Recent orders

List five benefits and drawbacks to strategic outsourcing. You may use any mix of benefits and drawbacks in your response.

Management (Take Home Final Exam)

Presented by

Institution

Section A

Question three

List five benefits and drawbacks to strategic outsourcing. You may use any mix of benefits and drawbacks in your response.

Benefits

Strategic outsourcing increases the profitability of an organization by enabling effective distribution of resources. Outsourcing ensures a firm acquires new experts from other companies who use their knowledge in increasing productivity within the assigned departments.

An organization becomes more flexible and can easily adapt to changing market situations hence achieving a competitive advantage. When an organization contracts another organization, it makes its operations more flexible by learning new methods of conducting businesses to achieve a competitive advantage.

The transparency of the company is enhanced as people focus more on core competencies.

The organization gets access to skilled expertise

It ensures better risk management whereby an organization can easily take control of risks by using contractors to highlight them and advice on their mitigation measures

Drawbacks

Outsourcing encourages loss of managerial control in an organization

When an organization signs a contract with another company to perform the functions of a certain department, the management and control of that particular department turns falls in the hands of the outsourced company. This leads to the contracting company losing managerial control over some areas.

High hidden costs

Once an outsourcing company is contracted, it performs all assigned duties covered in the contract while the contracting company caters for other extra costs in line with the contract. The extra costs slowdown implementation of organization’s strategic plans.

Loss of organization’s strategic alignment

An organization fond of outsourcing other companies is unable to carry out its strategic processes because it always depends on others for business advices. In addition, the management lacks quality strategic commands when it comes to implementing changes aimed at increasing company profitability.

An organization experiences poor quality control

Strategic outsourcing decreases the control in an organization because, many essential operations are conducted by the contracted companies. In addition, the organization has difficulties organizing its employees especially those under the contracted company.

Decreased company loyalty

Strategic outsourcing makes an organization lose its loyalty. Other companies who used to transact businesses with the organization minimize their interaction.

Question four

Explain the differences between related and unrelated diversification. And provide an example of each?

Related diversification takes place when an organization expands its existing product lines and business (Braksick, 2007). For example, a phone company might decide a strategy of diversifying its services introducing wireless gadgets and services such as wireless internet through purchasing a company offering wireless services. On the other hand, unrelated diversification occurs when occurs when an organization introduces a new product lines or market different from its core business activities. For example, the same phone company could decide on starting a broadcasting station for both television and radio programs.

Question 5

A diversification strategy can increase firm profitability, list only five means

Reducing risks of failure

Diversification allows an organization to depend on many customers and loss of one customer does not introduce any risks of failure.

Decreased pricing pressures

The Company has the capability of maintaining its prices because of a wide range of customers to choose from.

Increased organizational competitiveness

Diversification allows an organization to focus many hence giving an opportunity for growth and development. The company therefore; ends up increasing its competitive advantage

Diversification increases firm performance and output

Diversification encourages sharing of resources across businesses that lead to reduced costs of production and high profitability.

Question 10

Name five (5) advantages and disadvantages of vertical integration strategies

Advantages

Vertical integration strategies encourage control over the value chain because retailers are more involved in production and distribution process.

Vertical integration strategies offer an organization the ability to control costs during the whole distribution process

Vertical integration strategies increase the competitive advantage on a firm by blocking competitors from accessing principal markets

Vertical integration strategies increase differentiation by giving a company access to more production inputs, effective distribution of resources and encouraging retail channels.

Vertical integration strategies encourage investment in specialized assets like human assets.

Disadvantages of vertical integration strategies

They lead to higher costs when a firm fails to manage new strategies effectively

Lack of competition may lead to owners of supply and distribution channels producing low quality products.

It increases high potential for legal repercussion leading to a monopoly market situation

It may lead to competitive disadvantage where old strategies corrodes with new strategies

High investments results into reduced flexibility and increased bureaucracy.

