Business Plan Final Essay

Castle’s Family Restaurant Business Plan: Stage III Executive Summary The purpose of this business plan is to understand the restaurants business and its operations to improve its customer service and its employee relations. The Castle Family Restaurant has eight restaurants that operate under one regional manager that also acts as the Human Resource Manager for the restaurants. The goal is to develop a plan that can decrease the travel time of the regional manager so; that he, Jay Morgan, can save on gas due to high gas prices since each restaurant is located in the northern California area. The objective is to introduce a HRIS application and one vendor that can assist in the developing of the HR department and ease the transitioning of one individual HR manager to multiple employees. There are restaurants with profits in mind and provide the same food and service while the Castle’s Family believes in family, partnerships and developing relationships with one another for a great customer service. Introduction The Castle’s Family Restaurant has eight restaurants in northern California with about 300-340 employees. Most of the employees are part time with about 40% of them full-time. This business plan is to determine strategies that will eliminate the Human Resource position from Jay Morgan, so that he can reduce his travel time to all eight locations and to develop an HR department for the restaurants. In addition, the business plan is to enable Jay Morgan to concentrate on his operation manager duties. Company Review The factors that cause many issues to the Castle’s Family restaurant business are having one individual with so many responsibilities. Therefore, hiring an HR manager to schedule, recruit, hire and assist the employees in their needs will help in creating order. In addition, the restaurant must hire an assistant to help in the administration work; it will decrease the amount of  paperwork for the general manager. And each restaurant must have a manager to overseas the employees and the operation of the restaurant. The managers will conduct meetings monthly to provide the sales, revenues and customer services of each restaurant. Managers can communicate through emails, phone calls if they have questions for each other, or have any concerns. A needs assessment must be conducted to determine if an HRIS is needed for the company. In order to have a successful restaurant business every factor must be considered. For example, customer service to the customers is a big factor becau se that is what brings in the revenue. For a restaurant to have a successful business they must have the right food for their customers to enjoy and to assist the customers any way they can. In the last year, there had been some speculation into how the government will help the small restaurants and that the fiscal will prevent any type of savings in when tax time comes around. These HRIS and vendor application that will be stated in this business plan is there to develop and help maintain the restaurant’s H R department and increase growth in the company. Business Analysis We have acquired an HRIS system that will help in developing the HR department to provide easy process for the employees. The Sage HRIS application is an innovative way to ease the transition from traditional HR to a strategic HR. The Sage applications provide variety of options to assist in the HR process. For example, the payroll application should be implemented to help the restaurant establish tax, earnings, and deduction codes to perform critical payroll functions and to modify the system to the restaurant’s needs. This is the first time Castle’s Family Restaurant is developing a HR department, having the right tools to run a department the right way will allow less mistakes to be made; with eight different locations, adding the sage application will help in the transitioning all locations into one. Furthermore, it is critical for a company to have leadership to help establish the employee’s strengths and improve their weaknesses. In addition, the sageâ€⠄¢s time and attendance can help manage the employee’s attendance and work time. The system enables you to collect, analyze, and take control of employee’s attendance and labor data. The  application will help the company in providing perks to employees that always come to work on time. In addition, the performance management application tracks employee’s performance; help identify their critical skills to help the employees in their career development. Furthermore, I have compare and contrast a vendor that would benefit your company. These two vendors provide great services but one match your company’s true values and its missions. The Castle’s Family Restaurant need a vendor that can help in developing long lasting relationship and demonstrates positivity so that individuals can be their best. Furthermore, automation is viable to reduce the need of human errors that can results in more major consequences. Automation errors can occur at any time, the solutions are easy to fix, and automation provide easy data that can be change, delete and edit. HRIS Type/Comparison The type of HRIS that the Castle Family Restaurant should implement is the Sage application as I have stated before. In order for such application to be developed a vendor must be selected to help in the process. The sage application is a best fit for the company because it has a group of team that can help in assisting in any technical difficulties. When developing new HR department, errors will consist and questions will need to be answered. Therefore, a new training program will need to develop to increase each employee’s skills and performances in the Human Resources Department. The Sage application has the career enhancement training; they have created a system that can help in detecting IT skills, leadership’s skills, etc.; that can benefit your restaurant. The application has an easy to read system. The vendors that I have selected are the ADP and the Rideau Recognition Solutions. The ADP provides all services for domestic international, small or large companies, it does not matter where you operate, and they are there to assist in developing the business. The Rideau Recognition Solutions provide services that inspire employees to succeed to the vendor’s belief. Their expertise is to help their clients build positive relationships with their people to reflect the company’s values and increase customers’ expectations. The Rideau main purpose and their definition of a business are being inspirational and providing inspiration to others. While  ADP is well recognized company that can assist in developing an HR department, and have the tools to performed the job, but because of the deep meaning and relationship that can develop with the Rideau Recognition Solutions and the restaurant being a family company; I believe that the Rideau is the best solution for the Castle’s restaurant. HRIS Vendor Recommendation I have recommended that your company, The Castle’s Family Restaurant, to choose the Sage HRIS application and the Rideau Recognition Solution as your vendor. They have the right tools that can establish the restaurant business, and their tools can assist in the development of the HR department. In the restaurant business there will be a lot of risks such as food poising, slip and fall and property damages. Once these types of risks occur this is where the HR department comes in to assist in resolving the situation. This why there should be training when these disadvantages come to light. The sage applications have the proper tools to help decide the professional way to handle such situations. The HRIS application provides professional training to each individual HR employee. While these risks can occur, another problem that cans cause small businesses disadvantage are the fiscal cliff which this year small business operators tax rate has increase by 5 percent. Furthermore, knowing these disadvantages will allow you, the Castle’ Restaurant to prepare yourself as a restaurant. In addition, using these vendors and HRIS system will permit better training; and develop great communication between the HR department and the employees and managers for great customer service. It is important to know the negative factor and a positive factor on owning a small business restaurant and to prepare for any tactics on a professional level. In conclusion, I recommend the Sage as your HRIS application and the Rideau Recognition Solution as your vendor. Conclusion The Castle’s Family Restaurant has been operating on one person basis, with eight restaurants to oversee. There are many duties to maintain to assure a  smooth business; with such issues that can arise in each restaurant, developing an HR department to oversee these tasks will reduce risks that can occur. I have concluded that the Sage HRIS and Rideau Recognition Solution are the chosen application and vendor for your company to help in the developing your restaurant business. The application and vendor will and can assist you in many different factors and help improve employee communication. References Frumkin, Paul. â€Å"How ‘fiscal cliff’ deal impacts small restaurateurs, franchisees.† Nations’s Restaurant News. Jan 9, 2013. Retrieved on 8/24/2013 < http://nrn.com/latest-headlines/how-fiscal-cliff-deal-impacts-small-restaurateurs-franchisees>

Technicalities of Dance

Tonya Sok English 1304 Dr. Beaven 27 March 2013 Technicalities of Dance Dance is a universal language that involves exaggerated movements of the arms, legs, and body. With the sound of music, dance is more than just a form of expression. It is a moving portrait embraced by the curtain frame. It is a masterpiece assembled by artfully maneuvered strokes. The strokes don’t belong to that of the painter, but rather the educator who supervised the integration of music and dance. There it hangs on a stage like any other painting on a wall; a moving portrait.However, the many stereotypes formed among the dancers have altered the way some view the performances of dance. Especially in the modern and ballet genres, while the dancers pour their heart and soul into the movements, why does the audiences’ perspective change with a shift from female to male leads? What if the movements just did not meet our standards of liking or fit our taste? Do we enjoy the performance as a whole i f there is one odd flaw standing out? I explore the reasons as to why society judges the attributes of dance in such cases as mixed genders, their styles, and the unwillingness to accept it as a sport.The issues pertaining to gender should not matter in art. Men and women are free to express thoughts and ideas through paintings, and therefore both should be equally free to express themselves through dancing. In Negotiating the Gay Male Stereotype, Katherine M. Polasek believes cultures construct â€Å"gender, the body, and movement, restricting both males and females from using and exploring their bodies in ways not deemed gender-appropriate† (Page # and fix how the quote flows with sentence). Some people ridicule males in ballet for wearing tights because it is too â€Å"feminine†.On the other hand, when comparing ballet to wrestling, swimming, or football the use of tight pants or Speedos are considered as an attire requirement. Tights enable one to possess ease of m ovement and less drag friction. However, this does not correspond with sexual stereotypes targeting ballet because many other sports make use of similar tight-fit clothing. The gay stereotype in dance originates from the fact that men who take part in the form of art do not often present competition with other men in fields of sturdy speed and strength.Unlike sports such as basketball, football, soccer, or wrestling, men in ballet are not often looked upon as masculine for their light leaps and smooth swaying movements. Another reason why gay stereotypes exist within ballet would be because gay men actually do ballet alongside women, and ballet still remains more popular among women than men during the 21st century. Due to the amount of stereotypical comments made about the male dancers, â€Å"claims for athleticism and technique have been used to downplay the perceived risk and denigration of being identified as homosexual, as well as to justify dancers’ virility and value. Do I need to include this? ->Male dancers in school may use playing sports to camouflage homosexuality† (Hanna 223). Even though a male dancer is not gay, observers may sometimes perceive otherwise through movement analysis. For this reason, Polasek’s literature (

