London, United Kingdom essays

London, United Kingdom essays LIVING IN MORDERN URBAN ENVIROMENTS IN 2004: I choose to do my report on London as it has two different coultures that are the rich and the poor. It is a mix of both Third and First Worlds, as it has rich people and then many beggars. The city gets a lot of tourist as they have many historic land sites. London is the capital of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. London is the largest cities in the United Kingdom and one of the largest cities in the world. The city has an excellent water source, which is the river Thames that meanders through the centre of London. The river divides London into a north and south halves. Thames River joins to the Strait of Dover. London is close to the mainland of Europe. The coordinate points are 15.30N 0.10W. It is the area of 1,572 sq km. London main functions are the nations government, culture, finance, tourism, trade and history. Londons financial areas are the bank of England, Lyoyds, the stock exchange and numerous other banks and investments companies have their headquarters there, mostly in the city. The financial services sector provides employment. London has a population of 7.2 million. London tends to have an annual net inflow of people from outside of the UK, with almost 30% of Londons population from a minority ethnic group Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Av/Tt Max(C) 6 7 10 13 17 20 22 21 19 14 10 7 13.8 (F) 43 45 50 55 63 68 72 70 66 57 50 45 57 Min(C) 2 2 3 6 8 12 14 13 11 8 5 4 7.3 (F) 36 36 37 43 46 54 57 55 52 46 41 39 45 Mean(C) 4 4.5 6.5 9.5 12.5 16 18 17 15 11 7.5 5.5 10.6 (F) 39 40 44 49 54 61 64 63 59 52 45 42 51 Rain(mm) 77 72 64 56 57 58 59 62 65 70 78 81 799 (in) 3.1 2.9 2.6 2.2 2.3 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.8 3.1 3.2 32 London is very unstable and unreliable for weather. The weather forecast is usually incorrect. In winter it reaches temperatures below free...

Barbourofelis - Facts and Figures

Barbourofelis - Facts and Figures Name: Barbourofelis (Greek for Barbours cat); pronounced BAR-bore-oh-FEE-liss Habitat: Plains of North America Historical Epoch: Late Miocene (10-8 million years ago) Size and Weight: Up to six feet long and 250 pounds Diet: Meat Distinguishing Characteristics: Large size; long canine teeth; plantigrade posture About Barbourofelis The most notable of the barbourofelidsa family of prehistoric cats perched midway between the nimravids, or false saber-toothed cats, and the true saber-tooths of the felidae familyBarbourofelis was the only member of its breed to colonize late Miocene North America. This sleek, muscular predator possessed some of the largest canines of any saber-toothed cat, true or false, and it was correspondingly hefty, the largest species weighing in at about the size of a modern lion (though more heavily muscled). Intriguingly, Barbourofelis seems to have walked in a plantigrade fashion (that is, with its feet flat on the ground) rather than in a digitigrade fashion (on its toes), in this respect making it seem more like a bear than a cat! (Oddly enough, one of the contemporary animals that competed with Barbourofelis for prey was Amphicyon, the bear dog). Given its odd gait and enormous canines, how did Barbourofelis hunt? As far as we can tell, its strategy was similar to that of its later, heavier cousin Smilodon, aka the Saber-Toothed Tiger, which lived in Pleistocene North America. Like Smilodon, Barbourofelis whiled away its time in the low branches of trees, pouncing suddenly when a tasty bit of prey (like the prehistoric rhino Teleoceras and the prehistoric elephant Gomphotherium) approached. As it landed, it dug its sabers deep into the hide of its unfortunate victim, which (if it didnt die immediately) gradually bled to death as its assassin stalked close behind. (As with Smilodon, the sabers of Barbourfelis may occasionally have broken off in combat, which would have deadly consequences for both predator and prey.) Although there are four separate species of Barbourofelis, two are better known than the others. The slightly smaller B. loveorum (about 150 pounds) has been discovered as far afield as California, Oklahoma and especially Florida, while B. fricki, discovered in Nebraska and Nevada, was about 100 pounds heavier. One odd thing about B. loveorum, which is especially well represented in the fossil record, is that the juveniles apparently lacked fully functional saber teeth, which may (or may not) imply that newborns received a few years of tender parental care before venturing out alone into the wild. Telling against this parental-care hypothesis, though, is that Barbourofelis had a much smaller brain, relative to its body size, than modern big cats, and so may not have been capable of this kind of sophisticated social behavior.

