludes the study and gives recommendations and future directions. 9. Training Undertaken * Using electronic library resources in Sep-2006. * Stage I part A on 30/Aug/2006. * Stage I part B on 31/Aug/2006. * Stage II Part A (presentation) on 26/Jul/2007. * Stage II Part B (Academic writing) on 26/Jul/2007. 10. Review of the research Undertaken * Wrote 2 chapters of the thesis (Introduction, Overview and Background about Business Strategy, IT Strategy, and Previous Strategic Alignment Models). * Completed of first level of data gathering (questionnaires Interviews). * Passed the ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) Foundation Certificate. * Published two conference papers. * Presented posters at the ARU 1st 2nd Annual Research Student Conference 11. Action Plan The necessary steps for completion of the research are as follows: 1. Type of organizational culture and Information Technology use was investigated by the researcher through questionnaires(phase 1) 2. Interviews with CEOs and IT managers were conducted in terms of Business strategy and IT strategy existence(phase 1) 3. Data analysis was carried out, which involved performing statistical analysis (SPSS) into the gathered data. 4. Distributing mores questionnaires and conducting further interviews to in order to establish a relationship between Organization Culture and Strategic alignment and show its important effect on the selected Saudi firms 5. All data from the (phase1) and (phase 2) will be combined and linked together to give the base for designing the Strategic Alignment Model. 6. Design the proposed Strategic Alignment Model 7. Writing up of the PhD thesis and preparation for the oral exam. 8. The plan of work also includes writing and submitting papers, attending conferences related to the study and presenting the work. Gantt chart The following chart depicts the action plan of the project and the time expectations for each step in details and it is as follows: Years 2007 2008 2009 2010 Tasks 2 4 6 8 10 12 2 4 6 8 10 12 2 4 6 8 10 12 2 4 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 References [1] David W. Nickles, IT-BUSINESS ALIGNMENT: WHAT WE KNOW THAT WE STILL DONT KNOW, Proceedings of the 7th Annual Conference of the Southern Association for Information Systems, 2005 [2] Kenneth C. Laudon and Jane P. Laudon, Management Information Systems: Managing the Digital Firm, 9th Edition, Prentice Hall, 2006 [3] McNurlin, B.C., and Spargue, R.S., Information Systems Management in Practice, 6th Edition, Prentice Hall, 2002 [4] Raymond Pap, Introduction to Strategic Alignment, Idea Group Inc, 2001 [5] Yolanda E. Chan, Why havent we mastered Alignment? The importance of the informal organization structure, MIS Quarterly Excusive, 2002 [6] Allen, D. and Wilson, T., â€Å"Vertical trust/mistrust during information strategy formation, International Journal of Information Management, 2003 [7] Henderson, J.C. and Venkatraman, N., â€Å"Aligning business and IT strategies†, in Luftman, J.F. (Ed.), Competing in the Information Age: Strategic Alignment in Practice, Oxford University Press, New York, NY, 1996 [8] Butler, T. and Fitzgerlad, B., â€Å"Enterprise Transformation and the Alignment of Business and Information Technology Strategies: Lessons from Practice, 1998 [9] Ruohoueu Parnisto, Proceedings of the First European Doctoral Seminar on Strategic Information Management, Turku centre for computer Science, 1996 [10] Hatem Tamimi, Ala M. Abu-Samaha Sufian Yousef ,Perceptions of Information Technology/Information Systems Value/ Utilisation in Saudi Organisations Proceedings of the ECIME conference, France, pp 1 12, September 20 21, 2007 [11] Bassellier, G. and Benbasat, I. (Business Competence of Information Technology Professionals: Conceptual development and influence on IT-business partnerships), MIS Quarterly 28(4): 673-694, 2004. [13] Baker, E.H. Leading Alignment, CIO Insight 1(45) 19-20, October 15, 2004. [14] Benbya, H. and McKelvey, B. (2006). Using Coevolutionary and Complexity Theories to Improve IS Alignment: A multi-level approach, Journal of Information Technology 21(4): 284-298 [15] Chan, Y.E., Sabherwal, R. and Thatcher, J.B. Antecedents and Outcomes of Strategic IS Alignment: An Empirical Investigation, IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management 51(3): 27-47, 2006. [16] Creswell, JW, Research design: qualitative and quantitative approaches, Sage, Thousand Oaks, California, 1994 [17] Tashakkori and Teddlie, Mixed methods in social behavioral Research, Sage Publications, Inc, 2002 [18] Denzin and Lincoln, the Landscape of Qualitative Research, Sage Publications, Inc, 2003 [19] Walsham, Interpretive case studies in IS Research: Nature and Method, European Journal of Information Systems, 1995 Publications 1. Hatem Tamimi, The Effect of Organizational Culture on Information Technology/Business Strategic alignment in Saudi Firms, 1st Annual Research Student Conference, ARU, Cambridge,2006 2. Hatem Tamimi, Ala M. Abu-Samaha Sufian Yousef ,Perceptions of Information Technology/Information Systems Value/ Utilisation in Saudi Organisations Proceedings of the ECIME conference, France, pp 1 12, September 20 21, 2007 3. Hatem Tamimi, The status of IS Planning in Saudi Firms, 2nd Annual Research Student Conference, ARU, Cambridge,2007 4. Hatem Tamimi, Strategic IS Plans; do they exist in Saudi Firms?, IACeT2008,The International Arab Conference on e-Technology, Arab Open University, Amman-Jordan, October 15-16, 2008 Appendix A The Designed Questionnaire Survey On Strategic Information System Planning Assessment in Saudi companies. The objective of this survey is to investigate how Saudi managers use Information Technology (computer-based information, software, database, networks, communication, and other devices) to support their Strategic Planning. Your assistance in providing information regarding how often you use IT systems, the reasons for using these systems, and whether these systems satisfy your informational needs will be greatly appreciated. This survey is conducted under the direction of Mr Mike Smith, Department of Information Technology, Anglia Ruskin University, Chelmsford, UK. All responses are confidential and will remain anonymous. The success of this study depends on the completeness and the quality of information you provide. We ask you to be as thorough and free as possible in answering the questions in this. Thank you for your time and cooperation! NOTE: Please answer this questionnaire only if you are a user of Information Technology (computer-based information, software, database, networks, communication, and other devices). If you are not a user of Information Technology would you ask a manager in your corporation who is to complete this questionnaire. I. PERSONAL BACKGROUND 1. Organisation name: 2.Sex (M/F): 3. Age: 4. Education: Please choice highest degree attained (Please choice one): A. High school graduate or less B. Baccalaureate Degree C. Masters Degree D. Doctorate 5. Please indicate (how many) college (University) level courses you have completed in Information Technology (Information Systems, Computer Science, Programming, Networks or Communication). (Please choice one): 0 1 2 3 4 ≠¥5 II. PRESENT JOB RESPONSIBILITIES 6. Functional area (Please choice one) : A. Accounting B. Finance C. Marketing D. Manufacturing E. Research and Development F. Personnel G. Corporate Administration H. Information Systems I. Other (Please specify): 7. A. Management Level (Please choice One): 1. First Line Supervisor or Manager 2. Mid-level Manager (Supervising other managers) 3. Executive (Top) Level Manager (Vice president, President, Chairman of the Board of Directors etc. B. Job Title: III. USE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (PC, Software, Databases, Networks, Internet, and other devices): 8. Managers perform a number of Planning roles. For each of the following roles, please indicate the value of IT. (Please choice a number for each role): Decision roles Of Great Value Of Moderate Value No Value At All Does Not Apply Choice A. Capitalist (Identifies and initiates changes) 5 4 3 2 1 0 B. Trouble Handler (Handles important and unexpected troubles) 5 4 3 2 1 0 C. Resource Allocation (Approves and allocates all organisational resources 5 4 3 2 1 0 D. Negotiator (Represents the organisation at major negotiations 5 4 3 2 1 0 1. Planning consists of several steps. For each of the following steps, please indicate the value of IT. (Please choice a number for each step) : Decision steps Of Great Value Of Moderate Value No Value At All Choice A. Identifying problems or issues 5 4 3 2 1 B. Generating alternative courses of action 5 4 3 2 1 C. Evaluating the out comes of each alternative 5 4 3 2 1 D. Ranking the alternatives and choosing one 5 4 3 2 1 E. Implementing the chosen alternative 5 4 3 2 1 2. As a Planner you may use both IT-based and non IT-based in decision making. The percent of IT you use for supporting the following Planning tasks is: (Please choice a number) Decisions >80% 61% to 80% 41% to 60% 21% to 40% None Choice A. Long Term (Strategic) Planning 5 4 3 2 1 0 B. Mid-Term (Tactical) Planning 5 4 3 2 1 0 C. Short Term (Operational) Planning 5 4 3 2 1 0 3. Managers have a mental model (i.e., an image, idea, or conceptualization of the organisation) which they use for planning, controlling and operating purposes. How helpful is the Information Technology Systems (IT) you are presently using in forming or revising the mental model of your corporation? (Please choice a number): Very Helpful Moderately Not Helpful Helpful At All 5 4 3 2 1 12. How valuable is the information the existing IT provides to your mental model in guiding your planning, controlling and operating decisions? (Please choice a number): Of Great Value Of Moderate Value Of No Value At All 5 4 3 2 1 13. Overall, how important is IT for Planning that are critical to the success and effectiveness of your managerial duties? (Please choice a number): Very Important Moderately Important Not Important At All 5 4 3 2 1 Iv. SOURCES AND TOOLS USED TO OBTAIN IT-BASED INFORMATION 14. You obtain the IT-based you use for Planning mainly (Please choice one): A. By yourself B. Through a designated person C. Through a request to an information systems group D. Other (Please specify): 15. Please indicate, on the average, how many hours per week you actually use a personal computer (PC) or a terminal to obtain computer-based information which is essential for the performance of your duties. (Please choice one): A. >16 hours B. 9 -16 hours C. 5 -8 hours D. 1 -4 hours E. 16. Please indicate the average number of hours per week use each of the following hardware pieces: A. I dont use any hardware pieces. Yes/No? Hours/week hours B. 1. Stand-alone personal computer (PC) hours 2. PC or other terminal connected to an internet hours 3. PC or other terminal connected to an â€Å"On-line† distributed computer system hours 4. PC or other terminal connected to a Local Area Network (LAN) hours 5. Other (Please specify) : hours 17. Please indi Effect of Organisational Culture on Information Technology Effect of Organisational Culture on Information Technology The Effect of Organizational Culture on Information Technology/Business Strategic alignment in Saudi Firms Abstract This research effort is intended to study the dynamic relationship between the IT Strategy and the overall Business Strategy in Saudi Firms. IT strategies perceived to be developed in isolation, meaning that such strategies are put forward by IT managers without any involvement of top business managers. The IT manager may be oblivious or he/she may not have a clear idea of the business strategy leading to a strategic diversion where all important technical investments decisions are made by the IT director alone. The researcher recognized some major factors that influence alignment including Organizational Culture; therefore the researcher investigated the current organizational Culture at large selected Saudi firms. In addition, perceptions of Information Technology Value and utilization in the targeted companies was identified and analyzed through set of questionnaires and interviews in order to help the researcher to establish the relationship between Information Technology and Organizational Culture, since it would be a valuable part of forming the proposed strategic alignment model. The Saudi firms, where questionnaires have been distributed, and interviews have been conducted are SABB (Saudi British Bank), Saudi Airlines, AL-Marai, and AlTawniah. The researcher is aiming to collect further data from previous Strategic Alignment Models, and collect more information through additional interviews and questionnaires in order to interpret and validate the findings of the first stage that will lead to the design of the final stage of the Strategic Alignment Model. All data will be combined to give the base for a Strategic Alignment Model. This new model will be a practical one that should fit the Saudi environment. 