Effects on Divorce on Children Essay

However some people think that it’s an easy process to get a divorce two separate roperties and signing papers may seem like an easy task some however there are major problems can arise from the divorce like who is going to keep the timeshare in Aspen. But one vital issue arises with the presence of children and how it will affect them in the long run studies suggest that children that go through divorce express signs of distress for example acting out in school. Divorce is Just as hard on the children as it is the adults and if they overlook this their children might be affected for even years to come showing concern for this might prevent this. More than half of all divorces involve children under the age of 18. Divorce does not only affect the husband and wife, but now more than ever their children get mixed up in the, sometimes ugly, process of divorce. A vital question every parent should consider is will divorce have effects on children and is staying together for the sake of their well-being the best resolution, if not what are the ideal approaches to minimize the child’s distress? The overall reason I picked this topic is because after a divorce many young children are confused. They are confused because they are sometimes too young to nderstand what is going on so they tend to scream for help but their parents ignore them. Then they can sometimes start to act out in school and their parents know why they are doing it but cannot help them express their feelings. This topic is sociologically important because young children need help understanding what divorce is and how to cope with it. All of these reason I’ll be sure to make a point of explaining them further and using reliable statistics taken from studies of children of divorce. This question should interest almost everyone that plans of getting married in the future. Divorce clearly isn’t something that couples want or even expect in a marriage but unfortunately such events occur that lead to divorce and it is crucial to know how it may affect children in the long run. David Masci the author of the article â€Å"Does divorce turn children into troubled adults? argues that divorce might turn children into troubled adults, and I agree because he provides viable evidence to support his theory. His argument that is supported by new research showing that almost half of all children in the United States have to deal with their parents dissolution of marriage nd these some of these children show signs of distress in the later year. Mainly likelihood of health, emotional, and behavioral problems, lower a cademic achievement and an increased risk of divorce when they marry. In addition, â€Å"early sex, out-of-wedlock pregnancy, alcohol and drug abuse, delinquency and suicide are more prevalent among adolescents from divorced families than among those from intact families† (Masci) I wholeheartedly endorse what David Masci argues. While many children grow up leading healthy and productive lives after a divorce occurs, they are at greater risk for emotional and physical problems. Some children are more emotionally affected by divorce than others. But some do not experience serious, long-term emotional problems A child’s emotional security also becomes more fragile during this difficult time of divorce. Fears that both parents will abandon the child are common. Depending on the age of the child, some of the ways a child might express this emotional insecurity may be large amounts of anger, directed both toward others and themselves frequent breaking of rules, sleep problems, defying parents or teachers, frequent guilt, increasing isolation or withdrawal from friends and family, drug and/or alcohol buse, early sexual activity, thoughts of suicide or violence. Many children of divorce believe that they caused the divorce or that they did something wrong that made one or both parents not want to be with them. These feelings can cause a child to feel sad, depressed, and angry. These negative emotions can contribute to other problems, such as poor health, difficulty in school, and problems with friends, to name a few. Parents can help their children avoid some of the negative consequences of these emotions by using â€Å"emotion coaching,† a process of helping children be aware of and talk about their emotions. Children who experience the divorce of their parents generally are more likely to struggle socially compared to children from intact families. They are more likely to be aggressive, have poorer relationships with same-age children, and have fewer close friends. Also, these children and teenagers appear to be less involved in extracurricular activities, such as sports or music, and other enrichment programs, such as after-school classes or summer programs. This is likely due to less money to pay for such activities, less availability of parents to drive the child and attend lessons and events, ore frequent moves, and visiting and custody schedules that interrupt participation in team sports and other activities. Children and teenagers who experience the divorce of their parents may end up getting less parental supervision. As a result, some scholars believe that these children may be more susceptible to the influence of their peers and this increases the chances of them getting involved in deviant behavior, including drug and alcohol use and smoking. Generally, research has not found large differences in how boys and girls tend to adjust to divorce. However, it seems that boys, more than girls, tend to be more aggressive toward others and this can lead to their friends and peers rejecting them. Boys may be somewhat more likely to act in defiant ways at home and in school; girls may be somewhat more likely to experience anxiety and depression. A child’s age when his or her parents divorce is another factor that parents worry about. But divorce on children has not shown a consistent pattern. Some studies suggest that romantic relationships in the future of children of divorce can be affected because of their experiences as a young child. In addition, ome scholars believe that children of divorce are less likely to learn crucial social skills in the home, such as cooperation, negotiation, and compromise that are necessary for success in life. Children exposed to high levels of conflict between their parents, both before and after a divorce, may learn to model the poor communication of their parents.

Mintab assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Mintab assignment - Essay Example HSE makes utilization of money matters in assessing the costs and profits of its mediation and in understanding the most extensive financial connection for well-being and security. The primary point of Health and Safety Executive (HS) is to break down the respects between laborers in the four separate segments furthermore to complete the strength of professionals in relationship between them. The Health and Safety Executive likewise asked to do an analysis in relationship between the length of administration and recorded well-being issues, for example, silicosis. Tile, porcelain and precious stone glass commercial enterprise. This study however, will incur and make use of variance test both H0 and H1. The samples associated with variance H1 will have different variances while H0 will have no difference in the variances between the samples. From this perception we realize that if one rejects the alternative if the p value is greater than 0.05, he or she will be forced to reject the null if the p value is less than 0.05 The main objective of this study is to analyse the deference’s between workers in the four different sectors and also to carry out the health of workers in relationship between them as far as Health and safety Executive (HS) is of concern. However, this study constitutes two hypotheses. The first hypothesis is H0 where there is no links in the recorded health of the workers and there is no variance in the health of the workers. The second hypothesis is H1 where there is a link in the recorded health of the workers and there is a variance in the health of the workers. The study will analyse and give justification on both hypotheses to oversee the null perception as far as p value is taken into consideration. In the light of the HSEs concentrate on empowering associations successfully to handle work-related stress using Variance approach, one would anticipate that the relationship will exist between

Westcan Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Westcan - Research Paper Example This may help manager to identify areas deficiency among them for further training (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2010). Additionally, managers should be asked to give out their opinion concerning the kind of training they would like to have in order to ensure training administered to them is relevant and effective (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2010). Also, it is also very vital to seat down with managers and identify areas of deficiencies among them (Author, 2012). This can help managers to design an effective training package (Bramley & Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development, 2003). In above connection, questionnaires should be designed, piloted and administered to managers to gather information on what should be done in order to have effective meetings (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2010).Research indicates that, managers understand the elements of an effective meeting but they don’t practice what they were taught (Author, 2012).Therefore, managers should be encouraged to put the theory they learnt into practice so that they can become effective and efficient (Bramley & Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development, 2003). Conclusively, the identified needs for training should be evaluated by determining the extent at which the training needs have been implemented (Bramley & Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development, 2003). Bramley, P., & Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. (2003). evaluating training: [from personal insight to organizational performance]. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and

Strategic management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Strategic management - Assignment Example It will be noted that competitive advantage is created when a company is able to make its products and services the preferred option for customers within a market where competitors are offering products and services of the same nature or kind (Carter, Daniel and Betty, 2006). For competitive advantage to be achieved, the need for a critical understanding and appreciation of what the customer wants is very important. This is because the customer is always the end user of the product and service that the company offers. With the immediate direction and scope where the company wants to prioritize the interest of customers in product and service innovation, there is every hope that competitive advantage will be created because the company will offer precisely what the customer wants from the hospitality and tourism industry that it is not getting from other competitors. QUESTION TWO The business approach to strategic management is selected as the most suitable framework for Thomas Cook G roup to maximize its strategic impact with key stakeholders. This business approach to strategic management framework is however made up of a number of strategic options that makes it very important for the company to be highly critical in its selection of an appropriate strategic. Generally, two strategic approaches namely sociological approach and industrial organizational approach will be identified. Though each of these two approaches will at any point in time help a company in achieving some level of strategic success with its stakeholders, the use of industrial organizational approach is opined as the optimum strategy among the suitable framework that can bring about strategic development with stakeholders. The reason for this point is that in the use of industrial organizational approach, companies are admonished to take up the combined use economic theory and assumptions. Under economic theory, considerations are base for key economic factors such as resource allocation, com petitive rivalry and economies of scale. Meanwhile, in the current global economic crunch, these economic factors are very important for the achievement of economic growth and development. This is because based on economic theory, the company will be offered the opportunity to naming its competitive rivalry and know how to rightly allocate its scarce resources in a manner that presents a better competition against the competitor. With reference to assumptions also, Thomas Cook Group will be allowed the use of rationality, profit maximization and self discipline principles to compete (Carter, Daniel and Betty, 2006). QUESTION THREE In the current state of global economic recession within which Thomas Cook Group is forced to compete and growth as a leader in the hospitality and tourism industry, the effective management of resources and competences would be the only remedy to ensure that the company survives the recession. This is because world economic crunch is generally associated with cut downs and limitations in resources and competences. This situation is created because the input into resource availability of companies hardly synchronize with the resource output that the company undertakes (Breiman et al, 2009). With the scarcity therefore, effective