Section B

Question 3

When firms enter international markets, they often are confronted with pressures of cost reductions to remain competitive. Please provide 4 situations whereby firms will face the need to reduce their costs in order to remain competitive

If other firms selling the same products market them at lower prices: A firm that enters the international market while selling its products at higher prices than its competitors will be forced to reduce the price in order to be at the same level

The quality of products also triggers the company to reduce prices upon entering the international market. New entrants into the international market might discover their products are of low quality hence are forced to sell them at lower than normal prices in order to make customers buy them.

Many businesses offering the same product also opts an organization to reduce its prices in order to attract more customers.

Promotion and advertisement: A new business needs to promote and advertise its products upon entering the international market to do this they have to offer their products at lower prices than normal.

Question 4

In some markets, firms discover that in order to remain competitive they must “localize” their product, including modifications of the entire marketing mix. What situations might bring about these marketing modifications?

Understanding marketing fundamentals of marketing assists business owners in creating a perfect market entry strategy using market mix modifications. Current marketing challenges require an organization to create a sustainable business environment in order to remain competitive (Armstrong & Kotler, 2011). Some of the situations that bring about market modifications include the following. Firstly, the firm might realize it is using a product distribution strategy that affects the entire market mix. On such a case, the firm can modify its means of distribution in order to meet the new market demands. Secondly, when a firm enters a new market it may come across different business laws. The firm will have no other alternative but to modify its marketing mix operations to fit the new market rules and regulations.

Question 6

Firm’s distinctive competencies may play a role in determining the choice of international entry mode. What entry mode would a highly tech firm most likely prefer? Explain why.

A high tech firm would look for an international market entry mode that offers best opportunities for making profits. Licensing is the best entry mode for high tech firms into the international market. Licensing entry mode favors companies with protected assets because they form the key differentiating factors in their marketing channels. For example, Sony Electronics is a high the firm that would require its products licensed to trade in an international market upon entry in order to maintain its brand name. Sony would license its characters to manufacturers and marketers in all categories such as music system and television sets as it focuses on its core business goals and competences. Sony’s licensing agreements in many countries allows it an easier entry to new markets without many challenges (Arnold, 2003).

Section C

Question 1

Competitive advantage is the key to creating customer value and superior profitability. Construct a model of competitive advantage. Be sure to properly use the following terms: resources, capabilities, superior quality, superior innovation, superior efficiency, superior customer service, distinctive competencies, value creation, generic strategies and superior profitability. Additional labels will enhance your illustration.

The figure below shows an example model of competitive advantage.

Figure 1: Competitive advantage structure

From figure 1, a firm’s competitive advantage requires adequate resources, distinctive competences, capabilities, superior customer service, efficiency, distinctive competences and superior quality control. Cost advantage leads to value creation resulting to superior profitability of the firm.

Question 2

Construct a model that shows the relationship among the following: distinctive competencies, a firm’s business model and the set of strategies that configure its value chain that leads to competitive advantage for the firm.

Figure 2

Question 3

Explain how quality affects a firm’s profitability. A model that includes the terms reliability and productivity will greatly enhance your response.

The profitability of a firm is greatly affected by the quality of operations. To start with, the quality of people managing the firm contributes a lot to its success. Managers who are ready for changes and perform according to the current business environment have a high probability of increasing productivity of a firm and make it acquire more profits. Secondly, the performance of employees in a firm determines how much profits it receives. A firm whose employees understand the meaning of reliability and efficiency at workplace produce quality services that enhance firm’s growth and development. In addition, higher concentration of employees to their duties encourages perfect behaviors and increased profitability. Thirdly, the quality of products and services offered in a firm contributes to its profitability. A firm that understands the value of its customers through offering effective customer services and producing quality goods always receive more profits in return. Finally, the quality of the operations on a firm influences its level of profit. A firm with an effective structure whereby flow of information is free and fluent from the top management to the bottom level management receives many gains when it comes to productivity. Effective communication of ideas, strategies and plans improves growth and productivity that in turn leads into increased profits (Fulmer & Conger, 2004).

