Hrm Brunei vs Other Western Country Essay

Introduction Employees are indispensible to an organization. Personnel management, now known as human resource management (HRM), ensures that an organization produces maximum output with the greatest efficiency. The role of HRM covers selecting and hiring the right employee, training and retaining talent, wage dispensation to maintaining employee relations (Nankervis et al, 2011). In this essay, we will be looking into a case study of HRM in Brunei and will cover three topics. Firstly we explore how culture affects the way a country runs its economy, its legal and political system, and how they adapt to technology. Next, we discuss how HRM allows individual employees to acclimatize themselves to technical differences in an organization. Lastly, we will do a comparison of how HRM differs in Brunei as compared to a western country. Culture (An Overarching Umbrella) Laurent (1986, p. 92) stated that, ‘every culture has developed through its own history some specific and unique insight into the managing of organization and their human resources.’ Hofstede’s (1984) cultural dimensions theory defines that the values of a society are influenced by their culture, and their belief in those values shapes the behavior of the society. This cultural dimension is most frequently used across culture studies, especially in differentiating Asian and Western cultures (Cho, et al. 1999). Figure 1: Hofstede’s Software of the Mind (Hofstede, 1984) Dimension| Explanation| Power Distance| The degree to which the less influential associates of institutions (such as family) and organizations expect and accept the unequal distribution of power.| Collectivist vs. Individualist| The scale of which individuals are incorporated into groups| Masculinity vs. Femininity| Refers to the distribution of roles and values between the genders. The women in feminine countries have the same modest, caring and competitive, like the men. However, in masculine countries, women are more competitive and assertive, but not as much as the men.| Uncertainty Avoidance| A society’s tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity| Figure 1 identifies the characteristics of the four dimensions (Hofstede, 1984). Brunei regained independence from British rule in January 1, 1984 (Brunei Civil Service, 2007). Bruneian’s are ruled by the Sultan and adopt the National Philosophy called the ‘Malay Islamic Monarchy’ (MIB) where the Malay culture, language, customs and Islam is incorporated as a set of model values. The population in Brunei is estimated at 390,000 and it comprises of Malays, Chinese and Ethnic Minorities with 67 per cent, 15 per cent and 18 per cent respectively (Kramar & Syed, 2012). According to the Country Paper of Brunei Darussalam, the Government Sector employs 12.23 per cent of the entire population (Brunei Civil Service, 2007). Brunei’s legal and political system is based on both the Islamic law and English Common law. The Sultan takes on the role of the Prime Minister and is the head of government and chief of state (Central Intelligence Agency, 2013). Brunei’s social structure is one of absolute conformity to the Sultan’s authority and challenges made by individuals and organizations are frowned upon (Clarke & Salleh, 2011). Therefore it is evident that power distance is high in Brunei. Brunei’s economy is heavily dependent on the Oil and Gas sector. Actions have been made to branch out into a variety of non-oil related sectors. In a 2008 estimate by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the labor force is composed of agriculture, industry (oil and gas) and services, with it being 4.2 per cent, 62.8 per cent and 33 per cent respectively (Central Intelligence Agency, 2013). Local males and females hold different employment structures, with the females being hired excessively in office, cleaning jobs and associated occupations. Males are predominantly hired in top managerial roles, as well as ‘non-office’ middle level jobs, such as agriculture, plant and machine production. Employment patterns between the local genders does not drastically differ from 20 years prior to 1991, and has been ingrained in Brunei’s employment structure. Thus, masculinity proves to be strongly evident in Brunei due to the job scopes each gender undertakes. The socio-culture in Brunei’s organizations stresses the importance of upholding the national heritage to pass down to generations to come. Islamic values and teachings have been endorsed since 16th century, which differentiates Brunei from other South-East Asian Islamic or Malay countries (Zanko & Nugi, 2003). Hence, Brunei is skewed towards a collectivist culture as they are influenced by the MIB, which instills a family like culture in the workplace. Loyalty to family and the Sultan is expected of Bruneians (Minnis, 1999). The Sultan, in a bid to improve data entry efficiency, transparency and eliminate the use of paper, is implementing a new form of technology. The system, also known as Government Employee Management System (GEMS), is being implemented in three main sectors: government employees, human resource administrators and the public. GEMS will permit the sharing of documents, leave applications and benefits entitlement to be accessible any time, anywhere. There has been mixed reactions toward the implementation of GEMS, with some preferring to stick with the old system, as it is in Malay, which is their national language. It may cause stress to older employees who have difficulty keeping up with technological advances and learning of a new language. From this, we can conclude that Bruneians have concerns towards adapting to new technology. Therefore we can conclude that they have high uncertainty avoidance. From the results above, it can be deduced that Brunei’s culture is adapted in their law and politics, technology, and the economy. The Importance of Human Resource (HR) Policies The heart of organizational effectiveness is developing long-term goals to nurture and skillfully develop human resources as key assets. The importance of investing in training and development has proven to contribute positively to the success of organizations. Government policies worldwide have since adopted management programs to help improve the quality of their human resources, in order to improve overall organizational effectiveness (Rajah & Wallace, 1993). According to Brunei Economic Development Board, 54 per cent of its population is made up of 20-54 year age group that are economically productive. This indicates a major productive workforce with both experienced and inexperienced individuals. With the availability of the workforce, HRM needs to provide training and development to upgrade their staff with knowledge and skills that is required in both macro and microenvironment. (need evidence) Comprehensive policies and procedures establish the foundation of HRM in the public sector. Policies are crucial and serve several important functions. It ensures that organizations comply with legislation and are accountable for the protection against employment claims. Policies also help the management make consistent judgments that are perpetual and expectable. Established HR policies protect not only individuals, but also organizations as well from the pressures of pragmatism (Hard Power: Soft Power, 2011). Human rights legislation is crucial as it protects employees from discrimination. It guarantees equality treatment for the people regardless of well-known characteristics that involved stereotyping or biasness in relation to employment. In Krama & Syed (2012), some interviewees felt that favoritism is still the pivotal point of recruitment, particularly in the government sector. Some interviewees suggested that cohesive social