Wednesday, October 16, 2019
Special Qualitites of Japanese Woodblock Prints Essay
Special Qualitites of Japanese Woodblock Prints - Essay Example Not only were the woodblock prints a source of entertainment and enchantment, they were also vital to the propagation of Buddhist philosophy and art. (Priest, 1959) As a consequence, the evolution of Zen Buddhism in Japan is neatly documented in this medium of art. The rest of this essay will analyze two Japanese woodblock prints – taken one each from The Seattle Museum of Asian Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art respectively – and study their similarities and differences in the backdrop of the evolution of the technique. The two woodblock prints chosen for this essay are – Crow and Heron (Young Lovers Walking Under an Umbrella in a Snowstorm, ca. 1769) and Two Ladies Looking Through a Telescope (Hokusai, 19th century) - from the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Seattle Museum of Asian Art respectively. The Crow and Heron was created by Suzuki Harunobu and is made of woodcut print on paper. This print carries many typical characteristics of the art and cultural sensibilities of the period. Firstly, chivalry being a cherished virtue in high Japanese society, the man is shown to hold the umbrella for his lover. The demureness and shyness of the lady is complemented by the glitter and passion in the eyes of her beloved. The robes worn by the lovers further accentuate this complementariness. The dark brown shades of the man’s robes align and merge with the soft white robe of the lady. The tresses and folding of their robes form a unified pattern. (Meech, 1982) Japanese woodblock prints reveal much information about the social structures and cultural norms of corresponding eras. They also show the signature styles of various artists. The Crow and Heron print shows the â€Å"rise of the wealthy chonin and their interest in elegant clothes, pleasurable pastimes, and the arts, especially woodblock prints. Harunobu depicted beautiful women being slender and graceful. He did not individualize his figures, but presented them as idealized ima ges without unique features†. (http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/JP2453, 2006) It is interesting to note that the flourishing of woodprint art during the Edo period is largely due to the patronage of the aristocratic class. Indeed, the â€Å"pleasure quarters and the sophisticated entertainments they offered exerted an enormous impact on the culture of the Edo period.†(http://www.metmuseum.org, 2003) In this light, it is a paradox that the Buddhist message of austerity and detachment was propagated in equal measure through the art form. For instance, one prominent feature of this Buddhist ethos is that of ukiyo, which stands for the transitory nature of life. Both the works in discussion exhibit this quality in terms of their impressions. Hence, the revelry of Japanese high society went hand in hand with the simplicity of Buddhist philosophy in shaping the rules and aesthetics of woodprint art. This contra-direction is exemplified in the upturning of the meani ng of ukiyo from ‘transitory’ to that of ‘joie de vivre’. This â€Å"hedonistic culture that glorified life in the ‘floating world’ was particularly well expressed in the production of woodblock prints, which made available to anyone with a bit of extra cash captivating images of seductive courtesans, exciting kabuki actors, and famous romantic vistas. For the first time, artists were inspired by and responded
The U.K Identity Cards Bill and its implcations Essay
The U.K Identity Cards Bill and its implcations - Essay Example While the Bill and the stated objectives seem reasonable, and a large majority of the general public believe it to be good idea, there remains confusion and apprehension on the potential implications of the Bill to their privacy and civil liberties, not to mention the cost and policy implications.3 Unlike other means of individual identification, the proposed use of biometric technologies utilising biological information, and the introduction of a computerised National Identity Register, which permits users to track anybody, anytime, anywhere, in the modern networked society, apparently present far-reaching implications on the privacy and security of the individual, as well as the society. A research is deemed necessary to understand the implications of the Bill including that of the technology involved, in terms of the privacy and security concerns, as well as to look at alternative techniques or modes of identification, which may be considered by the government for successful imple mentation of the identity project. Researchers observe that biometric techniques, such as fingerprint verification, retina analysis, iris or face recognition, voice recognition, hand-written signature verification, are increasingly used in individual authentication and identification systems.4 While researchers are generally in agreement on the efficacy of the technology, experts in information technology and data security caution the possibility of errors including false matches and multiple identities, and the dangers of manipulations and misuse.5 Many researchers, both in the U.K and elsewhere, have studied the impact of biometric technologies on individual privacy and security.6 Researchers like Zorkadis and Donos observe that, "too wide utilisation of biometrics creates general concern for the protection of the fundamental rights and freedoms of