Business Continuity Planning Pros and Cons

Business Continuity Planning Pros and Cons Advantages and Disadvantages of Business Continuity Planning In a Financial Organization under the Incident Command System Abstract This research paper is primarily focused on highlighting the specific pros and cons of a business continuity plan that is used in a financial organization under the incident management system. The advantages associated with the use of incident command systems in a BCP in any financial organization are paramount including being able to install preventive and corrective measures that can either reduce partial or complete impact in cases of disruptions. However still there exist some cons associated with its usage i.e. fast amounts of time required for its implementation, asset acquisition and in most cases the size of the organization might hinder the implementation of an incident command system. Introduction A business continuity plan is very critical in the facilitation of the smooth running of the organization or guidelines that can help reco ver from disruptions hence ensuring the provision of services even in cases of disturbances. The process focuses on assessment and identification of all the potential threats that might disrupt service delivery and their potential impacts with the aim of creating measures to ensure the resilience of the system. Technology should enable recovery of applications from disruptions and other critical data through the disaster recovery plan. An incident command system is the technical developments for a given company that entails its main functionality being to mitigate the impacts of the unforeseen incidents that can result in loss of critical data. Business continuity planning are corrective measures established in an organization or an institution to govern the daily and future activities within it (Ramakrishnan et al., 2015). These measures are for ensuring that there is smooth running of the necessary activities. Failure to establish the plan could lead to the company collapsing, l ow profit in the day to day sales or even shut down of the business which is a big loss to the business. Business continuity planning should be done to any organization that takes its customers or clients seriously. Continuous planning takes the owner of the business miles ahead of the other competitors within the same field (Heng, 2015). Advantages I. During planning the potential of the business booming up is established plus the possible weaknesses and challenges the company might face are outlined and effective solution are established in advance. II. The main advantage that any financial institution stands to gain from the use of an incident command system is the ability to identify potential threats and plan in advance hence avoiding suspension of critical financial operations. The threats might range from natural epidemics, cyber-attacks or just computer failures as a result of hardware or software issues. III. The financial organization has increased abilities to mai ntain effective coordination and to maintain the response directions. Besides, the organization can gain insights on the importance of coordination of resources and the ability to identify the incident priorities. IV. The financial institution has a good platform for testing and reviewing the most likely threat hence allowing for coordination of BCP with external stakeholders. V. The long-term use of incident command systems is an advantage in itself as it leads to gaining of experience hence I the long run will lead to higher efficiency in restoration and fast recoveries. However, the full implementation becomes a disadvantage as it is time-consuming. VI. The financial section of the organization if it implements the recovery systems well can work as a competitive advantage as it safeguards against financial losses of the organization VII. Although this is later on stipulated as a disadvantage, it can still be an advantage. Incident command system can be used to accomplish tasks that people couldn’t do in disaster – prone areas hence preventing payment disorder whereas reducing the risks associated with miscommunication between the responder. VIII. Embracing the current evolution computing technology brings efficient fast and timely delivery of the service given by the organization. This can help in record keeping and monitor the business activities. IX. Business continuity planning helps one in marking the best insurance cover that matches the criteria of business. The cover is of great help in case of disasters like fire or thefts or any other disaster that could strike the organization. X. Business continuity planning helps one building best platforms for marketing and branding of the business and products.one is in a position to establish the effective and most suitable mode of reaching out that is fault tolerant and can assure customers of uninterrupted service delivery. XI. The target audience is created. He/she is in a pos ition to outline the reach people or group one is aiming at. This helps one avoid going out of the set individuals. Disadvantages Failure to do business continuity planning one is at a significant risk of either: I. The implementation process is often considered as tedious hence requiring professionals to handle it. Besides the organization has to employ qualified personnel to handle that. No business intends to invest heavily in preparing for unknown threats as they rather wait for it to happen then defend (Systems, 2012). II. The process of using incident command systems as a business continuity planning tool is both costly and time-consuming. This may lead to over investment of funds that could have otherwise been dedicated to other business operations. III. Business collapsing or failure that is as a result of poor management skills, techniques, and evaluation techniques. Hence, one is not in a position to establish the coming danger and ends up regretting the already outcome. IV. The death of individuals could occur after the fire, building collapsing where the insurance covers have been ignored, have not been implemented by professionals or due to lack of adequate testing of the possible scenarios. Conclusions The implementation of a business continuity plan through incident command systems has been faced with numerous advantages and disadvantages. Some of the benefits include; response, recognition of threats, competitive benefits, coordination mechanisms, experience and an excellent testing platform with the option testing and reviewing. The main disadvantages include the need for specialized skills in handling the recovery systems. In addition to this, small businesses cannot implement the system as this may result in losses through maintenance cost. However, analysis of the pros and cons suggests that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. All this indicates the importance for all financial institutions to implement the incident c ommand system as part of the business continuity plan (Drennan, 2014). References Drennan, L., McConnell, A., & Stark, A. (2014). Risk and crisis management in the public sector . 2 nd ed. Routledge Taylor & Francis Group London and New York. Heng, Goh Moh. (2015) â€Å"Business Continuity Management Planning Methodology†. International Journal Of Disaster Recovery And Business Continuity , vol 6, 2015, pp. 9-16. Science And Engineering Research Support Society , doi:10.14257/ijdrbc.2015.6.02. Ramakrishnan, R. K., & Viswanathan, S. (2015). The Importance of Business Strategy in Business Continuity Planning. The Definitive Handbook of Business Continuity Management, 31-35. doi:10.1002/9781119205883.ch3 Systems, S. (2012) The CEO’s Guide to Succession Planning: Managing Risk & Ensuring Business Continuity. SSRN Electronic Journal . http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1633523