1. Introduction Strategic alignment has become one of the most important topics for researchers in all industries. Its main objective is to establish and arrange a relationship between business and IT strategies. From a competitive advantage point of view, organizations with such alignment will have edge over others. 2. Context of the Research In the last few decades, the gap between business strategy of organizations and their IT strategy has been noticed by researchers and practitioners across the globe. Numerous research articles have been written to indicate this fact and to highlight the importance of bridging the gap between IT strategy and business strategy of organizations, to achieve coordinated results and efficiency for the enterprise. MIS professional, researchers have understood the significance of the issue which exists at global level [1]. Figure (1) summarizes the Information System/Business relationship which can be described as ‘Interdependent; where any changes in the IS (Software, Hardware, Database and Telecommunication devices will have an impact on the Business and vice versa; any change in the business (Strategy, Rules and Procedures) will have its impact on the Information Systems function of the organization [2]. FIG01-07Since Information systems and organizations influence each another. On the one hand, information systems must be aligned with the organization to provide information that is important to different groups according to the organization need. On the other hand, the organization must be aware of and open itself to the influences of information systems in order to benefit from new technologies [3]. Figure 1: The interdependence between organizations and information systems (Laudon Laudon, 2006) The interaction between information technology and organizations is very complex and is influenced by a great many mediating factors, including the organizations structure, standard operating procedures, politics, culture, surrounding environment, and management decisions as shown in figure (2). One mediating factor was selected by the researcher, which is the organizational culture, and the purpose of this selection will be discussed in a later section. Managers must be aware that information systems can markedly alter life in the organization. They cannot successfully design new systems or understand existing systems without understanding organizations. Managers decide what systems will be built, what they will do, how they will be implemented. Sometimes, however, the outcomes are the result of pure chance and of both good and bad luck [2]. 3. Original Work in Strategic Alignment Strategic Alignment is defined as the process of creating and managing a business driven IT organization, for which the main focus is implementing information oriented Solutions, that is most important to meeting the business goals, objectives, and strategies of the enterprise [4]. In order to make organizations successful, it is important for all parts of the organization to move in the same strategic direction. Of particular importance is that the business strategy and the IT strategy are complementary. If they are trying to move the organization in different directions the risk of failure may increase. Given the high level of resources invested in IT by most organizations it is important for it to be used as a strategic resource to contribute towards the achievement of business objectives. The strategic alignment would measure the relationship between an organizations IT function and its business objectives. The degree to which alignment is present in an organization will depend o n many factors. These factors will include the knowledge of the subject by management, the organizational infrastructure and culture, the nature of the business, the technology in use, and the ability of the organization to manage change. It is very important to realize that Strategic alignment is a process and not a project. Also Alignment issues should be considered at all levels of the organization, meaning that the occurrence of alignment at one level does not guarantee alignment at another [5]. 3.1 Strategic Alignment Models Alignment models show the relationship between the various domains (Business: mission, vision, objectives and tactics and Technical: processes, skills and knowledge) that influence alignment, which is dynamic with a strategy or technology decision impacting on one or more of the other domains. The alignment model within an organization must be continually reviewed due to the ongoing change in the internal and external environments. Corrective action must be taken to realign the organization when necessary. Many managers do not realize that a decision imposed on one domain may impact on one or more of the other domains [6]. Different people depending on their experience and background will have different strengths in each domain. An IT professional would likely have strengths in IT strategy or infrastructure while a business manager would likely have strengths in business strategy or organizational infrastructure. This could lead to problems if communication channels are not strong an d management processes are not in place to facilitate alignment. There are number of models which were designed to attempt to come up with such an alignment. Some of the most important models are the following: A. Strategic Alignment Model (Henderson and Venkatramon, 1993) The model has four domains or variables: business strategy, IT strategy, organizational infrastructure and IT infrastructure [7]. Butler and Fitzgerlad defined the context of the business strategy domain as business scope which refers to â€Å"the decisions that determine where the enterprise will compete†; distinctive competencies which â€Å"pertains to the areas that determine how the business will compete in delivering its products and services† and business governance which concerns â€Å"the choices that enterprises make when competing in the market place, e.g., whether alliances are entered into or not†. While administrative infrastructure refers to â€Å"the roles, responsibilities, and authority structure†; the business processes are â€Å"the manner in which key business functions are carried out† and skills refer to â€Å"the knowledge and competencies of organizational actors. In the context of IT