Human Resource Management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Human Resource Management - Case Study Example After an organizational diagnosis; interventions are developed. The diagnosis has to come up with interventions that will not be met by resistance from employees and most be attainable given the resources available in the organization. In addition to the intervention proposed in the case study; I propose that Steinway adopts a strategy to streamline its supply chain to increase its accessibility in the international market. Although the organization operates on an international scale; the diagnosis only proposed that the organization must be inclined politically to meet different governmental and country requirements. Steinway is faced with many competitors in America and could extend its operations by taking advantage of the emerging markets in Asia. Furthermore, supply chain helps to offer better customer service and therefore the organization can position itself to compete effectively with its competitors. A well designed supply chain is critical for organizational effectiveness. Supply chain would help the organization reach out to its suppliers of lumber and the customers. To streamline the supply chain, Steinway need to harmonize and standardize the operations in all its retail outlets in New York, New Jersey, London, Hamburg, Munich and Berlin. Further there should be coordination among these centers to ensure that the company’s products are accessed by the customers according to the demand. According to Richen and Steinhorst (2005), process standardization and harmonization can be achieved by setting a central institution to control business operations. In addition, use of information system can be used to streamline the supply chain thereby ensuring organizational effectiveness. The Steinway can develop a single system where customers can make their orders and the central process coordinating the business will arrange for the delivery of the products. This intervention is based on the hypothesis that a more responsive supply

Critical thinking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Critical thinking - Essay Example Though, theories and methods are proven or disputed, still due to the critical thinking these conclusions are not final and they are always exposed to comments and criticism. Thanks to critical thinking knowledge is added to all fields allowing for the perpetual evolution of disciplines. Critical thinking and critical approach contribute for the desirable skills that all students aim to - to be able to assess decisively situations. Universities insist on critical thinking because it develops and evolves intelligence and associative thinking. Critical thinking has been interpreted and measured in numberless ways. According to Pascarella and Terenzini (1991) critical thinking "typically involves the individual's ability to do some or all of the following: identify central issues, make correct inferences from data, deduce conclusions from the information or data provided, interpret whether conclusions are warranted on the basis of the data given, and evaluate evidence or authority" (p. 118). They note that the impact of the activated critical thinking is evidenced in postsecondary education. The imperative that students have to concentrate and develop their critical thinking in their postsecondary education identifies the need for scholars to accent on other aspects of thinking while at university. Very often students receive feedbacks on... zing, synthesizing and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generalized by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning or communication, as a guide to belief and action (1)." For them critical thinking is a process and not an end. Paul and Elder (2002) emphasize that there are 9 qualities that transform the language into an optimal use: clarity, precision, depth, accuracy, relevance, significance, logic, breadth and fairness. Usually students who master the critical thinking technique will be able to: Search patterns and underlying rules; Connect ideas to previous knowledge and examine and compare theories and real life experience; Verify and substantiate evidence and relate it to the conclusions; Explore the arguments for and against and ask critical questions and made assumptions; Recognize alternative viewpoints and being able to built counterarguments; Generalizing main concepts and seeking clarifications to build sustainable knowledge; At university level critical thinking is essential for combining discussion with peer-editing activities and to stimulate the collaboration between pupils. An example of encouraging critical thinking at university is establishing "buzz groups" within the class and each groups will discuss a certain aspect of the topic and the other will try to build counter-arguments and critique the conclusions. A research conducted by Johnson et al (1991) shows that "buzz group" discussions following the guidelines of covering main concepts and then critically evaluating if a counter-argument can be built helps students to develop problem-solving skills and to enhance their independent thinking. In "buzz group" discussions learners are able to formulate problems and to be involved in the process of exploratory learning. This is so,

