An analysis of corporate governance in the GCC countries and the Literature review

An analysis of corporate governance in the GCC countries and the impact of sharia law on it - Literature review Example As mentioned before that the corporate governance mechanism differs from country to country because of varied reasons like the orientation, time zone etc. This section will help us understanding the functioning of corporate governance mechanism in different countries excluding the GCC countries. The practice of corporate governance policies has a deep influence on the managerial decision making in the UK corporations. It is regarded that the composition, size and duration of the member of the board are important factors that decide a good corporate governance mechanism (Zhang, 2012). The Corporate governance mechanism in UK is deeply influenced by the Cadbury & Green report also known as Cadbury code of best practices and Greenbury report on Director’s remuneration (FRC, 2013). ... It also suggested that the board of directors should constitute of at least three members which are also applicable to Australian companies (EOG, 2013). The chairman, directors and the auditors are selected by the shareholders of the company at the annual general meeting. In France voluntary disclosure of financial statements has been the object of paramount importance (Lakhal, 2005). There are two kinds of financial disclosure; mandatory and voluntary disclosure (Taylor et. al., 2005). In the year 2002 a new set of corporate governance law was introduced in the winter report for the European companies which focused on tightening the corporate governance law. One of the crucial components of the report was to strengthen the role and responsibilities of the auditors. The chairman has to communicate about the internal policies to the internal and external auditors clearly. The legal laws related to French corporate governance are composed of 3 basic laws which include law of new econom ic regulations, law of financial security and law on financial security. However, the ownership structure of companies in France is concentrated even with the increase in the number of shareholders in the privatized companies (Charreaux and Wirtz, n.d.). The ownership structure of the French listed companies has undergone a huge change. However, the presence of increased institutional investors does not mean that their controlling the capital stakes also increases (Braendle, 2011). In the year 2002, 11.3 percent of the French companies had institutional shareholders as the main shareholders of the company compared to a 40 percent and more in USA and UK companies. According to authors Faccio and

Strategic Planning & Decision Making (SWOT Analysis) PART ONE Assignment

Strategic Planning & Decision Making (SWOT Analysis) PART ONE - Assignment Example The source to be ranked first is Kneer (2009), given that it is a book, reviewed keenly by numerous scholars before being published; thus, it has an attribute of reliability and accuracy. The second source to be preferred is MBA lecutures (2010), since it belongs to a group of lectures who are capable of offering accurate and reliable information. The third source is MarketingTeacher.com (2013) which has reliable information based on ideas gathered from different scholars. The fourth ranked source is Wendel (2012), which is written by a known author, while Quality-Assurance-Solutions.com (2013) is ranked last due to lack of a specific writer. 3. Information gathered from the SWOT analysis can be applied in making strategic decisions since the manager is able to allocate the relevant resource needed to implement the strategies without under application or over application of resources. Moreover, the manager is able to identify the weakness in order to focus on improving and strengths to utilize them for a competitive advantage. On the other hand, there is a need to identify the opportunities in the business environment, in this way the managers can utilize these opportunities at the advantage of the business. The business should also focus on the identifying the threats faced by the business in order to plan ways for dealing with shortcomings that may arise in future of the businesses. c) European Commission. (2007). SWOT (Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities and Threats) Analysis. For Learn. Retrieved on Jan 20 2012 from

Reading Books Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Reading Books - Essay Example se is recommended because reading books to others has positive effects on children’s academic performance, books are a permanent and ever-lasting source of information, and reading books spurs imagination and creativity in the reader. One of the benefits of reading books is that when they are read to the infants, their communication skills are developed and their concepts of emotions, shapes, and colors are improved. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) research found out that children whose parents read with the children frequently during their first school year have long-lasting positive effects on their reading abilities (â€Å"Reading to children†). â€Å"What kinds of investments should we be making to help these kids get ahead?...The results of this study indicate that getting some books into their homes is an inexpensive way that we can help these children succeed† (Evans cited in â€Å"Resources, Reports and†). One factor that provides books with an edge over other sources of information is their permanence. Books, once written, become permanent. They are not websites or blogs that keep changing or modifying or even inaccessible with the passage of time. This is why â€Å"selecting books to support readers’ abilities benefits teachers and children alike so long as teachers make decisions within and beyond leveled books based upon their understanding of students’ interests and capabilities† (Szymusiak, Sibberson, and Koch 11). Many people in the present age consider television a more interacting, engaging, and informative source as compared to reading books, though this is not entirely and always true. On one hand, television provides the audience with a colorful motion picture; on the other hand, books make the readers think imaginatively since they have to assume the looks of characters, the background, and the specific details of the story like the characters’ homes and other places. Another very important benefit of

