Motivation and Leadership Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Motivation and Leadership - Assignment Example It is therefore essential to motivate these employees regardless of their stay period in the organization. This is necessary in building a positive image of the company in the eyes of the workers and the society at large which can enhance smooth renewal of their contract when the need arises. Use of temporary workers There are times when temporary workers prove to be valuable to an organization and certain times when it is inappropriate to use them. It is appropriate to use them when the company needs to reduce its operational costs. This is because permanent workers require things such as security and many benefits in order to sustain them. This is justified from the case study where the Boeing Company has reduced its dependence on permanent staff through making of new hires abroad. Another time when the use of temporary workers is appropriate is when one is working on short-term projects, this is necessary for it enables those people who are experts in a certain area to handle situ ations that they are best suited in. This is evident form the case of Microsoft that says that its contingent employees fluctuate depending on the project that they are working on. They also note that temporary workers are experts in what they do and they complete projects within a short period of time. It is appropriate to use temporary employees on companies that work in cyclical industries. This is because they offer a range of various services. The services can be provided by temporary employees who have a wide range of various skills and hence can fit in that nature of the industry. This is evident from the case study where it states that temps are appealing to those companies in cyclical industries. On the other hand, there exists various times that are deemed to be inappropriate to use temporary employees. It is inappropriate to use them in order to maintain permanent employees when it comes to layoffs. This is a strategy that was used by Boeing Company. It is also inappropri ate to use them when one wants to build a company reputation. This is because temporary workers who come and go cannot be able to build a good image. A program for employee motivation The program that will be put in place to motivate the temporary employees will be the temporary workers incentive and welfare program. This is a program that will oversee that the situation of the workplace employees is improved and they are given incentives to motivate them. It comprises of the element of incentives and welfare. The incentives will be in terms of providing good pay, benefits such as health while the welfare is concerned with good working environment and responsibility. The program will also oversee that the temporary workers are given a conducive working environment similar to the permanent employees. It will also entail informing the employees effectively concerning the organization and also integrating them to the organization. This in turn creates social ties among workers which wi ll motivate them. Reducing supervision and allowing them to work autonomously gives them confidence and responsibility to oversee that they give effective results. This program is justified for it goes hand in hand with Herzberg’s two factor theory that of hygiene and motivational factors. Hygiene factors are those they contribute to dissatisfaction if they lack in the organization

What do the French, Italian and British economies tell us about the Essay

What do the French, Italian and British economies tell us about the extent to which there has been a convergence in the character of business systems across Europe - Essay Example The markets in Western Europe have been strong, active and stable for quite a long time.The countries in Central and Eastern Europe have to catch up. The introduction of Euros as common currency has already begun the gravitation process towards strengthening of the whole European market.The convergence in business systems across Europe has been the natural consequence of the European Union and its predecessors. There has never been a time in history when business convergence in Europe was as steadfast and purposeful as in the present. The factors responsible for this phenomenon are manifold. Some factors like the establishment of European Free Trade Association (EFTA) in 1959, followed by the European Economic Community (EEC) in 1961, and the current European Union (EU) are visible, and there are others such as the impact of globalization on Europe whose full impact have yet to be assessed holistically.Since the formation of the European Union, the European nations have diverted thei r resources and exports from the global market to the European market. Britain's example of trade shift from United States to the European Union is significant. Also, the effort to converge educational facilities in Europe is a welcome development. (European Convergence Reaches Higher Education).France, Italy and Britain are among the top and largest economies in the world. Over 50% of Britain's exports is now concentrated within EU. Also, in the cases of France and Italy, major business partners constitute the EU nations and USA. (Background Notes: France and Italy). In a broader context, the business systems the world over have converged significantly as a result of globalization and the effects of mergers and acquisitions. The markets in Western Europe have been strong, active and stable for quite a long time. However, the countries in Central and Eastern Europe have to catch up. The introduction of Euros as common currency has already begun the gravitation process towards strengthening of the whole European market. (Claire Smith). 3. Why Convergence The economies of Europe are laden with the twin responsibilities of addressing the needs of their own nation at home and also with their obligations to the EU. Agriculture, industry, economy, travel, methodologies, and every other aspect of the way things are done are traded within the EU as first preference. Moreover, innovation and advanced research are the key cornerstones. (President Chirac's wide-ranging interview). However, the industry has shifted focus on value more than competition in order to survive. Large corporations that were once avowed rivals merge or acquire the other. Behemoths like Corus were taken over by outside players like the Tatas of India. They read the clear message on the wall. Deliver or disappear! The market of the day is highly oriented towards value and innovations. The consumer has become extremely aware of the innovative nature of some industries like telecommunications and has high expectations. The telecom and information industries have done their bit by introducing new devices and schemes every now and then further whetting the consumer's

Economic Evaluation in the National Health Service (NHS)

Economic Evaluation in the National Health Service (NHS) The National Health Service is built on the Benthams concept of utilitarianism of maximising utility for greatest number (Lockwood,1988), enabling risk sharing across the entire population by confronting moral hazard and adverse selection. This can be linked to the microeconomic theory of supply and demand (Frank, 1994). Supply and demand underlies the allocation of limited resources or commodities used to achieve maximum health output. In this situation, demand refers to both willingness and ability to pay, and supply is the willingness and ability of potential sellers to produce and sell a particular commodity (Schafermeyer, 2000). Consumers subject to their individual income constraints, maximise their individual utility through their purchasing of particular goods. As such, health in this respect has both aspects of an investment good and a consumption good. The demand for health care services is very different to that of food. Health, unlike other resources, cannot be traded over time. It is a derived demand, in which consumers have a demand for health but cannot directly purchase it (Ringel, 2002). Like a capital good, health is capable of depreciation over time and as such; its demand is a time-dependent variable, which changes with exogenous and endogenous