October 30, 2021

Strategic advantages of Information Technology The Role of It In Strategic Management Strategic Management Is the way an organization maps the strategy of its future operations. The term strategic points to the long-term nature of this mapping exercise and to the large magnitude of advantage the exercise is expected to give an organization. Information Technology contributes to strategic management in many ways (see Kemerer, 1997 and Callon 1996). Consider these eight. Innovative applications IT creates innovative applications that provide direct strategic advantage to organizations. For example, Federal Express was the first company in its industry to use IT tracking the location of every package in its system. Next, FedEx was the first company to make this database accessible to its customers over the internet. Ted Ex has gone on to provide e-fulfilment solutions based on IT and is even writing software for this purpose (Bhise et al. 2000) 2. Competitive Weapons Information systems themselves have long been recognized as a competitive weapon dvcs and learnmouth, 1984 and Callon, 1996). Amazon, com‘s one-click shopping system is considered so significant and important to the company‘s reputation for superior customer service that it has patented the system. Michael Dell, founder of Dell Computer puts it bluntly: The internet is like a weapon sitting on the table, ready to be picked up by either you or your competitor‖ (Dell 1999) Changes in processes IT supports changes in business processes that translate to strategic advantage (Davenport, 1993) For example, Berri is Australia‘s largest manufacturer and distributor of fruit price products. The principal goal of its enterprise resource planning system implementation was ‗to turn its branch-based business into a national organization with a single set of unified business processes‖ in order to achieve millions of dollars in cost-savings(J.D. Edwards, 2002a) other ways in which IT can change business processes include better control over remote stores or offices by providing speedy communication tools, streamlined product design time with computer-aided engineering tools and better decision-making processes by providing managers with timely information reports. Links with Business Partners. IT links a company with its business partners effectively and efficiently. For example, Rosenbluth‘s Global Distribution Networks allows it to connect agents, customers and travel service providers around the globe, an innovation that allowed it to broaden its marketing range (Glemons and Hann, 1999) Other examples, of inter organizational strategic information systems are presented later in this chapter. Cost reduction IT enables companies to reduce costs. For example, a Booz Allen & Hamilton study found that : a traditional bank transaction costs $1.07 whereas the same transaction over the Web costs about 1 cent; a traditional airline ticket costs $8 to process, an e-ticket costs $1 (lbm.coml.partnerworld/pwhome.nsf/vAssetLookuplad2.pd/sfile/ad2.pdf). In the customer service area, a customer call handled by a live agent costs $33, but an intelligent agent can handle the same request for less than $2(Schwartz, 2000) Relationships with suppliers and customers IT can be used to lock in suppliers and customers, or to build in switching costs (making it more difficult for suppliers or customers to switch to competitors) For example, Master Builders sells chemical additives that improve the performance characteristics of concrete. The company offers customers Master Trac, a tank monitoring system that automatically notifies Master Builders when additive inventories fall below an agreed-on level. Master Builders then resupplies the tanks on a just-in-time basis. The customer benefits from an assured supply of product, less capital tied up in inventory and reduced inventory management time and processing. Master Builders benefits because company competitors face a more difficult task to convince concrete companies to switch to them (Vandenbosch and Dawar 2002) New products A firm can leverage its investment in IT to create new products that are in demand in the marketplace. Federal express‘s package-tracking software is one example. In Australia, IGI Explosives no longer views its business model as just selling explosives; it now also writes contracts for broken rocks. IGI engineers developed computer models that specify drilling procedures and explosives use for different types of rockfaces to produce rock in the sizes that the customer needs. According to Vandenbosch and Dawar (2002), ―The redefinition of IGI‘s role not only generated much higher margins for the business‖ It also gave IGI a much more defensible competitive position‖381. Competitive Intelligence IT provides competitive (business) intelligence by collecting and analyzing information about products, markets, competitors and environmental changes (see Guimaraes and Armstrong, 1997). For example, if a company knows something important before its competitors, or it can make the correct interpretation of information before it‘s competitors, then it can act first. Gaining strategic advantage through first-mover advantage (the competitive advantage gained by being first to offer a competitive intelligence is such an important aspect of gaining advantage, we look at it in some detail next.  

