Philippine Taxation System Essay

I. Introduction On hearing the word tax, what usually springs to mind are images of infrastructures, businesses and projects beneficial to the general welfare of the people, or more negatively, the idea of corruption and dirty tricks especially nowadays when numerous issues are colouring the taxation system of the country. With these, today, its importance seems to be overlooked and is viewed more negatively as a burden to the people. Currently, the individual income tax rate in the Philippines stands at 32 percent, which is third highest in the entire Association of South East Asian Nation (ASEAN) region, next to Thailand and Vietnam. A number of the country’s lawmakers already have their hands on this matter and encourages the government to take actions in lowering it down. This matter has become especially important now that the Asean integration free-for-all market in 2015 is nearing. It is important to understand taxation and to determine how well it fits the economy of a country for it is a key factor on its growth. The taxation system has been a hot economic issue and has been causing rage and fury among the people. Clearly, it is a national issue that needs immediate attention and action as it affects the whole of the nation. It will be an agonizing thought if what is known to be the â€Å"lifeblood of the government† will be the very one thing that sucks â€Å"life† out of its people. What’s supposed to be used to finance the basic services such as education and health care as well as infrastructure–which are all vital to the economy’s growth and the improvement of the lives of the people– could be the very same thing that seem to limit the capability of the people to improve their own lives and unforgivingly take away the food in the Filipinos tables. Or is it not? Objectives of the Study The study is aimed to determine the following: 1. The fiscal adequacy 2. Administrative feasibility 3. Equity 4. And the consistency and compatibility of the Philippine taxation system with the Nation’s Economic Direction. Significance of the Study The study is intended to increase the awareness of the readers on the Philippine taxation system. It is specifically addressed to: taxpayers, students and educators. Scope and Limitation of the study The study involves 7 participants who pay taxes for at least 3 years. The participants are selected to represent different social and industry classes. II. Review of Related Literature Nature and Purpose of Taxation Taxation may be defined as the inherent right of the state to levy and collect a portion of each individual and entity’s income from productive endeavors within the states’ political boundaries. Since taxation is inherent right of the state, meaning, absolute right, taxation laws were enacted to limit this right. That is the reason why taxation is graduated, and in most countries, it is progressive. Graduated, meaning, that taxes to be paid are divided into several brackets of income; and progressive, meaning, that the higher the income, the higher will be the tax rate to be paid, and vice-versa. Taxation is very important for the government to exist. Without it, no government can ever exist, as taxes are the lifeblood of the government. Citizens pay taxes in the expectation that the government will protect them with the necessary environment to enable them to live in safety and perform them with the necessary environment to enable them to live in safety and perform their productive activities without fear or hesitation. The Bureau of Internal Revenue is the tax-collecting arm of the government for individual and corporate income taxes. The Bureau of Customs is the government-collecting arm for import taxation. (Cuevas et al., 2012) Procedure of Taxation Taxation is legislative in character. As such, all tax measures emanate from the Congress. The House of Representatives enact taxation bills. Then it goes to the Senate. Then to the joint conference committee and finally, to the Malacaà ±ang Palace for the President’s approval or in few instances, veto. Once the tax measure is approved and published in the official gazette, it becomes a law. It is then forwarded to the tax collection agency concerned for implementation. Normally, the concerned agency drafts an implementing guideline for the guidance of the line personnel whol will actually implement the law to avoid any possible misinterpretation of its implementation. The tax measure normally provides for sanctions and penalties for violators. Principal violations include tax evasion and tax avoidance. (Cuevas et al. 2012) ` Sound Taxation System A sound taxation system should have Fiscal Adequacy, Administrative Feasibility, Equity and consistent and compatible with the nation’s economic direction. The level of taxes collected should be sufficient enough to fund government operations and projects. A tax collection that is less than sufficient will cause fiscal deficit that can stoke inflation. Taxation laws should be easy to understand; that the existing personnel and other administrative resources of the tax collecting office are sufficient and capable of implementing existing taxation laws. Taxation should be progressive and fair. For example, those individual some should pay higher tax rates, and those with low income should either be exempted from taxes or pay negligible amounts of taxes. The government’s tax collection efforts should be supportive of the economy’s short- and long-term plans. (Cuevas et al., 2012) Equity Recently, the public officials have been confronted with allegations of corruptions and inefficient populist schemes. To name a few, the PDAF scam, DAP scam, political grandstanding to bring down 2016 election potential rivals, the alleged overpricing of Makati City parking lot and the 700 million Iloilo convention center. These facts combined with unforgiving tax collection campaign has resulted to negative sentiments about the equitability of taxation in the country. â€Å"The tax being imposed by the government is too much. They even want to tax us my sari-sari store. The mere payment of business requirements already hurts my store. I am working for my family not for the government. The government wants to take all our earnings.† said by a sari-sari store owner in Del Pilar, Castillejos. â€Å"My take home pay is cut into half because of the deductions and tax imposed to us. My gross salary, to be honest is not enough, then they will deduct us (tax and contributions) and y ou will find out from the media that our taxes were corrupted by a syndicate in the government† said by a college instructor in Gordon College. People Respond to Incentives An incentive is something that induces a person to act, such as the prospect of a punishment or a reward. Because rational people make decisions by comparing costs and benefits, they respond to incentives. Incentives are crucial to analyzing how market work. For example, when the price of an apple rises, people decide to eat fewer apples. At the same, time, apple orchards decide to hire more workers and harvest more apples. In other words, a higher price in a market provides and incentive to buyers to consume less and an incentive for sellers to produce more. (Mankiw, 2013) Public policymakers should never forget about incentives: Many policies change the costs or benefits that people face and, therefore, alter their behaviour. A tax on gasoline, for instance, encourages people to drive smaller, more fuel efficient cars. (Mankiw, 2013) Fiscal Drag Fiscal drag happens when the government’s net fiscal position (spending minus taxation) fails to cover the net savings desires of the private economy, also called the private economy’s spending gap (earnings minus spending and private investment). The resulting lack of aggregate demand leads to deflationary pressure, or drag, on the economy, essentially due to lack of state spending or to excess taxation. One cause of fiscal drag may be bracket creep, where progressive taxation increases automatically as taxpayers move into higher tax brackets due to inflation. This tends to moderate inflation, and can be characterized as an automatic stabilizer to the economy. Fiscal drag can also be a result of a hawkish stance towards government finances. (www.wikipedia.org) Bracket creep describes the process by which inflation pushes nominal wages and salaries into higher tax brackets. Many progressive tax systems are not adjusted for inflation. As wages and salaries rise in nominal terms under the influence of inflation they become more highly taxed, even though in real terms the value of the wages and salaries has not increased at all. The net effect is that in real terms taxes rise unless the tax rates or brackets are adjusted to compensate. (www.wikipedia.org) Supply-Side Effects of Fiscal Policy The changes in tax rates, particularly marginal tax rates, affect aggregate supply through their impact on the relative attractiveness of productive activity in comparison to leisure and tax avoidance. Supply –side tax cuts are a long-term growth-oriented strategy that will eventually increase both SRAS and LRAS. Keynesian Model Keynesian economics was developed by the British economist John Maynard Keynes during the 1930s in an attempt to understand the Great Depression.  Keynes advocated increased government expenditures and lower taxes to stimulate demand and pull the global economy out of tGrohe Depression. Subsequently, the term â€Å"Keynesian economics† was used to refer to the concept that optimal economic performance could be achieved – and economic slumps prevented – by influencing aggregate demand through activist stabilization and economic intervention policies by the government. Keynesian economics is considered to be a â€Å"demand-side† theory that focuses on changes in the economy over the short run. (www.investopedia.com) Crowding-out Model Crowding out is a kind of expansionary fiscal policy, reduces investment spending. The increased borrowing ‘crowds out’ private investing. Originally, crowding out was related to an increase in interest rates from the borrowing, but that was broadened to multiple channels that might leave total output little changed or smaller. (Blanchard, 2008) One channel of crowding out is a reduction in private investment that occurs because of an increase in government borrowing. If an increase in government spending and/or a decrease in tax revenues leads to a deficit that is financed by increased borrowing, then the borrowing can increase interest rates, leading to a reduction in private investment. There is some controversy in modern macroeconomics on the subject, as different schools of economic thought differ on how households and financial markets would react to more government borrowing under various circumstances. (Tyson, 2012) The Benefits Principle The benefits principle states that people should pay taxes based on the benefits they receive from government services. This principle tries to make public goods similar to private goods. It seems fair that a person who often goes to the movies pays more in total for movie tickets than a person who rarely goes. Similarly, a person who gets great benefit from a public good should pay more for it than a person who gets little benefit. The benefits principle can also be used to argue that wealthy citizens should pay higher  taxes than poorer ones simply because the wealthy benefit more from public services. For example, the benefits of police protection from theft. Citizens with much to protect benefit more from police than do those with less to protect. Therefore, according to benefits principle, the wealthy should contribute more than the poor to the cost of maintaining the police force. The same argument can be used for many other punlic services, such as fire protection, national defense, and the court system. It is even possible to use the benefits principle to argue for antipoverty programs funded by taxes on the wealthy. (Mankiw, 2013) The Ability-to-Pay Principle The ability-to-pay principle states that taxes should be levied on a person according to how well that person can shoulder the burden. This principle is sometimes justified by the claim that all citizens should make and â€Å"equal sacrifice† to support the government. 1. What is tax? A – B – â€Å"yan yung pahirap satin lahat. Ayaw ko nga magbayad nyan kasi hindi naman sa maganda mapupunta yang tax na yan. Sobra na nga yung paniningil ng gobyerno. Kahit sa sari-sari store gusto nilang kuhanan ng tax. Yung simpleng pambayad nga lang ng business permit ang hirap na eh. Gusto ata nila para sa kanila magtrabaho. C – â€Å"it is the life blood of the government†Ã‚  D – â€Å"The money extorted from productive people to fill the gov’t bank accounts.† F – â€Å"Kaltas sa sahod. 336 na lang babawasan pa nila†Ã‚  G – It is the money collected by the government from its citizens 2. What do you think is the purpose of taxation? A – Para may pondo ang gobyerno pampagawa ng project B – pampagawa ng mga daan at sweldo ng mga emplyado sa gobyerno C – â€Å"It is used to fund different government projects. Some economists say that taxation reallocates wealth from the rich to the poor because of the progressive taxation system that we have.† D – The purpose of tax is to fund public necessities, services and improvements needed by all citizens with no bias to their status in society. F – â€Å"para sa mga projects ng gobyerno† G – For the general welfare and protection of the country’s citizens and for the development of the economy. 3. For you what is equitable taxation? A – â€Å"wala ako idea† B – â€Å"dapat yung mayayaman mas malaki babayaran na tax kasi kaya nila magbayad di ba? Sila pa nga nandadaya pagdating sa bayaran ng tax tapos kaming mahihirap yung gigipitin ng BIR dyan sa pagbabayad ng tax.† C – â€Å"Progressive taxation because this type of taxation uses the paying capability of the taxpayer as a basis on how much he or she will be taxed.† D – Equitable tax will depend on how much good public services are and how much improvement to be done. F – â€Å"basta pantay-pantay† G – it’s when taxes are collected depending on the social class or income bracket. 4. How much is your annual income? C – â€Å"My take home pay is cut into half because of the deductions and tax imposed to us. My gross salary, to be honest is not enough, then they will deduct us (tax and contributions) and you will find out from the media that our taxes were corrupted by a syndicate in the government† 5. How much do you pay for taxes annually? D – â€Å"32% of my annual income. Which I would not want to disclose as per q#4. Hehe† 6. Do hire an accountant to deal with tax payments? A – â€Å"Nope. Bookkeeper lang.† B – â€Å"Hindi† C – â€Å"Nope† D – â€Å"No. My employer hires accountants to do our taxes† F – â€Å"Hindi.† 7. What do you feel about our country’s economic outlook? A – â€Å"Sabi nila tumataas daw economic growth ng pilipinas pero di ko masyadong ramdam†. D – †Asean economic is on hype right now and will eventually peak after 15 or 20years if no war will occur. Philippine econ is growing by single digit but the market per industry per capita is growing double digits faster than national econs totality. It is safe to say that now is the best time to invest in ph market.† 8. Are you satisfied on how the government provide its services to the public? Why? A – â€Å"di masyado satisfied, wala pa ding nakikitang improvement.† D – â€Å"Yes. There are many improvements on public services. The only problem is the public is not well aware of those improvements and how they can utilize it.† G – â€Å"No, I think priorities are not being properly set and attended to.† 9. For you what is the most efficient tax rate? A – Dahil medyo nag hihirap pa ang pilipinas, ok na siguro ang tax rate ngayon, basta wag lang makurakot, pag konti konti umaangat yung economy dapat baba din yung tax rate. B – 5 % C – 20% D – 9.3% E – â€Å"I don’t give interviews this way. But I’ll answer question 9. As other questions can be answered through interment and books. The most efficient tax system is the flat tax. I propose a 10 % flat rate across the board. This most fair and efficient of all. Done in more than 43 countries and by the most successful ones. Please research on my interviews. Just google my name and flat tax. You’ll find all you need for this issue. Thanks† F – 10% G – less than 30% V. Discussion Most of the respondents agree that an equitable tax system should ask the taxpayers to contribute to the cost of public services based on ability to pay. Tax payments are indeed the lifeblood of the government, any government will not stand without funding from its people. Taxes are also used to create societal order. It is used to protect its citizens. Taxes are used to pay for the salaries of the police and armies. A farmer will not plant his crops if he knows that it will be stolen in the morning, then economic productivity would be impossible. In our current system, the top tax bracket are those earning at least P500,000 or those earning at least P41,667. Those earning P41,667 per month pays the same taxes as to those earning P1,000,000. Everyone will agree that the situation is already inequitable. The tax bracket thus should be adjusted according to the salaries of the taxpayers. All of the respondents does not directly uses accounting  services for the fact that it may be co stly for the since they are in the middle class. Value for your money, the government must make their taxpayers feel that they get value from the money (tax) that they pay. A customer who felt that he/she did not get the value for his money will not return to that restaurant, store or any other business establishment. The same goes with taxpayers they will avoid paying taxes if they feel that it will only be corrupted by public officials. The computation for the most efficient tax rate would be very difficult since it entails factors such as inflation, purchasing power, income, consistency with economic direction and a lot more, which are varying from a day-to-day or weekly basis. If the tax rate was set too low, administrative feasibility would be impossible and if the tax rate was set too high it would be consficatory which is unconstitutional and will lead to tax evasion. VI. Conclusion A good taxation system should provide an appropriate level of revenue on a timely basis, distribute the cost of taxation fairly, promote economic growth and efficiency, be easily administered and ensure accountability. People will avoid paying taxes if they feel that the taxes imposed are confiscatory in nature and this in turn reduces the tax base. The inequity of the tax system negates the command of the Constitution. The endless complains of the middle class towards the strict tax collection drive of the BIR may be lessened if they feel that there equity, or the rich is paying more taxes than them. The middle class should not be burdened more than the higher class. The BIR collected 1.2 trillion for 2012 however the government budget deficit still bloated from 197.8 billion in 2011 to P235 B. The Philippines, with the current taxation system, is always on budget deficit. And these year after year deficits includes huge amount of money thus resulting to higher public debt that the taxpayers also pay, with interest. It is time to change on how the government tax its people. Lowering the tax rate will not necessarily mean that it will lessen the budget of the government. Lowering tax will increase the tax base of the government and it will increase the cash flow in the economy, let the people decide where to put their money. Whichever way they use it, it will be productive to the economy since they are spending, when someone is spending another one is profiting and through profits is where the government gets its taxes. Unlike  if taxes are corrupted and stored into secret bank accounts. VII. Recommendation The recommends that more respondents be included in the study. The taxation system of the country needs a lot of reforms. The taxation system should be based on the taxpayer’s ability to pay and should not be confiscatory in nature. Lowering the tax rate and increasing the tax bracket ceiling will initially lower tax collection but will increase it by the next year or two because the tax base will enlarge. Bibliography Books Abola, Victor, Villegas, Bernardo, (2001). Economics An Introduction. Pasig City, Philippines: Inkwell Publishing Company, Inc. Cuevas, R.C., Paraiso O.C., Larano, L.C., (2011). Macroeconomics. Malabon City: Mutya Publishing House, Inc. Mankiw G.N., (2013). Principles of Economics. Pasig City, Philippines: Cengage Learning Asia Pte Ltd (Philippine Branch). McCaCandless, G.T. (1991). Macroeconomics theory. New Jersey: Harper and Row. Internet Fiscal drag. (2014, April 16). Retrieved from Wikipedia.org. October 10, 2014. Fiscal Drag Definition | Investopedia. (n.d.). Retrieved October 10, 2014.

