Experimental Research – Meaning and Stages

Science revolves around experiments, and learning the best way of conducting an experiment is crucial to obtaining useful and valid results. When scientists speak of experiments, in the strictest sense of the word, they mean a true experiment, where the scientist controls all of the factors and conditions. Real world observations, and case studies, should be referred to as observational research, rather than experiments. For example, observing animals in the wild is not a true experiment, because it does not isolate and manipulate an independent variable. THE BASIS OF CONDUCTING AN EXPERIMENT With an experiment, the researcher is trying to learn something new about the world, an explanation of ‘why’ something happens. The experiment must maintain internal and external validity, or the results will be useless. When designing an experiment, a researcher must follow all of the steps of the scientific method, from making sure that the hypothesis is valid Continue reading

ERP System – Implementation Methodologies, Benefits, and Bottlenecks

ERP system is an Industry term that denotes an Information technology solution use to integrate a broad set of activities and resources in an organization. An ERP system basically helps to shape and redefine businesses in the management of vital parts of its core business. The Structure and the information that is accrued from an ERP system facilitate optimal performance necessary for attaining organizational objectives. ERP is an acronym for Enterprise Resource Planning. The main feature of an ERP system is capacity to integrate businesses through application of modern technology and relevant business management practices. The integration of business processes with new information technology is critical towards success in the world of today. This integration has been transforming businesses to operate in modern information age. Necessarily to adapt to the new information age, organizations are forced to discard the traditional way of conducting business or managing organizational resources. Advancement of information technology Continue reading

Crowdsourcing – Definition, Applications, Advantages, and Disadvantages

Since the advent of the internet and the emerging of user-generated media, for example, You Tube and Wikipedia, the process of sharing information has become an easy task, because of the great interaction tools that are provided by the internet. Currently, through the internet organizations and individuals can outsource most of their research work, market surveys, and even seek external assistance in solving critical organizational problems using processes such as crowdsourcing. Crowdsourcing was first used to determine the degree of influence of the collective mind on a single business. It is believed that crowdsourcing is the process of doing work by a variety of contractors without any contracts, in most cases, online. Unlike freelance, the use of human resources is suitable for solving more labor-intensive tasks that require a considerable number of performers and time. Thus, the most precise definition of crowdsourcing is information technology, which combines interested people and Continue reading

Benefits of Performance Appraisal

Perhaps the most significant benefit of performance appraisal is that, in the rush and bustle of daily working life, it offers a rare chance for a supervisor and subordinate to have “time out” for a one-on-one discussion of important work issues that might not otherwise be addresses. Performance Appraisal offers a valuable opportunity to focus on work activities and goals, to identify and correct existing problems, and to encourage better future performance. Thus the performance of the whole organization is enhanced. For many employees, an “official” appraisal interview may be the only time they get to have exclusive, uninterrupted access to their supervisor. Said one employee of a large organization after his first formal performance appraisal, “In twenty years of work, that’s the first time anyone has ever bothered to sit down and tell me how I’m doing.” The value of this intense and purposeful interaction between a supervisors and Continue reading

Performance-Based Budgeting – Meaning, Working, Pros, and Cons

Performance-based budgeting has been the center of reforms in both the private and the public sectors. However, a substantial ambiguity still remains on how to define and implement performance-based budgeting. A somewhat close definition is that performance-based budgeting apportions resources in accordance with specific achievement or quantifiable results. Performance budgeting can also be defined as systems of planning, budgeting, and appraisal that focuses the link between budgeted funds and the expected outcome. Therefore, performance-based budgeting links measurable performance and allocation of resources, with the capacity to state the level of achievable output with the injection of additional resources. Nevertheless, the output can never be measured accurately. Performance budgeting is result oriented in that it holds different divisions accountable to specific performance standards. This form of budgeting enhances awareness of the kind of services expected by the taxpayer. This type of budgeting is flexible since it allocates resources in a lump sum Continue reading

Understanding Different Eras of Data Analytics

Back in the 1950’s and 1970’s, the role of information systems (IS) was to support operational functions within the organization. IS was primarily used in transaction applications, involving accounting transactions. The focus was on IS efficiency and IS effectiveness. With the advent of internet and as information technology (IT) advanced over time, the methods to assess the data and the amount that could be processed increased significantly. Data became more quickly accessible and could be processed at greater speeds. This assisted organizations and managers to report and run data more effectively. Information systems have helped organizations improve their decision making process and help managers reduce the risk involved. The way in which Data Analytics field has evolved in terms of capabilities and volume is of significance. Analytics has evolved and has been perceived differently across different periods in time or eras. ANALYTICS 1.0 – THE ERA OF BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE AND TRADITIONAL Continue reading