factors. Therefore, one could suggest there is unlimited health care demand that will always exceed limited supply due to the overall burden of ill health being impossible to anticipate due to changing constantly. As such, health care in an important determinant of health but the demand for it is often unpredictable (timing, frequency, intensity, costs) and therefore, expensive. Markets favour consumers with purchasing power. The food industry is a free market, dictated by consumer choice and demand, the emergence of new suppliers and the exit of under performing suppliers. Within the food market, elasticity is driven by the premise of consumer sovereignty, in which consumers have information about every product, therefore can choose an enormous range of options and exactly how much of any given thing we want to purchase. In a free market, no one producer can manipulate the market price of a product. Producers are incentivised to satisfy consumer wants and produce efficiently to gain maximum profit. Economic theory suggests that under certain circumstances a free market promotes the optimal outcome for consumers and providers. As such, equilibrium in price and quantity are eventually met. While markets may be efficient, the allocation of resources by markets may not result in equity Do we have purchasing power as consumers in health care? In simple terms, we can predict when we will be hungry but we cannot predict when we are going to be ill and we know how to treat hunger but not all the eventualities of ill health. It is likely that without a national insurance system like the NHS an oligopolistic market would exist as there would be a few dominant sellers capable of influencing the overall market price of a commodity due to great market power.The universal NHS exists to meet this variable demand and ensure equity by providing a comprehensive, high quality service available on the basis of clinical need and not ability to pay; ensuring individuals arent victims of the market forces that could be derived from a market in which access to services is driven by the law of demand. It exists under a command market with no competition ensuring horizontal equity in distribution. In health care, consumers dont have the necessary information for driving a perfect market . To have perfect information they would need to know their current health status, prospective health status, available treatments and the cost of treatments. We rely upon doctors acting as agents (principal-agent relationship) or gatekeepers to assist in our decision making and to purchase healthcare based on their knowledge. In the Grossman Model based on a human capital approach to health (Grossman 1972; Grossman 2000) demand for health care is derived from the demand for health. In this model, it is recognised that consumers have imperfect information about their health and therefore may be subject to adverse selection problems. For a perfect market to exist within Health Care Services there is a need for prefect competition. For perfect competition to exist, asymmetry of information between consumers and producers should not exist, there should be uniformity in product and producers should be able to freely enter and exit the market. Rational purchasing decisions are often diff icult if not impossible to the non-medical population. Consumers are often unable to make an informed decision regarding whether treatment is required and, if so, which therapies are most effective. Markets in health care are not efficient, mainly because consumers do not have good information. In making resource decisions, allocation efficiency is also important. The concept of allocative efficiency takes account the efficiency with which outcomes are distributed among the community. Question 2 What are the disadvantages and advantages of using quality adjusted life years (QALYs) in economic evaluation? (800 words maximum) Within the National Health Service, according to Morris, Devlin and Parkin (2007), economic evaluation is used for the following reasons: To maximise the benefits from health care spending. To overcome regional variations in access. To contain costs and manage demand. To provide bargaining power with suppliers of health care products. QALYs are a type of health status index, based on population-level information that measure health gain (Spencer, 2003 p.1) to allow for economic evaluation of different health interventions. A single QALY is the arithmetic product of life expectancy, weighted by a measure of the quality (utility) of the remaining life-years to reach a single index value (Prieto and Sacristà ¡n, 2003). The utility value is 0 for dead and values one year of perfect-health life expectancy to be equal to one. These values are derived from scales, namely, the rating scale; time trade-off; or standard gamble. Each is subject to forms of bias. The QALY model offers consistency and limits budgetary waste, allowing for the greatest good to be achieved for the greatest number, so called distributive justice. It also allows for direct comparison of interventions in a common currency regardless of clinical discipline. This is because the cost per QALY does not confer the price of treatment but the price of the outcome that results, may that be in years or quality gained or lost. Phillips and Thompson (2001) summarise this as an expensive treatment may have a low cost per QALY if it brings significant benefit to patients; likewise, a cheaper treatment may have a high cost per QALY if the degree of benefit is relatively low. There are however specific criticisms held as to the generalisability of this model, the lack of consideration for baseline health status and whether QALYs perpetuates the issue of health inequalities (Wagstaff, 2002). The use of QALYs implicitly assumes that there are no other objectives to health care than health maximization. QALYs are considerably crude measurements, leaving vulnerable the question what exactly constituted the quality for which life years are adjusted. The utility measurement instruments each hold inherent bias as they are subjective aggregation of values. Individuals do not place the same value on each year of life. As such, the QALY model is inherently flawed as a health state utility of 0.6 is the same as three extra years of life at a health state utility of 0.2. As such, concerns have been expressed about the appropriateness of using QALYs calculations to inform resource allocation decisions (Dolan et al, 2008) as they are attempting to make subjective conce pts explicit numerically when there really is no consensus, leaving ambiguity in assessing overall improvement or detriment in health. Criticism has been expressed about the discriminatory aspects of the QALY model. The model favours those with more treatable conditions and those with greater potentials for health- be it in terms of functioning or longevity (Nord et al, 2009). Question 3 Outline the main methods to remunerate general practitioners (GPs) in the United Kingdom. (300 words maximum) GPs are self-employed providers, which under the 2004 GMC negotiated contract are paid by mixed payment remuneration, consisting of salary based on weighted capitation, fixed allowances, QOF and fee for service. Individual GP practices are allotted a practice income under the contract, from which expenses and staffing costs are funded. This payment, representing the largest part of their income, is a capitation fee per enrolled patient adjusted for age, gender, morbidity and mortality, with additional fixed allowances for maintaining particular services. GPs working in underserved geographic areas receive additional payments. Distribution to individual GPs within a practice is dependent upon seniority, practice efficiency and maintenance of operational costs through cost containment. GPs can also receive additional payments based on the quality of services provided in designated areas such as child health, maternity, family planning, and chronic diseases as part of a quality enhancin g framework (DH, 2004). The Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) is a voluntary, evidence-based framework spanning four domains: clinical, organisational, patient experience and additional services (DH, 2003). GPs