Managing Information Systems :: essays research papers fc

Communication, some say, separate us from animals. But not just communication, being able to communicate ideas and concepts and in turn make them into reality. For years businesses have had to distribute written memos and other paperwork to their fellow employees in order to spread their ideas. In the changing world that we live in today this concept of spreading ideas is slowly fading. Communication is spread throughout the globe in a matter of minutes through the use of computers and modern technology. We can communicate over thousands of miles or just a couple of floors with only the click of a button. But with this new found way of communicating comes the confusion of what to do with all this information, how best to utilize it, and how to regulate it. This paper will look into those questions and what actually makes up this new virtual world that we are creating for ourselves called cyberspace. In the 1950’s and 60’s the fear of nuclear attack was constantly on the minds of the American people and the government. The government therefore developed a corporation called RAND that they put in charge of making a network that could be protected from nuclear attack and could guarantee that we could still fire our own nuclear missiles in our defense. Soon major schools and corporations threw their hats into the race for a network in which information could be sent electronically. Throughout the seventies a couple of schools developed their own network in which they could communicate with each other and devices were designed to make networks within offices possible using a technology called Ethernet. Throughout the eighties the newly designed internet was mainly used by science foundations, colleges, and the government as they worked together with growing computer and telephone companies to help advance the technology. It wasn’t until the early nineties when the I nternet started to look the way it does now, with the first Internet society and the founding of the World Wide Web in 1991. Since then the Internet has been growing, getting faster, and finding its way into more and more peoples lives every day. Over 2.7 trillion e-mail messages alone were sent in 1997 (Nickels,Mchugh 508). Keeping that in mind it is easy to see why we need managers in order to keep this information from cluttering up systems and getting lost in the hectic world today.

Cross Cultural Perspectives Essay

Introduction: The world is an ever changing place. What is taboo today may become a norm tomorrow. There are vast numbers of countries with various languages, religions and their cultural ethnicity. India has been referred to as a country which is a living example of unity in diversity. In today’s age of capitalism and free trade, borders are soon getting irrelevant and people are migrating, more than ever before, to achieve their personal and organisational goals. It becomes all the more important to understand cross cultural dynamics and its implications on international businesses looking to expand in new markets. Why understand Culture? Today we see companies looking towards new markets and industries to expand their businesses. Growth in the west is almost at its saturation peak and developed industries are looking to foray into Asian markets to promote their growth and take advantage of developing economies. There are a lot of constraints in entering new markets, businesses have to understand regional aspects and the environment which govern these markets. There are various aspects of the environment which are Political, Legal, Economic and Cultural. Economic, Legal and Political environment differ in different regions and are sometimes governed by their local culture. Culture in many ways influences and has a major role to define these policies. When businesses are entering new markets they can study economic limitations, political and legal environment. But â€Å"Culture is a man made part of the environment†(Herskovits, 1948, p.17). Geert Hofstede in 1980 explained that Culture consists of shared mental programs that control individual’s response to their environment. It has been very easy to understand culture in terms of Hofstede’s dimensions and compare countries based on these studies. These are Power distance, Uncertainty avoidance, Individualism-Collectivism, Femininity and Masculinity. I once came across an advertisement from HSBC, where in a polish company selling washing machines wanted to know why their sales are highest in a part of India. When their representative visits the vendor he realises that the machine is used to prepare a delicacy rather than washing clothes. The punch line of the advert was â€Å"if you’re going to do business internationally you should be  with a bank that knows about International business† During the 3rd session of Cross-Cultural Perspective we came across a task of negotiation. My key learning’s during this task were that communication style and sharing of information was vital in successful negotiation beneficial for all. We started aggressively trying to force our opinion and make the other party aware about our concern and make them sensitive to our objective. But we soon realised that the key to a successful negotiation was dealing with the other party with co-operation and being sensitive to their needs. This realisation made us reach an amicable solution towards solving the â€Å"ugly orange case†. Hence we learned that a good negotiator should possess good negotiating skills, communication, multiple solutions and also should understand the emphasis of BATNA (best alternative to a negotiated agreement). We also learned about Leaders and their qualities. There is an argument by some that leaders are born, others believe that leaders can be made. I am of the view that leaders are not born but made. I do have certain leanings in terms of charismatic leaders and their family tree, e.g. Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, but to larger extent leaders can be made and groomed provided they have the necessary qualities and attributes to lead and motivate people. During my work assignment I spent a considerable amount of time in United States of America. I was spearheading a transition project which involved training, coaching and transitioning work from United States to India. My colleagues from America were straight forward and direct in their communication. The instructions and information provided by them was straight to the point and often construed by me as rude. I had a confrontation with my co-worker where I asked him to put in some extra hour of work. He was quite direct i n refusing and also went ahead in telling me that this is not the way Americans work. I was influenced by the work culture in India and assumed that it is alright to ask a colleague to stay back a couple of hours after work. In the US, there was a lot of emphasis on work-life balance. Conclusion: Now after getting acquainted with cross-culture perspectives and various theories I have better understanding between the cultural differences of  America and India. I think that using the dimensions provided by Hofstede and theories based on these dimensions we can analyse and understand culture and their dynamics. These will be helpful to organisations entering new markets and regions.