strategy define technology scope as â€Å"the specific types of technology that are considered to be critical to the organization†; systemic competencies refer to â€Å"the salient characteristics and technological strengths of the IT systems† and IT governance as â€Å"issues refers to the manner in which IT systems are developed†. On the other hand, The IT architecture as â€Å"the policies and decisions made in regard to the integration of application systems, systems software, and hardware into cohesive platforms that are captured by the IT architecture dimension†; The processes are referred to as â€Å" how IT systems are planned, developed, implemented, and operated† and the skills dimension is captured by â€Å"the experience, competencies, commitments, values, and norms of the participants in the planning, development, implementation, and operation processes† [8]. B. Top-Down Alignment Model The theory consist of an input-process-output model, seven constructs, six Causal relationships and six hypotheses as shown in figure 4 The input-output-process model provides the initial bases for the theory. The Seven constructs are: the external environment, the internal environment, Planning resources, the planning process, the strategic information systems plan, the implementation of the strategic information systems plan, and the alignment of the strategic information systems plan with the organizations Business plan. These seven constructs exhibit causal relationships among each other illustrated through hypotheses [9]. 4. Knowledge Gap Based on the above, and through screening some of the existing strategic alignment models in the literature review, the researcher figured out that to achieve such an alignment there is a need to consider and integrate the following points: 1. Most of staff, if not all, is unaware of business goals, especially in the environment of Saudi Arabia [10]. 2. Important technical investments decisions are made by the IT manager alone [11]. 3. No relationship exists (Gap) between Business strategy and IT strategy [12]. 4. A lot of factors are not taken into consideration when forming strategic alignment, such as Structure, Culture, politics, and others [13]. 5. Strategic alignment models discussed only top management level and discarded other levels [14]. 6. Previous strategic alignment models are hard to be understood and implemented in reality [15]. The models discussed in the literature review may have achieved one or two of the above six points, however, there is no existing model that has achieved the above six points altogether. Based on the above, I have selected Strategic Alignment as a starting and a centre area of my research that the researcher is building on to fulfill the other points mentioned. The model that the researcher is aiming to establish, differs from the existing ones in that it will meet the requirements and challenges of the Saudi environment taking into consideration the 6 above points. 5. Research Aims Significance * To bridge the gap between Business Strategy and Information Technology Strategy through developing and designing a simple Strategic Alignment Model, that includes the essence of the major research works in addition to other strategic alignment theories available * To highlight the role of socio-cultural aspects as a critical success factor for successful IT implementation, which were not taken into consideration in the past * To measure the contribution of such a model to business performance. * To encourage Saudi Firms to use such a model to gain competitive competition. * To reduce the associated costs of implementing Information Systems in Organization 6. Research methods The researcher has used the mixed research methodology. Mixed research involves the mixing of quantitative and qualitative methods or paradigm characteristics within a stage of the study or across two of the stages of the research process. It collects data either sequentially of simultaneously to best understand research problems [16]. Advantages of using mixed research includes: the major goal for researcher who design and conduct mixed research is to follow the fundamental principle of mixed research, in other words, the researcher should mix quantitative and qualitative research methods, procedures, and paradigm characteristics in a way that the resulting mixture or combination has complementary strengths and non-overlapping weaknesses. When different approaches are used to focus on the same phenomenon, while providing the same result, is a strong evidence for the result. Other important reason for doing mixed research are to complement one set of results with another, to expand a set of results, or to discover something that would have been missed if only a quantitative or a qualitative approach had been used[17]. Questionnaire One of the most widely used research techniques can be defined as collecting data through written questions [17]. There are a number of different ways in which questionnaires can be administered; for example: posted to the intended respondents or administered over the telephone or face-to-face. A questionnaire design provides a quantitative description of trends, attitudes, or opinions of a population by studying a sample of that population. From sample results, the researcher generalizes or makes claims about a population [18]. Interviews Interviews are considered to be the main tool of the qualitative researcher for data collection [18]. Additionally, since the interpretive stance is also being followed, interviews are viewed to be the main and appropriate source from where data has been collected. According to Walsham, interviews allow the best access to the interpretations that the participants have regarding the actions and events, which have or are taking place and the views and aspirations of themselves and other participants. An added benefit is that it allows researchers to step back and examine the interpretations of their fellow participants in some detail, and this is an advantage that other methods may not allow [18]. Data analysis Data gathered will be analyzed through frequency distributions. These will give way to reviewing the data categories and the number of referrals in each category. With relation to data analysis, the indicators that will be used in evaluating the study include the age of the respondent; the social status; the educational attainment of the respondents; the occupation of the respondents and their length of stay in the company they belong to [19]. The research has involved 4 large organizations, SABB (Saudi British Bank), Saudi Airlines, AL-Marai, and AlTawniah, where interviews have been conducted with CIOs and CEOs to have a clear idea about the companys business strategy. Also, other interviews will take place with IT directors to investigate about the Information Technology (IT) strategy and its relationship with the business strategy. In addition,2 sets of questionnaires were distributed among different levels of the organizations to come up with the types of organizational culture and the use of Information technology in those organizations. At the end, data were collected and analyzed through using SPSS software. 