Purpose of the Study
Gender stereotypes are frequently discussed by theorists and psychologists around the whole world. People make their decisions, develop relations, choose jobs, or even get married thinking that they take all steps on their free will and promote financial security (Aluko, 2015).
However, plenty of women cannot even guess how dependent on stereotypes they are. Helgeson (2015) admits that implicit stereotypes are crucial in human life. In addition to the fact that people may think that it is normal to provide women with lower salaries than men, women themselves could believe that it is normal to get low salaries and stay satisfied with the opportunities got (Helgeson, 2015).
Therefore, the main purpose of this paper is to explain the role of stereotypes and their misunderstanding by people. It can be achieved by discussing the ways of how stereotypes predetermine a human life and a female life, in particular, explaining the approaches that can change the situation, and defining the power of stereotypes.
Research Methodology
Two main methods, interviews, and focus group discussions are going to be used in the phenomenological model of the study. First, it is necessary to interview a certain number of women and ask them several open-ended questions (will be mentioned below) to get more information about their experience, their opinions, and their thoughts about stereotypes. During the interviews, the researcher should not only record the conversations but also get ready to make notes about the emotions, mimics, or other behavioral changes of the interviewees.
The interviews should be organized in a favorable environment (free lightroom with several windows, tables, and comfortable chairs). Women should be eager to share their experiences and feel comfortable during conversations. The researcher may ask some provocative questions to clarify some details of the situations described by a participant.
In comparison to interviews, focus group discussions involve more participants at the same time. Women are gathered into groups of four and ask to share their experiences and the possible challenges they face as women in society. The questions are similar to those asked during the interviews. Still, they can be modified regarding the situations to get in-depth answers and thoughts.
Population and Sample
American women aged between 17 and 35 will be interviewed for this study to learn their understanding of their duties, possibilities, and current challenges. It is expected to get the answers from 12 women that visit the same college (students, teachers, and other college workers or their family members).
Sampling Procedures
Diverse sampling is offered to make sure women of different ages with different education, ethnicity, marital and socio-economic statuses are involved in the study. The main inclusion and exclusion criteria for the participants are:
- 4 female students between 17 and 20 years of different races;
- 4 female teachers between 25-35 years of different races;
- 2 college female workers between 30-35 years of different races;
- 2 accidental visitors of the college (family members) between 17 and 35 years (one white female and one black female), who do not have work.
It is very important to find people of different ages with different or no jobs to focus on different aspects of gender stereotypes. The participants are asked several open-ended questions. Then, they are offered to participate in forum discussions (3 randomly-organized groups of four women).
Data Collection Procedures
- Choose and invite appropriate female participants;
- Find a room for interviews and forum discussions;
- Interview each of 12 female participants face-to-face;
- Record communication and ask for permission to take notes during interviews;
- Divide participants into three groups and record their discussions (and make notes if something important should be underlined);
- After the discussions, listen to the recordings and compare the answers obtained from the interviews in a table;
- Listen to the discussions recordings and underline the main similar and different points;
- Make sure all details and in-depth thoughts are identified.
Guiding Interview Questions
The following questions will help to gather enough information about the factors that may affect the development of female attitudes to gender-related issues:
- What are your age, background education, material status, and current job?
- Do you believe that stereotypes influence human life? How does it happen?
- Have you ever faced situations when men were appreciated more than women in the workplace? Describe them.
- Do you believe that some work is for men only, and some work is for women only? Give several examples.
- What do the men of your family think about the role of women in today’s society? Do you agree with their points?
- In what way do you want to change the way of how women are treated at workplaces?
- What gender-related issues influence your life?
- In what way do you want to change the role of stereotypes in today’s society?
Other Data Collection Procedures
It is expected to surf the web and read female forums to understand what bothers today’s women the most. There are many credible sources to find online. The main rationale for the choice of online forums is the possibility to register on thematic forums in a short period and to find information on different topics that may be interesting to women. Such alternative data should help to identify if women comprehend that many factors may predetermine their attitudes towards gender-related issues, and if they are ready to deal with them to improve their living and working conditions, cooperation with men, and the abilities to earn more taking into consideration their personal experience and knowledge but not their sexual characteristics.
References
Aluko, Y.A. (2015). Re-evaluating the empowerment potential of women’s paid work. International Journal of Gender and Women’s Studies, 3(2), 190-201.
Helgeson, V. (2015). Psychology of gender. New York, NY: Psychology Press.
Value-Driven Healthcare And Reimbursement Programs
Value-driven health care strives to link reimbursement and quality of services provided to patients. The policymakers leverage public reporting as a way to improve care quality, making information open and accessible for all. For example, according to the recent research conducted by Kavanagh, Cimiotti, Abusalem, and Coty (2012), reporting strategies include standardization and coalition with both public and private organizations. Among the measures to report, there are cost, quality, surveys, and other information that may be interesting and useful to employers and employees. Performance measurement is to be collected from health plans and care providers and translated into standard requirements in terms of the quality-based purchases.
