The Inadequacy of US Counterinsurgency in Afghanistan Literature review

The Inadequacy of US Counterinsurgency in Afghanistan - Literature review Example 1). This research work aims at assessing the effectiveness of the counterinsurgency measures adopted by the U.S. in Afghanistan. Background of the Problem The principal argument of this study is that the US should deploy its resources in a manner that promote capabilities, which improve the competence of the Afghan government and its security forces, in conducting counterinsurgency operations. There have been several instances, wherein the US forces have enraged the Afghan villagers. This has been attributed to the ignorance among these soldiers, regarding the cultural and social traditions of the Afghans. It has been suggested that the US forces should abstain from interacting with the people and permit the Afghan authorities to take the necessary steps (Jones, 2008, p. 93). A major feature of counterinsurgency (COIN) warfare is the battle to win over the hearts and minds of the target population. This has been attempted even with the most seemingly isolated members of the populatio n, in remote villages and rural regions. For this purpose shortwave radio has been employed. This initiative would further alienate the Afghans towards the Karzai government, which is detested in the extreme; local politicians; governors; tribal chiefs; warlords and militia commanders, who are supporters of the highly unpopular Karzai administration (Kilcullen, 2009, pp. 50 – 51). Assistance has been scanty if not totally absent, in the rural areas. These areas had been at the greatest risk from the Taliban, and had been totally dissatisfied with the almost non – existent change. The fate of counterinsurgency in Afghanistan will be determined by what happens in rural Afghanistan. The developments in the urban regions will have little if any bearing on the success of failure of counterinsurgency (Jones, 2008, p. 4). Consequently, counterinsurgency has to reach such people. Rationale How effective was the U.S. Counterinsurgency in Afghanistan? I have examined the relevan t literature pertaining to the present topic, by eminent scholars, like Jones, Kilcullen, Ganesh Sitaraman, Mark, Johnson, Schreer, for answering the question. I have examined strategies, such as the traditional social hierarchies and the different forms of legitimacy, local, specialised knowledge trumps doctrine and theory. I have obtained information regarding the actual state of affairs with regard to fair elections, rule of law, and economic development in Afghanistan. The opinion of the authorities in this area, has contributed to the assessment of the situation. Issues, such as the exercise of power by the government, harmonisation of development, governance and security were provided by Mark. Positive elements in the extant literature, with respect to counterinsurgency are the unbiased opinion of eminent scholars and the provision of the true picture regarding the present situation, regarding the governance of Afghanistan. I will further investigate these issues, after applyi ng the relevant theories and strategies, pertaining to the counterinsurgency measures. As such, I can expand my research on the issues discussed in the literature, and arrive at better conclusions regarding the current problem. Hypothesis The counterinsurgency measures adopted by the US in Afghanistan have proved to be inadequate. This synopsis of insurgency in Afghanistan, brings to the fore the factors that had ensured the success of insurgencies in the past; external support, variations in the quality of the security forces, and challenges to governance. Research Questions What is insurgence?

E-Procurement Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

E-Procurement - Literature review Example Usual methods of procurement have lots of paper work processing, which requires a huge amount of money and time. E-procurement has reduced this work largely. E-procurement is a chief element of B2B ecommerce and it can be used in markets and industries in wide range. Business organizations buy many products of diverse varieties, ranging from paper clips to computer systems and from steel to equipments. They buy raw material inputs, which directly go in manufacturing process and the raw materials that need some repairing and maintenance before going into manufacturing process. There are thousands of other items purchased by an organization and keeping their receipts in record is very necessary for organizations to maintain professionalism. The main driver of e-procurement is cost-reduction attained from competencies resulting in less staff time spent in looking for and ordering products and integrating deliveries with invoices. Savings also take place with automatic corroboration of p re approved expenditure budgets for individuals or organizations leading to less time necessary for processing each order (Turban, pp.251-252, 2010). Automatic ordering, delivery, confirmations, payment, and inventory information diminish paper work, costs of paper-based ordering forms, storage space for credentials, records, and better information management. Indirect benefits of e-procurement include a shorter cycle time between order and use of supplies, greater suppleness in ordering products from different suppliers, amplified buyer productivity, and lower prices through product standardization and union of buyers (Havaldar, pp.379-382, 2010). Benefits to buyers of e-procurement include gain from improved pricing of goods and services, cost savings in the running of procurement processes, merger of buyer's sub entities into a single buying unit, and minimized costs through purchasing aggregation for some items. Other intangible benefits include enhancement in operations support , employee efficiency, evident purchasing behavior of business partners and supplier performance. Decline in procurement-to-pay cycle time and costs associated with outsourcing procurement and it helps maintaining smooth procurement operations. It also causes huge savings in invoice, finance, goods insurance, and delivery (Gay, Charlesworth & Esen, pp.474-475, 2007). Conversely, suppliers benefit from lower managerial costs, use of standard online catalogues that can be quickly updated with new product information, more effectual targeting, and access to a wider range of buyers (Babin & Weiss, pp.89-91, 2009). Additionally, lower inventory and warehousing costs are also the advantages of suppliers. Other opportunities contain lesser advertising, selling and service costs, extended product and service offerings, enhanced cash flow through better inventory returns and accounts receivables, a more thorough anticipation about a buyer's purchasing needs, and immediate responsiveness to a buyer's needs (N, pp.28-29, 2004). Nevertheless, for each e-marketplace contributor, the benefits will differ according to the contributor’s position. As buyers go for e- procurement, suppliers may not have any other option rather than joining in. The majority of suppliers are also buyers; therefore, net result is an increased involvement in e-procurement. E-procurement offers benefits in many