Knowledge Audits for Business Analysis Management

Question: Discuss about the Knowledge Audits for Business Analysis Management. Answer: Introduction The assignment illustrates a business problem faced by an organization in its business operations. A detailed analysis of the business problem along with the problems faced by the stakeholders of the company is explained in the study. Theoretical frameworks related to the solution of the business problem are mentioned in the study. The organization that is described in the study is Creative Solutions. However, it can be said that the company is lacking on the usage of information technology in their supply chain activities and distribution of the products to the facilities of the customers. Creative Solutions is facing issues in providing details to the customers. Hence, the owner of the company is trying to use different kinds of information technology in their business operations. Apart from that, the study will focus on different topics such as detailed analysis of the problem, stakeholder analysis, business case, business context, business processes that will be implemented in th e company to increase the competitiveness of the company in the market. The aim is to increase the customers base. Business Case The case study focuses on the problems faced by Creative Solutions in the field of different management activities such as ordering, stocktaking, and customer service. It is seen that the company is still complete the entire task manually. Use of technology in the business operations is minimum. Hence, it can be said that the owner of the company along with other employees are facing problems in delivering excellent customer service to the customers. In terms of the customers, they are also facing problems if they want to know about the status of their orders and knowledge about the new products (Hrisch et al. 2014). Customers are also not able to collect information about the availability of the items present in the store, as the company is not present in the digital platforms. It is a main drawback to the company. The case study suggests that different management activities such as ordering and stocktaking are handled manually. Therefore, there is a chance of committing mistakes by the employees while keeping the records of accomplishment of the items that are being distributed to the customers. Mistakes are also occurred while providing information to the customers in terms of payment and the status of delivery (Tsai et al. 2013). It is caused due to the lack of use of technology in the business operations. Manually completion of work by humans can cause errors due to memory loss. Hence, it can be said that the company needs an improvement of the current methods of business operations. The need of ICT is important for increasing the profitability of the company and providing excellent service to the customers that will help the company in gaining reputation in the market. It will lead to word of mouth promotion from the existing customers. The marketing activities of the company also need some development while implementing a development in the online platforms (Fooks et al. 2013). Stakeholder Analysis Creative Solutions has a number of stakeholders in their senior management authority. For making any decision related to the change in business model and in implementing new features in the business model, involvement of the stakeholders is necessary. Stakeholders are the persons that are considered as the most experienced person in the company. Creative Solutions has both internal and external stakeholders that are responsible for taking major decisions in the company (Lienert et al. 2013). Stakeholders are responsible for creating strategies for the development of the company. Stakeholders of Creative solutions include the shareholders, customers, CEO, financial advisors, operational head, etc. The stakeholders do not know the different types of problems that the company is facing in many circumstances. It is the reason of creation of the problem. In the case study, it is mentioned that the company is facing problem in the distribution of the products as well as providing the custo mers an improved level of customer service (Missonier and Loufrani-Fedida 2014). It is essential for the company to inform about the problems faced by all levels of employees in their respective field of operations. The company can be dividing their problems into two categories in order to formulate strategies regarding the problem. However, it can be said that, the analysis of stakeholders regarding the problems of Creative Solutions will help in formulating strategies that will mitigate the needs of the company in the field of developing business operations. Consent of different stakeholders such as customers and the senior management are important so that the gap between the process of formulation and implementation of strategies can be identified properly. While developing any types of strategy, consent of both junior level and senior level employees are necessary for increasing the effectiveness of the strategy (Martin et al. 2016). In this scenario, Creative Solutions is lagging behind in the field of business operations. The company is not present in the online platforms, which is considered as a major drawback for the competitiveness of the company. The company is also not using any modern technology for its daily operations. Hence, there is a delay of the daily activities. Data will be collected from th e stakeholders regarding their views related to the problems of Creative Solutions. They will finally decide the strategies and models used by the company for the implementation of ICT in their business operations. Use of ICT will help the company for improved profitability along with excellent customer service (Harmon 2014). Business Context In the above section of the study, the problems faced by the company are identified while describing the process of analysis of the stakeholders related to the problem. In this situation, the identified problem is focused on the implementation of technologies in the systems of business operations of the supply chain management of the company. For formulation of strategies, the responsible person should emphasize on the process, customers, external environment, suppliers, customers, etc. However, in the field of stocktaking a chain should be followed such as recording order, taking order, and arranging delivery. It should be done by using technologies regarding the process of supply chain management (Tsai et al. 2013). Apart from that, in this section, another model can be used such as Porters Value Chain Analysis is incorporated in the business model for the implementation of new strategies. The Primary activities of the model include inbound logistics, operations, outbound logistics , marketing sales and services. The support activities of the value chain analysis of model include firm infrastructure, human resource management, procurement and technology department (Fr?czkiewicz-Wronka and Wronka-Po?piech 2014). This model is perfect in this business context because Creative Solutions is facing issues in the logistics and distribution department including customer services. The areas of the inbound logistics, operations and outbound logistics require implementation of technologies that enhance the capabilities of the employees in terms of the improved customer service (Koc and Bozdag 2017). The secondary activities or the support activities has equal importance on the development of technology, human resource management along with the firm infrastructure. The stakeholders of the company incorporate the different activities of the ICT implementation. It includes the development of the process of supply chain management and the excellent customer service (Porter and Heppelmann 2015). Business Process In terms of business process of Creative Solutions, business process model will be implemented along with other technologies of information communication and technology. The Business analysis process model constantly emphasizes on the mission, objective, strategy and tactics (MOST) of the organization i.e. Creative Solutions. The model consists of five steps such as Investigate situation, considering perspectives, analyse needs, evaluate options, and defining the requirements. The model will be described in the following in the perspective of Creative Solutions (Fr?czkiewicz-Wronka and Wronka-Po?piech 2014). Investigate situation- In this situation, the aspect of OSCAR is being considered. OSCAR includes objectives scope, constraints, authority and resources. Objectives scope includes business objectives of Creative Solutions and constraints include policy and budgetary constraints. Authority and