As for value-based payments, it is essential to mention pay-for-performance programs (P4P), which focus on the most critical problems to determine the amount of reimbursement. At this point, two different approaches may be noted. The first one targets individual caregivers, thus creating strong associations between performance and incentives. The second approach aims to consider hospital systems and groups and motivates them to behavioral change by bonuses and empowerment (Kavanagh et al., 2012).
The initiative by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) makes reimbursement information open for inpatient and outpatient care. The payment list covers all services and procedures, which are available at a certain hospital. It should also be noted that some states provide performance bonus payments. In general, payment reward for high quality includes reimbursement for improvements, threshold meetings, as well as some other activities and incentives. The direct incentive-based strategies involve the following three mechanisms: tiered premiums or copayments (aligning quality and performance with copayment), pay-for-performance (rewarding for quality enhancement), and centers of excellence (selecting the best performers).
References
Kavanagh, K. T., Cimiotti, J. P., Abusalem, S., & Coty, M. B. (2012). Moving healthcare quality forward with nursing‐sensitive value‐based purchasing. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 44(4), 385-395.
Accenture Consulting Services’ Strategic Information Systems
Introduction
Strategic information systems (SIS) are structures developed in response to the business initiative of a given company. The networks play a number of roles in contemporary organisations. According to Newman (2006), the primary purpose of the system is to give organisations a competitive advantage over its rivals in the market. Gallaugher (2010) is of the view that SISs are computer applications that help companies in the implementation of their business strategies.
They are put in place in a manner that will make them have a positive impact on the corporation’s products and business operations. The concept was introduced in 1982 by Dr. Charles Wiseman. Over the years, a number of information systems have been developed to suit the needs of modern firms. According to Hussain et al. (2008), most SISs act as ‘support activities’ for organisations. The reason for this is that they improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the firm. In addition, they are used to control operations. Due to these capabilities, information systems have become a fundamental part of companies today.
In this paper, the author will critically evaluate the ways in which strategic information systems generate value for contemporary organisations. To provide a detailed and comprehensive analysis of the SISs, the writer will use Accenture Consulting Services Company as an example of a corporation that uses the applications to gain a competitive advantage. The paper will also provide relevant information about the company. Such data will include its purpose, mission, objectives, trading value, strategies, and products offered. In addition, information regarding the list of systems used, the names of chief officers, and future direction for the organisation will be provided.
An Overview of Accenture Consulting Services Company
Accenture is an international management consultancy services company. It has its headquarters in Dublin, Ireland. The organisation is the largest consulting firm in the world based on annual revenues. In terms of branches and workforce, the corporation operates in more than 200 cities in 120 countries. It also has an estimated 373,000 employees (Long, Jacques & Kepos 2006). Since its formation, the company has recorded significant success in its operations. It has managed to maintain a competitive edge over its rivals in the global market. As a result, the firm has received numerous awards and honours. For example, in 2014, Accenture was ranked number one in the provision of Worldwide Cloud Professional Services. The table in appendix 1 shows the products offered by the company.
A number of factors are associated with the company’s success. One of them is the firm’s optimisation of its potentials. In addition, Accenture makes use of different resources, such as SISs, in its operations. Over the years, Accenture has managed to interconnect its resources and capabilities as an organisation to create new value (Newman 2006). The table in appendix 2 shows the firm’s trading value and share capital (Investor relations 2016).
A Review of the Strategic Information Systems used by Accenture Company
Overview
The operations of Accenture are based on sound purpose, mission, and objectives guidelines. Consequently, the company has managed to maintain its leadership position in the industry. The guidelines also help the management to uphold consistency in professional outsourcing services as a brand. The corporation has invested a lot of resources in efforts to ensure that its employees understand and meet the set goals and objectives (Newman 2006). To mechanise operations and help employees address the demands of the clients, Accenture incorporates a number of strategic information systems into its operations. Appendix 3 shows the purpose, mission, and objectives of the organisation.
Digital Outsourcing
For a long time, Accenture used conventional consulting, technology, and outsourcing means of operation. However, the company rebranded in 2013 and incorporated modern digital outsourcing system into its business activities. The new mode of information system helps companies gain a higher competitive advantage over their rivals by ensuring that they capture more opportunities online (Pearlson & Saunders 2013).
