Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Plan - Essay Example Wedding photography is an important commercial undertaking that provides jobs for many people. Many wedding ceremonies are all about spending money; therefore, many couples are willing to spend an extra amount just to have a great event. Conducting a wedding in a beautiful unique place might cost a bit more but would sit in well with the idea of a great wedding. The photographs taken on beautiful sceneries will serve as great memories for couples throughout their entire lives (Etienne 2011). Photos taken in a different location, for example a foreign country can bring unforgettable memories to the couple. For this case, having some wedding photographs taken in Miami for Chinese couples, would bring out a different view to their wedding photos due to the change in location. An individual has to analyze and evaluate the market before entering into a new venture. In order to sell this new idea to different couples, several steps can be taken. A wide range of promotions and advertising s trategies can be used. These include use of yellow pages to advertise the business where interested clients can call a designated business number for the wedding photography services. Placing advertisements for the business in the Public press such as, newspapers and magazines can also be utilized. Internet marketing can be used, where the advertisements can be placed in various websites to be viewed by those browsing the global network. Social media can be used, where a page on Facebook or Twitter is created to involve friends and their acquaintances to view the business. Preparing business cards and setting an office could also help attract customer who may require wedding photography services. To ensure that customers are drawn by the services provided, there is need to showcase the different photography work that has previously been completed (Das). For a couple to go along with the idea of having some of their wedding photography in a foreign country, one has to provide adequat e merits that will capture their attention, making them buy into the idea. Firstly, one can sell the idea on grounds of being unique. In this case, Miami has beautiful beaches and the tropical feel would be unforgettable. This would be deemed as a unique experience. The photography services are supposed to be of the highest quality. Secondly, one has to prove that the idea is viable and explain all the procedures to be followed. Travelling to a different country comes with procedures and rules that have to be followed. Thirdly, the price should be favourable since exorbitant prices would render them disinterested. The prices should be customer friendly depending on the photography services provided. However, all this depends on the couple’s preference and the customers should always get what they paid for (Etienne 2011). Obtaining the first customer is usually a big challenge to overcome. An individual should come up with a strategy that will enable the business to attract mo re customers by itself, after providing quality services for the first one. Potential clients consider obtaining a service from individuals who have a great reputation. This can only come from giving the first client a memorable service. After extensive promotion of the idea, it becomes easier to obtain the first client (Etienne 2011). Networking with the first clients can prove to be a great idea since

Lupus Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Lupus - Essay Example Although a great deal of research has been dedicated to understanding this disease, there is no cure, but there are a number of treatments, particularly, in the area of physical therapy that has shown to have beneficial results. In a normal functioning immune system the body produces proteins called antibodies that will fight against antigens like, viruses and bacteria. Again, Lupus is an autoimmune disease, the disease confuses the immune system and it becomes incapable of differentiating between invading antigens and healthy tissue and internal structures, which can lead to, dependent of the type of Lupus, a number of symptoms including inflammation in joints, swelling of the skin, and damage to organs, including kidneys, heart, and lungs (Crosta , 2013). There are a number of types of Lupus. Neonatal Lupus s a rare type of Lupus that specifically affects newborns. Drug-Induced Lupus is, also, relatively rare. Unlike other forms of Lupus, whose origins and causes cannot be easily determined, is directly caused due to a side-effect of certain medications. Subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus results specifically in skin sores in areas of skin exposed to sunlight. Discoid lupus erythematosus presents as a perpetual skin rash, however, it is systemic lupus erythematosus or SLE that is the most common and the most systemically damaging in that it affects multiple systems including joints, skin and internal organs. When people refer to Lupus it is this type that they are most often referring to (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, 2009). There is no singular cause or cure for this form of Lupus. Researchers do believe that because it appears often in families there is likelihood of a genetic component, otherwise they believe the condition can be triggered by environmental factors, sunlight, stress response, and, again, some medications (Eustice,

The once and future king Essay Example for Free

The once and future king Essay King Arthur of the Arthurian legends is one of the most unique characters in the history of literature. Since he has been depicted by a variety of writers, there is more than a single description of his personality. The Arthur we know is actually a conglomerate of many different interpretations of one character. For this reason, his character and very person havent been too consistent through the legends. The earliest Arthurian Legends which are also some of the earliest medieval works, describe King Arthur as the traditional Anglo-Saxon war hero; but as the time goes by, and the medieval people start to admire different things, he evolves into a different kind of hero, a chivalric one. Thus, over time, the image of King Arthur has changed from that of an epic hero to one of a symbol of chivalry- this is apparent with the difference in characteristic depiction of King Arthur in the early story of Brut and a later legend, Sir Gawain and The Green Knight, here there is a noticeable change in his personality. The earliest depiction of King Arthur was that of a fierce warrior-king, brutal and unforgiving. The early medieval kings were warlords who surrounded themselves with nobles and knights- called thanes, and protected their lands from foreign invaders through bloody wars and battles. The original Arthurian legends portray King Arthur in such a role- he is frequently described as â€Å"Arthur the powerful† or â€Å"Arthur the brave† and often comes across as bloodthirsty; not unlike Beowulf in the Anglo-Saxon epic poem Beowulf. In reality, these early legends were the Anglo-Saxon cultural perspective of King Arthur. One example of such an Anglo-Saxon view of King Arthur is Brut by Layamon, a British priest; in his poem, he describes Arthur as a savage and fierce warrior, an object of dread to friend and enemy, an epic hero. This is evident in Brut- where in one of his speeches where Arthur curses his enemies, wanting to crush them all: Then said Arthur, noblest of kings: â€Å"Alas, alas, that I spared my foe, that I did not starve him to death in the forest, or cut him to pieces with my sword! [ ] he shall suffer for it the most bitter affliction, harsh treatment I will be his slayer! I will slaughter both Colgrim and Baldof, and all their followers shall suffer death. [ ] I will fittingly avenge all his wicked deeds. If life might endure in my breast, [ ] never again shall Childric deceive me! † (lines 10510-10524) These lines show the brutality and unfettered heroism of King Arthur. His vexed and aggrieved speech about his enemys escape shows his unforgiving nature. Such is his anger that King Arthur wishes for the death of not only his enemies but also of all his followers; he even voices his regret of not having cut them to pieces, and wishes to kill them with his own sword. Not only does this speech show Arthurs merciless disposition, but it is also filled with a vengeance these lines of Arthur are a battle cry as he avows to get his revenge on his enemies. Towards the end of the speech, while vengefully vowing to avenge his defeat, King Arthurs tone is more than just distressed and agitated, it has a quality of firm determination and tenacity. All these aspects of Layamons perspective of King Arthur: determination, brutality, tenacity, vengeance, might and an unforgiving nature, all combined with the right amount of rage and conceit, show that he is, in all aspects, an epic hero. Akin to Beowulf -who with his strength, firmness and pride was the quintessential Anglo-Saxon warrior and champion- King Arthur is the ideal warrior-king. Eventually as literature progressed towards the heart of the Medieval Era, King Arthur evolved from an epic hero to a symbol of chivalric virtues of Camelot. He was no longer known as the brave and strong defender of the British, but as the virtuous upholder of all chivalric values in the great court at Camelot. Contradicting the early medieval stories which revolved around King