resources include human resources present in the company (Fleischmann et al. 2014). Considering Perspectives- This aspect includes identification of the stakeholders along with their analysis. Stakeholders of the company will put emphasis on the hidden conflicts, agendas and various inconsistencies and priorities. Usually they approach to problems and issues from a position that is informed. Thus, strategies are formed with the implementation of new technologies (Mozas-Moral et al. 2016). Analysing needs- Gap Analysis is considered in this aspect. Gap analysis in this context will determine the areas of development of the business operations of Creative Solutions along with the areas of development. The business model will help in analysing the gap in the current process of business operations. After that, the stakeholders and other responsible persons will do the needs for identification of the change (Madan et al. 2016). Evaluating options- After identification of the areas of possible improvements while using the gap analysis, new business options are to be evaluated. Evaluation of the options can be dependent on acceptability, financial and technical feasibility, while putting emphasis on the IT systems and management structure. It will definitely change the business process (Hayes 2013). Defining requirements- It leads the process of documentation and collection of documents related to the detailed requirements that are required for the changes in the business operations. This aspect includes utilization of different techniques of modelling through the process of job design that analysing and eliciting different requirements, documenting, managing and validating the required documents (Fleischmann et al. 2014). Conclusion The essay discusses about different aspects of the problems regarding business operations of Creative Solutions in the different types of activities of the business. Manual procedures of conducting the business operations lead to the errors. However, the stakeholder analysis is conducted regarding the issues faced in the operation department of stocktaking, distributions and delivery of the items. It is seen that the lack of use of ICT leads to decrease the productivity of the company. It results in decreased competitiveness with the other companies in the market. However, suggestions are provided regarding the usage of technologies of ICT in proper areas especially in the areas of customer service and supply chain management in the company. Apart from that, different models and theoretical frameworks are proposed in the study. If Creative Solutions will implement the suggested technologies and the proposed theoretical frameworks properly, then it can improve its current problems fac ed in the business operations. In the business process and business context, theoretical frameworks are used in the context of the identified problems in Creative Solutions. References Fleischmann, A., Schmidt, W., Stary, C., Obermeier, S. and Brger, E., 2014.Subject-oriented business process management. Springer Publishing Company, Incorporated. Fooks, G., Gilmore, A., Collin, J., Holden, C. and Lee, K., 2013. The limits of corporate social responsibility: techniques of neutralization, stakeholder management and political CSR.Journal of Business Ethics,112(2), pp.283-299. Fr?czkiewicz-Wronka, A. and Wronka-Po?piech, M., 2014. The use of ICT for achieving the objectives of the business model: social enterprise perspective.Polish Journal of Management Studies,10(2), pp.33-42. Harmon, P., 2014.Business process change. Morgan Kaufmann. Hayes, A.F., 2013.Introduction to mediation, moderation, and conditional process analysis: A regression-based approach. Guilford Press. Hrisch, J., Freeman, R.E. and Schaltegger, S., 2014. Applying stakeholder theory in sustainability management links, similarities, dissimilarities, and a conceptual framework.Organization Environment,27(4), pp.328-346. Koc, T. and Bozdag, E., 2017. Measuring the degree of novelty of innovation based on Porter's value chain approach.European Journal of Operational Research,257(2), pp.559-567. Lienert, J., Schnetzer, F. and Ingold, K., 2013. Stakeholder analysis combined with social network analysis provides fine-grained insights into water infrastructure planning processes.Journal of environmental management,125, pp.134-148. Madan, P., Sharma, V. and Seth, P., 2016. Capabilitydevelopment through ICT enabled business opportunity development model of e-Choupal.Journal of Business Economics and Management,17(2), pp.314-330. Martin, N., Evans, M., Rice, J., Lodhia, S. and Gibbons, P., 2016. Using offsets to mitigate environmental impacts of major projects: A stakeholder analysis.Journal of environmental management,179, pp.58-65. Missonier, S. and Loufrani-Fedida, S., 2014. Stakeholder analysis and engagement in projects: From stakeholder relational perspective to stakeholder relational ontology.International Journal of Project Management,32(7), pp.1108-1122. Mozas-Moral, A., Moral-Pajares, E., Medina-Viruel, M.J. and Bernal-Jurado, E., 2016. Manager's educational background and ICT use as antecedents of export decisions: A crisp set QCA analysis.Journal of Business Research,69(4), pp.1333-1335. Porter, M.E. and Heppelmann, J.E., 2015. How smart, connected products are transforming companies.Harvard Business Review,93(10), pp.53-71. Tsai, J.Y., Raghu, T.S. and Shao, B.B., 2013. Information systems and technology sourcing strategies of e-retailers for value chain enablement.Journal of Operations Management,31(6), pp.345-362.

The Reason Behind the Practice free essay sample

Standing in a dusty old batting cage, the sun beating down on my burnt pink skin, I weakly swung the bat and completely missed the ball that was softly thrown my direction. It was Summer which meant baseball season, and the only thing I got to do other than play baseball games, was practice. My family is big on baseball. My grandpa coached his team to two Jr. College World Series’ and won them both. My father played for 3 different colleges and was asked to try out for the Los Angeles Angels. Minutes before I was born, my parents and all the nurses were watching Field of Dreams. You could say I was born to play the game, but all throughout elementary school I hated it. I spent most days of my summer at Kalina Baseball Park either taking batting practice or fielding every position on the diamond. It sounds like I should be really good at baseball given I practiced almost every day, but the amount of effort I put in was extremely low. We will write a custom essay sample on The Reason Behind the Practice or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I wouldn’t hit the ball hard, I wouldn’t throw the ball accurately, and I wouldn’t hustle anywhere. If my dad or grandpa would ask me if I wanted to practice, my answer was always no. They soon figured out that they just wouldn’t ask anymore, they would simply make me go whether I liked it or not. Getting me to go practice was like trying to get a fat dog to go for a walk. This same old routine went on for years, they would make me practice and I would put no effort in, until around freshman year. I was older and smarter than my 12 year old self. Freshman year was when I finally figured out why my grandpa and my dad forced me to practice every day. Once I learned their motive behind the practices, I started to like going to baseball and spending time with them. It improved my performance in the sport and I made the freshman baseball team that year. The reason why my grandpa and my dad pushed me to go practice isn’t because they wanted me to get better, but because they wanted to spend time with me. They were just trying to share a special part of their life with me. They didn’t care about how bad I did which is why they didn’t mind my lack of effort when we went out to the field. They wanted to make me a part of something that has been in the family forever. Once I got this I wanted to go out and practice and mess around with my grandpa and dad. I stopped seeing it as work and saw it as a bonding experience. This has changed the way I am today because I have learned to think past myself and really figure out why someone is doing something. I was angry that my dad made me go to practice until I found out the reason he was doing it. This helps me be a more sympathetic and less judgemental person in life. Without the forced practices and the tough love I got from my dad and grandpa, I would not be the thought ful, sympathetic, and caring person I am today. Now, whenever my dad asks me if I want to go hit or field, my answer is always yes. I figured out the reason behind the practice and it has taught me the useful life lesson of finding out why someone does something before jumping to conclusions.

