The Value of Philosophy Essay Example for Free

The Value of Philosophy Essay It is basic human nature to question. There is a curiosity inside all of us that leads us to wonder about everything. Curiosity leads to examination, which leads to contemplation. Through this process the mysteries of life and the universe are slowly discovered. But there are some questions that can never be answered with certainty. These questions make up the study of philosophy, and are considered using reason and logic. Two of the main arguments in philosophy discuss its value and the meaning of life. Socrates, Bertrand Russell, Blaise Pascal and Thomas Nagel attempt in their own way to reason through these questions and form their own unique answers. In Bertrand Russell’s â€Å"The Value of Philosophy†, he discusses what philosophy is and why it is important. He concludes that the value of philosophy is rooted in its very uncertainty. He maintains that all those questions that cannot be answered are a part of philosophical discussion, and questions with definite answers are a product of the physical sciences. When Russell is explaining in detail the value of philosophy he says, â€Å"These questions enlarge our conception of what is possible, enrich our intellectual imagination and diminish the dogmatic assurance which closes the mind against speculation† (Russell 12). For Russell, philosophy opens the mind and dispels ignorance and dogmatism, allowing us to think more freely and consider more possibilities. In Plato’s â€Å"Apology: Defence of Socrates,† Socrates also holds the view that philosophy is a necessary practice for all persons when he argues, â€Å"An unexamined life is no life for a human being to live† (Plato 40). Socrates has just been found guilty of corrupting the youth and not acknowledging the gods of the city. Once the verdict is reached, he argues for execution rather than exile because he believes that his study of philosophy is supreme in his life and it would be more honorable to die than to flee and study philosophy elsewhere, under subpar conditions than those in Athens. Philosophy is important to him because it allows people to think for themselves rather than go along with what they are told to believe. Russell and Socrates both uphold that the importance of philosophy come from what is does for the mind. Philosophy opens our minds, allowing unawareness and hypocrisy to dissipate. By questioning, we come to know more about the universe, and ourselves. However, Russell and Socrates do disagree on the certainty of truth. Socrates believes that there is certain truth, and one can reach it through reason and contemplation. Conversely, Russell maintains that everything is uncertain, but philosophy is still valuable because thinking of all possible explanations enlarges our minds. Through philosophy we are released from presumption, obliviousness, and bigotry. Whether or not we can know the absolute truth, contemplation through reason still holds immense importance for human beings. I draw from Socrates as well as Russell when I consider the value of philosophy. Philosophy allows me to see the world for what it is, instead of being bogged down by the opinion of the masses, or the societal norms. Through reason I can consider the truth and it’s importance to me. Similar to Russell, I see that much of philosophy’s greatness lies in its uncertainty. We cannot know for sure what the answers are, but through observation and thought we can form many possibilities, enlarging our minds to hold more than one solution to any given problem. Consequently this allows us to have a more open mind, and we can approach life with a broadened sense of self. Another question philosophers ask is â€Å"What is the point of our lives? † The answer varies greatly between each individual, demonstrated by the separate thoughts of Socrates, Pascal, and Nagel. Socrates argues that it is worse than death to be unjust. He gives some examples of what qualifies as unjust. Injustice includes: lying, injuring others, breaking the law of a just state, and hurting those who hurt you. Above all, Socrates argues that the point of our lives is to seek the truth. He condemns the sophists because they have no regard for the truth; they only appreciate material things. The sophists were a group of philosophers around the time of Socrates who taught the youth of Athens how to win arguments, whether what they were arguing for was true or not. Socrates maintains that this is not the way to live. Life is not about money or material things, rather, the point of life is to be just, honorable, and true to yourself as well as the laws of the state. He even argues that one ought rather die than live a bad life. â€Å"I suggest that it is not death that is hard to avoid, gentlemen, but wickedness is far harder, since it is fleeter of foot