Arthur, these middle Arthurian Legends portray the king as a minor character whose presence is only felt indirectly as a representative of a chivalry and excellency. This is apparent in the story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, where Arthur is but a role model for all the knights when it comes to courtly behavior. The knights regard him with a reverence for his lordly ways. When the Green Knight rudely interrupts their feast by barging into their dining hall, all of them remain silent, in anger and in dread, while King Arthur welcomes him graciously as it is seen in the following excerpt from the poem: â€Å" Therefore chary of answer was many a champion bold, And stunned at his [The green knights] strong words stone-still they sat [ ] Then Arthur before the high dais that entrance beholds, And hailed him, as behooved, for he had no fear, And said, â€Å"Fellow, in faith you have found fair welcome;† (lines 20-30) These lines perfectly demonstrate how King Arthur exhibits model knightly behavior. Even though this intruder has disturbed his celebratory feast, he does not lose his temper, instead he follows the first rule of chivalry – hospitality. As we see in this text, the other knights, who sat â€Å"stone still† and â€Å"chary of answer†, do nothing to welcome the new-comer amongst their midst; nevertheless, Arthur does his duty and warmly invites the Green Knight to his court (line 21, line 20). In this way we see how King Arthur has unmatched manners in the court of Camelot- this is the most distinguished factor about him in this story, as the main focus of this legend is on Sir Gawain and his quest. Thus, we can say that King Arthurs one and only role in Sir Gawain and The Green Knight is to set a standard for his knights in social behavior, to remind them of the rules of Camelot. These lines demonstrate Arthurs gallant manner, they also show that Knights of the Round Table have a high place in their minds for him. While they dreaded even speaking to the alarming stranger, their revered King Arthur, who is described as one who â€Å"had no fear†, welcomed him graciously (line 29). Thus, King Arthur is greatly admired by his Knights because they still thought of him as the fearless king of old and also because of his valiant and courtly behavior. This fact greatly impacts most stories of this time because Arthur has a great influence over the Knights of Camelot and most of these stories follow their bold and daring quests. Even if the king, in these legends, seems removed from the thick of the plot line, his presence is still felt from afar, as a social force – for it has already been established that the Knights admired and imitated his social manner and his lordly ways. This remote influence, too, can be observed in the story of Sir Gawain and The Green Knight where King Arthur is neither the the protagonist of the story nor the source of all action, but is the highest authority and the inspiration for Sir Gawain to take up the challenge posed by the Green Knight. This inspiration is noticed when Sir Gawain accepts this quest, â€Å"Would you grant me the grace,† said Gawain to the king, â€Å"To be gone from this bench and stand by you there, [ ] That I have you for uncle is my only praise; My body, but for your blood, is barren of worth;† (lines 117-131). Through Sir Gawains speech we can see that the reason that he is taking up this quest is to be a delegate for Camelot. He says that he wishes to â€Å"stand by† King Arthur, that is, represent him on this quest(line 117). This further establishes the fact that King Arthur is not the main character of the story, as it is Sir Gawain who is the one who actually undertakes the quest. Thus, in this legend, and many others written during this time period, King Arthur turns into a minor character in sharp contrast to the earlier legends which depicted him as the brave warrior at the head of his armies in every battlehe is no longer the main character but his presence is still felt as a significant influence for Sir Gawain to take up this quest. However, as discussed before, the Knights of Camelot, including Gawain, greatly admired Arthur for his chivalric ideals and manner. So it can be said that in the minds of them of the Round Table, King Arthur is simply a personification of all the values of chivalry which they want to uphold as knights. Sir Gawain especially looks to Arthur as a symbol of all knightly or chivalric virtues. He even humbly acclaims that if it werent for Arthurs blood running in him, he would be nothing, â€Å"barren of [his] worth† (line 131). This confirms the fact that Sir Gawain, and all the other knights use King Arthur as a reassurance, feeling that if they had the values of the king, they could do anything; for they has faith in King Arthur and his Round Table, in the chivalric values of Camelot. Therefore, from these examples present in the story if Sir Gawain and The Green Knight we can conclude that the Knights of the Round Table idolized King Arthur not because he was a warrior-king but because he was, to them, the embodiment of all the honorable values of being a knight. As we can see, there are many subtle differences between the two interpretations of King Arthur in the stories of Sir Gawain and The Green Knight and Brut. In the early legends Arthur is described as the fearless warrior-king, the defender of the Britons whereas the later legends depict him as a virtuous leader and the role model for all the Knights of Camelot. This transformation of King Arthurs character over time is very obvious when the texts from different time-periods are compared. In the early legend of Brut, King Arthur is an epic hero- he is the protagonist of the story. The legends of that era revolved around Arthur and his battles. As seen in the story Brut, he is unforgiving and blood thirsty; his thoughts are set on winning and bringing down his enemies rather than trying to settle the conflicts peacefully. This is in contrast to the King Arthur of the later legends, such as Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, who welcomes armed strangers into his castle. In the beginning of this story, when the Green Knight barges into the feast at Camelot on his horse, Arthur welcomes him warmly and invites him to dinner instead of getting insulted and punishing him. He comes across as easygoing and very level headed. Even in moments of anger, this King Arthur of later times remains calm and doesnt show his emotion; this is seen in the story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, where he remains composed even in the face of danger (in this case- losing one of his best knights, Sir Gawain because of a strangers challenge). In lines 236 and 237 of this legend, it is seen that â€Å"Though high-born Arthur at heart had wonder, / he let no sign be seen [ ]†. Thus, in the later legends, King Arthur-who was a symbol of chivalric virtues and courtly manners- controlled his emotions and remained unruffled when he was challenged. This characteristic of the chivalric King Arthur is distinctly different from the earlier perspectives of him in such legends as Brut. This early King Arthur who was an epic hero, was a most forbidding character, he clearly expressed his anger and was often described as â€Å"stern-minded† (line 111). In Brut, King Arthur often asserted his anger, especially during battles when his mind bore nothing but hatred towards his enemy- â€Å"He laid the shield to his breast; the king was bursting with anger. He smote Borel the earl right through the breast, So that his heart was split. Arthur cried at once: The foremost hath met his fate! Now the Lord help you! † (lines 112-115). These lines show King Arthurs frustration and his hatred and also portray how he openly displays his anger. In sharp contrast to the calm and composed Arthur of the later time-periods, this excerpt from an older legend shows that he was â€Å"bursting with anger†, clearly portraying how the epic hero Arthur did not control his emotions(line 112). In this way, we can see that King Arthurs temperament has changed from vengeful and impulsive to poised and chivalric between the two legends. Overall it is discernible that the kings personality and characteristics have changed over time and this is especially apparent when comparing two works from different time-periods. In this way we can see that the characteristic depiction of King Arthur has evolved over time from a fearless battle hero to a chivalric and virtuous ruler. The early Arthurian legends such as Brut, which were written when poems like Beowulf were popular, described Arthur as an epic hero. But as the time passed by and the virtues of chivalry came into being, the Arthurian legends of that time, such as Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, started to reflect the social focus and began to depict Arthur as an expert in chivalrous values. Thus, it is seen that King Arthurs role in the legends continually changes as the peoples general perspective of a hero changes. The tales of King Arthur have been shaped and reshaped according to the teller of the story. There is not just one perfect depiction of King Arthur, his character is a combination of many perspectives of him. It can be altered to adapt with the times as it has adapted through the Medieval Era. This â€Å"evolution† of his portrayal and the fact that he will never die are what make King Arthur one of the most exceptional characters in literature.