The institution and I Essay Example for Free

The institution and I Essay This is similar to Brett; the protagonist in Scott Monks unconventionally written novel Raw. We first meet Brett at his umpteenth time of committing a crime. On his journey to his latest institution; The Farm, we learn of his negative attitude and surprise of being sent to a federation-styled homestead instead of a concentration camp patrolled by Dobermans and gun-toting guards. His negative attitude to authority is exemplified by constantly referring to the police as pigs and similies like Cops and food go together like pigs and slop. Sam is the symbolic role model who initiates Bretts reform, he offers his hand for a handshake, but Brett declines the offer. This symbolises his reluctance to change from his former self and habits. Scott Monk has deliberately put this theme of binary opposites in  the novel, to show how different the experiences are on individuals on different sides of the rules. When Brett first meets the other criminals occupying The Farm he is shown two different paths he can follow while there; he can follow the rules and rely on the institution for support and be like Josh. The other option is to have a blatant disregard and disrespect for the rules; and turn to violence as the answer to everything and be like Tyson. Brett is always at crossroads and does not show any change until the end of the novel, where he is put in a position where he must choose what path he wants to lead in life. The Farm does not use solitary confinement or violence as a form of punishment towards the boys, instead they are enforced upon the individual i.e. When Brett drink drives and crashes the Ute, he is punished by doing chores such as †¦pulling out weeds†¦ and †¦scrubbing the rust off oil drums†¦. Brett does not prefer to do such chores because he knows he is already being sent back to Sydney for breaking the law. Another way is by punishing the whole group for an individuals action, this leads to the individual harassment and negative victimisation towards this individual i.e. Brett tries to escape and is victimised by Tyson and his group who shave the hair off his head for the fear of losing privileges. The symbolic affects of before and after The Farm is represented by Rebecca and Caitlyn. The significance of Rebecca proves that Brett is only semi-rehabilitated; Rebecca symbolises Bretts continuing path to crime. Caitlyns personalities of being conservative and conformist replicate the path that Bretts life will lead to if he abides to the rules while staying at The Farm. It is because of Rebecca that he is sent away and Sam tells him only you can change ur life. This is the main theme to the whole novel, and has been put in deliberately by Scott Monk. He does this because he knows that his book is aimed at young teenagers and he knows that it will attract the attention of a lot of young teenagers because of its contents; rebelling amongst the  whole world because †¦it hates you†¦, fights, sex and run-ins with the law. Dissimilar to Raw, Shawshank Redemption a film directed by Frank Darabont, is set on themes focusing on the negative effects on the individual while in prison. Shawshank focuses mainly on physical abuse and punishment, this is seen in the fourth scene when Warden Norton is laying out the rules; †¦no blasphemy but verbal and physical abuse is condoned. Shawshank is different to Raw because it can be seen that, the guards physically abuse the inmates. Also; the plot of Raw is that the change is within the individual, but in Shawshank, the plot is to keep the criminals inside the dull grey walls away from the emerging and colourful society; There is only 3 ways to spend money on prisons: more walls, more bars, more guards. This piece of dialogue is ironic because the warden himself is in charge of a money laundering scheme throughout the prison, this is only possible with the help of the smart Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins). This operation leads Andy to find sarcasm in saying that On the outside I was an honest man, straight as an arrow, I had to come to prison to be a crook. This is an individual effect that Andy has had because of the institution; he has become a criminal. There is a belief that if an inmate has been in a prison for too long they rely upon the institution and become institutionalised i.e. Brooks; he served his 50 year sentence and throughout that time he is the prison librarian; †¦outside he is nothing. Upon leaving the prison he is given a place to stay and a job at Food Way. He doesnt like how the world has changed so fast and all he wants to really do is †¦get a gun and rob the Food Way so they would send me home. _Home_, he refers to the prison as home, by being away from a growing society, the institution has left him with a negative effect of being confused and not knowing anything about the outside world, but relying