individuals."7 According to them any human physiological or behavioural traits used in biometric technologies are personal data protected by privacy protection legislation. The U.K. Identity Cards Bill and the use of biometrics have received widespread criticism by policy analysts and academic researchers.8 The report by Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR) raises "a number of concerns relating to the human rights compatibility of the Bill"9. According to academics from the London School of Economics and Political Science the identity card bill proposals are "too complex, technically unsafe, overly prescriptive and lack a foundation of public trust and confidence."10 While the researchers support the concept of a national identity system for the UK, it considers the present legislation and the scheme "as a potential danger to the public interest and to the legal rights of individuals."11 Other policy analysts also condemn the Bill as an unwarranted state intervention in individual freedom and privacy-Dolan Cummings states that the ID card proposals are in effect trying to "reconstitute the public as membership organisation" 12 creating a society in which the members have to constantly prove their identity to
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
Profile of the New York-Presbyterian Hospital Essay Example for Free
Profile of the New York-Presbyterian Hospital Essay Hospital Name: New York-Presbyterian Hospital Address: 525 E 68th St Fl 11, New York, NY 10021-4870, United States Contact Number: (212) 434-5500 Website: http://www.nyp.org Vission: â€Å"To sustain its leadership position in the provision of world class patient care, t           eaching, research, and service to local, state, national, and international  communities.†(2006, p.2) Mission: â€Å"As a not-for-profit academic medical center, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital is committed to its unique and complex mission of providing the highest quality patient care, teaching, research, and community service.†(2006, p.2) Director: Dr. Philip Wilner Ownership: New York Presbyterian Hospital Dimension: 12-storey building, total beds summed up to 2,335 774 beds equipped with full-               service hospital (the Greenburg Pavilion), connected to the existing facility.                    There is an 8-storey parking lot that is 527,000 in square feet. Main Facilities: The Allen Pavilion, Morgan Stanley Childrens Hospital of NewYork-                          Presbyterian, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical                 Center            New York-Presbyterian Hospital/ Weill Cornell Medical Center NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Westchester Division Centers for Excellence: Cancer, Digestive Diseases, Geriatrics, Heart, Orthopedics,                             Neuroscience, Pedriatrics, Psychiatry, Rehabilitation Medicine, Tranplants,                     Womens Health Types of Services Provided: Medical Services, Surgical Services, Ambulatory Care                              Services, Emergency Care, Specialized                                                                                  Services, International and Corporate Health, Elderly Care. Awards and Recognitions Received: New York Magazines Best Hospitals 2006, U.S.News               World Reports Honor Roll of Americas Best Hospitals (since 1997),                             Americas Top Doctors, New York Magazines 2007 Best Doctors,                                American Alliance of Healthcare Providers Hospital of Choice                                               Awards, eHealthcare Leadership Award, Greystone Web  Awards.                                (All were the awards           mentioned in the website as of January 30, 2008). Population Served: (As of April 10, 2007)                        Outpatient Visits: 828,136                Ambulatory Surgeries 47,594                        Emergency Visits: 202,154               Inpatient Days: 729,088                        Deliveries: 10,242 Number of Workers: (As of April 10, 2007)                        Employees: 15,078                           Physicians: 5,588 Affiliations: Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, Weill Medical                           College of Cornell University. Payer Sources: Blue Cross, Charity Care/Financial Aid, Medicare, Medicaid, Self Payment,                  Workers Compensation. References: (n.d.). New York-Presbyterian: The University Hospital of Columbia and Cornell.Retrieved       January 30, 2008 from http://www.nyp.org/about/facts-statistics-2006.html. New York-Presbyterian: The University Hospital of Columbia and Cornell. Awards and Recognition. Retrieved January 29, 2008 from http://www.nyp.org/about/awards- recognition.html. (2005). New York Presbyterian Hospital 2005 Community Service Plan Annual   Implementation Report. Retrieved January 30, 2008 from            http://search.med.cornell.edu/search?q=mission-vision%20of%20newyork-           presbyterianspell=1access=poutput=xml_no_dtdie=UTF-8client            =Nyp_Subsite=NYP_Suboe=UTF-8proxystylesheet=NYP (n.d.). New York Presbyterian Hospital. Retrieved January 29, 2008 from            http://www.bovislendlease.com/llweb/bll/main.nsf/all/fp_newyork_hospital_america. Dun Bradstreet. (2007). The New York and Presbyterian Hospital. Retrieved January 29,      2008 from http://www.manta.com/comsite5/bin/pddnb_company.pl?  dlanding=1referid=3550id=06qjjk.