Describe The Strategic Alternatives Given Business Essay

Describe The Strategic Alternatives Given Business Essay We are shivering in our paints, as we grope against new competition from firms from USA and Korea. A very senior LT executive to the author at a Management Development Programme at IIM (Ahmedabad) in 1993 The competition we have faced till now is nothing is compared to what lies in store for us. Till now, the period (post-liberalisotion) was one of learning and assessment for the big global competitors Sudhakar Divokar Kulkarni, CEO. to the case author in April 1997. In 1997 Larsen and Tubro (LT), one of the largest engineering companies in India (and one of the top five private sector companies) posted yet again a growth rate of over 20 per cent. This happened for the fourth consecutive year despite acute liquidity crisis in the market, political instability, and uncertainty about execution of power projects of foreign companies (e.g. Enron), and so no. Since last few years, LT was becoming a lesson for companies worldwide in managing explosive growth and developing internal capabilities on a continuous basis. Simultaneously, it was setting new challenges for the academics in defining core competencies and core capabilities. An independent survey named LT to be one of the best managed companies in Asia and another by Business Toda, showed that the company was one of the most transparent and a leader on the issue of corporate governance. During 1995-96 and 1996-97, the company achieved an incredible growth in sales of nearly Rs. 1,000 crore per a nnum over the previous years, crossing the landmark turnover of Rs. 5,000 crore in the process. The Evolution L T was set up in 1938 as a partnership trading firm by two Danish engineers, Henning Holck Larsen and Soren kristian Toubro, who had quit their jobs. In 1946, it became a private limited company and by 1950 reached the status of a public limited company. Table 1 gives the evolutionary picture in brief. LT presently has a shareholder base of nearly 1 million and employee strength of over 24,000 As a company, this multi-dimensional engineering giant is actually the nucleus of a group of companies involved in building complexes, worksheets, offices and service outlets at different locations all over India and abroad. Over the years, LT has acquired a commendable reputation for capabilities for executing engineering related projects. Table 1 LT Business History: The Milestones 1938 Incorporation as a partnership firm 1946 Incorporation as a Private Ltd Co. I950 LT goes public Powai Works set up 1961 Audco India incorporated for manufacturing valves 1962 Retirement of Soren Toubro; EWAC Ltd. set up for manufacture of welding alloys 1963 TENGL founded to manufacture crawler undercarriage parts for caterpillars 1969 Agency business abolished, formation of LT Bottle Closure division 1971 LT McNeil set up for manufacturing Presses for tyre industry 1974 Management Organization Structure and Management Planning and Control System introduced LT Bangalore Works commences production of hydraulic excavators 1978 Larsen retires. LT Faridabad commences production of switchgear 1982 ECC merged with L&T; LT enters shipping business with two ships 1983 LT enters cement manufacturing with Awarpur plant commencing production 1987 LT enters computer hardware with floppy discs and printers; LT Gould for electronic test and measured instruments 1988 Cement capacity enhanced to 2.2 m tons per annum 1989 90 LT under DH Ambani (as chairman) 1990 93 Repeated takeover attempts by RIL 1993 95 Series of strategic alliances and tie-ups resulting in formation of LT-Niro. LT-Chiyoda, LT Sargent Lund9, LT Finance, and so on. The Takeover Attempt During 1991 93, as the country progressed towards liberalisation, the company just emerged from a not-so-welcome takeover threat from the powerful Ambanis of Reliance. The Ambanis were themselves embarking upon massive expansion in chemicals and petrochemicals business, and LT would have provided a real and logical synergy in terms of executing turnkey projects for construction, engineering, supplying machinery and of course, offering suppliers credit (to the tune of Rs. 1.000 crore). Through protracted investigation and litigation (in which the Reliance Industries Ltd. was found to have collected forged proxies), the company somehow remained in the hands of professionals. The big question mark as posed by an article in the Economic and Political weekly was Where does LT go from where it has reached now? However, it was obvious that a total new mindset and working culture would be required if LT was to grow and remain competitive. In 1993 94, the company started adopting the principles of Total Quality Management (TQM) by becoming customer focused, reducing the costs and wastage, and adding value at all stages for maximising customer satisfaction. In 1994, Mr. S.D. Kulkarni took over as the CEO of LT and confidently promised that the company would reach its mission of being a Rs. 10,000 crore ($3 bn.) company by the end of the century. He also declared that the company would strive to maintain and develop leadership positions in all its businesses or else it will quit. Simultaneously, zero retrenchment was promised. The philosophy of TQM was embraced with added emphasis on customer delight, that is, delivering more value than expected by the customer. Vision, Core Values, and TQM Infrastructure being a key bottleneck for Indian industry was identified as the engine of Growth for the companys ambitious plans. But before that, the company needed an ambition statement, which every employee could own and share. A massive companywide exercise for finding out what the company stood for and what its core values were was embarked upon. The emergent statement though not sounding much different from several other organisations vision, however, came to be owned and understood by almost every employee because of the process of identifying the mission and peoples involvement. The key elements of LTs vision f focussed towards a world class company dedicated to: excellence and professionalism customer delight through service entrepreneurial leadership and creation of an organisation that is on the path of continuously learning by fostering teamwork, trust, and care Community service and environmental protection. Core Competencies According to a senior executive, today the core competence of LT lies in its ability to synthesise, integrate and harmonise its diverse world-class engineering, manufacturing, procurement, construction and fabrication skills around turnkey projects (in core economic sectors) and people. This is made possible through a world class vendor base and quality technological alliances, excellent IT infrastructure (CAD,/CAM systems, PMIS etc.) sophisticated fabrication facilities for plant and machinery in the core sector. Business Leadership LT holds a leadership position in India in most of the areas in which it operates. The first company to introduce hydraulic excavators in the country, it still maintains its leadership status in this and in the vibratory compactor segments. LTs switchgear products enjoy a dominant position in Indian as well as the international markets. It continues to be a leader in the manufacture of Z-Line petrol pumps and its cement is considered to be of high quality. LT has pioneered the manufacture and supply of critical nuclear reactors and space vehicles hardware in the country. It has to its credit many firsts in the Indian industry from the indigenously manufactured hydrocracker reactor, naptha run power plants, the worlds largest curing press, to the first vertical dairy in the country and so on. With the Project and Construction business in the country growing at a fast pace and expected to continue to do so with the country s emphasis on infrastructure, both LT ECC (Construction Group) and LT s Projects (EPC) businesses are being treated as thrust areas. The ECC construction group has been responsible for construction landmarks both in India and abroad, for instance, the Bahai house of worship in Delhi, an international airport terminal in Abu Dhabi, bridges in Malaysia, hotels in Uzbekistan, and so on. Its major projects have been building of cement plants for Grasim Industries, Gujarat Ambuja