than death† (Plato 41). Socrates claims that it is much easier to live in wickedness than die. Therefore, injustice and dishonor are two of the greatest evils and one should avoid them at all costs. In â€Å"The Wager,† Pascal presents a view of life centered on belief in God. Similar to Socrates, he upholds that life is about pursuing the truth as well as living a good life. He argues for the existence of absolute truth when he states, â€Å"Is there not one substantial truth, seeing there are so many things which are not the truth itself† (Pascal 83). Pascal maintains that this â€Å"one substantial truth† is God, and reasons for His existence. He claims that in life, we have two choices: to believe in God, or to not believe in God. We must accept the wager; we have no choice. There are four possible outcomes from this wager, according to Pascal. If God does indeed exist, and we so believe that he exists, we will gain infinite bliss; if we do not believe that he exists, then we are damned for eternity. However, if God does not exist and we believe the same, then we lose nothing, but we also gain nothing. If we believe that He exists and He does not, then we also lose nothing, but have lived a good life with faith, humility, and compassion. Above all, Pascal wants us to believe. His main points are summarized when he writes, â€Å"If you gain, you gain all; if you lose, you lose nothing† (Pascal 83). We must wager, and we must believe in God, for He is the ultimate truth. Thomas Nagel discusses absurdity, which is the discrepancy between how seriously humans take their lives, and how uncertain life actually is. Everything is open to doubt, and that causes us to feel that our lives are insignificant, and therefore, nothing matters. He maintains that humans deem life absurd through epistemological skepticism, or the view that nothing can be known with certainty. He presents five options, which vary from completely avoiding life’s absurdity to embracing it fully. His thoughts on absurdity and his solution to it are best portrayed when he states, â€Å"If†¦there is no reason to believe that anything matters, then that does not matter either, and we can approach our lives with irony instead of heroism or despair† (Nagel 27). By accepting the view that nothing matters, we accept the view that believing nothing matters also does not matter, freeing us from absurdity. Nagel urges us to not despair, but also not take life too seriously. Pascal, Nagel, and Socrates present different views of how to make our lives worthwhile; but all agree that our lives should be spent in search of the truth, which is reached through honest reasoning and individual contemplation. When faced with the absurdity and uncertainty of life, Pascal and Nagel agree that suicide is not a legitimate escape. It is not necessary and ends up robbing us of the possibility of infinite happiness or a life free from absurdity. I agree with Socrates’ view, that dishonor and injustice must be avoided in order to live a good and honest life. I accept Pascal’s wager, and am willing to place my bet on the existence of God, hoping to gain all. I have also experienced some of the absurdity Nagel discusses and have come to my own conclusions. I maintain that we should live for today. By living in the present we escape the fear of the future. We do not get hung up on the uncertainties, but still acknowledge their existence. I also agree with Nagel that life should be approached with irony, and we should not take ourselves too seriously. Russell, Socrates, Pascal and Nagel all present plausible answers to the questions â€Å"What is the value of philosophy,† and â€Å"What is the purpose of our lives†. They use reason and logic to reach their conclusions. Through philosophy, we can broaden our minds and free ourselves from the dogmatism of society. Once our minds are expanded, we are able to think with reason and discover, for ourselves, the truth. References Nagel, Thomas, â€Å"The Absurd,† In John Perry, Michael Bratman and John Martin Fischer, editors, Introduction to Philosophy: Classical and Contemporary Readings, Fourth Edition (New York: Oxford University Press) 2007. Pascal, Blaise, â€Å"The Wager,† In John Perry, Michael Bratman and John Martin Fischer, editors, Introduction to Philosophy: Classical and Contemporary Readings, Fourth Edition (New York: Oxford University Press) 2007. Plato, â€Å"Apology: Defence of Socrates,† In John Perry, Michael Bratman and John Martin Fischer, editors, Introduction to Philosophy: Classical and Contemporary Readings, Fourth Edition (New York: Oxford University Press) 2007. Russell, Bertrand, â€Å"The Value of Philosophy,† In John Perry, Michael Bratman and John Martin Fischer, editors, Introduction to Philosophy: Classical and Contemporary Readings, Fourth Edition (New York: Oxford University Press) 2007.