Internet Business and Electronic Commerce Essay

Answer – 1 The two industries chosen for the analysis on the layout, format, and contents of their websites are Online Shopping and Online Marketing Assistance websites. Starting from the first industry – Online Shopping – it includes several organizations that started the business of selling a wide range of products and services ‘online’. The organizations chosen for this paper include LastMinite.com that sells flight tickets,, holiday tickets, hotel booking, car hiring, theatres, restaurants’ and many other stuff online. This organization is usually service-focused than product-focused. Aol Shopping is another organization that sells a wide range of products ranging from apparel, electronics, to industrial products. Yahoo Shopping has almost the same category that sells electronic items, flowers, gifts, jewelry, apparel, etc. And finally, Amazon is another popular website for online shopping where a wide range of products can be purchased instantly. The second industry is related to providing online marketing help in terms of giving trainings, newsletters, reports, and expert advices. Under this industry the following organizations were chosen, Clickz, which provides marketing news, expert advice, training, iReviews, etc. The Register is another organization that provides assistance to its clients by offering them hardware, software, music, networking stuff, reviews, newsletters, and other internet and business related assistance. DaveChaffey is a personal website that provides books, consultancy, training, lectures, and reports related to marketing and e-commerce. And finally, Jakob Nielsen’s site is almost the same as DaveChafeey that offers reports, e-newsletters, films, books, consultancy services, and articles from various news, magazines, and journals sources. Answers – 2 Now let’s analyze the overall layout, design, contents, options, and facilities available in the websites of these organizations. Starting from the online shopping ones, they have a professional and eye-catching outlook where the layout is designed quite properly, providing several categories on one side – either left or top – and also using colors that entice the viewers to explore more. Secondly, the use of pictures or animations is making these websites look more attractive and communicative, since images let people remember the stuff longer. Moreover, there are certain hyperlinks such as, careers, login, about us, contact us, etc. that depicts a better and reliable image over the viewers or customers. Also, convenience is being provided to the customers by giving them an option of search, with which they would find what they want. Whatever product or service is new, popular, or trendy, is shown right on the top middle of the website where first look goes. In short, website layout and management is at its best that gives a professional look and provides ease to the visitors. On the flipside, the online marketing consultancy or assistance websites are not that catchy. Although Clickz and The Register look better and have a professional look since they the categories are clearly defined and placed systemically; nevertheless, the use of colors and pictures is not commendable. Text written is too much that does not motivate the reader to explore more of the website; even worse scene is in DaveChaffey and Useit.com websites where there is not even one picture. Moreover, the colors used are not soothing, layout is cluttered, poor arrangement of options, and text is everywhere that leads a bad impression of the website over visitors who do not feel like exploring more. The use of better colors, category alignment, using pictures, and showing advertisements on right hand columns would add credibility and attractiveness to the websites. Answer – 3 Electronic commerce is basically an output of phenomenon what we call globalization, where the lifestyles, methods of conducting business, and other activities such as, traveling have gone much easier than before. As a result, many entrepreneurs are starting up their businesses online, along with those businesses that are transforming from the traditional business setting to online one. Electronic selling differs a lot from the traditional department store selling due to several reasons. First, electronic selling uses technology where the customers purchase products by just clicking their mouse. There is no physical location in e-selling like in traditional departmental form where customers have to go to buy. E-selling has certain advantages over traditional method of selling such as, cost savings for the business for not having a physical location, setting products there, maintaining them, electricity, and other costs. Customers also benefit from e-selling where they do buy instantl y sitting back at home, without wasting their time and fuel expenses; in short, they are getting convenience at its best. Considering the ambience that is provided by many departmental stores such as, food chains, restaurants, or garments by using effective use of lighting, displays, music, and fragrance, it does create a favorable impact over the customers for the sellers. Another strategy used is of ‘placement’ of products in such a way that encourages impulse buying; whereas, when talking about the presence of these effects in electronic selling, it can be created but not to a greater extent. Sellers can design their websites in such a way that it displays colors associated with the brand, logo of the company, and playing pleasant music in the background. Moreover, placing the pictures and ads of the products in such a way as they were being placed in the department store and tagging enticing deals/offers, encouraging impulse buying. Answer – 4 Businesses these days are selling almost all kind of products and services that come under wide range of categories; some are bought more some are not. Of course there are some reasons behind that since some products or services are more conducive to sell online as compared to other. It has been observed that the services such as, airline tickets, hotel booking, vacation trips and stay, car hiring, spa booking, theatres tickets, and food delivery from restaurants are more conducive to be sold online. It does not mean that the products are not sold quickly; in fact, they are but not ‘all’. For example, products such as electronic items, books, music items, households, and sports stuff are easily sold on the internet where customers do not hesitate to buy them. Whereas, products such as jewelry, shoes, apparel, and pets are not sold quickly and in large quantity; reason being that customers feel the need to try these products and analyze them whether they suit them or not. Moreover, customers hesitate a little bit when purchasing expensive products online due to security and safety issues, where spamming websites might collect their useful information such as, credit card numbers and use them at their fullest. E-tailers are reducing such risks by designing websites that do not allow such spams, pop-ups, having copyrights, trademarks, and ensuring built-in firewall system to prevent any unwanted happenings. Answer – 5 Although physical departmental stores do keep in touch with the customers face-to-face and listen to any feedback or complaint that they might have; however, internet can also provide such customer contact, build relationships with them, and boost them to benefit both the parties – business and the customer. Companies can, via internet, can boost the levels of customer service by devising and implementing certain strategies including keeping records of their customers, making them calls after a certain period of time to provide any information about new deals/offers, listening to their complaints, and asking for their suggestions to improve the thing they think needs the same. Moreover, websites must have a separate category for feedback or complaints where the customers can post their feedback either positive or negative. Another innovative strategy is provide them with the option to comment on certain deals and offers for the products or services being offered, which would instantly give a fair idea about the attitudes of customers towards those offers or deals. Many organizations have added sections for online surveys or research that request the customers to spare a few minutes and answer certain questions. Customers actually like giving their remarks or suggestions because they think they are being given importance by the businesses that might prefer to keep their customers satisfied at every cost. Answer – 6 The methods of conducting business have really changed as the impact of globalization has causes several flexibilities and easiness in our lifestyles and daily life. Many businesses find it costly to open it in a physical location and expanding through outlets, which often does not target large audience. Therefore, many businesses are starting through internet where they can target customers from all over the world, market their products or services easily and economically, and get payments right away. Not only this, those businesses that do not operate virtually and have physical locations are finding it more effective and financially beneficial to market their products through internet, and that what is called Internet Marketing. Internet marketing also contains the elements of Direct Marketing, where the promotion of products is done online such as, websites (ResearchStarters, 2008). It does not mean that when businesses are started online they would always save costs and be successful; in fact, many businesses fail due to several factors and one significant of them is poor marketing strategies. Of course, the consumers would not have any idea that a new business has started that for instance, sells soccer jerseys, through its website. The target market should have to be made aware of that business, the products, new offers/deals, customer value, feedback, etc. Therefore, all this requires the business to use effective marketing tools and strategies where it can convey the message to the audience, impress them, convince them to purchase, and provide feedback. Businesses can use online marketing strategies such as, designing websites that grab the attention of the customers at first sight, force them to explore, make them realize that they are everything for the company, provide them with ease in shopping online, and let them give a chance to give a feedback. Moreover, businesses can also use the strategy of mass-emailing to the customers or potential customers whether they are individuals or other entities. Placing ads on popular and most-visited websites is another strategy but is quite expensive. And finally, the use of social networking websites such as, Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace, is lucrative since it is inexpensive and targets wide range of audience. Conclusion E-tailing is the result of e-commerce that has made it much easier for the businesses to market and sell their products online by using certain softwares and websites. Extensive information is provided to the customers through websites about the products and services they want to purchase; moreover, the customers can shop with utmost convenience without going somewhere and wasting their time. Talking about the two industries – online shopping and online marketing assistance – the role of e-commerce is sound, since the services provided by these industries are loved to be taken by the customers while staying at their places and clicking mouse buttons, without wasting any time or fuel. Further improvement can be made in attracting more online customers by improving websites, adding new features, and becoming more customer-centric.

