Monday, December 30, 2019

Best Quotes About Friendship From the Greatest Thinkers

What is friendship? How many types of friendship can we recognize, and in what degree shall we seek each of them? Many of the greatest philosophers in both ancient and modern times have addressed those questions and neighboring ones. Ancient Philosophers on Friendship   Friendship played a central role in ancient ethics and political philosophy. The following are quotes on the topic from some of the most notable thinkers from ancient Greece and Italy. Aristotle aka AristotelÄ“s NÄ «komakhou kai Phaistidos StageiritÄ“s (384–322 B.C.): In books eight and nine of the Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle divided friendship into three types: Friends for pleasure: Social bonds that are established to enjoy one’s spare time, such as friends for sports or hobbies, friends for dining, or for parties.Friends for benefit: All bonds for which cultivation is primarily motivated by work-related reasons or by civic duties, such as being friends with your colleagues and neighbors.True friends: True friendship and true friends are what Aristotle explains are mirrors to each other and a single soul dwelling in two bodies. In poverty and other misfortunes of life, true friends are a sure refuge. The young they keep out of mischief; to the old, they are a comfort and aid in their weakness, and those in the prime of life, they incite to noble deeds. St. Augustine aka Saint Augustine of Hippo (354–430 A.D.): I want my friend to miss me as long as I miss him.   Cicero aka Marcus Tullius Cicero (106–43 B.C.): A friend is, as it were, a second self. Epicurus (341–270 B.C.):  Ã¢â‚¬Å"It is not so much our friends help that helps us as it is, as the confidence of their help.† Euripides (c.484–c.406 B.C.):  Friends show their love in times of trouble, not in happiness. and Life has no blessing like a prudent friend.   Lucretius aka Titus Lucretius  Carus (c.94–c.55 B.C.):  We are each of us angels with only one wing, and we can only fly by embracing one another. Plautus aka Titus Maccius Plautus (c.254–c.184 B.C.):  Nothing but heaven itself is better than a friend who is really a friend. Plutarch aka Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus (c.45–c.120 A.D.):  I dont need a friend who changes when I change and who nods when I nod; my shadow does that much better.   Pythagoras aka Pythagoras of Samos (c.570–c.490 B.C.): Friends are as companions on a journey, who ought to aid each other to persevere in the road to a happier life. Seneca aka Seneca the Younger or Lucius Annaeus Seneca (c.4 B.C.–65 A.D.:  Friendship always benefits; love sometimes injures. Zeno aka Zeno of Elea (c.490–c.430 BC):  A friend is another self. Modern and Contemporary Philosophy on Friendship   In modern and contemporary philosophy, friendship loses the central role it had played once upon a time. Largely, we may speculate this to be related to the emergence of new forms of social aggregations.  Nonetheless, it is easy to find some good quotes. Francis Bacon (1561–1626): Without friends the world is but a wilderness. There is no man that imparteth his joys to his friend, but he joyeth the more; and no man that imparteth his griefs to his friend, but he grieveth the less. William James (1842–1910):  Human beings are born into this little span of life of which the best thing is its friendship and intimacies, and soon their places will know them no more, and yet they leave their friendships and intimacies with no cultivation, to grow as they will by the roadside, expecting them to keep by force of inertia.   Jean de La Fontaine (1621–1695):  Friendship is the shadow of the evening, which strengthens with the setting sun of life. Clive Staples Lewis (1898–1963):  Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art... It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival. George Santayana (1863–1952):  Friendship is almost always the union of a part of one mind with the part of another; people are friends in spots. Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862):  The language of friendship is not words, but meanings.

Sunday, December 22, 2019

Project Risk Management - 1805 Words

Project Final 1. Why should all projects include risk in their project planning? What are some of the drawbacks if risks are not considered? Technology projects worldwide are costing companies billions of dollars more than they budgeted for, and almost half don’t live up to the clients’ expectations (Kendrick, 2009). Newspapers and business trumpet few project successes, but a massive number of failures. As projects grow larger and more complex with every passing year, their outcome, both successes and failures, become fodder for the media and the competition. Unfortunately, project failures tend to predominate as they not only make sensational stories, but also are far more common. The mismanagement of projects to develop the†¦show more content†¦If this is the case, who is going to do it? In general, what will be the resources we employ for the whole process? | WHY: | What is the point of this analysis? What will be the benefits? | WHAT: | What will be the format? | HOW: | How will we carry it out in terms of the process? | WHEN: | When will we carry it out? | In other words, we will need to define exactly what the Risk Management Process is, including the resource and then to plan how it will be managed. WHO: Make sure we get the backing of senior managers by finding out exactly what is required and getting suitable input from them. In addition, make sure other managers and key staff is involved in the input. This will include technical expertise and the makeup of the risk analysis team. Identify the communication channels and links between the risk analysis team and the other personnel. The nature of the risk analysis team and its remit needs clarification. Do they report to the project manager or do they report to a higher level e.g. the board. If the team reports to the board then they must be able to do this in an objective manner. 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Saturday, December 14, 2019