Strategic Planning & Decision Making (SWOT Analysis) PART ONE Assignment

Strategic Planning & Decision Making (SWOT Analysis) PART ONE - Assignment Example The source to be ranked first is Kneer (2009), given that it is a book, reviewed keenly by numerous scholars before being published; thus, it has an attribute of reliability and accuracy. The second source to be preferred is MBA lecutures (2010), since it belongs to a group of lectures who are capable of offering accurate and reliable information. The third source is MarketingTeacher.com (2013) which has reliable information based on ideas gathered from different scholars. The fourth ranked source is Wendel (2012), which is written by a known author, while Quality-Assurance-Solutions.com (2013) is ranked last due to lack of a specific writer. 3. Information gathered from the SWOT analysis can be applied in making strategic decisions since the manager is able to allocate the relevant resource needed to implement the strategies without under application or over application of resources. Moreover, the manager is able to identify the weakness in order to focus on improving and strengths to utilize them for a competitive advantage. On the other hand, there is a need to identify the opportunities in the business environment, in this way the managers can utilize these opportunities at the advantage of the business. The business should also focus on the identifying the threats faced by the business in order to plan ways for dealing with shortcomings that may arise in future of the businesses. c) European Commission. (2007). SWOT (Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities and Threats) Analysis. For Learn. Retrieved on Jan 20 2012 from

Software to Support Assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Software to Support Assessment - Essay Example Donnelly, McGarr, & O’Reilly noted that in the quest to arrest the decline in the number of students taking science subjects in higher education the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment highlighted ‘the need to focus on investigative approaches, problem-solving, the assessment of practical work and the effective use of ICT.’ In light of this rapid injection of technology in the teaching and learning arena teachers need to be able to assess not only the software that is on the market for their use but the ability of the technology to effectively assess student learning. Consequently, there is a need to analyze the capacity of technology to facilitate assessment of students’ learning. Tomlinson emphasizes that there may be ‘assessment of learning, assessment for learning, and assessment as learning.’ Ultimately, Tomlinson suggests that assessment is most useful when it is seen as learning because it is then that it most informs the teac hing and learning process. She sees assessment as the ‘beginning of better instruction’. Assessment then is a vital part of the entire teaching learning process. This paper analyses how technology can facilitate both formative and summative assessment of student learning. ... Tomlinson observed that by the time she had given a final grade in a summative assessment the class would have been ‘moving on to a new topic’. She noted that this information could not be effectively utilized because the time for its effectiveness would have been gone. Thus, Tomlinson became ‘a devotee of formative assessment’ which would allow her to correct students’ faults in real time. Finally, Tomlinson views summative assessment as assessment of learning, and formative assessments as assessment for learning. It is difficult for the teacher to use technology for formative assessment since this process occurs almost spontaneously. Nonetheless, the use of the SMART board as highlighted by Debunker allows the teacher and the student to interact in real time. It is easier for summative assessment to be provided through technological means since these are standardized materials which may be given to all students at the end of the year. Using technolo gy to assess student learning is an emerging concepts as such there are a number of teething problems associated with its implementation. Hence, the use of technology to assess student learning brings with it several pros and cons. Technology allows teachers to analyze the scores of students at a faster rate. The use of assessment software allows for greater standardization across the districts. What is more, the students enjoy interacting with the technology. Thus, they will be more comfortable with the use of the technology than with traditional procedures. Two major concerns of the use of technology are the ‘quality’ and the cost of the materials. Williams, Boone, & Kingsley assert that teachers expect producers of educational material to be