Quality of employees productivity

Performances of employees

Quality of products and services

Quality of operations. Example, firm structure management and effective communication

Profitability

Figure 3: effects of quality on firm’s profitability

References

Arnold, D. (2003). Strategies for entering and developing international markets: Modes of

market entry. Pearson FT Press. Retrieved from:

http://www.ftpress.com/articles/article.aspx?p=101588&seqNum=2Braksick, L. W. (2007). Unlock behavior, unleash profits: developing leadership behaviour that

drives profitability in your organization (2nd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

Fulmer, R. M., & Conger, J. A. (2004).Growing your company’s leaders how great

organizations use succession management to sustain competitive advantage. New York: AMACOM.

Peters, T. (2013). The benefits of outsourcing. Retrieved from:

http://www.outsource2india.com/why_outsource/articles/benefit_outsourcing.asp

Man with a Movie Camera film

Man with a Movie Camera film

Name

Professor

Course

Date

Man with a Movie Camera film

The documentary, Man with a Movie Camera, seems to be a straight reportorial documentary, but it does not give the impression of the reality presented and remains unaffected by the film medium. Alternatively, Dziga Vertov proclaims editing with cinematography manipulative power as the aspect tends to shape tiny scenes multitude of daily reality to highly idiosyncratic to an experimental documentary. At the same time, Vertov name is linked to an editing technique, which he equates the eye with a filmmaker gathering shots from different places and then links them in a creative manner for the spectator. It is evident that Vertov theoretic writings tend to compare the camera lens to the eye with the use of both theoretical and practical approach.

The documentary borrows a similar idea as the basis for the whole associational form. It is a celebration of the power of a documentary filmmaker to control people reality perception by using special effects and editing. In the film, the opening image confirms a camera in a close up position. A double exposure effect makes the film camera operator climb the giant camera top and come up with an extreme long shot. He sets up a camera on what seems like a tripod for some time and then climbs down. The play shot scale in a single image seems to emphasize the cinema power to alter reality in magical way. The cinematographic special effects appear as a motif in the entire film and with no intention of being visible like a science fiction documentary. Instead, Vertov flaunts the aspect that he makes us of the camera to alter the daily realities. Such an example is evident when he makes use of pixilation in objects animation. Another scene shows him conveying radio sound by a dancer superimposed images and a hand-playing piano in a black background. The virtuosic motif with special effects tends to culminate into the famed final shot. The camera is also personified at various points in the film, which is linked with human beings actions being edited.

A brief segment in the film illustrates the lens of the camera focusing and later blurry flower shots coming into focus. It is instantly followed by a comic juxtaposition, which rapidly intercuts two aspects’ woman fluttering eyelids, while drying her face using a towel and venetian blinds sets opening and closing. Lastly, another show demonstrates lens camera with a diaphragm also closing and opening. The eye of a human being is equated to venetian blinds with the lenses being the eye, which opens and closes in the process keeping out or accepting light. Later on pixilation permits the camera to move independently and walk on three legs. The film belongs to documentaries genre, which become of great significance in the 1920s.The opening of the documentary, has a camera operator busy filming as he passes between curtains of a movie theater, which is empty while moving towards the screen. The next action that follows is the theater opening as spectators start to come, an orchestra starting to play with the commencement of the play.

The film first watched by the audience seems to be of a city symphony depicting the normal day of town life. There is an asleep woman, empty streets, closed shops as few people start appearing to awaken the city. The film’s applies a rough development principle, which progresses from waking up, daily activities to leisure time. The early waking up segment sees the camera operator setting out all his equipment as if he is starting to work again. The action tends to create one of the many deliberate inconsistencies in the film. Seemingly, now the camera operator appears in his own film as Vertov emphasize the aspect by cutting back instantly to the sleeping woman who was the first thing we had seen before in the film within a film. Throughout the documentary, same captions as well as effects are filmed, edited, and eventually viewed in a scrambled order by the onscreen audience. Towards the end of the documentary, the audience in theater watches the camera operator on the screen, while filming on a moving motorcycle. Various motifs in the films used in the earlier segments return, although in a fast motion. It is evident that the simple that the simple ordinary city symphony orders remains broken and jungled. He creates an extraordinary time scheme, which emphasizes impossible cinema manipulative powers. The film does not show one city and instead mixes the footages that have been filmed in Kiev, Odessa and Moscow. This means that that the camera operator moves easily during the ‘day’fiming.