Cements, and ACC Ltd., construction of bridges and railway tunnels for the Konkan Railway project. In projects business, LT EPC group successfully executed orders from ONCC (for piping and oil platforms), Tata Chemicals {for captive co generation power plant) and Gandhinagar Dairy. In shipping and international business too, the company has made significant progress to become one of the leading players in their line of business. LT has a long and enviable record of high-tech fabrication. The workshops in Powai with CNC precision machines house large-size precision fabrication facilities. Its major heavy engineering complex at Hazira also caters to such needs. LTs units and its links with globally reputed organisations have contributed much in developing manufacturing excellence. Decision-making at LT Over the years, the company has implemented its vision through various approaches. Foremost is the emphasis on empowerment, teamwork, and continuous training of employees. In terms of structure, the company has decentralised decision-making, and according to Mr. Kulkarni, CEO, the concept of Strategic Business Units (SBUs) is being actively encouraged. The company is decentralised for all practical purposes. Budgets and allocations are made at the beginning of the year and SBUs undertake the responsibility for achieving the targets. Only in major decisions involving capacity augmentation, business divestment, diversification, and so on does the CEO personally involve himself. According to Mr. Kulkarni, only through empowerment and decentralised decision making can a highly diversified company like LT be managed. For example, though the decision to divest the Dot Matrix Printers (DMPs) business was first proposed by the concerned department, yet the decision was taken ai the MD/Board level as it agreed that product and technological obsolescence and synergy of DMPs with other businesses was indeed low. The Culture of TQM The TQM journey, initiated in 1993, has now taken firm roots in LT. The efforts put in training a large number of employees has resulted in the launch of many quality improvement initiatives. A large number of employees have participated in continuous improvement (Kaizen) and small group activities. Several cross-functional teams regularly function in the areas of manufacturing, design, marketing and services. LT has created an environment for increased empowerment to further improve customer services. The TQM Awareness Programmes have also been extended to the stockists and vendors to achieve improvement in the operations and customer service. LT strongly believe in the concept of internal customers. With TQM knowledge spreading widely inside the company, employees have realised that everybody in every department is a supplier to somebody in the organisation if not directly to an outside customer. One employee says, even though it is difficult to oblige everybody, I believe that we should go a step forward to understand the real requirements of the customer, which he himself may not be fully aware of, and delight the customer through total quality and service. Such an attitude should be our guiding force. A value strongly sought to be inculcated in the employees is that people can confront competition better by moving from a product-oriented philosophy to a customer-oriented philosophy. For this, employees are being trained in multi skills, including quality transactions and market engineering, besides product engineering. With people being regarded as the prime movers, a strong HRD culture pervades the organisations personnel policies, and HRD systems are designed to sustain motivation, encourage learning, and achieve higher levels of quality and productivity through job involvement. The embracing of TQM philosophy.and implementation of ISO 9000 systems by almost all divisions has led people to work towards common goals with a customer oriented approach. Social Commitments Corporate Citizenship The Mumbai Chamber presented the Good Corporate Citizen Award for the year 1994 -95 to Larsen and Toubro Limited for its contribution to Larsen and Toubro Limited for its contribution to the corporate world, but more importantly for its conspicuous achievements in improving the quality of life in the community. Award for most Outstanding Concrete Structure The ECC Division of LT received the ICI-Mc-Bauchemie Award presented by The Indian Concrete Institute for the most outstanding concrete structure for the year 1995 96 for Sree Kanteerava Indoor Sports Complex is Bangalore. The structure is considered to be an engineering marvel. The citation for the award reads Sree Lanteerava Indoor Sports Complex is designed in the shape of an ellipse using 120 V shaped precast folded plate elements. Each element is 43 m long and weighs 55. t. The thickness of the plate is just 40 mm, but strengthened by ribs throughout its length. Since the folded plate springs from the ring beam along the outer periphery and connected by the compression ring at the crown, the entire roof is self supporting, providing an unobstructed column-fee space of 119 m x 91 m with a playing arena of 65 m x 45 min the centre. Environment Upgradation LT has been showing its commitment towards corporate citizenship. As one goes around the works and offices of LT. one experiences a soothing and refreshing ambience because of the rich foliage and delightful floral blooms around these structures. LT has undertaken extensive tree plantation programme. Over three lakh trees were planted in and around the factory in 1993-94 under the programme Trees for Life. The villagers have been given grafted saplings of fruit-bearing trees and encouraged to plant them. The success of this ongoing effort led to LT being selected by the Government of Maharashtra for the prestigious Vanashree Award in 1990. Contribution to Academics LT set up LT Institute of Technology, a polytechnic in Mumbai. In a short period, it has come to be widely regarded as one of the best training institutions of its kind in the country, particularly for the full-fledged workshops and laboratories that provide a strong practical orientation to theoretical inputs. There is a good demand in engineering companies for the students passing out from this Institute. LT also contribute financially towards Upgradation of facilities in several polytechnics. It regularly interfaces with academic institutions to promote quality education and has established research chairs for faculty in several institutions including ai IIM, Ahmedabad. Within the company, one of the most invaluable and lasting investments made by LT is the establishment of a Management Development Programme Centre at Lonavala (near Mumbai). According to Mr. CM Srivastava, Joint General Manager (JGM) (HRD), the management development centre has been visua lized as a temple of learning where people would come with the sole purpose of enhancing knowledge, learning through experience, self-study, and introspection. The emphasis, therefore, is on providing an ambience for learning rather than training. The centre has modern learning facilities like computer-added packages, a library, and outdoor training facilities. Manufacturing Facilities Some important manufacturing facilities of LT are shown in Table 2. Table 2 Important Manufacturing Facilities of LT Location Product/Plants Powai, Madh (Maharashtra) Plant and heavy equipment switchgears, Petrol pumps, Bothell closures, control and automation, welding alloys, undercarriage components Thane (Maharashtra) Electronics and Inputs for undercarriage components Awarpur (Maharashtra) Cement Nashik (Maharashtra) Light-weight glass containers Faridabad (Haryana) switchgears Ankleshwar (Orissa) Welding Alloys Kansbajal (Orissa) Plant and equipment for steel paper and pulp, material handling and mineral processing industry Mysore (karnataka) Medical electronic equipment computer peripherals, telecommunications, test and measuring instruments Bangalore (Karnataka) Earth-moving and construction equipment, hydraulic equipment and diesel engines, Gen. Sets Hazira (MP) Heavy equipments Hirmi (MP) Cement manufacturing unit Chennai (TN) Valves, rubber and plastic processing machinery Kandla (Gujarat) Export oriented fabrication Pondicherry Transmission towers Kalol (Gujarat) Export footwear