Differences Between Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Junior Essay

Ever since the beginning of African slavery in America there has been debate over whether slavery is moral or immoral. Beginning in 1896 black rights leaders began to appear in the U. S. Two of the most influential and famous advocators of black rights were Martin Luther King Junior and Malcolm X. Although their goal of equality between all races is the same their approaches to achieving this goal are different. The main differences between the two leaders are that King achieved his goal through peaceful and moving speeches about equality, while Malcolm was a destroyer of those who were of the superior white race. The main differences in their approaches to discrimination can stem from their different childhoods. King was from a prominent family in the area of Atlanta who had grown up with excellent schooling. King skipped two grades and went to an Ivy League school at the age of 15 and received the finest education throughout his life. Malcolm grew up with no schooling and was virtually unknown before he began to travel around advocating black rights. Malcolm also suffered through tragedies in his life that scarred. Malcolm’s father abused his mother and she abused her eight children. Then Malcolm’s father was murdered and his mother suffered a breakdown and, as a result, his family was forced to be split up. Their approaches to discrimination were grounded on their childhood which results in the great differences between them. Malcolm had a bitter desire to get back at the world that he felt he had been mistreated by. Luther grew up in a peaceful, loving environment and this showed through his non-violent protest movements. Beyond their childhood their viewpoints were also influenced by their religions. Martin was a Baptist reverend who reached out to people while he was at his church. His beliefs were in the social gospel. However, King also practiced â€Å"personalism. † Personalism is defined as the theological concept that emphasizes the personal nature of God and importance as human personality as a reflection of that nature. Malcolm believed in the Islamic religion which condemned whites and showed them no mercy. Malcolm and Martin also followed the example of two different role models. Malcolm was influenced by Elijah Muhammad and his organization, the Nation of Islam. Elijah taught Malcolm that the white man is the â€Å"devil† and that blacks are the true rulers of the world. Martin revered Gandhi for his way of seeking patience and non-violence. Gandhi was a famous religious leader who led a non-violent retaliation against British imperialism in India. Gandhi taught Martin that it is good to fight a fight without any physical contact. Both Malcolm and Martin reflected the viewpoints of their leaders in the way they led their protests. Martin Luther King Junior used non-violent protesting, passive resistance, and â€Å"weapons of love† to instruct his followers when fighting for equal rights. His approach can most easily be seen from his famous â€Å"I Have a Dream,† speech where he spoke eloquently about his dream for blacks and whites being together with no tensions between them. Martin once quoted, â€Å"A riot is the language of the unheard. Martin means that riots will get you nowhere, if you wish to be heard grab people’s attention through simple, peaceful actions. Malcolm was a segregationist, supporter of segregation, until his pilgrimage to Mecca. Malcolm also was willing to use any means necessary to gain equality for his people. He believed the only way blacks could gain true freedom was through revolution and force. Besides their approaches to achieving equality their effects on the Civil Rights Movement are different. Martin Luther had a positive effect similar to the way he delivered his point. He changed the perception towards equal freedom by introducing a new viewpoint with his â€Å"I have a Dream,† speech. His death also led to the passage of the civil rights legislation in 1968. Most importantly though Martin Luther King Junior gave his people the strength and courage to stand up to their persecutors. Malcolm was murdered similar to King but his death had no effect on the civil rights movement. Instead of a positive effect on the world he encouraged protest and riots and more importantly instilled black pride.

Pathways to entry into the practice of professional nursing is Essay

Pathways to entry into the practice of professional nursing is confusing - Essay Example I strongly believe that these numerous entry points are not confusing, but they offer a range of benefits to nursing candidates. When there are many entry points to the practice of professional nursing, candidates get a great exposure to several potential entry choices. The numerous entry points greatly assist students to choose the most appropriate one by giving specific focus to their long term career goals, opportunities for college entrance, and personal and work obligations. These options are also beneficial for candidates to choose the most affordable entry point and avoid excess financial burden. To illustrate, as Black (2013, p. 134) purports, typically the annual cost of diploma and associate degree programs is less than baccalaureate degree programs. Those candidates who choose to attend local schools and live at home may incur lesser costs than students attending schools at distance and living in hostels. Hence, they can thoughtfully identify the entry point that would best fit to their financial interests. Another potential benefit is that students can take the issues of accreditation and articula tion into account while considering entry choice. Similarly, the emerging entry points address various issues associated with traditional entry points, and therefore students can avoid unnecessary concerns associated with their entry into the nursing profession. To sum up, the numerous entry points do not cause any confusion to students who have a clear vision of their long term career goals and financial potentials. Maneval, R. E & Teeter, M. M. (2010). THE STUDENT PERSPECTIVE on RN-Plus-10 Legislation: A Survey of Associate Degree and Diploma Nursing Program Students. Nursing Education Perspectives 31 (6): 358-361. Raines, F & Taglaireni, M. E. (2008). Career Pathways in Nursing: Entry Points and Academic Progression. The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing. Retrieved from

How might Archbishop Romero analyze (comment on) the following passage Essay

How might Archbishop Romero analyze (comment on) the following passage from Gaudium et Spes - Essay Example In his view the Church was not the name of the buildings or of the hierarchical structure of clergymen but was the name of the collective of Catholic people, most of who were poor and oppressed (Brockman). The ‘Gaudium et Spes’ (Joy and Hope) apostolic constitution adopted at the Second Vatican Council in 1965 proclaims a similar view of the Church. In this document, the laity are urged to learn what their faith demands from them in the course of their secular duties. They are told that the role of the clergy in this respect is that of a teacher. The clergy will advise them on what God may want them to do, however they should cultivate their own conscience and religious sensibility and not expect explicit guidance from the clergy on every issue (Second Vatican Council). This passage has many parallels with the work of Archbishop Romero. The ‘Gaudium et Spes’ calls for a sort of spiritual and intellectual emancipation of the laity who are to educate themselves in their religion with the help of the clergy and in many matters where the explicit guidance of the Church is not available, they are to use the wisdom of the clergy to determine for themselves what God wants from them. In this view of the Catholic clergy, the clergymen are not the autocratic leaders of the laity but their guides and spiritual advisors. Archbishop Romero too held that the Catholic clergy should not be the leaders or rulers of the people but their advisors and guides. He called for a physical emancipation of the laity from the forces of exploitation and oppression in addition to their spiritual and intellectual liberation. Another aspect of congruence between the teachings and actions of Archbishop Romero and that of the ‘Gaudium et Spes’ is in proclaiming the role of the Catholic Christianity in the secular sphere of existence for a Catholic lay person.

A Criminal Profiling Code of Ethics Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

A Criminal Profiling Code of Ethics - Coursework Example As a component of the criminal exploratory procedure, profiling offers depth into crime scene examinations; the mannerism of a criminal is reflective of ones fundamental psychological process. In most instances, the outward show of a scene where a crime has been committed can also disclose vital information concerning the perpetrator's fundamental sociopathy, psychopathy, enduring personality or psychopathology. Profiling is also valuable when trying to find slight commonalities in successive crimes. It has not grown as a tool for identifying a criminal in a case; to a certain extent, it has developed as a way of providing depth to an entire investigation. Profiling assists in undertaking psychological assessments in cases of ambivalent death. In many instances, a profile can help investigators in creating the probability that the death was a consequence of suicidal, natural, homicidal or accidental origin. Profiling can propose new possibilities of investigation, hold up the working hypotheses of criminal investigating officers, develop a structure for cross-examination after suspect arrest, and aid the prosecution or defense in developing a case presentation strategy in the courtroom (R. Holmes, 2009; S. Holmes, 2009). There are a noteworthy number of ethical concerns raised by the need for profiling professionalization. There is no precise training or educational qualifications for one to be labeled a profiler. The absence of training or educational requirements also implies that there are no basic standards for the determination of proficiency; the need for competency standards promotes the failure to either sanction or discipline profiling practitioners who are incompetent or irresponsible. There is no juried structure for practice quantification, there is no conformity as to what the procedure of designing a profile involves, or what a profile should include, and there is no universally acceptable methodology for conducting the process of profiling. This means there is no scientific foundation on which profiling stands, as it cannot undergo analysis and its procedure cannot, as a result, be replicable. On the side of profiling practice, there are many ethical issues connected with the employing of psychological and personality theories as a way of influencing criminal investigation results. Profiling has been depicted by the press as a heroic or romantic occupation, probably ensuing in an inexact view of the role and life of a profiler. Consequently, the field might draw people who are less capable to proficient practice. When not convincingly done, profiling can lead to severe harm or inflict delays in the real resolution of a case by proposing wrong investigation directions. The hunt of suspects who fall in a typology proposed by the profiler which is extremely diverse than that of the real person responsible could also give rise to the arrest or implication of guiltless parties. Lastly, there are no officially acceptable ethical principles for the profiling practice (R. Holmes, 2009; S. Holmes, 2009). Relevance of Victimology to Criminal Profiling Victimology is extremely relevant in criminal profiling because it examines victims as involved in an asymmetric situation or relationship.   "Asymmetry" implies whatever event that is exploitative, unbalanced, alienating, parasitical, destructive, oppressive, or having inbuilt suffering.  For instance, vacationers got lost on one of the nation’s main freeway. Most of their dead bodies were later on found in the National Forest, in varying conditions of decomposition. Some made their trips as couples, others unaccompanied. They were both females and males, aged around 20 to 25. They were