are challenge to meet a range of evidence-based indicators within these domains from which they can accumulate points based on the breadth and depth of quality. As a result, payments are awarded according to the level of achievement. Practices receive about  £125 per point for an average sized practice with a maximum of 1000 points available to them. QOF is often revised to reflect changing population priorities, clinical advancements and best evidence to remain a pragmatic funding model. Thirdly, practices can enter into so called Enhanced Service agreements, based on the fee for service model. In Enhanced Service agreements, payments are awarded for meeting targeted requirements, such as flu and childhood immunisations and providing other specific services. ii) Compare and contrast 2 of these methods outlining advantages and disadvantages of each. (300 words maximum) Different financial incentives given to GPs might affect their behaviour and treatments plans for individual patients. Fees for service compensation is awarded based on a service being given to an individual patient. Care is clearly linked to payment and each service that is delivered has a specific payment rate. It has been argued that such a system of compensation induces GPs to put quantity, over quality of care in a bid to get increasing numbers of patients through their practice door and allows for unnecessary, potentially more lucrative, treatments to be performed at a financial benefit to the GP. This compares quite dramatically to the capitation system, which remunerates practices based on the population demography, regardless of the health status of the population. This means GPs have better budgeting capabilities, as each payment is fixed regardless of case mix meaning it is an equitable system for all patients. Capitation removes the need for GPs to see a high volume of patients within an allotted time frame but places incentives upon general practioners to enrol large numbers within their practice. As such, Capitation comes with the added risk of the potential to have a difficult case-mix due to increased numbers and allows for cream skimming to take place in which GPs exercise the potential to choose patients that are easier to care for, leading to health inequalities in certain demographics, i.e. the elderly. Outline the equity implication of patient co-payments for primary care services. (300 words maximum) Concern with equity implies the availability of some goods, including health care, should not be based, or based solely, on willingness to pay. Indeed, equity is an ethical concept built on the principle of distributive justice. In health, it is considered to be the absence of systematic disparities in health between groups with different levels of underlying social advantage/ disadvantage (Braveman, 2003, p1). Co-payments are flat fees or means tested payments, based on the willingness to pay model that a patient pays for a named health care service, such as a GP visit, dental treatment or prescription. Basing health care treatments on being able to pay is contentious. Co-payments have the potential to widen the equality gap by discouraging or restricting people from seeking important treatments or forcing individuals from lower socio-economic groups into making decisions about their health care based on price not their need. Equity assumes equal utilisation (use) for equal need. References Braveman P Gruskin S. (2003) Deà ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ning equity in health. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 57 pp. 254-58 Department of Health (2003) Investing in General Practice; The New General Medical Services Contract, Department of Health, London Department of Health (2004) Updated version of the QOF guidance and evidence base, Department of Health: London; 2004. Dolan, P (2008). Developing methods that really do value the Q in the QALY. Health Economics, Policy Law;3 pp.69-77. Dolan P. Kahneman D. (2008). Interpretations of utility and their implications for the valuation of health. Economic Journal; 118 pp. 215-234 Frank, R (1994): Microeconomics and Behavior. New York: W.W. Norton Company Goddard M. Smith p (2003) Equity of access to health care services: Theory and evidence from the UK, Social Science Medicine 53 (9) pp. 1149-1162 Grossman, Michael (1972a), The Demand for Health-A theoretical and Empirical Investigation. New York: National Bureau of Economic Research. Grossman, M. (1972b), On the Concept of Health Capital and the Demand for Health, The Journal of Political Economy, 80 (2) pp. 223-255. Grossman, Michael. (2000), The Human Capital Model, in Handbook of Health Economics, 1, pp. 347-408 Lockwood, M. (1988). Quality of Life and Resource Allocation. Royal Institute of Philosophy Supplement, 23, pp 33-55 Morris S, Devlin N, Parkin D.  (2007) Economic analysis in health care. John Wiley Sons, Ltd. Pinto-Prades, JL. Loomes, G. Brey, R. (2009)Trying to estimate a monetary value for the QALY ,Journal of Health Economics, 28 (3) pp. 553-562 Phillips, C. Thompson, G. (2001) What is a QALY? [online] at: http://www.evidence-based-medicine.co.uk/ebmfiles/WhatisaQALY.pdf Prieto, L Sacristà ¡n, J.A. (2003) Problems and solutions in calculating quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) Health Quality Life Outcomes; 1 pp. 80 Ringel, J ( 2002) The elasticity of demand for health care: a review of the literature and its application to the military health system, United States. Department of Defense, National Defense Research Institute (U.S.) Schafermeyer KW (2000) Health Economics I: Basic Economic Principles, Journal of Managed Care Pharmacy 43-50 Spencer, A. (2003) A test of the QALY model when health varies over time, Social Science Medicine; 57, (9) pp. 1697-1706 Wagstaff, A (2002) Inequality aversion, health inequalities and health achievement,  Journal of Health Economics, 21(4) 627-641

The Perception of Happiness in Families :: Happiness Essays

Guccione begins by discussing the uninteresting perception people have with the lives of happy families. Using a quote from Tolstoy, Guccione shares past data of how people are taught to believe that all happy families are alike, while happy families share a uniqueness through their melange of misery. This discussion prepares you for her thesis, which explains how happy families struggle and work for the lives they graciously enjoy. Her thesis is marked by examples of myths, which she dismisses through her research. Successful families, according to her research, must develop skills in negotiating and coping. Guccione also mentions that not all happy families are alike. In fact, each is happy in its own way. She stresses how successful families earn their happiness and that it is not simply known to them. There were three sections of the body in Guccione's essay. The first part of the body discussed the notion of boundaries among families. Balance was another key term and she uses the living call as an example: "Families must be strong enough to allow integrity and and interaction within, yet be permeable to the outside." Guccione's research also led her to the importance of family members feeling that they are an intimate part of a group. She stresses that a frequently encountered problem is families where no one belongs, "where people come and go" as she puts it. Guccione then takes you into the life of a woman, Peg, who now lives an extremely happy life with her family. Previously, Peg had severe problems with her family and was unhappy. However, by creating a balance, she was able to negotiate and cope with the problem. The section closes with Peg, the difficulties she lived and the ones yet to come. Overall, she expresses relief in knowing that hard work leads to happiness. The second part of the body enters the world of single parents, how they cope with life in order to reach true happiness. Guccione begins by showing her research of how happy families posses a mutual thread; "the ability to maintain the balance between individual freedom and the need people have to belong to a group." She also encourages families to help each individual member reach their own potential. Guccione then tells the tale of Marie, a single mother raising her two boys, aged 11 and 13.