on the support of the institution. Brooks was rendered so incapable of independent thought and human operation in the world that he committed suicide. This portrays how Shawshank has become the opposite of rehabilitation and shuns out the beliefs of hope and ever getting out of the high; stone walls. Just like it did to Red, when Andy tries to explain how he can never become institutionalised, Red replies  with: Hope is a dangerous thing. It can drive a man insane. This explains how in Shawshank, redemption is a hard thing to find. Redemption is the improving of something, but if inmates are _hoping_ to _improve_, will they find redemption? Richard Nevilles article Come on, kids dare to resist published by The Sydney Morning Herald on the 3rd of May 2004. Outlines how the selfish gen Xers are more afraid of losing their credit cards than losing the planet. A gen Xer is a person born on Earth anytime between 1965 and 1980. Richard Neville is a man who doesnt want technology to rule our worlds, he is a hero to some and an enemy to others, his views are more futuristic, he is very concerned to where the future is headed and how we will get there. He himself is portrayed as the institution here, it is his views that make a lasting impact on people, the reason he is well known for his publicity. When commenting on a recent protest about young university students wanting lower fees he says this; The students have a point about the fees, but why cant they get upset about other peoples problems? He is referring to the war in Iraq. He wants the young students to look to the positive side and see that they have the education that they are taking for granted; the education a person their age in Iraq is deprived of even if they can afford it. These youngsters in Australia do not understand how lucky they are to be friends with America and not enemies like Iraq. His political based comments do not stop there; As for the future leaders of Australia, the strapping young professionals, the entrepreneurs, the trainee philosophers, where are they? Locked up with mortgage brokers, every one. See how he predicts a positive effect and job prospects towards _all_ future leaders of Australia and by saying that they are Locked up with mortgage brokers, every one. He is emphasising that they are experiencing a negative effect from their institutions and are becoming institutionalised by not being able to reach for that final goal; they can see it, but they cant have it. This is just like Brett in Raw he wanted to be like Josh, but couldnt because he could never leave his old habits behind him. This can also be related to Andy in Shawshank Redemption, he could see himself  outside the prison in New Mexico, but he was restricted by the greed and abuse of human rights. So he chose to break out and reach his goal, even if it was giving the institution a r eason to finally keep him there. Now readers the task is upon you to judge from what you have read here, go read Raw and go watch Shawshank Redemption, I have only expressed to you my opinion of these two excellent texts and their analysation of different institutions and their effects. It is now your turn to experience the self-discovery of how you lead your life and how the institutions around you lead their occupants lives. It is also an incredulous opportunity that todays HSC students are able to study this subject more thoroughly. It is because of this elective in year 12 English classes that the young adults of tomorrow can see where their futures may be heading and know now that there is always time for reform and change in their habits. Studying such socially active topics at school will prove useful in their future lives, as it will help them understand how they should deal with problems they face from institutions that they may come across in their life. Might I also add to keep a watch on Richard Neville, he has some intriguing predictions about the future on his website: http://www.richardneville.com.au

Personal Hygiene: Preventing Infections and Diseases Essay -- clean and

In today’s culture, poor personal hygiene is typically unacceptable and frowned upon. People don’t want to be around anyone who smells badly or isn’t clean. Consequences from poor personal hygiene can develop into potentially serious diseases such as hepatitis A, streptococcus, staph infections, common colds, influenza, typhoid, lice and even dental diseases, including, gingivitis, gum disease, plaque, and bad breath. These are all far too common within our workplaces, schools, and day to day life, but I can easily prevented them by maintaining good personal hygiene, which involves washing my hands, brushing my teeth, bathing, personal grooming, and doing my laundry properly. The key to preventing most of these infections and diseases is properly washing my hands and knowing when to wash them. I can’t see germs with my naked eye, so I wash them when they are dirty, before, during, and after food preparation, before I eat, after using the restroom, touching soiled clothing, animals, animal waste, the trash, or sneezing, coughing, and blowing my nose, and