7. Expected Research Outcomes The results from this research are anticipated to be of great help to top managers, strategic planners, IT managers, and other work force in Saudi environment, and will contribute to the following factors: * Increasing the awareness of the importance of Strategic Alignment Model Concept. * Selling the quick wins, by having strategic alignment achieved effectively. * Showing the importance of the use of Information Technology in organizations * Identifying the organizational culture as a major factor of achieving strategic alignment. * Encouraging decision makers and top management to apply and implement strategic alignment throughout the organization. * Highlighting the weaknesses of previous strategic alignment models and the lessons learned, which would help other researchers for future work 8. Indicative Thesis Structure The thesis will contain seven chapters (tentative): Chapter 1: Introduction: Presents an overview about the research subject. It shows the importance of strategic alignment in all sectors, followed by bridging the gap between business strategy and IT strategy, and the factors that affect strategic alignment. The research aims and significance then was explained followed by a brief discussion of the research methodology, research framework, then prospected research contribution was mentioned. Chapter 2: Literature Review: Provides the literature review for this research. It begins with explaining Business strategy, Business planning and its tools, followed by a discussion of IT strategy, IT planning, and its tools. Then a discussion of strategic alignment was presented. And ended with an overview of previous strategic alignment models. Chapter 3: Research design and methodology: Describes the research design and methodology conducted in this study. It starts with discussing the research general strategy, methodology and the reasons for selecting the methods of data collection. Followed that is a detailed explanation of the quantitative and qualitative methods, were a detailed description of the design of the research instruments was presented. Chapter 4: Developing the Parameters of the Strategic Alignment Model: Presents the need for a strategic alignment Model that can bridge the gap through identifying 3 parameters: Organizational Culture, Business strategy and its domains, and IT strategy and its domains Chapter 5: Questionnaires Analysis: Discusses and examines the data collected through the questionnaires for both, identifying the organizational culture, and the use of IT in the 4 Saudi firms Chapter 6: Interviews Analysis: Talks about and analyses the data collected through the interviews in the 4 Saudi firms. Chapter 7: Conclusion and Recommendations: Proposes the new strategic alignment model, and concludes the study and gives recommendations and future directions. 9. Training Undertaken * Using electronic library resources in Sep-2006. * Stage I part A on 30/Aug/2006. * Stage I part B on 31/Aug/2006. * Stage II Part A (presentation) on 26/Jul/2007. * Stage II Part B (Academic writing) on 26/Jul/2007. 10. Review of the research Undertaken * Wrote 2 chapters of the thesis (Introduction, Overview and Background about Business Strategy, IT Strategy, and Previous Strategic Alignment Models). * Completed of first level of data gathering (questionnaires Interviews). * Passed the ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) Foundation Certificate. * Published two conference papers. * Presented posters at the ARU 1st 2nd Annual Research Student Conference 11. Action Plan The necessary steps for completion of the research are as follows: 1. Type of organizational culture and Information Technology use was investigated by the researcher through questionnaires(phase 1) 2. Interviews with CEOs and IT managers were conducted in terms of Business strategy and IT strategy existence(phase 1) 3. Data analysis was carried out, which involved performing statistical analysis (SPSS) into the gathered data. 4. Distributing mores questionnaires and conducting further interviews to in order to establish a relationship between Organization Culture and Strategic alignment and show its important effect on the selected Saudi firms 5. All data from the (phase1) and (phase 2) will be combined and linked together to give the base for designing the Strategic Alignment Model. 6. Design the proposed Strategic Alignment Model 7. Writing up of the PhD thesis and preparation for the oral exam. 8. The plan of work also includes writing and submitting papers, attending conferences related to the study and presenting the work. Gantt chart The following chart depicts the action plan of the project and the time expectations for each step in details and it is as follows: Years 2007 2008 2009 2010 Tasks 2 4 6 8 10 12 2 4 6 8 10 12 2 4 6 8 10 12 2 4 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 References [1] David W. Nickles, IT-BUSINESS ALIGNMENT: WHAT WE KNOW THAT WE STILL DONT KNOW, Proceedings of the 7th Annual Conference of the Southern Association for Information Systems, 2005 [2] Kenneth C. Laudon and Jane P. Laudon, Management Information Systems: Managing the Digital Firm, 9th Edition, Prentice Hall, 2006 [3] McNurlin, B.C., and Spargue, R.S., Information Systems Management in Practice, 6th Edition, Prentice Hall, 2002 [4] Raymond Pap, Introduction to Strategic Alignment, Idea Group Inc, 2001 [5] Yolanda E. Chan, Why havent we mastered Alignment? The importance of the informal organization structure, MIS Quarterly Excusive, 2002 [6] Allen, D. and Wilson, T., â€Å"Vertical trust/mistrust during information strategy formation, International Journal of Information Management, 2003 [7] Henderson, J.C. and