Sample Essays For Scholarships for Students - Choose Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Sample Essays For Scholarships for Students - Choose Between a Rock and a Hard PlaceMany college students apply for their college or university financial aid but sometimes they fail to choose a good sample essay for scholarships. If you want to get into your college or university or even for some professional program, it is important that you do a good job in writing your academic essay. When you know how to write your academic paper, you will be able to get through to your college or university and convince them to give you the scholarship you need.Writing a sample academic essay requires not only academic ability but also creativity. In order to produce good academic essays, you need to be creative and to have an analytical mind. To make sure that you can write your essay, you should take the time to do some research on it. You should check whether the essay topics will be suitable for you or if the essay is going to be too long.You can also check whether you have written enough in your short time so that you can apply for the scholarships of the various organizations that are available. While doing the research, you can ask other people to give you some advice on what to write in your academic essay. The following are the sample essays for scholarships for students to choose from.One of the most commonly used essay for scholarships is the essay about how one loves music. It is not that difficult to write the academic essay especially if you have a background in music. Some people may think that their love for music is not applicable for getting a scholarship but music students can still get through with the help of this essay.For those who need additional financial aid, this is the best essay to write. Students must remember that financial aid is not free and so you have to use creative thinking in order to get through your application. You can use quotes from popular songs as examples or write a fictional story about a person who has just finished school.Ot hers may think that this essay is not very interesting but they do not have a difficult time writing it. In fact, you can write this essay using a pen and paper since you can write any type of essay. People who cannot use a computer may also have this essay to choose from. You can choose one example of music written by an expert songwriter to do research on.The last essay for scholarships to write is a 'tip sheet' which is a sample essay about the hard work you have put in to become a musician. Students who know that they are talented in music and that they are going to college can write this. You can write about what steps you have taken to becoming a musician and can also include a general explanation of what being a musician means.However, some people might not be able to express themselves well in writing but they are willing to write about the good things that they have learned through their experiences. In order to get through to your college or university in writing an essay, you need to know that what to write is the best one for your type of essay. If you know how to write the essay, you can write it without fear of sounding foolish. Remember that good composition is important in order to become an excellent essay writer.

Political Development in Ghana

Political Development in Ghana Introduction In Africa, Ghana has been as one of the pioneering states. Ghana is a country of very many firsts-in-Africa in that it was the first African country to gain independence from its colonial masters. After independence Ghana was the first state to start one/ single party rule. Ghana was also the first new African state to suffer from a series of military coups. Ghana was also among the first African states to suffer from economic depressions.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Political Development in Ghana specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It was also among the first African nations to formulate and implement ideologies to mobilise its citizen towards economic growth. Finally, Ghana was the first country in Africa to carry out a peaceful transition from a military rule to civilian rule. Since independence, Ghana was highly viewed as the state, which would set benchmarks for other developing states in Africa. A lthough Ghana is currently an example of good governance and democracy, the road to political stability has not been smooth. Ghana and its people have endured a lot of turmoil and political conflicts coupled by economic recession and ethnic conflict. This history has affected its people and leaders in various ways. History of Ghanas Political and constitutional development Ghana is predominantly a multi-ethnic state, with the Akan community forming about 49% of the total population. Ghanas population demography is probably the most important tool that has helped it develop over the years. Since the Akan share a common language, it has helped foster a sense of nationhood. During the colonial era, the British used indirect rule over the colony of Ghana. This meant that traditional chiefs became accountable to and served the interests of the colonial masters. Although, by virtue of this, the traditional chiefs consolidated a lot of power, leadership was distorted because the traditiona l values of leadership such as customary checks, accountability and justice were eroded. By the end of the Second World War, there was a lot of political agitation, which led to the formation of various political organisations. Through the efforts of Kwame Nkrumah, the colonial government agreed to constitutional reforms. In the early 1950s the gold coast as Ghana was referred to, was finally given internal self-governance. When the constitutional developments happened in the mid 1950s, Ghana became the first state, in the south of Sahara, to declare independence. Ghana as a state gained its independence from the British colonial master in 1957 (Bennett, 1973, p. 665). After independence, Ghana faced various challenges ranging from the need to channel resources from foreign companies to local developmental issues, shift of ownership of companies from foreign to local ownership, and the need to invest in sectors that were viewed as neglected by the colonialists such as social service s and education sector.Advertising Looking for essay on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Nkrumahs government in light of these challenges and the proposed system of governance succumbed to pressure and was finally overthrown in a military coup in 1966 (Bennett, 1973, p. 667). When Ghana achieved independence, there was no external debt, but during and after the coup it had accumulated an external debt of about $790 million. Nkrumahs view of industrialisation being led and controlled by the state had failed miserably. From this time onwards, Ghana was to undergo a series of turmoil characterised by military coups and civilian government rule for at least three decades (Price, 1984, pp. 173-174). Later in the late 1970s, Richard Jerry Rawlings led a group of low ranking military officers to overthrow the existing military government led by senior military officials. This coup was extraordinary in the sense t hat most of its leaders were young officers. One of its main objective was to clean up, the military junta went after people and senior military leaders who encouraged and benefited from corruption court martialed them and later carried out executions. Barely after