before and after treating wounds and sick people. There is more to washing my hands than soap and water. I must scrub all surfaces of my hand, including my wrist, the back of my hand, between my fingers, and under my fingernails for at least twenty seconds. The combination of scrubbing and an antibacterial soap helps to remove germs. Then I rinse my hands in warm water, drying them well with a clean hand towel, paper towel, or air dryer. If soap is unavailable, I use an alcohol based hand sanitizer. Another factor in the prevention of poor personal hygiene is addressing the prevention of dental diseases and infections. I brush my teeth at least twice a day in a vertical or circ... ...rive in our dirty laundry baskets or hampers. I always use a different basket for my clean laundry. I separate my clothing into three piles, colored, whites, and towels, to wash separately. Washing my colored clothes and towels in cold water and my whites in hot water, I follow the directions on my detergent bottle to ensure the correct amount is used per load. I also use a cup of bleach in my white clothes. When my laundry is done, I dry, fold, and put my clothes away so they stay clean for the next time I decide to wear them. It is essential to maintain good personal hygiene to prevent the spreading of germs and bacteria and to maintain a clean lifestyle and appearance. With the always increasing populations and crowded cities, our members of culture should make sure to take a few spare minutes out of their busy days to take better care of their personal hygiene.

B&Q Case Study

Contents Executive Summary3 1. TASK ONE4 1. 1 Introduction4 1. 2 Possession and practice4 3. 3 B&Q case5 3. TASK TWO8 3. 1 Introduction8 3. 2 Time distance9 3. 3 Technological distance10 3. 4 Social distance10 3. 5 Cultural distance11 4. Bibliography13 Executive Summary In a modernized and globalized world, knowledge creation and synergization of knowledge in an organization is truly crucial.As data and information are readily available, and information communication technology (ICT) has highly advanced, organizations such as B&Q need to understand how knowledge creation can assist to improve internal and external processes and also encourage innovation. In task one, the aim is to differentiate between possession of knowledge and practice of knowledge and examine which epistemology B&Q uses throughout their supply chain. B&Q uses possession knowledge whereby it provides all their vendors with a code of conduct guidelines which they need to follow through.However, in the face of risk and uncertainty in an economic crisis, B&Q should adopt practice of knowledge and enabling people to do differently and better. In task two, the statement by Stoneman (2010) means that trust and power are the main factors that drive product, process and organizational innovation. For B&Q, due to their power as the distributor, they are able to develop and lay down the process and procedures that all their vendors need to adhere to. However, in an economic crisis, its regimental practice may ot work as uncertainty disrupts the flow of the procedures. 1. TASK ONE 1. 1 Introduction The studies on knowledge and its characteristics have long been explored and discussed in the business and supply chain world. With the emergent of technology and innovation, the possession and practice of knowledge has become more essential in this â€Å"knowledge society† (Nonaka, 1994; Bell, 1973; Drucker, 1968; Toffler, 1990). But what is knowledge and how does an organization activate and generat e knowledge?Knowledge is defined as â€Å"awareness, consciousness, or familiarity gained by experience or learning† (knowledge, n. d) which are the ways people in a social situations would understand and make sense of where they are and what they are doing. When knowledge is conducted and embraced in an organization, it will result to a group of people who develop shared beliefs, behaviours and routines that shape organization capabilities. Experts such as Polanyi (1966), Nonaka (1994) and Cook and Brown (1999) divide knowledge into two categories called tacit knowledge and explicit knowledge.Tacit knowledge is associated with the skills or know-how that people developed through their own experience in specific contexts. Whereas explicit knowledge is something that has been codified, written down or spelled out and is communicable across context. 1. 2 Possession and practice From the word possession itself, one can understand that it is about the knowledge that people have i n their mind (Cook and Brown, 1999). Blackler (1995), and Cook and Brown (1999) refer possesion of knowledge as â€Å"knowledge† and practice of knowledge as â€Å"knowing†.Knowledge is a mental or cognitive capacity which is hierarchical in nature and comprises of data, information etc. moreover, possession of knowledge is a personal property where people render meaning from subjective experiences, perceptions and previous understanding. As human minds are individually unique, hence different people may perceive and intepret the same information or data differently. Meanwhile, practice of knowledge sees knowledge as something that it developed through social interaction such as project work, group assignment or group discussion.When people practice knowledge, they convert tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge, thus transferring knowledge from one person to another. This is done through sharing stories, experiences or creating norms to a group of people hence enablin g the experience of an individual to be related to a wider community. 