Implementation of an Information System for a Financial Institution Free Essays

string(45) " the information system and they include: i\." INTRODUCTION Background Ribeiro and David (2001) state that information technology over the years has had a number of significant impact on organizations. Such impacts are: †¢ It has created opportunities for competitive advantages amongst competitors in any industry †¢ It has improved the relationship existing between customers and organizations †¢ It has helped with the development of new products as well as services †¢ It has allowed organizations to perform tasks which would have remained impossible without the use of a computer system. It has reduced the total cost incurred in transaction processing for banks and other financial institutions. We will write a custom essay sample on Implementation of an Information System for a Financial Institution or any similar topic only for you Order Now History of the I. T manager Having applied for the post of the I. T systems manager, listed below are my qualifications and information about my past work experience: †¢ A master’s degree in Information systems with technical background in Windows Server and Desktop technology †¢ Professional qualifications in CISCO and MCSE with an understanding of some server grade applications including IIS, Apache, SharePoint, DNS, SQL and Foundstone Reasonable knowledge of large enterprise LAN/WAN environments †¢ 8 years experience in project management, leadership and organizational skills †¢ 7 years IT managerial experience in other financial institutions †¢ 5 years experience with client technologies †¢ 4 years working experience developing effective IT for financial institutions History of Progress bank Progress bank was established in 1999 and up till now does not have any I. T department in place. Their customer base is relatively small as well as the number of staff. Recently, it mergered with another bank in a bid to make it stronger and this has led to increased operational activities, increased customer base and more staff and a decision to introduce and implement an effective I. T department for the bank. The board decided to set up the department in order to ease their work, to allow free flow of communication between the various departments, to hasten decision making processes, to improve the turn-around time in their daily operational activities. The board members of the bank want the I. T manager to report directly to the Head of Operations of the bank. About 10 – 12 information technology specialists would be required to work with him in the new department and the roles and responsibilities are to develop, maintain and support the banks cash and commercial product management systems, to reconcile accounts, to manage the cash systems and control disbursement of funds. Some recruitment consultants were consulted to help out with the recruitment of appropriate candidates and so far, 8 people have been recruited to work with the I. T manager. These people include network technicians, network assistants, and network engineers. Responsibilities of the I. T manager The major tasks and responsibilities of the I. T manager have been identified to be: 1. Development of an information system for the bank. 2. Coordination, monitoring and supervision of the supporting staff for the development, designing, coding, maintaining and modifying application programs for a limited area and small number of projects. 3. Extensively working with the business units of the bank in support of their business processes, electronic business communication and also transactional needs. . The provision of analytical support for applications-related activities including customer experience, marketing, technology, human resource and also the operations department. 5. Leading the deployment of advanced information technology solutions relating to commercial product needs. 6. Recommendation and suggestion of strategies as well as hardware and software enhancements to increase employee productivities. 7. Administering, recommending and im plementing changes to policies that affect the employees of the various departments. 8. Making the flow of information within the organization easier and faster through the development of the intranet. 9. Making communication a two- way thing i. e. vertical and horizontal. 10. Developing a customer database for the bank. 11. Selecting, developing and evaluating personnel to ensure the efficient and effective operation of assigned functions. 12. Ensuring that the project budget, schedules and performance requirements are completely met. 13. Regular interaction with customers and some peer group managers. 14. Ensuring that the organization operates fully in accordance with the established procedures and practices. How to measure the implementation success The success of the implementation of an information system can be measured by taking note of the following: i. User satisfaction with the system or with the outcomes of using the system. ii. Favorable attitudes on the part of the users towards the system. iii. The overall payoff to the organization. iv. The extent to which the system accomplishes the organizational objectives. Limitations The major limitation to be considered is the cost. It would be costly for the organization to fully introduce and to implement an effective information system. A major factor to be considered is the need for training and development of the existing members of staff of the organization. Training and development sessions, on-the-job training, meetings and discussions need to be arranged for the members of staff in a way that it would not interfere with the day-to-day operational activities. The whole process of change may be a cumbersome one for the employees because they would have to transfer the information and data from the various departments from files which were their major form of storage to the computers. INFORMATION SYSTEM This refers to the interaction between people, processes, data and technology. It refers to the way people interact with technology to support the business processes. Information systems are different from the information and communication technology (ICT) and also from business processes although it has an ICT component and it also helps to control the performance of the business processes (Zhu and Meredith, 1995). An information system can be defined as a work system involving activities that are necessary for the processing (capturing, transmitting, storing, retrieving, manipulating and displaying) information (Wang and Strong, 1996). An information system can be considered as a semi-formal language that supports decision making as well as actions. Components of Information System There are different components of the information system and they include: i. You read "Implementation of an Information System for a Financial Institution" in category "Papers" I. T comprising of the hardware and the software. ii. Data/ Information. iii. Procedures/Policies. iv. People. v. Purpose and vi. Communication Networks. Hardware Standards There are different standards of computer hardware, the hardware consists of the things that can be seen. The standards will be reviewed and revised occasionally based on the emerging desktop technologies and development in software (Avgerou, 2001). It is recognized that in the bank, the ability to share vital information easily and quickly is very important. Apart from the quick sharing of information, the software environment is also important especially those used for word processing, databases for the customers, spreadsheets, network browsing and electronic mail. Therefore, the development of a wide computing infrastructure which is based on good hardware and software standards will improve the day-to-day operational activities and interactivity between the various departments of the bank. The standards would also help facilitate the quick exchange of information as well as important documents both within and outside the bank. According to Stair and Reynolds, the hardware standards are based on the present technology that is available in addition to the present needs of the bank which then applies to both the windows and the mackintosh platforms. However, for each hardware configuration, some considerations have to be made which include: i. Easy connectivity to the bank’s network. ii. Easy connectivity to the external systems and other organizations. iii. The in-house experience with the chosen product and the configuration. v. The maximum period which the machine can effectively function. v. The presence of service provided by external hardware repairers. Different types of computers can be purchased but regardless of the type purchased, the minimum configuration should be: i. Intel core 2 Duo processor. ii. 2 G RAM because we’ll be using windows Vista. iii. 60 GB hard disk. iv. CD – ROM/DVD drive. v. Network connection. vi. 3 years warranty. Because of the nature of the tasks performed by the bank, there will be a need to archive data, so a DVD+R drive is recommended. Recommendations on what to purchase Monitors: Flat panel monitors with high resolutions are recommended due to cost constraint, but as time goes on, we could change them to dual monitors. Printers: HP Laser jet P2015dn (monochrome) and HP Color Laser Jet 2605dn (color) is recommended. Scanners: USB scanners are recommended. Other Peripherals such as Modems, NICs and Drives: From previous experience, a personal relationship has been developed with MNJ Technologies Direct so it is recommended that supplies be purchased from them. Software Standards The software standards have a lot of advantages and these include: 1. An improved data sharing to ensure: . The sharing of data between applications such as word processors, databases, spreadsheets and so on. b. That there are identical resources on each of the desktop to provide easy transfer of information and to serve as a consistent tool-set for all the bank workers. c. A consistency of file format to provide optimal file sharing between individuals, units and departments within the organization. 2. An improved training which focuses on: a. Team training in various courses and workshops for different levels of user proficiency i. e. the introductory, intermediate as well as the advanced stages. b. Computer – based training courses which is centered on selected software packages. 3. An improved support from the I. T support staff to focus on: a. The depth of knowledge of application instead of the breadth of the large number of applicants. b. Product expertise. 4. Smoother software installation and upgrades to ensure: a. The proper installation of the different software for the new computers usually making it a part of the initial hardware installation. b. That routine installation is made instead of a specialized process for each individual resulting in maximization of time and resources. c. That upgrades are tested and properly documented in order to reduce potential incompatibilities. Types of software standards 1. Fully supported software: it is my responsibility as the I. T manager to ensure that the appropriate software is installed, to troubleshoot software problems, to provide training courses and to provide the documentation of selected packages. Office productivity suite includes Microsoft word, Microsoft excel, PowerPoint, Access, and MS Office. i. Electronic mail/calendar ii. Web browser which includes internet explorer 6, safari 1 (Mac OS 10. 2), Firefox 2. iii. Web course development : Desire2Learn. v. Web page development: Dreamweaver MX. v. Image Editing: Adobe Creative Suite 2. 0. vi. Operating Systems: Windows XP and Windows Vista. vii. File transfer: Transmit, Filezilla 1. 7. viii. Other utilities: PowerArchiver 2000, Norton Antivirus 10. 15, Print Key 2000. ix. Network operating system: Netware 6, Microsoft server. x. Network clients: Netware client 4. 9 SP2 (Win XP). 2. Partially supported software: This may include some versions of the fully supported software and in some cases; it includes a new release of a standard application. These includes: i. Mathematical software: Maple 10, Matlab 2006. i. Telnet: Host Explorer (Telnet) 4, Putty (Win). iii. Operating systems: Windows 2000, Mac OS X 10. 3. iv. Statistics: SPSS 15. x, SPSS 12. x, Minitab 15. x. v. Office productivity suite: MS Office XP. 3. Non- supported software: these are some software that the I. T will not install nor provide follow-up support for because they are considered as obsolete. Examples of these include all Microsoft DOS and Windows 3. 1 based software. 4. However, changes will be made regularly by the I. T department to the computer hardware and software standards and this will be communicated to all members of staff. Sufficient time will be allowed for the migration to new standards; changes will also be made regularly to the hardware configurations as technology and prices change and would also be communicated to all members of staff. Operating systems Operating systems are the most important software which runs on the computer. Without it, the application software which is designed to communicate with the hardware through the operating system cannot run. There are different types of operating systems and these can be classified into: a. Single program operating system and . Multi tasking operating system The single program operating system is a type of OS that allows only one program to run at a particular time. This was later converted to the multi tasking operating system because it was found out that it was time consuming and not very practical and professional to close one application in order to open another one especially if you want to copy or transfer data from one application to anothe r. The multi tasking operating system is a type of OS that enables a single user to have more than one applications open at the same time. It usually gives the computer the option of determining how many time slices will be allocated to each program. The main program gets the most and the rest is distributed to the remaining programs depending on their rates of activity. There are basically three types of the multi tasking operating systems. These are: Single user multi tasking systems, real time operating systems and the multi user operating system. The real time operating systems are usually used to control scientific instruments, industrial systems and so on. The user has little control over the activities performed by this type of system. The single user multi tasking system allows a single user to open and run different applications at the same time. Examples of this type are Windows of Microsoft and the Macintosh of apple. Multi user operating systems are systems that give access to the resources on a single computer to many users at the same time. An example of this is the UNIX. However, the operating system that is commonly used are Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP (coming in two versions as the home and the professional), Windows Vista, Windows CE, Apple Macintosh, Unix, Solex etc (Charette, 2005). Network Security The computer networks can either be public or private. They are used daily to conduct transactions and to hasten communications amongst individuals, business and groups within an organization. The networks comprises of ‘nodes’ which can be referred to as ‘client’ terminals and one or more ‘servers’ or ‘host’ computers. They are usually linked by communication systems which could be private which could be used within a company and public which can be accessed by members of the public such as the Internet. However, due to technological advancement, most of the companies host computers can be accessed by employees within the offices over a private communications network outside the offices through normal telephone lines (Tatnall et al. , 2002). Network security can then be described as involving all the activities that the various organizations, institutions, enterprises and so on take to protect the value of their assets and the integrity and continuity of their operations. In order to make the network secure, threats should be identified and strategies put in place to combat them by making use of the different network security tools. Threats to network security There are different threats to network security and they include: a. Viruses: these are computer programs that have been written by programmers with the aim of infecting computers when triggered by a certain event. b. Trojan horse programs: these are delivery vehicles for destructive codes which could appear as a harmless software program or as a useful one. c. Vandals: these are some software applications that can destroy the computer. . Attacks: This could be information-gathering activities which collect data that is used to compromise networks, access attacks which exploit network vulnerabilities gaining entry to e-mails, databases and the corporate network and denial-of-service attacks which prevent access to some part or all parts of the computer system. e. Data interception: This involves the altering of data packets that are being transmitted. Some network security tools that can be put in place include: a. Antivirus software packages: These are used to counter most of the virus threats. They need to be updated regularly in order for it to be effective. b. Secure network infrastructure: firewalls and intrusion detection systems provide protection for all the areas of network hence enabling secure connections. c. Virtual private networks: these are used to provide accessibility control and data encryption between different computers on a particular network. It allows the safe connection of workers to the network without the risk of someone else intercepting the data. d. Encryption: these are used to make sure that messages cannot be read by anyone else other than the authorized recipients. . Identify services: are services that identify users and control their activities as well as their various transactions on the network. Services used here include authentication keys, passwords etc. However, no single solution can protect against the variety of the afore mentioned threats, as a result, multiple layers of the security tools should be put in place. Network security i s usually accomplished through the hardware as well as the software, with constant update of the software to further protect from the emerging threats. In order for the network security system to be effective, it is important to note that all the network security tools work hand in hand to minimize maintenance and to improve security. Client Server Computing Client server computing can be defined as a distributed computing model where the requesting of services from the server processes is done by client applications. Here, both the clients and the servers run of different computers that have been interconnected by a computer network. Basically, it is server software that accepts requests for data from the client software and returns the results to the client. The major focus in client-server computing is on the software. A common example of the client-server computing is the use of the internet which could be the collection of information from the World Wide Web. However, client server computing generally applies to systems in which the organization runs various programs that have multiple components distributed amongst different computers in a particular network. The concept is linked with the enterprise computing which ensures availability of the computing resources. Client server systems are important and useful in the banks because it allows easy accessibility of account information on a central database server amongst other things. This will be very useful in the day-to-day operational activities. All the access is done through a PC client which provides a graphical user interface (GUI). Data such as the individual account numbers can be entered into the GUI along with the different types of transactions made on the account be it withdrawal or deposits. The PC client validates the data, transfers it to the data base server and eventually displays the results. Client Server Toolkits It has been observed that a lot of software toolkits for the effective building of client-server software are available today. These toolkits are referred to as middleware and examples are the Open Software Foundation (OSF) Distributed Computing Environment (DCE), Distributed component object model (DCOM), Message-Oriented Middleware (MOM) and the Transaction processing monitors (TPM). Data Base Management System This is a collection of programs that enables effective storage, modification and extraction of information from a database. Its primary goal is to provide an environment that is convenient and efficient for the storage and the retrieval of information. Different types exist which range from small systems running on personal computers to huge systems running on mainframe computers. Examples of database management system are Microsoft Access, My SQL Server, Oracle and FileMaker Pro. Examples of the use of the database systems include: †¢ Automated teller machines(ATM) †¢ Computerized library systems †¢ Computerized parts inventory systems †¢ Flight reservation systems Employee information systems †¢ Company payroll †¢ Credit card processing systems †¢ Sales tracking systems and so on The internal organization determines the ease and flexibility of information extraction. The requests for information from a database are made in form of a question. This information can be presented in different formats. The database management system includes a report writer program which en ables the output of data in the form of a report; some also include a graphics component which allows the output of information in the form of graphs and charts. The major purpose of a database system is that it provides users with an abstract view of data. Data is usually stored in complex data structures bit users see a simplified view of the data. Model View Controller Model view controller is a design pattern that is used by applications which need the ability to maintain multiple views of data. It focuses on a separation of objects into three categories such as: †¢ Models: for the maintenance of data †¢ Views : for the display of all or a portion of data †¢ Controllers: for the handling of events affecting both the models and the views. Due to the fact that it can be categorized, there can be interactions between multiple views and controllers with the same model and there can also be interactions between new views and controllers that were never in existence with a model without necessarily forcing a change in the design of the model. Model view controller can be represented graphically as shown below: [pic] The controller can change a model or a view or change both due to certain events. When a controller changes the model, all the dependent views update automatically and similarly, when a controller changes a view, the view gets data from the model to update itself. Enterprise resource planning (ERP) This is a term that is used to describe the set of activities supported by multi-module application software that helps businesses and companies to manage the important parts of its business. It is a package that promotes the seamless flow of information in any organization. The information from the ERP system provides visibility for key performance indicators that are necessary for meeting corporate and business objectives. ERP software applications are useful in managing product planning, providing customer service, purchasing, inventories and tracking orders. Enterprise resource planning includes application modules for the finance and the human resources aspects of any business. Typically, it has both modular hardware and software units that communicate on a local area network. This allows a business to add or to reconstruct modules while preserving the integrity of the data. Some of the players in the ERP market are SAP, PeopleSoft etc, while the new comers include Oracle, IBM and the Microsoft. Before an organization implements the ERP, certain issues need to be addressed and they are stated below: †¢ The popular information systems †¢ Fluctuations in the choice of technology The ability of the market players to stay in tune with ERP †¢ The effective ways to implement business applications like ERP †¢ Ways to benefit from it in order to lead to competitive advantage †¢ The necessity for the innovation of software applications All these are important to take note of and will eventually determine the business mod el of the organization. The implementation of ERP is a very crucial factor in the ERP system. The success of a good ERP implementation lies in quicker processes making training very important. The speed and extent of the training eventually determines the worth and the value of the ERP. Decision Support System This is a term that describes computer applications which enhances the user’s abilities to make decisions. It describes a system that is designed to help decision makers identify problems and to make decisions to solve those problems by using information from a combination of raw data, personal knowledge, business models and communications technology (Hanna et. al, 2003). Information that can be gathered and presented by a decision support is: †¢ Comparative sales figures from one period to the other †¢ Projected revenue figures which are usually based on assumptions on new product sales A stock of all the current information assets which could be data sources, data warehouses, data marts etc. Components of Decision Support System According to Bhargava et. al,(1999), the components of Decision Support System can be classified as: †¢ Inputs: which include numbers and characteristics that are used for analysis †¢ User knowledge and exp ertise: which are inputs that require manual analysis by the users †¢ Outputs: which are transformed data that aid the generation of the DSS decisions †¢ Decisions: these are the results generated by the DSS Applications of Decision Support System Decision support system can be used and applied in various fields. Some of them are stated as follows: 1. It can be used for medical diagnosis in the clinics. 2. It is used extensively in business and management to allow faster decision making, better allocation and utilization of resources and the early identification of negative trends which could pose as threats to the organization. 3. It is used in agricultural production systems to facilitate decision making at the farms and at policy levels. 4. It can also be used in forest management for long-term planning. 5. It can be designed to make useful decisions in the stock market or even in the marketing department of the banks to decide which segment or target group to design a product for. It is basically useful in any field where effective organization is necessary. Benefits of Decision Support System Some of the benefits of an effective DSS include: 1. It helps to create competitive advantage amongst an organization’s competitors. 2. It facilitates interpersonal relationships between the employees of a particular organization. 3. It increases control in an organization. 4. It speeds up the process of problem-solving in an organization. . It recognizes the importance of training and development within an organization and it promotes this. 6. It encourages innovative thinking as well as discovery of new areas of the decision maker hence improving motivation of the employee CONCLUSION It is worthy to note that the implementation of an effective information system is a continuous process t hat starts from the period the original suggestion was made and continues in the system as new users are introduced. Implementation plays a major role in the management of information technology and as such steps should be taken that it is done properly. REFERENCES Avgerou, C. , (2001). The significance of context in information systems and organizational change. Information systems Journal, Vol 11, pp 43 – 63. Bhargava, H. K. , Sridhar, S. Herrick, C. (1999). Beyond spreadsheets: Tools for building decision support systems. IEEE Computer, 32(3), 31-39. Charette, R. N. (September 2005). Why software Fails. IEEE Spectrum. Hanna, M. M. , Ahuja, R. K. Winston, W. L. (2003). Developing spreadsheet-based decision support systems using VBA for Excel. Gainesville, USA: Innovation Center. Ribeiro, L. David, G. (2001). Impact of the information system on the pedagogical process. Stair, R. M. Reynolds, G. W. (1999). Principles of information systems (4th ed. ). USA, Course Technology – ITP. Tatnall, A. , Davey, B. , Burgess, S. , Davison, A. Wenn, A. (2002). Management information systems -concepts, issues, tools and applications. Melbourne: Data Publishing. Wang, Y. and Strong, D. M. (1996). Beyond Accuracy: What data quality means to data consumers. Journal of Management Information Systems, 12, pp. 5-34. Zhu, Z. and Meredith, P. H. (1995). Defining critical elements in JIT implementation: a survey. Industrial Management and Data Systems, 95(8), pp. 21-29. How to cite Implementation of an Information System for a Financial Institution, Papers