Solar thermal heating systems for domestic use in the uk Dissertation

Solar thermal heating systems for domestic use in the uk - Dissertation Example In the case that solar power is useful in the United Kingdom, the cost of the installation will be put into context with the theoretical energy savings using the information from one British household. This information will be applied to thermal heating systems for use in central heating. In many countries, full solar electricity systems are not viable. In these cases, solar energy can still be utilised to lower the dependence on fossil fuels, and can be transformed into central heating or hot water. These systems do not generally rely on photovoltaic plates to convert the energy, as these are particularly expensive, but instead use one of two main systems: direct or indirect. These systems were tested in the course of this paper and were both found to be cost-effective and viable for the house in question in the United Kingdom. This was compared with the results from using photovoltaic plates to provide electricity to show the difference in benefits gained in the UK. Introduction So lar Power Solar power is one of the most popular renewable energy technologies available (Tiwari, 2002) and is gaining appreciation due to the increasing amount of emphasis on fossil fuels and how they affect the environment. Solar power relies on converting solar energy to usable fuel energy (Larson & West, 1996) generally for electricity. Solar power generally relies on the use of photovoltaic plates, which are essentially cells containing some photovoltaic material which can capture light from the sun and turn it into electricity. They rely on the photoelectric effect. Photovoltaic plates are generally made from silicon (DeWinter, 1990). Solar energy can be directed onto these plates at a greater intensity by using mirrors or lenses to reflect the sunlight onto them. Tracking devices can also be used. In this case, the photovoltaic plates are attached to a sensor mechanism, and can be moved automatically to face the direction in which they will capture most solar energy (Tiwari, 2002). One of the main problems with solar power is that it can only be used during sunlight, meaning that at night time or during dark weather there is no electricity from this method (Tiwari, 2002). To get around this, sunlight should be stored during peak hours for use at later points. There are many storage mechanisms available. One of these is the use of molten salts to store energy at high temperatures. These are a favoured storage type because they are low cost and have a high specific heat capacity (DeWinter, 1990). Another way of storing solar energy is to use rechargeable batteries. These must be of considerable size for use in public solar energy plants. Battery storage can also be used by people with domestic solar energy sources, and a measuring system is available that gives credit to homeowners that supply their excess electricity (Tiwari, 2002). The energy can also be stored in water using a hydroelectricity technique. A final method of storing energy is artificial p hotosynthesis, which relies on nanotechnology to stored the energy in chemical bonds, which can be broken to release the energy again. There are some new sources of solar energy that are being considered, although these are generally not applicable to domestic systems. One suggestion is that solar energy be captured in space. This has the benefit of not using any habitable land and does

Strategic Marketing Plan for Yeo Hiap Seng Ltd Case Study

Strategic Marketing Plan for Yeo Hiap Seng Ltd - Case Study Example The strategic business unit is generally concerned with the development of market opportunities, products and services, competitive strategy, resource allocation, control and structure within the SBU. The SBU has to fit strategically into the corporate structure in that it leads to better management of the entire organization because of the aspect of decentralization. This is so because a SBU is autonomous as it is in charge of its own decision making processes, budgeting and pricing. Yeo Hiap Seng Limited Company has adapted this approach with its soft drinks segment. This paper demonstrated how the company has succeeded in fitting the soft drinks SBU into the corporate structure. The Group's principal activities are the manufacturing, sale, distribution and export of beverages, sauces and canned food, instant noodles, condensed milk and non-alcoholic beverages (Company Profile Snapshot, 2008). Soft drinks industry in Singapore like in other countries and industries has witnessed changes over the past few years. Several factors have had an impact on the state and proceedings of the soft drinks industry. It is important to note that the effects have been both positive and negative. The former is of more concern since it gives an insight into the factors that have played to get the industry to its current state. ItIt was observed that the healthy drinks play an important role. Growing health awareness encouraged by public health bodies was one of the key trends influencing the soft drinks industry in Singapore and which drove ever stronger demand for healthier beverages (Euromonitor International, 2008). Due to this, growth of the soft drinks industry continued, this was as a result of the fact that these drinks are found to be healthier than the other much sugary drinks. The health issues that surround these drinks and the education factors make the soft drinks more marketable than other drinks. The ranges in carbonates that give variations serve to catapult soft drinks even more. With several options in carbon ranges, the consumers are able to make a selection in a set of carbonate variations; this serves to increase the market. Naturally healthier drinks have a concept of novelty. It is important that the consumers appreciate some drinks due to content. This is a factor that serves to push the consumptions levels of some specific soft drinks up and generally get the market share of the soft drinks increased. The health of the consumers as a requirement will continue to push the market of soft drinks high. Consumers want to be well and given the health training that is always going on, they will continue to require the drinks that will maintain or guarantee good health for them. The Government of Singapore has been instrumental in determining the state of the soft drinks industry. The Government's scheme to promote reduced or sugar free soft drinks have been a driving factor in the growth of the soft drinks industry in Singapore. There has been realignment of distribution for different soft drink brands due to competition among the market players. Different companies have had to change the product lines due to competition thereby altering the market equation. Education of the Singaporeans on the health issues for instance sugar consumption

Multicutural Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Multicutural Communication - Essay Example Ethnocentrism is one problem that can adversely impact communication between individuals from different cultural backgrounds. Lack of knowledge on cultural differences when communicating presents a problem especially with globalisation of the business environment. Cultural determinants such as traditions, communication practices and thought process are important in multicultural communication. Clinging to manner of conducting business that is ethnocentric for instance can cause a major problem of communication between individuals. Language differences present a very critical barrier to effective cross-cultural communication; translation difficulties, failure of conveying subtle language distinctions and cultural variations between people speaking the same language inform language problems business communication (Mathews and Thakkar, 2012). Environment is a source of problems in multicultural communication. Manners in which people utilize available resources differ markedly between cultures and as such cultural biases with regard to the technological and natural environment cause communication conflicts. Most of us are culturally accustomed perceive the environment in certain ways and as such the usage of technology. Variations in social values across cultures can also present major communication conflicts. As such it is therefore important to consider the social valued held by others on issues such as education, nepotism, class structures and religion etc in order to achieve effective communications. Nonverbal behaves and temporal conception also communication conflicts with significant impact especially in the international business settings. Use of nonverbal signs of communications and understanding of time may differ on cultural lines and thus present problems when individuals from different cultures interact (Prat t-Johnson, 2006). To

A vision on a nursing profession Essay Example for Free

A vision on a nursing profession Essay For as long as I can remember I have always wanted to be a nurse, caring for those in need. This feeling ultimately led me to the career choice of nursing and continues the path of higher education in the profession. . Nursing is more than treating an illness, rather it is focused on delivering quality patient care that is individualized to the needs of each patient. As nurses we protect, promote and encourage others to optimize their health abilities, prevention of illness, alleviate suffering and advocate in caring for the individual, their families and the community. Fruechting (2010) states, every discipline has its philosophical foundations and nursing is no different. The purpose of a philosophy is to answer the questions of what nursing is, why does it exist and what ethics and values underpin these beliefs. Fruechting continues to say that nursing philosophy, like any other disciplines-specific philosophy, is what directs and drives research and knowledge development to advance the discipline. My philosophy of nursing incorporates the knowledge of medicine, the importance of prevention and the promotion of wellness, while combining it with relational, compassionate caring that respects the dignity of each patient, their families and community. I believe nursing care should be holistic while honoring patient families and community’s values. A crucial aspect of nursing is interprofessional relationships, collaborative efforts among healthcare professionals promoting quality patient care, and making health care easily accessible. A refl ection of my philosophy of nursing and the pursuit of higher education. I look at the theories and have not identified any one at this point to ground me and my philosophy, and what learning strategies appeal to me. I have always reflected on patient –centered care and health promotion model as a great fit in my profession and now the possibility of my philosophy. Nursing theory (2013) states that the Health  Promotion Model was designed by Nola J. Pender to be a complementary counterpart to models of health protection. It defines health as a positive dynamic state rather than simply the absence of disease. Health promotion is directed at increasing a patients level of well-being. The health promotion model also describes the multidimensional nature of persons as they interact within their environment to pursue health. Nursing theory (2013) states that Abdellahs Twenty-One Nursing Problems theory of nursing, Nursing is based on an art and science that molds the attitudes, intellectual competencies, and technical skills of the individual nurse in to the desire and ability to help people, sick or well, cope with their health needs.. The nursing model is intended to guide care in hospitals, but can be applied to community nursing, as well. The model has interrelated concepts of health and nursing problems, as well as problem-solving, which is an activity inherently logical in nature. Abdellahs theory identifies ten steps to identify the patients problem and 11 nursing skills used to develop a treatment typology. Abdellah describes health as a state mutually exclusive of illness. There is no definition of health given by her theory, but she speaks of total health needs and healthy state of mind and body in the description of nursing as a comprehensive service. I would choose both choose this framework due to the emphasis and importance that it puts on relationships, trust, empathy, warmth and being in the present and in tune with one’s own patient –centered care comfortable and at peace to be able to allow one’s self to reflect on the many feelings and emotions that we experience and that changes from minute to minute, day to day and year to year. Therefore, this is the theory that I base my therapy and supervision upon.

How Does Poverty Affect Crime?