The Internet revolution Essay Example for Free

The Internet revolution Essay The economics of information in the 1990s permanently altered the traditional linear supply chain of sources, manufactures, distributors, retailers, and customers via the Web (Pyne 2000, p1). With the emergence of the internet over the past fifteen years, the supply chains for e-retailers have evolved in a similar fashion to the industrial revolution. Unlike traditional brick and mortar retailers, e-retailers supply chains include the front-end interaction, the consumers themselves (Cucuzza and Cherian, 2001). Therefore, it is essential that e-retailers ensure a smooth integration of information between the front-end users and the back-end support functions. To be successful, e-retailers need to provide an efficient marketing strategy to understand the customer buying requirements, and to be able to address them. The role of technology has allowed e-retailers the ability to collect and analyze personal trends of their consumers, although at a possible personal infringement of their cliental. In addition, as superb the front-end model may be, many companies fail today due to insufficiently integrating and ensuring a back-end support function is in place to provide efficient and timely delivery to consumers. This paper will address the e-retailer supply chain addressing both spectrums the consumer relationship management and the supply chain management. Moreover, this paper will also draw upon various companies strategic internet successes as examples. The Beginnings of the Internet Revolution Similar to the Industrial Revolution, where growth was predominately spurred by standardized mechanical interfaces, breaking down procedures into many mini-procedures (Fordism), the Internet Revolution is being stimulated by the standardization of interchangeable business processes (Cucuzza and Cherian 2001, p. 3). The interchangeable business processes are the digital interfaces between e-business tools and the internet. These tools are derived from the improvements in technology, from the storage of digital data to digital information (Cucuzza and Cherian 2001). E-Business. The buzzword E-business has emerged as a new strategic initiative for companies to pursue. E-business can be defined as buying and selling over digital media, and includes both front- and back-office applications to maximize customer value (Kalakota 1999, p4). With increased pressures on companies to perform and ensure quarterly growth, senior management has implemented numerous past initiatives including downsizing, re-organizing, and re-engineered processes to cut costs. Utilizing the benefits of technology to exploit the power of e-business allows for senior management to transform the existing business models. As popular as the internet medium has become for on-line shopping for consumers it is not a perfect system. Consumers are unable to touch, smell, or try on products. They may not be able to determine the quality of products, or how some products may compliment others (for example, ensuring the correct speakers are used for a specific amplifier). Although e-retailers do provide quality reports and analysis, it is not the same as experiencing the sound itself. In addition, payments are electronic and have been prone to security flaws, and the delivery of the goods has been cumbersome at times. These difficulties have become a norm for many e-retailers to develop a sustainable business, however with the use of technology they have been able to create advantages that may not be found within the norms of traditional shopping. Marketing of E-retailers On-line shopping has numerous benefits to the consumers, it reduces time and is more convenient to shop from the luxury of your own home, and provides the consumer with the ability to compare prices, products, and availability. However, although this constitutes an opportunity for retailers, it is also a challenge. The critical success factors include i.) use of customer databases; ii. ) easy ordering and; iii. ) quick delivery (Agrawal, Singh, p. 1538). With the notion that buying on-line is convenient, consumers expect e-retailer websites to be very useful and efficient. With the usage of technology, E-retailers have developed websites that are very informative, and easy to use. E-retailers provide information about the product, quality reports, customer reviews, comparison to substitutes, shipping rates and schedules. All the information is at the click of a button, 24 hours a day. The technology has provided the websites to be more interactive, and with better visuals. It is essential that e-retailers provide additional services including a shopping basket for consumers to keep track of goods that have been selected, and a search engine which allows the consumer to search the website quickly without going through many different internet pages. Moreover, a safe and efficient payment system is required that has data integrity. This system is known as the e-commerce paradox. E-commerce firms must be open and closed at the same time (Awad, 2004). They must be able to share information with suppliers, business to business (B2B), and with business to customers (B2C). E-retailers security includes firewalls, passwords and log-ins, and virtual private networks, as well as intrusion devices (Awad 2004, p. 405). Technology has introduced a honeypot system, which is designed to showcase an artificial environment that lure attackers into thinking they have gained access, giving time for authorities to potentially track down the intruder (Awad 2004, p. 403). Another important aspect for e-retailers to increase the likelihood of consumers purchasing on-line from their websites is Customer Relationship Management. The first step is for e-retailers to develop a strategy that will allow e-retailers to properly promote to their target market, and allow them to focus on customer requirements. However, understanding your customer needs has taken on a new avenue with advancements in technological software. Technology gains have also been demonstrated in the marketing techniques of e-retailing. The concept of buying on-line is still relatively new, and many consumers are still hesitant of it. There is nothing to stop a consumer to research on-line, and then purchase the product at an actual outlet. Research has demonstrated that brand loyalty and price elasticity are less important compared to bricks and mortar shopping as consumers are exposed to a lot of information and therefore they usually look for the best value (Agrawal and Singh, p. 1549). In many instances, a person may abandon her shopping cart in the middle of the checkout process, but for reasons unknown. Forrester Research estimates that 82% of e-retailers depend on consumers to hit the links to their websites and page view to manage the success of their websites, however only 2% of the visitors will actually purchase online (Ismretail 2002, p3). With this in mind, online intelligence has become a technical advancement to achieve. Click-stream technology allows