relationships in Brunei society had influence on work connection in the workplace. Although the impact was moderated by the HRM practices, particularly in employment, there is a strong need for Human Rights Legislation to be firmly enforced in Brunei in order to create inclusive workplaces that are more diverse and respectful. (can we link this to how hrm enables individual employees to adjust themselves to technical changes?) Krama & Syed (2012) stated that staff not in managerial roles was not familiar with the availability of the General Order (GO) and State Circulars (SC) as the regulations were poorly imposed. To improve the situation, HR policies must be enforced and properly implemented. Communication of policies horizontally and vertically is important. All new and existing staff could be issued an employee handbook that clearly defines an organization’s values, expectations and standard operating procedures (SOP). The purpose of the policies should be transparent, easily understood and not perceived as variable. A policy training session across the board can be implemented for certain policies like dispute resolutions, disciplinary and safety issues, which are more complicated. With the policies inaugurated, it will greatly support the country’s consistency in treatment of staff, fairness and transparency. These policies must be direct, serve the organization’s mission and not simply be enforced to regulate the conduct and rights of the staff. HRM could also implement key training in communication skills. As mentioned above, Brunei’s national language is Malay, which may lead to language barriers. Teaching employees to communicate in fluent written and spoken English is vital as Brunei branches out into the international market. In comparison to the old SIMPA system in Malay, the new GEMS system in English causes older employees to have a harder time in keeping up with the changes. HRM could provide information technology (IT) trainings to older generation employees to ensure that they are equip with relevant IT skills such as computer software (usage of emails, software program and knowledge of file format) and hardware skills, usage of organization intranet/internet and how to access and use GEMS systems (including searching, gathering of information, applying electronic-leaves, allowance and benefit application). Provision of IT skills would equip them with knowledge and skills to keep up with the technology. HRM can also implement performance management systems within the organization. The purpose of these systems is to identify, gather individual performance and information through self-review of employees and their managers/supervisor. With the self-review programs, managers/supervisor would gather more information about each individual within a team. Self-review program promotes team bonding, interaction and communication between managers/supervisor and staff. By discussing, identifying potential key individual talents, retaining key individuals that benefit the organization. With this, it allows HRM to identify key training areas that can be provided to their employees to adapt to the ever-changing environment. It could be done by overseas attachment allowing the staff to get more exposure and experience. Workshop targets on leadership quality, self development and team building within the organization that allows HR to identify potential leadership quality in individual of each different department of the organization, thus helping individual to achieve self actualization. Implementing formal and informal work environment learning in the organization. Informal workplace learning involves senior experience and junior management where senior management would hold a small meeting/sharing session with the junior management on their knowledge, skills and experience in their field of work. And as for formal work environment learning, a junior will be attached to a senior manager to attend for international meeting or conference held overseas for exposure and experience. Learning and Development program such as social and business etiquette, current affairs between host and home countries, languages, sensitivity awareness and pre-departure training. HRM In Brunei Versus HRM In A Western Country Using Hofstede (1984) and Cho, et al. (1999), we will examine the difference in society cultures of Brunei as compared to a western country, and the differences between their HRM. As mentioned above, Brunei’s culture and politics are represented by Malay-Islamic values whereas a western society where wide mixtures of culture groups are incorporated in the workforce. (need evidence) Malay cultures are highly collectivist with strong emphasis on family orientation (Blunt, 1988; Maxwell, 1996). HRM in Brunei looks beyond the welfares of the employees. Consideration for their families implemented in their HRM policies. A married female interviewee stated that work hours are family friendly and flexible. (Krama & Syed, 2012) Individuals are also less receptive to individual responsibilities, and prefer collective responsibilities in the organization. However, this collectivism also results in informal recruitment as suggested by the case (Myloni et al. 2004). In the individualist western context, employees are likely to focus on self, which also applies for compensation and rewards, where HRM rewards individuals for good performances rather than that of a team, or as collective whole. High power distance is present in Brunei’s workforce; senior managers of organizations take the lead and are regarded as significant role models based on rank, title and status, along with a tall organizational structure. (Abdullah, 2005) In the past, employees were afraid to disagree with their superiors. (Blunt, 1988) Nowadays, managers take into consideration the suggestions and point of view of employees to ensure that they feel valued by the organization. (Kramar & Syed, 2012) Apart from that, managers have no authority to press for change. This reflects a centralized system where the top management exercise great power and subordinates choose to leave the decision making process to senior executives. It is the duty of HRM to ensure that these leaders are highly committed in leading subordinates to fulfill the organization values and goals. In the western context, a decentralized structure is adopted and employees seek to be part of management decision-making process. A low power distance means that they want to be empowered by their management and be autonomous, being able to make decisions and be given responsibilities. The way to motivate them is through challenging jobs, where HRM needs to focus on the job design (Herzberg, 1966). Group discussions value the input of individuals that are taken into consideration, whereas in Brunei, SC and GO shape the HRM practices and the Sultan holds the decision making power. As mentioned in the case study, Bruneians have high uncertainty avoidance. (Blunt, 1988) Employees prefer a clear organizational structure and respect and behave ritually towards authority figures. Promotions or a raise in salary are also based on passing an examination based on the SC and GO. In contrast, a western country is skewed towards having low uncertainty avoidance whereby they are more uncertainty accepting, with higher acceptance for new ideas, innovative products and a willingness to try something new, be it technology or business practices. They also tend to be more tolerant of ideas or opinions from anyone and embrace freedom of expression (Hofstede, 1994). Maybe find a country to support this? In Brunei, the emphasis is on masculinity, men are expected to be assertive and dominant over women in social relations and demonstrates ambitious and competitive behavior. (Maxwell, 1996)