An Analysis Of Internet Businesses

An Analysis Of Internet Businesses The reason for writing this essay is to discuss The Advantages and Disadvantages of conducting business on the Internet in the Twenty First Century. In the Twenty First century the advantages and the disadvantages of the use of the Internet is tremendous worldwide. There is enormous benefit to achieve when conducting a business on the Internet. You may ask why I should invest on the Internet. It is to your advantage to invest wisely. It allows access 24/7 and 365 days a year, therefore, no need to hire office helpers for shift or normal working hours, people will visitors your website since there are computers with Internet access, which they can use to gain access the website at anytime anywhere. On the other while there are advantages on the Internet for business to do well, there can also be some inauspicious situation or circumstances. No physical contact, such as no eye contact, no face to face communication, products sometime, ordered might be damaged or loss, during delivered, no way of knowing until it is received, as a result loss of time and productivity. Chaotic Most people who organize, operate, and assume a business venture on the Internet know it can be chaotic and disappointing sometime. Nonetheless, with sufficient communication most businesses can gain much benefit from advertising on the Internet and minimize the disadvantage risk that comes along with it. On the other hand, it may prove to have the buying or selling power that produces a relatively constructive position. Services Many services are now provided on the internet such as banking online, I have not gone into the bank for a while, Ive done all my banking online such as paying my college fees. When I am travelling I purchased all my tickets online that usually cost less than if I purchased it off-line. I am using the internet for just about everything it is a great tool. Nevertheless as Buchannan writes one of the advantages it is easy to set up and lead users from one place to the next in a logical manner. The disadvantage is that data is relatively easy to tap into and possible changed.  [1]   Low Cost Internet communication provides the advantage of lower estimate and storing costs, comparing to printing posters, making a radio or television broadcasting or, supporting a media center. It allows good deal consideration for entering new buying or selling. Internet information is ageless the advertisement also make available the advantage of being lasting.  [2]   It allows volunteered playing an important part to examine carefully the goods and the services and leave notes for others to use. It is cost effective; compare the costs of sending out physical mailing to 25,000 addresses, with the costs of an e-mailing to 250.000 e-mail addresses. Reproduction at zero cost Whether 1,000 visitors come to your site or 25,000, the increased cost is marginal.  [3]   Blogging In all likelihood, we have heard about, blogging one might want to know what is it? What helpful or useful benefits will my business derive from it? A blog is an abbreviation for web log and they are web notes containing up-to-date information on hot issues among the Internet community what. It is also an important Search Engine Marketing tool as it is increasingly used to promote online businesses. Having a blog helps your website get better rankings in the search engines.  [4]   When you want to design a blog it is important to set a clear goal with a reasonable purpose in mind. Select a theme that will be beneficial to your website in the long run, and to the people who visit your website. Provide current, relevant and essential topics. Ask for the reason, cause, or purpose? Ask yourself why blogging would be of help to my business on the Internet. Because it offers excellent search engine tools that can make the search engines, perform at a greater speed, and make the website communicate to your all customers and other business. In fact other bloggers will transmit customers to your sit without cost; it gives your site a good chance for success. June 2005, eBay It is known that the Internet attract more shoppers for goods and services, June 2005, eBay, the Worlds online marketplace, occupied the 5th position in the USA top 10 parent companies with a unique audience of 39,468.000 (Nielsen/Net Ratings) The e-learning sector will grow from $10.3 billion in 2002 to $83.1 billion in 2006, and eventually swelling to over $212 billion by 2011 (Consultant Brandon-Hall) E-commerce transactions in 2005 will reach $168 billion and $316 billion in 2010. These estimates include travel, which is typically the biggest e-commerce sales driver. Excluding travel, e-commerce is expected to grow 14 percent in 2005 (Forrester Research) The online travel industry will double its revenues in the next three years, from $38 billion in 2004 to more than $80 billion in 2007 eMarketer.  [5]   The Internet is now known as low cost and most adequate sales tool around, because of link to the Internet, compare to other business. You have a chance to grow your business successful on the Internet with the right type of Internet promoting fundamentals symbol of principles promotion and decent activities According to Real Time Statistics for Measuring Success of Promotion Campaign the most important advantages of Internet advertisement is that its successful and can be seen.  [6]  Buyers, and sellers use program that give immediate results. Some promotion, give visitors the ability to determine the significant of an advertise product. Which allow the customer to evaluate what is good for them and, also allow time for them to make changes of what they buy and how they it. Steve Here is a man by the name of Steve proclaiming in his own words that working from home via the Internet he received unexpected benefit Steve is a 47-year-old father with two boys, Thomas 16 Jack 12. Ive always been the main breadwinner in our household and a little while ago, received notice that the factory for which I managed Health Safety was to close. As our children were both at critical stages of their education we decided to stay in the area and look for work locally. Id always wanted to work for myself and luckily came across the Community Times business. After attending a seminar at their HQ. I quickly realized that the business would not only suit me but would also have benefits to the whole family. I get to work from home, spend more time with my family, watch my boys play football and earn more than ever whilst being in full control of my familys destiny.  [7]   It has being proven there are disadvantages of managing a business on the Internet. Challenge in verifying authenticity records, advertising on the web, challenge for the business and costumers to perform a complete analysis to determine the genuineness of a transactions. As a result most small businesses are open to attack by larceny, with stolen credit cards and stolen information to do online transaction. With Internet credit card and identity fraud on the rise, small businesses are forced to finance costly security measures to reduce their vulnerability to fraudulent transactions.  [8]   Other unfavorable condition isolation no physical contact with buyers therefore more sales opportunity is lost. Enterprise is forced to choose advertising method in order to lure back customers to the website. Nevertheless, the advantages surpass the disadvantages. With sufficient understanding, enterprise can gain to profit from Internet advertisement, particularly those owners small business. Conclusion The Internet is a very effective. It has many advantages; on the other hand, it also has its disadvantages too.