3. 3 B&Q case B&Q plc works with many vendors such as Kingfisher Asia (KAL) who supply products to B&Q. Hence to manage their vendors and ensure processes and procedures are followed, B&Q come up with code of conduct (B&Q Operational Standards for Supply Chains) for all their vendors.The code of conduct is based on the international labour and envirnmental standards set by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Conventions which factories and worksites of all vendors throughout the world need to comply to. In summary, vendors need to let B&Q have full visibility of the enitre supply chain and fulfill and obey the code of conduct criteria at all facilities. Any failure to meet the nine Critical Failure Points (CFPs) will result in B&Q not buying or purchasing their products.Through this code of conduct, we can deduce that B&Q adopts a possession of knowledge rather than practice of knowledge. B&Q receives know ledge about labour and environmental guidelines from ILO conventions and uses the basic context to write down or capture in an information technology (IT) system which is then made available as an organizational resource – B&Q Operational Standards for Supply Chains. This is in contrast of having a group discussion with the vendors and seeking their opinions and views on how to create a better working environment for the workers (practice of knowledge).For example, Baer (1987) and Abbott (1988) explained that in order to defend their position, occupational groups such as doctors would write down or ‘black box’ their skills and knowledge which is then used by others as guidelines or instructions to follow. B&Q is following the same concept as they wish to guard their position as a responsible organization or employer where the rights of all workers throughout the world are respected and protected. Thus, this results to an encoded knowledge (Blackler, 1995) for the vendors as information is transmited through the code of conduct.Unlike an individual or specialist ‘black box’, the construction of the code of conduct requires the involvement of a group of people. This method of knowledge creation follows Nonaka’s SECI framework where it is a spiralling process of interaction between tacit and explicit knowledge (Nonaka,1994; Nonaka & Toyama, 2003). The SECI framework consists of four knowledge conversion processes; Socialization, Externalization, Combination and Internalization; which can be seen in Figure 1. The breakdown for B&Q case is as follow: 1.Socialization – The ILO standards which was made known to the B&Q management assist them to create their own knowledge or set of standards which vendors are to adhere. 2. Externalization – B&Q management then decides to have their on set of guidelines in accordance to ILO standards and form a group to write down the code of conduct. 3. Combination – We beli eved that during the process of writing down the code of conduct, B&Q managerial level will each provide inputs and opinions based on the organization’s mission and values on what and how to write down.Once drafted, the Head of Human Resource Department will read it through and request for any necessary adjustments. Once finalized, the Chairman or Head of B&Q will give the approval to codified and disseminate the code of conduct to all the vendors. 4. Internalization – Vendors will then read the instructions and ensure all CFPs are met. For any areas which fail to comply, site management of the vendors will then follow the guidelines to make changes and improvements. Figure 1: SECI model of knowledge creation Source: Nonaka & Toyama (2003)However, Nonaka SECI framework downplays the difference of interest, power and political dynamics which people and organizations face everyday. Thus, during an economic crisis, B&Q may approach innovation differently due to the uncert ainty and adversity faced in a crisis. According to Tsoukas (1996) and Schauer (1991), even though organizations can make assumptions and obtain knowledge from previous economic crisis where similar conditions are seen, the formulate strategy may not work perfectly according to what the organizations believed as there are still uncertainty.Meaning to say, a strategy used in a crisis five years ago may not generate the same result due to the difference in technology, people’s mindset and other relating conditions. B&Q need to adopt practice of knowledge during a crisis as information may not be readily available since people and other organizations are wary and may not disclose essential information in order to survive the crisis. With competition between rival organizations getting tougher, B&Q needs to learn, practice and embodied