Vertov cinema view in relation to the cityscape is conveyed well in one shot, which makes usage of extraordinary focused composition against the camera found in the foreground and looms over remote buildings. Although the film is a city symphony, it goes past the genre. Apart from the exuberant power celebration of the cinemas, the film has different explicit and unspoken meanings, which at times might be missed by viewers who do not understand Russian. The film aims at praising as well as criticizing Soviet society aspects after the decade revolution. The film has many juxtapositions comprising of machines as well as human labor. Vertov pints out the weak points associated with the contemporary life like the evident class inequalities. The shots taken in a beauty shop depicts other people bourgeois values, which have survived the famed revolution.

Leisure time sequence, which is almost evident at the end of the film, conflicts with the shot where workers are participating in outdoors sports, as chubby women seem to be exercising in weight loss gyms. He also take time to analyze drunkenness as main social problem in Russia as evident in the first shot in the inner film, which shows a deserted person sleeping outdoors next to a big bottle advertising a café. At the same time, a shop front easily noticeable advertises alcoholic drinks like wine with many shots of workers clubs, which were formerly churches. There is also a scene, whereby the camera operator also visits a bar with the contrast between the two places made clear by associational crosscutting. A woman shooting at specific targets in one of the clubs shoots away beer bottles, which disappear by stop motion from crates in the bar.

The documentary is viewed as Vertov argument on filmmaking as he opposes the narrative form and usage of professional actors. He prefers usage of camera techniques in films together with an editing table, which creates effects on the audience. The camera operator wakes up to go to work in the morning just like all other workers. At the same time, like them h makes use of a machine during his filming as the camera crank is compared to a cash register crank at various points. The projector’s moving parts in the theater is likened to factory machines evident in different sequences. Vertov demonstrates further how the film being watched the audience and the audience within are a product of specific labor. The editor at work who is Vertov wife together with the real editor of the documentary are seen at work. Her gestures, which involves scrapping and then using a brush to put cement on it to make splices are cut in with beauty parlor shots where a manicurist tends to wield a similar brush together with a nail file.

Various scenes in the film illustrate similar shots in different contexts in both the screen and the screen in the movie theater. They are not supposed to be viewed as recorded reality moments but also pieces put together by film workers to make it whole. The camera operator has to resort to different means, although at times dangerous to get his shots. He climbs a big smokestack and crouches across various stacks for filming of oncoming train by riding a motorcycle using one hand cranking the camera to capture the race action. The art of filmmaking is presented as a craft unlike an elite oriented craft. Vertov hope is that the Soviet public finds his filmmaking entertaining as well as educational judging from the audience delighted reactions in the theater. The implicit meaning seems to relate to a sysmptomatic meaning evident in the film.

Conclusion

Vertov’s fascination film is evident in his experimentation with the material as he layers, tilts and crosscuts the film to create unusual effects and improve the narrative. He constantly makes uses of the camera’s whole potential with careful selection of the right aspect for an individual subject. Elements such as fast panning and cutting to evoke high pace in growth, work and development as well as slow motion helps in understanding human as well as animal body, which are in such as motion, stopping, together with handheld movement. Vertov finds the film’s comparable to magic as he films the performance of a magician as well as captures the mesmerized children’s faces. Another scene shows the editor as magician by bringing the movie alive for spellbound audience watching in the theatre. Apart from the form or the film being a medium, Vertov’s manifesto seems to carry a solid ideological content. He dislikes fiction film genres as well as fake romanticism, which drive humankind to long for prosperity and comfort.