e-retailers to ability to understand abandonment and provide them with the information to react accordingly. By analyzing clickstream data a trail of mouse clicks left by a user who visits a website a retailer can make use of details such as the number of users, where they come from, which pages are visited, the order in which they visited them, how much time was spent on each page, and where they went after your site (Ismretail 2002, p3). This information used properly can assist e-retailers in determining trends of their customers, their similar likes and dislikes, and where their websites can be improved. The information gathered can even determine if the consumer chose to go to a competitor site, and compare prices. This data allows the e-retailer to market accordingly to each individual customer. On Amazon, when an individual purchases a book the company will then analyze the purchase with other recent purchases and then promote other books that may be of interest. This is very similar to the movie Minority Report starring Tom Cruise which is set in the year 2054. There is a scene in the film that shows Cruise walking through a shopping concourse is bombarded with personal advertisements based on marketers analysis on Tom Cruises role individuality. With new technology developed over the past few years (i. e. Clickstream software), consumers will be more closely watched by sites and receiving personalized pitches based on past browsing behavior (Stone 2004, p2). This may stimulate increased purchases, and higher sales for the e-retailer, but could be looked at an infringement on the privacy of consumers. Websites now include Meta data and extensible markup language (XML), which are standards for tagging data on web searches. Although, this may be a positive factor for e-retailers to analyze consumer behavior on an individual basis, the ethical side to this comes in to question. When is it crossing the line on consumers rights? Web analytic companies are now increasingly offering their services from $30,000 to over a $100,000 a year (Stone 2004, p2). More recently, Sportsline. com has used a web analytical company to identify customers dropping out of an American football fantasy pool, which enabled Sportsline to address and improve its processes that led to an increased number of paying customers (Stone 2004, p2). Moreover, technology has led firms such as Atomz to offer advance search engines for e-retailers to attach special promotions to the searched item. PalmOne has recently used this service which has converted the number of searchers to buyers by over 60% (Stone 2004, p2). With the immense competition e-retailers face, other global websites, and the traditional brick and mortar stores, it is important that they cater to their customer needs. The traditional statement that location is everything has little value in e-retailing as all websites have equal distance to their consumers. It is therefore essential that e-retailers seek means to ensure customers return to their websites. The key factors are efficiency, personalization, socialization, and the look and feel of the site (Agrawal and Singh, p. 1537). Although, this may indicate that they may infringe on consumer privacy rights, they have used technology to their benefit to obtain information that is beneficial in making strategic decisions. However, having a strong front-end website does not guarantee success. Once the consumer initiates the first step by purchasing a product, the actual delivery of goods becomes just as important in the supply chain. Back-end System Support Once the e-retailer obtains a client, it is essential that they provide an efficient back-end system that will ensure availability, workable ordering website, and delivery on-time. Accenture international research has indicated that 1 in 4 internet purchases fail due to various reasons (Agrawal and Singh, p. 1549). In the traditional avenue of shopping, many consumers will not go back to a store if the ability to purchase items fails 25% of the time. Accenture has also stated that one of the most common reasons for this failure include that items are usually out of stock, which indicates that the front-end systems are not connected to the back-end support systems (Agrawal and Singh, p. 1549). A seamless integration of all systems, for example, implementing an Enterprise Resource System is required. This integration will allow the e-retailers to advise if the product is in stock, the expected delivery date, and substitute and compliment product availability. Moreover, systems that connect with vendors will advise the e-retailers if the products are in back-order, different characteristics of the product (size and colour) and delivery time. This connection of all information systems now provides the capability to consumers to select from a menu of shipping rates and schedules, and then be able to track the fulfillment of the order in real time. Digital Deconstruction processes have accelerated in that by creating digital interfaces between processes, companies can automate these processes to achieve scale efficiencies unattainable in the past (Cucuzza and Cherian 2001, p. 2). Studies have shown that when customers and vendors share a single system, and orders are entered once, a 75% to 90% reduction in transaction costs occur utilizing a web-based catalog. The different processes include: Preparation of purchasing requirements   Identification of potential suppliers Deliverables specification, volumes, price, delivery, transportation   Fulfillment   Receiving and holding supplies   Relationship building with suppliers (Groucutt and Griseri 2004, p180). The use of technology to improve the efficiency of the supply chain, and ensure customer satisfaction can be demonstrated using company examples. Roundpeak Although the company no longer exists, it was one of the first online retailers who used technology to manage its physical and virtual supply chain. It had partnerships with manufacturers across four countries, air cargo companies, and with warehouse, fulfillment and delivery operators. The numerous B2B partners created a need for Roundpeak to ensure that the various departments in the supply chain communicated accordingly. An online order was instantly fed to the fulfillment house, a packaging and inventory control center, and into a warehousing, inventory, and delivery data system that was accessed by all members of the supply chain. If a customer orders a product, a request to the manufacturer goes out electronically. Once it receives the goods from the manufacturer, a digital signature is sent to authorize receipt, which allows the purchase order and receipt to be matched digitally. The purchase order would then instantly be fed into the accounts payable system where funds are transferred at once. This system was known as the Electronic Bill Presentment and Payment system (EBPP). The benefits included streamlining relationships with suppliers and eliminating redundancies by inputting completed once by the consumer. (Case study developed by Pyne 2000).