Monday, October 14, 2019
The First Great Debate Challenges To Realism Politics Essay
The First Great Debate Challenges To Realism Politics Essay The subject matter of International Relations as a branch of political science can be defined in different ways. As in most social science disciplines there is no scientific consensus on the field and thus the definition we adopt would be conventional and reflect a particular account of the world. [1] Since there is no common definition of international relations, there exist multiple theories explaining the principles of interplay of what each of them consider being main actors would it be states, non-state institutions or classes. C. Brown and K. Ainley argue that there are no right or wrong theories as all have political implications, therefore, the pluralism of contesting theories each presenting different perspective should be preserved. [2] The aim of this essay is to examine the work by Ole R. Holsti [3] Theories of International Relations and critically address the arguments he presents. In the course of this essay I will briefly summarize authors description of state of affairs in international relations theories complementing it with personal interpretation. Holsti assumes the main aim of his essay is to contribute to exchange of ideas between political scientists and diplomatic historians. [4] The text addresses diplomatic historians to introduce them theoretical approaches used by political scientists. Author describes the first great debate on theories of international relations namely challenges presented by different groups of models to classical and modern realism. [5] He classifies theories that challenge realist concepts on system level into three groups: Global Society/Complex-Interdependence/Liberal-Institutionalism, Marxist/World System/Dependency and constructivism, neglecting differences inside these groups to emphasize main differences between theoretical perspectives. [6] He also examines several decision-making models that go beyond structural analysis of international relations focusing on political processes inside the units of the system. [7] The Great Debate In this chapter I am going to summarize five major arguments of realist theories from classical to neo-realism described by Holsti and their critics by other international relations theories on systemic and decision-making levels. Although it might seem very simplistic, if one could generalize the five points of classical realist theory described by Holsti [8] into one sentence, the result might be the following: Sovereign states as main units of the anarchical international system act as unitary rational actors to achieve security through involvement into war and peace based on relative capabilities. In the first place, Holsti states that classical realists consider as central questions the causes of war and the conditions of peace [9] , arising from the structural anarchy of the international system, meaning that there is no higher authority above states to settle conflicts. This kind of structural organization of the international system gives rise to the security dilemma that is attempts to reach absolute security by one state is in direct proportion to insecurity of all other parts of the system. [10] Each of the five points made by classical realists were further developed and complemented by modern realist or neo-realists, namely K. Waltz and later R. Gilpin, but equally they all seem to hold numerous controversies. At first glance, it appears to be that the assumption of rationality of states is based on, I would argue irrational by itself pessimistic concept of human nature would it be secular or religious. [11] Moreover, the whole approach to explanation of international relations in terms of military struggle for security (can easily be substituted by superiority) against all other states may lead to a conclusion that there is constantly a world war all against all. Fortunately however this is not the case. Furthermore, Holsti points that Robert Gilpin developed the argument that international system is in a state of equilibrium if no state believes that it is profitable to attempt to change it. [12] Therefore, it appears to be that the question of engagement in a war is defined solely by mathematic correlation between costs and benefits. Would this neo-realist assumption be true, the most powerful states would have been involved in constant expansion until one of them achieves an empire comprising the entire world. The aforementioned controversies of the realist theories show us that there should be more complex motivation in the relations between actors in international relations. Apart from the involvement in war or peace, states are likely to cooperate on a number of issues like trade, science, education, migration, environmental challenges etc. Even the most powerful states are currently unable to cope with some issues that are cross-border like terrorism or spread of epidemic diseases. [13] The increasing interdependence of states and growing influence of non-state actors like NGOs, transnational corporations and international organizations in contrast to decline of the nation-state are the main arguments of the group of theories labeled by Holsti as Global Society/Complex-Interdependence/Liberal Institutionalism. State remains the point of departure for these theories, but the views on its future role vary from acknowledgment that state is a major source of change in the internation al system to its irreversible decline. [14] Despite encompassing broader range of motivations, except war and peace that determine international relations, the latter group of theories presents just another perspective with its limitations and inability to explain certain tendencies currently taking place in the