four months in office had, Rawlings handed over power to a new elected government only to overthrow it again in another coup after two years. Rawlings government adjusted the form of governance that mainly favoured farmers and export businesses. Although the power of corrupt leaders and civil servants may have been eroded, however the fundamental causes of patronage ideology to political control had not yet been dealt with (Sederberg, 1971, pp. 179-84). In 1992, Ghana passed a new constitution, which paved way for the holding of democratic elections under a multi party system of governance. The new constitution was a move back to the presidential system but alterations were made so that ministers could also serve simultan eously as members of parliament a provision that the earlier constitutions had removed. This was done to encourage cooperation between the executive and the legislature and this was informed by a case in which the third republic parliament rejected a budget presented by the executive. After the rebirth of multi-party politics in 1992, Ghana has held successful elections in 1996, 2000 to date (Williams, et al, 2009, pp. 102-114). Political and socio-economic development With the advent of the new constitution, Ghana moved from military rule to a presidential system of governance. The authors of the new constitution dispensation were opposed to the strict separation of powers between the executive and the legislature, hence allowed for the provision of the president appointing some ministers from the legislative assembly.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Political Development in Ghana specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More T his was in reaction to the third republic parliament, which rejected the proposed budget, which was later referred to as legislative obstructionism. The authors were careful not to return the country to the events of the third republic but on the other hand, they did not want to go back to the Westminster parliamentary system, which was earlier propagated by the Nkrumah government. This enabled the president to pick a majority of ministers from parliament and some from the private sector, which ensured that he got the required ethnic balance in his cabinet. The president had the ability to appoint ministers from regions or areas that his political party did not have a strong hold on and hence had no members of parliament to appoint ministers. These policies emphasised on both a national interest in a strong presidency and a cooperative legislature with emphasis on the need of the cabinet to be ethnically balanced (Botchway, 1972, pp. 81-88). After shifting to constitutional democrac y many development aid partners complained about the slow rate of economic reforms as politicians and not technocrats were now taking major decisions. Parliament, which was mostly dominated by Rawlings party, was unable to pass a petroleum tax bill and fought against civil service reforms in 1993. Rawlings administration is also credited with the starting of the National Institutional Renewal Program, which was mandated, with the task of enhancing and encouraging good policy development, public sector management and creation of an appropriate wage and grading system. Later on the following year, an attempt to impose value added tax was withdrawn following massive outcry and opposition from the public and opposition parties. However, the liberalisation of state owned enterprises was hastened and some of the most profitable state organisations sold raising more revenue than was actually anticipated (Armstrong, 1996, pp. 72-78). During 1994, the government embarked on a process to form ulate a national development policy framework that was to be famously known as the Ghana –vision 2020. The main highlight of this policy document were development of agriculture, sustainable macroeconomic environment, development of human resource, encouraging entrepreneurship and poverty eradication, with the main goal being to sustain an economic growth rate of 8% GDP.Advertising Looking for essay on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More During the 1996 general elections, most parties came out with various economic manifestos to challenge the incumbent, with various opposition leaders promising to complete the vision 2020. Opposition parties to the battle against unpopular reforms made by the Rawlings government such as cost sharing and cost-recovery in health and education sector, promising to better the welfare of the citizens. The emergence of independent print and electronic media after the 1992 referendum, and the constitutional provision that state owned media should provide equal coverage of the ruling party and opposition rallies, made the campaign very exciting. Although Rawlings party won the vote the opposition lead by John Kufuor were able to gunner 40% of the total vote and captured 66 parliamentary seats (Evans-Anfom, 2003, pp. 431-433). It was however demonstrated during the 1996 elections that during competition for votes that government is at times forced to sacrifice sustainable macro-economic mana gement and fiscal policy prudence for the temporary gain of political mileage. This is evidenced by failure to pass the petroleum tax law and commissioning of unbudgeted projects. This election also revealed that there was a huge tendency of the population to vote as regional and ethnic blocs, which has come to become the norm in subsequent elections. After the elections and politicking was over the reforms were re-ignited as parliament passed the petroleum tax law, VAT was introduced, independent regulatory organisations in the telecommunication, water and electricity were created, and electricity tariffs were increased to cushion operating losses. The vice president spearheaded the national institutional renewal program in 1997 and ensured that civil service reforms were implemented with urgency. Various programs were initiated to improve the government human resource capacity, monitoring systems and the budget (Leite, 2000, pp. 36-42). Ghana was able to reduce the incidence of po verty, the population of citizens living under poverty conditions declined from 51% during the promulgation of the new constitution in 1992 to 43% in 1999. Generally, the school enrolment figure had improved, health services were improved with the help of various donors, gains were also made in the provision of social amenities and general infant mortality had reduced by 25% (SandbrookOelbaum, 1999, pp. 42-45). Political development and democracy Before the 1992 elections, there was very limited space for democratic elections to take place. This can explain why most of the politicians, citizen and other sceptics did not expect the current system to survive for long. There had been a lot of previous history of military coups just after democratic elections. After the elections that ensued during the 1996 and 2000 elections, only did it become apparent that multiparty and democracy were here to stay. However, the approach did not correspond to the ideal westernised form of democracy w here parties would campaign on their institutional policy and developmental records; in Ghana, it took a shift to political patronage mechanisms. Chieftaincy in Ghana is considered as the pivot around which administration of the society is centred. This has been made possible through a constitutional provision that is devoted to chieftaincy. These provisions safeguard the institution against any interference, politicisation