Thursday, December 5, 2019

Architecture The Victorian Halls Building †Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Architecture The Victorian Halls Building? Answer: Introduction This article discusses Australian architecture and what influenced the styles of the 19th century to the early 20th century period in the context of style and architectural decorum. The article bases its discusses with a focus on the Victorian trades hall building, located in Melbourne and also discusses its structural design and engineering Australian Architecture History Architecture in Australia has largely evolved along the wider Western World architectural trends, albeit with modifications and adaptations to suit the distinct cultural aspects and climatic conditions found in Australia. In the Victorian period between 1840 and 1890, the common architectural style predominant in Australia was the Gothic revival architecture.1 The Gothic revival architecture was largely used in religious buildings (churches), university buildings and even banks and is characterized by pointed arches in doors and windows, decorative elements and roof gables and/ or pitched roofs. Following this period, the late Victorian architecture was largely use; however, the early 20th century saw a shift to the modernist style, with modifications and adaptations to suit the Australian climate and culture. 2 Orientalism in Australian Architecture The building was constructed over a long time period, from 1973 to 1926, with its original 1870s style prominent, but orientalism architecture also included. The building is made using quality materials with brick walls having unpainted cement rendered finish and blue-stone foundations.3 The building has Corinthian pilasters with Orientalism depicted in its urns and bandstands. The orientalist designs are thus an important aspect of the building1 Conclusion The Victorian Trade hall Building is based largely on the late Victorian style that evolves from the early Gothic style; orientalism elements are used in the building as shown bu its urns and bandstands, with high quality materials being used. The building has brick walls with cement render finish that is unpainted [1] References Edquist, Harriet, and Elizabeth Grierson. 2012. A skilled hand and cultivated mind: a guide to the architecture and art of RMIT University. Melbourne: RMIT University Press. MacKenzie, John M. 2007. Orientalism: history, theory and the arts. Manchester [u.a.]: Manchester Univ. Press. Willis, Julie, and Philip Goad. 2012. The Encyclopedia of Australian Architecture. Willis, Julie, and Philip Goad. 2012. The Encyclopedia of Australian Architecture. MacKenzie, John M. 2007. Orientalism: history, theory and the arts. Manchester [u.a.]: Manchester Univ. Press. Edquist, Harriet, and Elizabeth Grierson. 2012. A skilled hand and cultivated mind: a guide to the architecture and art of RMIT University. Melbourne: RMIT University Press.

Thursday, November 28, 2019

My Passion free essay sample

Crisscross apple sauce upon the bed, elbows drawn to the knees, paper rests in lap, and a pen ever so gently pressed at my lips. My mind churns and processes different phrases, and tries to put the words together to create harmony. Suddenly it clicks, my pen hits the page and off I go again on a tangent. Once inspiration hits, nothing can stop me. With my pen in hand, my mind is my most powerful weapon; I am a force to be reckoned with. I am a girl on a mission to unleash bold, daring work. I discovered my gift for writing in fifth grade through poetry, but I rarely took up the rhyming style, I never favored it. That year I wrote a children’s book full of short poems modeled after Shel Silverstein’s book A Light in the Attic. A favorite topic of mine is nature. I feel that it is impossible to grasp and capture that sort of beauty but the challenge is worth it. We will write a custom essay sample on My Passion or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Quickly after that I moved on to song writing, like many songs of today, the main topic was love. Depending on my mood, I would jump back and forth from poem to song. In seventh grade I had to write a memoir for English. I had chosen something near and dear to my heart, my dog’s death. The emotional toll that memoir spoke with surprised me. Every time someone reads it they start to tear up. I never realized how much my writing could affect someone until that day. During portfolio night that year the comments I received warmed my heart and excited me as they first took notice of my hundred and then commented on how my memoir was their favorite piece. I have written some short stories since but I mainly stick to poetry and songs. When I hear of my work inspiring others, or being able to help them through a rough patch in their lives it puts a smile on my face. My most challenging long term writing piece is the book that I’m writing, Dangerous Dreams. Coming up with ideas for the book is not the difficult part it’s keeping up with it; that’s a challenge. I’ve been writing my book since seventh grade but with a full schedule there’re times that I have to put it down and set it aside for long periods of time. Over the summer I had a surge of energy, I became addicted to writing my book. When I wasn’t writing it I would be thinking about writing it or I would go into great detail on different character developments. I found myself thinking about another part of the book as I was writing an earlier chapter. Even my dreams were consumed by my book. I would wake up after having a dream of one of the characters wearing an outfit and I would immediately sketch it out so not to forget it. I read so much that I want to give back to the world of literature and be able to take people away to a different world to escape the one that they’re in now. I love the feel of a pen in my hand soaring across my paper. The way it lays so loose and free in my grasp. The feeling of freedom, power, individuality, is enveloped within a small tool that I have mastered. I constantly wish to enhance my ability to write I wish to challenge myself daily and look at things in ways myself and others haven’t before. I want to give back to people the way people gave to me. I wish to feed the minds and souls of people everywhere to inspire them to be the best that they can be and never give up. There is no better feeling in the world than to know that something you wrote inspired someone or gave them the strength to get up in the morning and move on with their lives. I can promise that no matter how bad things may be now, there is always going to be a better day around the corner, it‘s just a matter of getting there. The fresh smear of ink on my hands and a paper being filled with my ideas; that’s where I belong no amount of emotio ns can ever describe it better than that because it’s the simple truth.