The figure below is an illustration of a conventional digital outsourcing network:
Through the use of the digital outsourcing platform, Accenture has been able to effectively implement Porter’s competitive forces model and strategy. In their framework, Porter identifies the primary types of competitive advantages. They include differentiation, focused strategy, and low-cost production. By adopting the digital outsourcing platform as a strategic information system, Accenture delivers low-cost services with higher value to its clients (Investor relations 2016). Consequently, the company manages to stay ahead of its rivals in the business. Long, Jacques and Kepos (2014) note that the digital platform is operated by more than 27,000 IT staff. The workforce and the online podium ensure that services are readily available to clients all over the world.
Digital Follower and Transformer
Accenture has expanded and shaped its business operations by focusing on different digital strategies. The approach has helped the customers served by the company to target and evaluate the value opportunities that a digital interference can generate in the industry. According to Newman (2006), the information technology approaches employed by Accenture are aligned with the company’s business strategies. As a result, the company can effectively attain the set organisational goals. Appendix 4 is an illustration of the strategies adopted by Accenture.
The two primary strategic information systems employed by Accenture to help in the realisation of its corporate goals and generate value are digital transformer and follower. The main function of the digital transformer is to capitalise on the opportunities made available through digital interference (Hunter 2010). On its part, the follower is designed to optimise the activities of the corporation. Integration of the two strategic information systems enables Accenture to gauge the connection between its competitive position and company activities. In addition, the systems help the firm to analyse the value that each operation carried out by the organisation adds to the service line (Investor relations 2016).
Application Programming Interface
Application Programming Interface (API) is an information system developed through a partnership between Accenture and Apigee (Saunders 2015). The primary function of the software is to help the clients create mobile platforms with apps. The figure below illustrates the use of a conventional API:
By adopting the information system, Accenture has been able to enhance its relationship with customers. In addition, the organisation has developed a stronger global alliance to provide solutions that help customers build applications and connect to enterprise systems.
Piccoli (2012) is of the opinion that APIs are gaining popularity in the world. The reason is that they allow corporations to simplify the integration of mobile applications. In addition, the systems hasten the conception of digital services. As a result of the APIs, Accenture has managed to expand its services and take advantage of the fast-growing market. Consequently, the company has been able to generate more value and maintain a competitive edge in the industry (Rainey 2006).
Accenture Interactive
Accenture Interactive is a strategic information system that enables the company to generate value through the effective delivery of digital services. It also helps the company to improve its customer care and sales (Velte, Velte & Elsenpeter 2008). By adopting the system, the company is able to provide clients with cutting edge and first-class digital solutions. In addition, the organisation applies the system to handle and manage the extensive growth of its digital content. The process enhances the production and distribution activities, adding more value to the corporation (Poniatowski 2010).
Guilt Factor
Guilt Factor is a strategic information system used to reduce travel expenses and enhance organisational productivity through the optimisation of human resource (Saunders 2015). The system produces a ‘travel summary’ Accenture’s employees at the personal portal home page of every travelling member of staff. The software provides the organisation with information regarding expenditure on, among others, airfare.
For example, the system shows the details of aeroplane tickets booked without taking into consideration the set policies (Corporate development & growth: service overview 2016). The capabilities of the software have helped the company to eradicate first-class international travels paid for against the organisation’s guidelines. At Accenture, workers below the senior manager and executive grade are required to fly economy class. The table in appendix 5 indicates the list of Accenture’s chief officers.
The guilt factor has increased the value of the organisation. For example, the company has been able to cut down on training costs and increase productivity and agility (Cassidy 1998).
SAP HANA
SAP HANA is a strategic information system used by Accenture for a number of purposes. It is applied to enhance business analytics, compel standardisation, and increase the efficiency of operations across the globe. In addition, the system accelerates the speed of reporting and lays the foundation for better decision making processes. To remain competitive and relevant in the business world, companies should use modern integrated systems that facilitate the effective use of data (Tomlinson 2010). SAP HANA is easy to maintain. It provides Accenture with additional business insights. As such, the system helps the company to generate value and maintain a competitive edge in the industry.
The Use of Technology and the Future Direction of Accenture
The management team at Accenture considers strategic planning and the use of information systems to be important to the firm’s business processes. In addition, the company believes in the improvement of traditional strategies and processes. Over the years, Accenture has used technology to develop inclusive methodologies of strategy formulation that ensure organisational success (Corporate development & growth: service overview 2016). Appendix 6 shows the systems used by Accenture.
The future direction of Accenture entails the development of SISs through the adoption of traditional wargaming theories and scenario planning. The aim is to help the company develop better competitive strategies with a wide range of alternatives. Appendix 7 is a copy of Accenture’s use of technology and future direction.
Conclusion
It is noted that SISs help companies realise their set goals and generate value. The systems enable organisations to change their goals, modes of operation, and products. In addition, SISs are essential in the development and enhancement of environmental relationships. Accenture uses a number of SISs to increase its value by customising products, improving reliability, and modifying business strategies and structures.