and manipulation from the state. For example, parliament is restricted from making or conferring any authority power to remove a chief from his office; this is only a preserve of the regional, national, divisional and traditional counsel of chiefs. The national counsel comprises of about 32,000 traditional chiefs who command influence in their regions, although they are not assigned any specific role in the formal government (Ayee, 2007, pp. 141-143). The chiefs are most effective in rural settings where the arms of government are not that strong or are not fully felt on the ground. In rural communities where there is no access to government institutions such as a police station, government office or court residents are forced to seek redress from the local chiefs. These critical role-played by chiefs in the dispensation of justice is also recognised by formal jurists. It is also noted that would be potential investor in such of land and other investment activities also have to appear before the local chiefs. Although chiefs are restricted by the constitution from engaging in political party activities, they usually serve as the link between the government and the local communities. Government officials and politicians who visit the jurisdiction of the chiefs are required to pay the chiefs a courtesy call. The president is also required to consult the chiefs before making appointments to the district assemblies (Biswal, 1992, pp. 22-33). Ghanas constitution has decentralisation of executive power through formation of local governments. This has greatly helped to bring government services close to the citizens and at the same time has encouraged economic growth. Ghana has a multi-tiered government structure that comprises of municipal, metropolitan and district assemblies (MMDAs) which act as the basic level of decentralised government. MMDAs are autonomous, have their own structures, and are basically accountable to the local society that they represent. However, the state is allowed by virtue of the law and practice to exercise fiscal, political and administrative power over them. The president is the appointing authority of the chief executives who head the MMDAs based on approval from at least two-thirds majority of the district assembly. The government is also charged with the responsibility of financing district assemblies despite the fact that they are also required to generate their own revenue. There have been complains that government funds usually arrive late and that they are specifically budgeted for a spe cific purpose; this makes it difficult for district assemblies to channel this funds to locally identified projects (Tettey, Puplampu Berman, 2003,pp. 45-52). In matters of administration, the constitution provides for the creation of a local government service (LGS). However, the autonomy of the local government service from the national civil service has not been achieved. Generally, the powers and the agencies of the MMDAs are extremely wide. They are described as the highest political power in the district, charged with the development of the district including harmonisation, coordination and integration of all developmental functions in the district. It was envisaged that decision-making structures would follow a bottom up approach but this has not been actualised. In many regions, these policies used as the foundation building blocks of the local government system have collapsed mainly due to the lack of financial resources (Ayee, 2007pp. 144-146). Even though Ghana goes throu gh competitive elections and is largely viewed as an example of good democratic state in Africa, the president dominates the legislature. They have a minimal influence on the presidential policies and agenda. Members of parliament are not allowed to introduce any legislation independent of the state. Descent from members of parliament is suppressed by the fact that, party officials can expel a member if he or she is deemed to be rebellious. These facts dictate how members of parliament interact with the executive, constituents and fellow members of parliament. Members of parliament usually encounter a lot of pressure from their constituents in need of development projects and personal assistance but rarely get pressure for them to back any particular legislation. Votes made by members in parliament do not necessarily affect the member’s re-election since parliamentary elections are not based on party policies or ideologies (Ghana Center For Democratic Development, 2005, pp. 1 2-18). Conclusion Ghana has been able to rise from a near extinction of political structures to one of the model democracies in Africa. It has been able to overcome most of the challenges that inhibit the development of many new developing nations in Africa, but some area still need to be improved for it to achieve better prosperity such as improvement of tax collection, challenges of corruption and misuse of public funds and the reliance of patronage for political support. All in all the gains Ghana has made makes it a nation to be emulated by other African states. Reference List Armstrong, R P 1996, Ghana, country assistance review. World Bank, Washington, D.C Ayee, J R A 2007,Ghana at 50: government, politics, and development.,s.n.]. Accra? Bennett, V P 1973, The Motivation for Military Intervention: The Case of Ghana, The Western Political Quarterly, Vol. 26, No. 4, p. 665. Biswal, T P 1992,Ghana, political and constitutional developments. New Delhi, Northern Book Centre. Botchw ay, F A 1972,Political development and social change in Ghana: Ghana under Nkrumah; a study of the influence of Kwame Nkrumah and the role of ideas in rapid social change, Black Academy Press, Buffalo, N.Y. Evans-Anfom, E. 2003.To the thirsty land: autobiograp[h]y of a patriot. Achimota, Ghana, Africa Christian Press. Ghana Center for Democratic Development.2005Decentralization, economic governance, and private sector development in Ghana.Legon, Accra, Ghana, Ghana Center for Democratic Development. Leite, S P 2000, Ghana: economic development in a democratic environment, International Monetary Fund, Washington, Dc Price, R M 1984, Neo-Colonialism and Ghana‘s Economic Decline: A Critical Assessment, Canadian Journal of African Studies, Vol. 18, No. 1, pp. 173-174. Sandbrook, R Oelbaum, J 1999, reforming the political kingdom: governance and development in Ghanas fourth republic. Center for Democracy and Development, Accra, Ghana Sederberg, P C, 1971, the Gold Coast under Colo nial Rule: An Expenditure Analysis, African Studies Review, Vol. 14, No. 2, pp. 179-204. Tettey, W Puplampu, K P Berman, B J 2003, Critical perspectives in politics and socio-economic development in Ghana., Brill, Leiden Williams, Y et al, 2009, Power and Change Analysis, ODI and Ecorys; Ghana

All My Sons Play by Arthur Miller