Nathaniel Hawthorne s The Scarlet Letter - 977 Words

Nathaniel Hawthorne was in his mid-twenties when he published Mrs. Hutchinson in 1830. He referenced this story and its main character in his famous novel The Scarlet Letter, which was published two decades later. Many literary critics attribute Mrs. Hutchinson (and The Scarlett Letter) to Nathaniel Hawthorne’s disdain towards his own ancestry’s history. The highly Puritan thinking of the time led to many persecutions, particularly of women who behaved differently from what was expected of them by the patriarchal society. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s ancestors led such persecutions. William Hathorne, who arrived in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630, was a magistrate who persecuted Quakers, while John Hathorne was a Puritan judge who tried and†¦show more content†¦The townspeople gravely disliked her because of this, and the leaders ultimately forced her to silence. Other characters in the story include Vane the youthful governor and old man Cotton. Hugh Peters is also in the story and was described as â€Å"full of holy wrath, and scarce containing himself from rushing forward to convict her damnable heresies.† The supreme civil tribunal is also present, at which â€Å"the most eminent of the clergy† were a part of, â€Å"and appear to have taken a very active part as witnesses and advisers.† Plot Summary Anne Hutchinson travelled to Massachusetts in the early 1600s. Here, she shared her thoughts on religion with the townspeople. She used the Bible to prove that the leaders of the Puritan Church, the â€Å"unregenerated and uncommisioned men,† have led the people astray. She spoke about how these men have fooled and pulled everyone away from the true path to Heaven. The townspeople did not receive Anne Hutchinson’s opinions with warmth. They thought that she was spreading heresy. The supreme civil tribunal called upon her to appear before them so that they could question her claims. Anne Hutchinson stood her ground and answered each question with confidence. She continued to use the Holy Book to support her claims. Soon, the supreme civil tribunal realized that they could not outdo her strong convictions. She exuded strength and power that threatened the order that the Puritan Church have built long before her arrival.Show MoreRelatedNathaniel Hawthorne s The Scarlet Letter1187 Words   |  5 PagesPuritanism in Red Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter shows the early view of Puritanism by concentrating on sin, guilt, and its effects on society. Nathaniel Hawthorne conveyed a dark and romantic style of writing in â€Å"The Scarlet Letter†, impacting the society by focusing on the concepts of romanticism. The Scarlet Letter is considered a classic book and is still read today. Nathaniel Hathorne was born in Salem, Massachusetts on July 4, 1804. He was the son of Nathaniel and Elizabeth ClarkRead MoreNathaniel Hawthorne s The Scarlet Letter1631 Words   |  7 PagesNathaniel Hawthorne’s personal isolation originated in his early childhood and later developed the theme for his most renowned literary novel, The Scarlet Letter. In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne emphasized the impact that societal isolation can have on individuals. Several of the victims inflicted with isolation throughout the novel were ultimately met with their inevitable downfalls. One particular character, Hester Prynne, was selected to undergo a struggle comparable to Hawthorne’sRead MoreNathaniel Hawthorne s The Scarlet Letter1896 Words   |  8 PagesIn a surface examination of the work of Nathaniel Hawthorne, it is quickly evident that no good things come from the wilderness. Therein, the wilderness is often associated with the savages and the devil. In his wor k The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne finds herself exiled by society for having an adulterous affair with the town reverend which brought forth the child known as Pearl. Pearl is quickly established as the child of the wilderness: wild, capricious, and thought by the town to be a demon-childRead