It is evident that he believes in realism values instead of giving the audience together with the society artificial emotion. In the film, he sets a man in motion to ensure he is physically and mentally active to the machine that makes him a new man. The film captures activity, work, enthusiasm and production as he watches human beings together with their machines work together for the creation of a new society ,which is classless .Such a society understand that all genders are equal with athleticism celebrated in the same way as a inquisitive mind, and sincere soul ,which views work as important like leisure. Vertov’s perfect society believe that leisure is also active and comprise of sports and maintenance of motion. The documentary is a celebration of growth, vitality, and energy being optimistic as well positive.

man Vs Machine III

Man versus Machine in the Workplace:

Investigating the role of Artificial Intelligence in the Increasing Levels of Unemployment

Managerial Research Analysis (BUS 518)

January 25, 2015

Proposed Research Topic:

New Technology and the End of Jobs

Human beings are slowly being replaced with machines in almost every sector as well as industry by technology revolution. Many people are getting eliminated from their jobs permanently as the work category and job assignments continue to sink even further. Jobs are also being restructured and others are disappearing because of the continuous adoption of technology. There is continued unemployment and according to findings, global unemployment is at its record high since the great depression back in 1930s. An estimated 800 million people are un employed and this figure could even rise further. Millions of graduates who are hopeful for employment opportunities, who are continually entering the work force are continually finding themselves jobless. It is now clear that the rising figures of unemployment indicates a short term adjustment to a market so powerful and powerfully driven by forces that drive the global economy towards a new direction. The global market is looking forward towards an exciting world of high tech automated production, abundant materials that are unprecedented, and booming world commerce. In the US alone it is estimated that 2 million people are being eliminated annually from their jobs by corporations. In return the jobs that are created are low paying low sector jobs. The worrying factor is that this transition is all over the world. Even the developing nations are increasingly eliminating employees with built state of art which tech facilities used for production CITATION Bai13 l 1033 (Bailey, 2013).

Technology has changed to the disadvantage of human labor. There is what is referred to as “Big Data” by scientists. This is the use of computers to thrive on information from the international website, barcodes are placed on nearly every product. More information is passed across the internet every second twice the total amount of information that was stored on the entire internet some 20 years back. Giving an example with Wall-Mart, the store is capable of collecting approximately 50 million cabinets of information from the customer’s transactions every 1 hour. This is far much the capability of a human if they were to be left to handle the transactions, according to Andrew McAfee and Erick Brynjolfsson, (2012). Computers can make sense of so much data than human beings.

It is true that the world is changing technologically and this the major force towards unemployment, because machines are replacing human labor but corporations are taking this as an advantage to gain Return on Investment. ROI refers to the capital invested in a company and the return realized from the capital based on then net profit of the business. It is important to understand that profit and ROI are two different things. Profit is used to measure the performance of the business. ROI is not necessarily the same as profit. However ROI can be used to gauge the profitability of the business. It is used to identify the past and potential financial returns of a business looked by the managers as a project. This is because it can portray how successful a business is expressed in ratios or percentages. It is also used to describe financial returns and increased efficiencies in the organization. It is also used to calculate the much of a value an investment is.

ROI has been used in line with Artificial Intelligence (AI). It worth knowing that it is customer demand that drives today’s business and the demand patterns varies from period to period. Because of these variables it has become very difficult for organizations to develop accurate forecasts, which refers to the process of estimating future events. Forecasting reduces uncertainty and used to provide benchmarks used to monitor performance. Combinations of AI and emerging technologies have been used to improve the accuracy of forecasts to contribute to organization enhancement. It is perceived that the use of machines to replace human labor is more effective and contributes to profitability and improved ROI. This has also fueled investors to replace human labor with machinery and computer software.