Summative Assessment Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Summative Assessment Project - Essay Example Notably, in some countries government regulates the water industries; however, the services of such companies are largely under private companies that are defined within a specific geographical space. Water companies are usually owned differently including by the local government, national government, private ownership, and co-operative. The local government ownership is the commonly structure of ownership known worldwide. The local governments often operate its systems through municipal companies or departments, or inter municipal companies. The local government outsourcing water management from private sectors has increase since 1990 (Pollard, 2008). In the United States, water companies are being managed by state governments that are equally operates as local government. Nonetheless, these companies are obligated to integrate water systems. In other words, they are required to supply, treat wastewater, and ensure sanitation in sewerage systems (Water quality †¦, 2001). Therefore, the water ownership structure must ensure that the water under supply meets water quality standards as well as the environmental standards that relate to wastewater. In the United States, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates the standards set for drinking water. It standards for the pollution control have been developed jointly by the state environmental agencies and the EPA pursuant to clean water act (NATO Advanced Research †¦, at el., 2009). Despite the set standards and regulation set for water companies, these companies are still facing immense risks ranging from water resources management, rising cost, and changing population among others. Water and wastewater resources are facing numerous challenges across New Jersey as well as other parts of the country. The common challenges that are experienced in the

Organizational ledership at the Huffington Post Essay

Organizational ledership at the Huffington Post - Essay Example The researcher states that Arianna Huffington currently serves as President and Editor-in-Chief of The Huffington Post Media Group, which following the acquisition of her website in 2011 by AOL, includes responsibility for a number of associated online properties owned by the multi-media conglomerate. Huffington’s leadership and organization ability was clearly recognized by AOL at the time of the acquisition, and she appears to have taken on even more responsibility at the new company than she had when The Huffington Post was independent. Arianna Huffington recently became embroiled in a media turmoil related to corporate management at AOL when she effectively fired Michael Arrington, the editor and founder of the popular ‘TechCrunch’ blog which had also been acquired by AOL. Despite the widespread acknowledgement of Arrington’s conflict of interest in publishing stories on venture capital themes and start-up companies in which he was also to lead investme nt in, many analysts were surprised more by the apparent power that Huffington had acquired within AOL itself in corporate management. Arianna Huffington’s rise to power, wealth, and fame spans 60 years from her birth in Greece, education at Cambridge, and activism in conservative Republican causes for her husband in the 1980’s, to running for governor of California in the 1990’s and founding The Huffington Post in 2005. She is widely regarded to have changed the way news in published, read, and discussed with her blog and social network driven website. A review of Arianna Huffington’s life and organizational leadership style depict a portrait of an extremely powerful, well connected, and successful woman who has achieved a position of strength in America’s cultural, political, and corporate environments that few other figures in history have achieved. 2) The Current Situation of the Huffington Post The AOL Company of today, led by CEO Tim Armstron g, is a vastly different organization than the original â€Å"America Online† company that merged with Time-Warner in 2000 under the direction of CEO Steve Case. The AOL merger has become a case study in business management and is seen as one of the worst corporate management mistakes of all time. AOL emerged as the gateway to the internet for millions of first time users in the late 1990’s through its telephone-based ISP services. It has since come to be seen as one of the leading examples of the â€Å"dotcom† era, the huge speculative frenzy that coincided with the initial internet boom in the stock market. (Case, 2011) At the time of the merger in 2000, AOL had a market value of around $163 billion dollars, and was considered on equal standing with the media giant Time-Warner in value based on market capitalization. (Johnson, 2000) Nine years later, Time-Warner â€Å"spun-off† AOL from its business organization, as a new company with a second IPO, and its market capitalization was just over $3 billion dollars. (Bavdek, 2009) AOL’s dial-up based ISP business had been made nearly redundant by advances in broadband, wireless, and mobile technologies. What remains unclear is why the Time-Warner-AOL merger failed so badly, in that management was unable to bring any value from the venture or integration between all of the media channels, internet sites, and cable networks brought together under the single company organization. Instead, a staggering $160 billion dollars of market capitalization was lost or squandered by the deal through corporate managem

Harsh Parenting during Adolescence Research Paper

Harsh Parenting during Adolescence - Research Paper Example More often than not these social constraints are enforced and reinforced by parents. (Choudhury, Blakemore and Charman) A variety of reasons are prescribed for parental control including (but not limited to) the rebellious attitude of teenagers, the parent’s desire to make the individual more conforming to their ideals and ideologies and the need to make the individual more compliant to social norms and values. These objectives are met by parents in a variety of ways. The relationship between teenagers and parents is generally a rocky one. In order to exert their influence, parents may resort to physical and emotional coercion. (Kelley) Such parental behaviour is seen to affect adolescent growth and their adult behaviour negatively. Most adolescents with coercive parents are known to develop aggressive symptoms later in life. This aggression may be emotional or physical and may continue throughout an adult’s life unabated. (Pedersen) Though the effects of parental contr ol on adolescent behaviour are well documented but the immediate outcomes have been historically overlooked. Parents exerting themselves on children encourage the growth of individuals who are seeking chances to overthrow the established regime of parental control. The results are often disastrous such as school shootouts such as the Columbine massacre. Moreover, teenagers may resort to joining gangs or resort to drug use in order to exert their independence. It remains notable here that all forms of parental control result in deviant social behaviour. Therefore it can be hypothesised that excessive parental control during adolescence can lead to an increase in deviant behaviour in society. This text attempts to analyse such a relationship through secondary research. Literature Review Numerous studies have been conducted in order to clarify the connection between parental exertion and resulting adolescent behaviour. Various perspectives and aspects have been covered through these st udies. This text was prepared by reviewing a few instrumental studies and their results which are discussed below. The distinction between physiological control and behavioural control for human beings has long been established firmly. (Baumrind) Baumrind’s study was conducted over a fourteen weeks period where he observed three different groups of children. The behaviour of each group was markedly different. One group was composed of energetic and friendly children while another group was composed of conflicted children who were irritable. The last group was composed of impulsive and aggressive children. The parents of these children were interviewed to discern the distinct patterns of parenting. There is an overwhelming tendency to combine these two aspects of human control and to study their effects together. Such an approach is hardly considered feasible as it tends to coalesce related aspects so that they are not distinctly recognisable anymore. For example the psycholog ical effects of beatings on a child who is being cajoled psychologically as well cannot be distinctly related. The typological approach developed by Baumrind is highly helpful in this regard as it delineates categorical distinctions to psychologically and behaviourally controlling parents. For example, authoritative parents are represented as being warm and accepting. Such parents tend to establish strict behavioural guidelines but promote psychological

The Unique Categorical Imperative of Kant Essay Example for Free

The Unique Categorical Imperative of Kant Essay Morality appears to us as a concrete term which is underscored by certain rational assumptions about the universe. And yet, our own experience tells us that that which one considers to be vice may, to another, be seen as virtue. The reverse may also apply. Thus, it is rather difficult to reconcile that which does in fact define our cause for moral behavior, though all figures of importance to the historical discourse on philosophy have ventured a framework. The 18th century in particular would witness a flurry of activity, with the latter generation of the Enlightenment Era providing a spirited exchange across decades of literature on that which inspires moral behavior. In our investigation here of the various possible lenses through which to understand morality, consideration of German theologian Immanuel Kant’s 1785 Groundwork for the Metaphysic of Morals provides basic understanding for the discussion of morality from the normative perspective. Such is to say that Kant’s will be the most rigid, socially constrained and dangerous of understandings, but nonetheless, totally unique in its orientation and provisions for its time and place. At the center of Kant’s argument is the premise that the same reason which applies to the empirical nature of scientific discourse must rationally apply in the same way to ethical discourse. His perspective toward scientific certainty would mark a unique and original bridging of worlds between the corporeal and the ideological. Accordingly, Kant contends that â€Å"physics will have its empirical part, but it will also have a rational one; and likewise ethics – although here the empirical part might be called specifically practical anthropology, while the rational part might properly be called morals. † (Kant, 20) To Kant, previous ideals on ethical autonomy are threatening to social order, representing the opportunity for the individual to devise his own ethical parameters. The rationality of scientific practicality denotes, to Kant, instead a heteronomous orientation whereby there is a connective tissue of ethicality common to all men and women, restraining and directing behaviors. Kant defines autonomy as the ability to act based on one’s own volition. Heteronomy, on the other hand, is a common set of social forces inclining individuals to tend toward common motives and common actions. Accordingly, Kant lays out a concise framework for justice, admonishing that â€Å"the categorical imperative, which declares the action to be objectively necessary without referring to any end in view. . . . holds as an apodictic practical principle. † (Kant, p. 18) The ‘categorical imperative’ to which Kant refers is foundational to the normative theory suggesting that there is some immutable force associated with our conception and actualization of the idea of ‘good’ or ‘evil. ’ It inclines us to understanding that the means by which we behave are inherently informed by our commitment to a single, shared and unchanging idea about what is right. To commit to this idea is practical reason and to fail to make this commitment is irrational, which allows Kant to propose that such a positive correlation could be observed between rationality and morality. . This contrasts the idea of utilitarianism, which proposes that all situations demand a certain degree of pragmatism with respect to behavior. This throws into chaos the moral presuppositions of Kant, with such thinkers as Bentham and Mill coming to the fore of the discussion. In utilitarian philosophy, it is imperative that morality be channeled through an understanding of context and the nuances of society human interaction. By contrast to this view of morality, Kant provides deep ideological refusal for what he might argue is mere ethical laxity. Kant presents this argument that moral order is impossible to define without permanent standards that are shaped by man’s dignity, denoting therefore that it is only reasonable to act in cooperation with this conception for one’s own self-preservation. If Kant’s points are to be assimilated when adopting a moral stance which is consistent with man’s dignity, such absolute terms are inevitably defined by dominant social structures, bringing us to the application of a normative theoretical structure. The inextricable relationship which theology and morality have shared throughout history tends to have a tangible impact on the way these hegemonic standards are defined. And Kant, rejects any flexibility outright, however. Beyond its deviation from his established disposition toward moral absolutes, such variation violates Kant’s maxim about man as an end rather than a means. Man is to be the motive for moral acts, with his dignity defining right and wrong. Indeed, as he pointedly phrases it, â€Å"the laws of morality are laws according to which everything ought to happen; they allow for conditions under which what ought to happen doesn’t happen. † (Kant, 1) To my view, this demonstrates Kant’s approach to be both unrealistic and unattractive to the nuance and flexibility of human social systems and individual ideological orientations. Absent of these characteristics, ethicality becomes an empty term and morality a weapon against minority ideologies. Works Cited: Kant, Immanuel. 1785. Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals. Jonathan Bennett. Preferred language style: English(U. S. ) A. Explain the originality uniqueness of Kants ethical theory by:1)explaining kants general critcism of previous ethical theories 2)defining how kant distinguishes between autonomy heterononmy 3)explaining kants formulation of the `catergorical imperative. ` 4)explaining how adherence to the categorical imperative provides for autonomous ethical choice. B. Reflect on Kants ethical theory by:1)supporting a position on how kants theory on ethical decision making is correct or incorrect with personal thought. 2)supporting your position with evidence from the text