Ho Chi Minh City Essay

Trung nguyen is the most famous coffee brand in Vietnam. It was created in 1996 by Mr. D? ng Le Nguyen Vu. During student life in medical school of Tay Nguyen, Mr. D? ng had a question about coffee farmers’ life. Although the price of a cup of coffee wasn’t cheap, but why, farmers were still poor. This question encouraged him to find the answers. He and his company suffered from many accidents, but they kept on trying. Those experiences brought them a good background for opening more shops and expanding their business widely. And in early 2004, they introduced G7 to the customers. This step turned Trung Nguyen history to the new page, they became the biggest and the most famous firm selling high-quality coffee powder. II. Strategy Trung Nguyen first opened their first coffee shop in Ho Chi Minh City in 1998 and received some positive feedbacks. In 2001 they had built over thousands coffee shops all over Vietnam and became top-rated brand in Vietnamese coffee industry. They did Franchising, the step which was different from all other Vietnamese firm, they were the first. After 5 years, Trung Nguyen not only could gain the trust, the belief of Vietnamese customers but also customers in other countries like Singapore, Japan, Cambodia, etc. In 2006, Trung Nguyen invested and built the biggest high-quality G7mart system of stores for selling products. In June 2012, Trung Nguyen created the new strategy. That was creating the string of quick shops, which allows customers to choose some various kinds of coffee beans and the owner of the shop will mix them together for making the customers’ own styles. The evidence for the development of this strategy is the profit which grows 15% per week Trung Nguyen’s customers are not only the elder, the people who understand clearly about coffee but also, they have products for the young, who begin drinking coffee like student, teenager, etc. III. Revenue-Potential Growth. Although the economics go down, Trung Nguyen still makes profit, and improves themselve powerfully. In 2011, their revenue and production improve up to 151%, and the first six months in 2012, they gain up to 178% compared with the same time in 2011. The biggest evolution of Trung Nguyen is their G7 powder became the leader of coffee powder in Vietnam at the rate 37. 8% In the near future, Mr. D? ng plans to join the world stock market and in the next 10 years, he tries to invest more than 800 million USD to build new factories and some additional options.

Society’s Influence on Young Girls Anorexia Nervosa and...

Every generation has a set of values that they believe make a person beautiful. In the 1940’s and 50’s it was considered beautiful to be a voluptuous woman. A woman with a large chest and full hips was the ideal woman, such as Marylyn Monroe. The difference between then and now is, young women could escape this image if need be. Today it is impossible to ignore the stick thin super models on bill boards, TV, and in magazines. The influence of society on teenagers is so much that men actually expect a woman to be that stick thin model or they are considered â€Å"fat†, â€Å"tubby†, etc. The average fashion model is 59 to 6 tall. The average American woman is 5 4 tall. The average fashion model weighs 110-118 pounds. The average American woman†¦show more content†¦Symptoms of someone who has this disease include: feeling chubby even when people say that they are not, scared of gaining weight, if they lie about how much they eat or even hide things about their eating habits, if their family and friends are worried about how they look or how they eat. Also if they experience tremendous weight loss, if they diet, exercise, or purge when feeling bad about themselves. Anorexia is not a way to control your weight but a way to control your feelings or your life. People with anorexia think self-esteem is based on body weight and how thin you look compared to a person who does not have anorexia and has self-esteem based on more than just body weight and image. A healthy person who diets does it in a healthy way, but anorexic people do it in a way that is not healthy all they want is to be thinner, not healthier People can recover from anorexia with the proper treatment and support of others. 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Project Management Plan - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 19 Words: 5609 Downloads: 3 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Statistics Essay Did you like this example? LITERATURE REVIEW Having seen in the previous chapter about the Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Project Management Plan" essay for you Create order Project management is a carefully planned and organized effort to accomplish a specific (and usually) one-time effort, for example, implementing a new computer system. Project management includes developing a project plan, which includes defining project goals and objectives, specifying tasks or how goals will be achieved, what resources are need, and associating budgets and timelines for completion. It also includes implementing the project plan, along with careful controls to stay on the critical path, that is, to ensure the plan is being managed according to plan. Project management usually follows major phases (with various titles for these phases), including feasibility study, project planning, implementation, evaluation and support/maintenance. Comninos and Frigenti (2002 p.72) defines Project management as The application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to project activities to meet project requirements. Further Haynes (1995 pp. 623) defines project management as Project management concentrates on the project . A project is an undertaking that has a beginning and an end and is carried out to meet established goals within cost , schedule and quality objectives . Project management brings together and optimizes the resources necessary to complete the project successfully . These resources include the skills , talents and co-operative effort of a team of people , facilities , tools and equipment ; information systems and techniques and money Duncan (1995 pp. 742) has a similar view Project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to a broad range of activities in order to meet the requirements Harrison ((1988 pp.62) states these definition as The application of modern management techniques and systems to the execution of a project from start to finish, to achieve predetermined objectives of scope, quality, time and cost, to the equal satisfaction of those involved Cleland and Gareis (1993 pp.58) states that Project management is the ability to define, schedule and assign project activities; record project issues; monitor progress and report changes in activity accomplishment and issue resolution; and maintain and control changes to designs, plans and issue lists Similarly Morris (1997 pp. 221) defines as Planning, monitoring and control of all aspects of a project and the motivation of all those involved in it to achieve the project objectives on time and to the specified cost, quality and performance Ciborra (2002 pp. 525) defines Information System (IS) as the system of persons, data records and activities that process the data and information in a given organization, including manual processes or automated processes. Usually the term is used erroneously as a synonym for computer-based information systems, which is only the Information technologies component of an Information System. The computer-based information systems are the field of study for Information technologies (IT) Project management is concerned with managing the entity called People. There is no single universal definition of a software project , although some definitions do have similar structure. Projects consume a variety of resources , Projects have a specific start and end point (or life cycle), Projects have a owner (i.e. consumer ), Projects have a specific budget , Project have a clear method , Projects have finite objectives. A unique undertaking with a concise life cycle , start and end dates , a finite budget , resource allocation and defined outcome or objective (Gary 2001 p.25) 2.1 Preview of software industry in India The software industry is one of the fastest growing industries and highest earners of foreign exchange in the