Morphology of Dragonflies

Lab Section 1 Wednesday 1:10-4:00 M. Moore Zoology Lab #1 Morphology of Dragonflies In analyzing the morphology of dragonflies by looking at two different time periods and the water levels, data was found to illustrate that body size might be directly influenced by water levels. By looking at the dragonfly species Sympetrum vincinum during the 2001 drought and 2008 normal rainfall, the data showed that there was no statistical difference in abdomen depth (p value 0. 20741). There was a statistical difference in forewing length (p value 0. 006), hindwing area (p value 0. 000164) and thorax depth (p value 0. 0001). The means provided from the different species showed that there was a small difference from 2001 to 2008 and that the 2008 data was smaller with the normal amount of rainfall opposed to the 2001 draught.The Mean for 2001 of the Forewing length (23. 30mm), Hindwing area (169. 88mm2), thorax depth (6. 04mm), abdomen length (21. 08mm), were larger than 2008. The 2008 means are as follows, Forewing Length (22. 06mm), Hindwing Area (148. 61mm2), Thorax Depth (5. 25mm) and Abdomen Length (20. 0mm). In the study â€Å"Fitness and body size in mature odonates† it was found that body size has an important role in the fitness of dragonflies and is directly related to their ability to reproduce and survive (Sokolovska, Rowe, and Johansson 2000). Through this study it was found that there was no statistical difference in the abdomen depth from 2001 and 2008 with varying water levels. This suggests that the dragonflies did not change their abdomen size because that particular size was the one that best aided their fitness, not relying on water levels.Egg Laying in Petrels: Successful versus Failed Eggs In the comparison of the successful eggs and the failed eggs, there was a statistical difference between them concerning the egg’s length, breadth and mass. This leads to idea that the failed eggs were not cared for as well as the successful eggs had be en. For the comparison of the successful versus the failed eggs, the egg length (p value 0. 01849), egg breadth (p value 0. 00057) and the egg mass (p value 0. 00057). In the study of â€Å"Leach’s Storm- Petrel done by Huntington et al. n 1996, they found that there may be various reasons why there are unsuccessful egg hatching with these birds. In the data analysis of the successful versus the failed eggs the reasons that there is a statistical difference between them may be because of nesting site, incubation time, or size of parental birds (Huntington et al. 1996). There are many factors to contribute to the reasons why there is a statistical difference between the sizes of the successful versus failed eggs. This data proves that there is a significant difference between the egg sizes and this will lead to further studies to gain more information.Egg Laying in Guillemots: Inter- Year Effects The data found from the analysis of measuring the length and breadth of eggs fro m Guillemonts to see when the birds had better reproduction ability from the first year of their breeding in comparison to their second or third year. The data illustrated a statistical difference between the egg length and breadth from the first year to the second or third year. The birds produced larger eggs in their first year of breeding in comparison to their second or third year breeding.The length comparison between first year and second or third year (p value 0. 00036) and the breadth comparison was (p value 0. 019112), which both exhibit a significant statistical difference. The egg size and shape varies on many different factors including the environment, the age of the female and when the eggs are laid (Butler and Buckley 2002). This analysis proves the point that egg size is affected by the age of the female and that the first breeding season of the female produces the best eggs.Works Cited Butler, G. R. , Buckley, E. D. 2002. Black Guillemot. The Birds of North America, No. 675. Huntington, E. C. , Butler, G. R. , and Mauck A. R. 1996. Leach’s Storm- Petrel. The Birds of North America, No. 233. Sokolovska N. , Rowe L. , and Johansson F. 2000. Fitness and body size in mature odondates. Ecological Entomology, 25:239-248. Table 3. Wing Variable recorded for male Sympetrum vincinum at Lemon Stream in Franklin County (ME) in September 2001 and September 2008. Table 3. . Morphological variables recorded for male Sympetrum vincinum at Lemon Stream in Franklin County (ME) in September 2001 and September 2008. Table 6. Egg measurements collected on Great Island (Newfoundland, Canada) from nesting Leach’s Storm-petrels in 1983 (from Butler, unpublished data). Table 9. Black Guillemot egg measurements collected on Great Duck Island (Hancock County, Maine) from banded adults in their 1st and 2nd and 3rd breeding seasons 1991 and 1993 (Butler and Barkley 2002).