There is a saying that goes that whatever is measured gets done. Human nature can also be measured. It is true that many workers constantly re-prioritize their work activities. It is also worth understanding that not everyone in an organization will work towards a common goal, that is, the success of the organization. It is therefore important to measure performance against input. Metrics have the attention of both manufacturing and business leaders. It is important to measure sectors in business activities and provide improvement where necessary. The following are some of the manufacturing metrics utilized mostly by process, discrete, and hybrid manufacturers:

Improving customer expectations and responsiveness such as on time delivery and manufacturing cycle time, Metrics to improve quality such as yield, consumer rejects, material returns, supplier quality incoming, Metrics for improving efficiency such as capacity utilization, throughput, overall equipment effectiveness, schedule of production effectiveness, Metrics for reducing inventory like WIP Inventory/ Turns, Metrics on increased flexibility and innovation like rate of new product introduction, and Engineering change order cycle time. Metrics for Ensuring Compliance, Metrics for reducing maintenance like percentage planned, Metrics for cost reduction and increasing profitability like net operating profit, productivity in revenue per employee, energy cost per unit, productivity in revenue per employee, and manufacturing cost as per percentage of revenue.

Variables Definitions Metric References

ROI Return On Investment-this is a business term used to identify the past and potential financial returns. It helps to indicate how successful a business is. Metrics on Improving Costumer Experience and Responsiveness-Manufacturing cycle time,

On-time delivery to Commit

Bailey, R. (2013, February 8). Were the Luddites right? Smart machines and the prospect of technological unemployment. Reason, 45(1), 48.

AI Artificial Intelligence-this is a computer science emphasizing on intelligent machines working and relating like humans. Metrics on improving quality-Customer rejects,

Yield

Brynjolfsson, E., & McAfee, A. (2012). Technology’s influence on employment and the economy. In Race against the machine: How the digital revolution is accelerating innovation, driving productivity, and irreversibly transforming employment and the economy (p. 10). Lexington, MA: Digital Frontier Press.

Metric These are quantifiable measures used to assess the position and status of a venture. Metrics on Improving Efficiency-effectiveness,

Through put,

Capacity utilization,

Grint, K., & Woolgar, S. (2013). The machine at work: Technology, work and organization. John Wiley & Sons.

Inventory These are stock held by a business in form of materials or goods for the purpose of repair, resale, or raw materials waiting processing. Metrics on Reducing inventory- Work in progress inventory turn Sachs, J. D., & Kotlikoff, L. J. (2012). Smart machines and long-term misery (No. w18629). National Bureau of Economic Research.

WIP Work In Progress- these are materials that are partly finished. They are materials that are already in the production process but have not yet turned to a fully finished product. Metrics on Increased flexibility and innovation-Engineering change,

Rate of new product introduction

Hart, M. (2013). Educating cheap labour’r. The learning society: Challenges and trends, 96.

Big Data This is the use of computers to thrive on information from the international website, barcodes are placed on nearly every product Metrics on Cost reduction and profitability-Productivity in revenue per employee,

Net operating profit

The agricultural industry has seen numerous changes in the previous 100 years. Since the conception of the modern horticulture in 1900, we have pushed ahead to the period of computerized improved farming where everything that is carried out before seeding and up to after harvesting produces data that can be broke down or analyzed. Big Data officially changed the horticulture industry a ton and in the impending decade this will get to be unmistakable or visible in every aspect of farming in the Western world and progressively likewise in the Developed world. There are three ranges that will be influenced the most by the chances of big data: reduced costs of operation and improved efficiency, crop and animal efficiency and improved productivity, optimization of crop prices and mitigation of weather conditions CITATION Gri13 l 1033 (Grint, 2013).