world. Together with integration processes and interdependence, we can observe rise of nationalism and disintegration in different parts of the world, especially in the Central and Eastern Europe. Marxism/World Systems/Dependency together with post-modernist theories are rare cases where Holsti expresses his own standpoint apart from impartial description of previous groups of theories, using satirical remarks. [15] Holsti describes the arguments of this group of theories very shortly. Marxism/World Systems/Dependency theories consider as determining factor of international relations the mode of production and inequality inside the world capitalist system. According to M/WS/D models, the role of state is secondary in relation to classes. On condition that one accepts Marxist paradigm and his interpretation of capitalism, the explanation of international relations based on exploitation within one world capitalist economy seem convincing. The system cannot be anarchical, if one of the parties depends on other. However, at least one problem appears in this regard related to Marxist interpretation of actors in the international relations classes. The criteria for defining classes are more or less clear the relation to the means of production, place in the system of production and distribution. The problem is that the exploited across the world do not necessarily define themselves as proletariat and do not realize the need for workers solidarity. Thus, they cannot act as an independent actor in international relations. Constructivism challenges all the systemic theories of international relations by demonstrating that all notions developed to explain reality are socially constructed, thus, cannot be considered as consequence of the system. The behavior of actors is determined by the way they perceive the reality, not by reality itself. [16] I agree with Holstis argument that constructivism is rather an approach than a theory and can contribute to expanding other theories of international relations. [17] Finally, Holsti shows the importance of decision making models in international relations. Certain decisions may be taken or not, depending on the inforrmation acquired and processed within the actors. This proves the importance of consideration together with systemic factors also internal conditions of actors in international relations theories. Conclusion The theories discussed by Holsti represent different approaches to explaining international relations. Each of them presents their view why the states or other actors behave like they do and only in that way. All of the theories tend to universalize and explain the relations between states in terms of simple models. My standpoint is that there cannot be a single universal pattern in which the whole diversity of global processes will fit. This is why none of the theories of international rlations is appropriate to be the theory of globalization. However each of them can be useful in research of certain aspect of globalization. For example, structural realism is considered to be ahistorical, nevertheless, it can be applied to the research of conflicts. Other theories may be used to study complex interdependencies and entanglements in the world. The globalization research should be based on a certain theory, but this theory cannot be limited to one perspective. The most important, I believe, is to take into account different perspectives and approaches in the study of globalization. Therefore, none of them can be priviledged or neglected as they are based on the socially constructed notions.
Sunday, October 13, 2019
Personal Narrative- Improved Writing Essay -- Personal Narrative
My first real writing experience happened my junior year at HHS. It was the second to last day of school of my sophomore year, and I happened to be flipping through the course descriptions book, and was thinking of an English class to take next year. Well, I sat there and sat there thumbing through the pages, and finally, one particular class appealed to me. I thought, "WOW, this is a class I should take!" "Yeah right," but I still decided to register for American Lit.anyway. Well, the school year finally ended, and I wasn’t too happy for next year’s school year to begin. "I mean, American Lit. was going to be boring with all the reading, not to mention all the writing, too." But I didn’t consider the writing to be a big problem, because I had gotten to be pretty good at it by my junior year, or so I thought. To move on, the summer didn’t last long enough for me. I had tons of fun being at the cabin, fishing and stuff. But the thought of going back to school bothered me, so that kind of ruined my summer. And before I knew it, I was lying in bed the night before my first day of "hell" tossing and turning all night because I knew I was doomed for the next nine months of my life. "Finally," I said as I woke up after two hours of sleep, "let’s get this over with." I ran out the door without breakfast, and I was already fifteen minutes late by the time I got to school. I walked into my first class. It sucked. I walked into my second class, and that also sucked! American Lit. was next. "I don’t even know why I registered for this," I thought as I strolled into the classroom and took my seat way in the back. The teacher then walked in and said her name was Ms.Schmidt. "Man, she looks pretty damn old," I said under my bre... ...o work through this nasty theme habit. "Now that we have gone over pretty much everything I know about writing a good paper," my teacher said after six months of afterschool sessions, "I want you to write one paper for me, one that will show me my time wasn’t wasted with you." So I went back to my very first paper on Hester Prynne, and rewrote it. I came back the next day, turned it in, and anxiously