E-Learning at the Workplace

Globally, the e-learning market has been growing rapidly, and e-learning is beginning to emerge as the new model of training and education across a wide range of different sectors and industries. This growth has resulted in part from extensive changes in the working environment, and from a shift from a product-based economy to a knowledge-based one, meaning that there is a more pressing need to train and educate workforces in new technologies and services. In addition, technological advancement and challenges in technology-oriented working life have paved the way for new forms of electronic learning. Consequently, e-learning now accounts for a significant proportion of corporate investment in workforce training. E-learning is a learning experience that is delivered by electronic technologies including for example, the use of the internet, intranets, interactive TV, virtual classrooms and so forth. For some scholars, e-learning is considered only as a mechanism for delivering training and education Continue reading

Statement of Cash Flows

The statement of cash flows is one of three very important financial reports that managers and investors look at when analyzing a company’s past or present financial status. The balance sheet and the income statement are the other two reports. All of these reports are very important in running a successful business, but the statement of cash flows is the most important. It is like the blood of a company since it would not survive successfully without it. Cash on hand can actually be much more important than income, profits, assets, and liabilities put together, especially in the early stages of any company. The statement of cash flows tells us how much cash we have on hand after all costs are met. It shows how much cash we started with and how much we pay out. There are two parts to the statement of cash flows which are the top Continue reading

Role of Cultural Sensitivity in International Business

Culture plays an important role in life of people as it is closely associated with them. It is very necessary to understand what a culture requires and what emotions are attached to it. Different countries follow different culture and because of this some things will be acceptable in some countries whereas the same things will appear to be rude in other countries because of culture difference. People who are culture sensitive will know that the difference between the culture of different people can create differences in their relationship with respect to the way they behave, communicate etc. Hofstede defined culture as “the manner in which the mind is programmed such that it can differentiate the people of one category with those of other.” a culturally sensitive person should try to adapt the culture of other country, their traditions, their way of living, their lifestyle etc. Nowadays people are getting closer Continue reading

Marketing Strategy of Sony Corporation

Strategic management decisions have multifunctional and multi-business consequences, this kind of decision require broad consideration of the firm’s external and internal environments, and it may affect the firm’s chance of prosperity. It is important to know what strategy is about, what can it do help the company prosper, what will happen if not used properly, what are the advantages and disadvantages of having a strategy. Strategy is a plan that assimilates the company’s major target; policies and rules; decisions and sequences of action into organized whole. Strategy is a combination of the company’s objectives, policies and decisions to be done in unison or contingent upon each other. Marketing strategy thus refers to how a company’s products or services its trade is presented to consumers in an effective manner as to gain loyal customers. Strategy can be used in different ways, one of which is through marketing. Using strategy in marketing Continue reading

TOWS Matrix – Threats Opportunities Weaknesses Strengths Matrix

SWOT Analysis is a commonly used strategic management framework  which scans internal strengths and internal weaknesses of a product or service industry and highlights the opportunities and threats of the external environment. This will help to focus on the strengths, minimize weaknesses and take the greatest possible advantage of opportunities available by overcoming threats. SWOT Analysis becomes a useless exercise if it is not extended to TOWS Analysis where the strengths are used to capitalize on opportunities and to counter threats and, the weaknesses are minimized using opportunities and both weaknesses and threats are avoided. Read More: SWOT Analysis — A Strategic Planning Tool Weihrich developed TOWS Matrix in 1982, as the next step of SWOT Analysis in developing alternative strategies. TOWS Matrix is a conceptual framework for identifying and analyzing the threats (T) and opportunities (O) in the external environment and assessing the organization’s weaknesses (W) and strengths (S). Continue reading

Generation of Computers

It is important to realize that major changes and trends in computer systems have occurred during the major   stages-or generations-of computing, and will continue into the future. The first generation of computers developed in the early 1950s, the second generation blossomed during the late 1960s, the third generation took computing into the 1970s, and the fourth generation has been the computer technology of the 1980s and 1990s. A fifth generation of computers that accelerates the trends of the previous generations is expected to evolve as we enter the 21st century. Notice that computers continue to become smaller, faster, more reliable, less costly to purchase and maintain, and more interconnected within computer networks. First-generation computing involved massive computers using hundreds or thousands of vacuum tubes for their processing and memory circuitry. These large computers generated enormous amounts of heat; their vacuum tubes had to be replaced frequently. Thus, they had Continue reading