The story described how a woman informed on her father who had sold faulty parts to the U. S. military during World War II. Henrik Ibsens influence on Miller is evidenced from the Ibsen play The Wild Duck, where Miller took the idea of two partners in a business where one is forced to take moral and legal responsibility for the other. This is mirrored in All My Sons. He also borrowed the idea of a character’s idealism being the source of a problem. [3] The criticism of the American Dream, which lies at the heart of All My Sons was one reason why Arthur Miller was called to appear before the House Un-American Activities Committee during the 1950s, when America was gripped by anti-communist hysteria. Miller sent a copy of the play to Elia Kazan who directed the original stage version of All My Sons. Kazan was a former member of the Communist Party who shared Millers left-wing views. However, their relationship was destroyed when Kazan gave names of suspected Communists to the House Un-American Activities Committee during the Red Scare. [1][4] [edit] Characters Joe Keller Joe Keller was exonerated after being charged with shipping damaged airplane cylinder heads out of his factory during WWII, inadvertently causing the deaths of 21 pilots. For three and a half years he has placed the blame on his partner and former neighbor, Steve Deever. When the truth comes out, Joe justifies his actions by claiming that he did it for his family. At the end of the play he kills himself in a sad attempt to rid his family of the problems he has caused them and perhaps also to stop Kate from hating him. Kate Keller (Mother) Kate knows that Joe is guilty but lives in denial while mourning for her elder son Larry, who has been MIA for three years. She refuses to believe that Larry is dead and maintains that Ann Deever who returns for a visit at the request of Larrys brother Chris is still Larrys girl and also believes that he is coming back. Chris Keller – Chris, 32, returned home from World War II two years before the play begins, disturbed by the realization that the world was continuing as if nothing had happened. He has summoned Ann Deever to the Keller house in order to ask her hand in marriage, but their obstacle becomes Kates unreasonable conviction that Larry will someday return. Chriss idolization of his father results in his devastation when he finds out the truth about what Joe did. Ann Deever Ann, 26, arrives at the Keller home having shunned her guilty father since his imprisonment. Throughout the play, Ann is often referred to as pretty, beautiful, and intelligent-looking. She had a relationship with Larry Keller before his disappearance, and has since moved on because she knows the truth of his fate. She hopes that the Kellers will consent to her marriage with Larrys brother, Chris, with whom she has corresponded by mail for two years. Ann soon finds out that the neighbors all believe that Joe is guilty, and eventually finds out the truth after a visit from her older brother George. Ann is the knowledge-bearer in the play: finally, unable to convince Kate that Larry is gone forever, Ann reveals a letter from Larry stating his intention to commit suicide having heard of her father’s imprisonment. George Deever – George, 31, is Ann’s older brother: a successful New York lawyer and WWII veteran, and a childhood friend of Chris. He initially believed in his father’s guilt, but upon visiting Steve in jail, realizes his innocence and becomes enraged at the Kellers for deceiving him. He returns to save his sister from her marriage to Chris, creating the catalyst that destroys the Keller family. Frank Lubey – Frank, 32, was always one year ahead of the draft, so he never served in World War II, instead staying home to marry Georges former sweetheart, Lydia. He draws up Larrys horoscope and tells Kate that Larry must still be alive, because the day he died was meant to be his favorable day. This strengthens Kates faith and makes it much harder for Ann to reveal the letter to her. Lydia Lubey Lydia, 27, was Georges love interest before the war; after he went away, she married Frank and they quickly had three children. She is a model of peaceful domesticity and lends a much-needed cheerful air to several moments of the play. Jim Bayliss – Jim is a successful doctor, but is frustrated with the stifling domesticity of his life. He wants to become a medical researcher, but continues in his job as it pays the bills. He is a close friend to the Keller family and spends a lot of time in their backyard. Sue Bayliss Sue is Jims wife: needling and dangerous but affectionate, she too is a friend of the Keller family, but is secretly resentful of what she sees as Chriss bad idealistic influence on Jim. Sue confronts Ann about her resentment of Chris in a particularly volatile scene, revealing to Ann that the neighbors all think Joe is guilty. Bert – Bert is a little boy who lives in the neighborhood; he is friends with the Bayliss son Tommy and frequently visits the Kellers yard to play jail with Joe. He only appears twice in the play. The first time he appears, his part seems pretty unimportant , but the second time he appears his character gets more important as he sparks a verbal attack from mother when mentioning jail, which highlights Joes secret. [edit] Unseen characters Larry Keller Larry has been MIA for some years at the start of the play, however he has an effect in the play through his mothers insistence that he is still alive and his brothers love for his childhood sweetheart. Comparisons are made in the story between Larry and Chris with their father describing Larry as the more sensible one with a head for business. At the end of the play, Ann reveals a letter written by Larry pronouncing him committing suicide out of shame for what his father did. Steve Deever (Peter Smell in the 1947 movie) George and Anns father. Steve is sent to prison for the shipping of faulty parts a crime which he and the successfully exonerated Keller committed. [edit] Synopsis [edit] Act I [pic] The Penguin edition of All My Sons The play begins on a Sunday in late August 1946. Joe Keller is reading the Sunday paper and talking to his neighbors, Dr. Jim Bayliss and Frank Lubey. Frank talks about a horoscope for Joes son Larry that he is compiling for Kate Keller, Joe’s wife. Jims wife, Sue, and Franks wife, Lydia, each make brief appearances. Ann Deever, the Kellers former next-door-neighbor, has come to visit the family and is asleep upstairs. While waiting for her, Joe and Chris talk about Larrys memorial tree, which has blown down during the night. Larry was reported missing during World War II and is presumed dead, as there has been no contact with him for more than three years. Kate clings to the hope that he will come back, but Chris feels that it is wrong to keep up such a pretence for her. Bert comes by to play jail with Joe and runs off to patrol the neighborhood. Chris admits to his father that he wants to marry Ann; however, Ann was Larry’s girlfriend before he served in World War II, and since Kate does not believe Larry to be dead, Ann is still technically Larrys girl. By marrying Ann, Chris is effectively pronouncing Larry dead, so Joe fears that Kate will object to the proposal of marriage. Kate emerges and describes her nightmare from the evening before; it is about Larry falling from his plane and crying her name. She objects when Chris tells her that the family should try to forget Larry. Kate admits to Joe that she is suspicious about why Ann has come to visit; she tells him that she knows that Ann believes with her that Larry is still alive, and tells Joe that he must keep believing also. Bert reappears, but is harshly banished by Kate. When Ann finally comes down, everyone talks about how beautiful and mature she looks, and the family engages in smalltalk until Kate asks Ann if she is still waiting for Larry. Ann says that she is not, and realizes for the first time how deeply Kates hope runs. It is revealed that Steve Deever, Ann’s father, is serving time for the deaths of 21 pilots who crashed over Australia due to the faulty cylinder heads shipped out by the Keller/Deever factory in 1943. Keller insists that it was Steves crime and recalls how he successfully