Venkatraman, N., â€Å"Aligning business and IT strategies†, in Luftman, J.F. (Ed.), Competing in the Information Age: Strategic Alignment in Practice, Oxford University Press, New York, NY, 1996 [8] Butler, T. and Fitzgerlad, B., â€Å"Enterprise Transformation and the Alignment of Business and Information Technology Strategies: Lessons from Practice, 1998 [9] Ruohoueu Parnisto, Proceedings of the First European Doctoral Seminar on Strategic Information Management, Turku centre for computer Science, 1996 [10] Hatem Tamimi, Ala M. Abu-Samaha Sufian Yousef ,Perceptions of Information Technology/Information Systems Value/ Utilisation in Saudi Organisations Proceedings of the ECIME conference, France, pp 1 12, September 20 21, 2007 [11] Bassellier, G. and Benbasat, I. (Business Competence of Information Technology Professionals: Conceptual development and influence on IT-business partnerships), MIS Quarterly 28(4): 673-694, 2004. [13] Baker, E.H. Leading Alignment, CIO Insight 1(45) 19-20, October 15, 2004. [14] Benbya, H. and McKelvey, B. (2006). Using Coevolutionary and Complexity Theories to Improve IS Alignment: A multi-level approach, Journal of Information Technology 21(4): 284-298 [15] Chan, Y.E., Sabherwal, R. and Thatcher, J.B. Antecedents and Outcomes of Strategic IS Alignment: An Empirical Investigation, IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management 51(3): 27-47, 2006. [16] Creswell, JW, Research design: qualitative and quantitative approaches, Sage, Thousand Oaks, California, 1994 [17] Tashakkori and Teddlie, Mixed methods in social behavioral Research, Sage Publications, Inc, 2002 [18] Denzin and Lincoln, the Landscape of Qualitative Research, Sage Publications, Inc, 2003 [19] Walsham, Interpretive case studies in IS Research: Nature and Method, European Journal of Information Systems, 1995 Publications 1. Hatem Tamimi, The Effect of Organizational Culture on Information Technology/Business Strategic alignment in Saudi Firms, 1st Annual Research Student Conference, ARU, Cambridge,2006 2. Hatem Tamimi, Ala M. Abu-Samaha Sufian Yousef ,Perceptions of Information Technology/Information Systems Value/ Utilisation in Saudi Organisations Proceedings of the ECIME conference, France, pp 1 12, September 20 21, 2007 3. Hatem Tamimi, The status of IS Planning in Saudi Firms, 2nd Annual Research Student Conference, ARU, Cambridge,2007 4. Hatem Tamimi, Strategic IS Plans; do they exist in Saudi Firms?, IACeT2008,The International Arab Conference on e-Technology, Arab Open University, Amman-Jordan, October 15-16, 2008 Appendix A The Designed Questionnaire Survey On Strategic Information System Planning Assessment in Saudi companies. The objective of this survey is to investigate how Saudi managers use Information Technology (computer-based information, software, database, networks, communication, and other devices) to support their Strategic Planning. Your assistance in providing information regarding how often you use IT systems, the reasons for using these systems, and whether these systems satisfy your informational needs will be greatly appreciated. This survey is conducted under the direction of Mr Mike Smith, Department of Information Technology, Anglia Ruskin University, Chelmsford, UK. All responses are confidential and will remain anonymous. The success of this study depends on the completeness and the quality of information you provide. We ask you to be as thorough and free as possible in answering the questions in this. Thank you for your time and cooperation! NOTE: Please answer this questionnaire only if you are a user of Information Technology (computer-based information, software, database, networks, communication, and other devices). If you are not a user of Information Technology would you ask a manager in your corporation who is to complete this questionnaire. I. PERSONAL BACKGROUND 1. Organisation name: 2.Sex (M/F): 3. Age: 4. Education: Please choice highest degree attained (Please choice one): A. High school graduate or less B. Baccalaureate Degree C. Masters Degree D. Doctorate 5. Please indicate (how many) college (University) level courses you have completed in Information Technology (Information Systems, Computer Science, Programming, Networks or Communication). (Please choice one): 0 1 2 3 4 ≠¥5 II. PRESENT JOB RESPONSIBILITIES 6. Functional area (Please choice one) : A. Accounting B. Finance C. Marketing D. Manufacturing E. Research and Development F. Personnel G. Corporate Administration H. Information Systems I. Other (Please specify): 7. A. Management Level (Please choice One): 1. First Line Supervisor or Manager 2. Mid-level Manager (Supervising other managers) 3. Executive (Top) Level Manager (Vice president, President, Chairman of the Board of Directors etc. B. Job Title: III. USE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (PC, Software, Databases, Networks, Internet, and other devices): 8. Managers perform a number of Planning roles. For each of the following roles, please indicate the value of IT. (Please choice a number for each role): Decision roles Of Great Value Of Moderate Value No Value At All Does Not Apply Choice A. Capitalist (Identifies and initiates changes) 5 4 3 2 1 0 B. Trouble Handler (Handles important and unexpected troubles) 5 4 3 2 1 0 C. Resource Allocation (Approves and allocates all organisational resources 5 4 3 2 1 0 D. Negotiator (Represents the organisation at major negotiations 5 4 3 2 1 0 1. Planning consists of several steps. For each of the following steps, please indicate the value of IT. (Please choice a number for each step) : Decision steps Of Great Value Of Moderate Value No Value At All Choice A. Identifying problems or issues 5 4 3 2 1 B. Generating alternative courses of action 5 4 3 2 1 C. Evaluating the out comes of each alternative 5 4 3 2 1 D. Ranking the alternatives and choosing one 5 4 3 2 1 E. Implementing the chosen alternative 5 4 3 2 1 2. As a Planner you may use both IT-based and non IT-based in decision making. The percent of IT you use for supporting the following Planning tasks is: (Please choice a number) Decisions >80% 61% to 80% 41% to 60% 21% to 40% None Choice A. Long Term (Strategic) Planning 5 4 3 2 1 0 B. Mid-Term (Tactical) Planning 5 4 3 2 1 0 C. Short Term (Operational) Planning 5 4 3 2 1 0 3. Managers have a mental model (i.e., an image, idea, or conceptualization of the organisation) which they use for planning, controlling and operating purposes. How