External and Internal Factors Essay -- External Internal Factors Manag

External and Internal Factors There are many external and internal factors that impact the planning functions of management. We must all be mindful of these factors because they could have an enormous impact on organizations productivity. The process of assessing the external and internal factors that an organization will face can be vital to the planning function of management. One must determine a set of issues and constraints and then list the assumptions that will impact the implementation of the plan. The environmental assessment develops understanding of external and internal processes that influence the organizations success rate. The purpose of the environmental assessment is to identify and analyze the key trends, forces, and phenomena having a potential impact on the formulation and implementation of strategies. In effect, the environmental assessment attempts to prepare the organization to acclimatize to environmental changes to take advantage of opportunities and to minimize the adverse effects o f threats. Once the environmental assessment is complete, it is analyzed to prioritize issues, constraints and assumptions that could influence the planning function of management. The assessment of external factors analyze outside the physical confines of the enterprise. These factors are beyond the control of the enterprise, and could have significant impact on the planning function of management. The external assessment is performed at a worldwide level and at a metropolitan area level. At the worldwide level, the assessment includes economic trends of national and local economies, social trends, government policies of national and local influence, and technological advancements of the world at large. This includes the impact of our global market, technology advancements throughout the world, and e-business that is rapidly growing. Macro elements are analyzed to uncover issues, constraints and assumptions that could influence the integrated planning function of management. At the metropolitan area level, the assessment includes industry trends, market trends, customer expectations, competitor performance, competitive alternatives, and supplier capabilities. The internal environmental evaluation closely parallels the external evaluation of the environment. The internal evaluation requires gathering and assimilating information about the fi... ...g environment's ethics and culture, with management as its champion. When managers are champions of projects, some things get done. Also, when managers are champions of improvement programs, some more things get done. But when managers champion the culture, a much bigger thing happens. The projects, the programs, the quality journey over time, and the organization, all flourish, and the organization truly transforms itself into a higher quality organization. Because organizations operate as open systems, a relationship between external and internal forces will always exist. Managers must recognize that external and internal forces can be highly interrelated. When managers are able to identify change as well as the external and internal settings in which the change is taking place, the organization will be able to appropriately respond and adopt strategies that will enable the organization to be effective. One should always think critically, and have a mission for your company as a manager. A company without a clear understanding of our global market is a company destined to fail. Set goals for your company. Establish teams to do research and carry forth organizations visions.