Monday, November 25, 2019

Free Essays on Persusasive Speeches Are Bad Assignments

There is no logical reason to write a persuasive speech for an English class. Persuasive speeches definitely do not need to be a requirement for high school students. The definition of â€Å"persuade† in The Macquarie Dictionary is: To induce one to believe or do something; to argue into an opinion or procedure; to plead with, urge. I have always thought that someone who let his own opinion be changed by someone else is a person who lacks a strong will. I understand that some people have a certain talent for convincing other people, but I personally would not change my mind about a subject unless I was unsure about that subject in the first place. I became aware of one personal trait when writing this paper that is I do not really care about much. I have no intention of letting other people know about the few things that I do care about either. I found it pointless to try to write a persuasive speech about a subject for which I do not care. The only thing I could think to try to convince people to do was to refuse to write a persuasive speech ever again. I faced a kind of moral paradox with this, though. If I wrote a persuasive speech telling people not to write persuasive speeches, what kind of example would I be? I was convinced that I was not going to do this paper, but in a showing of my own lack of will. I realise that teachers would be angry about this somewhat counterproductive speech, but nevertheless students should refuse to write persuasive speeches unless their own will convinces them to do so. People of my age do not really have many reasons to complain. Most persuasive essays written by adolescents are fluff in the eyes of authority anyway. Sure, you could write a persuasive essay about plenty of subjects. For example, â€Å"Kids should be allowed to skateboard anywhere they want.† It's a perfectly fine essay for someone who really cares about it. The problem is that most of the authorities who would decide where... Free Essays on Persusasive Speeches Are Bad Assignments Free Essays on Persusasive Speeches Are Bad Assignments There is no logical reason to write a persuasive speech for an English class. Persuasive speeches definitely do not need to be a requirement for high school students. The definition of â€Å"persuade† in The Macquarie Dictionary is: To induce one to believe or do something; to argue into an opinion or procedure; to plead with, urge. I have always thought that someone who let his own opinion be changed by someone else is a person who lacks a strong will. I understand that some people have a certain talent for convincing other people, but I personally would not change my mind about a subject unless I was unsure about that subject in the first place. I became aware of one personal trait when writing this paper that is I do not really care about much. I have no intention of letting other people know about the few things that I do care about either. I found it pointless to try to write a persuasive speech about a subject for which I do not care. The only thing I could think to try to convince people to do was to refuse to write a persuasive speech ever again. I faced a kind of moral paradox with this, though. If I wrote a persuasive speech telling people not to write persuasive speeches, what kind of example would I be? I was convinced that I was not going to do this paper, but in a showing of my own lack of will. I realise that teachers would be angry about this somewhat counterproductive speech, but nevertheless students should refuse to write persuasive speeches unless their own will convinces them to do so. People of my age do not really have many reasons to complain. Most persuasive essays written by adolescents are fluff in the eyes of authority anyway. Sure, you could write a persuasive essay about plenty of subjects. For example, â€Å"Kids should be allowed to skateboard anywhere they want.† It's a perfectly fine essay for someone who really cares about it. The problem is that most of the authorities who would decide where...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

UK Mobile Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

UK Mobile Industry - Essay Example In recent years however, the number of potential new customers have fallen drastically therefore customer base has become the most critical resource for mobile operators for sustained profitability. As the scope for acquiring first time users decreases, operators increasingly rely on luring customers who choose to switch networks while at the same time minimizing their own churn rates. The UK telecom market is one of the most dynamic and competitive market in the world. Mobile penetration rates hover around 76%, there are four players operating in the market vying for almost the entire UK population. The key players besides Orange are: Vodafone: The global telecom giant is the largest company in Britain, in terms of market capitalization. It poses strong competition for Orange, as its market share of 25% is marginally less than that of Orange. Recent developments at Vodafone Plc, like the tie up with Google for introducing search and mapping services on phones should be especially taken note of by Orange. One2One: One2One forayed into the UK market in '93.It has a substantial market presence, as 20% of the total mobile users are One2One users. In terms of network coverage, it has the lowest coverage among the four operators. A huge proportion of its subscribers are "pay as you go". Virgin: Although a separate service operator, Virgin uses the One2One network. It offers only "pay as you go" packages. Briefly, the characteristics of the UK telecom market are: 1. UK mobile services prices are relatively cheap compared to other OECD countries. 2. Consumer satisfaction levels with the key mobile players are high. 3. Competetion based on quality is another characteristic of the UK mobile market. 4. Penetration rate is 76% which indicates less scope for growth. Challenges faced by mobile operators in UK. 1. Formal regulation of the mobile sector is proposed to be reduced to minimum. 2. Consumer awareness of different packages and tariffs remains low. 3. Prices of "off net calls" between different networks and international roaming rates remain particularly high. 4. Full benefits of mobile number portability are yet to be realized, as the practice of locking handsets to SIM cards inhibits the consumer's ability to switch networks. 5. Massive investments in 3G services have been made but the prospect of return on investment remains uncertain. Orange The largest of UK's four mobile operators, Orange UK has been a success story. It has defended the top slot in one of the most dynamic marketplaces of Europe, despite being the fourth entrant. The main drivers have been-clear and comprehensive pricing policies, attractive service plans and excellent customer service.Also, Orange UK is one of the most recognized brands in England possessing a lot of leverage. Product Range and Service Portfolio In the voice services segment, two main types of services are available from Orange. "Pay as you go" is a scheme in which no monthly rental or obligation has to paid, customers are only billed for their call

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

The Business Relationship between Nathan and Frank Essay

The Business Relationship between Nathan and Frank - Essay Example Ethical codes seek to set standards of fair and reasonable behavior throughout the supply chain, or in the attitude towards the employee or customer. Application: Application of the law is complicated by reality, because as the case of Frank and Nathan shows, a business is by nature made up of many different individuals. Moral and economic values differ from person to person within a business situation. A business is a large organizational structure, and within this structure, there may be individuals who are inspired to behave unethically for any number of reasons—here, we are not given Frank’s reasons, but he is clearly going back on his word and breaking his promise about payment, which is unethical. He has his own reasons. Many of these reasons have to do with the goals of the individual. For example, if a person views monetary gain as their main purpose, they may be willing to put ethical issues aside in order to reach their goal with maximum efficiency, to reach their short term goals and gain advantage. They may not pay attention to the code of ethics at all, and I think this is something Frank did in the cas e. Conclusion: One potential obstacle to a strictly legal solution is that, despite the prevalence of scientific and then panoptic programs throughout the twentieth century, corruption has continued to be a strong force in the business landscape including restaurant supply and services. Part of this may be habitual: much of the graft that goes on in this environment is accepted as a sort of ritual that is basically harmless, or â€Å"honest graft.† Issue 1: Frank is certainly not showing appropriate management in his conduct towards a valued customer who is supposed to receive a discount. Then again, it could also be argued that Nathan was not being ethical either, because he did not double check, get a paper

Monday, November 18, 2019

Communication class Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Communication class - Assignment Example In the long run, such power produces dysfunctional behavior. The film The Lion King is replete with scenes that exhibit the use of coercive power. This is evident in the way Simba forcefully grabs the throne of Pride Lands and uses coercive power in his rule. Following the death of Musafa, Scar takes over the throne of Pride Lands. Under his leadership, he exhibits a high degree of coercive power. For instance, Zazu is confined to a bone cage singing while Scar lazily lies about chewing on bones ("Internet Movie Database").when Zazu complains of his predicament and mentions that he never experienced the same under Mufasa, Scar scolds him and reminds him that the law requires them never to mention Mufasa’s name. Meanwhile, as Shenzi, Banzai and Ed complain about scarcity of food and water as well as the refusal of lionesses to hunt, Scar solution to them is to eat Zulu. Thus, it is evident that coercive power results in an atmosphere of insecurity and fear. When Scar confronts and asks Sarabi why the lionesses had refused to hunt, Sarabi answers that the herds had opted to leave Pride Rock. She then compares him to Mufasa. This angers Scar, who cruelly hits Sarabi. This typifies the fact that coercive power reduces people’s satisfaction with their jobs and therefore leads to lack of commitment and general withdrawal. Another instance where coercive power is manifested in the movie is the scene of Simba’s arrives in the Pride Land to take his rightful throne. On his arrival, Simba confronts Scar, and demands that he steps down from the throne or fight. The use of the threat of violence clearly depicts the use of coercive power. Even so, Scar retreats back by prompting Simba to confess who was responsible for Mufasa’s death ("Internet Movie Database"). In this regard, Simba confessed that he was responsible for Mufasa’s death, though it was accidental. This prompts Mufasa to use coercive power so as to maintain the throne. Thus, he accuses