Indian economy. With help from the Indian Government including tax benefits and the development of infrastructure links, the software sector has grown over 56% annually since 1995. Software exports currently reach about 95 countries and account for 10.5% of Indias total exports.There is, therefore, significant interaction on the global level between IT companies and other countries and companies, which might account for the lead Infosys has taken amongst its peers in the field of CSR (Narayana Murthy CEO Infosys , 2006 15/02/07) The India Software Industry has brought about a tremendous success for the emerging economy. The software industry is the main component of the Information technology in India. Indias pool of young aged manpower is the key behind this success story. Presently there are more than 500 software firms in the country which shows the monumental advancement that the India Software Industry has experienced (IIT,2002 p.4) 2.2 Infosys and its relation to software project management Founded in 1981 in Bangalore by Narayana Murthy and six colleagues, Infosys is positioned to integrate the needs of vendors and service providers, using existing solutions or relying on new product development. The company does the necessary integration, software development, feature enhancements testing, release and third level support. It provides solutions to the financial sector the biggest chunk of its business- as well as to 460 other clients across a broad spectrum of other industries. (www.infosys.com 14/02/08) In terms of project management, software project work is split into two components: onsite and offshore, according to where it can be best done, at the lowest cost, and with the lowest level of acceptable risk, thereby de-coupling capability development and delivery. Although Infosys was not spared by the dotcom crash in 2001, thanks in part to the loyalty built up among employees the business bounced back, and by 2006 its market capitalization was US$18 billion. For Murthy, leading by example is what counts. This translates into three core values: respect for the individual, data-based decision making, and embracing constant change by forcing people to share their innovations. Infosys has established a systematic pattern of succession planning whereby board members remain in the vanguard but are underpinned by a three-tier leadership structure for high-potential managers. Younger employees are viewed as the eyes and the ears of the company, bringing to the forefront contemporary issues that might otherwise be overlooked (Manfred , Vries, Agrawal and Florent-Treacy 2006 p.121) Since incorporation, Infosys annual revenue has rapidly increased and it reached 1 trillion in 2006. Unlike many other Indian IT companies Infosys has concentrated on building software applications and this has contributed to its global success Infosys Technologies employs nearly 17,000 people worldwide, almost 10,000 of whom are software professionals. 116 new clients in the financial year (FY) 2002 added to the already prestigious list that includes Airbus, Cisco, Nordstrom and Boeing. Retail banking services account for around 4% of total revenue. The company vision is to be the best globally, commercially and ethically. As such, Infosys has developed a C-Life principle of core values that it aims to honour in all aspects of its business conduct . C LIFE represents Customer delight , Lead by example , Integrity and transparency , Fairness and Excellence (www.infy.com 15/06/07) 2.3 Project Management Processes (Infosys based approach) Turner J and Rodney (2005 p..43) states that A project management process is the management process of planning and controlling the performance or execution of a project Although all projects are different and have unique features m there are elements which are common to most . A process model needs a set of features which Are adaptable to a wide range of applications Provide a complete and adequate definition of any project to which they are applied Are easy to assimilate , with the key tasks and points of interest highlighted Are suitable to act as a memorandum and checklist to ensure that everything is covered Do not impose any unnecessary constraints on the use of tools , techniques and methods during the projects A process model can be helpful to a project manager in planning the project but obviously cannot be followed blindly and must be tailored to meet the requirements of the project . Not all the elements of the process model will be appropriate , but the model can be used as a checklist to ensure that nothing important is missed from the project . The process model is also used to help define what is required of the project manager at each stage in the project and to define the inputs and outputs of each stage . (Van Vliet , 2004 p.52) Infosys executes hundreds of projects each year. Full responsibility for executing a project rests with the project manager, who must make sure that the project team delivers high-quality software to the customer on time and within cost. To help the project manager fulfill this responsibility, support from the organization is necessary. (Mahajan and Ives , 2006 p.231) This section provides a brief background Infosys support for managing software projects. For a project team to successfully execute a project, it must perform hundreds of tasks, many of them interdependent. Effectively managing this process is extremely important for success. (Harvey 2003 p.52)At Infosys, the set of activities executed by a project manager is specified in the project management process. It is fairly standard, having three main stages: Software project planning Software project execution Software project closure 2.3.1 Software Project Planning The key to a successful software project is in the planning. Creating a project plan is the first thing one should do when undertaking any kind of project. Often project planning is ignored in favor of getting on with the work. However, many people fail to realize the value of a project plan in saving time, money and many problems. A project is successful when the needs of the stakeholders have been met. A stakeholder is anybody directly or indirectly impacted by the project. (Lackman 1987 p.57) As a first step it is important to identify the stakeholders of software project. It is not always easy to identify the stakeholders of a project, particularly those impacted indirectly. (Lewis J 1995) Examples of stakeholders are: The project sponsor The customer who receives the deliverables The users of the project outputs The project manager and project team Once understanding who the stakeholders are, the next step is to establish their needs. The best way to do this is by conducting stakeholder interviews. Considerable time can be utilized during the interviews to draw out the true needs that create real benefits. Often stakeholders will talk about needs that arent relevant and dont deliver benefits. These can be recorded and set as a low priority. ( Berlick 1992 p.72) The next step once after all the interviews done and have a comprehensive list of needs it is now to prioritize them. From the prioritized list its important to create a set of goals that can be easily measured. A technique for doing this is to review them against the SMART (specific, measurable, agreed upon, realistic and time-based ) principle. This way it will be easy to know when a goal has been achieved. Once having established a clear set of goals they should be recorded in the project plan. It can be useful to also include the needs and expectations of the end users- stakeholders. (Thomsett 1989 p.51) At Infosys , in the project planning stage, as revealed by Marsh (1998 p.17) , the project manager reviews contractual commitments and creates a plan to meet them. Creating a project plan involves defining a life-cycle process to be followed, estimating the effort and schedule, preparing a detailed schedule of tasks, and so on. It also includes planning for quality and configuration management as well as risk management. In this phase, the major activities of the project manager are as follows: According to McManus (1997 p.69) , the project manager performs startup and administrative tasks and creates the project plan and schedule. He is also responsible for defining the objectives of the project . The suitable standard process