Description memo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Description memo - Essay Example Workplace statistics highlight that the best performing employee is a happy employee. For an employee to be more efficient and more productive in todays workplace environment, as market research indicates, a healthy level of communication and relaxed atmosphere is important as these contribute to levels of happiness. The entertainment centre addresses this when compared to other options like using the space as a conference room. The centre will provide a work-free environment for stress relief via access to entertainment components such as television screens with an Apple TV subscription and gaming consoles. Game tournaments will be encouraged and set up to enhance communication while keeping the work-life challenging and interesting. Bean bag chairs and recliner seats will provide comfort during breaks with the cacti and bonsai trees adding a natural feel to the centre. The headphones and individual devices such as the iPads and google glasses are aimed at satisfying the interns ent ertainment needs without compromising ambience through noise pollution. Items such as the vending machine and table tennis set serve the purpose of encouraging interaction and mild entertainment through actual physical engagement. With this critical information in mind the entertainment centre appears to be an ideal response to enhance productivity, morale and communication of the interns in the

International and pacific Asian Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

International and pacific Asian Business - Essay Example However, Deng Xiaoping’s economic reforms clearly transformed the Chinese economy with improved annual 10% growth rate of GNP in the 1980s and marked improvement in the ordinary people’s standard of living (Minami, 1994, P.1). Plan and intention To achieve viable economic growth, the Chinese government lays economic blue prints for its economic developments in phases of five-year plan, which is implemented with specific targets and goals in place. Based on this model, the 9th Five-Year Plan (1996-2000) was quite successful, and the 10th Five-Year Plan (2001-2005) was rolled out with main objectives of â€Å"Sustaining fairly rapid growth, strategic restructuring, and improving the quality and benefits of economic growth so as to lay firm foundations for doubling the 2000 GDP by 2010† (China-un, 2008). This is in addition to â€Å"substantial perfection of the socialist market economy and putting state-owned enterprises on a modern enterprise footing, thus allowi ng greater participation in international cooperation and competition† (China-un, 2008). ... First, the government is very active in national planning and implementation, guided by the largely free economy via sophisticated and powerful monetary and fiscal policies. Secondly, the Japanese way of linking largely private ownership of assets with conservative public-spirited management, especially the role of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) coordinates national industrial policies consistent with economic and social growth (Nationsencyclopedia, 2011). It is the responsibility of MITI to identify and develop industries targeted for Japan economic growth at different times as deemed appropriate through evaluation. Role of culture in the economic development (Confucianism and Guanxi) Culture influences business practices worldwide thereby affecting business management systems in different countries. For China, the traditional Chinese culture is very much involved in most aspects of the society to extent it influences the business management system and the b usiness community at large. For Chinese, in their management system, they tend to be more hierarchical, collectivistic, and context-oriented when compared with westerners, implying that different communication styles are used in Chinese society (Cleland, & Gareis, 2006, P.23-3). Unlike the westerners, the Chinese value interpersonal relationships a lot. The very important aspect of interpersonal relationship value is guanxi (personal relationship or personal connection), that define the basic force that holds the personalized network of influence (Cleland & Gareis, 2006, P.23-3). Guanxi is a major cultural and social part of the Chinese society affecting many areas of Chinese daily life even in the present China. It is products of Confucian values and contemporary