Jharsuguda (Orissa) Cement grinding unit The Future The financial results of LT far the year 1996 97 are not too encouraging as far as profits are concerned. The company has reported profits of Rs. 410 crore against the previous years profit of Rs. 390 crore, thereby achieving a slim growth of five percent. However, the turnover has recorded a sharp jump from Rs. 4249 dare to Rs. 5304 crore. From another perspective, the performance has been commendable considering the slump and intense competition in the cement industry and performance of other competitors during the period. LT is firmly consolidating itself in four major business areas engineering, construction cement, and equipment manufacture, Presently, cement accounts for 15 per cent of the total revenue. lt has embarked on a major expansion programme that will double the capacity to 12 m tons per annum, which will make it the largest cement manufacturer in India. A Euro-issue of $135 million has been planned to fund this expansion. Having defined EPC as a thrust business for t he future, it will be relevant to take a look into the competitive structure of the EPC business. In the domestic business, LT has a handful of competitors among whom BHEL. Punj and Lloyd, and RITES are the major ones. The peculiar nature of EPC business is that it is not a sector specific industry. The core infrastructure activities such as power, telecom, and roads will become key focus areas for the country. Most players in this industry have specific competencies which cater to specialised areas, LT is perhaps the only company which competes in almost every sector by virtue of its diversified technical competence and expertise. LTs EPC business takes the form of competitive bidding for executing projects from start to finish for third parties, part execution of projects as sub contractors to other bidders, and autonomous bidding for setting up its own projects in the core sectors. In the global EPC business, however the company faces stiff competition from the global construction and engineering giants like Hyundai, Saipern, Mcdermoft, Caterpiller, to name a few. In such a highly competitive environment with technology being a handicap (that most Indian companies suffer from), the logical step is to enter into strategic and technological alliances. Most Indian EPC players follow this route and LT is no exception. Some of its alliances are with its competitors, for instance, Caterpillar, Marubeni. Like most Indian EPC players going global, LT s overseas EPC operations are concentrated in the developing and developed countries of South-and Middle-East Asia such as Thailand and Malaysia, Vietnam, Burma, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Gulf countries like Qatar, Saudi Arabia. Bahrain, Oman, and so on. Though LT has attained impressive achievements, the productivity of several businesses are alarmingly low on the international benchmark level. In an environment of high interest rates and tight liquidity position, the efficient management of working capital will form the key to future LT successes. Some of the areas of concern for LT in the short-term would be: the need to attain faster delivery standards, customer satisfaction, continuous cost reduction, productivity improvement and operating with low working capital, and aiming at least to be a regional player of repute and recognition. Questions: (a) Carry out a SWOT Analysis of LT. (b) Explain the Decision-making process at LT and how does it contribute to performance of the company. (c) What are the various strategies that you recommend for LTs EPC division in domestic and foreign markets? Paper-2 Section-A 1. Strategy includes the determination and evaluation of alternative paths to an already established mission or objective and eventually, choice of the alternatives to be adopted. Explain the statement underlining the process of strategy formulation. 2. Technological factors represent major opportunities and threats, which must be taken into account while formulating strategies. Discuss. How can a firm build a sustainable technology based competitive advantage? 3. The low-cost leadership strategy at times enables the firm to defend itself against each of five competitive forces. Explain. 4. Briefly explain the factors which contribute towards the success of a strategic alliance. Illustrate with a recent example of strategic alliance. 5. Explain any three methods/techniques used in strategic control systems, giving examples. SECTION B 6. Read the case carefully and answer the questions at the end. Rupbani Beverage Limited Rupbani Beverage Limited entered the Indian wine industry in 1975 by acquiring the Mastana Wine Company of Shimla and two other smaller wine companies at Kalka for Rs. 50 lakh. Despite hostility expressed by other wine makers and predictions that Rupbani would very soon fail as other outsiders such as Parminder Wine Company had, the entry succeeded. Rupbani Limited performed the unheard of feat of establishing a volume of 30 lakh cases within two years and taking the market share away from premium brands such as the National Wine Company of Bombay, Pearl Drink Limited of Pune and Syndicate Cola Limited of Madras. Rupbani advertised heavily and incurred Rs. 10 lakh in one year and standardised the taste of its wines with considerable success. It also invested Rs. 48 lakh in a large, new winery at Ahmedabad. A Rupbani Executive said, By 1995, consumption of wine in India will be a liter per capita, compared with half a liter today. The industry reacted to Rupbanis presence by doubling and tripling advertising expenditure. ABC and Company began a costly campaign to market premium and varied wines while reducing marketing emphasis on its cheap wines such as Nahan Drinks and the Gola Beverage. ABC maintained its 25 percent market share but had to resort to some heavy price discounting to do so. In 1982 Pearl Drinks formed a special wine unit to combine efforts for all its brands. Mr. Sailesh Kumar former Vice President of the National Wine Company had directed a project to coordinate Pearls world-wide wine business and develop a world wide strategy. The new unit was, in fact, a result of his work. In1983, wine consumption changed from growth at a rate of 5 per cent to no growth. The government also lifted the ban on imports of wine. This presented an even greater challenge because imported wines were cheaper as well as superior in quality. In1984 Mr. Ranganathan took over as Managing Director of Rupbani. He reviewed the recent performance of the company and its competitive position. He noted that the company was losing its hold over the market and it was not getting the return as expected. He also found that the companys performance in the syrup business was excellent. He, therefore, thought of selling out the wine business to Pearl Drinks, He convened an executive meeting and apprised the executives of his proposal. He also informed them that Pearl Drinks had offered the company to recapture its investment in the wine business which was about Rs. one crore. Mr. Arun Mehta, General Manager, observed that Rupbani was in and out in the past six years and has joined different organisations in trying the wine business. The finance Manager, M. Subhash Ghai said, The return on assets in the wine business is not the 30 to 35 per cent, which Rupbani is used to getting in the syrup business. Gaining share and trying to compete with ABC and Company left Rupbani with, eventually, the number two position in the wine industry with profits of Rs. 60 lakh on Rs. 220 lakh in sales. The stockholders wanted immediate return and hence, the company could not afford to make long-term investments necessary to popularise the brands. Had they stayed for five more years, they would have been a key leader in a large and profitable industry. Pearl Drinks immediately went from the sixth position in the industry to a strong second place with an 11 per cent market share. The Chairman of Pearl Drinks stated: We believe you can make money in this business in two ways remain a small boutique winery or become large and achieve economies of scale. Mr. Harish, Marketing Manager of Rupbani said, It is no use selling out our business to Pearl Drink and get back what we have invested. We can compete with our competitors successfully and improve our market share if we manufacture wines of varying qualities to suit the varied preferences and pockets of diverse sections of society. We should also offer price discounts to attract the consumers. There should be wide publicity of our brands throughout the country. Questions: (a) Perform SWOT analysis of Rupbani. (b) In the light of opportunities and threats of Rupbani Beverage and its strengths and weaknesses, what strategy should it formulate to improve its performance and strengthen its competitive position? (c) Should Rupbani spend on advertising in line with its competitors? Discuss. (d) What other strategies would you suggest for Rupbani for increasing their share of the market? Paper-3 Section-A 1. Explain the various steps involved in Strategic Management process in a single business firm. 2. Explain the following: (a) Types of resources (b) Strategic importance of resources 3. Discuss the importance of differentiation strategy in the present competitive environment. Explain taking into consideration its advantages and disadvantages. 