How Does Poverty Affect Crime? LITERATURE REVIEW There is no question about it; poverty is a problem across the globe. Furthermore, in most parts of the world crime is also a concern. However the interpretation that poverty causes crime has been researched for centuries and yet no definitive answer has been discovered. Is there a relationship between these variables? Can your social class influence the crime you commit? Within this topic, three key common themes are repeatedly mentioned. They are as followed: first the disadvantaged neighborhoods, second criminal opportunity and social disorganization, and thirdly unemployment. This literature review aims to shine light of plausible evidence that explains and supports the question of; how does poverty influence criminal activity? The first theme that can be explored within researching this relationship between poverty and crime is disadvantaged neighbourhoods. This is a re-occurring theme amongst researchers on explaining how poverty influences crime. Current research has shown that communal factors influence an individual’s involvement in criminal activity. In a study that aimed to measure disadvantaged neighbourhoods with the likelihood of criminal behaviour, the results suggested that because families and individuals are inhibited in their residential selections, it may lead to violent delinquency (Decoster 735). Another aspect of the study emphasizes how those who receive public assistance or families who are headed by adults that only have a high school degree or less, are also likely to be involved in violent and criminal behaviour (Decoster 736). In retrospect, poverty, in the form of a disadvantaged and/or disorganized neighbourhood, according to multiple studies is a huge influential factor to the presence of violent and criminal behaviour amongst individuals and communities. So now, within these disadvantaged neighbourhoods an aspect that truly highlights the theme is neglecting the child. This aspect in past research has described that child neglect is completely associated with poverty (Nikulina 309). From this I deduce that the up-bringing of a child in low-income neighborhoods can affect crime. Another example of how disadvantaged neighbourhoods can influence crime is policing practices. Whether it is purposely executed or accidently performed, there seems to always be a disparity amongst arrests between individuals of upper-class neighbourhoods and those of lower-class neighbourhoods. Thus, the targeting of poverty reddened neighbourhoods can heavily influence criminal activity. Studies that empirically support my argument of police targeting which effects criminal activity can be understood when reviewing the study done by David Kirk. He examined the relationship between concentrated poverty and ethnically centric neighbourhoods. The results of his study expresses that concentrated poverty does influence arrest totals (Kirk 73). However, the theme of disadvantaged neighbourhoods to explaining how poverty influences crime has its limitations. Majority of its research and empirical data overlooks the social context and the impression of the community by focusing on individuals that are affected by poverty. It is difficult to gather empirical data concerning a neighbourhood. For example, Decoster mentions that there study might have been dissimilar if they could have had access to communal level measures of social wealth, â€Å"such as the densities of ties within neighbourhoods and pervasiveness of collective supervision† (740). So how can future studies incorporate a communal context rather than an individual context? Decoster attempts to answer this question by suggesting that families and communities sometimes feel obligated to indorse social ties for the good of the community and not for external resources (741). Therefore, focusing on these social ties can bring to light a more societal context of how poverty can influence crime. The second common theme that can be drawn out from these scholarly articles in analyzing if poverty can influence crime is Social Disorganization and Criminal Opportunity. These themes have been prevalent in the articles and differently explain the link between poverty and crime. Individuals that are poor and do not have the means to provide for themselves might resort to illegitimate ways to obtain these means. For example poverty can cause social strain and disorganization within a community or an individual. Thus, this may encourage some individuals to turn to illegitimate ways to provide for themselves. Criminal opportunity theory claims that criminal behavior is encouraged by human rationality, it also distinguishes that rationality is restricted for the criminal. This means that their cost-benefit calculation is limited to the short term and their immediate environment (Hannon 365). Poverty almost seems like a gateway for criminal activity because individuals reaffirm the idea that criminal behaviour is their only means of sustainability. In this capacity, poverty does influence crime. This argument of social disorganization and criminal opportunity as factors to why poverty influences crime does have some relation to childhood neglect. In a study that measured childhood neglect and childhood family poverty, these variables were significant predictors of criminal behaviour (Nikulina 315). If a child has been neglected from his childhood onward, then the likely hood of criminal behaviour is higher because the opportunities to commit these actions are present. However, the only limitation I can gather from these studies is that most of it examines the determinants of poverty rather than its consequences. A third theme that is seen when explaining the influence of poverty on crime is Unemployment. Obviously, the correlation between poverty and unemployment is undeniable; however the ways in which these articles explain the link to crime is not understandable. For example Luciano Mauro argues that economic growth factors into the representation of crime. I immediately seemed puzzled at this statement. I felt that if economic growth existed in communal regions than how does high unemployment persist? And since unemployment is substituted with economic growth, how does poverty exist? Mauro does however suggest that the empirical data confirms that â€Å"Crime and unemployment have long-run income level effects† (450) but it seems peculiar to how he ended up at that conclusion. To better comprehend this theme; I began to ask myself how does unemployment affect crime? The only answer I could think of referred back to the criminal opportunity theory. According to the criminal opportunity perspective, â€Å"economic deprivation increases criminal motivation and ability by causing social strain and disorganization† (Hannon 366). This seems to suggest that if someone experiences high levels of poverty then you are most likely to use criminal activity to achieve your means. For example, in accordance with the theme of unemployment, if an individual or the majority of a neighbourhood is unemployed, then the chances of resorting to criminal behaviour are higher. However if you only experience low levels of poverty then the likelihood of resorting to criminal behaviour is low. References De Coster, Stacy, Karen Heimer, and Stacy M. Wittrock. Neighborhood Disadvantage, Social Capital, Street Context, and Youth Violence.The Sociological Quarterly47.4 (2006): 723-53.ProQuest.Web. 26 Jan. 2014. Kirk, David S. THE NEIGHBORHOOD CONTEXT OF RACIAL AND ETHNIC DISPARITIES IN ARREST*.Demography45.1 (2008): 55,63,65-67,69-71,73-77.ProQuest.Web. 26 Jan. 2014. Stretesky, Paul B., Amie M. Schuck, and Michael J. Hogan. Space Matters: An Analysis of Poverty, Poverty Clustering, and Violent Crime.Justice Quarterly21.4 (2004): 817-41.ProQuest.Web. 26 Jan. 2014. Nikulina, Valentina, Cathy Spatz Widom, and Sally Czaja. The Role of Childhood Neglect and Childhood Poverty in Predicting Mental Health, Academic Achievement and Crime in Adulthood.American Journal of Community Psychology48.3-4 (2011): 309-21.ProQuest.Web. 26 Jan. 2014. Vacha, Edward F., and T. F. McLaughlin. Risky Firearms Behavior in Low-Income Families of Elementary School Children: The Impact of Poverty, Fear of Crime, and Crime Victimization on Keeping and Storing Firearms.Journal of Family Violence19.3 (2004): 175-84.ProQuest.Web. 26 Jan. 2014. Berk, Richard A., Kenneth J. Lenihan, and Peter H. Rossi. Crime and Poverty: Some Experimental Evidence from Ex-Offenders.American Sociological Review45.5 (1980): 766-86.ProQuest.Web. 26 Jan. 2014. Mauro, Luciano, and Gaetano Carmeci. A Poverty Trap of Crime and Unemployment.Review of Development Economics11.3 (2007): 450-62.ProQuest.Web. 26 Jan. 2014. Savelsberg, Joachim J. The Perils of Federalism: Race, Poverty, and the Politics of Crime Control.Contemporary Sociology: A Journal of Reviews38.5 (2009): 423-4.ProQuest.Web. 26 Jan. 2014. Hannon, Lance. Criminal Opportunity Theory and the Relationship between Poverty and Property Crime.Sociological Spectrum22.3 (2002): 363-81.ProQuest.Web. 26 Jan. 2014. Lobao, Linda, and David Kraybill. Poverty and Local Governments: Economic Development and Community Service Provision in an Era of Decentralization.Growth and Change40.3 (2009): 418-51.ProQuest.Web. 26 Jan. 2014.

Stereotypes in the American Media Essay -- Media Stereotypes Stereotyp

Stereotypes in the American Media Propaganda is an effective device that is used to influence and manipulate human behavior by appealing to emotions. When propaganda is combined with stereotypes, it usually produces negative results. A simplified view of a group of people, spread by mass communication can cause people to be more narrow-minded and can alter their perspective. Living in the Information Age, people are exposed to a constant stream of ideas and images. These ideas can reflect the views of those with a hidden agenda. They can also produce a generality about something that people are not familiar with, therefore readily accept the stereotype. There are many examples of propaganda from recent times that include stereotypes that assist in getting the message across. From political ideology to advertising, some uses of stereotypes in propaganda are successful in influencing the masses, while others are more transparent and less effective. Sweeping generalizations of people of Middle-Eastern descent are prevalent the American media, especially films, which can easily influence how an audience regards people of this origin. Most action films promote American patriotism, but at the same time, make an enemy of Non-American people. In the past 10 years, people from Arab speaking countries have been portrayed as terrorists in American films. This typecasting generates a view of this ethnicity that is associated with terrorist activity. In the article â€Å"Arabs in Hollywood: An Undeserved Image† that author, Scott J. Simon, discusses action films that portray Arabs as the enemy. â€Å"While the plot of True Lies seems to be no different than any other action movie involving spies and smugglers, the characterization of the Arab g... ...ALD, Michael. [2003]. Dixie Chicks axed by Clear Channel. Online at: , consulted on April 1st, 2004. FRANCL, Luke. [2004]. Back to Vermont: New Club for Growth Ad in Iowa. Online at: , consulted on April 1st, 2004. CHAVANU, Bakari. [1999]. Seventeen, Self-Image, And Stereotypes. Online at: , consulted on April 1st, 2004. MEDINA, Sam. [2003]. Female Stereotypes in Advertising. Online at: , consulted on April 1st, 2004. GRAHAM, Judith. [2001]. Five Ways to Save on Essential Cosmetics. Online at: , consulted on April 1st, 2004.