To what extend can it be said that the 'West' won the Cold War Essay

To what extend can it be said that the 'West' won the Cold War - Essay Example Other affiliates of these regimes and several scholars have made identical claims, which are turning out to be, as emphasised by Ralph Summy & Michael Salla (1995) in their prelude, an ‘emergent orthodoxy’ (ibid, p. xv). The objective of this essay is to analyse the extent of the victory of the United State in the Cold War in the light of the logical essence of such claims. There are great difficulties contained in the modus operandi ‘winning the Cold War’ (Cohen 1995). The foremost is uncertainty about the extent of the claim, as the mentions of Reagan and Bush suggest, since victory in 1989 implied something distinct from victory in 1992, when the USSR had disintegrated and Gorbachev had been dethroned (Philips 2001). The next and interrelated difficulty is ambiguity about the real description of the Cold War. ‘Winning the Cold War’ is a very debatable principle since it can be understood as a moral excuse for all the defence and foreign polic ies of the Reagan administration—for instance, military involvement in Nicaragua during Reagan’s term, a tactic which foresaw perhaps combating and winning a major war and unparalleled budgets for peacetime military (Painter 1999). The concept of ‘winning’ also seems to justify the rules of aiming for military supremacy and arbitrations from strength, which may be catastrophic as shown. Did the United States Really Win the Cold War? Before attempting to evaluate the influence of the Reagan regime, it has to be explained first what was involved in the end of the Cold War, by determining the major components in the strategy of Gorbachev after 1985 and the unforeseen results of the course of internal and external reform. The policy reforms of Gorbachev occurred in four major domains; in each instance the policy acquired impetus and became more revolutionary commencing around 1987 (Geoffrey 2008). Primarily, the Soviet administration commenced after 1985 to re form features of its military strategy viewed as particularly hostile by the West, and at the same time to alter its method of arms control (Suri 2002). Gorbachev embarked on reassessing military principle, pioneering the notion of ‘reasonable sufficiency at the nuclear level’ (Juviler & Kimura 2009, 139) which indicates that ‘lower nuclear weapons levels would be required’ (ibid, 139) and advancing toward ‘defensive defence at the conventional level’ (Juviler & Kimura 2009, 140), in an effort to suppress the apprehensions of the West about surprise assault. The large-scale change in arms control strategy was recommended by the spectacular suggestions formed at the Reykavik summit convention in 1986 and agreed upon during the 1987 Intermediate Nuclear Forces (INF) arbitrations, when the Soviet party suggested an extraordinary eagerness to agree on thorough on-site inspection and bigger reductions in its arsenal than those mandated of the United States (Lefler & Westad 2010). The address of Gorbachev at the 1988 United Nations, when he assured considerable unilateral cuts in Soviet arsenals and combatants in European Russia and East Germany, expressed the gravity of his determination to reduce armed forces (Juviler & Kimura 2009). Subsequently, Gorbachev indicated a reform in the ideological scope and proclaimed objectives of Soviet foreign policy, distancing from an idea of global class conflict toward a more broad-minded idea of peace and alliance. Propaganda about peace had contributed in Soviet policy beforehand,