Valueable’ Contribution Required from the Youth to Shape the Future of the Country

‘Valueable’ contribution required from the youth to shape the future of the country Introduction: The destiny of a nation is vested with the youngsters. These are the people if guided correctly; they can modify the course of the world. They have the might of extensive thinking, hard struggle, innovation and advancement. The youth are ready to adapt changes because they are young they are in search of truth, they are open to different ideas contrary to the people who are mature and old. These youths are the pioneers of socio-cultural, political and economic reform. They are the crucial segments of our nation’s development.Today the current population of India stands at 1. 2 billion of which around 600 million people are younger than 25, and nearly 70 percent is under 40. At a time when much of the developed world and China have aging populations, an unprecedented demographic condition in the history of modern India, and in absolute numbers it is unprecedented anywh ere in the world. According to a recent IMF report India’s demographic dividend alone could contribute two percentage points to its annual G. D. P. growth for the next two decades, if the country adopts the right policies.A 2010 Goldman Sachs paper projected that India’s industry would need to create nearly 40 million jobs by the end of this decade to absorb this huge increase in the labor force. The demographic dividend of India will witness a surge in the labor force with the right age structure, higher productivity due to urbanization, a low ratio of dependent people and an increased number of women joining the work force. The paper further states that aided by the demographic dividend, India could clock economic growth of 7 to 9 percent until 2030, possibly wiping out absolute poverty as we know it today, though the poverty line would then be eadjusted. In yet another study it was indicated that India will have 12 percent of the world’s college graduates by 2020, more than the United States, and second only to China, which will have a staggering 29 percent share. These graduates, their innovations and their patents will be the main drivers of the knowledge economy. In the wake of the rising new revolution in cities today, social media saw creating a new phenomenon the rise of the virtually connected Indian youth which is likely to redraw the terms of engagement between the state and its urban population.Young people are at the forefront of the technology revolution, which is the driving force behind the global emergence and evolution of the information- and knowledge-based society. According to a report by SemioCast, a Paris-based research firm, said that India had around 18 million Twitter accounts, placing it sixth among the biggest Twitter nations. While internet penetration in India is just 11% three times lower than the global average around 137 million users make the country third biggest in terms of web-connected citizens. Most of these users are urban and young.A Comscore report says 75% of web users here are under-35. A Pew Research study this December established that nearly 45% of Indian web users, most of them from urban areas, connect on social media to discuss politics. The numbers are backed by GlobalWebIndex, which noted in a September report that India is the third most socially active country with around 78 points. The past decade has seen a growing acceptance of the importance of youth participation in decision-making, and successful efforts to engage young people in the political process have led to improved policy formulation, adoption, implementation and evaluation.Participation strengthens young people's commitment to and understanding of the concepts of human rights and democracy. The traditional view that â€Å"youth are the future† fails to take into account that young people are very active contributors to their societies today. While involving young people in the decisions that affect society is beneficial from both a policymaking and a youth development perspective, it is not always effectively practised.There are a multiple reports that suggest – India’s youthful population can be viewed as a double-edged sword – capable of bringing great benefit to the country in the decades ahead, but with extensive demands that, under current economic conditions, the country looks unable to fulfill. Projections like this are dependent on several internal conditions – in India’s case, that means changing its archaic land and labor laws, creating better trade opportunities and making huge investments in education and skills training. The state of the global economy will be a key external variable.

An analysis of the long and short term causes of world war 1 Essay

An analysis of the long and short term causes of world war 1 - Essay Example People believed their state to be superior and when this feeling entered the negotiations between rival countries, reaching to peace was near impossible. The crisis also came because of long series of diplomatic and military treaties between countries. When one country was supported by other countries it considered itself on the winning side in the war. This meant that when these great powers met opposition from one of the rivals, they were ready to fight a war rather than back down from it. The Triple Entente made up of France, Russia and Britain, was strong enough to fight against The Triple Alliance (Italy, Germany and Austria-Hungary), The Balkans and The Ottoman Empire. Historians also believe imperialism to be the reason to start the war. The increasing tension between world empires to acquire as much trade and colonies as possible led to conflicts between them. Fights over trade route and foreign resource had started much before the Great War. By controlling foreign territorie s and markets, France and Britain had accumulated large wealth. On the other hand, Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy all wanted to attain this economic advantage, resulting in greater tension between these empires. Common interest between some of these countries led to further and stronger alliance. Each country believed itself to be right and tried to follow a policy to extend its authority over foreign countries and colonies. The hostility between the world powers over this authority is significant in the Berlin-Baghdad Railway. This would have given Germany access to Iraqi oil and trade to Persian Gulf. Britain knowing the importance of the issue created a blockade to the Persian Gulf, excluding others from it. The arms race and presence of militarism in the large empires of the world made them confident of their victory in case the war was declared. The belief of Europe that the war would be â€Å"over by Christmas† shows the level of their confidence over their strength . Also, the feeling that a war was impending and inevitable, gave countries a strong reason to build up their military forces. This led to an increase in an arms race, where each country tried to be prepared to strike before the other did. In planning to begin mobilization before others and avoid the defensive position, military planning became a priority in most countries, resulting in an increased fear of war. The immediate cause of the war however was the ‘third Balkan crises. The Balkan and Morocco crisis occurred one after another and so led to a devastating result-the World War I. Serbia and Russia fought against Austria-Hungary for territory and influence in the region. After the Balkan wars, near bankruptcy and during a political crisis, Serbian military leaders trained and armed three Bosnian students to assassin the Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria. On 28 June 1914, he was shot dead along with his wife. The political motive behind this assassination was to break o ff Austria-Hungary's south-Slav provinces and combine them into a Greater Serbia or a Yugoslavia. In retaliation, Austria decided to end the South Slav separatism. It also issued an ultimatum of forty-eight hours, which asked for Austrian officials to be allowed to collaborate in the investigation and punishment of the assassinators. The ultimatum contained several very severe demands. Although both United Kingdom and Russia sympathized and agreed

Analysis of how & why I formed my view about one issue to do with Essay

Analysis of how & why I formed my view about one issue to do with equality - Essay Example Although there are provisions that would benefit learners with disability, the move for equality in education did not quite reach the expectations of the disabled people and their families especially in the equal distribution of quality education, specifically on adjusted treatment of teachers and peer acceptance and government assistance. Prevalence of Disabled People in Education in the United Kingdom Quality education remains to be one of the existing challenges for learners with special needs. Chapter 3 of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) monitoring paper explores the international perspective of the problem and contends that present educational systems failed to address the needs of the marginalized, especially for the disabled, of quality education (UNESCO, 2010). In the United Kingdom, the Department for Education initiated the SEN or the Special Education Needs to meet a diverse population of disabled people. Between the y ears 2005 and 2006, the population of learners with disability rose considerably, where a 6% raise was recorded by the Office for Disability Issues. Although the record is already relatively high, this is not enough to conclude that discrimination among these people does not exist. As what Barnes (1991, p. 28) argues, discrimination against the disabled people is a fact in the present educational system. Discrimination against Disabled People in Education A common thought persists that education is supposed to be an area in which people can be equal regardless of their status, gender, or abilities, that individuals have the right to achieve educational success; however, this might just be the contrary to what the real scenario suggests. Discrimination, especially for the disabled individuals is prevalent at any educational levels despite the laws forbidding it. Tracing the history of education in the United Kingdom, it is clear that the disabled population were the least of the conc erns of the government. In the book by Barnes (1991, p. 29), it is stated that the Education Act of 1944 upheld â€Å"equality of education† for all its citizens but â€Å"the idea of equality, however, did not extend to children with impairments.† The idea brings the thought that mainstream education was at the time an absolute standard. The ‘equality for all in education’ scheme called for segregation of disabled and ‘subnormal’ learners from the normal learning class. Fortunately, the Education Act of 1981 provided broader opportunities for children with special needs. Not only that the provision guided the disabled people for better and broader educational opportunities but also emphasized the roles of some professions, directly or indirectly helping special children (Barnes, 1991, p. 34). Through inclusion system, the disabled individual is provided an opportunity to be involved in the mainstream classroom. Educational inclusion is an â⠂¬Å"action to remove barriers to participation in learning† (Anon., n.d.), which follows that learners with impairments are actually included in the standard classrooms. This would provide them the chance to interact with ‘normal’ learners, and serve as a practice for future involvement in the workforce. This may be a sound goal for the Department for Education but Abrams (2004) did not believe that