for the project execution is identified . Also the standard process to meet project requirements are tailer . Also a process for managing changes in requirements is designed . The estimation of effort involved is undertaken . Also the plan for human resources and team organization is determined . The project milestones are defined and schedules created accordingly. Also the quality of objectives and a quality plan to achieve them are determined . A defect prevention plan in designed. The risks are identified and plans are made to mitigate them. A measurement plan for the project is defined .A training plan for the project is designed . The project-tracking procedures are analyzed for effective execution . Also a review of the project plan and schedul e are performed . Authorization from senior management is obtained . The configuration management plan and defined and reviewed . Also orientation of the project team to the project management plan is executed In addition to the project manager, this phase involves the customer, an SEPG representative, and the business manager for the project. The entry criterion is that the contract or project authorization is available. The exit criterion is that the project plan has been documented and group reviewed (Morgon 1986 p.19) 2.3.2 Software Project Execution According to ,Harvey ( 2003 p.167) ,the purpose of Project Execution and Control is to develop the product or service that the project was commissioned to deliver. Typically, this is the longest phase of the project management lifecycle, where most resources are applied. Project Execution and Control utilizes all the plans, schedules, procedures and templates that were prepared and anticipated during prior phases. Unanticipated events and situations will inevitably be encountered, and the Project Manager and Project Team will be taxed to capacity to deal with them while minimizing impact on the projects CSSQ. Project Execution and Control Kick-off is where the project manager conducts a meeting to formally begin the project execution and control phase, orient new project team members, and review the documentation and current status of the project. The purpose of Project Execution and Control Kickoff is to formally acknowledge the beginning of project execution and control and facilitate the transition from project planning. Similar to project planning kick-off, project execution and control kickoff ensures that the project is still on track and focused on the original business need. Many new team members will be introduced to the project at this point, and must be thoroughly oriented and prepared to begin work. Most importantly, current project status is reviewed and all prior deliverables are re-examined, giving all new team members a common reference point. (Rodney 1999 p.123) Manage CSSQ is where the project manager must manage changes to the project scope and project schedule, implement quality assurance and quality control processes according to the quality standards, and control and manage costs as established in the project budget. (SEI 1996 p.4)The purpose of Manage CSSQ is to manage changes to project scope , control the project schedule and manage schedule changes , implement quality assurance and quality control , processes according to the quality standards revised during project planning control and manage costs established in the project Monitor and Control Risks, where the project manager and project team utilize the risk management plan prepared in previous phases, and develop and apply new response and resolution strategies to unexpected eventualities.Risks are potential future events that can adversely affect a projects Cost, Schedule, Scope or Quality (CSSQ). In prior phases, the project manager defined these events as accurately as possible, determined when they would impact the project, and developed a risk management plan. As the impact dates draw closer, it is important to continue re-evaluating probability, impact, and timing of risks, as well as to identify additional risk factors and events. When the risk event actually occurs, the risk (which is by definition a future, potential event) becomes an issue (which is by definition a current, definite condition) and issue monitoring and control takes over. The purpose of monitor and control risks is to deploy the risk management plans prepared in prior phases to anticipate project challenges, and to develop and apply new response and resolution strategies to unexpected eventualities. (Humphrey 1989 p.92) Manage Project Execution, where the Project Manager must manage every aspect of the Project Plan to ensure that all the work of the project is being performed correctly and on time.Project Execution is typically the part of the lifecycle of a project when the majority of the actual work to produce the product is performed and the majority of the project budget is expended. The purpose of manage project execution is to manage every aspect of the project plan as work is being done to make certain the project is a success. This process is performed concurrently with the manage CSSQ and monitor and control risks processes. The tasks in this process are performed concurrently and repeatedly as various aspects of the product of the project are constructed, tested, and accepted. (Dion 1994 p.172) Gain Project Acceptance, where the Project Manager, customer decision-makers and project sponsor acknowledge that all deliverables produced during project execution and control have been completed, tested, accepted and approved, and that the product or service of the project has been successfully transitioned to the performing organization.The purpose of Gain Project Acceptance is to formally acknowledge that all deliverables produced during project execution and control have been completed, tested, accepted, and approved by the projects Customers and the Project Sponsor, and that the product or service the project developed was successfully transitioned from the Project Team to the Performing Organization. Formal acceptance and approval also signify that the project is essentially over, and is ready for Project Closeout. (Duran 1988 p.49) At Infosys , the second phase, as in the words of Finney ( 1999 p.193) , project execution, involves executing the project plan, tracking the status of the project, and making corrections whenever project performance strays from the path laid down in the project plan. In other words, it involves tracking and controlling the implementation of the project process. This phase is the longest in the project management process, incorporating periodic tasks such as monitoring project status and quality and taking any needed corrective steps. In this phase, as said by ( Harvey 2003 p.62) , the project manager executes the project as per the project plan. , tracks the project status., reviews the project status with senior management. , monitor compliance with the defined project process. , analyze defects and perform defect prevention activities, monitor performance at the program level and conduct milestone reviews and replan if necessary. Other members of the team also participate in this stage. The entry criterion is that the project plan is complete and approved, and the exit criterion is that all work products delivered are accepted by the customer 2.3.3 Software Project Closure The Project closure report is produced at the end of the Project, and provides the Project Board with a review of the overall Project and an assessment of how successfully the Project has met its objectives. This report will be presented at the final Project Board meeting, and must be signed off by the Project Board as part of the process of formally closing the Project. (Watts 1987 p.122) As said by Sanders and Curran (1994 p.623) , a carefully structured project closure phase should ensure that the project is brought to a controlled end. The project manager should prepare the end project report, which details the main findings and outcome of the project and represents a formal review of the projects degree of success. The project manager should organize the project closure meeting and draw up a list of who should attend. This meeting is concerned with reviewing the project and ensuring the completeness of all of the major project deliverables. It is the final formal control point apart from the post implementation review; and should be attended by the project owner and the overall project manager. The basic question facing the attendees is: Did the project deliver its intended end-product within the time and budgetary limits set? According to Thomsett (1989 p.62) , The last stage of the project management process, project closure, involves a systematic wind-up of the project after customer acceptance. The main goal here is to learn from the experience so that the process can be improved. Post-project data analysis constitutes the main activity; metrics are analyzed, process assets (materials, such as templates and guidelines, used to aid in managing the process itself) are collected for future use, and lessons are recorded. Because learning from the project is the main goal, this is a group activity that involves the project manager, the SEPG, and other members of the team. The entry criterion is that the customer has accepted the work products. The exit criterion is that a post project meeting has been conducted. The main outputs of this phase are the project closure report and the collected process assets. 