appealed against his conviction for the crime while Steve remained in prison. Keller reacts strongly to Anns conviction that her father is guilty. Ann has refused all contact with her father since Larry was reported missing, and insists that her fathers actions may have related to Larrys death. When Chris and Ann are left alone in the yard, they reveal their love for each other; however, Ann senses that Chris seems somehow ashamed, and asks him to tell her about it so their relationship can be an honest one. Chris recounts his experience of losing his company during a battle in the War. He is still angry that at home, life has continued as normal, and this affects his ability to accept the gift of having Ann. Joe emerges and tells Ann that her brother George is on the phone from Columbus. Joe tells Chris that he mustnt feel ashamed of the family money; then Ann comes out and reveals that George is coming back to the house after visiting his father in prison for the first time, and Joe is clearly worried. [edit] Act II As they come out, Chris is removing Larrys fallen tree and the family is inside getting ready for dinner. Kate confides in Chris Kellers concern that George may bring up the case again, and says she wont live through it if he does. Ann emerges and is met with Kates acerbic wit and Chriss assurance that they will tell her of their marriage plans tonight. Sue Bayliss interrupts Anns solo reverie by searching for Jim, and they share a drink of juice. Sue asks Ann to move away from the area if she and Chris marry because Chris’ idealism is negatively affecting her husband Jim. Jim had always wanted to become a medical reseacher but never followed through because Chris idealistic ideas kept him from doing so. Sue implies Joes guilt and insists that Chris and everyone else know something about it. Ann defends Chris, saying that he wouldn’t take money out of the plant if there was anything wrong with it, but she becomes disturbed because Chris told her that the case was all forgotten. Chris reassures Ann by telling her he wouldn’t be able to forgive his father if he had murdered the pilots. Anns faith in Chris is restored, and they and Joe share conversation in the yard. Joe offers Steve a job for when he gets out of jail, but Ann insists that Joe owes Steve nothing and Chris refuses to have him at the plant. Jim enters, having gone to pick George up from the train. He warns Chris and Ann that George is angry and should be driven somewhere to talk, a proposition which Chris promptly refuses. A loud argument ensues, in which George tries to convince Ann that Chris knows Joe is guilty, having allowed his father to take the blame for shipping the damaged parts, and Ann is caught between the two men that she loves, unable to make them reconcile with each other. Kate enters, causing Chris and George to halt their argument; she is extraordinarily happy about seeing Georgie and pacifies him enough to settle everyone down for a time. Keller then enters; George reluctantly greets him. Then Lydia emerges and her past relationship with George is then revealed. Lydia has had three children and shows George the life on which he missed out while he was serving in World War II. Ann goes inside to call a cab for George, having insisted that he must leave on the next train and not start a fight. Keller asks George about Steve and then argues that throughout Steve’s life he never took responsibility for his own actions, so he must be guilty now. Just when it seems that George is convinced and he agrees to stay for dinner, Kate tells him that Keller has never been sick in fifteen years, thereby disproving Kellers earlier alibi that he had the flu on the day that Steve allowed the cracked heads to be shipped, and was not able to come to the office. George latches on to this slip of the tongue and begins to interrogate Joe. Frank rushes in with Larrys finished horoscope and asserts that the day Larry was supposed to have died was his favorable day and he must therefore be alive somewhere in the world. Kate believes him unhesitatingly and tells Ann that she packed her bag and that Ann must leave with George. Ann insists that she will stay until Chris tells her to go, and reluctantly tells George to leave, running after him to try to make amends. Chris tries to insist that he will marry Ann, but Kate finally tells him that if Larry is dead, Joe killed him. Chris understands this to mean that Joe was guilty of shipping the faulty parts. Which means that Joe would have been responsible for Larrys death. Keller at last admits his guilt, but justifies his actions saying that if he had done it for his family. And if he went that day the factory would have been shut down and he would have lost money needed to support his family. Chris rejects this explanation, telling Joe that his responsibility to his country sometimes outweighs that to his business and family. Chris storms off, leaving Joe worn out and heart brokenly guilty. edit] Act III Kate waits on the back porch for Chris- he took the car six hours before and has not come back yet. Jim enters and consoles Kate before the entrance of Joe. Ann has stayed in her room for those six hours: having seen Chris storm out of the house, she now knows the truth about Keller’s gui lt. Joe insists that Chris just doesnt understand what responsibility for family means, and that Larry knew better what the business was all about. Joe tells Kate that he did it all for her and their two sons. When Ann emerges, she asks Kate to tell Chris that she knows Larry is dead, so that Chris will no longer feel ashamed about his love for Ann. Kate still insists that Larry is alive; Ann insists that she loved him and wouldnt have even considered marrying anyone else if she werent sure hed died. Finally, Ann asks Joe to go into the house and produces a letter that Larry wrote her the day he died; she tells Kate that she didnt bring the letter to hurt the family, but both are devastated by the final destruction of Kates hope. Chris returns and tells Ann and Kate that he is going away to Cleveland to start over; he rejects Ann when she begs to go with him, saying that he can no longer bear to look at his father but can also not bring himself to send him to prison as he deserves and therefore is not a moral and strong enough man for her. When Joe enters, he confronts Chris and they argue about Joes guilt. Ann rushes forward and gives Larrys letter to Chris; Kate tries to take it away from him and to prevent Joe from hearing it, but it is too late. Chris reads the letter aloud: it describes how, upon learning about the investigation into the incident and his realization of his fathers guilt, Larry couldnt bear to live anymore; he told Ann that he knew hed be reported missing and that she mustnt wait for him. All realize that Joe was responsible for Larrys death: Although Larrys plane did not have a cracked cylinder head in it, Larry found out that his father was not the kind of man he thought hed been. He took his own life by crashing his plane during a mission rather than face the disillusionment he could now see through. On hearing this news, Keller goes inside the house to get his jacket and turn himself in; but while Chris and Kate argue about sending him to prison and Ann watches the results of the letter unfold, a shot is heard. Joe has committed suicide. Ann runs off to find Dr. Bayliss, and Chris and Kate are left alone in a final tableau of their grief. [edit] Timeline of events in the play The precise date of events in the play are unclear, however it is possible to construct a timeline of the back-story to All My Sons using the dialogue of the play. The play is set in August 1946, in the mid-west of the USA with the main story set between Sunday morning and a little after two oclock the following morning. 