skills and knowledge which increases their chance of survival (Barnett & Burgelman, 1996).As mentioned by Hitt et al (2007), a multilevel research approach to encourage employees to have better understanding of the strategy implemented by B&Q management. Hence, B&Q through providing an enabling context, B&Q allow its employees to do things differently and better. For example, when selecting their vendors, B&Q can not just rely on which vendor is able to adhere to its code of conduct. B&Q also need to look into the pricing, capability and other characteristic of the particular vendor.B&Q vendor management team need to have further dicussion with sales, procurement and operations team to gain their opinions and views on which vendors to select. With the current vendors, B&Q need to adopt open communication and discuss with them on how the crisis is affecting their perfomance and compliance towards the code of conduct. Another example is due to the crisis, a vendor had to lay off several staff and workers due reducing their headcount. Hence in order to meet B&Q rders, the vendor’s workers may need to work extra hours whic h is over the local law. Through discussion, B&Q may allow the vendor to carry out the new process until the economy stablize and the vendor is able to employ more workers. 3. TASK TWO 3. 1 Introduction Stoneman (2010) mentioned that â€Å"product, process and organizational innovation are socially and politically mediated processes†. This means that through social relationship and even political standing in an organization; product, process and organizational innovation are being conceptualized.Jackson (2001) noted that the real-world issues and situations do not match up to traditional disciplinary boundaries due to the inequality in the capitalist world. Therefore, trust and power play an essential role in the development of knowledge and innovation. Internally at B&Q, their managers may see themselves as the authority towards process and organizational innovation. For example, a manager has the power to decide on how his department should be run in order to meet the depar tment and organization goals.And through his relationship and interaction with the staffs, he may perceive a staff as capable if able to follow the process and excel in it. Hence, to gain trust and acknowledgement, employees compete and motivate each other to do better at what they do and also provide suggestions to the manager on improving certain situations or issues. As highlighted by Hardy and Dougherty (1997), depending on the organization’s culture and its board of management, resource power and process power can either work against or aligned with innovation.However, without meaning and a direction to support the need for innovation, people will notbe motivated to innovate. For example, the warehousing staffs at B&Q may face difficulties in picking the correct product. Thus, with its power, the warehouse manager can arrange a group discussion with the warehousing team leaders and their IT department to create a new process whereby the product are bar-coded and connecte d to a system which will provide the product information when it is scanned.Externally, when working with their supply chain members such as customers and suppliers, B&Q managers can use either its power or trust to ensure compliance are met by the suppliers and customers continue to purchase from B&Q. For example, the board of management has the authority to continue or discontinue the services of a vendor depending on its compliance and performance. However, during an economic crisis where risk and uncertainty are faced, B&Q managers may react to similar situation or innovation differently.B&Q decisions on innovation, processes and products are affected by four types of distance – time, technological, social and cultural. 3. 2 Time distance Due to the changes in time, environment and conditions, certain processes or procedures that B&Q managers created may not be applicable in an economic crisis. Moreover, the decisions B&Q managers made in a previous crisis are also not ap plicable even though the conditions are similar because there is still uncertainty whether the outcome would be the same.The finance department will be more guarded on the expenses and budget thus setting a more thorough process of other departments to ensure waste are minimized and costs are low. In a study done by Hardy and Dougherty (1997), innovators or managers in an anti-innovation environment would solve their problems through methods and ways which hamper innovation whereas in a pro-innovation environment, innovators are able to incorporate the organization’s resources, processes and meaning to develop an more suitable and effective product.Thus, in relation to the crisis, B&Q managers may tackle a deparment issue by pushing away the problematic function and work its way around it. 3. 