Friday, November 15, 2019

Soft Skills Importance in Organisations

Soft Skills Importance in Organisations 1 Introduction Background 1.1 Introduction Business concerns with people. Its about communication, coordination and relationship. Although business success is based upon logical acts and thoughts, the human element cannot be ignored (Armstrong, 2006). Thats why strong soft skills are vitally important. Organisations and businesses are established with one thing in mind that is to earn revenue for their stakeholders. Revenue is earned by selling products or providing services to its customers and clients. Businesses flourish because they have products or services to sell which their customers buy in return for profits. To compete or to survive in the competitive business environment, its critical for any organization to satisfy the customer needs. Service is often considered an important aspect of satisfaction of customer as well as a significant contribution. Customer satisfaction is an important aspect for business profitability (Armstrong, 2006). It is the satisfaction of the customers that keep them loyal and any good serv ice provided by the organisation help it to retain customers that in turn ends in high profitability. Increased competition and customer expectations have forced the companies to frequently provide good customer value and service. This has pressurised the businesses to focus more on customer satisfaction (Gerson, 1993). According to Phillips (1991), customer service is the base for a flourishing business and training is the services cornerstone. Quality product with just price attracts customers but it is not enough. Organisations came to realize that consumers decision to buy this product also depends upon the service or treatment that he/she has received. The importance of customer satisfaction is also a key element in service only industry. Thats why a strong emphasis has been put on soft skills and organisations lay a great importance for employees to acquire soft skills specially the ones who deal with customers. With the growing significance on quickly intensifying service sector; organisations recognized the soft skills importance and they are paying special attention to the softer side of their interaction with consumers. Training of employees especially in soft skills is vital for any organisation and it helps in overall employee improvement as well as development. The need and value for so ft skills development for employees has always been accepted by many organisations (Guirdham, 1999). Training also contributes towards development of employees and and plays an important role in their satisfaction. It helps to acquire new skills or polish the existing ones (Green, 2001). Organisational structures are influenced by customer oriented market and constantly changing environment that is leading the organisations to rely on soft skills training for employees. Organisation structures are necessary to support the effort of training managers and trainee employees. It also makes possible the effective performance of key training activities. Culture of an organization also plays an important part in assessing the needs and requirements for training and development. It also puts a positive pressure on organizational behavior and influences it. It also helps in producing high level of business performance. Culture is what makes an organisation unique and that differentiate it fr om other organizations. The stronger the culture is, the more effective the organization. Training equips organization with flexibility and durability required for growth and survival. Environmental pressures forces an organisation towards change. Training provides adaptability to change and answer to the challenge on how to adjust to change (Ulrich, 1998). Change and training is worthless if employees are not involved properly. Employees are regarded the most valued assets especially which are skilled in soft skills, as the nature of business changes. When organizational change occurs, major alteration and modifications in the policy of the management need to be reflected in the training theory. It is very essential for any organization to realize its environments dynamics and adjust to the changing requirements the internal or external environment (Bhattacharyya, 2007). Leadership is necessary for creating change and can produce orderly change. Leaders are expected to focus on taking the organization forward. Leadership in todays environment is a tough business. Organi zational leaders face a number of significant challenges as their jobs and the world around them become increasingly complex (Murphy and Riggio, 2003). In business, a rapidly shifting economic environment, changing demands of customers and increasing market competition has become normal. To compete, business leaders must continuously increase their performance by any measure. Organisations should work to assure that people in the company work flexibly in the response to change. Trained employees will respond positively to the change and employees that are skilled with both hard and soft skills can work more effectively in achieving organisational overall objectives. Studies have found a relationship between organisations productivity and employee satisfaction and also between satisfaction of employees and customers (Allen and Wilburn,). Satisfied employees can generate satisfied customers. Valued and satisfied employees make more contributions to the organizations performance. They are more productive and work more effectively. If they are satisfied with their job and working conditions, they will serve the customer needs more carefully and efficiently. To get an accurate picture of the service quality delivered; an organisation measure customer satisfaction and experience. Customer satisfaction measurement is about how customer perceives an organizations performance. Measuring customer satisfaction helps in finding out customer needs and determining customers problems. It also assists in improving product and quality of service that in turn leads to more satisfaction of customers. As with customer satisfaction measurement, training evaluation is equally important. Training evaluation is a way to gather information by which the organizations make decisions about training actions (Armstrong, 2008). Businesses apply evaluation of performance appraisal to calculate work performance and effectiveness of an employee, which can help in defining and developing training needs for the organisations. 1.2 Study Purpose The main idea of this dissertation is to investigate the soft skills importance for organisations working in the constantly changing customer oriented market. The significance of soft skills training for customer focused organisations was never felt before. Growing economical environment and customers high expectations forced the organizations to recognise the need of soft skills and soft skills training for employees (Muir, 2004). The other reasons for writing this research paper include examining companies relations with employees and consumers and its effect on satisfaction level of customers. The research focuses on employees soft skills development relating to changing nature of organisation culture. Effects of internal and external environmental factors on organisations functions and policies are also discussed. This paper also examined and argued on roles and responsibilities of HR professionals like HR managers for planning and developing HR strategies and policies. Aspects o f leadership are considered in details, like leading through change, motivating in employee relations and influencing during training and development. The writer has evaluated and related literature review with case-studies of Mobilezone Ltd and United Mobiles Ltd and concluded on the training and developing soft skills benefits and subsequent effects on employee and customer satisfaction. The research paper has analyzed critically on the training of soft skills and its impact on its staff and consumers. In the end the researcher has assessed customer satisfaction and evaluated training by use of research methodologies. The writer has tried to take several authors views on above mentioned subjects. Authors ideas and theories are not only mentioned but debated. The researcher provided point of view of different writers and counter arguments of some scholars on related. 1.3 Companys Overview The organisations selected for this dissertation are in the growing stages with different structures, cultures, and management and leadership styles. Their approaches towards customer satisfaction by training employees in soft skills differ from one another. Both companies are leading mobile phone sellers and service providers in Delhi region of India. The names of the companies are Mobilezone Ltd and United Mobiles Ltd. Both the companies are new to this field. They started their business and launched their operations with the growing demand for telecommunication sector in India. 1.3.1 Mobilezone Ltd Mobile Zone was established in 2002 with the vision of bringing top mobile brands, latest products, and to provide high quality services. It provides quality products of top mobile phone brands in India. Unlike its competitors, it planned its entry with a thorough and careful market research and its employees were well trained before the business actually started. In just 7 years of its existence, it gained a good market share and enjoys a commanding position in mobile phone market in Capital region. With main office in the heart of the city, it has presence in many other areas of Delhi through sales and service centres. Apart from providing services face to face it deals with customer problems and queries via call centre. It employees highly qualified and trained sales and service staff. There are total of 150 employees in the main office and service centres. 1.3.2 United Mobiles Ltd United Mobiles Ltd has also started their business in 2002 just a moth prior to its competitor. In contrast to its competitor, it was fairly new to this business and its staff had little experience in this business field. It also enjoys a market share in the area and earns good profits. Just like its competitors it has sales and service centres in different parts of the city. Its call centre is located in the main office. It employees around 100 staff at main office and service centres (excluding cleaning and maintenance jobs). 1.4 Selection of Topic Research was undertaken before deciding which topic area to select. After initial research on wide range of topics, discussions of ideas with colleagues and friends, browsing internet and libraries, exploring different dissertation of previous years and finally weighing opinions and careful thinking; the researcher narrowed down the topic and selected this specific research. The main motive for selecting the topic was that this covered a lot of subjects within, and extensive data material was available from different sources. The other reasons include the researchers own personal experience in the field and work experience in one of the companies; and the available ease for carrying out data collection research. 1.5 Project paper usefulness The research project can be useful for reference purposes for later projects and studies by the students. This research was conducted with the management help, so this study can also be useful for comparing companies results with its updated analysis. The companies can use it as a guideline to take improvement measures and modifications. The theory and research of this paper can also be of some assistance for companies and other researcher alike. 1.6 Aim and objectives Aim: To study and examine the importance of training soft skills in organisations in terms of customer satisfaction. Following are the research objectives: Examine and analyze the existing literature on employee training and development with specific focus on soft skills and customer satisfaction. Summarize the main subject matter of the findings and provide recommendations to the company on the conclusion. Determine the extent employees soft skills can be improved by training; and the degree of influence of skilled employees on the tendency of customers. Appreciate the contribution of internal and external factors towards skills training and development. Evaluate training and measure employee and customer satisfaction using available research methods. 1.7 Layout of research paper Chapter 1 is research paper introduction. The background and overview of the research undertaken, has been given by the writer. Research purpose, objectives, usefulness of the research paper, selection of topic and companys overview has been proposed. Chapter 2 encompasses the review of literature that includes the body of discussion. This section has further been divided into parts which are related and relevant. Research of soft skills, training and development, change, organisations structure and culture, HR professionals and leaders roles and responsibilities, employee relations and customer satisfaction; has been put forward and discussed and explained in details. This section has been critically analyzed, taking into account different perspectives. Different scholars and writers work has been taken into account, and comments and arguments were put forward by the researcher. Chapter 3 consists of review of methodology. Different research methods which could have been useful are discussed and weighed. Selection of appropriate methods and reasons for selection and rejection of research methods are presented in summary. Arguments and benefits for selected methods are also given. Sampling, tools of research, designs, models and other related techniques are also explained in this section. Chapter 4 comprises data analysis that the researcher collected and its significance in terms of reaching the explicit conclusions. Data gathered from interviews, questionnaires and other sources is analysed critically analysed. All the results are presented graphically. Comparison o results are also made in this section. Chapter 5 is summary, conclusions and recommendations. All the data in first 4 chapters has been summarised and concluded in this chapter, drawing together the threads of research project and the main things found out in data collection. Recommendations has been proposed after taking into consideration all the summarised research that gives detailed insight into the related research criteria. The researcher has also highlighted the areas the companies can focus in future to improve its business performance. 2 Literature Review: 2.1 Introduction: Organisations survive, grow and earn profits by meeting the needs and requirement of customers. To survive in the ever changing environment, it is critical for any organisation to satisfy the needs of the customers (Mullins, 2007). Consumers decision to buy this product also depends upon the service or treatment provided by the company. Thats why companies put a great emphasis on its employees training of skills as well as continuous development over the years; especially for the ones which provide service directly or interact with customers often. Organisations have started emphasising on soft skills importance for services and they are laying a great importance for employees to acquire soft skills. Training of employees in soft skills is vital for any organisation as it aid in employee development (Guirdham, 1999). Customer oriented market and changing environment has influence on the organization structure that leads to increased reliance on skills development. Organisation structures are necessary to support the effort of training managers and trainee employees (Armstrong, 2008). It also makes possible the effective performance of key training activities. Organisational structures are influenced by customer oriented market and constantly changing environment that is leading to more dependence on soft skills training for employees. Culture of an organization also plays an important part in assessing the needs and requirements for training and development. It also puts a positive pressure on organizational behavior and influences it. It also helps in producing high level of business performance. Change and training is worthless if employees are not involved properly (Armstrong, 2008). Employees are regarded the most valued assets especially which are skilled in soft skills, as the business nat ure organization itself changes. The role of managers and leaders are very important in development of employees. Leadership is necessary for creating change and can produce orderly change. Leaders are expected to focus on taking the organization forward. To get an accurate picture of the service quality delivered; an organisation measure customer satisfaction and experience (Bratton and Gold, 2001). Training is also evaluated to measure the employee work performance and effectiveness (Beardwell et al. 2007). 