helpful is the Information Technology Systems (IT) you are presently using in forming or revising the mental model of your corporation? (Please choice a number): Very Helpful Moderately Not Helpful Helpful At All 5 4 3 2 1 12. How valuable is the information the existing IT provides to your mental model in guiding your planning, controlling and operating decisions? (Please choice a number): Of Great Value Of Moderate Value Of No Value At All 5 4 3 2 1 13. Overall, how important is IT for Planning that are critical to the success and effectiveness of your managerial duties? (Please choice a number): Very Important Moderately Important Not Important At All 5 4 3 2 1 Iv. SOURCES AND TOOLS USED TO OBTAIN IT-BASED INFORMATION 14. You obtain the IT-based you use for Planning mainly (Please choice one): A. By yourself B. Through a designated person C. Through a request to an information systems group D. Other (Please specify): 15. Please indicate, on the average, how many hours per week you actually use a personal computer (PC) or a terminal to obtain computer-based information which is essential for the performance of your duties. (Please choice one): A. >16 hours B. 9 -16 hours C. 5 -8 hours D. 1 -4 hours E. 16. Please indicate the average number of hours per week use each of the following hardware pieces: A. I dont use any hardware pieces. Yes/No? Hours/week hours B. 1. Stand-alone personal computer (PC) hours 2. PC or other terminal connected to an internet hours 3. PC or other terminal connected to an â€Å"On-line† distributed computer system hours 4. PC or other terminal connected to a Local Area Network (LAN) hours 5. Other (Please specify) : hours 17. Please indi

The Course of The Great Depression Essay -- Great Depression American

The Course of The Great Depression The October 1987 collapse in stock prices conjured visions of 1929 and the Great Depression. Focus on this period is natural because the 32 percent decline in stock values between the market closes of October 13 and 19, 1987, was of the magnitude of--indeed, it actually exceeded--the October 1929 debacle. Focus on this period is also appropriate because, despite all that has been learned since to help assure economic stability, we cannot be completely confident that history will not repeat itself. Consequently, this first section reviews events of the Depression era. The stock market Crash of October 1929 is frequently credited with triggering the Depression. The decline was severe and extended; from their peak in September 1929, stock prices declined by 87 percent to their trough in 1932. The performance of the economy over this period was equally disheartening. Real economic activity declined by about one-third between 1929 and 1933; unemployment climbed to 25 percent of the labor force; prices in the aggregate dropped by more than 25 percent; the money supply contracted by over 30 percent; and close to 10,000 banks suspended operations. Given this performance, it is not surprising that many consider these years the worst economic trauma in the nation's history. Policy makers did not stand idly by as the financial markets and the economy unraveled. There are questions, though, about the appropriateness and magnitude of their responses. Monetary policy, determined and conducted then, as now, by the Federal Reserve, became restrictive early in 1928, as Federal Reserve officials grew increasingly concerned about the rapid pace of credit expansion, some of which was fueling stock market speculation. This policy stance essentially was maintained until the stock market Crash. While there has been much criticism of Federal Reserve policy in the Depression, its initial reaction to the October 1929 drop in stock values appears fully appropriate. Between October 1929 and February 1930, the discount rate was reduced from 6 to 4 percent. The money supply jumped in the immediate aftermath of the Crash, as commercial banks in New York made loans to securities brokers and dealers in volume. Such funding satisfied the heightened liquidity demands of nonfinancial corporations and others that had been financing broker-dealers... ...tivity was under way prior to the market debacle of October 1929. In contrast, the cyclical expansion in business that followed the recession of 1981-1982 remains intact today. Moreover, examination of the Depression years can help us to identify policies that minimize the risk of a slowdown in economic activity and to avoid the major errors of the past. In this regard, the principal recommendations that emerge from our admittedly subjective review of history are: -- maintain our commitment to the stability of the banking system through judicious use of the federal safety net of deposit insurance and the discount window; -- support normal credit extension by banks and, more generally, smoothly functioning financial institutions and markets through stable and credible macroeconomic policies; -- provide adequate growth in the money supply consistent with prevailing economic circumstances worldwide; and -- promote open markets for the international trade of goods and services. Such a list of policy recommendations may seem unremarkable, in part because the lessons of the past already have been taken to heart. Achievement, however, is likely to prove a challenge.

Hitler Youth Essay -- World War II WWII WW2 Nazi Germany

â€Å"The future of the German nation depends on its youth and the German youth shall have to be prepared for its future duties† The youth of Germany were an important target for Hitler. He knew that if his dream for the thousand year Reich were to be fulfilled he needed the loyalty of the young German people. But how did he obtain that loyalty? How did he set about bending the German children’s hearts and minds to his will? The answer is simple-the Hitler Youth. In the years from 1929 to 1933 economic hardship, a faltering political regime and generational tensions left many young people with no place to turn. The Nazis used this situation to their advantage, pointing out to the youths the way the Weimar republic government were failing to care for them. It appeared to young people that the Nazis were a party tailor made for the youth. Indeed, the Nazis realised the importance of youth, whom they considered indispensable in their quest for power. This is why many young, disenchanted, lower class youths put their stocks in the Nazi party and in particular, the Hitler youth. Ho...