3 Technological distance As ICT becomes highly advanced, B&Q need to be selective of the information and tacit knowledge that is available widely. This is because not all tacit knowledge is applicable to B&Q’s strategy and that an overflow of information will result to overloading and poor decision making. Through market and technology knowledge, innovators are able to examine problems, communicate and collaboratively develop new products for the organization (Dougherty et al, 2000).However, in an economic crisis, technology knowledge that is necessary for innovation may not be readily available or cost effective to the organization. Faced with uncertainty, B&Q board of management may decide to take on a survival mode concept and develop process such as budget control to restrict unnecessary cost and waste. Thus, if an innovator in B&Q requires a certain technology to assist in its development of new product, he need to go through many levels of strict procedures in order to attain approval. 3. 4 Social distanceDuring an economic crisis, organizations face many problems and situations as they try their hardest to survive and go through the crisis without a m ajor disruption or impact. Due to the uncertainty and risk, managers need to respond quickly and effectively. Even in a crisis, Jackson (2006) noted that managers need to ensure their processes are efficient and effective, staffs are motivated and knowledge is created and enhanced. This is to ensure that the organization is constantly better than their rivals thus surviving the crisis.While ICT and innovation should still move on in a crisis; being a regimental organization; B&Q managers follow routine and have the power to make innovation unlawful through rewarding short-term results, punishing mistakes and even not rendering the support needed for innovation (Hardy & Dougherty, 1997). Not only does this kills innovation in B&Q, the staff would also be less motivate to innovate as they unable to relate a specific project with B&Q’s strategy (Van de Ven and Polley, 1992; Hardy and Dougherty, 1997; Dougherty & Heller, 1994).Hence, B&Q board of management need to re-evaluate it s organization strategy and procedures if it wishes to maintain in the industry. Jackson (2006) suggest organizations to adopt creative holism which is a set of guidelines that are multi-paradigm, multi-methodology and multi-method in nature. Through holism, organizatons look at the situation at a macro and organizational level, thus assuring that the departments are connected and performing together as a whole.Dougherty et al (2000) explained that since organizational knowledge and learning involves many different processes, a focal point or objevtive is essential to ensure one is taking the right path. Pelz and Andrews (1966) recognized that the efforts to combine and link market and technology knowledge across and throughout the organization is often met and filled with tensions. Thus, B&Q need to incorporate these two factor and be less rigid if it wishes to produce and gain new ideas, products and processes (Weick and Westley, 1996). 3. 5 Cultural distanceKingfisher plc, the pa rent company of B&Q, is a United Kingdom (UK) based retailer that offers do-it-yourself (DIY), home decorations and home improvement products to their 6 million customers (Kingfisher, 2012). To meet their international market and demand, Kingfisher plc has overseas sourcing offices in India and Poland that act as a supplier to B&Q. To ensure these strategies and structure is maintain in other country, Kingfisher plc has to train its overseas employees, make them understand and cultivate the Kingfisher plc working culture.However, this will be a tough challenge for example, in India due to the poor education and different socio-culture. Thus, Kingfisher plc needs to accommodate its Western working culture with India working culture, but without losing its main mission and strategy. To ensure this is executed properly, Kingfisher plc needs to obtain a specialist in the Indian market and culture. An economic crisis affects countries differently, depending on where the crisis originates .However, due to globalization, a crisis in the European Union (EU) nations will have a ripple effect, thus affecting neighbouring countries and countries that depend on the EU economy and market. Likewise, if an economic crisis hits India where one of B&Q suppliers is located at, B&Q need to gather information and data from news reports and the India supplier’s representative, and analyse the data before making a decision on how to overcome the crisis and what B&Q should do to ensure that the crisis in India do not disrupt the entire supply chain.To ensure accurate and timely information and knowledge is recevied, Swan and Scarbrough (2005) suggest organizations to adopt a networked innovation process where the innovation procedures is collaborated in the network arrangements within and between organizations (Alter & Hage, 1993; Owen-Smith & Powell, 2004; Powell et al, 1996). B&Q needs to view networks as a means of communication where knowledge and information are dissemina ted (Swan & Scarbrough, 2005) and thus, adopting a open sharing concept where individuals and groups are allow to interact and exchange knowledge and information. 4. Bibliography Abbott, A. 1988). 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