Graduation Speech -- Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

Good evening parents, teachers, honored guests and soon to be graduates. My name is Ed Burrower, I'm the senior class president. A few weeks ago, I was told that I would be speaking at graduation. I was asked to put together a speech for tonight -- I've become experienced at speech writing over the past couple of weeks. The speech that you are hearing is the fourth one I've written, the recycle bin needs to be emptied at home and I need a new highlighter. Thank you, Mr. Mier, you get an "A+" for your help as my speech teacher but an "F" for saving trees. Tonight I'd like to talk to three groups of people. I'd like to talk to the teachers here at Batman High School, to the students leaving Batman and to the parents of those students here. If you're not a member of one of these groups, don't feel left out. I'm truly sorry, I have a three to five minute time limit that has been placed on me by persons that I shall not name. First of all, I'd like to talk to the parents of this class. I feel like I should talk with you first because you've put up with us the longest. You should be commended for your dedication. We'll never realize the amount you gave up for us until we're sitting where you're sitting and our children occupy our seats. Thank you for being there for our good times, more importantly our not so good times. Thank you for being there for us now and for being there for us later on, as we continue to need your loving support and wisdom. Now, I'd like to address the teachers. If you were unwilling to go the extra mile, many of us wouldn't have made it here tonight. I'd like to thank those of you who gave that extra support that so many of us have needed over the years. You've given us tools, not just facts, not just ... ...mories, accomplishments and dreams. Is everyone's toolbox the same? No, but is everyone's dream the same? No. Each of us is going off in our own direction. We'll need different tools for the different dreams we choose to pursue. I hope that makes sense to you. A point that needs to be made tonight is the only one who can close your toolbox, the only one that can stop you from following whatever your dream, is you. There will always be room for more tools -- more memories, new experiences, grander accomplishments, and yes, even bigger dreams. I will always look back with fondness on everything that I've learned here, but I look forward with even greater anticipation on the good things to come. Tonight, let's all take a moment and look forward. Forward to our dreams, not our of fear, but with confidence that someday they will be our reality. Thank you, all of you.

Getting Those Sensuous Lips :: Plastic Surgery Beauty Essays

Getting Those Sensuous Lips Plastic surgery has become a leading business in America and is venturing in to all parts of the body. First there was the liposuction of the thighs and butt then the face-lifts, the beast implants and now the injections of the lips. The volume of the lips can be thick and prominent, as in certain races, or else thin and retracted as in other races. A full, fresh prominent mouth, which invites a kiss, is the latest object of cosmetic surgery. There have been many types of materials that have been injected and several techniques that have been used. Materials such as collagen, silicone, Gore-Tex, fat or dermis has been used for the injections. The surgeon should choose his technique carefully and according to the patient’s wants. The procedure is very simple. Lip procedures are usually carried out under local anesthesia with intravenous conscious sedation. The surgeon and patient decide which material to use for the injections. Some of the other materials that are used are Collagen: A molecule that makes up the body’s connective tissue; usually taken from cow skin. Three percent of patients have hypersensitivity problems, and some develop allergic reactions as long as three to four years later. Alloderm: A collagen created with tissue taken from human cadavers. The results last four to six months, then must be repeated. Can carry the risk of becoming infected and may feel slightly hard and unnatural. Gore-Tex: A hollow, tube-shaped implant made from synthetic material. Procedure requires a fine incision made along the edge of the lips; the tubing is inserted and the area stitched up. New tissue grows into and around the tube. Results are permanent, but may feel slightly less natural. Autologen: Skin ta ken from a patient is sent to a lab that makes collagen from it, so the chances of allergic reaction are eliminated. Results are permanent. The marking of the lips is done intraorally creating a set of W’s on the interior of the lips. The incision is made along the marking and extends deep to the submucosa and dissection is carried above the muscle to the vermilion (Samiian162). A suture stitch is transfixed to the center of the lip; pressing over rubber patches until the tissue at the center are slightly pinched. Some cases a catheter is used and a needle threaded with a steel wire is passed through the center of the lip and then perforated by the catheter.