4. Every strategic alliance incurs certain costs and comes with a set of risks. Explain any five costs/risks of entering into a strategic alliance. 5. Corporate culture plays an important role in the success of an organization. Explain giving suitable example. SECTION B NEECO LIMITED At the end of the recent five-year plan, it was estimated that there would be a considerable demand in the manufacturing capacity of power transformers in the country. It was further projected that the gap between demand and the manufacturing capacity would be even larger in the subsequent plans. Thus, anticipating the countrys demand in future, Neeco Limited decided to set up a new unit for manufacturing transformers. This was in addition to the manufacturing capacity already built up at one of the existing factories. Formal Planning Process Formal planning was introduced in the very first year of the commencement of activities at the new unit. The planning process at Neeco Limited included the setting up of broad objectives and the preparation of the three-year forecast. In a letter addressed to departmental heads, the General Manager, Mr. S.K. Patel said, The time has come to put down on paper the objectives and goals of our organisation and to develop a proper framework whereby we can take a more systematic look at the future we are heading for. This, I believe, can be achieved by involvement and cooperation of all the departmental heads in putting into practice a culture of planning. The responsibility for developing a three-year plan was entrusted to the planning cell, which reported directly to the General Manager. There was a separate controllers office, which looked after budget preparation and the subsequent monitoring of actual performance. Goal Setting Process Planning began each year in the month of April with the establishment of goals by the top management. The top management group consisted of the General Manager and his various functional heads. The goals were set both in qualitative as well as quantitative terms. The quantitative goals were in terms of growth in sales and profits. Commenting on the quantitative goals, Mr. Patel observed that: Profit is the primary goal. The planning cell, after collecting dl the information, consolidated and integrated the data and prepared operating results and cash flow projections for the three-year period. Exhibit-I NEECO LIMITED Date Steps in planning 1st Week of April Planning call sends relevant formats to departmental heads, with detailed explanations. 4th Week of April By the fourth week, the various departmental send the formats back to the planning cell, duly filled. 1st Week of May Planning officer compiles all the data and puts it in an integrated form. 2nd Week of May The first draft of the plan is discussed in a management group meeting, wherein several suggestions emerge and the draft is thoroughly revised by resolving the conflicting objectives of various departments. 1st Week of June The final draft of the plan is ready and is sent to corporate headquarters. (b) Responsibility for Plan Preparation Segment of the Plan Responsibility Sale Plan (Order Book Position) Manager Marketing Production Plan Manager (Production) Materials Plan Materials Manager Manpower Plan Personnel Manager Township Development Plan Manager (Projects) Plan and Final Plan Document Planning Officer Before finalising the plans as prepared by the various functional/department heads, a detailed discussion was held. During these discussion was held. During these discussions various departmental heads explained the basis of their respective plans. The final plan was arrived after resolving the conflicting objectives of various departments. The Planning-Budgeting Linkage Immediately after the plan was approved b9 the Management Group, the process of preparing a detailed budget for the next year was initiated. The three-year plan set out the broad objectives for the first year and projections for the next two years. A detailed exercise had already been conducted in preparing the broad objectives, which served as a basis for the preparation of a detailed budget for the ensuing year. Thus the first year of the plan document, with necessary modifications, became the budget for the next year. The three year plan document and the budget were, therefore, closely inter-related. It was said that the preparation of a three year plan was, in a way, a process of creating an organisational climate for a rigorous and time consuming process of budgeting. Reactions of Executives

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë Essay -- Charlotte Brontë Jane Eyre

Jane Eyre Jane Eyre, a classic Victorian novel by Charlotte Brontà «, is regarded as one of the finest novels in English literature. The main character, Jane Eyre, demonstrates a strong need to be herself, a young girl trying to retain all the individuality possible for a dependent of her time. Although this effort guides her to a passionate and impulsive nature, Jane is still willing to accept change in her life knowing it may not always seem the most pleasant. Her tolerance of change begins very early in the novel and helps her in developing a strong sense of independence. The first two primary changes in Jane’s life, dealing mainly with setting, are when she leaves Gateshead Hall, the hateful environment containing Mrs. Reed and her children, and when she leaves Lowood, a rigorous Christian boarding school. These two instances are important in the development of her self-assured character and resiliently intense resolve, which will help determine the path of her life. Janeâ⠂¬â„¢s leaving Gateshead and Jane’s leaving Lowood may be compared on the basis of Jane’s desire for change, and may be contrasted on the bases of the reasons for Jane’s leaving and her anticipations for leaving. In each instance of Jane’s departure, whether from Gateshead or from Lowood, she desires change: something new to experience. Before Jane leaves Gateshead, she is even more shut out by the Reeds’ due to the holiday season of Christmas. Because of this extreme separation between her and the ever hardening Reeds, Jane is expecting not to be tolerated among them for much longer (20-22). This prospect elevating her spirits, she narrates, â€Å"I gathered enough of hope to suffice as a motive for wishing to get well: a change seemed near—I desired... ... to embark on a †new life in the unknown† (85). Jane’s leaving Gateshead and her departure from Lowood are the most important two events in her life playing a role in the shaping of her personality. This personality, one of strength, resilience, and spirit, can be regarded as one of the best developed in literature. Jane’s desire, in both cases, leads to the reasons for her departure. Once she knows she is departing, her anticipations, always of something better than the present, guide her and help her survive. After everything, she undoubtedly has a better life with a true sense of satisfaction and gratification. Understanding these two changes in her life can lead to a better explanation of the rest of her life: the path she chooses, decisions she makes, how she interacts with her surroundings, and how she finds happiness ever after: the best part of all.