Appendix
Appendix 1: Accenture’s products
| Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) |
| Application Outsourcing |
| Oracle Solutions |
| Consulting |
| Outsourcing Services |
| Software as a Service |
Appendix 2: Accenture’s trading value and share capital
Valuation Measures
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Financial Highlights
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Appendix 3: The purpose, objectives, and mission of Accenture
| Purpose/Objective | Mission |
| To fulfil the vision of improving the way the world works and lives. | To become one of the leading Corporations in the world. |
Appendix 4: Accenture’s strategies
| Strategy |
|
Appendix 5: Accenture’s employees
| Officer Name | Position |
| Pierre Nanterme | Chairman and CEO |
| David P. Rowland | Chief Financial Officer |
| Jo Deblaere | Chief Operating Officer |
| Omar Abbosh | Chief Strategy Officer |
| Gianfranco Casati | Group Chief Executive-Growth Markets |
| Paul Daugherty | Chief Technology Officer |
| Bhaskar Ghosh | Group Chief Executive- Accenture Technology Services |
| Chad T. Jerdee | General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer |
| Mark A. Knickrehm | Group Chief Executive-Accenture Strategy |
Appendix 6: Accenture’s systems
| Systems used by Accenture |
| Digital Outsourcing |
| Digital follower and transformer |
| API |
| Accenture Interactive |
| Guilt Factor |
| SAP HANA |
Appendix 7: A press release
Corporate development & growth: Service overview
Accenture helps senior executives develop and implement sustainable competitive strategies successfully.
Overview
At Accenture, we still believe that strategic planning is important, however, refinements to traditional strategy processes are needed in light of the current business environment.
Our new global economic reality has important business implications in several key areas; customer values and buying behaviour has changed substantially, power dynamics in the value chain continue to shift, and the competitive landscape is also different. In addition, new financial and environmental regulations threaten to distort existing markets.
While there have been dramatic shifts in the “normal operating environment”, we believe the fundamentals of strategic planning still apply. Tactical decisions should always be aligned with a high-level strategic plan based on clear objectives. While reactive strategies might work in the short-term, it is the long-term strategies that will generate, and ensure sustainable value creation well into the future.
Why Accenture
We help companies develop a more comprehensive approach to strategy formulation that accounts for their ambition and risk tolerance, helping them to choose among the wide range of options they face, enabling them to align their organizations with their chosen strategy and allowing them to measure their performance against their strategic goals and make adjustments as needed.
Our rigorous approach—which includes our next generation wargaming methodology: a combination of traditional wargaming theory and scenario planning—helps to ensure management develops and implements an agile, actionable and outcomes-oriented competitive strategy which takes into account a wide range of future alternatives. Our experience shows organizations will implement a much higher proportion of competitive recommendations resulting from our approach to corporate development in contrast to more traditional approaches.
Our deep skills and broad experience across strategy, coupled with our ability to deliver on a global scale, provide you with practical solutions that will help you to shape and execute your corporate direction — balancing risk with reward and opportunity with uncertainty — ensuring that you have the right strategy and the right planning mechanisms in place to allow you to compete successfully in a volatile marketplace.
References
Cassidy, A 1998, A practical guide to information systems strategic planning, St. Lucie Press, Boca Raton, FL.
Corporate development & growth: service overview. 2016. Web.
Gallaugher, J 2010, Information systems, Flat World Knowledge, Nyack, NY.
Hunter, M 2010, Strategic information systems: concepts, methodologies, tools, and applications, Information Science Reference, Hershey, PA.
Hussain, Z, Greasley, A, Laudon, K & Chaffey, D. 2008. Strategic information systems, Pearson, Harlow.
Investor relations. 2016. Web.
Long, S, Jacques, D & Kepos, P 2014, International directory of company histories, St. James Press, Detroit, MI.
Newman, N 2006, Vault guide to the top 50 management and strategy consulting firms, Vault, New York, NY.
Pearlson, K & Saunders, C 2013, Managing and using information systems: a strategic approach, John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, NJ.
Piccoli, G 2012, Essentials of information systems for managers, John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, NJ.
Poniatowski, M 2010, Foundation of green IT: consolidation, virtualisation, efficiency, and ROI in the data centre, Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ.
Rainey, D 2006, Sustainable business development: inventing the future through strategy, innovation, and leadership, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Saunders, C 2015, Business development with information systems, Wiley & Sons, New York.
Tomlinson, B 2010, Greening through IT: information technology for environmental sustainability, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA.
Velte, T, Velte, A & Elsenpeter, R 2008, Green IT: reduce your information system’s environmental impact while adding to the bottom line, McGraw-Hill, New York.