Essay --

A. Specific Aims West Nile virus (WNV) was first identified in New York City in 1999 and quickly spread across the US to become the dominant mosquito-borne viral infection in humans in the country. Since its introduction to the US, WNV has been estimated to cause more than 3 million infections resulting in 37,000 confirmed cases of WNV disease in humans, 43% of which resulted in neuroinvasive diseases, and 1,100 deaths3. WNV has also been responsible for declines in certain US avian populations affecting over 100 different species. Avian species that are highly susceptible to severe WNV disease belong to the Corvidae family, including American crows (AMCRs) in which WNV infection is 100% lethal. This high mortality rate has led to the creation of a national surveillance program based on AMCRs in order to forecast WNV transmission to humans4. The genetic and pathological mechanisms to explain the interspecies variability in WNV susceptibility that have caused such large-scale declines in North American bird populations have not been determined. The objective of this proposal is to investigate: a) the antiviral response elicited in three avian species which contribute differentially to the amplification of WNV and have different disease outcomes following WNV infection, b) the differential antiviral induction potential in host cells and the sensitivity to antiviral host responses of three strains of WNV displaying a range of virulence capacities, and c) the role of cellular tropism in the elicitation of the host antiviral response and on WNV replication within host cells. I hypothesize that avian hosts susceptible to severe WNV disease do not mount an effective innate antiviral response that could control viral replication and diss... ...ent bird species. Based on data generated in Aim 1.1 genes identified to contribute to either susceptibility or resistant phenotypes in the type I interferon pathway will also be examined in this subaim. To identify the cell types critical for WNV amplification in each avian species, viral load will be quantified by qRT-PCR for each of the 8 time points. The mosquito cell targeted virus will serve as a control since replication will be unrestricted. Expected outcomes and potential pitfalls. It is anticipated that gene expression within the type I IFN pathway will be differentially expressed between the different inoculation groups and bird species. By limiting viral replication, we might also negatively impact the antiviral response in cell types that are major contributors to the type I IFN pathway thereby altering dissemination and viral replication potential.

Infosys Case Study

Oracle Customer Case Study Infosys Goes to University to Build Business Worldwide â€Å"The quality of the courses is very good and the materials are extremely well designed. We have also had extremely strong feedback from Infosys staff who have completed courses at Oracle University. † – Dr Subhash Chandra Rastogi, Head, Enterprise Solutions Academy, Infosys Technologies Ltd Infosys Technologies Ltd (NASDAQ: INFY) defines, designs, and delivers IT-enabled business solutions. These solutions focus on providing clients with strategic differentiation and operational superiority. Infosys creates these solutions by leveraging its domain and business expertise to offer a complete range of services. For the fiscal year ending March 31, 2007, Infosys recorded revenues of more than US$3 billion with net income of over US$850 million. Infosys is a NASDAQ 100 company. Infosys uses a global alliance with Oracle to deliver Oracle-based systems and services to clients worldwide. These enable businesses to build a more flexible architecture to support faster deployment of new applications, achieve a consolidated view of their global supply chain, reduce costs by leveraging global sourcing, or employ predictive capabilities to exploit emerging opportunities or avert looming obstacles. To support Infosys’ status as a Global SI Partner—recognized at the Worldwide Certified Advantage Partner level—Oracle has provided extensive training support through its Oracle University educational resource. More than 3,000 Infosys employees globally have benefited through Oracle University-based knowledge, enabling them to deliver Oracle products and services to a high level of expertise. Oracle University courses typically run between five and 15 days, depending on the complexity of the product and associated business process changes. â€Å"The quality of the courses is very good and the materials are extremely well designed,† said Dr Subhash Chandra Rastogi, head of the Enterprise Solutions Academy at Infosys. We have also had extremely strong feedback from Infosys staff who have completed courses at Oracle University. † Copyright  © 2008, Oracle. All rights reserved. Oracle is a registered trademark of Oracle Corporation and/or its affiliates. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners. Published February 2008 Infosys Technologies Ltd Bangalore, India www. infosys. com Industry: Professional Services Annual Revenue: US$3. 