Testing the Theory of the Oedipus Complex :: Psychology Psychological Experiment

Abstract from Paper: ___________________________________________________ THEORY: If a subject in the experimental group shows more aggressive behavior toward his father and increased affectionate behavior toward their mother after receiving the subliminal messages and the control group shows no increase when shown neutral messages, then it will be proven that the Oedipus Complex does in fact exist in the unconscious. To prove this we bring the behavior out from the unconscious to the sub conscious through the subliminal messages. These boys have repressed these feelings for so long because it is too painful for them to deal with. ______________________________________________________ Research Paper Begins Here   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The positive libidinal feelings of a child to the parent of the opposite sex and hostile or jealous feelings toward the parent of the same sex that may be a source of adult personality disorder when unresolved. It is a pattern of profound emotional ambivalence, a troublesome mixture of love and hate.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Oedipus Complex occurs during the phallic stage, from roughly ages 3-6 years. Freud believed that during this stage boys seek genital stimulation and develop both unconscious desires for their mother and jealousy and hatred for their father, whom they consider a rival. It was said that boys felt guilt and lurking fear that their father would punish them, such as by castration. Freud also believed that conscience and gender identity form as the child resolved the Oedipus Complex at age 5 or 6, but this actually happens earlier. A child tends to become strongly masculine or feminine without even having the same sex parent present.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Freud argues that all sons unconsciously desire to kill, even if they love, their fathers. He found his own unconscious wish to murder his father in his intensive self analysis in 1897, shortly after the death of his father.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Freud says it is only the male child that we find the fateful combination of love for the one parent and simultaneous hatred for the other as a rival. Freud believed Oedipal was a normal part of human psychological growth and it is during this stage children produce emotional conflicts.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Other psychoanalysts believed that girls experience a parallel called the "Electra Complex". This comes from a Greek legend of a women named Electra who helped plan the murder of her mother.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Oedipus Complex originates from a myth about a Greek hero named Oedipus, written by Sophocles. Oedipus was the son of Laius and Jocasta who in the fulfillment of an oracle unknowingly kills his father and marries his mother. When Oedipus and Jocasta realize what has happened, Jocasta hangs herself and he rips the golden brooches from his dead mothers gown and plunges them deep

Top 10 Risks of Offshore Outsourcing

Top 10 Risks of Offshore Outsourcing Summary:  Offshore outsourcing is growing 20%-25% per annum, with little evidence of slowing. Indeed, while most enterprises experience initial resistance, most technical issues are readily resolved and geopolitical risk is deemed insignificant after careful evaluation. By Dean Davison | December 9, 2003 — 00:00 GMT (16:00 PST) Offshore outsourcing is growing 20%-25% per annum, with little evidence of slowing. Indeed, while most enterprises experience initial resistance, most technical issues are readily resolved and geopolitical risk is deemed insignificant after careful evaluation.Even the current political fervor about jobs being moved offshore via outsourcing is not impacting the demand or strategy of IT organizations. Offshore outsourcing will continue to grow as a â€Å"labor arbitrage† model until 2008/09. META Trend: During 2004/05, outsourcing will divide into commodity and transformational services. Infrastructure service s will mirror grid-computing structures and develop consumption-based pricing (a. k. a. , â€Å"utility services†). Through 2006/07, transformational services (e. g. application development maintenance and business process outsourcing) will segment along horizontal (function commonality) and vertical (specialized) business process/services outsourcing functions. Although vendors will attempt to bundle infrastructure with â€Å"value† services, clients will demand â€Å"line item† pricing by 2008/09. Through 2004/05, IT organizations will outsource discrete projects/functions offshore (e. g. , from application development projects to specific call center support). Growth will continue at 20%+.Offshore strategies by domestic vendors will shift business from large, integrated outsourcing contracts, but most IT organizations will still develop strategies that focus on pure-play offshore vendors. The top 10 risks of offshore outsourcing are as follows. 1. Cost-Reduct ion Expectations The biggest risk with offshore outsourcing has nothing to do with outsourcing – it involves the expectations the internal organization has about how much the savings from offshore will be. Unfortunately, many executives assume that labor arbitrage will yield savings comparable to person-to-person comparison (e. . , a full-time equivalent in India will cost 40% less) without regard for the hidden costs and differences in operating models. In reality, most IT organizations save 15%-25% during the first year; by the third year, cost savings often reach 35%-40% as companies â€Å"go up the learning curve† for offshore outsourcing and modify operations to align to an offshore model. 2. Data Security/Protection IT organizations evaluating any kind of outsourcing question whether vendors have sufficiently robust security practices and if vendors can meet the security requirements they have internally.While most IT organizations find offshore vendor security p ractices impressive (often exceeding internal practices), the risk of security breaks or intellectual property protection is inherently raised when working in international business. Privacy concerns must be completely addressed. Although these issues rarely pose major impediments to outsourcing, the requirements must be documented and the methods and integration with vendors defined. 3. Process Discipline (CMM) The Capability Maturity Model (CMM) becomes an important measure of a company’s readiness to adopt an offshore model.Offshore vendors require a standardized and repeatable model, which is why CMM Level 5 is a common characteristic. META Group observes that approximately 70% of IT organizations are at CMM Level 1 – creating a gap that is compensated for by additional vendor resources on-site (see  Figure 1). Companies lacking internal process model maturity will undermine potential cost savings. 4. Loss of Business Knowledge Most IT organizations have business knowledge that resides within the developers of applications. In some cases, this expertise may be a proprietary or competitive advantage.Companies must carefully assess business knowledge and determine if moving it either outside the company or to an offshore location will compromise company practices. 5. Vendor Failure to Deliver A common oversight for IT organizations is a contingency plan – what happens if the vendor, all best intentions and contracts aside, simply fails to deliver. Although such failures are exceptions, they do occur, even with the superb quality methodologies of offshore vendors. When considering outsourcing, IT organizations should assess the implications of vendor failure (i. . , does failure have significant business performance implications? ). High risk or exposure might deter the organization from outsourcing, it might shift the outsourcing strategy (e. g. , from a single vendor to multiple vendors), or it might drive the company toward outsourci ng (if the vendor has specific skills to reduce risks). The results of risk analysis vary between companies; it is the process of risk analysis that is paramount. 6. Scope Creep There is no such thing as a fixed-price contract.All outsourcing contracts contain baselines and assumptions. If the actual work varies from estimates, the client will pay the difference. This simple fact has become a major obstacle for IT organizations that are surprised that the price was not â€Å"fixed† or that the vendor expects to be paid for incremental scope changes. Most projects change by 10%-15% during the development cycle. 