The Importance of Freedom Exposed in Anthem :: Anthem Essays

The Importance of Freedom Exposed in Anthem    In the novel Anthem, Ayn Rand writes about the future dark ages. Anthem takes place in city of a technologically backwards totalitarian society, where mankind is born in the home of the infants and dies in the home of the useless. Just imagine, being born in to a life of slavery having no freedom, no way of self expression, no ego. The city represented slavery. When in the city, Equality had been guilty of many transgressions. He was not like his brothers, he was different he was smarter, healthier, and stronger. At the age of five he advanced to home of the student, where he got scolded for learning faster then his brothers. Equality teachers told him that he had evil in his bones because he was taller then his brothers. Then at the age of fifteen when the house of vocations came Equality was guilty of the great transgression of preference because he wanted to be a scholar, but his selected vocation was to be a street sweeper. Every day while he swept by the fields he would watch and smile at Liberty and she would smile back. Liberty was a woman that worked in the home of the peasants. Making contact with a woman was prohibited but for when in the palace of the mating. The palace of the mating was where people were forced to breed. Equality thought touching a woman was shameful and ugly. Th! en one day while h e swept the streets he found a grate that led to underground tunnel full of things from the unmentionable times. For two years he went to the tunnel and discovered a new glowing light. Then one day while in the tunnel decided that he must share his secret with his brothers. He decided that he would bring his secret in front of the world council meeting. When Equality entered the world council meeting the scholars got frightened and angry. They demanded that he tell them why he was there. He connected the wires and they glowed, the scholars backed up against the wall as they stared in horror. They told him that he they were going to punish for breaking so many laws. Equality trembled in fright he quickly grabbed the light and ran to the uncharted forest. No man followed because they feared the unknown.

Communications Persuasive Essay Essay

Specific purpose: I would like to persuade my audience that drug test screenings should be mandatory in order for welfare recipients to receive their money. Introduction Attention material: How many if you have jobs? How many if the people with jobs like to see a huge chunk of their check MIA due to state and federal taxes? And how many of you like knowing that that chuck of your check that’s missing could very well be going towards someone’s drug addiction? Thesis Statement: By enforcing a mandatory drug test to all welfare recipients, you ensure that hard working people’s tax dollars are being used the correct ways, and not being used to support a drug addiction, Preview: Today I will inform you on the pros of drug testing welfare recipients, how many states have already passed this law, how many states are trying to pass the law, the cons of the drug testing, and what we can do to out this plan into action. Body I. What benefits would drug testing welfare recipients have on our country? A. David Vitter of U.S. News Weekly states, by drug testing welfare recipients, it would ensure that all hardworking taxpayers’ money I’d going to get used in the correct and intended way. The nation is already in enough debt of more than $14 trillion, does it make much sense to be wasting tax money on illegal drugs and dishonest welfare recipients? That makes no sense at all! (Vitter, 2011) B. Enforcing drugs testing will also force drug users or addicts that are looking for financial assistance to get help before receiving money that would have been used to feed their ongoing addiction (Vitter, 2011) By coming up with a plan to make drug user go to rehabilitation centers and treating their addiction before they receive financial assistance from the government will cause people to either get better first, or not have the opportunity to take the tax money and waste it on illegal drugs anyway. ll. Where in the United States has this law been implemented? A. Many states have tried very hard to get the drug testing law put into place and used effectively but not all have succeeded. In fact only 7 of the 29 that have proposed the law have had it passed in their state. The states that have the law include Florida, Utah, Michigan, Tennessee, Arizona, Missouri, and Oklahoma. Many of the states that have Mercado 3 tried to get this law into effect include North Dakota, Arkansas, New Hampshire, Texas, Kansas, Maine, Wyoming, and Virginia (National, 2013) III. What are the possible cons to drug testing welfare recipients? A. Two Michigan mothers, both on welfare argue that the drug testing law in effect in their state is it if constitutional grounds. Tanya Marchwinski, one of these mothers states, â€Å"Just because we are lower income we are singled out. Makes me feel like I’m doing something wrong and I’m constantly being watched.† (Cannon, 1999) B. Many states that have tried passing the drug testing law have failed because it is deemed unconstitutional. Due to the simple fact that the state representatives cannot assume all welfare applicants or recipients are drug users or addicts. Being able to pass these laws would take the conditions being changed to drug testing only taking place if state representatives suspect drug use in a welfare applicant or recipient. IV. A proposal on welfare reform A. Domenick Basolo the president of Good for Society, proposes a structure somewhat like the â€Å"Three-Strikes Law† Strike 1- Failing the given drug test when applying for welfare follows in providing written documentation for agreeing to signing up for a rehabilitation program. Strike 2- Must submit random drug screening, and provide proof once a week to attending rehabilitation programs. Strike 3- YOU’RE OUT! The failure to adhere to the following conditions and opportunities given will result in loss of funds to recipient, and possible household search to rule in or out of potential child negligence (Basolo, 2013). Conclusion A. There are many opinions on the welfare reform and whether or not to require applicants and recipients for submit a drug test and pass the drug test to relieve funds. However not all ideas or opinions would be acceptable in this country, because most ideas are deemed unconstitutional. Nevertheless, it is very evident a reform in welfare is much needed. It’s just now about finding an acceptable way to reform it without creating controversy. Personally, as a hard working tax payer, I would like to know my tax dollars are going to the right things they’re intended for, not just to support a drug addict and at the same time neglect innocent children’s needs for daily life items.