The Impact Of The Enlightenment On The Colonies :: American History

The intellectual current known as the Enlightenment deeply affected the learned clergymen who headed colonial colleges and their students. Around 1650, some European thinkers began to analyze nature in order to determine the laws governing the universe. They employed experimentation and abstract reasoning to discover general principles behind phenomena such as the motions of planets and stars, the behavior of falling objects, and the characteristics of light and sound. Above, all Enlightenment philosophers emphasized acquiring knowledge through reason, taking particular delight challenging previously unquestioned assumptions. John Lockes Essay Concerning Human Understanding disputed the notion that human beings are born already imprinted with innate ideas. All knowledge, locke asserted, derives form ones observations of the external world. Belief in witchcraft and astrology, among other similar phenomena, thus came under attack. The Enlightenment had an enormous impact on educated, well to do people in Europe and America. It supplied them with a common vocabulary and a unified view of the world, one that insisted that the enlightened 18th century was better, and wiser, than all previous ages. It joined them in a common endeavor, the effort to make sense of God's orderly creation. Thus American naturalists like John and William Bartram supplied European scientists with information about New World plants and animals so that they could be included in newly formulated universal classification systems. Americans interested in astronomy took part in an international effort to learn about the solar system by studying a rare occurrence, the transit of Venus across the face of the sun in 1769. An example of the Americans participation in the Enlightenment was Benjamin Franklin, who retired from a successful printing business himself to scientific experimentation and public service. His experiments and observation on electricity established the terminology and basic theory of electricity still used today. The experimentation encouraged by the Enlightenment affected the lives of ordinary Americans most dramatically through advances in medicine specifically, the control of smallpox. The Reverend Cotton Mather, the prominent Puritan cleric, learned from his African born slave about the benefits of inoculation (deliberately infecting a person with a mild case of a disease) as a protects against smallpox. When Boston in 1720-1721 suffered a major small pox epidemic, Mather urged the adoption of inoculation despite fierce opposition from the cities leading physician. Mortality rates eventually supported Mather- of those inoculated, just 3 percent died; of other 15 percent.

The Physics of Soccer :: physics sport sports soccer football

Rolling Motion and Friction Suppose you kick a soccer ball without giving it any spin. Your foot, therefore, gives the ball an initial speed (v) and an initial angular speed of 0. Since grass is not frictionless, the ball initially slides across the field, then starts to rotate and, eventually, starts rolling without slipping. A soccer ball rolls without slipping when its center-of-mass speed equals its angular speed (around its center of mass). OK, now suppose you want to kick the ball so that it immediately starts rolling without slipping. How? You would give the ball "topspin" by striking the ball a distance (s) above an imaginary horizontal line that passes through the ball's center. But where? ANSWER: s=0.4R. You would strike the ball a little less than half the radius of the ball above its center line. When two objects slide across one another, they exert a frictional force against each other. These forces are always tangent to the surfaces. A soccer ball and its interaction with the field is an example of this. The frictional force is opposite the direction that the ball is traveling. Physics gives us the following equation: f=mN for objects that slide against one another; where the frictional force (f) is equal to the upward "normal force" that the surface exerts on the ball (N) multiplied by the coefficient of friction (m). The coefficient of friction is not a constant, but will vary with the ball and surface type. The more friction there is between the ball and the field, the slower the ball will move after a bounce. Balls that skid, on the other hand, do not generate as much friction and subsequently do not slow down as much. So, the coefficient of friction tells us how fast (or slow) a ball will travel: The higher the coefficient, the slower the ball. A device similar to the Stimpmeter ®, which is used to measure the "speed" of a golf green, could measure a soccer field's coefficient of friction by rolling a small ball on grass and measuring the distance it travels before stopping. Projectile Motion When projectile motion is treated in basic physics courses, the influence of air resistance is often neglected in the calculations and the trajectory of a projectile becomes a parabola where the horizontal velocity component is contant and the vertical component is subject to gravity. However, for someone watching a game of soccer, it is clear that the motion of a soccer ball is governed not only by gravity, but also by air resistance.