awaited her comments. "What is takin’ so long for her to read my frickin’ paper?" I asked myself. Fifteen minutes later she was finally done. "My time wasn’t wasted with you. This paper shows me your creativeness as a writer. How you related Hester Prynne’s character to someone you know was really interesting. This paper held my attention throughout its’ entirety. I can’t say enough about your dramatic improvement in writing. I am really proud of you, Alex." Personal Narrative- Improved Writing Essay -- Personal Narrative My first real writing experience happened my junior year at HHS. It was the second to last day of school of my sophomore year, and I happened to be flipping through the course descriptions book, and was thinking of an English class to take next year. Well, I sat there and sat there thumbing through the pages, and finally, one particular class appealed to me. I thought, "WOW, this is a class I should take!" "Yeah right," but I still decided to register for American Lit.anyway. Well, the school year finally ended, and I wasn’t too happy for next year’s school year to begin. "I mean, American Lit. was going to be boring with all the reading, not to mention all the writing, too." But I didn’t consider the writing to be a big problem, because I had gotten to be pretty good at it by my junior year, or so I thought. To move on, the summer didn’t last long enough for me. I had tons of fun being at the cabin, fishing and stuff. But the thought of going back to school bothered me, so that kind of ruined my summer. And before I knew it, I was lying in bed the night before my first day of "hell" tossing and turning all night because I knew I was doomed for the next nine months of my life. "Finally," I said as I woke up after two hours of sleep, "let’s get this over with." I ran out the door without breakfast, and I was already fifteen minutes late by the time I got to school. I walked into my first class. It sucked. I walked into my second class, and that also sucked! American Lit. was next. "I don’t even know why I registered for this," I thought as I strolled into the classroom and took my seat way in the back. The teacher then walked in and said her name was Ms.Schmidt. "Man, she looks pretty damn old," I said under my bre... ...o work through this nasty theme habit. "Now that we have gone over pretty much everything I know about writing a good paper," my teacher said after six months of afterschool sessions, "I want you to write one paper for me, one that will show me my time wasn’t wasted with you." So I went back to my very first paper on Hester Prynne, and rewrote it. I came back the next day, turned it in, and anxiously awaited her comments. "What is takin’ so long for her to read my frickin’ paper?" I asked myself. Fifteen minutes later she was finally done. "My time wasn’t wasted with you. This paper shows me your creativeness as a writer. How you related Hester Prynne’s character to someone you know was really interesting. This paper held my attention throughout its’ entirety. I can’t say enough about your dramatic improvement in writing. I am really proud of you, Alex."
Saturday, October 12, 2019
The short story If I Quench Thee by William E. Chambers is an appropria
The short story If I Quench Thee by William E. Chambers is an appropriate story as it effectively deals with the issue of racism by showing it through the eyes of a racist white father who assumes his daughter is marrying a black man. If I Quench Thee Choose a short story that you know well that deals with an important issue. State what the issue is and show, by referring to the plot, character, and technique and how the author has successfully explored the issue in an interesting and unusual way. The short story â€Å"If I Quench Thee†by William E. Chambers is an appropriate story as it effectively deals with the issue of racism by showing it through the eyes of a racist white father who assumes his daughter is marrying a black man. â€Å"If I Quench Thee†is about Arthur Stern, a successful business man who visits his daughter who works as a social worker in the ghetto. Whilst Arthur is visiting her she is visited by a black man who is rejected by her father because he is racist so he leaves. He waits outside and thinks about it and realises he can bare his daughter dating a black man so he goes back to apologise. When he returns he overhears the black man saying to Arthur’s daughter Monica that marrying her would be the best the he would do. Hearing this Arthur fills will anger and leaves. He waits for Tod to come out then murders him saying that it was a mugging and it was self defence. In the police station his daughter turns up and tells her father that the black man was the vicar for her wedding. This has been the only time Arthur was ever scared. Arthur Stern is a successful business man who owns a mink farm. He was in the Korean war which I think lead to his hatred of other races. Arthur an... ... disgusted that people could be so racist and how people could think that they have a right to kill others just because they aren’t the same skin colour as them. It made me think about how sick and twisted people can be and how that some people can hate something so much that they would take it too such extreme lengths as to things such as murder. I personally think racism is wrong because people of a different race aren’t any different or inferior to white people like Arthur Stern thought. To conclude, I think that the author has expressed the view on racism in an effective way relating to the plot, characters and techniques used. Even though Stern was such an â€Å"evil†man, he can still feel regret for such a terrible act after realising that what he has done is actually wrong. This makes me believe that human society can improve on its views of racism.