Knowledge Management in Malaysia

Knowledge Management in Malaysia CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 OVERVIEW It is so difficult and though for the managers of the organizations to apply knowledge management in their departments, because this major is still new in so many aspects such as business environment and organizational culture or behavior and it has a long way to be completed. It is hard for the managers to believe that, it has so many benefits if they use knowledge management tools in their organizations. Managers should bear in their mind that knowledge management is not an automatic practice, it must be initiated by people and have the support of the whole organization. Something like these myths need to be eliminated and the exact meaning of knowledge management must be clearly understood by managers and the rest of the organizations. This will help the managers to abundantly getting help from knowledge management and apply it in the organizations (Sobahle 2005). The study on American Productivity and Quality Centers International Bench-marking shows that, about 11 organizations are working on the knowledge management area which are: Arthur Andersen; Chevron Corporation; Dow Chemical Company; Hughes Space Communications; Kaiser Permanente; Price Waterhouse; Sequent Computer Systems; Skandia AFS; Texas Instruments; USAA; and National Security Agency, the following was recognized (Ishak, 2002): Share the understanding those techniques which can be used. Apply the techniques to new directions. Further more, the other issues which can assure the success of knowledge management initiatives are something like, emphasizes on the issues such as employees issues, top management leadership and commitment, organizational culture and technological infrastructure. This chapter approaches the literature review on knowledge management. In this chapter the try is made to clarify some of the most important key factors of knowledge management and analyze their respective literature. The attempt is made to show the different aspects of knowledge management. It has a brief introduction on knowledge management which is used by Malaysian organizations then it will be explain about the knowledge management frame works and architectures. In this chapter the most two important factors in knowledge management which, technological approach and human approach, are considered. This chapter will finish by the knowledge management concern, issues and at last discuss about the benefit of knowledge management will be considered. 2.2 KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT IN MALAYSIA Over past two decades Malaysia has been transitioning from relying on a production based- economy to a knowledge-based economy (Chang, 2005). The concept of knowledge management in Malaysia was born with the establishment of the â€Å"Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC)† in 1990s to accelerate this concept in Malaysia. Actually, there are so many Malaysian companies which they are working on knowledge management and they realize and understand the importance of it in the professional life. In January 15, 2002, one of the prestigious magazines in Malaysia, Computerworld Malaysia organized the Knowledge Management Roundtable ‘A Vital Strategy or Expensive Toy. The participants from various sectors in Malaysia shared their point of views and approaches implemented and exchanged ideas in practicing knowledge management (Chang, 2005). As an example for the practical aspect, there are a number of organizations in Malaysia which are successful in knowledge management initiatives, such as: Malaysian Institute of Microelectronic Systems (MIMOS), MAMPU, Bank Negara Malaysia, Siemens, Nokia Malaysia and Telekom Malaysia, Tenaga Nasional Berhad and Petroleum Nasional Berhad (Petronas) are examples of organizations in Malaysia that have embarked on KM initiatives. There are so many studies on knowledge management in Malaysia, and the structure of Malaysia papers in Malaysia seems to be incomprehensive, there are a few number of out standing articles to mention, which shows in table 2.1. Table 2.1: Knowledge Management: Malaysian Studies Title Author/ Date/Journal Nature of Work Intellectual capital and business performance in Malaysian industries Bontis, Chua Richardson (2000) Journal of Intellectual Capital Research Study (Conducted among Malaysian firms) Knowledge management in healthcare: towards ‘knowledge-driven decision- support services Abidi, (2001) International Journal of Medical Informatics Case Study (Universiti Sains Malaysia Hospital located in Kota Baharu, Malaysia) Managing human resources toward achieving knowledge management Yahya Goh, (2002) Journal of Knowledge Management Research Study (Conducted among Malaysian firms) Knowledge management in a public organization: a study on the relationship between organizational elements and the performance of knowledge transfer. Syed Ikhsan Rowland, (2004) Journal of Knowledge Management Case Study (Ministry of Entrepreneur development of Malaysia) Benchmarking knowledge management in a public organization in Malaysia Syed Ikhsan Rowland, (2004) Benchmarking: An International Journal Case Study (Ministry of Entrepreneur development of Malaysia) An empirical study of perceived importance and actual implementation of knowledge management process in the Malaysian telecommunication industry Chong Yeow, (2005) Proceedings of ICTM Research Study (Study among Malaysian telecommunication Industry KM critical success factors: A comparison of perceived importance versus implementation in Malaysian ICT companies. Chong, (2006) The Learning Organization Research Study (194 Malaysian ICT companies) KM implementation in Malaysian telecommunication industry an empirical analysis. Wei, Choy Yeow, (2006) Industrial Management Data Systems Research Study (289 employees working in Telecommunication organizations in Malaysia) KM implementation and its influence on performance: an empirical evidence from Malaysian multimedia super corridor companies Chong, (2006) Journal of Information and Knowledge Management Research Study (Study among Malaysian multimedia super corridor companies) Exploring KM issues and KM performance outcomes: empirical evidence from Malaysian multimedia super corridor companies Chong Lin (2006) International Journal of Technology Management Research Study (Study among Malaysian multimedia super corridor companies) An exploratory study on knowledge management adoption in the Malaysian Industry. Wong, (2008) International Journal of Business Information Systems Research Study (exploratory KM survey conducted in the Malaysian industry) 2.3 KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT IMPLEMENTATION FRAMEWORKS According to Von Krogh (1998), which he takes a business perspective stating that KMS help increase competitiveness, the purpose of implementing KMS in organizations are various. KMS leads to grater innovation and responsiveness, Hackbarth (1998). Davenport and Prusak (1998) provide three reasons why KMS are implemented in organizations which are as follows: Ø To enhance visibility of knowledge in organizations through the use of maps, hypertexts, yellow pages, directories etc. Ø To build a knowledge sharing culture i.e. create avenues for employees to share knowledge. Ø To develop a knowledge infrastructure, not confined to technology solely, rather create an environment that permits collaborative work. These three things which were proposed by Davenport and Prusak (1998) imply that KMS can support an organization in planning for and dealing with emergencies. Many organizations are still wrestling with their knowledge management and failing to realize its full potential. This is due to their lack of the support of strong theoretical foundation to guide them in its implementation (Wong Aspinwall, 2004). Unfortunately, many organizations do not have a clear knowledge management implementation plan in mind (Liebowitz, 1999). Therefore, in order for an organization to be victorious in its effort to manage knowledge, a guiding framework is essential. This is why in this part a review of diverse knowledge management implementation frameworks and models is presented. The framework consents to researchers as well as practitioners to measure the current state of knowledge management effectively and systematically. Thus, the knowledge management framework should provide not only a unified view of knowledge management phenomena but also help investigators study the field of knowledge management in an organized way. There have been few efforts to de velop a framework of knowledge management. However, none of the frameworks can provide a complete and generalized frame for knowledge management by defining fundamental attributes of knowledge management and their interrelationships because knowledge management can be viewed differently on ones background and interests (Chong, 2005). To know the exact value of knowledge management, an architecture of it, would provide the necessary understanding of different components like, knowledge management activities, knowledge management resources, knowledge management influences (Holsapple Joshi, 1997). The improvement of a framework is to follow and track the progress and maturity of knowledge management of an enterprise, so, it would serve to support the industry-wide improvement of knowledge management programs. Further more, it would provide an acceptable frame of reference for the assessment of the adequacies of an organization by government, commercial customers and prime contractors (Chong, 2005). The knowledge management frameworks can be classified under four categories (Table 2.2) Which are namely, knowledge creation framework, knowledge cycle processes of knowledge management, cases on knowledge management initiatives in industry and high-level knowledge management frameworks. Table 2.2: KM Frameworks and their examples in the literature Knowledge Management Frameworks Examples Knowledge Creation Framework Nonaka(1991, 1994), Nonaka Takeuchi (1995) Knowledge Cycle Processes of KM Bose Sugumaran (2003) Cases on KM Initiatives in Industry Apostolou Mentzas (1998), Lai chu (2002) High-Level KM Frameworks Holsapple Joshi (2002), Jarrar (2002), Wiig (1997) Nonaka and Takeuchi are tried to explain the progress and adaption between tacit and explicit knowledge. In fact, knowledge creation framework is not a knowledge management framework, the reason is, and it only deals with the creation of knowledge which is only a share of what constitutes knowledge management. Also, the knowledge cycle processes of knowledge management frameworks are providing a set of activities where the prominence is on the knowledge cycle processes or activities. They mainly address the phases of knowledge flow (from creation to application) in an organization without providing guidance on how to implement knowledge management. The framework on knowledge management initiatives in industry provide a reference to facilitate the structuring, analysis and evaluation of the knowledge management initiatives undertaken in various case companies. Lastly, High-Level knowledge management frameworks are the ones providing more detailed directions on the implementation of kn owledge management. This type of framework seems to address not only the question of what is but also how to because it prescribes and suggest ways for organizations to engage in knowledge management activities (Wong Aspinwall, 2004). In their review of literature, Wong and Aspinwall, try to have an organized review of the various available frameworks for knowledge management implementation. The acceptable thing for the review was to classify the knowledge management implementation frameworks, find out the short comings of each and finally suggesting a through guide line for developing knowledge management implementation frameworks. They have classified the high level knowledge management frameworks as frameworks such as: 1) System approach, 2) Step approach, 3) hybrid approach.(Table 2.3, 2.4, 2.5 shows the comparisons between frameworks under each approach). Table 2.3: Comparisons of system approach frameworks Source: Wong Aspinwall (2004) Holsapple Joshi (2002) Jarrar (2002) Gore Gore (1999) Wiig et al. (1997) Plan - Set strategic priority Define and understand knowledge Formulate vision Conceptualize Reflect Execute - - - Act Evaluate - - - Review Knowledge Types / resources Knowledge embedded in participants, culture, infrastructure, artifacts, purpose and strategy - Tacit Knowledge Explicit knowledge - KM processes / activities Acquire, select, internalize and use knowledge Collect, present, distribute and measure knowledge Mainly focuses on knowledge creation and externalization Develop, distribute, combine and consolidate knowledge KM influences / factors Resource influences, managerial influences, environmental influences Knowledge environment - External and internal developments ‘-, not indicated or not clearly indicated Table 2.4: Comparisons of step approach frameworks Source: Wong Aspinwall (2004) McCampbell et al. (1999) Wiig (1999) Plan Form powerful coalition Communicate vision of KM Establish teams for needs assessment Analyze the needs of KM Obtain management buy-in Survey and map the knowledge landscape Plan the knowledge strategy Create and define knowledge-related alternatives and potential initiatives Portray benefit expectations for knowledge management initiatives Set knowledge management priorities Determine key knowledge requirements Execute Identify and collect knowledge Design a technological structure Test the technology Maintenance of the technology Retest the technology Training of knowledge workers Roll out the use of KM practices Make systems go live Acquire key knowledge Create integrated knowledge transfer programs Transform, distribute and apply knowledge assets Establish and update a KM infrastructure Manage knowledge assets Construct incentive programs Coordinate KM activities and functions enterprise-wide Facilitate knowledge-focused management Evaluate Track usage Measure quality and productivity Measure the performance of KM practices Conduct a need assessment review Monitor knowledge management Knowledge type / resources Internal knowledge External knowledge Can be inferred from the step: â€Å" manage knowledge assets † KM processes / activities Identify and collect knowledge Acquire, transform, distribute and apply knowledge KM influences / factors - Can be inferred from the steps: ‘construct incentive programs and ‘facilitate knowledge-focused management ‘-, not indicated or not clearly indicated Table 2.5: Comparisons of hybrid approach frameworks Source: Wong Aspinwall (2004) Rubenstein Montano et al. (2001) Mentzas (2001) Plan Strategize, Model Awareness plan Execute Act, Transfer Develop, operate Evaluate Revise Measurement Knowledge types / resources Tacit knowledge, Explicit knowledge Knowledge assets KM processes / activities KM tasks Process KM influences / factors Culture, Strategy, learning Strategy, Structure, System By study on these knowledge frameworks creator an absolute knowledge management implementation framework may include the possible accesses on success of knowledge management. Further more, the obstacles and developers should bear in their mind that if they want to analyze managers in regard with, which elements are likely to disrupt the knowledge management implementation success and which elements may enable their effort towards knowledge management achievements. Finally, a knowledge management implementation frame work should â€Å"make a correspondence view among social and technological approach to knowledge management†. Consideration of the authors demonstrate that most of the time this correspondence is disturb in favor of one approach while the other approach is either totally neglected or received incomplete attention (Wong Aspinwall, 2004). Different types of knowledge resources are identified. The activities and processes which can help to manage them should be mentioned in the knowledge management implementation framework. As an example, there is some of knowledge management processes such as: acquiring, capturing, creating, organizing, storing, accessing, transferring, sharing, applying, distributing and using knowledge. The suggested clues by Wong and Aspinwall for developing a knowledge management implementation framework include five factors, which are as follows: (1) Incorporate a clear structure to organize the tasks. (2) Address the different knowledge resources or types. (3) Include the knowledge management processes or activities that manipulate the knowledge. (4) Point out the influences that can affect the performance of knowledge management. (5) Provide a balanced view between a technological and a social perspective. 