A Critical Review of Knowledge Management as a Management Tool

Journal of Knowledge Management Emerald Article: A critical review of knowledge management as a management tool Maria Martensson Article information: To cite this document: Maria Martensson, (2000),†A critical review of knowledge management as a management tool†, Journal of Knowledge Management, Vol. 4 Iss: 3 pp. 204 – 216 Permanent link to this document: http://dx. doi. org/10. 1108/13673270010350002 Downloaded on: 23-04-2012 References: This document contains references to 78 other documents Citations: This document has been cited by 18 other documentsTo copy this document: [email  protected] om This document has been downloaded 12944 times. Access to this document was granted through an Emerald subscription provided by Shahid University of Beheshti For Authors: If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service. Information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guid elines are available for all. Additional help for authors is available for Emerald subscribers. Please visit www. emeraldinsight. com/authors for more information.About Emerald www. emeraldinsight. om With over forty years' experience, Emerald Group Publishing is a leading independent publisher of global research with impact in business, society, public policy and education. In total, Emerald publishes over 275 journals and more than 130 book series, as well as an extensive range of online products and services. Emerald is both COUNTER 3 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation. *Related content and download information correct at time of download.A critical review of knowledge management as a management tool Maria Martensson E Introduction Over the past several years there have been intensive discussions about the importance of knowledge management (KM) within our society. Scholars and observers from disciplines as disparate as sociology, economics, and management science agree that a transformation has occurred  ± â€Å"knowledge† is at centre stage (Davenport et al. , 1998). KM and related strategy concepts are promoted as important and necessary components for organisations to survive and maintain their competitive keenness.It has become necessary for managers and executives to address â€Å"KM† (Goodman and Chinowsky, 1997). KM is considered a prerequisite for higher productivity and flexibility in both the private and the public sectors. McKern (1996) argues that powerful forces are reshaping the economic and business world and many call for a fundamental shift in organisation processes and human resources strategy. The prime forces of change include globalisation, higher degrees of complexity, new technology, increased competition, changing client demands, and changing economic and political st ructures.Organisations are beginning to recognise that technology-based competitive advantages are transient and that the only sustainable competitive advantages they have are their employees (Black and Synan, 1997). This development has forced steep learning curves as organisations struggle to adapt quickly, respond faster, and proactively shape their industries (Allee, 1996). To remain at the forefront and maintain a competitive edge organisations must have a good capacity to retain, develop, organise, and utilise their employee competencies (Gronhaug and Nordhaug, 1992).E The commonality of the above studies is that they all regard knowledge as a critical factor for an organisation's survival. However, knowledge has always been a valuable asset (Chase, 2000) and an important production component, but what is KM? Is it a new way to understand organising and organisations, is it a tool for exploiting knowledge, or is it just This study was supported by the European Commission, the OECD, the Swedish Council for Work Life Research, Nutek, the Swedish Ministry of Trade and Industry, and the Swedish Public Relations Association.The author Maria Martensson is a PhD student in the Stockholm E University School of Business, Stockholm, Sweden. Keywords Knowledge management, Knowledge, Strategy Abstract Over the past several years there have been intensive discussions about the importance of knowledge management within our society. The management of knowledge is promoted as an important and necessary factor for organisational survival and maintenance of competitive strength. To remain at the forefront organisations need a good capacity to retain, develop, organise, and utilise their employees' capabilities.Knowledge and the management of knowledge appear to be regarded as increasingly important features for organisational survival. Explores knowledge management with respect to its content, its definition and domain in theory and practice, its use and implications, and to point out some problems inherent in the concept. The main contribution of this paper is an extensive literature survey on knowledge management. Electronic access The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at http://www. emerald-library. com Journal of Knowledge Management Volume 4 .Number 3 . 2000 . pp. 204 ±216 # MCB University Press . ISSN 1367-3270 04 A critical review of knowledge management as a management tool Maria Martensson E Journal of Knowledge Management Volume 4 . Number 3 . 2000 . 204 ±216 another relabelling in the ceaseless flow of fashionable management concepts? The purpose of this paper is to map the contents given to KM, its definition and domain in theory and practice, its use and implications, and to point out some problems inherent in the concept. To determine what KM is, a review of the literature is necessary. Since it is not feasible to cover all the literature, the aim of the survey is not so much to summarise but to draw some conclusions about KM.The first step was to search for articles in databases using the keyword â€Å"knowledge management† and the combination â€Å"knowledge management† and â€Å"strategy†. The literature review is narrow in the sense that only studies using these keywords were included. Most of the literature in this review is of practical nature rather than theoretical (i. e. knowledgebased theory and competence-based theory). The emergence of KM seems to a great extent to be business driven (Carrillo, 2000). The limited number of keywords probably accounts for the skewed distribution of articles in favour of the practical-oriented articles.Another limitation is related to how the concept of knowledge is regarded. What is found in the literature survey is of course just a fraction of what is written about knowledge; however, these are still the things that are pointed out in the literature. In describing knowledge, it is not my intention to give a comple te overview of the concept; rather, the description of knowledge is used as a tool for describing the concept KM. The paper is organised into three sections. The first section is devoted to the origins and domain of KM. The second describes KM as a tool for management, as an informationhandling tool, and as a strategic tool.In the final section, a critical examination of the concept and its implications is presented. I try to determine whether the concept of KM is a necessary tool for more efficient management, or if it is just â€Å"the emperor in new clothes†. Origins and domain of knowledge management Theoretical origins to knowledge management The field of KM can be seen as an integral part of the broader concept â€Å"intellectual capital† (Roos et al. , 1997). Guthrie (2000) make is the following distinction between KM and â€Å"intellectual capital†  ± KM is about the management of the â€Å"intellectual capital† controlled by the company.However , too often the delineation between the two terms is unclear and seldom adequately addressed (Guthrie, 2000). The problem of the management of knowledge is not new according to Roos et al. (1997). The authors use the concept â€Å"intellectual capital† as an umbrella term. â€Å"Intellectual capital† in Skandia, a major insurance company, is defined as â€Å"the possession of knowledge, applied experience, organisational technology, customer relationships, and professional skills that provide Skandia with a competitive edge in the market† (Edvinsson, 1997).Within this descriptive framework, Skandia, Dow Chemical (Petrash, 1996), and many other companies (e. g. Stewart, 1997) prefer to make an operational distinction between human, organisational, and customer capital. Roos et al. (1997) suggest that â€Å"intellectual capital† can be traced to two streams of thought, strategy and measurement. Within the strategic area, the focus is on studying the creatio n and use of knowledge and the relationship between knowledge and success or value creation.Measurement focuses on the need to develop new information systems, measuring non-financial data alongside the traditional financial ones. The conceptual roots of intellectual capital are depicted in Figure 1. With respect to this study, strategic planning and (operational) management of knowledge are important topics. The paper attempts to explore the creation and use of knowledge and the way it is leveraged into value. Key questions addressed include how is the use of knowledge translated into value? How can it be implemented? What important factors are needed for strategic management planning and implementation?A firm's tangible and intangible resources, which are under the control of the firm's administrative organ (referred to as an organisation's condition in Rutihinda, 1996), may be grouped into two main categories: firm resources and firm capabilities (Grant, 1991). According to Grant (1991), this designation implies that resources are inputs into the production process and the capability of a firm is the capacity, what it can do, as a result of teams of resources working together. 205 A critical review of knowledge management as a management tool Maria Martensson E Journal of Knowledge Management Volume 4 . Number 3 . 000 . 204 ±216 Figure 1 Conceptual roots of intellectual capital A differentiation between intangible and tangible resources, or an equivalent distinction, appears to be logically required. In a study by Johanson et al. (1998), the question of what is meant by intangibles was raised. The authors concluded that there is no generally accepted definition of intangibles. Intangibles can be studied from at least three perspectives (e. g. accounting, statistics, and managerial). The present paper defines intangibles from the perspective of managerial purposes, i. e. management on both the strategic and operational level.To summarise, whereas a classif ication of intangibles in terms of R&D, software, marketing, and training appears to have been the dominant mode ten years ago, today's classification schemes are oriented towards distinguishing between external (customerrelated) and internal structures, on the one hand, and human capital, on the other (e. g. Sveiby, 1997; Roos and Roos, 1997; Petrash, 1996; Skandia, 1995). Influenced by the resource-based theory of the firm (e. g. Penrose), Luwendahl (1997) and Haanes and Luwendahl (1997) have classified a number of intangible resources from a strategic management perspective.Because there appears to be little consensus on the definition of â€Å"resources†, Haanes and Luwendahl refer to Itami (1987). Resources consist of: . . physical, human, and monetary resources that are needed for business operations to eventuate; and information-based resources, such as management skills, technology, consumer information, brand name, reputation, and corporate culture. After further ela boration on the concepts of intangible resources, intangible assets, capabilities, and competencies, Haanes and Luwendahl categorise intangible resources into competence and relational resources.The latter term refers to such intangibles as reputation, relations, and client loyalty, which are conceived of as being fundamental to the performance of the firm. Competence is defined as the ability to perform a given task and exists at both the individual and organisational level. Within the individual sphere, it includes knowledge, skills, and aptitudes; within the organisational sphere, it includes client-specific databases, technology, routines, methods, procedures, and organisational culture. The basic scheme s shown in Figure 2. Luwendahl (1997) takes the division one step further, since he divides competence and relational categories into the subgroups individual and collective, depending on whether the employee or the organisation is accentuated: Scholars of the â€Å"theory of t he firm† have begun to emphasize the sources and conditions of what 206 A critical review of knowledge management as a management tool Maria Martensson E Journal of Knowledge Management Volume 4 . Number 3 . 2000 . 204 ±216 Figure 2 Intangible resources ave been described as â€Å"the organizational advantages†, rather than focus on the causes and consequences of market failure. Typically, researchers see such organizational advantage as acquiring from the particular capabilities organizations have for creating and sharing knowledge (Nahapiet and Ghoshal, 1998). in knowledge creation, storage, and deployment (Roberts, 1998; see also Grant, 1991). A firm's distinctive competence is based on the specialised resources, assets, and skills it possesses, and focuses attention on their optimum utilisation to build competitive advantage and economic wealth (Penrose in Rutihinda, 1996).From the theory of the firm, two basic theories have emerged: resource-based theory and know ledge-based theory. Knowledgebased theory of the firm postulates that knowledge is the only resource that provides sustainable competitive advantage, and, therefore, the firm's attention and decision making should focus primarily on knowledge and the competitive capabilities derived from it (Roberts, 1998). The firm is considered being a knowledge integrating institution. Its role is neither the acquisition nor the creation of organisational knowledge; this is the role and prerequisite of the individual.Knowledge resides in and with individual people, the firm merely integrates the individually owned knowledge by providing structural arrangements of co-ordination and cooperation of specialised knowledge workers. That is, the firm focuses on the organisational processes flowing through these structural arrangements, through which individuals engage Empirical origins to knowledge management DiMattia and Oder (1997) argue that the growth of â€Å"knowledge management† has emerge d from two fundamental shifts: downsizing and technological development.Downsizing During the 1980s, downsizing was the popular strategy to reduce overhead and increase profits; however, the downside to being â€Å"lean and mean† soon became evident (Forbes, 1997). The downsizing strategy resulted in a loss of important knowledge, as employees left and took the knowledge that they had accumulated over the years with them (Piggott, 1997). With time, organisations had come to recognise that they had lost years of valuable information and expertise and were now determined to protect themselves against a recurrence (DiMattia and Oder, 1997).This led management to undertake a â€Å"knowledge management† strategy in an effort to store and retain employee knowledge for the future benefit of the company (Forbes, 1997). Organisations are now trying to use technology and systems to capture the knowledge residing in the minds of their employees, so it can be easily shared within the organisation. When stored, it becomes a 207 A critical review of knowledge management as a management tool Maria Martensson E Journal of Knowledge Management Volume 4 . Number 3 . 