2.2. Training and Development Armsrtong (2008) defines employee development as a process to prepare organization employees for future responsibilities related to job. This may include training (formal or informal, mentoring, education, coaching etc. Training and development of employees is a HRM activity. HRM is concerned with personnel management and staff development in a company and is normally carried out by HR professionals e.g. HR managers (Armstrong, 2006). The nature of work HR carries out differs from one business to another and is effected by size and structure of the company. Talented pools of workers are always required by an organisation to compete successfully in todays highly competitive market (Bratton and Gold, 2001). Company can achieve and maintain this competitive advantage by regularly upgrading the workforce skills. Training and development is a never ending challenge that a company must address (Wilson, 2006). The development of employee skills is one of the most imperative tasks in which a n organisation can engage (Molander and Winterton, 2006). Effective training is paramount for survival and growth of a business. Training is not just about developing people but serving them to become more positive and capable in their jobs as well confident in their lives. The field of training is a fast growing sector of human life and has come of age as a profession. There are many motives for training and developing employees. It can be started for a variety of reasons for employees e.g. to facilitate an employee to be qualified for a planned change. It can be carried out as part of an employees professional development program or performance improvement (Rae, 1999). The training need has always been present in every walk of life and today the need is so much greater. There could be any reason but important are probably: the pace at which change is happening in every field of business life, and the employers attitude and the attitude of the individuals (Pont, 2003). Training is not only essential to create skilled force but also needed to maintain a high level of skills required by the constantly changing work environment and to equip employees to meet future demands (Stewart, 2996) (Pont, 2003). HR professionals do recognise training and development of an employee is a process that is ongoing but it speed up in case of organisational, cultural or environmental change. This training process involves continuous adjustment to adapt which is achieved from improved skills and increased knowledge (Beardwell et al 2007). The new working system demands completely new approach of thinking and extensive training in new skills (Beardwell and Claydon, 2007). The importance of training has long been recognized. The need for training is more prominent given todays business climate which affects the economy and society at large. The most simplistic definition of training is that it is an activity that changes peoples behaviour. Training is defined by Wilson (2006) as a planned process to modify employee knowledge, skill, attitude and behaviour through learning to gain performance. Employee is trained to make sure that organizations current or future needs are met. Training can equip employees to do their jobs, perform their tasks and handle complex products and services. In Bramleys (2003) words, training involves learning and educating employee to do something so that the things are done differently. He and (Wilson, 1999) further explains that training process is planned to facilitate education to help employees develop into more effective and efficient in performing their duties and completing their work. According to the CIPD, training is expected to equip workers to help them become strategically unique, in addition to the provision of skills, attitudes and knowledge required to attain operational efficiency. The foundation for training remains the traditional training process system. This involves: 1. identifying the needs for training and development of the company; 2. Planning training or devising a learning plan; 3. Carrying out or delivering training and 4. Assessing and evaluating outcomes/results. A training-need-analysis is the first step in identifying the types of programs that will further organisations goals, which helps to decide whether training is appropriate at all. The organisations have to assess why they need training. Is the current organisational deficiency that the training seeks to address really due to lack of skills and knowledge or some deeper problems? Frequently, organisations implement training program because a HR professional identifies an individual or business need (Smith and Mazin, 2004). Then plans are made on how to deliver the program and by which method. Although the terms training and development are often linked, these address slightly different needs. Training focuses on learning the necessary skills and acquiring the knowledge required to perform the job. Training deals with design and delivery of knowledge to improve organization performance. Development focuses on the preparation needed for future jobs; it should be considered investment in the work force since its benefits are long term (Buhler, 2002). Training inclined towards focusing on short term results. Development may inadequately focus on working environment. It is very important for the business to review its training to a broader scenario (Bryans and Smith, 2000). According to Armstrong (2006), people are learning and will continue to do so throughout their career, whether taught formally or as an experience. Mullins (2007) observed that people learn within the organisation and in everyday life situations. Competition, technological advances and organizational devel opment, all necessitate the creation of knowledge that leads to constant advancement. That directs oganizations to take more interest in employee development within evolving organization. Training is the main area of the HRM function of particular importance and relevant to the management effectiveness. There are not many scholars who argue in opposition to the importance of training as a foremost influence on the organization success. Leading writers have recognised the importance of training as fundamental for management (Bratton and Gold, 2003). Many believed that training employee development is a key factor of HRM within organization. Training as described by Keep (1989 cited by Wilkinson, 2006), is a litmus test against which managements characteristics practices can be measured. Other advantages of staffs training and development includes: increased employee morale, motivation and job satisfaction, increased efficiency and effectiveness, increased ability to adopt latest meth ods and technologies, enhanced company image, reduced employee turnover, risk management. The precise staff training at the right timing presents big payoffs for the employer in increased knowledge, productivity, contribution and loyalty (Web 3). Training let the organization to develop and promote its own business culture. It also permits organizations to become accustomed to changes in the working environment and can be used as a change agent (Wilkinson, 2006). Training can improve effectiveness of the organisation in fiercely competitive markets. Training assists in optimizing the development of human resource for employee to achieve the individual as well as organisational objectives (Benson, 2006). It increases the job skills and knowledge of employees and expands the horizons of their intellect and their personality. Training and development also aids in signifying the team spirit sense, team work and inter team relationship. It also helps the company to be effective in decisi on making and solving problem. It also assists in developing leadership skills, loyalty among employees, staff motivation, enhanced attitudes and other features that successful employees normally display (Armstrong, 2008) (Bratton and Gold, 2003) (Jenkins,2002) (Pont, 2003) (Price, 2007). Of course, the basic and main goal of a business is to enhance its value and to increase its stakeholders wealth. It requires effective and efficient use of limited resources available to the organization to achieve theses aims. Resource aavailability (human, physical and financial) are considered important inputs (Bacon Haque, 2008). HR scholars agree that an organisation is only as good as persons working in it but opinions vary on how it translates into practice. Many organisations not only consider training as n chance for employees to learn something but also as an investment that would produce results for business. It also takes money and time to train staff (Bacon Haque, 2008). With a supportive environment and a little encouragement and reinforcement, a business can accomplish the required result on a substantial investment in people. An organized approach is needed in evaluation of needs of training; otherwise organization may not be able to utilize valuable resources eff iciently (Armstrong, 2006). Training matters for a company because of the established links between productivity and skills. Organisations allocate resources for training because of fear of skills shortage. Some scholars like Kallenberg Moody (1994) recognize that investment in employee development result in higher returns in future. Employees are the essential and crucial resource. Its important for an organisation to optimize the employees contribution to the organisations goals and objectives in order to maintain effective performance. Adequate supply of technically and socially competent and proficient staff is only ensured by training and development. Training helps the staff to become capable for career advancement into specialist departments and management positions. Staff training can be on-the-job that is conducted at the trainees workplace, and off-the-job which is carried out away from employees work place (Mullins, 2007). Some employees are naturally gifted in talents w hile others work hard to gain but all can still benefit from learning new techniques. People usually receive a well to do on the job training in one form or another. Some people are good at finding their own paths and procuring the necessary resources and information, many persons learn best by following, observing and asking questions (Smith and Mazin, 2004). Training is not always the answer to problems related to performance. Some training analysts (Rosner, 1999 cited by Smith and Mazin, 2004) believed that training could be a good investment or could be a waste of resources. It is in fact a waste of resources when the desired behaviour does not occur. Thats why training and development doesnt succeed all the time to achieve desired results and in obtaining aims and objectives of the organisation. There can be many causes for the failure but most common are (Web 6): Training is often put into practice for the wrong reasons and seldom aligns to a business measure. If training program does not support the business goals then no improvement can be recorded. Training is thought to be a solution for a range of performance problems when training may not be concern at all. It also fails because it does not succeed to give direction and focus. Sometimes the solution proves too expensive for the desired outcomes. Individuals behaviour towards t raining also plays an important part; e.g. when training is believed just as an event than as enhancement of skills and abilities of the employees, it fails to generate business results. Other important reason for failure is lack of management support (Mullins, 2007). Employees will hardly ever implement new skills and knowledge without it in the workplace. Failure to include and credit other influences and processes apart from training that may have influenced the business outcomes may also be a good reason of failure. Some businesses invest little in training because they dont have enough funds. Other reason is the fear that individuals will leave and move to other companies at some later stage. Few organisations consider recruitment process sufficient and rely on the natural skills of employees rather than training (Harrison, 2005). It is HR managers role and responsibility to develop and implement training strategies and policies. He/she is also involved in people management activities like developing organization, recruitment and selection, talent management, learning and development, human resource planning, knowledge management, reward management, etc (Hyde et al. 2009). Depending on the business nature and size of the company, the HR managers not just have responsibility of training and developing employees but for performance management as well.Training processes take place in the context of internal and the external environment of the organization. Human Resource Managers need to realize the training and developments nature and process to be able to facilitate learning and development within the organisation (Watson, 2006). While providing training, the managers need to recognize the importance and effects organization structure and design because these describe tasks and responsibilities, roles and rela tionships, work and channels of communication (Mullins, 2007). Structure is clearly important for any organization, whatever its size. The aspects that determine how the company functions in relation to its eternal and external environment are its structure and the processes that operate within it. Structures are necessary to support the effort of training managers and trainee employees. It also makes possible the effective performance of key training activities (Hyde et al. 2009). Human Resource Development (HRD) is a name which signifies the newest evolutionary phase in the long custom of training, educating and developing employees. It focuses on the principle of contributing to the success of individual, organisational and societal objectives. According to McLagan (1989 cited in Wilson, 2005) it is the incorporated use of training, career development and development of a company to improve organisational and individual value. HRD gives the business benefits assisting the ability to increase revenue. Companies need to develop a learning culture that responds quickly to the ever changing environment. HRD policies can help the organisation to obtain this objective (Nixon, 2004). 