2.4 KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS CATEGORIZATION 2.4.1 Knowledge Management System Definition Knowledge management system (KMS), are mostly IT based systems for managing knowledge in organizations and are used for supporting, creating, capturing and disseminating of information. The main concept of knowledge management system (KMS) is to make a facility for employees to have an access to the organizations information, sources, document base facts and their solutions. As a matter of fact a knowledge management system (KMS) could be any of the following things: Ø Social computing tools which can help to create a knowledge management system (KMS). Ø Knowledge management system (KMS), assist in creating network maps in organizations which is used in communication among individuals and entities. Ø Document based, any formatted that permits, control, manage. Ø Use Artificial Intelligence (AI), for customized representation schema to demonstrate the problem domain. Further more, the benefits of using knowledge management in organization can be categorized as: 1. Valuable organizational data and information sharing. 2. Reduce redundant work. 3. Decrease time for new incomers like new employees. 4. Retention of intellectual property. Based on this definition Gupta and Sharma (2004) divide knowledge management system into seven major categories, which are as follows (tables 2.6): Table 2.6: Example of KMS Source: Gupta and Sharma (2004) KMS Technology Description Expert Systems, artificial intelligence and knowledge based management system (KBMS) Main purpose of these systems is to capture knowledge and perform analysis on existing knowledge base to assist in decision making. Often associated to rule based and pattern recognition systems. Computer Supported Collaborative Work (Groupware) Systems that permit sharing and collaborative work. Often described synonymously to Lotus Notes. However, one could suggest that asynchronous (e-mail, wikis e-log) and synchronous systems (videoconference, chat) are newer applications that can fall into this category (Bates and Poole, 2003). Groupware can also include Group Support Systems (GSS) that is intended to support groups make decision (Mandviwalla, 1994). Document Management Systems Systems that support the need for managing text and images to make information much more accessible. Similar to the idea of office management systems i.e. use of various word documentation and spreadsheet software. Decision support systems (DSS) Business applications that usually contain summaries of large amounts of data, filtered and synthesized particularly to support strategic decision-making. View records related to this term5. The focus of DSS is on analysis of quantitative data and presentation tools for managers. Semantic Networks The focus is on systems that explain not just relationships between entities but the meaning based on how the entities are structured. Can be used to â€Å"represent domain knowledge explicitly and shared† (Gupta and Sharma, 2004). Relational and Object oriented databases Systems that permit management of both structured (relational) and much more complex data sets (OODBMS) Simulation tools Systems that run computer based simulations for a variety of purposes. 2.4.2 Knowledge Management Architecture Base on Gupta and Sharma (2004) findings, they suggest architecture for knowledge management which has seven levels and it is shown in table 2.7. Table 2.7: Overview of Knowledge Management Architecture Source: Form Gupta, Sharma Hsu (2004) Level Key Activities Customer Knowledge Detailed, knowledge sharing relationships. Understanding the requirements of customers. Identifying new opportunities. Stakeholder Relationships Becoming a better knowledge flows among suppliers, shareholders, employees, community, etc. Use this knowledge to inform key points strategies. Business Environment Insights Systematic environmental scanning including political, economic, technology, social and environmental trends. Competitor analysis. Market intelligence systems. Organizational Memory Knowledge sharing. Best practice databases. Directories of expertise. Online documents, procedures and discussion forums. Intranets. Knowledge in Processes Embedding knowledge into business processes and management. Decision-making. Knowledge in Products and Services Knowledge embedded in products. Surround products with knowledge, e.g., in user guides, and enhanced knowledge intensive services. Knowledge in People Knowledge-sharing fairs. Innovation workshops. Expert and learning networks. Communities of knowledge practice. As it shows above there is a seven layer for knowledge management architecture and each level related to a particular aspect of knowledge management. So, in this regard there is a summarization for this table which summarize the important part of this layers and compact it in just three layers, it is summarized in table 2.8 as follows: Table 2.8: Knowledge Management Architecture Source: Gupta, Sharma Hsu (2004) Layer Level Brief Explanation Data Sources layer According to different data sources which are accessible within organizations, this layer has both internal and external data sources. As an example, data repository, email repository, databases. Knowledge Management Layer The processes of knowledge management layer include acquisition, refinement, storage, retrieval, distribution and presentation of required knowledge. An example would be a knowledge base which assists decision making processes during an emergency situation. Knowledge Presentation Layer This layer represents the interface that forms the basis of interaction between users and the system. This can be called a knowledge portal that can guide decision making in dealing with an emergency situation. The knowledge portal can be designed to support communication, collaboration and information sharing requirement. There is two more explanation in detailed view for knowledge management architecture and knowledge management process model. The most important part in knowledge management architecture and knowledge management process are capturing knowledge, create a new knowledge, share it and distribute it as it is shown in 2.1 and 2.2. 2.4.3 Performance of Information Technology (IT) in Knowledge Management System (KMS) Information Technology (IT), plays an important role in acquire, store, disseminate and manage knowledge than ever before. Alavi and Leidner (2001), proposed an admired framework, which can be used to analyze and test the role of Information technology (IT) in design and fulfillment of any Knowledge Management System (KMS). The table (2.9) which is adapted from Alavi and Leidner (2001), shows the different perspectives of knowledge management initiatives and knowledge management system (KMS), design particularly. Table 2.9: Knowledge Perspective and impact on KM and KMS Source: Alavi and Leidner (2001, p.11) Perspective Meaning Implication for KM Impact on KMS Role in IT Knowledge vis-à  -vis data and information Data is consider as a fact, raw numbers, information is processed/ contextual data/ interpreted data knowledge is personalized information e.g this would entail once experience and exposure. KM initiative should expose employees to relevant information and facilitate assimilation of information. KMS may not necessarily be different from an existing information system. The differences are that any KMS should help employees assimilate the information. Role of IT is to ensure KMS design permits information assimilation. Knowledge as a state of the mind Knowledge is ones state of knowing and understanding. KM initiative should provide an information base that enables individuals to recognize the existence of knowledge. This can enhance individual learning and understanding. Accessibility to where knowledge resides rather than to knowledge itself- i.e. provide a means to an end. This would include web and wireless access to knowledge base. Knowledge as an object Knowledge that is stored and subject to manipulation. KM initiative should permit development and management of knowledge base. IT can support KMS to gather, store, and disseminate knowledge. This would include the use collaborative tools e.g. wikis. Knowledge as a process Knowledge visualized as a process of applying expertise. KM initiative should focus on effective flow of knowledge within the realms of knowledge creation, sharing and dissemination. by providing links to various knowledge sources which includes internal and external sources. This would include use of web based systems, hyperlinks, markup languages and access to databases. The idea is to offer a wider breadth and depth of knowledge flows Knowledge and accessibility to information Knowledge is a condition of access to information. KM initiative should provide ease of access to and retrieval of content in a given system. IT can be used to enhance indexing, query and locating relevant information. Knowledge as a capability As a capability knowledge has the potential to influence action. KM initiative should focus on developing core competencies and understanding the strategic intent of the initiative. It can increase the intellectual capital through development of individual and organizational competencies. Table 2.9 proposed that Information technology plays an important role in knowledge management initiatives in organizations. Alavi and Leidner (2001) defined a knowledge management system (KMS) as IT- based system develop to support and enhance the organizational processes of knowledge creation. They observe that not all knowledge management initiatives will implement an IT solution, but they support IT as an enabler of knowledge management (Raman, M. Muthaiyah, S.). In addition, knowledge management system (KMS) can assist organizations in dealing with dynamic and complex situations such as emergencies (Gupta Sharma, 2004). 2.4.4 Appropriate Theories to Knowledge Management Systems (KMS) This part consists of two theories which can help to design and implement decisions of any knowledge management systems (KMS) to support knowledge management in organizations. Those mentioned theories are, Information Processing Theory (IPT), and, Contingency Theory. 2.4.4.1 Information Processing Theory (IPT) George A. Miller (1956), has afforded two theoretical ideas which are the basic concepts of the information processing framework and cognitive psychology. The first approach is â€Å"chunking† and the capacity of short term memory. He insists that short term memory can get just 5-9 chunks of information (seven plus or minus two). A chunk could refer to digits, words, peoples faces or any other meaningful units. The second idea which Miller was mentioned is people process information akin to a computerized system. They take input into the memory like the computer, then the human minds take the information, analyze it, store the content and locate it in the best situation of memory and then retrieve as and when needed based on the given situation. In this context, Burnell (2004), state that:†As diversity of resources, processes or outputs increase inter process coordination requirements and system complexity increase. As uncertainty increases, information processing requirements increases become of managements inability to predict every situation.† Information processing theory is widely applied in the study of human learning and cognitive styles (Miller, 1960). As a matter of fact Information Processing Theory (IPT) has some principles which are often applied by instructors for the following reasons: Ø Gain the students attention Ø Point out important and critical chunks of information, separating them from trivial ones. Ø Provide opportunities for students in linking new to existing information. Ø Presenting information in clear manner. Ø Emphasize on meaning of information i.e. not memorizing them. Actually, those mentioned principles for information processing theory can be applied to design of knowledge management system (KMS) to support emergency preparedness as well (Kostman, 2004). Particularly, in approaching emergency situations, knowledge management system can be elaborated to enable decision makers to: Ø Retrieve information that is critical, quickly. Ø Focus on the situation without being loss amidst voluminous information. Ø Create and share a knowledge base by linking past experience to existing information base. Ø Structure emergency related information clearly. Ø Understand different meaning and interpretation of critical terminology used in dealing with an emergency. 