3BM070 Strategic Corporate Finance ASSIGNMENT 2 Essay

3BM070 Strategic Corporate Finance ASSIGNMENT 2 - Essay Example The ratio is seen to be as high as 30% (Damodaran, 2012). a) Whether making investments in the shares of BP is profitable or not, has been analysed on the basis of the above calculations in respect to p/e ratio and the share price value calculated using the dividend growth model. The p/e ratio aids investors to understand the market prospects of a given stock. A higher p/e ratio is generally considered to be better as it results out of higher earnings and market value existing for a share. It is also considered that firms having a higher p/e ratio is likely to give more dividends (Bakshi and Chen, 2005). The ratio helps investors to decide upon the price at which shares must be purchased based on the evaluation of its earnings. The ratio therefore aids in establishing a relationship between earnings and the market value per share. It is extremely essential that the ratio is studied by investors based on industry average and previous year’s values. The ratio can be interpreted wrongly if not suitably compared with the p/e ratios of previous years and the general ratio existing in the industry (Sharpe, 2002). From the calculations carried out it has been seen that the p/e ratio of BP in the 2013 has been lower than the general industry standards. The industry standards were at 12.8 while the ratio for BP was as low as 6.49%. This indicates that the market value of shares and the EPS values for the year 2013 of BP were lower than the general industry standards. On the other hand, it was seen that the p/e ratio for the year 20014 had risen to 30%. This was identified due to a fall in the earning per share (EPS) values, although the price of shares had experienced lower level of decline. Although a higher p/e ratio is considered to be better, it may be judged wrongly if not compared with the figures of the previous year. In case of BP, although the p/e ratio had risen, the cause behind it was a fall

Effects Of Brand Awareness And Website Quality On UK Consumers Essay

Effects Of Brand Awareness And Website Quality On UK Consumers Perceived Risk And Purchase Intention 03095 - Essay Example The effect of brand awareness is found more in the economy of UK since the online retail sales will increase by 14.7% to 38.3 billion pound in the year 2014. The purchase intention of the consumer has increased with the development of websites and which is likely to increase by 82% from 2014 to 2019 (Perreault and MaCarthy, 2003). The use of online shopping among the customers of UK can be observed by the statistics that is conducted which reveals that 95% of the respondents have preferred online shoping.The change in the technology is related to the purchase intention through online and that is influenced by the online trust. The main aim of conducting the study is identifying the importance of the brand awareness in determining the availability and the accessibility of the product and services that the company is offering to its consumers which indicates that the company which has successful brand awareness of its products in the market generally has the high demand and craze for its products among the customers in the market. The research question that is identified by us for discussing on the topic is does brand loyalty, brand awareness and the improvement in the website design influences the purchase intention or purchase decision of the customers and also the perceived risk on building and its affect and relationship with the online purchase intention. Authors like Etzel, Walker, and Stanton, (2004) stated that the increase in the brand awareness will result in the increase in the frequency of buying and if the customer is satisfied from the particular product then the consumer will pass on the information about the particular product to others which will increase the popularity of the brand and as a result will enhance the brand loyalty of the consumers which is considered or regarded as an important factor or element in increasing the sale of the product and

Db2 employment recruitment and select Research Paper

Db2 employment recruitment and select - Research Paper Example The other function involves the non essential functions, as the name suggests they are additional duties laid form a major function being presented. They are either caused by some occurrences or used as additional duties to be carried out workers. They done require specialist to perform them so in major organizations they are usually distributed among amongst all employees. According to (Walker, 2003) Essential and non essential functions are executed with respect to the organization of the subject at hand for example the introduction of a new system be it scientific or simple system the need to describe functions of the employs must be kept in mind. In caring out the essential duties the international laws governing the labor sector must be observed. They include the recommend eight hours of working time is observed and that the working conditions are favorable. The issue of overtime pay must be included in performing these duties. Essential duties are major to the organization for instance an account caring out an audit is termed as essential but when he is involved in matters to deal with training of fellow employees then it becomes non

Universal Serial Bus 3.0 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Universal Serial Bus 3.0 - Research Paper Example The invention of USB 3.0, supporting massive data transfer with super-fast speeds, overcomes these problems. (Perenson, 2010) With a blazing data transfer speed of over 5 gigabits per second will certainly add value towards a better life. Apart from the blazing speed, USB 3.0 is backward compatible as well, as it can be used with traditional USB 2.0 ports. For achieving USB 3.0 compliant speed, a USB 3.0 supported device and USB 3.0 compatible cable is required. However, the cable can be used with USB 2.0 compatible devices with no gain in data transfer speeds. (Perenson, 2010) The technological improvements of the USB 3.0 are identical to PCI Express and the backward compatibility support is achieved by an intelligent design along with a dual bus. For USB 3.0, the design incorporates five lines i.e. 4 data lines and one ground wire for USB 3.0 singles. Apart from having identical ground and power wires, both of USB technology versions are dissimilar (Perenson, 2010). USB 3.0 Architecture Figure 1.1 {Source (Govindaraman, 2010)} (Govindaraman, 2010) The USB 3.0 architecture is inspired by the PCI express architecture and the ISO model. The architecture has Physical layer tagged as (PHY), protocol layer and link layer, as illustrated in Fig 1.1. The PHY incorporates the connectivity between the device and the host or a hub device. Identical to the PCI express architecture physical layer, USB 3.0 incorporates encoding and decoding, data scrambling and descrambling, serialization and deserialization features (Govindaraman, 2010). The responsibility of the link layer incorporates stable data integrity for link partners by deploying error detection algorithms (Govindaraman, 2010). Likewise, packets are constructed in the link layer and link commands are allotted. Moreover, the protocol layer is responsible for managing end to end flow of data via device and a host (Govindaraman, 2010). Similar to the USB 2.0 architecture, the super speed bus is responsible for carrying address, status, data and control information. The four packet types are identical to the USB 3.0 i.e. the transaction packet (TP) and the data packet (DP). However, two other packets named as Isochronous Timestamp Packet (ITP) and Lin k Management Packet (LMP) is new in the USB 3.0 architecture (Govindaraman, 2010). USB 3.0 Power Management The power management of USB 3.0 incorporates enhanced power management functions for addressing the requirements of battery powered devices and portable applications. Moreover, USB 3.0 has also introduced â€Å"function suspend† feature that activates power management for individual functions associated with a composite device. This feature provides flexibility for eliminating other functions associated with the device; however, other functions remain operational. Furthermore, power saving is accomplished by a new feature called as latency tolerance messaging (LTM) architecture that is integrated within the USB 3.0. Likewise, the device may send information to the host for the tolerance of maximum delay from the time it sends the status ‘ERDY’ (Govindaraman, 2010). The table illustrated in Fig 1.2, demonstrates comparison of different technologies. The conc lusion highlights that USB 3.0 is 10 times faster than Fast Gigabit Ethernet, however, Gigabit Ethernet incorporates more power and the maximum cable length is also greater than USB 3.0. FireWire-b Gigabit Ethernet