2.3. Soft Skills There are two versions of HRM as explained by Storey (1992). He made the distinction between the soft and hard HRM approaches and describes that although both approaches to HRM emphasise on employees and consider them important for achieving competitive edge that has to be attained, developed and organized in ways that benefits the business. Soft version further focuses on communication, leadership and motivation and lays emphasis on peoples skills, commitment, adaptability and performance (Armstrong, 2006). Organisations that have a mixture of both approaches tend to endure and grow in the competitive business environment. Many schol Soft Skills Importance in Organisations Soft Skills Importance in Organisations 1 Introduction Background 1.1 Introduction Business concerns with people. Its about communication, coordination and relationship. Although business success is based upon logical acts and thoughts, the human element cannot be ignored (Armstrong, 2006). Thats why strong soft skills are vitally important. Organisations and businesses are established with one thing in mind that is to earn revenue for their stakeholders. Revenue is earned by selling products or providing services to its customers and clients. Businesses flourish because they have products or services to sell which their customers buy in return for profits. To compete or to survive in the competitive business environment, its critical for any organization to satisfy the customer needs. Service is often considered an important aspect of satisfaction of customer as well as a significant contribution. Customer satisfaction is an important aspect for business profitability (Armstrong, 2006). It is the satisfaction of the customers that keep them loyal and any good serv ice provided by the organisation help it to retain customers that in turn ends in high profitability. Increased competition and customer expectations have forced the companies to frequently provide good customer value and service. This has pressurised the businesses to focus more on customer satisfaction (Gerson, 1993). According to Phillips (1991), customer service is the base for a flourishing business and training is the services cornerstone. Quality product with just price attracts customers but it is not enough. Organisations came to realize that consumers decision to buy this product also depends upon the service or treatment that he/she has received. The importance of customer satisfaction is also a key element in service only industry. Thats why a strong emphasis has been put on soft skills and organisations lay a great importance for employees to acquire soft skills specially the ones who deal with customers. With the growing significance on quickly intensifying service sector; organisations recognized the soft skills importance and they are paying special attention to the softer side of their interaction with consumers. Training of employees especially in soft skills is vital for any organisation and it helps in overall employee improvement as well as development. The need and value for so ft skills development for employees has always been accepted by many organisations (Guirdham, 1999). Training also contributes towards development of employees and and plays an important role in their satisfaction. It helps to acquire new skills or polish the existing ones (Green, 2001). Organisational structures are influenced by customer oriented market and constantly changing environment that is leading the organisations to rely on soft skills training for employees. Organisation structures are necessary to support the effort of training managers and trainee employees. It also makes possible the effective performance of key training activities. Culture of an organization also plays an important part in assessing the needs and requirements for training and development. It also puts a positive pressure on organizational behavior and influences it. It also helps in producing high level of business performance. Culture is what makes an organisation unique and that differentiate it fr om other organizations. The stronger the culture is, the more effective the organization. Training equips organization with flexibility and durability required for growth and survival. Environmental pressures forces an organisation towards change. Training provides adaptability to change and answer to the challenge on how to adjust to change (Ulrich, 1998). Change and training is worthless if employees are not involved properly. Employees are regarded the most valued assets especially which are skilled in soft skills, as the nature of business changes. When organizational change occurs, major alteration and modifications in the policy of the management need to be reflected in the training theory. It is very essential for any organization to realize its environments dynamics and adjust to the changing requirements the internal or external environment (Bhattacharyya, 2007). Leadership is necessary for creating change and can produce orderly change. Leaders are expected to focus on taking the organization forward. Leadership in todays environment is a tough business. Organi zational leaders face a number of significant challenges as their jobs and the world around them become increasingly complex (Murphy and Riggio, 2003). In business, a rapidly shifting economic environment, changing demands of customers and increasing market competition has become normal. To compete, business leaders must continuously increase their performance by any measure. Organisations should work to assure that people in the company work flexibly in the response to change. Trained employees will respond positively to the change and employees that are skilled with both hard and soft skills can work more effectively in achieving organisational overall objectives. Studies have found a relationship between organisations productivity and employee satisfaction and also between satisfaction of employees and customers (Allen and Wilburn,). Satisfied employees can generate satisfied customers. Valued and satisfied employees make more contributions to the organizations performance. They are more productive and work more effectively. If they are satisfied with their job and working conditions, they will serve the customer needs more carefully and efficiently. To get an accurate picture of the service quality delivered; an organisation measure customer satisfaction and experience. Customer satisfaction measurement is about how customer perceives an organizations performance. Measuring customer satisfaction helps in finding out customer needs and determining customers problems. It also assists in improving product and quality of service that in turn leads to more satisfaction of customers. As with customer satisfaction measurement, training evaluation is equally important. Training evaluation is a way to gather information by which the organizations make decisions about training actions (Armstrong, 2008). Businesses apply evaluation of performance appraisal to calculate work performance and effectiveness of an employee, which can help in defining and developing training needs for the organisations. 1.2 Study Purpose The main idea of this dissertation is to investigate the soft skills importance for organisations working in the constantly changing customer oriented market. The significance of soft skills training for customer focused organisations was never felt before. Growing economical environment and customers high expectations forced the organizations to recognise the need of soft skills and soft skills training for employees (Muir, 2004). The other reasons for writing this research paper include examining companies relations with employees and consumers and its effect on satisfaction level of customers. The research focuses on employees soft skills development relating to changing nature of organisation culture. Effects of internal and external environmental factors on organisations functions and policies are also discussed. This paper also examined and argued on roles and responsibilities of HR professionals like HR managers for planning and developing HR strategies and policies. Aspects o f leadership are considered in details, like leading through change, motivating in employee relations and influencing during training and development. The writer has evaluated and related literature review with case-studies of Mobilezone Ltd and United Mobiles Ltd and concluded on the training and developing soft skills benefits and subsequent effects on employee and customer satisfaction. The research paper has analyzed critically on the training of soft skills and its impact on its staff and consumers. In the end the researcher has assessed customer satisfaction and evaluated training by use of research methodologies. The writer has tried to take several authors views on above mentioned subjects. Authors ideas and theories are not only mentioned but debated. The researcher provided point of view of different writers and counter arguments of some scholars on related. 1.3 Companys Overview The organisations selected for this dissertation are in the growing stages with different structures, cultures, and management and leadership styles. Their approaches towards customer satisfaction by training employees in soft skills differ from one another. Both companies are leading mobile phone sellers and service providers in Delhi region of India. The names of the companies are Mobilezone Ltd and United Mobiles Ltd. Both the companies are new to this field. They started their business and launched their operations with the growing demand for telecommunication sector in India. 1.3.1 Mobilezone Ltd Mobile Zone was established in 2002 with the vision of bringing top mobile brands, latest products, and to provide high quality services. It provides quality products of top mobile phone brands in India. Unlike its competitors, it planned its entry with a thorough and careful market research and its employees were well trained before the business actually started. In just 7 years of its existence, it gained a good market share and enjoys a commanding position in mobile phone market in Capital region. With main office in the heart of the city, it has presence in many other areas of Delhi through sales and service centres. Apart from providing services face to face it deals with customer problems and queries via call centre. It employees highly qualified and trained sales and service staff. There are total of 150 employees in the main office and service centres. 1.3.2 United Mobiles Ltd United Mobiles Ltd has also started their business in 2002 just a moth prior to its competitor. In contrast to its competitor, it was fairly new to this business and its staff had little experience in this business field. It also enjoys a market share in the area and earns good profits. Just like its competitors it has sales and service centres in different parts of the city. Its call centre is located in the main office. It employees around 100 staff at main office and service centres (excluding cleaning and maintenance jobs). 1.4 Selection of Topic Research was undertaken before deciding which topic area to select. After initial research on wide range of topics, discussions of ideas with colleagues and friends, browsing internet and libraries, exploring different dissertation of previous years and finally weighing opinions and careful thinking; the researcher narrowed down the topic and selected this specific research. The main motive for selecting the topic was that this covered a lot of subjects within, and extensive data material was available from different sources. The other reasons include the researchers own personal experience in the field and work experience in one of the companies; and the available ease for carrying out data collection research. 1.5 Project paper usefulness The research project can be useful for reference purposes for later projects and studies by the students. This research was conducted with the management help, so this study can also be useful for comparing companies results with its updated analysis. The companies can use it as a guideline to take improvement measures and modifications. The theory and research of this paper can also be of some assistance for companies and other researcher alike. 1.6 Aim and objectives Aim: To study and examine the importance of training soft skills in organisations in terms of customer satisfaction. Following are the research objectives: Examine and analyze the existing literature on employee training and development with specific focus on soft skills and customer satisfaction. Summarize the main subject matter of the findings and provide recommendations to the company on the conclusion. Determine the extent employees soft skills can be improved by training; and the degree of influence of skilled employees on the tendency of customers. Appreciate the contribution of internal and external factors towards skills training and development. Evaluate training and measure employee and customer satisfaction using available research methods. 1.7 Layout of research paper Chapter 1 is research paper introduction. The background and overview of the research undertaken, has been given by the writer. Research purpose, objectives, usefulness of the research paper, selection of topic and companys overview has been proposed. Chapter 2 encompasses the review of literature that includes the body of discussion. This section has further been divided into parts which are related and relevant. Research of soft skills, training and development, change, organisations structure and culture, HR professionals and leaders roles and responsibilities, employee relations and customer satisfaction; has been put forward and discussed and explained in details. This section has been critically analyzed, taking into account different perspectives. Different scholars and writers work has been taken into account, and comments and arguments were put forward by the researcher. Chapter 3 consists of review of methodology. Different research methods which could have been useful are discussed and weighed. Selection of appropriate methods and reasons for selection and rejection of research methods are presented in summary. Arguments and benefits for selected methods are also given. Sampling, tools of research, designs, models and other related techniques are also explained in this section. Chapter 4 comprises data analysis that the researcher collected and its significance in terms of reaching the explicit conclusions. Data gathered from interviews, questionnaires and other sources is analysed critically analysed. All the results are presented graphically. Comparison o results are also made in this section. Chapter 5 is summary, conclusions and recommendations. All the data in first 4 chapters has been summarised and concluded in this chapter, drawing together the threads of research project and the main things found out in data collection. Recommendations has been proposed after taking into consideration all the summarised research that gives detailed insight into the related research criteria. The researcher has also highlighted the areas the companies can focus in future to improve its business performance. 2 Literature Review: 2.1 Introduction: Organisations survive, grow and earn profits by meeting the needs and requirement of customers. To survive in the ever changing environment, it is critical for any organisation to satisfy the needs of the customers (Mullins, 2007). Consumers decision to buy this product also depends upon the service or treatment provided by the company. Thats why companies put a great emphasis on its employees training of skills as well as continuous development over the years; especially for the ones which provide service directly or interact with customers often. Organisations have started emphasising on soft skills importance for services and they are laying a great importance for employees to acquire soft skills. Training of employees in soft skills is vital for any organisation as it aid in employee development (Guirdham, 1999). Customer oriented market and changing environment has influence on the organization structure that leads to increased reliance on skills development. Organisation structures are necessary to support the effort of training managers and trainee employees (Armstrong, 2008). It also makes possible the effective performance of key training activities. Organisational structures are influenced by customer oriented market and constantly changing environment that is leading to more dependence on soft skills training for employees. Culture of an organization also plays an important part in assessing the needs and requirements for training and development. It also puts a positive pressure on organizational behavior and influences it. It also helps in producing high level of business performance. Change and training is worthless if employees are not involved properly (Armstrong, 2008). Employees are regarded the most valued assets especially which are skilled in soft skills, as the business nat ure organization itself changes. The role of managers and leaders are very important in development of employees. Leadership is necessary for creating change and can produce orderly change. Leaders are expected to focus on taking the organization forward. To get an accurate picture of the service quality delivered; an organisation measure customer satisfaction and experience (Bratton and Gold, 2001). Training is also evaluated to measure the employee work performance and effectiveness (Beardwell et al. 2007). 