2.4 Capability Maturity Model CMM is a development methodology thats designed to help projects make use of reusable processes . There are some pain involved in making the switch , but the benefits to development staff and the organization make it worthwhile The CMM describes a continuum of characteristics based on how well your company or organization follows common and repeatable processes to get your work done. CMMs have been developed for software acquisition, people, and software (Paulk 1993 p.342) Although the SEI continues to enhance and expand the scope and breadth of various CMM models, the primary focus for most companies continues to be software development. Perhaps the biggest reason for looking at software development is that the process uses a fair amount of creativity, which can lead to unpredictable results. However, much (but not all) of the software development process can be standardized using a common set of processes. Common processes can be set up for the project management side Moving up the CMM levels allows an organization to standardize its software development processes in areas that can be successfully repeated from project to project Organizations that use the CMM for software development describe their level of standardization against CMM benchmarks using a scale of 1 to 5. The low end of the scale describes companies that arent using repeatable processes; much of their work is chaotic and ad hoc. The high end describes companies that use defined and re peatable processes, collect metrics to help them continuously improve their processes, and look for creative ways to do things better on an ongoing basis.(Watts 1987 p.79) Many companies are seeing that they can drive business value by implementing good, reusable processes throughout their organizations. The CMM provides a framework that companies can use to measure themselves on a standard 1 to 5 scale. Most companies today are at level 1 and would love to get as high as level 2. Most managers and organizations realise that they should have common and repeatable processes. However, pain will definitely be involved (Gilb 1998 p.122) Infosys has been assessed at level 5 (the highest level) of the Capability Maturity Model (CMM). By extracting project management processes from the set of processes at Infosys, this book also illustrates how projects are managed in a high-maturity organization. Through this illustration, I hope to bring the benefits of the CMM to project managers who have not studied it because of lack of time, because they regard it as being for process folks or because they have found it difficult to relate the CMM to project management practices. (www.infosys.com 02.07.07) 2.5 KPAs and its importance in Project Management Each KPA specifies goals that the processes of the organization must meet to satisfy that KPA. In addition, each KPA specifies a group of activities, called key practices, that collectively satisfy the goals of that KPA. In many senses, the goals for each KPA capture its essence. They specify the objectives that the CMM has set for the processes relating to the KPA. To illustrate the KPAs associated with project management, we briefly discuss here the goals of these KPAs. These goals are taken from the CMM,with some minor changes in the wording of some goals. ( Cooper and Woolgar , 1994 p.589) 2.5.1 Goals of KPAs at Level 2 2.5.1.1 Requirement Management RM Requirements management is all about balance, communication, and adjustment along the way. To prevent one class of requirements from over-riding another, constant communication among members of the development team is critical. For example, in software development for internal applications, the business has such strong needs that it may ignore user requirements, or believe that in creating use cases, the user requirements are being taken care of. (Bevan 1992 p.165) 2.5.1.2 Software Project Planning SPP The purpose of Software Project Planning is to establish reasonable plans for performing the software engineering and for managing the software project. Software Project Planning involves developing estimates for the work to be performed, establishing the necessary commitments, and defining the plan to perform the work (Barker 1992 p.522) 2.5.1.3 Software Project Tracking and Oversight SPTO The purpose of Software Project Tracking and Oversight is to provide adequate visibility into actual progress so that management can take effective actions when the software projects performance deviates significantly from the software plans. Software Project Tracking and Oversight involves tracking and reviewing the software accomplishments and results against documented estimates, commitments, and plans, and adjusting these plans based on the actual accomplishments and results (Budlong and Peterson 1996 p.523) 2.5.1.4 Software Subcontract Management SSM The purpose of Software Subcontract Management is to select qualified software subcontractors and manage them effectively. Software Subcontract Management involves selecting a software subcontractor, establishing commitments with the subcontractor, and tracking and reviewing the subcontractors performance and results. These practices cover the management of a software (only) subcontract, as well as the management of the software component of a subcontract that includes software, hardware, and possibly other system components (ISO 9000-3 p.5) 2.5.1.5 Software Quality Assurance SQA Software Quality Assurance (SQA) is defined as a planned and systematic approach to the evaluation of the quality of and adherence to software product standards, processes, and procedures. SQA includes the process of assuring that standards and procedures are established and are followed throughout the software acquisition life cycle. Compliance with agreed-upon standards and procedures is evaluated through process monitoring, product evaluation, and audits. Software development and control processes should include quality assurance approval points, where an SQA evaluation of the product may be done in relation to the applicable standards. (Kontonya and Sommerville , 1998 p.212) 2.5.1.6 Software Configuration Management SCM In software engineering, software configuration management (SCM) is the task of tracking and controlling changes in the software. Configuration management practices include revision control and the establishment of baselines (Keller et al 1990 p.521 ) 2.5.2 Goals of KPAs at Level 3 2.5.2.1 Integrated Software Management ISM The purpose of Integrated Software Management is to integrate the software engineering and management activities into a coherent, defined software process that is tailored from the organizations standard software process and related process assets, which are described in Organization Process Definition. Integrated Software Management involves developing the projects defined software process and managing the software project using this defined software process. The projects defined software process is tailored from the organizations standard software process to address the specific characteristics of the project (Saiedian Hossein and Kuzara 1995 p.321) 2.5.2.2 Intergroup Coordination IC Intergroup Coordination involves the software engineering groups