2000 . 204 ±216 eusable resource that can provide a wealth of competitive advantages, including enhanced organisational capacities, facilitating output, and lowering costs (Forbes, 1997). Technological development The technological development has heightened the interest in â€Å"knowledge management† through two main sources: the explosive growth of information resources such as the Internet and the accelerating pace of technological change (Hibbard, 1997; Mayo, 1998). The recent IT development has affected both the lives of people and organisations (Mayo, 1998).The continual flow of information leaves us feeling overwhelmed and in a general state of disquietude (e. g. that we are missing important details) (Hibbard, 1997). DiMattia and Oder (1997) postulate that â€Å"knowledge managementâ €  is an attempt to cope with the explosion of information and to capitalise on increased knowledge in the workplace. The emerging technological development enables global sharing of information across platforms and continents (DiMattia and Oder, 1997) and can serve as a tool within an organisation to use knowledge more effectively.Capturing a company's collective expertise in databases can help organisations to â€Å"know what they actually know†, and then marshal and exploit this knowledge in a systematic way (Blake, 1998). The domain of knowledge management An essential part of KM is, of course, knowledge. To map the domains of knowledge, traits of the concept knowledge have been put forward based on the stream of research reviewed. The question of the nature of knowledge is extremely challenging.Although philosophers have been discussing the issue for several hundred years, the search for a formal definition continues (Emery, 1997). The definitions appearing in the lit erature range from studying knowledge from a broad perspective to more sophisticated definitions. The present review has resulted in two definitions of knowledge. Characteristics of knowledge The following taxonomy of knowledge has been expressed in the KM literature: . Knowledge cannot easily be stored (Gopal and Gagnon, 1995). Knowledge is something that resides in people's . . inds rather than in computers (The Banker, 1997). Unlike raw material, knowledge usually is not coded, audited, inventoried, and stacked in a warehouse for employees to use as needed. It is scattered, messy, and easy to lose (Galagan, 1997). Furthermore, Allee (1997a) has defined knowledge in terms of 12 qualities: knowledge is messy; it is self-organising; it seeks community; it travels on language; it is slippery; it likes looseness; it experiments; it does not grow forever; it is a social phenomenon; it evolves organically; it is multi-modal; and it is multi-dimensional.To use the flow of data/informatio n we must develop effective ways to make the input of and access to information easy (Mayo, 1998) and to sort the useful from the useless (Schaefer, 1998). We must develop systems where people are able to â€Å"navigate† effectively. This can be made by storing the information in different databases and make it possible for people to cross-reference and link documents speedily and easily (Mayo, 1998). Information has little value and will not become knowledge until it is processed by the human mind (Ash, 1998).Knowledge involves the processing, creation, or use of information in the mind of the individual (Kirchner, 1997). Although information is not knowledge, it is an important aspect of knowledge. The process begins with facts and data, which are organised and structured to produce general information. The next stage involves organising and filtering this information to meet the requirements of a specific community of users, producing contextual information. Next, individu als assimilate the contextual information and transform it into knowledge.This transformation process is affected by individuals' experiences, attitudes, and the context in which they work. The final stage of the continuum is behaviour; unless information and knowledge lead to an informed decision or action, the whole process becomes invalidated (Infield, 1997). Knowledge should be studied in context. Knowledge is information combined with experience, context, interpretation, reflection, and perspective (Davenport et al. , 1998; Kirchner, 1997; Frappaolo, 208 A critical review of knowledge management as a management tool Maria Martensson EJournal of Knowledge Management Volume 4 . Number 3 . 2000 . 204 ±216 . 1997) that adds a new level of insight (Frappaolo, 1997). Allee (1997b) suggests that knowledge becomes meaningful when it is seen in the larger context of our culture, which evolves out of our beliefs and philosophy. The final characteristic is that knowledge is ineffectual if it is not used. Knowledge is a high-value form of information that is ready to be applied to decisions and actions (Davenport et al. , 1998). Sveiby (1997) has defined it as the capacity to act on information and thereby make it valuable.Knowledge management as a management tool KM is often described as a management tool. More precisely, it is described either as an operational tool or as a strategically focused management tool. Knowledge management as an information handling tool Within the field of KM (Figure 3), knowledge is often regarded as an information handling problem. It deals with the creation, management and exploitation of knowledge. Some of the literature fits into a definition of KM that consists of separate but related stages. The first two stages are invariably linked, both on abstract theoretical grounds and in practice.As the first step in the process, there is acquisition of information. In the second stage, the information is entered into a storage system and organised logically. Almost every definition of knowledge management includes the storage of knowledge (e. g. Yeh et al. , 2000; Blake, 1998, 2000; Mayo, 1998; Anthes, 1998; Cole-Gomolski, 1997a, 1997b, 1998; Symoens, 1998; Laberis, 1998; Nerney, 1997; Ostro, 1997; InfoWorld, 1997; Watson, 1998; LaPlante, 1997; Ash, 1998; DiMattia and Oder, 1997; Hibbard, 1997; Finerty, 1997; Bassi, 1997).KM is about acquisition and storage of workers' knowledge and making information accessible to other employees within the organisation. This is often achieved by using various technologies such as Internet and databases, and is a conversion of tacit knowledge to explicit knowledge (Papows, 1998). Once the information is stored in the various databases, the third stage is initiated. In this stage, the stored information is made accessible to as many employees as possible within the organisation (LaPlante, 1997).It is about distributing it into the hands of the right end users at the right time (Ost ro, 1997) and where it can be of best use (Nerney, 1997). The final stage is about utilisation of information. This process begins with people sharing knowledge by talking and socialising with one another or by exchanging information in digital or analogue form (Laberis, 1998). Tacit and explicit knowledge Another way of defining knowledge is to make a distinction between â€Å"tacit† and â€Å"explicit† knowledge (Polyani, 1966).Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995) make the same point in more precise terms: . Explicit knowledge is documented and public; structured, fixed-content, externalised, and conscious (Duffy, 2000). Explicit knowledge is what can be captured and shared through information technology. . Tacit knowledge resides in the human mind, behaviour, and perception (Duffy, 2000). Tacit knowledge evolves from people's interactions and requires skill and practice. Nonaka and Takeuchi suggest that tacit knowledge is hidden and thus cannot be easily represented via elect ronics.Tacit refers to hunches, intuitions and insights (Guth, 1996), it is personal, undocumented, contextsensitive, dynamically created and derived, internalised and experience-based (Duffy, 2000). Nonaka and Takeuchi mean that knowledge is the product of the interaction of explicit and tacit knowledge. The process of creating knowledge results in a spiralling of knowledge acquisition. It starts with people sharing their internal tacit knowledge by socialising with others or by capturing it in digital or analogue form. Other people then internalise the shared knowledge, and that process creates new knowledge.These people, with the newly created knowledge, then share this knowledge with others, and the process begins again. Hibbard (1997) articulated this process as innovation. 209 A critical review of knowledge management as a management tool Maria Martensson E Journal of Knowledge Management Volume 4 . Number 3 . 2000 . 204 ±216 Figure 3 The stages of knowledge management Knowl edge management as a strategic management tool KM and its implications are frequently discussed at seminars and conferences. The number of companies claiming to work with knowledge management is growing steadily.Several surveys have been conducted to determine how many organisations are working or planning to work with KM (Nerney, 1997; Hibbard and Carrillo, 1998; Cole-Gomolski, 1998). A recurrent problem with these studies is that the concepts (e. g. the use of KM) are seldom defined. This uncertainty has made it difficult to draw the desired inferences from the results of these studies. The surveys are attempts to either implement KM strategies or implement measurement systems on how to measure different intangible assets, or a combination of both. The central idea underlying a strategy is that organisations must adjust their capabilities (i. . their resources and skills) to a constantly changing complex external E environment (Teece, in Gronhaug and Nordhaug, 1992). Gopal and Gag non (1995) put it succinctly when they maintain that effective KM starts with a strategy. Within a KM strategy, knowledge is recognised as an organisation's most valuable and under-used resource and places the intellectual capital at the centre of what an organisation does (Ash, 1998). To start to create a KM strategy, an organisation needs to build systems for capturing and transferring internal knowledge and best practices (Allerton, 1998).The purpose, goal and expected outcomes of an organisation's work with KM are many. For instance, KM can be seen as a way to improve performance (Ostro, 1997; Bassi, 1997), productivity and competitiveness (Maglitta, 1995), a way to improve effective acquisition, sharing and usage of information within organisations (Maglitta, 1995), a tool for improved decision making (People Management, 1998; Cole-Gomolski, 1997a, 1997b), a way to capture best practices (ColeGomolski, 1998), a way to reduce research costs and delays (Maglitta, 1995), and a way o become a more innovative organisation (People Management, 1998; Hibbard, 1997). A study by the American Productivity and Quality Center shows that 89 per cent of the participants in the study said that the core goal for knowledge management is to capture and transfer knowledge and best practices (Allerton, 1998). People Management (1998) reports on a survey in which individuals responsible for implementing KM strategy were interviewed.The results indicated that the main obstacles to implementation were lack of ownership of the problem (64 per cent), lack of time (60 per cent), organisational structure (54 per cent), senior management commitment (46 per cent), rewards and recognition (46 per cent), and an emphasis on individuals rather than on teamwork (45 per cent). Among â€Å"Fortune 1000† companies the main problems with KM projects are a lack of focus and a lot of reinventing the wheel (Coleman, 1998).Based on an extensive multi-firm study by the American Productivity and Quality Center, hurdles to KM include the lack of a commonly held model for knowledge creation and dissemination and the absence of systems or processes designed to support and evaluate the effectiveness of KM (Ostro, 1997). Most firms with a KM system based purely on a technology solution have found that such an approach fails. Though technology may be necessary for KM, it appears never to be sufficient (Warren, 1999; Bassi, 1997).To successfully create and implement a knowledge management strategy, authors have suggested that certain critical elements must be included. The elements I have found to be of particular importance are the following: . the â€Å"so what? † question; . support from top management; . communication; . creativity; . culture and people; . sharing knowledge; . incentives; . time; . evaluation. 210 A critical review of knowledge management as a management tool Maria Martensson E Journal of Knowledge Management Volume 4 . Number 3 . 2000 . 