Photography And Social Networking Media Essay

Photography And Social Networking Media Essay Photo sharing  is the publishing or transfer of a users  digital photos  online, thus enabling the user to share them with others (publicly or privately). This function is provided through both websites and applications that facilitate the upload and display of images. The term can also be loosely applied to the use of online photo galleries that are set up and managed by individual users, including  photoblogs. Sharing means that other users can view but not necessarily download the photos, users being able to select different copyright options. The first photo sharing sites originated during the mid to late 1990s primarily from services providing online ordering of prints (photo finishing), but many more came into being during the early 2000s with the goal of providing permanent and centralized access to a users photos.  Webshots,  Yahoo! Photos  and  Flickr  were among the first. (Warren, 2002) A selfie is a picture that people taken of themselves that would be uploaded to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or any other sort of social networking website. Since nineteen century, self-portraiture had been so popular. But it is hard for the lower class to get a self-portraiture. High quality built-in cameras in smartphones and picture-enhancing apps which is easily to access are making selfies a common form of self-expression among social network users nowadays. (Hourihan, 2002) MySpace has received a significant amount of negative attention from the media and many concerned adults, who point to several isolated incidents where predators have contacted, become involved with and even assaulted adolescents whom they met through the popular social networking web site. Furthermore, concerned parents have expressed discontent with the amount and type of personal and private information youth seem to reveal on their profile pages. In 2006, the authors performed an extensive content analysis of approximately 2423 randomly sampled adolescent MySpace profiles, and found that the vast majority of youth were making responsible choices with the information they shared online. In this follow-up study, the authors revisited the profiles one year later to examine the extent to which the content had changed. Though exceptions occur, youth are increasingly exercising discretion in posting personal information on MySpace and more youth are limiting access to their profile. Mo reover, a significant number of youth appear to be abandoning their profiles or MySpace altogether. (Krishnamurthy, 2002) A recent national survey revealed that 51% of 600 Facebook users are more conscious about their body image after viewing pictures on the social network fuelling fears that social media can negatively affect users self-esteem. According to Doctor Harry Brandt (2012), claims that Facebook is making it easier for people to spend more time and energy criticizing their own bodies and wishing they looked like someone else. Facebook allows us to view our friends pictures and statuses, but this can lead to some of us making unhealthy comparisons between ourselves and others on Facebook. In fact, just over half of the 600 Facebook users surveyed agree that they compare their life to that of their friends when they read status updates and see pictures posted. Doctor Harry Brandt also states that with constant access to the internet it is difficult for people to remove themselves from images and other triggers that lower self-esteem. People make comparisons between themselves and others offline but online we are continually exposed to these images. It probably doesnt help that research shows Facebook users usually post and tag photos of themselves at their best body shape and clothes. The risk is that Facebook is creating an avenue for individuals to compare themselves to others in a detrimental fashion and by doing so poses a serious threat to their users self-esteem. Social network plays a large part in our everyday lives for the majority. the survey showed that 80% of the 600 people surveyed log into Facebook at least once a day. Those who use Facebook frequently are constantly surrounded by images and statuses which could lower their self-esteem. In another study the University of Houston found that there was a link between the amount of time