Friday, October 11, 2019
Knowledge acquisition Essay
Jegrins Insurance Company is one of the largest insurance companies. Jegrins Company is a group of six other companies that deal with life insurance, property insurance, insurance exchange, property insurance and management. Jerkins Insurance Company is one of the largest casualty or property insurers and has so many policies. It deals with life insurance, asset management and casualty and property Insurance. Insurance companies have to maintain a competitive advantage in order to ensure growth. Jergins is one of those insurance companies that need to maintain a competitive advantage. The company has a very stable financial condition, works towards superior targets hence attains the aim of providing superior services. The employees of Jegrins Insurance Company are a very committed group who work towards the success of the company and ensure that the company grows. Jegrins Company has policy holders too that always set specific targets to be met by the company. They either set long term targets or short term targets depending on what they want to accomplish, agents of the company work hard in order not only to meet these targets but also to exceed them as a challenge to their policy holders. This company uses all these to ensure growth in the market as well as maintaining a competitive advantage. The company uses the capitalization’s risk adjustment as one of the ways of ensuring growth. It has a unique solid operating performance system as well, that it makes use of and views this as very important in the growth of the company. Another design in place for the Jegrins Insurance Company is the availability of the regional market that is well established. The advantage of the regional market, the employees attitude towards working hard, the adjustment of risk capitalization and the policies of the company that have to be met, place the company in a very high class among other insurance companies and enables it maintain a competitive advantage apart from just company growth. There are other factors that contribute to the growth hence high rating of the Jegrins Insurance Company. These are factors such as improvements on technology which has enabled the company growth on performance and service offering, low operating costs, a solid income investment, an increased sophistication on pricing and a well organized and well mannered underwriting. Jegrins Company cannot only depend on the already mentioned factors to be successful and to maintain a competitive advantage. It has to look for knowledge and how to manage it for the benefit of the company. The company therefore tried to change or implement ways of getting knowledge which it realized was a very important factor in maintaining competitive advantage. The company realized that by gaining knowledge from outside about other companies or competitors, it would be better placed, and apart from that, internal knowledge was noticed as essential for the general growth of the company. The company manager therefore decided to implement knowledge strategies to use for the companies benefit and be well informed about competitive advantage issues. The knowledge strategy of a company is the approach the company gives to the knowledge capabilities and knowledge resources to the company’s strategy in order to achieve what the company targets are. A knowledge strategy enables the company to increase its knowledge in a specified area be it internal or external knowledge of a company. Companies choose from the knowledge sources which are either internal or external or can choose to use both. Jegrins Company decided on a knowledge strategy that uses both the internal knowledge sources and the external knowledge sources. Jegrins company internal knowledge sources are those that the employees have in their minds, that is, in their behaviors, the duties and procedures they conduct everyday, the company equipments and the software of the company that they handle. Jegrins internal knowledge sources also lay in the various documents that the company has, the databases and the on line repositories. The external knowledge sources that Jegrins decided to use are such as consultants, from brokers of knowledge, universities, publications, personal relations and from professional associations. Jegrins company manager found out that internal knowledge source could be used to prevent imitation by other companies and to maintain the required level of knowledge requirement for executing the company’s strategy and maintaining its current position. The manager then decided to go to an extent of looking for external knowledge sources to avoid being beaten by competitors since competitors too have knowledge levels. The company has to ensure the gap between the competitors level of knowledge is closed down to ensure it is not down and cannot be out done at any time. Jegrins also creates new knowledge to keep in pace and to maintain a competitive advantage position. This extra knowledge, the manager feels is very important since the company will be better placed that the other companies. The company exploits knowledge to keep pace by looking for more information that is relevant. Jegrins insurance Company Internal knowledge management and knowledge acquisition: Without a knowledge strategy, the success of a company can be jeopardized. The company has since implemented a strategy of knowledge acquisition. This strategy has various processes that the company follows. The knowledge of the company since it was initiated was made available to the company employees for them to get to know more about the company. In knowledge management, employees are very important. Jegrins encourages its employees to get the information about the company and perform there duties on the basis of knowledge that they have gained. Internal knowledge is based on the employee knowledge, about their experiences, the soft ware in the company and other company documents. Since the company already had these, it was easy for the manager to go through this step of knowledge acquisition because the employees already had knowledge about the company, the software and had experiences in vast areas of the company. On