Charter Accounting Essay Example for Free

Charter Accounting Essay Mr John Potts is a chartered accountant who owns his own firm. Potts works in all fields associated with business and finance in the private sector. He also employs workers to work in his firm assisting him in all aspects of his work. His office is just a five minute drive from his house which is an advantage as he can go to and from his house when necessary. He usually works from 9am to 7pm however, these hours are flexible. Mr Potts has a choice of working at his office or working at home. The activities he does include maintaining accounting records and preparing accounts and management information for small businesses (accountancy); advising clients on business transactions, such as mergers and acquisitions (corporate finance); advising clients who are in financial difficulty to help them turn the business around or to handle the disposal of the business (corporate recovery/insolvency); detecting and preventing fraud (forensic accounting) and much other activities. In order for Mr Potts to be able to complete his tasks, he uses some technologies which assist him with his work life, social life and personal life. Technology 1 CCTV Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) is the use of video cameras to transmit signals to a certain place so an area is fully monitored for safety of others and crime. The most measurable effect of CCTV is not on crime prevention, but on detection and prosecution. Several notable murder cases have been solved with the use of CCTV evidence, making the environment a safer place for the public. CCTV Work Related Use John Potts has many CCTV cameras around his workplace. The signal is sent to many monitors in his office and his study at home. This is so he can monitor outside activities and keep an eye out for any crimes that may occur. When Potts is not able to attend his office, he is still able to access the images from his study at home. Using the images, he can contact his security guards to check a specific area in his building. The advantages of having installed cctv cameras is that he can see what is going on around his building, therefore he does not have to be everywhere at all times. Another advantage is that he can access the images from home when he is unable to go to his office. This technology also has some disadvantages. One of these is that he will occasionally get worried of any crimes near his building which forces him to constantly check his monitors. This may be interfering with his social life as he would be too worried about his workplace. Another advantage is that the signals may not be received all the time due to incomplete installation of the cameras. This technology has improved the working style of Mr Potts as he is able to keep an eye out for any unusual events taking part around his building. Technology 2 Personal Digital Assistant (HP iPAQ 200 Enterprise Handheld) The HP iPAQ 200 Enterprise Handheld (PDA) has many features which aids many businessmen. First of all, the PDA has a 4 inch touch screen display and has a stylish design making it a great deployment platform for enterprise applications. Secondly, using the integrated 802.11b/g wireless networking, Mr Potts is able to connect to the Internet and access his email. He is also able to connect Bluetooth peripheral such as headsets or keyboards. He is also able to use applications like Word, PowerPoint and Excel Word, PowerPoint and Excel on his PDA using Microsoft Office Mobile. Also, Mr Potts is able to store his business-critical information with high-capacity SDIO and Compact Flash. The advantages of this device are that its very ideal for businessmen as it is like five devices in one. Having many uses, the PDA benefits mostly businessmen who need access to the computer while on the move. A disadvantage of this device is that it is an ideal item that is of interest to many muggers in the world today putting you in danger due to being in possession of this device. Personal Digital Assistant Personal Use Mr Potts is always on the move, around the city and very often he travels abroad for job purposes. When he is waiting for his flight, he does not need to carry his laptop with him all the time as his HP iPAQ 200 Enterprise Handheld (PDA) is an equivalent to his laptop. He is able to connect to the internet using Wifi which allows him to browse the internet to entertain herself by listening to music and watching videos. The advantages of this device are that it is more ideal as it is much smaller. He is still able to access his emails and many documents without the need of carrying a laptop. A disadvantage of this device is that he will need to extend his memory capacity constantly as he uploads a lot of information to his device which helps him with his job. Another disadvantage of this device is that he has to be very careful as the device is very fragile; the screen can be cracked. Also he is in danger of having his personal information known if he is not careful with his device. Personal Digital Assistant Social Use Due to the wireless technology, Mr Potts can connect to the internet and use his email address to sign into Windows Live Messenger and chat to his friends. His device works exactly like a computer as he often sends, to his family, many photographs of famous landmarks that he took while he was abroad. Other than this, Mr Potts uses his PDA mostly for work related activities. Personal Digital Assistant Work Related Use When it comes to Mr Pottss job related activities, his PDA is the ideal device. While he is away abroad, his personal secretary sends him copies of documents by email. He later retrieves these documents from his PDA. He very often makes many spreadsheets on his laptop. This is also possible to do on his PDA which he does. His PDA can also create word documents which is very beneficial to him as he doesnt need to go to his computer at all times or carry a laptop when he can carry a palm sized device which enables him to do everything that he can do on his laptop. But unfortunately, Mr Potts is required to expand his memory as the capacity may not be enough after having many documents on his PDA. When Mr Potts has access to his computer, he usually sends documents that he believes that he will need later to herself by email. He has sent almost all important files to herself by email. This is done so he can access and download them onto his PDA when he is away from home or access to a computer. Mr Pottss PDA consists of important details of his clients, individual clients and business clients, such as phone numbers, addresses etc. If he did not have this device however, he would have had to carry a small notepad, writing in the details every time. This wastes paper and time as he has to search for a clients details. This device is ideal to store information like this on it as he can quickly find someones details by entering a few letters of their name. The PDA will then narrow down the search until Mr Potts can view the details. A disadvantage of having a PDA in possession is that he has to take it almost everywhere with him as it contains relevant information. He has to be very careful with his valuable device as it may contain confidential information which can be accessed by anyone if he loses or misplaces his device. Technology 3 Mobile Phone (Nokia N95) Another device used by Mr Potts is his mobile phone, Nokia N95. The Nokia N95 is a smart phone with many unbelievable features. First of all, the multimedia abilities. The N95 has an outstanding music player that supports MP3, WMA, RealAudio, SP-MIDI, AAC+, eAAC+, MIDI, AMR, M4A and True Tones. Next is the Internet. The N95 has built in Wi-fi which can be used to gain access to the internet. The web browser displays the webpage in full whereas other phones display simplified versions of the webpage. Another feature of this smart phone is the integrated GPS. Below the 0 key on the N95s keypad is an integrated GPS receiver. The phone is shipped with navigation software and maps are free to download over the internet. Mobile Phone Personal Use Mr Potts is really into his music. He listens to his mp3 tracks via the music player on his Nokia N95 which supports the formats mentioned above. He also uses his phone to entertain herself by watching many videos at DVD like quality on the 2.6 inch screen. Another feature on this phone widely used by Mr Potts is the 5 mega pixel camera located at the back of the device. With this, he is able to capture great pictures at amazing quality. An advantage of this is that when he is away and needs to take photos, he does not need to take another device, a camera; instead he can take his phone which enables him to take many pictures at an equivalent quality of his own camera. The smart phone also has a Flash Player. With this software in the phone, Mr Potts is able to put many games onto his phone which will keep him busy entertaining herself for a long time. Mobile Phone Social Use As he is often out and about he is not seen at home for many hours. While he is on his lunch break, Mr Potts uses his time to make quick phone calls home to chat to his wife and his son. An advantage of this device is that when Mr Potts has not got his laptop or PDA, he is still able to talk to his friends over Windows Live Messenger by connecting to the mobile internet. Another advantage is that he saves a lot of coins as with his phone, he has many free minutes which allows him to make many calls whereas if he was not in possession of a mobile phone, he would have had to carry coins around with him to use a payphone. A disadvantage of this device however is that this can increase his phone bill. Mobile Phone Work Related Use Mr Potts is a very busy man, always working. He needs to make many phone calls, which is part of his day to day life, spending many hours on the phone to his clients. Without his N95 it is almost impossible for Mr Potts to go to work as he receives many phone calls often concerning his job. If he is ever in a situation where he has forgotten his laptop or PDA and cannot access his email account to download files, he is still able to do so with his phone by connecting to the mobile internet. He can also make quick notes on his phone which remind him what he needs to do and when he needs to complete specific tasks by if he has forgotten to take his PDA with him. Technology 4 Microsoft Office Excel 2007 Microsoft Office Excel 2007 is an influential software used to produce and format spreadsheets and to analyze and distribute information to make more informed decisions. This new software has many features which include ? Chart Formatting tools which help create and format professional-looking charts with greater ease using fewer clicks. ? Support for PDF and XML Paper Specification (XPS) file formats helps convert spreadsheets into a fixed file format for easier sharing. ? Report management features help protect confidential business information while ensuring people can view the data they need. ? Chart Formatting tools help you create and format professional-looking charts with greater ease using fewer clicks. Microsoft Office Excel 2007 Personal Use Mr Potts records his day to day spending on a spreadsheet using Microsoft Office Excel 2007 to calculate a budget for his family to spend so he can cut down costs for unnecessary things. He first records the amount spent for a couple of months. He then calculates and produces a budget and attempts to stick to that budget for a couple of months. He then records this and then compares both spreadsheets and sees where the unnecessary spending has occurred. Microsoft Office Excel 2007 Social Use During his breakfast, Mr Potts spends his time doing many crossword puzzles and also does these puzzles in his spare time. He expands his interest by making his own crossword puzzles on Excel. He then sends them to his friends making them spend their spare time completing the puzzles and requesting them to send back reviews via email so he can improve his work. Also, Mr Davison buys and sells many shares on the stock market and keeps tracks with his data by recording his information onto a spreadsheet. Mr Potts has an interest in gaming and creates many games using excel. Along with the crossword puzzles, he sends it off to his friends and again receives many reviews which suggest ideas which may lead to him improving the games and enhancing gaming experience. As mentioned previously, Mr Potts sends documents to herself to his email so he can access them later. These documents also include the crossword puzzles and games. He plays them on his laptop while on his lunch break. Whenever he does not have access to his laptop, he plays the game with his friends on his PDA. The game opens up as a spreadsheet file which is supported by his HP iPAQ 200 Enterprise Handheld as it has Microsoft Office Mobile. Microsoft Office Excel 2007 Work Related Use Mr Potts produces spreadsheets for many of his clients (individuals and businesses) advising them on tax planning within current legislation to enable them to minimise their tax liability and he also calculates clients tax liabilities. Some of the activities that Mr Potts performs that may use Microsoft Office Excel 2007 are ? Producing reports and recommendations following internal audits or public sector value for money audits. # ? Preparing financial statements, including monthly and annual accounts. ? Preparing financial management reports, including financial planning and forecasting. ? Advising on tax and treasury issues and many other tasks. To perform activities using Microsoft Office Excel 2007, Mr Potts needs access to his computer. He produces these files on his computer at home or at his office. Mr Potts produces spreadsheets with the company of his client to provide him with any certain information. This is done by inviting his client to his office and working at his computer or he meets up with his client at their house and works on his laptop. As mentioned before, Mr Potts sends important files to herself by email so he can access them later. When he is free, he often spends time finishing off his spreadsheets. Occasionally, as he is on the move he does not take his laptop, however he is still able to complete his tasks by connecting to the internet by the integrated wireless technology on his HP iPAQ 200 Enterprise Handheld and accessing the files from his email account and downloading them onto his PDA. He is able to complete this spreadsheet as his PDA has the Excel application provided by Microsoft Office Mobile. In conclusion, I suppose that without the help from the above technologies and other technologies, Mr John Potts will find it very difficult to complete his day to day life. As mentioned previously, he is not able to perform many tasks without the aid of the above technologies. For example, without the help of his PDA Mr Potts cannot easily access his clients personal details. Also, without his computer/laptop he is not able to complete any other tasks. Due to the aid provided by these technologies, Mr Potts has been able to develop his personal, social, and work life.