2.2. Training and Development Armsrtong (2008) defines employee development as a process to prepare organization employees for future responsibilities related to job. This may include training (formal or informal, mentoring, education, coaching etc. Training and development of employees is a HRM activity. HRM is concerned with personnel management and staff development in a company and is normally carried out by HR professionals e.g. HR managers (Armstrong, 2006). The nature of work HR carries out differs from one business to another and is effected by size and structure of the company. Talented pools of workers are always required by an organisation to compete successfully in todays highly competitive market (Bratton and Gold, 2001). Company can achieve and maintain this competitive advantage by regularly upgrading the workforce skills. Training and development is a never ending challenge that a company must address (Wilson, 2006). The development of employee skills is one of the most imperative tasks in which a n organisation can engage (Molander and Winterton, 2006). Effective training is paramount for survival and growth of a business. Training is not just about developing people but serving them to become more positive and capable in their jobs as well confident in their lives. The field of training is a fast growing sector of human life and has come of age as a profession. There are many motives for training and developing employees. It can be started for a variety of reasons for employees e.g. to facilitate an employee to be qualified for a planned change. It can be carried out as part of an employees professional development program or performance improvement (Rae, 1999). The training need has always been present in every walk of life and today the need is so much greater. There could be any reason but important are probably: the pace at which change is happening in every field of business life, and the employers attitude and the attitude of the individuals (Pont, 2003). Training is not only essential to create skilled force but also needed to maintain a high level of skills required by the constantly changing work environment and to equip employees to meet future demands (Stewart, 2996) (Pont, 2003). HR professionals do recognise training and development of an employee is a process that is ongoing but it speed up in case of organisational, cultural or environmental change. This training process involves continuous adjustment to adapt which is achieved from improved skills and increased knowledge (Beardwell et al 2007). The new working system demands completely new approach of thinking and extensive training in new skills (Beardwell and Claydon, 2007). The importance of training has long been recognized. The need for training is more prominent given todays business climate which affects the economy and society at large. The most simplistic definition of training is that it is an activity that changes peoples behaviour. Training is defined by Wilson (2006) as a planned process to modify employee knowledge, skill, attitude and behaviour through learning to gain performance. Employee is trained to make sure that organizations current or future needs are met. Training can equip employees to do their jobs, perform their tasks and handle complex products and services. In Bramleys (2003) words, training involves learning and educating employee to do something so that the things are done differently. He and (Wilson, 1999) further explains that training process is planned to facilitate education to help employees develop into more effective and efficient in performing their duties and completing their work. According to the CIPD, training is expected to equip workers to help them become strategically unique, in addition to the provision of skills, attitudes and knowledge required to attain operational efficiency. The foundation for training remains the traditional training process system. This involves: 1. identifying the needs for training and development of the company; 2. Planning training or devising a learning plan; 3. Carrying out or delivering training and 4. Assessing and evaluating outcomes/results. A training-need-analysis is the first step in identifying the types of programs that will further organisations goals, which helps to decide whether training is appropriate at all. The organisations have to assess why they need training. Is the current organisational deficiency that the training seeks to address really due to lack of skills and knowledge or some deeper problems? Frequently, organisations implement training program because a HR professional identifies an individual or business need (Smith and Mazin, 2004). Then plans are made on how to deliver the program and by which method. Although the terms training and development are often linked, these address slightly different needs. Training focuses on learning the necessary skills and acquiring the knowledge required to perform the job. Training deals with design and delivery of knowledge to improve organization performance. Development focuses on the preparation needed for future jobs; it should be considered investment in the work force since its benefits are long term (Buhler, 2002). Training inclined towards focusing on short term results. Development may inadequately focus on working environment. It is very important for the business to review its training to a broader scenario (Bryans and Smith, 2000). According to Armstrong (2006), people are learning and will continue to do so throughout their career, whether taught formally or as an experience. Mullins (2007) observed that people learn within the organisation and in everyday life situations. Competition, technological advances and organizational devel opment, all necessitate the creation of knowledge that leads to constant advancement. That directs oganizations to take more interest in employee development within evolving organization. Training is the main area of the HRM function of particular importance and relevant to the management effectiveness. There are not many scholars who argue in opposition to the importance of training as a foremost influence on the organization success. Leading writers have recognised the importance of training as fundamental for management (Bratton and Gold, 2003). Many believed that training employee development is a key factor of HRM within organization. Training as described by Keep (1989 cited by Wilkinson, 2006), is a litmus test against which managements characteristics practices can be measured. Other advantages of staffs training and development includes: increased employee morale, motivation and job satisfaction, increased efficiency and effectiveness, increased ability to adopt latest meth ods and technologies, enhanced company image, reduced employee turnover, risk management. The precise staff training at the right timing presents big payoffs for the employer in increased knowledge, productivity, contribution and loyalty (Web 3). Training let the organization to develop and promote its own business culture. It also permits organizations to become accustomed to changes in the working environment and can be used as a change agent (Wilkinson, 2006). Training can improve effectiveness of the organisation in fiercely competitive markets. Training assists in optimizing the development of human resource for employee to achieve the individual as well as organisational objectives (Benson, 2006). It increases the job skills and knowledge of employees and expands the horizons of their intellect and their personality. Training and development also aids in signifying the team spirit sense, team work and inter team relationship. It also helps the company to be effective in decisi on making and solving problem. It also assists in developing leadership skills, loyalty among employees, staff motivation, enhanced attitudes and other features that successful employees normally display (Armstrong, 2008) (Bratton and Gold, 2003) (Jenkins,2002) (Pont, 2003) (Price, 2007). Of course, the basic and main goal of a business is to enhance its value and to increase its stakeholders wealth. It requires effective and efficient use of limited resources available to the organization to achieve theses aims. Resource aavailability (human, physical and financial) are considered important inputs (Bacon Haque, 2008). HR scholars agree that an organisation is only as good as persons working in it but opinions vary on how it translates into practice. Many organisations not only consider training as n chance for employees to learn something but also as an investment that would produce results for business. It also takes money and time to train staff (Bacon Haque, 2008). With a supportive environment and a little encouragement and reinforcement, a business can accomplish the required result on a substantial investment in people. An organized approach is needed in evaluation of needs of training; otherwise organization may not be able to utilize valuable resources eff iciently (Armstrong, 2006). Training matters for a company because of the established links between productivity and skills. Organisations allocate resources for training because of fear of skills shortage. Some scholars like Kallenberg Moody (1994) recognize that investment in employee development result in higher returns in future. Employees are the essential and crucial resource. Its important for an organisation to optimize the employees contribution to the organisations goals and objectives in order to maintain effective performance. Adequate supply of technically and socially competent and proficient staff is only ensured by training and development. Training helps the staff to become capable for career advancement into specialist departments and management positions. Staff training can be on-the-job that is conducted at the trainees workplace, and off-the-job which is carried out away from employees work place (Mullins, 2007). Some employees are naturally gifted in talents w hile others work hard to gain but all can still benefit from learning new techniques. People usually receive a well to do on the job training in one form or another. Some people are good at finding their own paths and procuring the necessary resources and information, many persons learn best by following, observing and asking questions (Smith and Mazin, 2004). Training is not always the answer to problems related to performance. Some training analysts (Rosner, 1999 cited by Smith and Mazin, 2004) believed that training could be a good investment or could be a waste of resources. It is in fact a waste of resources when the desired behaviour does not occur. Thats why training and development doesnt succeed all the time to achieve desired results and in obtaining aims and objectives of the organisation. There can be many causes for the failure but most common are (Web 6): Training is often put into practice for the wrong reasons and seldom aligns to a business measure. If training program does not support the business goals then no improvement can be recorded. Training is thought to be a solution for a range of performance problems when training may not be concern at all. It also fails because it does not succeed to give direction and focus. Sometimes the solution proves too expensive for the desired outcomes. Individuals behaviour towards t raining also plays an important part; e.g. when training is believed just as an event than as enhancement of skills and abilities of the employees, it fails to generate business results. Other important reason for failure is lack of management support (Mullins, 2007). Employees will hardly ever implement new skills and knowledge without it in the workplace. Failure to include and credit other influences and processes apart from training that may have influenced the business outcomes may also be a good reason of failure. Some businesses invest little in training because they dont have enough funds. Other reason is the fear that individuals will leave and move to other companies at some later stage. Few organisations consider recruitment process sufficient and rely on the natural skills of employees rather than training (Harrison, 2005). It is HR managers role and responsibility to develop and implement training strategies and policies. He/she is also involved in people management activities like developing organization, recruitment and selection, talent management, learning and development, human resource planning, knowledge management, reward management, etc (Hyde et al. 2009). Depending on the business nature and size of the company, the HR managers not just have responsibility of training and developing employees but for performance management as well.Training processes take place in the context of internal and the external environment of the organization. Human Resource Managers need to realize the training and developments nature and process to be able to facilitate learning and development within the organisation (Watson, 2006). While providing training, the managers need to recognize the importance and effects organization structure and design because these describe tasks and responsibilities, roles and rela tionships, work and channels of communication (Mullins, 2007). Structure is clearly important for any organization, whatever its size. The aspects that determine how the company functions in relation to its eternal and external environment are its structure and the processes that operate within it. Structures are necessary to support the effort of training managers and trainee employees. It also makes possible the effective performance of key training activities (Hyde et al. 2009). Human Resource Development (HRD) is a name which signifies the newest evolutionary phase in the long custom of training, educating and developing employees. It focuses on the principle of contributing to the success of individual, organisational and societal objectives. According to McLagan (1989 cited in Wilson, 2005) it is the incorporated use of training, career development and development of a company to improve organisational and individual value. HRD gives the business benefits assisting the ability to increase revenue. Companies need to develop a learning culture that responds quickly to the ever changing environment. HRD policies can help the organisation to obtain this objective (Nixon, 2004). 2.3. Soft Skills There are two versions of HRM as explained by Storey (1992). He made the distinction between the soft and hard HRM approaches and describes that although both approaches to HRM emphasise on employees and consider them important for achieving competitive edge that has to be attained, developed and organized in ways that benefits the business. Soft version further focuses on communication, leadership and motivation and lays emphasis on peoples skills, commitment, adaptability and performance (Armstrong, 2006). Organisations that have a mixture of both approaches tend to endure and grow in the competitive business environment. Many schol