5] †¢ Autumn 1943: Joe allows Steve to supply the USAAF with faulty cylinder heads which cause the planes to crash. †¢ Autumn 1943: Twenty-one planes crash and Joe and Steve are arrested †¢ November 25 1943: Larry crashes his plane off the coast of China having read about his fathers imprisonment. †¢ 1944: Joe is released from prison †¢ Friday in August 1946: Ann visits Chris †¢ Saturday in August, 1946: Larrys memorial blown down †¢ Sunday morning in August 1946: George visits Steve †¢ Sunday morning in August 1946: Opening of the play [edit] Links to Greek tragedy Arthur Miller’s writing in All My Sons often shows great respect for the great Greek tragedies of the likes of Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides. In these plays the tragic hero or protagonist will commit an offence, often unknowingly, which will return to haunt him, sometimes many years later. The play encapsulates all the fallout from the offense into a 24 hour time span. During that day, the protagonist must learn his fault and suffer as a result, and perhaps even die. In this way the gods are shown to be just and moral order is restored. In All My Sons, these elements are all present; it takes place within a 24 hour period, has a protagonist suffering from a previous offense, and punishment for that offense. Additionally, it explores the father-son relationship, also a common theme in Grecian tragedies. Ann Deever could also be seen to parallel a messenger as her letter is proof of Larrys death. The Greek plays, and those of Shakespeare two thousand years later, are about kings, dukes or great generals, because at that time these individuals were thought to embody or represent the whole people. Nowadays, we do not perceive the upper classes as most representational. When writers want to show a person who represents a nation or class, they typically invent a fictional â€Å"ordinary† person, the Man in the Street or Joe Public. In Joe Keller, Arthur Miller creates just such a representative type. Joe is a very ordinary man, decent, hard-working and charitable, a man no-one could dislike. But, like the protagonist of the ancient drama, he has a flaw or weakness. This, in turn, causes him to act wrongly. He is forced to accept responsibility his suicide is necessary to restore the moral order of the universe, and allows his son, Chris, to live free from guilt and persecution. Arthur Miller later uses the everyman in a criticism of the American Dream in Death of a Salesman, which is in many ways similar to All My Sons. [edit] Themes [edit] Responsibility, Society and the Generation Gap The play focuses on Joe Keller’s conflict of responsibilities, his responsibility to his family and that to wider society. He originally believes that he is justified in sending cracked cylinder heads and causing the deaths of 21 pilots, as this allowed his family to make money and allowed his son Chris to inherit the family business. Keller justifies his actions as he thinks he has a higher obligation to his family over society, to Keller there is nothing greater than the family Im his father and hes my son, and if theres anything bigger than that Ill put a bullet in my head! and Miller criticizes what he would consider a myopic world view. The major theme of All My Sons is Arthur Miller’s belief that people have a wider responsibility to the society in which they live, and this is something that Chris, Joes son, is aware of and believes in. Unlike his father, Chris feels society and other people play a main part in a persons responsibility, as when he finds the truth out about his fathers actions; he is horrified What the hell are you? You’re not even an animal, no animal kills his own, what are you? What must I do to you? I ought to tear the tongue out of your mouth, what must I do? and here it is possible Chris has become a sort of spokesperson for Arthur Miller in the play. Keller seems to still not understand his sons anguish, as his responses are Chris my Chris Not until Larrys letter is revealed to him, does Keller finally see the point of view of the next generation. Only after hearing Larrys letter does he reply to Chris question Do you get it now!? with Yes I think I do and then lead into where the plays title comes from when Joe Keller eventually realizes that they were all my sons in one sense. Keller kills himself in the final few pages of the play, leaving Kate on her own, the one thing she has always been said to fear, but the truth seems to give her a sort of strength in itself, as she tells her hysterical son Chris in the last line of the play, to live forget now live finally freeing him of the obligation of living with any feeling of responsibility for Kellers suicide. Sources Needed [edit] American Dream All My Sons is a criticism of the American Dream. Joe Keller, a representative type who would be considered an ordinary American, has lived through the Depression and despite a lack of education he has been able to own a factory, which he hopes his son will inherit. However, Keller’s quest for money leads to his responsibility for the deaths of 21 American pilots. Keller has apparently achieved the American Dream he lives in a comfortable house despite being an uneducated man. Miller is emphasizing the hollowness of the American Dream and that one should think about the consequences of our actions. However, this material comfort which Keller has worked to provide his family with the very best is of little consequence. His strong family unit is an illusion his wife is ill, Chris is discontent and Larry has committed suicide as a result of his fathers narrow-minded and reprehensible decision. It is through the letter from Larry that Keller realizes that he has not only killed one son but all of his sons, a theme which is reiterated by the title of the play. In conclusion, the American Dream has become more like an American Nightmare. Chris shows moral responsibility while his father Joe shows intense family responsibility. [edit] Wartime Profiteering Another theme of All My Sons is wartime profiteering. As there were large contracts when America entered the war on two fronts, the conditions were created for what Arthur Miller described as profiteering on a vast scale. Chris Keller is particularly angry that his selflessness in fighting in the war is contrasted by the selfishness of those making money off the war. [edit] Death Death is another key theme in All My Sons. Kate Keller refuses to accept her son’s death. She denies the possibility of this death for a long time. Recognizing the death of her son would mean that she recognizes that her husband was responsible. This is an issue that constantly weighs on Kate throughout the work. The tree is a symbol that represents that Larry is still alive, and when the tree gets knocked down Kate still refuses to believe that her son is in danger. When Chris finds out his father is responsible for killing the 21 pilots, he replies I was dying every day and you were killing my boys and it is very notable Chris refers to the pilots as his boys and says I was dying every day; making them closer to himself and trying to indicate to the audience the extent of which he feels he has moral obligation to society.

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