MoreNathaniel Hawthorne s The Scarlet Letter1944 Words   |  8 PagesNathaniel Hawthorne adds a satirical twist throughout his novel The Scarlet Letter which manifests his perception of the Puritanism. The novel portrays the strictness and impact of Puritanism on human lives. Hawthorne’s usage of Puritan characters and outcasts also demonstrate Hawthorne’s position on Puritanism. Throughout Hawthorne’s novel, all of the characters in this novel represent strong Puritan belief, Puritan lifestyle, strong resistance to Puritanism, and satirical Puritan lifestyles. HawthorneRead MoreNathaniel Hawthorne s The Scarlet Letter869 Words   |  4 Pagesview of human life. The mo st famous Dark Romantic writer, Nathaniel Hawthorne, emphasizes human proneness to sin and self-destruction, uses symbols that are considered dark, and believes that evil can overtake good. In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne employs elements of Romanticism and symbolism to communicate the idea that sin and guilt have psychological effects which can turn into physical and mental manifestations. Hawthorne utilizes the romantic element of the focus on the individualRead MoreNathaniel Hawthorne s The Scarlet Letter1193 Words   |  5 PagesThe Scarlet Letter, is most often referred to as Nathaniel Hawthorne’s best work. It gives a detailed image of life in a Puritan society. The heroine of the book-Hester Prynne, defies power, and rebels against colonial rule. Laws composed of religious convictions and individual beliefs. Through Hester’s action, you can depict a feminist consciousness. She differs from traditional colonial woman who s sole purpose it to be obedient, despite the unfair rules carried out by puritan men. Hester representsRead MoreNathaniel Hawthorne s The Scarlet Letter1850 Words   |  8 PagesShe s an archetype. She is Eve. She s Juno. She the good woman gone bad. She is Hester Prynne. As part of NPR s series, In Character, my colleague, Andrea Seabrook, shows how this Puritan woman is still very much alive today. ANDREA SEABROOK: Hester Prynne is the protagonist of Nathaniel Hawthorne s magnum opus The Scarlet Letter. Any serious literary scholar will tell you that she is one of the first strong women in American literature and is still among the most important. She s veiled(ph)Read MoreNathaniel Hawthorne s The Scarlet Letter2106 Words   |  9 Pagespeople of other religions. Because they â€Å"deeply and fervently believed that they were doing the work of God†, Puritans often punished and shunned those who did not follow their rules or share their same views (Collier 62). In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne presents these popular ideas and truths about the Puritan way of living in a symbolic story of submissive defiance. He creates a strong feminist that contradicts the majority of the Puritan views on feminism. This rebelliousRead MoreNathaniel Hawthorne s The Scarlet Letter2174 Words   |  9 PagesChildren encompass parents’ lives from the day t hey are born into this world, often altering their plans for the future and their desired outcomes for life. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, the most seemingly complex and misinterpreted of characters is Pearl, the illegitimate daughter of Hester Prynne and Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale. The deviations in Pearl’s temperament, conduct, and character in the progression of the plot are a guide to the varying moral statuses of Hester and DimmesdaleRead MoreAnalysis Of Nathaniel Hawthorne s The Scarlet Letter 1606 Words   |  7 PagesMarin Fallon Mrs. Janosy English 2H 23 November 2015 Sin in the The Scarlet Letter The story of The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is one with many twists and turns. A young woman moves to Boston, Massachusetts while her husband takes care of affairs in England. After two years pass she secretly has an affair with the Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale. When she becomes pregnant and gives birth to her daughter Pearl, the town punishes her for committing the act of adultery. She is sentenced to stand