participation with other project engineering groups to address system-level requirements, objectives, and issues. Representatives of the projects engineering groups participate in establishing the system-level requirements, objectives, and plans by working with the customer and end users, as appropriate. These requirements, objectives, and plans become the basis for all engineering activities (TickIT Guide p.21) 2.5.2.3 Peer Reviews PR In software development, peer review refers to a type of software review in which a work product (normally some form of document) is examined by its author and one or more colleagues, in order to evaluate its technical content and quality When performed as part of each Software development process activity, peer reviews identify problems and fix them early in the lifecycle. That is to say, a peer review that identifies a requirements problem during the Requirements analysis activity is cheaper and easier to fix than during the Software architecture or Software testing activities ( Gentleman 1996 p.92) 2.5.3 Goals for KPAs at Level 4 2.5.3.1 Quantitative Process Management QPM Quantitative Process Management involves establishing goals for the performance of the projects defined software process, which is described in the Integrated Software Management key process area, taking measurements of the process performance, analyzing these measurements, and making adjustments to maintain process performance within acceptable limits. When the process performance is stabilized within acceptable limits, the projects defined software process, the associated measurements, and the acceptable limits for the measurements are established as a baseline and used to control process performance quantitatively (Daly-jones and Thomas 1997 p.142) 2.5.3.2 Software Quality Management SQM Its here were the projects software quality management activities are planned . Measurable goals for software product quality and their priorities are defined . Actual progress toward achieving the quality goals for the software products is quantified and managed (Broadman and Johnson 1996 p.72) 2.6 Software Engineering Process Group One important form of technology receptor group is the software engineering process group (SEPG), which focuses on software process improvement. Working with managers and engineers from software development organizations, the process group tracks, screens, installs, and evaluates new methods and technology that can improve the software engineering capability of an organization. (Crosby , Philip 1978 p.129) The software engineering process group is a central force for process improvement. The group maintains the overall view of current efforts and facilitates these efforts on a continuing basis. Its members foster collaboration among everyone in the organization who is involved with software process improvement. (Juran 1988 p.59) According to Evans and Marciniak (1987 p.26) SEPG obtains and maintains the support of all levels of management. , Facilitates software process assessments , Works with line managers whose projects are affected by changes in software engineering practice, providing a broad perspective of the improvement effort and helping them set expectations, Maintains collaborative working relationships with software engineers, especially to obtain, plan for, and install new practices and technologies , Arranges for any training or continuing education related to process improvements. , Tracks, monitors, and reports on the status of particular improvement efforts , Facilitates the creation and maintenance of process definitions, in collaboration with managers and engineering staff , Maintains a process database. The process group is not part of product development but is staffed by practitioners. As a result, it has expertise in software engineering. It may also have, and at any rate should develop, expertise in process definition, organizational change, and technology related to improving or measuring quality. The process groups that were interviewed in preparation for this process were predominantly staffed by engineers, highly motivated and generally very experienced people, many of whom had already worked for years as individual champions to improve the software engineering process in their organizations. Staffing the process group with engineers who have customarily worked on building systems reassures the organization at large that the work of the process group will be practical and relevant. (Michael 1986 p.62) 2.7 Infosys Senior Management Involvement Infosys prides itself in providing value to its customers through delivery excellence. Everything at Infosys, including its organizational structure, is driven by the aim of serving customers efficiently and effectively and quickly tapping new business opportunities.( M.Nelakani 1998 p.12) According to Hartono (2002 p.52) , for delivery of customer services, Infosys has many business units. Within a business unit, a team, headed by a project manager, executes a project. The project manager is responsible for all aspects of project execution, from determining the requirements to final installation of the software. The project manager reports to a business manager, who in turn generally reports to the business unit head. To handle situations that cannot be resolved by the project manager, senior management involvement in projects is essential. At Infosys, the business manager regularly interacts with the project manager and monitors the project through status reports and milestone reports . In addition to regular monitoring, the business manager also helps to resolve issues and problems that cannot be handled by the project team and are escalated to his level . The business manager also interacts with customers to ensure that they are satisfied and that any issues are promptly raised and addressed. (Sethi 2002 p.79) Also Lederer(2002 p.182) explains that in addition, other senior people also review projects periodically by regularly taking part in internal audits . Through two systemscalled PRISM (project review by senior management) and IPM (integrated project management)milestone reports and project plans are available for senior management to review. All senior managers are expected to review some projects periodically through this system and to give feedback to the project leaders. Overall, senior management maintains involvement in the project primarily by monitoring to ensure that the project objectives are met and that the customer is fully satisfied. 2.8 Infosys training program for project managers Because project managers have the main responsibility for satisfying the customer, they need to master not only executing the technical aspects of a project but also interacting with customers, eliciting requirements, managing the team, and so on. Clearly no one is likely to possess all the skills needed, so its crucial to train people to develop the necessary skills. Infosys has implemented a variety of programs to help people transition from being engineers to being project leaders. (Demarco , Tom and Tom Lister 1999 p.92 ) All fresh entrants undergo a three- to four-month induction training program. In addition to training in engineering and technology, this program contains one- or two-day programs in business etiquette, written communication, public speaking, body language, and so on.Later, when engineers are ready to become module leaders (those who manage the development of a system module, especially in larger projects) or project managers, they attend a series of technical and soft-skills training programs. Included in the former is a five-day project management course that focuses on all aspects of project management: planning, monitoring, controlling, and so on. A two-week course on requirements specification and management teaches how to elicit requirements, how to document them, how to verify them, and so on. The five-day residential soft-skills training program includes modules on appraisals and team management, customer focus and customer management, leadership, social and business etiquett e for different countries, and so on. (Stuart K Wier 2002) Other regularly offered programs focus on various aspects of management; project leaders take these courses when their schedules permit. Also, team-building workshops are conducted by professionals. ( Westland , 2006 p.67)