2.4.4.2 Contingency Theory Contingency theory was founded by Lawrence and Lorsch (1967), in the study of ten firms in plastic, food, containers, which are three different i Knowledge Management in Malaysia Knowledge Management in Malaysia CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 OVERVIEW It is so difficult and though for the managers of the organizations to apply knowledge management in their departments, because this major is still new in so many aspects such as business environment and organizational culture or behavior and it has a long way to be completed. It is hard for the managers to believe that, it has so many benefits if they use knowledge management tools in their organizations. Managers should bear in their mind that knowledge management is not an automatic practice, it must be initiated by people and have the support of the whole organization. Something like these myths need to be eliminated and the exact meaning of knowledge management must be clearly understood by managers and the rest of the organizations. This will help the managers to abundantly getting help from knowledge management and apply it in the organizations (Sobahle 2005). The study on American Productivity and Quality Centers International Bench-marking shows that, about 11 organizations are working on the knowledge management area which are: Arthur Andersen; Chevron Corporation; Dow Chemical Company; Hughes Space Communications; Kaiser Permanente; Price Waterhouse; Sequent Computer Systems; Skandia AFS; Texas Instruments; USAA; and National Security Agency, the following was recognized (Ishak, 2002): Share the understanding those techniques which can be used. Apply the techniques to new directions. Further more, the other issues which can assure the success of knowledge management initiatives are something like, emphasizes on the issues such as employees issues, top management leadership and commitment, organizational culture and technological infrastructure. This chapter approaches the literature review on knowledge management. In this chapter the try is made to clarify some of the most important key factors of knowledge management and analyze their respective literature. The attempt is made to show the different aspects of knowledge management. It has a brief introduction on knowledge management which is used by Malaysian organizations then it will be explain about the knowledge management frame works and architectures. In this chapter the most two important factors in knowledge management which, technological approach and human approach, are considered. This chapter will finish by the knowledge management concern, issues and at last discuss about the benefit of knowledge management will be considered. 2.2 KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT IN MALAYSIA Over past two decades Malaysia has been transitioning from relying on a production based- economy to a knowledge-based economy (Chang, 2005). The concept of knowledge management in Malaysia was born with the establishment of the â€Å"Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC)† in 1990s to accelerate this concept in Malaysia. Actually, there are so many Malaysian companies which they are working on knowledge management and they realize and understand the importance of it in the professional life. In January 15, 2002, one of the prestigious magazines in Malaysia, Computerworld Malaysia organized the Knowledge Management Roundtable ‘A Vital Strategy or Expensive Toy. The participants from various sectors in Malaysia shared their point of views and approaches implemented and exchanged ideas in practicing knowledge management (Chang, 2005). As an example for the practical aspect, there are a number of organizations in Malaysia which are successful in knowledge management initiatives, such as: Malaysian Institute of Microelectronic Systems (MIMOS), MAMPU, Bank Negara Malaysia, Siemens, Nokia Malaysia and Telekom Malaysia, Tenaga Nasional Berhad and Petroleum Nasional Berhad (Petronas) are examples of organizations in Malaysia that have embarked on KM initiatives. There are so many studies on knowledge management in Malaysia, and the structure of Malaysia papers in Malaysia seems to be incomprehensive, there are a few number of out standing articles to mention, which shows in table 2.1. Table 2.1: Knowledge Management: Malaysian Studies Title Author/ Date/Journal Nature of Work Intellectual capital and business performance in Malaysian industries Bontis, Chua Richardson (2000) Journal of Intellectual Capital Research Study (Conducted among Malaysian firms) Knowledge management in healthcare: towards ‘knowledge-driven decision- support services Abidi, (2001) International Journal of Medical Informatics Case Study (Universiti Sains Malaysia Hospital located in Kota Baharu, Malaysia) Managing human resources toward achieving knowledge management Yahya Goh, (2002) Journal of Knowledge Management Research Study (Conducted among Malaysian firms) Knowledge management in a public organization: a study on the relationship between organizational elements and the performance of knowledge transfer. Syed Ikhsan Rowland, (2004) Journal of Knowledge Management Case Study (Ministry of Entrepreneur development of Malaysia) Benchmarking knowledge management in a public organization in Malaysia Syed Ikhsan Rowland, (2004) Benchmarking: An International Journal Case Study (Ministry of Entrepreneur development of Malaysia) An empirical study of perceived importance and actual implementation of knowledge management process in the Malaysian telecommunication industry Chong Yeow, (2005) Proceedings of ICTM Research Study (Study among Malaysian telecommunication Industry KM critical success factors: A comparison of perceived importance versus implementation in Malaysian ICT companies. Chong, (2006) The Learning Organization Research Study (194 Malaysian ICT companies) KM implementation in Malaysian telecommunication industry an empirical analysis. Wei, Choy Yeow, (2006) Industrial Management Data Systems Research Study (289 employees working in Telecommunication organizations in Malaysia) KM implementation and its influence on performance: an empirical evidence from Malaysian multimedia super corridor companies Chong, (2006) Journal of Information and Knowledge Management Research Study (Study among Malaysian multimedia super corridor companies) Exploring KM issues and KM performance outcomes: empirical evidence from Malaysian multimedia super corridor companies Chong Lin (2006) International Journal of Technology Management Research Study (Study among Malaysian multimedia super corridor companies) An exploratory study on knowledge management adoption in the Malaysian Industry. Wong, (2008) International Journal of Business Information Systems Research Study (exploratory KM survey conducted in the Malaysian industry) 2.3 KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT IMPLEMENTATION FRAMEWORKS According to Von Krogh (1998), which he takes a business perspective stating that KMS help increase competitiveness, the purpose of implementing KMS in organizations are various. KMS leads to grater innovation and responsiveness, Hackbarth (1998). Davenport and Prusak (1998) provide three reasons why KMS are implemented in organizations which are as follows: Ø To enhance visibility of knowledge in organizations through the use of maps, hypertexts, yellow pages, directories etc. Ø To build a knowledge sharing culture i.e. create avenues for employees to share knowledge. Ø To develop a knowledge infrastructure, not confined to technology solely, rather create an environment that permits collaborative work. These three things which were proposed by Davenport and Prusak (1998) imply that KMS can support an organization in planning for and dealing with emergencies. Many organizations are still wrestling with their knowledge management and failing to realize its full potential. This is due to their lack of the support of strong theoretical foundation to guide them in its implementation (Wong Aspinwall, 2004). Unfortunately, many organizations do not have a clear knowledge management implementation plan in mind (Liebowitz, 1999). Therefore, in order for an organization to be victorious in its effort to manage knowledge, a guiding framework is essential. This is why in this part a review of diverse knowledge management implementation frameworks and models is presented. The framework consents to researchers as well as practitioners to measure the current state of knowledge management effectively and systematically. Thus, the knowledge management framework should provide not only a unified view of knowledge management phenomena but also help investigators study the field of knowledge management in an organized way. There have been few efforts to de velop a framework of knowledge management. However, none of the frameworks can provide a complete and generalized frame for knowledge management by defining fundamental attributes of knowledge management and their interrelationships because knowledge management can be viewed differently on ones background and interests (Chong, 2005). To know the exact value of knowledge management, an architecture of it, would provide the necessary understanding of different components like, knowledge management activities, knowledge management resources, knowledge management influences (Holsapple Joshi, 1997). The improvement of a framework is to follow and track the progress and maturity of knowledge management of an enterprise, so, it would serve to support the industry-wide improvement of knowledge management programs. Further more, it would provide an acceptable frame of reference for the assessment of the adequacies of an organization by government, commercial customers and prime contractors (Chong, 2005). The knowledge management frameworks can be classified under four categories (Table 2.2) Which are namely, knowledge creation framework, knowledge cycle processes of knowledge management, cases on knowledge management initiatives in industry and high-level knowledge management frameworks. Table 2.2: KM Frameworks and their examples in the literature Knowledge Management Frameworks Examples Knowledge Creation Framework Nonaka(1991, 1994), Nonaka Takeuchi (1995) Knowledge Cycle Processes of KM Bose Sugumaran (2003) Cases on KM Initiatives in Industry Apostolou Mentzas (1998), Lai chu (2002) High-Level KM Frameworks Holsapple Joshi (2002), Jarrar (2002), Wiig (1997) Nonaka and Takeuchi are tried to explain the progress and adaption between tacit and explicit knowledge. In fact, knowledge creation framework is not a knowledge management framework, the reason is, and it only deals with the creation of knowledge which is only a share of what constitutes knowledge management. Also, the knowledge cycle processes of knowledge management frameworks are providing a set of activities where the prominence is on the knowledge cycle processes or activities. They mainly address the phases of knowledge flow (from creation to application) in an organization without providing guidance on how to implement knowledge management. The framework on knowledge management initiatives in industry provide a reference to facilitate the structuring, analysis and evaluation of the knowledge management initiatives undertaken in various case companies. Lastly, High-Level knowledge management frameworks are the ones providing more detailed directions on the implementation of kn owledge management. This type of framework seems to address not only the question of what is but also how to because it prescribes and suggest ways for organizations to engage in knowledge management activities (Wong Aspinwall, 2004). In their review of literature, Wong and Aspinwall, try to have an organized review of the various available frameworks for knowledge management implementation. The acceptable thing for the review was to classify the knowledge management implementation frameworks, find out the short comings of each and finally suggesting a through guide line for developing knowledge management implementation frameworks. They have classified the high level knowledge management frameworks as frameworks such as: 1) System approach, 2) Step approach, 3) hybrid approach.(Table 2.3, 2.4, 2.5 shows the comparisons between frameworks under each approach). Table 2.3: Comparisons of system approach frameworks Source: Wong Aspinwall (2004) Holsapple Joshi (2002) Jarrar (2002) Gore Gore (1999) Wiig et al. (1997) Plan - Set strategic priority Define and understand knowledge Formulate vision Conceptualize Reflect Execute - - - Act Evaluate - - - Review Knowledge Types / resources Knowledge embedded in participants, culture, infrastructure, artifacts, purpose and strategy - Tacit Knowledge Explicit knowledge - KM processes / activities Acquire, select, internalize and use knowledge Collect, present, distribute and measure knowledge Mainly focuses on knowledge creation and externalization Develop, distribute, combine and consolidate knowledge KM influences / factors Resource influences, managerial influences, environmental influences Knowledge environment - External and internal developments ‘-, not indicated or not clearly indicated Table 2.4: Comparisons of step approach frameworks Source: Wong Aspinwall (2004) McCampbell et al. (1999) Wiig (1999) Plan Form powerful coalition Communicate vision of KM Establish teams for needs assessment Analyze the needs of KM Obtain management buy-in Survey and map the knowledge landscape Plan the knowledge strategy Create and define knowledge-related alternatives and potential initiatives Portray benefit expectations for knowledge management initiatives Set knowledge management priorities Determine key knowledge requirements Execute Identify and collect knowledge Design a technological structure Test the technology Maintenance of the technology Retest the technology Training of knowledge workers Roll out the use of KM practices Make systems go live Acquire key knowledge Create integrated knowledge transfer programs Transform, distribute and apply knowledge assets Establish and update a KM infrastructure Manage knowledge assets Construct incentive programs Coordinate KM activities and functions enterprise-wide Facilitate knowledge-focused management Evaluate Track usage Measure quality and productivity Measure the performance of KM practices Conduct a need assessment review Monitor knowledge management Knowledge type / resources Internal knowledge External knowledge Can be inferred from the step: â€Å" manage knowledge assets † KM processes / activities Identify and collect knowledge Acquire, transform, distribute and apply knowledge KM influences / factors - Can be inferred from the steps: ‘construct incentive programs and ‘facilitate knowledge-focused management ‘-, not indicated or not clearly indicated Table 2.5: Comparisons of hybrid approach frameworks Source: Wong Aspinwall (2004) Rubenstein Montano et al. (2001) Mentzas (2001) Plan Strategize, Model Awareness plan Execute Act, Transfer Develop, operate Evaluate Revise Measurement Knowledge types / resources Tacit knowledge, Explicit knowledge Knowledge assets KM processes / activities KM tasks Process KM influences / factors Culture, Strategy, learning Strategy, Structure, System By study on these knowledge frameworks creator an absolute knowledge management implementation framework may include the possible accesses on success of knowledge management. Further more, the obstacles and developers should bear in their mind that if they want to analyze managers in regard with, which elements are likely to disrupt the knowledge management implementation success and which elements may enable their effort towards knowledge management achievements. Finally, a knowledge management implementation frame work should â€Å"make a correspondence view among social and technological approach to knowledge management†. Consideration of the authors demonstrate that most of the time this correspondence is disturb in favor of one approach while the other approach is either totally neglected or received incomplete attention (Wong Aspinwall, 2004). Different types of knowledge resources are identified. The activities and processes which can help to manage them should be mentioned in the knowledge management implementation framework. As an example, there is some of knowledge management processes such as: acquiring, capturing, creating, organizing, storing, accessing, transferring, sharing, applying, distributing and using knowledge. The suggested clues by Wong and Aspinwall for developing a knowledge management implementation framework include five factors, which are as follows: (1) Incorporate a clear structure to organize the tasks. (2) Address the different knowledge resources or types. (3) Include the knowledge management processes or activities that manipulate the knowledge. (4) Point out the influences that can affect the performance of knowledge management. (5) Provide a balanced view between a technological and a social perspective. 