204 ±216 The importance of the â€Å"so what? ‘ questions A KM strategy should be linked to what the organisation is attempting to achieve. It is also important to articulate the purpose of the KM strategy. What benefits does the organisation expect to gain from their work with KM? How will it affect the employees' work? (Klaila, 2000) The importance of support from top management The personnel function should focus on top management to encourage processes that will promote cross-boundary learning and sharing. This includes helping to set up and, possibly, fund knowledge networks, as well as defining and developing the skills of learning from other people (Mayo, 1998).Organisations that have achieved the greatest success in KM are those that have appointed a senior-level executive to assume the mantle of full-time chief knowledge officer (Gopal and Gagnon, 1995). The importance of communication Saunders (in Ash, 1998) found that the missing factor in strategic management texts was com munication. According to the consultants, a large proportion of the organisations failed to implement the strategies because of a lack of communication. Only a few companies designed a â€Å"good† communication plan to follow through on business strategies.After reviewing nearly 200 articles and conference proceedings on data warehousing, Keen (1997) was struck by how little is said about action  ± â€Å"real† people making â€Å"real† decisions to have a â€Å"real† impact. They do not look at how those real people become informed. The importance of creativity As Kao (1997) notes, a good strategy to work with KM issues is not enough. The author describes the link between strategy and creativity. A connection between these two allows organisations to survive in the future.The implications of business creativity will depend upon the type of fusion created between KM and the basic skills of creativity management (Kao, 1997). The importance of culture and people Successful implementation of KM is linked to such entities as culture and people. In a recent study where the importance of people, as opposed to technology and processes, was examined when implementing a KM strategy, 70 per cent reported that employees are the most important factor and 75 per cent reported that there should be an even greater emphasis on people (People Management, 1998).In the view of the best-practice organisations, people and culture are at the heart of creating a successful knowledgebased organisation. Several studies have shown that people and cultural issues are the most difficult problems to resolve, but produce the greatest benefits (People Management, 1998). The biggest challenge for KM is not a technical one  ± it can be integrated into any number of IT systems  ± but a cultural one (Forbes, 1997; Koudsi, 2000). It is the difficult task of overcoming cultural barriers, especially the sentiment that holding information is more aluable than sharin g it (Warren, 1999; Anthes, 1998). This is supported by Hadley Reynolds, at Delphi Group, in Boston who released a study demonstrating that corporate culture was cited by 53 per cent of the respondents as being the biggest obstacle to deploying KM applications (Cole-Gomolski, 1997b). In another study (People Management, 1998), culture was seen by 80 per cent of those surveyed as the biggest obstacle in creating a knowledge-based organisation. The importance of sharing knowledge The ability to share knowledge and collaborate are all too often missing in our organisations (Mayo, 1998).Efforts to deploy KM group-ware are frequently met with employee reluctance to share their expertise (Cole-Gomolski, 1997b). The likely reason for this is that employees are competitive by nature and may be more inclined to hoard than share the knowledge they possess (Forbes, 1997). On the other hand, a better process of sharing knowledge benefits the firm. This is shown in a study of 33 organisations co nducted by the American Productivity and Quality Center (Alter, 1997). Ostro (1997) reports the results of an extensive multi-firm study by the American Productivity and Quality Center.He found that the main reason why knowledge was not being shared was that employees did not realise their experiences would be valuable to others. Mayo (1998) feels that recruiters should look for capabilities to share knowledge with 211 A critical review of knowledge management as a management tool Maria Martensson E Journal of Knowledge Management Volume 4 . Number 3 . 2000 . 204 ±216 new employees, as well as assessing what new knowledge they can bring to an organisation.Part of the introduction process for recruits should involve â€Å"capturing† their knowledge and experience. Although most new employees bring useful specialist experience with them, few people tap this rich reservoir of information. Meanwhile, the introduction should also be about passing on the experience of predecessor s to new employees. Mayo states that: When people leave, the HR department asks for their company car keys and so on. Why not conduct a recruitment interview in reverse to retrieve information? nd that the pivotal role is played by culture; by an unquestioned, even unconscious, code that encourages knowledge sharing and cooperative behaviour (The Banker, 1997). The importance of time It is important to create time and opportunities for people to learn. One successful approach is to create formal learning networks so that the identification and transfer of effective practices become part of the job (Galagan, 1997). The greatest enemies of knowledge sharing are the time that is required to input and access information and the lack of motivation among potential users (Mayo, 1998).The importance of evaluation It is important to create a system for evaluating the attempts that are made to use KM. The evaluation system can range from informal attempts, such as talking to people about how â€Å"best practice† is shared within the firm, or to the use of far more sophisticated tools to measure the outcomes. To summarise, to implement a KM strategy successfully both the creation and the leverage of knowledge must be taken into account. He also points out that there is an unwillingness to trust employees with information.A favourite excuse given by organisations that withhold information is one of â€Å"commercial sensitivity†, which reflects an unwillingness to trust employees with information. Salary surveys are a good example of this. In how many organisations are such data freely available to all interested employees? The importance of incentives One of the most important issues when working on a KM strategy is to create the right incentives for people to share and apply knowledge (The Banker, 1997). The personal reward systems must support the culture of sharing knowledge (Keeler, 2000; Mayo, 1998).To improve this process it is crucial to reward employ ees that contribute their expertise and to make sure employees understand the benefits of KM (ColeGomolski, 1997b). The organisations should ask themselves the following questions: Are the employees receiving signals that encourage the process of sharing knowledge? What criterion is used for promoting staff? Are instances in which the business has benefited from sharing learning publicly celebrated? Are mistakes made that could have been avoided if it had been known that similar errors had happened in the past (Mayo, 1998)?A problem with many reward systems and incentives for sharing knowledge is that useful knowledge comes from relatively low down in the organisation, from people who are not on incentive systems and probably respond much more readily to the feeling that they belong to highly motivated, leading edge, innovative groups of people. This probably means in the Discussion The literature and theories concerning the management of knowledge have grown remarkably during the p ast couple of years. Nevertheless, what is the contribution from KM?Is it business salvation or the â€Å"emperor's new clothes†? Because of downsizing, organisations have been forced to create systems and processes that decrease the dependencies on the knowledge residing within the individuals. To exploit knowledge more efficiently organisations are now trying to codify and store the individual's knowledge, i. e. making tacit knowledge explicit and transposing individual knowledge into organisational knowledge. Those transformation processes have been made possible through the recent and fast development within IT.Because knowledge is largely tacit and individually owned, it is difficult to have charge of and control over the course of knowledge. The literature review suggests that the major contribution from KM concerns the effort to transpose tacit knowledge into explicit information, which 212 A critical review of knowledge management as a management tool Maria Martensson E Journal of Knowledge Management Volume 4 . Number 3 . 2000 . 204 ±216 will lead to greater possibilities to manage and control knowledge effectively. One major issue that has hardly been dealt with and, therefore, n need of further inquiry concerns how this process of translating tacit into explicit knowledge works. The management of knowledge may be examined from two theoretical perspectives. One perspective involves theories where the focus is on the individual's knowledge; the second comprises theories wherein the knowledge itself is the centre of interest. Human capital is defined by Flamholtz (1985) as â€Å"the knowledge, skills and experience of people†. Within human capital theories, the employee is regarded as the bearer of knowledge.Another perspective, in which knowledge is the centre of interest, is the knowledge-based theory of the firm. In such theories, the individual exists but the focus is more on knowledge than the individual. The two perspectives could be described as being either individualistic or holistic. From a holistic view the sum of an organisation is more than the sum of the individuals, whereas from an individualistic view, the sum of an organisation is the sum of the individuals (Hollis, 1994). Within the recent theoretical development (i. e. nowledge-based theories of the firm), the focus has shifted from an individual perspective to an emphasis on knowledge residing in the organisation as a whole, i. e. a holistic approach. Mayo (1998) noted that many companies have been managing knowledge for decades but that few companies, whether global or national, use these disciplines on a regular basis. One problem regarding knowledge and KM is to outline its content and domain. This literature review highlights the need to better clarify what we mean when we are using concepts such as â€Å"knowledge† and â€Å"KM†.Carrillo (2000) argues that one can often find the most diverse labels applied to KM. There are al so those who believe that term to be inconsistent because knowledge as such cannot be managed (Carrillo, 2000). The lack of clearly defined concepts has been explored in closely related areas (Johanson et al. , 1998; Grojer and Johanson, 1998; Power, E 1997). Also the boundaries of KM are fuzzy. To illustrate, what are the differences between â€Å"competitive intelligence† (Fleicher, 1998), â€Å"intellectual capital† and KM? Sometimes knowledge is clearly defined in the original source, but too often it is not.Because of the nature of knowledge, the attainment of a formal definition is unlikely. There is thus a need for clarification of what we are talking about whenever the word â€Å"knowledge† is used. A large bulk of the present review is based on an IT perspective. The focus here is more on creating databases for storing information and making the information available, and thus the literature review focuses mainly on explicit knowledge (Warren, 1999). Th e first part of KM, the storage of information, is the one most often described. This is probably because the storage of information is the first and perhaps the easiest phase of KM.However, what is missing is how this information can be used and translated into knowledge and become a part of the organisation's knowledge base. The ambiguity of the distinction between information and knowledge has been a major source of difficulty and, in many articles, the distinction between information and knowledge is not clearly articulated. Duffy (2000) argues that technology vendors have contributed to this confusion. Every technology that ever had anything to do with digitised information is now a KM product, or even a complete KM solution.Knowledge is often used as something similar to information, but information and knowledge are far from synonymous. Tacit knowledge might have begun as information, but because it is processed by the human mind, it can be translated into explicit knowledge. Explicit knowledge is identical to information; it can be easily stored outside the human mind (e. g. in databases), but nonetheless it cannot be described as knowledge until it has been processed. The impact of KM is a complex field. If KM is used as a strategic tool the outcome is difficult to estimate.The problem to estimate the value of KM remains even if it is used as an operational tool. However, the operative perspective could be considered estimated by the organisation if the tool is used. If it had no value the organisations would not use it. Theoretically, it is easier to determine the value of KM. This is because knowledge, through downsizing, is a scarce resource. Another pertinent topic missing when the value of KM is described in the literature is costs. None of the articles reviewed discussed the connection between the costs in the 213 A critical review of knowledge management as a management toolMaria Martensson E Journal of Knowledge Management Volume 4 . Number 3 . 2000 . 204 ±216 organisation's work and KM. That is, the values created by the management of knowledge are not related to the costs connected to the work. When analysing Roos et al. ‘s (1997, p. 15) model on the conceptual roots of intellectual capital (see Figure 1), we see that all the strategic contributions on knowledge zero in on two essential features: the way knowledge is created and the way it is leveraged into value. Some concepts focus almost exclusively on one point or the other; e. g. he learning organisation concepts mostly examine the mechanism of knowledge development. However, other concepts such as KM are more balanced, focusing on both. The knowledge leverage class is divided into three sub-classes: KM, core competencies, and invisible assets. Likewise, the knowledge development class is divided into three subclasses: learning organisation, conversation management, and innovation. An organisation's work with KM should focus on transposing tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge and see to it that individual knowledge becomes organisational knowledge.This can be explained not only by a need for organisations to better manage knowledge by establishing core competencies for individuals, judging success and performance indicators via recognition of invisible assets, but also for organisations to strive to become an innovative organisation and a learning organisation with a knowledge sharing culture. The final question raised in this paper concerns whether knowledge is always something good? Knowledge is assumed to be generally positive. However, it is untenable to assume that knowledge is always positive and good.Within the framework of knowledgebased theory, it is claimed that the only resource that provides an organisation with sustainable competitive advantages is knowledge. Nonetheless, knowledge as such will not have much value for the organisation in building its competitive advantages since only relevant knowledge can function in such a capacity. To see that the concept of KM will not just vanish as so many other management concepts have done over the years, it is important that KM is not regarded as â€Å"the Jack of all trades†. If this happens, there is the risk that it will probably become â€Å"the master of none†.