Can False Memories be Implanted?

Can False Memories be Implanted? Ajantha Uvaraju Abstract This study is to find out that is it possible for memory to be implanted in students. It is hypothesized if the memory constructed for implanting is highly a plausible event then it is more likely for creation of false memory to occur. Thirty participants of first year Monash University students are recruited. Each of them is accompanied with a partner who is closely related to the subjects (ie: parent, sibling or close relative who knew the subject too well). The partners are asked to read descriptions of 2 events happened to subjects when they were 5 years old and a false event. The one plausible false event is describing of the subject being lost in a mall while shopping depicted from Loftus and Pickrell (1995). While the other is a less plausible memory is an overnight hospitalization for a high fever with possible ear infection made up by Hyman et al (1995). Subjects are split into half where one group receives the plausible event while other the less plausible. Subjects are ask ed to recall everything that they could remember about each event.After that, they are also asked to the rate the confidence from scale of 1 to 5 (1=not confident and 5= extremely confident that it has happened). Here participant would remember the more plausible false memory comparing with lesser one. As memory that is more plausible tend to have higher rating in confidence and in clarity. It is found that the more plausible the event is more likely to be planted in memory than the less plausible event. Introduction People equate of memory as to a recording device, ability to accurately documenting and storing everything that happens with perfect accuracy and clarity. In reality, memory is very prone to fallacy. This is due to existence of false memory. Bartholomew, (2001) describes false memory as a mental experience which mistakenly taken for a representation of an event from one’s personal past It consists of either remembering items or events that never happened, or remembering them differently from the way they actually occurred. Memory of false event has practice especially by psychologist. One of it is repressed memory recovered from a witness via hypnotism of an event that had happen 20 years ago is used to testify against a convict of murder. In spite of this without hypnosis, studies show that people’s memories are open to influence. For instance, Loftus and Pickerel (1995) who conducted research on adults regarding memories of their childhood event that happened and asked them to remember these events with a false memory added into as well. Experiments demonstrated that memories for entirely false events can be implanted. It has been argued that there are limits to the types of events or beliefs that can be suggestively implanted, and that only events that are plausible can be implanted in memory ( Hyman, Gilstrap, Decker, Wilkinson, 1998 ; Hyman Kleinknecht, 1999 ; Lindsay Read, 1994 ; Pezdek, Finger, Hodge, 1997 ). In support of this statement, a report by Pezdek at. al (1997) shows successfully implanting a memory of being lost in participants, but being unable to implant a memory for a less plausible event (receiving a rectal enema). Although, few past research like Loftus was indeed an illustration of planting false event in subjects. Nevertheless there are drawbacks. The memory used in implanting here is common thus suggestively implanting a memory like getting lost in the mall have high chance of succeeding. Therefore this study is to find the role of event plausibility in memory planting by comparing the type of false memory implanted like high plausible false event and implausible false event and its effects on confidence rating among university students. It is hypothesized if the memory constructed for implanting is highly a plausible event then it is more likely for creation of false memory to occur. Method As mentioned the participants of this study are students of first year from Monash University consisting of 15 females and 15 male students and age must be 18 years or older. Each subject is required to bring a partner who is: (1) no more than 2 year younger than subject, (2) was close relative or sibling of the subject and (3) have been in contact with subject at age 5 to 6. The sampling method used here is convenience sampling.The procedures will be approved by the Monash University Human Research Ethics Committee Design In this study the independent variable is type of false event which isplausible and least plausible event.Plausible event is subject being lost in shopping mall and the least possible event is overnight hospitalization due to fever with possible of ear infection. As for the dependent variable is confidence and clarity rating. This experiment is design in an experimental strategy and between-subjects experiment design. Materials The dependent variable is measured in terms of clarity and confidence where in clarity rating is a scale from 1 to 10, with 1 as unclear to 10 being very clear and also the rate of confidence from scale of 1 to 5 (1=not confident and 5= extremely confident that more could be remember. Procedure Study begins with the subjects’ partner in writing the participants’ childhood memories in a booklet, and from that list of the childhood memories two memories are chosen and together with the constructed one. Participants are randomly and evenly assigned into groups of two with each group has its distinct condition. In Group (1): Subjects are provided two memories of true event and one memory of false plausible event, group (2): two memories of true event and one memory less false plausible event. The partners are instructed to read a brief description of the chosen entree given to them to respective subject which include the name of event and age of subject when it happened. After reading the description participants will be asked to recall themselves of the event and to talk about what they can remember space is also provided in filling in their part of the memory. At the end of the session they are asked to think about the event discuss and were later call for anoth er session in a week time. After a week they were presented rate their memory in terms of confidence. They the rate the confidence from scale of 1 to 5 (1=not confident and 5= extremely confident that this event did happen in their childhood. Finally after complete rating they are to be inform on the research objective and also regarding that the certain memory suggested are fictitious. The participants do receives our apologies for our deception and are asked to guess which memory is true and which is false. Results In this study result involves in number of subjects who remembered the more plausible events versus less plausible events and confidence rating given its upmost importance. Data on subject remembering true event is overlooked. The data will be analyses as such: 1) counting number of subjects believe plausible events in each condition in group 1, group 2. Same goes for number of subjects who believed the less plausible event. 2) The amount are compared with each other. It is normally that number of subjects remembering the plausible events exceeds more than the less plausible events. Subjects rated their confidence rating on each event on the term that how positive they are of that the event happened. With a scale of 1 to 5 (1=not confident and 5= extremely confident that it has happened). It can be forecast that the mostly rating score for plausible event will be more than 1 compare to the relative less plausible event. Based from scores the mean for confidence rating will be calcula ted for both event. If the hypothesis is supported the mean confidence in plausible event will be high and less for less plausible event. As well as the median will show the similar pattern with a higher valu compare with the less plausible event. Discussion The purpose of this study is to test the hypothesis that the memory constructed for implanting is highly a plausible event then it is more likely for creation of false memory to occur. It is expected of the finding that relatively plausible events are more likely to be recall than less plausible events. According to Pezdek, Blandon-Gitlin and et. al (2006) the reason behind this is because of the significant interaction of plausibility and imagination is that if people find that event to be plausible, they tend to search more of their autobiographical memory for relevant details of the event. Study provided by Pezdek, Finger and et. al (1997) shows the finding that relatively plausible events are more likely to be planted in memory than relatively implausible events has implications for the cognitive processes underlying suggestibility. In their study three events were falsely recalled and that all three were relatively plausible event. This can be explained via literature of script processing on understanding cognitive process. Based on Grasser, 1981: Grasser and Nakamura, 1982), a specific memory trace is formed by the comprehender when a scripted activity is experienced. This is because memory trace consists of pointers to an epitome script that has been copied from a permanent generic script. As a result the epitome script for the specific event includes all the script-relevant action triggered by the experienced event as well as script-relevant actions that were triggered by default due to script-based inferences that occurred during comprehension. This means when a description of a specific occurrence of an activity suggested to a person and asked if it has happened to the individual, instantly the person will cross check the memory suggested with his or her’s own memory for related occurrence of that activity to verify if a match is found. If described memory and memory of individual overlaps there is more likely a match and the described event is evaluated to be true. However there are cases that when it comes to planting memory implausible memory can be planted. Mazzoni et.al (2001) in the effects of suggestion new information could make events seem less implausible. Mazzoni (1991) exposing people to new information designed to enhance plausibility removes two of the three major ways in which they know that an event did not happen to them. When a person initially thinks an event did not happen, they may base this on three sources of information. First, is not having memory of the event. Second, knowledge about the event is insufficient to realize that they may have experienced it. Third, is having the knowledge about it then allows them to reject it as part of their own autobiography. Limitation of this study can be mentioned such as this study is restricted to university student only as it does not represent the whole population. In future research manipulation of event plausibility should be done on different degree of plausible event and different suggestive technique. In addition, instead of convenience sampling a better alternative sampling method need to apply. References Hyman, E I; Husband, T H; Billings, J F;. (1995). False memories of childhood experiences. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 181-195. J, B. D. (1984). False Memories, Psychology of. International Encyclopedia of the Social Behavioral Sciences, 5254-5259. Loftus, E.F, Pickerell, J.E. (1995). The Formation of False Memory. Psychiatrics Annals, 25(12), 720-725. Hyman, I. E. Kleinknecht, E. E. (1999). False childhood memories: Research, theory, and applications.(In L. M. Williams V. L.Banyard (Eds.),Trauma and memory(175—188). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.) Hyman, I. E., Gilstrap, L. L., Decker, K. Wilkinson, C. (1998). Manipulating remember and know judgements of autobiographical memories. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 12, 371-386 Pezdek, K., Finger, K. Hodge, D. (1997). Planting false childhood memories: The role of event plausibility. Psychological Science, 8, 437-441 Lindsay, D. S. Read, J. D. (1994). Psychotherapy and memories of childhood sexual abuse: A cognitive perspective. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 8, 281-338 Hyman, I. E., Gilstrap, L. L., Decker, K. Wilkinson, C. (1998). Manipulating remember and know judgements of autobiographical memories. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 12, 371-386 Lindsay, D. S. Read, J. D. (1994). Psychotherapy and memories of childhood sexual abuse: A cognitive perspective. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 8, 281-338 ( KATHY PEZDEK; BLANDON-GITLIN, Iris;, 2008) PEZDEK K., BLANDON-GITLIN, i;. (2008). Planting False Memories for Childhood Sexual Abuse Only Happens to Emotionally Disturbed PeopleNot Me. Applied cognitive psychology, 1466. Graesser, A.C., Nakamura, G.V (1982). The Impact of a schema on comprehension and memory.The psychology of learning and motivation:Advances in research and theory.,(16).New York Academic Press.