2.4 KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS CATEGORIZATION 2.4.1 Knowledge Management System Definition Knowledge management system (KMS), are mostly IT based systems for managing knowledge in organizations and are used for supporting, creating, capturing and disseminating of information. The main concept of knowledge management system (KMS) is to make a facility for employees to have an access to the organizations information, sources, document base facts and their solutions. As a matter of fact a knowledge management system (KMS) could be any of the following things: Ø Social computing tools which can help to create a knowledge management system (KMS). Ø Knowledge management system (KMS), assist in creating network maps in organizations which is used in communication among individuals and entities. Ø Document based, any formatted that permits, control, manage. Ø Use Artificial Intelligence (AI), for customized representation schema to demonstrate the problem domain. Further more, the benefits of using knowledge management in organization can be categorized as: 1. Valuable organizational data and information sharing. 2. Reduce redundant work. 3. Decrease time for new incomers like new employees. 4. Retention of intellectual property. Based on this definition Gupta and Sharma (2004) divide knowledge management system into seven major categories, which are as follows (tables 2.6): Table 2.6: Example of KMS Source: Gupta and Sharma (2004) KMS Technology Description Expert Systems, artificial intelligence and knowledge based management system (KBMS) Main purpose of these systems is to capture knowledge and perform analysis on existing knowledge base to assist in decision making. Often associated to rule based and pattern recognition systems. Computer Supported Collaborative Work (Groupware) Systems that permit sharing and collaborative work. Often described synonymously to Lotus Notes. However, one could suggest that asynchronous (e-mail, wikis e-log) and synchronous systems (videoconference, chat) are newer applications that can fall into this category (Bates and Poole, 2003). Groupware can also include Group Support Systems (GSS) that is intended to support groups make decision (Mandviwalla, 1994). Document Management Systems Systems that support the need for managing text and images to make information much more accessible. Similar to the idea of office management systems i.e. use of various word documentation and spreadsheet software. Decision support systems (DSS) Business applications that usually contain summaries of large amounts of data, filtered and synthesized particularly to support strategic decision-making. View records related to this term5. The focus of DSS is on analysis of quantitative data and presentation tools for managers. Semantic Networks The focus is on systems that explain not just relationships between entities but the meaning based on how the entities are structured. Can be used to â€Å"represent domain knowledge explicitly and shared† (Gupta and Sharma, 2004). Relational and Object oriented databases Systems that permit management of both structured (relational) and much more complex data sets (OODBMS) Simulation tools Systems that run computer based simulations for a variety of purposes. 2.4.2 Knowledge Management Architecture Base on Gupta and Sharma (2004) findings, they suggest architecture for knowledge management which has seven levels and it is shown in table 2.7. Table 2.7: Overview of Knowledge Management Architecture Source: Form Gupta, Sharma Hsu (2004) Level Key Activities Customer Knowledge Detailed, knowledge sharing relationships. Understanding the requirements of customers. Identifying new opportunities. Stakeholder Relationships Becoming a better knowledge flows among suppliers, shareholders, employees, community, etc. Use this knowledge to inform key points strategies. Business Environment Insights Systematic environmental scanning including political, economic, technology, social and environmental trends. Competitor analysis. Market intelligence systems. Organizational Memory Knowledge sharing. Best practice databases. Directories of expertise. Online documents, procedures and discussion forums. Intranets. Knowledge in Processes Embedding knowledge into business processes and management. Decision-making. Knowledge in Products and Services Knowledge embedded in products. Surround products with knowledge, e.g., in user guides, and enhanced knowledge intensive services. Knowledge in People Knowledge-sharing fairs. Innovation workshops. Expert and learning networks. Communities of knowledge practice. As it shows above there is a seven layer for knowledge management architecture and each level related to a particular aspect of knowledge management. So, in this regard there is a summarization for this table which summarize the important part of this layers and compact it in just three layers, it is summarized in table 2.8 as follows: Table 2.8: Knowledge Management Architecture Source: Gupta, Sharma Hsu (2004) Layer Level Brief Explanation Data Sources layer According to different data sources which are accessible within organizations, this layer has both internal and external data sources. As an example, data repository, email repository, databases. Knowledge Management Layer The processes of knowledge management layer include acquisition, refinement, storage, retrieval, distribution and presentation of required knowledge. An example would be a knowledge base which assists decision making processes during an emergency situation. Knowledge Presentation Layer This layer represents the interface that forms the basis of interaction between users and the system. This can be called a knowledge portal that can guide decision making in dealing with an emergency situation. The knowledge portal can be designed to support communication, collaboration and information sharing requirement. There is two more explanation in detailed view for knowledge management architecture and knowledge management process model. The most important part in knowledge management architecture and knowledge management process are capturing knowledge, create a new knowledge, share it and distribute it as it is shown in 2.1 and 2.2. 2.4.3 Performance of Information Technology (IT) in Knowledge Management System (KMS) Information Technology (IT), plays an important role in acquire, store, disseminate and manage knowledge than ever before. Alavi and Leidner (2001), proposed an admired framework, which can be used to analyze and test the role of Information technology (IT) in design and fulfillment of any Knowledge Management System (KMS). The table (2.9) which is adapted from Alavi and Leidner (2001), shows the different perspectives of knowledge management initiatives and knowledge management system (KMS), design particularly. Table 2.9: Knowledge Perspective and impact on KM and KMS Source: Alavi and Leidner (2001, p.11) Perspective Meaning Implication for KM Impact on KMS Role in IT Knowledge vis-à  -vis data and information Data is consider as a fact, raw numbers, information is processed/ contextual data/ interpreted data knowledge is personalized information e.g this would entail once experience and exposure. KM initiative should expose employees to relevant information and facilitate assimilation of information. KMS may not necessarily be different from an existing information system. The differences are that any KMS should help employees assimilate the information. Role of IT is to ensure KMS design permits information assimilation. Knowledge as a state of the mind Knowledge is ones state of knowing and understanding. KM initiative should provide an information base that enables individuals to recognize the existence of knowledge. This can enhance individual learning and understanding. Accessibility to where knowledge resides rather than to knowledge itself- i.e. provide a means to an end. This would include web and wireless access to knowledge base. Knowledge as an object Knowledge that is stored and subject to manipulation. KM initiative should permit development and management of knowledge base. IT can support KMS to gather, store, and disseminate knowledge. This would include the use collaborative tools e.g. wikis. Knowledge as a process Knowledge visualized as a process of applying expertise. KM initiative should focus on effective flow of knowledge within the realms of knowledge creation, sharing and dissemination. by providing links to various knowledge sources which includes internal and external sources. This would include use of web based systems, hyperlinks, markup languages and access to databases. The idea is to offer a wider breadth and depth of knowledge flows Knowledge and accessibility to information Knowledge is a condition of access to information. KM initiative should provide ease of access to and retrieval of content in a given system. IT can be used to enhance indexing, query and locating relevant information. Knowledge as a capability As a capability knowledge has the potential to influence action. KM initiative should focus on developing core competencies and understanding the strategic intent of the initiative. It can increase the intellectual capital through development of individual and organizational competencies. Table 2.9 proposed that Information technology plays an important role in knowledge management initiatives in organizations. Alavi and Leidner (2001) defined a knowledge management system (KMS) as IT- based system develop to support and enhance the organizational processes of knowledge creation. They observe that not all knowledge management initiatives will implement an IT solution, but they support IT as an enabler of knowledge management (Raman, M. Muthaiyah, S.). In addition, knowledge management system (KMS) can assist organizations in dealing with dynamic and complex situations such as emergencies (Gupta Sharma, 2004). 2.4.4 Appropriate Theories to Knowledge Management Systems (KMS) This part consists of two theories which can help to design and implement decisions of any knowledge management systems (KMS) to support knowledge management in organizations. Those mentioned theories are, Information Processing Theory (IPT), and, Contingency Theory. 2.4.4.1 Information Processing Theory (IPT) George A. Miller (1956), has afforded two theoretical ideas which are the basic concepts of the information processing framework and cognitive psychology. The first approach is â€Å"chunking† and the capacity of short term memory. He insists that short term memory can get just 5-9 chunks of information (seven plus or minus two). A chunk could refer to digits, words, peoples faces or any other meaningful units. The second idea which Miller was mentioned is people process information akin to a computerized system. They take input into the memory like the computer, then the human minds take the information, analyze it, store the content and locate it in the best situation of memory and then retrieve as and when needed based on the given situation. In this context, Burnell (2004), state that:†As diversity of resources, processes or outputs increase inter process coordination requirements and system complexity increase. As uncertainty increases, information processing requirements increases become of managements inability to predict every situation.† Information processing theory is widely applied in the study of human learning and cognitive styles (Miller, 1960). As a matter of fact Information Processing Theory (IPT) has some principles which are often applied by instructors for the following reasons: Ø Gain the students attention Ø Point out important and critical chunks of information, separating them from trivial ones. Ø Provide opportunities for students in linking new to existing information. Ø Presenting information in clear manner. Ø Emphasize on meaning of information i.e. not memorizing them. Actually, those mentioned principles for information processing theory can be applied to design of knowledge management system (KMS) to support emergency preparedness as well (Kostman, 2004). Particularly, in approaching emergency situations, knowledge management system can be elaborated to enable decision makers to: Ø Retrieve information that is critical, quickly. Ø Focus on the situation without being loss amidst voluminous information. Ø Create and share a knowledge base by linking past experience to existing information base. Ø Structure emergency related information clearly. Ø Understand different meaning and interpretation of critical terminology used in dealing with an emergency. 2.4.4.2 Contingency Theory Contingency theory was founded by Lawrence and Lorsch (1967), in the study of ten firms in plastic, food, containers, which are three different i