the basis that this is a large company that provides services to other members and has so many policies, Jegrins has a lot to be termed as internal knowledge. It is therefore an important task to take a long term plan to ensure knowledge acquisition is not stopped after a short time but is continued over a long period of time. Jegrins made this decision just based on the nature of the business or company that does not go for days then close down. The manager decided on long term plans to avoid failure during operations in the future. Apart from the company knowledge that was readily available, the manager still implemented ways to encourage the employees to share the experiences they had and other organizational issues as a way to improve the company’s operational system. By this he encouraged learning through experience hence acquiring more useful knowledge to what his targets of the company are knowledge. External sources of knowledge: Jegrins acquires knowledge too from the external environment as has been stated. It gets information from consultants about the company’s operation steps whenever the manager feels there is a point where consultation is required. The company has evolved to an extent of looking at the other company’s successful methods and learning about them for the benefit of the company and to bridge the gap between the competitor and the company itself. When the company manager does this, he realizes that the other companies do not have more knowledge than the company does, and therefore are at almost the same level of knowledge and not left out yet the company still ranks above the competitors. This he realizes is important in maintaining a competitive advantage since knowledge about other companies is available to him and he knows the steps to make to avoid problems or going down the competitive advantage. The manager also involves the company in looking for information about the environment to which the company operates apart from the competitors’ information. The market is very important to the management of the company since the basis of the company being set up is to provide services to a specified market. Jegrins manager encourages research on the market for the advantage of the company. This though has been the company norm even before the manager decided on taking to knowledge strategy since it offered a lot of information about the steps to be followed for the success of the company. The manager realized that there was need for a strategy or method to be used to acquire just more information relevant for development. This kind of information gaining was meant for the purpose of just keeping in pace with others or being ahead of them which would be to the advantage of the company. The company therefore looked for external sources of information from universities, publications about the successful insurance companies, and other related information professional sources. Jegrins Information distribution: The manager of Jegrins Insurance Company adopted a system in the company that stored valuable information in an order that could be easily retrieved for reference. He also adopted the system of allowing information to be shared among the employees depending on the ranks and area of work so that when an employee does not accept an issue, he/she can explain it to others, discussed and a conclusion made. All these steps the manager considers as a good knowledge management strategy that has shown great success to the company after implementation. After knowledge acquisition, distribution, interpretation and general storage, the company’s knowledge management can be discussed. The manager so far has used this strategy to manage the company knowledge and is able to realize some bit by bit improvements from the previous level in which the company was before. The company though was at a high level, the manager had intentions of improvement and not just sticking to one level forever that may fall down in one time. The manager decided therefore to implement the knowledge management strategy to improve company performance and maintain competitive advantage. In all the knowledge management procedures, the manager had to take time to make sure that strategic knowledge creation is correctly done. He had to make the short term decisions in some cases and long term decision in others to make sure that there is a balance. This is because in some cases like the maintenance of the competitive advantage by the company, the manager had to decide on long term strategy since the future of the company has to be considered. After implementing a knowledge management strategy, the company has come to realize that knowledge is the key issue in the basis of competition. The company is always aware of any competitor steps that are relevant for the company in order not to be beaten by the competitor. Additional knowledge places the company at a higher class since more improvements have been made based on the acquired knowledge. Internal knowledge proved to be very advantageous to the company since it made the employees share the ideas out of the strategy that the manager created that allowed them to share ideas on the companies operations and make corrections and improvements where it was necessary. The result of these steps by the manager was tremendous, easy maintenance of the competitive advantage, noticeable growth, and increased class when compared to other companies and just being informed in terms of knowledge. It was success for Jegrins. Jegrins manager feels that knowledge strategies that suit respective companies are one of the ways to maintain competitive advantage in insurance companies since knowledge is the basis of competition and improvement. According to Jegrins’ manager, when the company has knowledge from the external environment, there are very high chances of improvement and maintaining a competitive advantage. Internal knowledge also contributes to the improvement and competitive advantage too since the main subject here is the employees and the employees have a big role to play in the company. They are the one who run it through their routine duties and experiences.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)