In the agricultural industry, the internet of things and industrial internet are adversely affecting agricultural equipment such as sprayers, tractors, harvesters, milking machines and soil cultivators. Farmers are now capable of getting information thanks to the sensors that have been deployed in machines such as tractors, cow milking and several others. These machines offer information in real time 24/7 even in the absence of the farmer. These machines act as smart machine that are capable of talking and can coordinate with each other to give the farmer the overall condition of the farm. They can predict problems and even take action before adamage can be realized. The farmer can take action immediately he sees a problem dismayed by the sensors and if the problem is very serious, a service employee will visit the farm.

These sensors have led to increased productivity in many processes of agriculture. They also predict failure and maintenance and also safe the farmer fuel and energy for harvesting and transportation by optimizing the best driving conditions especially in large farm because they can predict shorter routes to drive and help save a lot of fuel. These computers are integrated and they pass information to each other making the entire process manageable by only 1 person. These machines are managed by diagnostics to make sure that optimal settings are in place. These data are passed to the farmer who will then analyze them to ensure continuity of effective operation now and in future. Big Data technologies are continually making precision agriculture interesting. This includes recognition, understanding, exploitation of information capable of quantifying variations in crops and soil. This has helped the farmers a lot especially in optimization of the crop productivity CITATION Sac12 l 1033 (Sachs, 2012).

Not just yields and crops can be enhanced with huge information, additionally the farm animals will gain from enormous information innovation. Having sensors in the sheds will allow input on the states of the animals. Sensors can consequently measure the animal’s weight and conform bolstering if needed. Contingent upon the conditions in the shed or the states of the creatures, sustaining can be balanced too. The creatures will get the right nourishment and the perfect sum at the right minute. There are also chips inserted on the animals that can monitor their health conditions. Sick animals can receive medication through the food there are given and conditions of the sheds adjusted in any case they are affecting the animals. The heard can also be traced via the smart phone with the help of the chips placed on them. These sensors also display the mental health of the animals. Big Data flips around the customary horticulture industry. Despite the fact that the ventures can be significant for ranchers, the potential advantages of applying huge information advancements on the field are gigantic CITATION Har13 l 1033 (Hart, 2013).

I used both primary and secondary data collection methods to collect data. Under primary data collection, I collected the data myself by through qualitative and quantitative methods. I used observations, interviews, focus group interviews and questionnaires.

The following were the sourced of data I used:

Primary Data: interviews-I will use forms that will be completed by the respondents. Interviews are better for complex questions that I will be asking even though being expensive than questionnaires. Questionnaires: these are forms that are completed and returned by respondents. I will use this method of data collection because it is cheaper and they allow the respondents humble time to give feedback to the questions asked. Focus group interviews: I will identify a group of a particular group of people especially the farmers and people employed in the agriculture industry and conduct an interview on them. Observations: I will use direct observation to collect data. I will try and find observer programs to help me with the exercise.

Secondary data sources: Previous researches: I would use previous researches on how smart machines are affecting employment in Agriculture industry; official statistics: statistics published by government agencies or other public agencies on economic and social development and environment; Mass media products: data from media houses on development in the Agricultural and horticultural industry and how machinery is affecting employment in the industry; Government reports: the government publications and reports on Agricultural Industry and how smart machinery and Big Data is affecting employment; Web Information: searching the international network for data on Big Data and smart machinery and how they are affecting employment in Agricultural industry; Historical data and information: the history of smart machinery and Big data.

References

Bailey, R. (2013, February 8). Were the Luddites right? Smart machines and the prospect of technological unemployment. Reason, 45(1), 48.Brynjolfsson, E., & McAfee, A. (2012). Technology’s influence on employment and the economy. In Race against the machine: How the digital revolution is accelerating innovation, driving productivity, and irreversibly transforming employment and the economy (p. 10). Lexington, MA: Digital Frontier Press.

Grint, K., & Woolgar, S. (2013). The machine at work: Technology, work and organization. John

Wiley & Sons.Sachs, J. D., & Kotlikoff, L. J. (2012). Smart machines and long-term misery (No. w18629).

National Bureau of Economic Research.Hart, M. (2013). Educating cheap labour’r. The learning society: Challenges and trends, 96.