7. Government Oversight/Regulation Utilities, financial services institutions, and healthcare organizations, among others, face various degrees of government oversight.These IT organizations must ensure that the offshore vendor is sensitive to industry-specific requirements and the vendor’s ability to: 1) comply with government regulations; and 2) provide suffici ent â€Å"transparency† showing that it does comply and is thus accountable during audits. The issue of transparency is becoming more significant as requirements such as the USA PATRIOT Act and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act place greater burdens of accountability on all American corporations. 8. Culture A representative example: although English is one official language in India, pronunciation and accents can vary tremendously.Many vendors put call center employees through accent training. In addition, cultural differences include religions, modes of dress, social activities, and even the way a question is answered. Most leading vendors have cultural education programs, but executives should not assume that cultural alignment will be insignificant or trivial. 9. Turnover of Key Personnel Rapid growth among outsourcing vendors has created a dynamic labor market, especially in Bangalore, India. Key personnel are usually in demand for new, high-profile projects, or even at risk of bein g recruited by other offshore vendors.While offshore vendors will often quote overall turnover statistics that appear relatively low, the more important statistic to manage is the turnover of key personnel on an account. Common turnover levels are in the 15%-20% range, and creating contractual terms around those levels is a reasonable request. Indeed, META Group has seen recent contracts that place a â€Å"liability† on the vendor for any personnel that must be replaced. The impact of high turnover has an indirect cost on the IT organization, which must increase time spend on knowledge transfer and training new individuals. 0. Knowledge Transfer The time and effort to transfer knowledge to the vendor is a cost rarely accounted for by IT organizations. Indeed, we observe that most IT organizations experience a 20% decline in productivity during the first year of an agreement, largely due to time spent transferring both technical and business knowledge to the vendor. Many offsh ore vendors are deploying video conferencing (avoiding travel) and classroom settings (creating one-to-many transfer) to improve the efficacy of knowledge transfer.In addition, employee turnover often places a burden on the IT organization to provide additional information for new team members. Business Impact: Offshore outsourcing can reduce IT expenditures by 15%-25% within the first year. Longer term, process improvements often make great impacts on both cost savings and the quality of IT services delivered. Bottom Line: As IT organizations consider the vast benefits and allure of offshore outsourcing, they must balance the risks and uncertainties with the potential for labor arbitrage.Strategic Decision Challenges Researchers have applied different perspectives to understand sourcing decision, the key among them being production and transaction cost economics (Ang & Straub, 1998), resource-based views (RBV), and resource-dependence views (Teng et al. , 1995). The Resource-Based View (RBV) argues that a firm’s competitive advantage depends heavily on its resources, as well as how these are used. Resources that are valuable and rare can lead to the creation of competitive advantage (Wade & Hulland, 2004).Competitive advantage can be sustained over longer time periods to the extent that the firm is able to protect against resource imitation, transfer, or substitution. The knowledge-based theory (KBV) of the firm considers knowledge as the most strategically significant resource of the firm. Its proponents argue that, because knowledge-based resources are usually difficult to imitate and socially complex, heterogeneous knowledge bases and capabilities among firms are the major determinants of sustained competitive advantage and superior corporate performance.There is certain level of paradox in outsourcing when viewed from RBV or KBV prisms. Proponents of outsourcing have often used RBV to justify outsourcing decisions. The lack of resources, or resourc e gaps, that a firm has can also be rectified by acquiring resources from outside the firm boundaries by souring arrangement (Teng et al. , 1995). Outsourcing has been considered as a part of the way that firms assemble knowledge from suppliers (Shi et al. , 2005). Thus, information systems (IS) outsourcing can be seen as a mechanism to integrate IS knowledge from IS vendors.Knowledge sharing by both, client and supplier sides, is considered to be a success factor in outsourcing (Lee, 2001). However, some researchers have raised concerns regarding the potential loss of internal know-how through IS outsourcing (Willcocks et al. , 2004) and the potential loss of intellectual property (Chen et al. ,2002; Evaristo et al. , 2005). Outsourcing involves the inherent risk of forgoing the development of the knowledge base of the firm. Hoecht and Trott (2006) argues that innovative capability of the firm is largely dependent on cumulative knowledge built up over many years of experience.Innov ative ability cannot be simply bought and sold. Earl (1996) argues that innovation needs slack resources, organic and fluid organizational processes, and experimental and entrepreneurial competences – all attributes that external sourcing does not guarantee. Aron (2005) describes these risks as the long-term intrinsic risks of atrophy. These risks are an inevitable byproduct of the process of outsourcing. Over time, if a company outsources an activity completely, it loses the core group of people who were familiar with it. They retire, they leave for employment where their skills are more alued, or they simply become less technically competent and out of date. Reliance on outsourcing is problematic, not only because key areas of expertise may be gradually lost to the outsourcing organization but also because outside providers may not have the desired leading edge expertise over the long-term (Earl, 1996) or may spread their expertise among many clients so that it degrades fro m core competency to mere industry standard. Hoecht & Trott (2006) remind senior managers of the harm that may be inflicted on the ability of the organization to survive in the long term if its core competencies are slowly eroded through outsourcing.A related issue is that of the strategic intent (DiRomualdo & Gurbaxani, 1998) behind the offshore outsourcing decision by organizations. Strategic intent in this context can range from an improvement in the IS unit of the organization (which generally provides the lowest degree of benefits), an improvement in the business processes of the overall organization, or a commercial intent to generate profits by developing core expertise in the domain of outsourced IT service (Kishore et al. , 2004–2005).The commercial intent is exemplified in the oft-cited case of American Airlines who established a new subsidiary to sell airline reservation related services commercially to other airlines and travel agents using Sabre, its airline rese rvation system, and to generate new revenues and profits from this line of business. Strategic intent behind outsourcing is an important challenge as it has been shown that stock market reacts favorably and rewards companies when they outsource with an intent of creating the maximum returns for the firm (Agrawal et al. 2006). On the vendor side, vendors can develop their expertise through building knowledge from experiences and holding the knowledge for competitive advantage. Szulanski (Szulanski, 1996) identifies lack of incentives, lack of confidence, turf protection, and the â€Å"not invented here† syndrome as motivational factors potentially influencing knowledge transfer in outsourcing arrangements.This two-sided nature of knowledge transfer is expected to create asymmetric information leading to outsourcing failures. From a client’s view several challenges then arise including deciding what is the right proportion of IT function insourced or outsourced, and what IT application should be outsourced or kept within for strategic reasons.