CO-OPERATIVE TRIBUNAL (PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE) RULES Saving of the inherent power of the Tribunal Nothing contained in these Rules shall limit or otherwise affect the inherent power of the Tribunal to make such orders as may be necessary for the ends of justice or to prevent abuse of the process of the Tribunal. Disregard of technicalities The Tribunal shall have power and discretion to decide all matters before it with due speed and dispatch without undue regard to technicalities of procedure. Forms and fees The Tribunal may prescribe such forms and fees as it may deem necessary, for purposes of these Rules. The provisions of the Civil Procedure Rules (Cap. 21, Sub. Leg.) shall apply in respect of the proceedings of the Tribunal. Powers of chairman and deputy chairman The chairman or the deputy chairman shall have the power to give directions for— (a) furnishing of further particulars or supplementary statement; (b) filing and exchange of documents; (c) framing of issues, and and other directions as are necessary to enable the parties to prepare for the hearing or to assist the Tribunal to determine the issues. The chairman or the deputy chairman, in matters before the Tribunal, shall have the same power as is vested in the Registrar or Deputy Registrar where similar matters are before the High Court and shall exercise the power, mutatis mutandis, in accordance with the Civil Procedure Rules (Cap. 21, Sub. Leg.). Appeals Every appeal to the Tribunal shall be in the form of a memorandum of appeal signed in the same manner as a pleading. The memorandum of appeal shall set forth concisely and under distinct heads the grounds of objection to the decision appealed against, without any argument or narrative, and such grounds shall be numbered consecutively. At the time of filing the memorandum of appeal or before setting down the appeal for hearing, the Appellant shall file a record of appeal in five sets and serve all parties. The record of appeal, properly indexed and paginated, shall contain— (a) the memorandum of appeal; (b) the inquiry order; (c) the inquiry and/or inspection report; (d) the minutes of the general meeting whose decision is appealed against; (e) the notice of intention to surcharge; (f) the surcharge order; and (g) any other relevant documents. Statement of claim A claim, other than an appeal under the Act, shall be instituted by way of a statement of claim singed by the claimant or his advocate or other duly authorized agent, setting out concisely the nature of the claim and the grounds upon which it is based, supported by a verifying affidavit signed by the claimant.  Service of statement of claim (1) The statement of claim together with the verifying affidavit and summons to enter appearance shall be served on the respondent. (2) The respondent shall file a memorandum of appearance within fifteen days of service with the documents stated under sub-rule (1) and a statement of defence within a further fifteen days. Interlocutory applications (1) All interlocutory applications made to the Tribunal shall be by Chamber Summons or Notice of Motion signed by the claimant, his advocate or a duly authorized agent, supported by an affidavit. (2) A party served with a Chamber Summons or Notice of Motion may file a replying affidavit or grounds of opposition. However, any party who desires to be heard and appears to the Tribunal to be a proper party to be heard, may be heard, despite failure to file replying affidavit or grounds of opposition. Mode of service The mode of service shall, unless the Tribunal otherwise directs, be personal and in every case, an affidavit of service shall be filed as evidence of the service by an authorized process server. List of documents At the close of pleadings, every party to the claim shall within thirty days, or before setting down the suit for hearing, file with the Tribunal, five sets of all documents that the party intends to rely on and serve all the parties to the claim at least fourteen days before the hearing. Setting down claim for hearing The claimant may, at any time after close of pleadings, and upon giving reasonable notice to every respondent who has appeared, set the suit down for hearing. Substitution and addition of parties Subject to section 76 of the Act, the Tribunal shall have the discretion to add or strike out parties to the claim. Hearing of claims At the hearing, the evidence shall be in narrative form but the Tribunal shall be at liberty to take down questions and answers verbatim. Setting aside judgement, order or award A judgement, order or award made ex parte under this Rules may, on application, be set aside on such terms as may be just. Costs Subject to any provisions of any law for the time being in force, the Tribunal shall have the power to determine the party or person to bear costs, or out of which property and to what extent, the costs shall be paid: Provided that the costs of any claim or issue shall follow the event unless the Tribunal shall for good reason otherwise order. Interest Where and in so far as a decree is for the payment of money, the Tribunal may, in the decree, order interest at such rate as the tribunal deems reasonable to be paid on the principal sum adjudged from the date of filing the claim to the date of the decree, plus any interest accruing on the principal from the period before the institution of the suit, and on the aggregate sum so adjudged, such further interest from the date of the decree to the date of full payment or to such earlier date as the Tribunal thinks fit. Where such a decree is silent with respect to the payment of further interest on such aggregate sums as aforesaid from the date of the decree to the date of payment or other earlier date, the Tribunal shall be deemed to

CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETIES RULES Books to be kept by a registered society A co-operative society shall keep up-to-date and in proper businesslike manner such accounts and such books as the Commissioner may from time to time direct either generally or in respect of any particular society or class of societies. Notwithstanding the provisions of sub-rule (1), every co-operative society shall keep— (a) a register of members showing in respect of each member— (i) the name, age, date of application for membership, postal address and occupation; (ii) the date he was admitted to membership; (iii) the date on which he ceased to be a member; (iv) the appointment, if any, of his nominees in accordance with rule 32 of these Rules; (b) a minute book giving details of the proceedings at general meetings; (c) a minute book giving details of the proceedings at Committee meetings; (d) a cash book showing details of all moneys received and expended or paid out in any way by the society; (e) a ledger containing such accounts as are necessary to properly record the transactions of the business; (f) a personal ledger showing transactions of each member with the society including details of produce delivered to the society by each member and the payment made therefor; (g) an assets register; (h) a stock control ledger; (i) a register of charges showing in respect of every charge created by the society the amount of the charge and the person entitled thereto; (j) a register of loans to members showing in respect of each loan the name of the borrower, the amount borrowed, the purpose of the loan, the due date of repayment, and the date the repayment is made; (k) a ledger showing deposits and withdrawals by members; and (l) such other books as the Committee may decide or the Commissioner may prescribe. Annual returns The annual return required to be filed pursuant to section 25 of the Act, shall be in Form IVA set out in the Schedule to these Rules and shall be filed with the Commissioner within four months after the closure of the financial year. Display of audited accounts Every co-operative society shall cause its audited accounts to be displayed in a conspicuous place at its registered office and branches at least two weeks before presentation of the accounts to its members at the general meeting. Approval of auditors A person qualified under the Accountants Act (Cap. 531) wishing to be considered to audit co-operative societies shall make an application in writing to the Commissioner and shall pay a fee of three thousand shillings and such application may be made annually. The Commissioner may cause the list of auditors approved to audit co-operative societies to be published in the Kenya Gazette. Submission of audited accounts to Commissioner The audited accounts required to be submitted to the Commissioner pursuant to section 25(7) of the Act shall be in six copies and shall— (a) have the following minimum disclosures— (i) correct name of the society as registered must appear on all accounts along with its registration number; (ii) share capital disclosed separately; (iii) statutory reserve computed separately; (iv) one total only disclosed for each main group of assets and liabilities; (v) specified loans as short term if repayment period is less than five years and long term if repayment period is more than five years; (vi) provision for dividends, bonus or honorarium disclosed under current liabilities; (vii) a detailed schedule of depreciation of fixed assets under “notes toaccounts”; (viii) details of all investments disclosed under “notes of accounts”; (ix) stocks and cash balances stated indicating whether verified or otherwise; (x) the balance sheet signed by the Chairman and two other Committee members; (xi) separate accounts prepared in respect of each activity; (xii) no material amount written off except with a resolution of the general meeting of the society accompanied by a satisfactory explanation; (b) include a statement of management responsibility; and (c) be submitted together with— (i) an extract of minutes of the general meeting in support of appointment of the auditor; and (ii) a banker’s cheque of the relevant audit and supervision fee. The audited accounts shall be read together with Commissioner’s comments thereon, if any. Establishment of the Fund There is hereby established a fund to be known as the Management and Supervision Fund and every registered society shall, unless exempted in writing by the Commissioner, pay into it annually an audit and supervision fee. The Commissioner shall administer the Fund and the balance of the Fund shall be kept with the accounting officer who shall be authorized to accept receipts and to make payments in accordance with the provisions of these Rules: Provided that the accounting officer shall not make any payment from the Fund unless he holds a cash balance on behalf of the Fund sufficient to cover the payment. The receipts to the Fund shall consist of— (a) fees under sub-rule (1) as fixed by the Commissioner for the better carrying out of the provisions and purposes of section 25 of the Act; (b) ten per centum of the audit fees paid by the society to the auditor in respect of the annual accounts in question; and (c) fees paid under rules 16 and 17(2). Expenditure charged to the Fund may include expenditure for— (a) purchases of specialized stationery, office machinery and equipment for use by the Commissioner in the administration of co-operative societies and the Fund; (b) repairs of office machinery and equipment purchased from the Management fund; (c) temporary extra clerical assistance, authorized by the Commissioner as necessary from time to time in connection with the audit and supervision of co-operative societies; (d) payment of professional audit fees which shall be subsequently recovered wholly or in part from co-operative societies concerned; (e) liquidation expenses including legal fees and costs where no moneys are available to the liquidator and where in the opinion of the Commissioner such expenditure should be incurred for the proper carrying out of the liquidation;

CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETIES RULES Register of co-operative societies The Commissioner shall keep or cause to be kept at his office a record called the register of co-operative societies wherein shall be entered particulars relating to the registration of societies and their by-laws and any amendments thereto. Every entry in the register shall be made by, or under the direction of, the Commissioner and shall be signed by him and every alteration, interlineation or erasure shall be initialed by the Commissioner. Application for registration An application for the registration of a society under section 6 of the Act shall be made to the Commissioner in Form I set out in the Schedule to these Rules and shall be accompanied by an appraisal in writing of the viability of the society and a non-refundable fee of five hundred shillings. Certificate of registration Upon registration of a society and payment of a fee of three thousand shillings, the Commissioner shall forward to the society— (a) a certificate of registration in Form IIA set out in the Schedule to these Rules or certificate of provisional registration in Form IIB, as the case may be; (b) a copy of the by-laws of the society as registered by him and certified under his hand as having been registered by him; (c) a copy of the Act and the Rules made thereunder; (d) a copy of the application for registration. Notification of refusal to register a society Where the Commissioner refuses to register a proposed society or its by-laws, he shall give the applicants his reasons in writing for such refusal within sixty days of the refusal. A person aggrieved by the Commissioner’s refusal under sub-rule (1) may appeal against the refusal to the Minister on paying a filing fee of one thousand shillings.  Power to make by-laws A co-operative society shall make by-laws in respect of the following matters— (a) its name; (b) its registered office and postal address; (c) its area of operation and membership common bond; (d) the objects of the society; (e) the purposes to which its funds may be applied; (f) the disposal of its accumulated funds; (g) the qualification for membership, the terms of admission of members and the mode of their admission; (h) the withdrawal and expulsion of members and the payment, if any, to be made to such members and the time within which such payment shall be made; (i) the rights, liabilities and obligations of members, including the minimum share-holding and produce delivery; (j) the transfer of the shares or interests of the members; (k) the manner of raising funds, including the maximum rate of interest on deposits; (l) its general meetings, the procedure and quorum of such meetings, power of such meetings and representation and voting at such meetings; (m) the appointment, suspension and removal of members of the Committee and officers and the powers and duties of the Committee and officers; (n) the period of its financial year; (o) the authorization of officers to sign documents on its behalf; (p) the settlement of disputes; and (q) such other matters as may be expedient for the better carrying out of the provisions of these Rules. If the objects of the society include the creation of funds to be lent to its members, by-laws shall also be made in respect of the conditions and other requirements on which loans and advances may be made to members including— (a) the rate of interest; (b) the maximum amount which may be lent to a member; (c) the extension, renewal and recovery of loans; (d) the period and purpose of loans; (e) the security for loans; and (f) the consequences of default in the repayment of any sum due. Amendment of by-laws Any amendment of the registered by-laws of a co-operative society under section 8 of the Act shall be made by a resolution of members at general meeting in respect of which at least fifteen clear days notice of the proposed amendment shall have been given to the members of the society. No resolution under sub-rule (1) shall be valid and effective unless— (a) in the case of a co-operative society with unlimited liability, half of the members of the society are present at the meeting and three quarters of them vote in favour of the resolution; or (b) in the case of a co-operative society with limited liability, a majority of the members of the society present at the meeting or in writing vote in favour of the resolution: Provided that when written votes are used, the following conditions shall apply— (i) all members of the society shall have been sent by the secretary or manager of the society voting papers to enable the members within reasonable time before the meeting to record their votes and return them to the secretary or manager; and (ii) the votes shall have been examined, counted and the results notified to members by the Committee. When in pursuance of the provisions of section 8(2) of the Act, amendment is sent to the Commissioner, it shall be accompanied by a certification in Form III set out in the Schedule to these Rules together with a copy of the amendment in quadruplicate. Upon registration of such amendment of by-laws, the Commissioner shall issue a copy duly signed by him on payment of a fee of one thousand shillings. Membership of society No co-operative society shall fix any limit to the number of its members. Any member of a co-operative society who ceases to qualify for membership of the society under section 14 of the Act, or under these Rules or the by-laws of the society, shall forthwith cease to be a member of the society and the Committee shall direct the secretary or manager to strike his name off the register of members. Transfer of shares Subject to the provisions of section 20 of the Act and sub-rule (3) of this Rule, and subject to the approval of the Committee, a member may transfer his