college students spent on Facebook and depressive symptoms. Its not just the amount of time that we spend on using social media that can have an effect on our self-esteem, the number of friends we have on Social media could also have an impact. According to Psychologist Mudra India Muskesh (2000) you should have no more than 354 friends on Facebook. In Mukeshs study those who had just viewed status updates gave themselves lower ratings and those with over 354 friends felt more inadequate in comparison to those with less friends. Is having more friends on Facebook allows people to make more comparisons between themselves and others? Mukesh states that being continually informed of others achievements can make people feel worse about themselves. The above research has shown that using social networks can affect our self-esteem and suggests theres a correlative relationship. Nevertheless, it isnt clear if social networks are creating new self-esteem issues or exacerbating existing ones. Food blogging typically represents a complex interweaving of foodie or gourmet interest in cooking, blog writing and photography. Most food blogs use photos taken by the author and some accounts of food blogging seem to focus on photography in particular: Food bloggers tend to write about travel and restaurants as well as publish domestic food diaries and their own recipes (Robinson, 2009). Some also write cook book reviews. Thus multiple aspects of consumer culture are reflected in writing that draws also on genres from the professional media such as cookery writing, restaurant and book reviewing and travel writing. Food blogging, like mews blogging, seems to reflect a shift from media consumption to production. (DeSolier, 2006) Food blogging is part of a wider growth in forms of writing about food (Brien, 2007), a topic that can be the locus of personal, physical and emotional matters, including concerns about health, well-being and self-esteem and can also engage with global concerns around environmental issues and community building (Brien, 2007). However, much blogging about food specifically reflects foodie culture (Watson et al., 2008). Foodies focus on the aesthetic and the sensual appreciation of food as a form of claim to cultural distinction (De Solier, 2006). Thus Watson et al.s (2008) analysis of one food blog sees it as part of the bloggers search for personal significance and identity through skilled consumption experiences, shared with a community of consumption, other bloggers. Stebbins (2009) recent work has argued that : Consumption and leisure have common ground but are separate worlds, here the two merge. Complex, sustained practices around inventing recipes, making food, appreciating the results, writing about food, and taking pictures combine consumer consumption (food, internet use) and a serious leisure pursuit. In Grant McCrackens (1988) terms, photos can be a tool for displacing meanings that are too fragile and tenuous to be contained in the here and now. By instead claiming these identity statements in the there and then of the tourists travels, they become less subject to interrogation and less demanding of verification. Research also find that, despite the narrative that the tourist photographer imagines delivering at some future time, these tales wind up being more internal tales told to the self than ever finding an audience outside of the immediate family. Our tourist photos are nevertheless selectively taken and retained with an intended audience in mind and are a conscious attempt to manipulate our self-image (Crang, 1999). E-mailed photos as well as photo sharing sites like Flickr and social networking sites, blogs, and web pages may have some greater success in reaching an audience (Schau and Gilly, 2003), and a few of us may also bring selected images to our workplace (Tian and Belk, 2005). According to Rodzvilla (2002) : The fact remains that with the ease of taking photos and the sense of purpose that it gives us to photograph our touristic sights, not to mention the escalating proliferation of photos that result, most of the world will little note, long remember, nor even encounter the self productions we have in mind when we record these images. And as these images become more numerous and more ephemeral in their digital forms, it may well be that we ourselves will never see them again either.