09 billion Employees: 80,500 Orac le Products & Services: Oracle University Key Benefits: Ensured more than 100 staff are certified in Oracle E-Business Suite, qualifying them to deliver the solution to customers worldwide Provided feedback into the beta version of Oracle E-Business Suite Enabled staff around the world to undertake training in their own time via online courses Enabled more than 3,000 employees to take various Oracle University learning programs through a range of delivery modes Oracle Customer Case Study Upskilling Delivers Results Infosys is one of the world’s most rapidly growing consulting and information technology services companies. In 2007, the company’s revenues crossed US$3 billion. Key to the company’s success is its low-risk, high-quality Global Delivery Model, whereby work is broken up into logical components to be completed in the most efficient location. With staff numbers rising sharply, in 2003 Infosys created an Enterprise Solutions Academy (ES Academy) within the company to manage the educational requirements of everyone from new recruits to 20-year veterans. The ES Academy currently has to service an annual intake that reached 1,740 engineers and MBA graduates in 2006. â€Å"This is a very different concept for a systems integrator, but we had to ensure our staff could get the expertise nd certification needed to service our clients to the very highest level,† said Dr Rastogi. While the ES Academy itself provides an extensive portfolio of training and certification courses, the academy has partnered with Oracle University to provide its consultants with training in Oracle products. â€Å"Oracle is constantly growing its portfolio of solu tions, upgrading existing products, and acquiring new product companies,† said Dr Rastogi. â€Å"Oracle University provides expert, in-depth training across the Oracle suite of products and services. There is no point in us trying to duplicate this effort or invest in something we don’t need to,† he added. Participating in the Oracle University program brings benefits to Infosys other than a more skilled workforce. As a strategic partner to Oracle, Infosys can also contribute knowledge to the development of new Oracle products and services. â€Å"We did contribute to the beta certification of Oracle E-Business Suite, with more than 150 Infosys consultants providing input to Oracle University as to where the product could be improved,† said Dr Rastogi. We now have more than 100 people certified in Oracle E-Business Suite—more than anyone else in the world— and they continue to provide lots of input to Oracle as well as staying appraised of new developments. † Copyright  © 2008, Oracle. All rights reserved. Oracle is a registered trademark of Oracle Corporation and/or its affiliates. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners. Published February 2008 Oracle Customer Case Study Oracle University Reviews Infosys Curriculum It often becomes viable for the ES Academy to deliver Oracle courses internally based on the level of demand, or for some basic products. For example, 85% of consultants that specialize in relatively ‘vanilla’ products such as Oracle9i Database are trained in-house, with the remaining 15% undertaking courses at Oracle University. â€Å"To ensure quality, we engaged Oracle University to review our curriculum content, materials, and questions for course attendees,† said Dr Rastogi. â€Å"They give us sound advice that ensures we deliver the best possible internal courses. † These courses do not cover newer products, or products taken on through acquisition of companies such as Hyperion or Demantra. About 95% of consultants that specialize in these new areas take the relevant courses from Oracle University. Overcoming the Tyranny of Distance Infosys’ burgeoning growth within India and worldwide has created a geographically distributed organization that makes delivering face-to-face training, a sometimes costly exercise. â€Å"This has posed a problem for us because people in India are not used to alternatives such as e-learning,† said Dr Rastogi. â€Å"People prefer to come to a classroom. â€Å"In addition, the firewall we apply across our systems prevents Infosys employees from viewing streaming audio and video. To create more flexibility for staff to access the online courses available through Oracle University, Infosys is establishing e-libraries in offices in Pune, Mangalore, and Hyderabad. These currently include 20 PCs where staff can access streaming audio and video. This number is expected to grow to 100–150 by late 2008 across various locations i n India. Employees working in Europe and the U. S. are already benefiting from streaming audio and video. The availability of online courses through Oracle University means staff will be able to undertake training without disrupting their client work. The benefits of e-learning apply to staff outside India as well. â€Å"Our certification program applies to employees regardless of Copyright  © 2008, Oracle. All rights reserved. Oracle is a registered trademark of Oracle Corporation and/or its affiliates. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners. Published February 2008 Oracle Customer Case Study country,† said Dr Rastogi. â€Å"We have 25 to 30 staff who specialize in Oracle E-Business Suite who work in Europe or the U. S. † Helping Ambitious Employees to Get Ahead A certification from Oracle University can provide ambitious employees with an edge in the competitive Infosys culture. Because it’s an external certification, it provides good branding for an employee,† said Dr Rastogi. â€Å"They become of greater value to Infosys and to our customers. † Infosys Technologies Ltd (NASDAQ: INFY) defines, designs, and delivers ITenabled business solutions. For the fiscal year ended Marc h 31, 2007, Infosys recorded revenues of more than US$3 billion with net income of over US$850 million. Copyright  © 2008, Oracle. All rights reserved. Oracle is a registered trademark of Oracle Corporation and/or its affiliates. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners. Published February 2008 Infosys Case Study Oracle Customer Case Study Infosys Goes to University to Build Business Worldwide â€Å"The quality of the courses is very good and the materials are extremely well designed. We have also had extremely strong feedback from Infosys staff who have completed courses at Oracle University. † – Dr Subhash Chandra Rastogi, Head, Enterprise Solutions Academy, Infosys Technologies Ltd Infosys Technologies Ltd (NASDAQ: INFY) defines, designs, and delivers IT-enabled business solutions. These solutions focus on providing clients with strategic differentiation and operational superiority. Infosys creates these solutions by leveraging its domain and business expertise to offer a complete range of services. For the fiscal year ending March 31, 2007, Infosys recorded revenues of more than US$3 billion with net income of over US$850 million. Infosys is a NASDAQ 100 company. Infosys uses a global alliance with Oracle to deliver Oracle-based systems and services to clients worldwide. These enable businesses to build a more flexible architecture to support faster deployment of new applications, achieve a consolidated view of their global supply chain, reduce costs by leveraging global sourcing, or employ predictive capabilities to exploit emerging opportunities or avert looming obstacles. To support Infosys’ status as a Global SI Partner—recognized at the Worldwide Certified Advantage Partner level—Oracle has provided extensive training support through its Oracle University educational resource. More than 3,000 Infosys employees globally have benefited through Oracle University-based knowledge, enabling them to deliver Oracle products and services to a high level of expertise. Oracle University courses typically run between five and 15 days, depending on the complexity of the product and associated business process changes. â€Å"The quality of the courses is very good and the materials are extremely well designed,† said Dr Subhash Chandra Rastogi, head of the Enterprise Solutions Academy at Infosys. We have also had extremely strong feedback from Infosys staff who have completed courses at Oracle University. † Copyright  © 2008, Oracle. All rights reserved. Oracle is a registered trademark of Oracle Corporation and/or its affiliates. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners. Published February 2008 Infosys Technologies Ltd Bangalore, India www. infosys. com Industry: Professional Services Annual Revenue: US$3. 09 billion Employees: 80,500 Orac le Products & Services: Oracle University Key Benefits: Ensured more than 100 staff are certified in Oracle E-Business Suite, qualifying them to deliver the solution to customers worldwide Provided feedback into the beta version of Oracle E-Business Suite Enabled staff around the world to undertake training in their own time via online courses Enabled more than 3,000 employees to take various Oracle University learning programs through a range of delivery modes Oracle Customer Case Study Upskilling Delivers Results Infosys is one of the world’s most rapidly growing consulting and information technology services companies. In 2007, the company’s revenues crossed US$3 billion. Key to the company’s success is its low-risk, high-quality Global Delivery Model, whereby work is broken up into logical components to be completed in the most efficient location. With staff numbers rising sharply, in 2003 Infosys created an Enterprise Solutions Academy (ES Academy) within the company to manage the educational requirements of everyone from new recruits to 20-year veterans. The ES Academy currently has to service an annual intake that reached 1,740 engineers and MBA graduates in 2006. â€Å"This is a very different concept for a systems integrator, but we had to ensure our staff could get the expertise nd certification needed to service our clients to the very highest level,† said Dr Rastogi. While the ES Academy itself provides an extensive portfolio of training and certification courses, the academy has partnered with Oracle University to provide its consultants with training in Oracle products. â€Å"Oracle is constantly growing its portfolio of solu tions, upgrading existing products, and acquiring new product companies,† said Dr Rastogi. â€Å"Oracle University provides expert, in-depth training across the Oracle suite of products and services. There is no point in us trying to duplicate this effort or invest in something we don’t need to,† he added. Participating in the Oracle University program brings benefits to Infosys other than a more skilled workforce. As a strategic partner to Oracle, Infosys can also contribute knowledge to the development of new Oracle products and services. â€Å"We did contribute to the beta certification of Oracle E-Business Suite, with more than 150 Infosys consultants providing input to Oracle University as to where the product could be improved,† said Dr Rastogi. We now have more than 100 people certified in Oracle E-Business Suite—more than anyone else in the world— and they continue to provide lots of input to Oracle as well as staying appraised of new developments. † Copyright  © 2008, Oracle. All rights reserved. Oracle is a registered trademark of Oracle Corporation and/or its affiliates. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners. Published February 2008 Oracle Customer Case Study Oracle University Reviews Infosys Curriculum It often becomes viable for the ES Academy to deliver Oracle courses internally based on the level of demand, or for some basic products. For example, 85% of consultants that specialize in relatively ‘vanilla’ products such as Oracle9i Database are trained in-house, with the remaining 15% undertaking courses at Oracle University. â€Å"To ensure quality, we engaged Oracle University to review our curriculum content, materials, and questions for course attendees,† said Dr Rastogi. â€Å"They give us sound advice that ensures we deliver the best possible internal courses. † These courses do not cover newer products, or products taken on through acquisition of companies such as Hyperion or Demantra. About 95% of consultants that specialize in these new areas take the relevant courses from Oracle University. Overcoming the Tyranny of Distance Infosys’ burgeoning growth within India and worldwide has created a geographically distributed organization that makes delivering face-to-face training, a sometimes costly exercise. â€Å"This has posed a problem for us because people in India are not used to alternatives such as e-learning,† said Dr Rastogi. â€Å"People prefer to come to a classroom. â€Å"In addition, the firewall we apply across our systems prevents Infosys employees from viewing streaming audio and video. To create more flexibility for staff to access the online courses available through Oracle University, Infosys is establishing e-libraries in offices in Pune, Mangalore, and Hyderabad. These currently include 20 PCs where staff can access streaming audio and video. This number is expected to grow to 100–150 by late 2008 across various locations i n India. Employees working in Europe and the U. S. are already benefiting from streaming audio and video. The availability of online courses through Oracle University means staff will be able to undertake training without disrupting their client work. The benefits of e-learning apply to staff outside India as well. â€Å"Our certification program applies to employees regardless of Copyright  © 2008, Oracle. All rights reserved. Oracle is a registered trademark of Oracle Corporation and/or its affiliates. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners. Published February 2008 Oracle Customer Case Study country,† said Dr Rastogi. â€Å"We have 25 to 30 staff who specialize in Oracle E-Business Suite who work in Europe or the U. S. † Helping Ambitious Employees to Get Ahead A certification from Oracle University can provide ambitious employees with an edge in the competitive Infosys culture. Because it’s an external certification, it provides good branding for an employee,† said Dr Rastogi. â€Å"They become of greater value to Infosys and to our customers. † Infosys Technologies Ltd (NASDAQ: INFY) defines, designs, and delivers ITenabled business solutions. For the fiscal year ended Marc h 31, 2007, Infosys recorded revenues of more than US$3 billion with net income of over US$850 million. Copyright  © 2008, Oracle. All rights reserved. Oracle is a registered trademark of Oracle Corporation and/or its affiliates. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners. Published February 2008

The Characteristics and Nature of Organisations

THE CHARACTERISTICS AND NATURE OF ORGANISATIONS LEARNING OBJECTIVES: on completion of this topic you will have: Developed understanding of the nature and characteristics of organisations Identified generic organisational features An understanding of the different types of organisations An understanding of the role of the organisation as a ‘goals-led, open system’ An appreciation of environmental impacts on organisations Developed understanding of the process of organising Be able to distinguish between ‘formal’ and ‘informal’ organisation IntroductionOrganisations, or more simply, organised activities, are a central feature of every aspect of life. Indeed, it is extremely difficult – if not impossible! – to conceive of any activity which does not involve the input of one or more organisations at some or other stage. Think for a moment – most of us, for example, were born in hospitals, live in a family or other social unit, a ttend or have attended educational institutions, and have found, or seek, employment with an organisation. Small wonder, then, that the study of organisations has attracted so much attention over the years!Every organisation differs – in terms of nature, purpose, size, goals and objectives, membership – and so on (the list is almost endless! ). However, a number of core features and characteristics of organisational life can be identified. These form the focus for the discussions within this chapter. Organisations also form the context for all management activity – in fact, it could be argued that one of the main reasons why we need managers is the fact that we engage in so much organised activity. So an understanding of the nature, type and purpose of organisations is an essential prerequisite in order to manage effectively and efficiently.