Humorous Wedding Toast by the Brides Brother Essay -- Wedding Toasts

Humorous Wedding Toast by the Bride's Brother Good evening Ladies and Gentlemen. Firstly, on behalf of the bridesmaids, I'd like to thank Mike for his kind words and reiterate how wonderful they look and what a fantastic job they have done today. I would also like to say that Sallie looks stunning - as I'm sure you'll all agree. Which really isn't that much of a surprise given we are related. Sallie is of course my sister, so I've known her much longer than I've known Mike. But I have been sternly warned not to delve into any of her terrible past relationships, her horrible pre- and post-teen attitude, her early problems with alcohol and the short spell she spent in a Singapore jail for drug trafficking. Instead, all I'll say is that, as I have seen her grow up, she has become...

Cure for Aids Case to How to Distribute

Mykon’s Dilemma When I discovered the cure for AIDS, I was so excited. I was finally going to make medical history and I was going to be known for saving so many lives. I never thought I would be sitting before this board about to make the hardest decision of my life. As you all know there are pressures from every angle for me to make a decision that is best for our company and for the whole world. I wish that I could say that this decision is easy, like every other medication decision we have made in the past.I am regretful that I will not be able to make everyone happy and that I feel I have been given the power to determine who will live and who will not. I have come to the decision that I will only release 85% percent of the available Sprattalin and will scale back the production so that in time we will be able to help more people. The focus of this medication, at this time, will be only on those patients who are asymptomatic HIV positive. These patients will see the most benefits and will be an asset to the society and economy.Since I became CEO, I have made it my mission to do what is best not only for our company, but for our consumers and the help in the world that we currently do not help. So many of us have different ideas and suggestions as to how we could and should distribute Sprattalin. I understand all the ideas and angles that have been presented here, but I feel that we need to keep in line with the mission of this company. I personally follow the theorist Immanuel Kant. Kant is the founder of Kantian Ethics, which believes that everyone should be bound by the same duties and rules.There are three principles associated with this theory; Universizability, respect for people, and categorical imperatives. The jest of it is that you have to be able to accept and comply with the same rules that you would put on everyone else. I wish that I could follow this theory in my business practice, but I simply cannot. I have to think about everyone in volved, including my shareholders and stakeholders of the company. In this particular situation I would follow John Rawls’ theory of Egalitarianism. This particular theory is about equality.He has three main principles under this theory; Veil of Ignorance, Equal Opportunity, and Difference Principle. It is the Difference Principle that I am applying to this situation. I cannot help everyone that I would like, but giving those that cannot afford the medication some, is better than giving them none. I have been presented with a global summary of the HIV/AIDS epidemic as of December 2007. The numbers that I have received do not indicate how many of the people living with the disease in 2007 have HIV or full blown AIDS.I will only distribute to the Asymptomatic HIV patients, because they have the greatest chance of living a normal life expectancy. This is the Utilitarian theory, but as I cannot help everyone that I would like, it is not the main theory that can be used to support my decision. I know that many will not agree with this, but will distribute Sprattalin in a manner that will try to take care of everyone. I will first increase the prices by $2. 00 for all over-the-counter medications that we sell. I will then raise the costs of our prescription medications by two percent.The extra proceeds that are generated by the slight price increase will in effect subsidize the costs of Sprattalin that will be given away to low-income and third world countries. I would like to first start selling Sprattalin in the United States and Europe. These two places can afford to purchase our medications and try to help recoup the amount spent on research and development. I will not allow all of the available medication to go to these countries. I know it costs us $20,000 to produce one dosage of the medication and we will sell it for $80,000 in those two countries.I know that this is a steep price, but if countries are willing to pay way more than that for Sprattalin, then I want us to be able to help more people. Two months after the release in the United States and in Europe, I will start to release it to lower income countries. Africa unfortunately will be the last. They have the highest infected population, but are the poorest region. I know that many countries have tried to help stop the spread of HIV/AIDS in that region and they seem to still spread it to more people than die every year. They need additional help to ease the number of people becoming infected.Once Africa begins to receive Sprattalin, some of it will have to be paid for, but most of theirs will come from the price increases of the other medications that we sell. This is so that we can maintain our mission of helping the most people, but maintaining our profits to ensure that our investors stay happy. The reason behind not providing Sprattalin to full blown AIDS patients is because, I can only help fewer of those people and those people have already been battling it for year s. I feel great sympathy for these people and wish that I could help, but I want to help as many people as possible.I know that if I was one of those patients who could have benefited from Sprattalin, I will be pushing to supply me the medication and save my life. I cannot hide behind John Rawls veil of ignorance, because I do not have AIDS or HIV and I cannot imagine what those people are going through. My choices came from several factors that are prevalent to the determination of distribution. First was the company profits, without the investors, I would not have been able to make the discovery, but to the investors, I only ask for patience as this company deals with the costs and losses that may occur.We will find a way to create this medication in the lab so that the costs can be reduced and so that we can produce more Sprattalin. Cultural environment is also prevalent in this decision, because Africa, which in not only the most infected and the poorest, but they are the least educated on the spread of the disease and the ways to prevent transmission of the disease. In 2007 1. 7 million people were infected and 1. 6 million people died from it. I believe that this area of the world needs more help than we, as a company, can provide.I know that discussing Africa in this manner may seem bias to some of you, but it is the cold hard facts, upon which I relied my decision. Mykon has responsibility to try to provide to everyone in the world the lifesaving medication, and though personally I really want to help those in the lower-income countries with the highest rates, I have to think about the longevity of the company, which employs a lot of people. It is here where I had to determine what corporate social responsibility our company will commit to.I know that Milton Freidman would say that I should only think about the company and the company’s profits, but at the same time I want to help everyone. It is for all of these reasons that I have chosen to pr ovide the medication to those patients whom are asymptomatic HIV and not to those who are full blown. Hopefully throughout the next few years, our company will be able to come up with a way to generate more of the medication. The 15% of the available medication that I am keeping for the company is to be used to help regenerate the fungi growth, so that in three years we still have the medication to pass around.