Sleep Disorders and their Effects

Sleep Disorders and their Effects Sleep disorders are medical disorders where the sleep patterns of a person is disrupted. A French scientist, Henri Pieron wrote a book entitled Le problem physiologique du sommeil which first examined sleep from a physiological perspective. Then, Dr. Nathaniel Kleitman also known as Father of American sleep research questioned the regulation of sleep and wake and of circadian rhythms. His work delved into studies of sleep deprivation. Soon after, Kleitman and his student, Dr. Eugene Aserinsky discovered rapid eye movement (REM) during sleep. Dr. Kleitmans research was further extended by another one of his students, Dr. Willaim C. Dement who discovered the connection between REM sleep and dreaming. Sleep disorders effect a persons sleep cycle which can be life disrupting where it disturbs a persons social and psychological state. These disorders vary from more common disorders such as snoring to life threatening disorders such as narcolepsy. There are three broad classifications of sleep disorders; dyssomnias, parasomnias and medical-psychiatric sleep disorders. Dyssomnias are disorders which involve excessive sleepiness and are associated with disturbed sleep. Disorders such as primary insomnia, narcolepsy, obstructive sleep apnea and restless leg syndrome are disorders categorized under dyssomnias. Parasomnias are disorders which involve undesirable physical phenomena which occur during sleep and generally are disorders or arousal, partial arousal, and sleep stage transitions. Disorders such as sleepwalking, night terrors and rhythmic movement disorders are examples of parasomnias. Medical-psychiatric sleep disorders are relations between psychiatric and sleep disorders. Peop le who suffer from depression tend to wake up early and are unable to fall back asleep. This makes their depression worse as the amount of sleep effects ones illness. Likewise, treatment and medication used in psychiatric disorders can cause sleep disorders such as insomnia. There are many types of sleep disorders which vary between the three broad classifications of sleep disorders. Here are a few brief descriptions on some more commonly known sleep disorders. Insomnia is the condition where one finds it difficult to fall asleep whether it may be in the beginning of the night, after waking up in the middle of the night or waking up much earlier in the morning. This will cause lack of sleep which will bring about complaints of non-restorative sleep, sleepiness during the day or fatigue. Sleep apnea is where one has difficulty breathing and sometimes stops breathing over a period of time while sleeping. This condition can range from 10 pauses per hour to 30 pauses per hour. Loud snoring, daytime sleepiness and tiredness are common effects of sleep apnea and most people complain of hypersomnulence and loud snoring to the extent where it can be heard from outside of the house. Narcolepsy is another disorder of excessive sleepiness and hypersomnulence which is associated with cataplexy and other REM phenomena. A person suffering from narcolepsy may just fall asleep instantly without their own awareness. Such a disorder can be very life threatening as falling asleep in certain conditions like behind the wheel can prove to be fatal. Night terrors are severe and frightening partial arousal from sleep. Most people scream and cry while showing fear and anxiety. When experiencing sleep disorders, it is vital to seek medical treatment to cure this condition. Most doctors recommend sleep clinics for diagnosis of the sleep problem. The doctor will study ones history, lifestyle and habits before diagnosing ones condition. Generally, sleep disorders can be treated by self-care regimes such as the Good sleep hygiene regime. This habit advices that one should stick to a regular bedtime schedule, avoid napping during the day, avoid substances which contain caffeine, alcohol and nicotine and also sleeping in a surrounding where it is dark, comfortable and relaxing. Dead man walking Somnambulism Ever heard of horror stories where someone wakes up in the middle of the night, walks up to someone else or something else and acts out or mumbles? More often than not, these cases are mistaken for some supernatural happening. The more skeptical group of people believes that this was caused because that someone was possessed. The punch line for this whole situation is that there is a perfectly reasonable scientific explanation where this whole phenomenon is actually a sleep disorder; Somnambulism. Somnambulism is defined as a series of complex behaviors which arise during slow wave sleep (REM) and result in walking during sleep. This condition is also referred to as sleepwalking. Somnambulism or a more common term, sleepwalking, occurs mostly in children but there are cases which can last to adulthood. When the brain has trouble with the transition from non-REM to REM sleep, sleepwalking occurs. The hypothalamus in the brain controls the sleep-wake cycle of the body. When one sleeps, the hypothalamus blocks a part of the brain so that it does not perform any action and blocks off certain nerves that brings impulses to the brain while sleeping. During REM, our body has a mechanism which keeps us still so we do not act out our dreams. When this feature is missing, people experience REM sleep behavior disorders which include sleepwalking. There are many elements which can lead to sleepwalking. Most of these factors are categorized into three main factors; genetics, medical conditions and environmental factors. Genetics plays a vital role in ones sleepwalking condition. When a person is diagnosed with sleepwalking, it is a possibility that they have inherited that specific gene. If there is a family member with that abnormality, it is ten times the chances of that person inheriting the sleepwalking disorder. Identical twins also have a higher chance in becoming sleepwalkers. There are also many medical conditions which lead to sleep walking. Conditions such as fevers which directly impact the nervous system, nighttime asthma, obstructive sleep apnea, night time seizures and psychiatric disorders have a great impact towards sleepwalking. Adults with psychiatric disorders often consume drugs like anti-seizure medicines and stimulants which cause sleepwalking. A persons environmental surroundings can also induce sleepwalk ing. When someone experiences hormonal changes induced by pregnancy, menstruation or puberty it can lead to sleepwalking. Also, sleep deprivation, alcohol intoxication and unusual sleep schedules bring about the said disorder. So, what actually happens when one sleepwalks? In some cases, the sleepwalker sits up from their laid position. Some cases have the sleepwalkers run from their beds. The sleepwalkers actions vary depending on the type of dream. If someone is dreaming about being chased by a hungry wild animal, that someone is more likely to run as fast as they can. One can only imagine the outcome when a sleepwalker is dreaming about using the bathroom. While sleepwalking, the sleepwalkers eyes can be open or closed and appear glassy. Even though their eyes are open, their vision is not permitted as they are still in a state of sleep. Most people stereotype sleepwalkers to have their hands propelled out as if they were zombies and their eyes rolled back. In actual fact, these sleepwalkers perform daily life tasks. Some may cook meals and some have ended up behind the car wheel. Lucky for them, they couldnt find the car keys. It is not advised to awaken a sleepwalker as it is possible for them to go i nto a state of shock. After all, they are not controlling their actions at this moment in time. As soon as the sleepwalker wakes up from their dream, they experience amnesia where they cannot recall what they did previously when sleepwalking. The danger of sleepwalking can not only affect the sleepwalker but also the people around them. There have been over 20 cases where people have performed murders while sleepwalking. Also, many sexual assault and rape cases have been related to sleep walking. It is hard to justify these cases as most of it is performed when the person is not conscious of their actions. Sleepwalking is a serious sleep disorder and has to be resolved as soon as its diagnosed. Of course the best solution is prevention. In order to prevent sleepwalking, one should get adequate sleep. Never allow yourself to experience sleep debt. One should also cultivate a stress-less lifestyle. Meditation and relaxation exercises help provide a tranquil and serene sense of thought. However, if one has already succumbed to the sleepwalking disorder, there are many solutions to resolve this problem. Medication is a common treatment for sleepwalking. Medications are necessary if sleepwalker is at risk of injury, causes disruption to the family household, and other treatment option are not effective. Other treatment options are non-drug based and are preferred treatment for a long term. Anticipatory awakenings are when the patient is woken up approximately 15-20 minutes before the anticipated attack and is kept awake through the time of the attack. Relaxation and mental imagery are more natural techniques and can be very effective if it is carried out by an experienced behavioral therapist or hypnotist. Hypnosis also helps reduce sleepwalking. In order to protect the sleepwalker from the risk of injury, a safe environment should be preserved where it is free from harmful objects. Also, the doors and windows should be locked and an alarm bell should be installed at the door of the sleepwalkers bedroom. This is to alarm the family when the sleepwalker is on the move. Conclusion Sleep disorders are a medical condition where the sleep pattern is disrupted. Most disorders occur when there is a dysfunction with the REM sleep. Sleep disorders are categorized into three broad classifications which are dyssomnias, parasomnias and medical-psychiatric sleep disorders. Dyssomnias disorders involve excessive sleep, parasomnias involve undesirable physical phenomena and medical-psychiatric sleep is correlated where the psychiatric conditions of a person effects the sleep conditions and vice versa. Most sleep disorders can affect ones daily life whether it may be the person experiencing the sleep disorder or the person around them. Sleep disorders vary from mild conditions such as bruxism to dangerous, life-threatening conditions such as sleep apnea. It is vital for people who suffer from sleep disorders to seek medical help in order to contain this condition from getting worse whether it may be from medication or just adapting a healthy lifestyle. Somnambulism (sleepwa lking) is when a person gets up and walks about during the deep sleep stages. A person experiencing sleepwalking is acting out a dream or a vision in their heads. The sleepwalker does not realize they are sleepwalking and after each episode they experience a mild case of amnesia. The sleepwalking syndrome is usually caused by three main factors which are genetics, medical conditions and environmental surroundings. A sleepwalker experiences episodes where they wake up in the most unlikely places and in some cases end up in embarrassing situations. When sleepwalking, one does not realize their actions and are in no control of it. Some sleepwalking cases can be very dangerous as they attempt things which are fatal when the conscious mind is not at play. In order to end accidents by sleepwalking, this disorder needs to be treated. Methods such as medication, anticipation awakenings, relaxation and mental imagery are effective when treating sleepwalking.

Is Diversity The Solution to Affirmative Action? Essay -- Equality Rac

IS DIVERSITY THE SOLUTION TO AFFIRMATIVE ACTION Equal employment practices, in many organizations, have been established through affirmative action programs. These programs were created by government mandate to create a fair and non-discriminatory working environment in organizations. The need for affirmative action was recognized as early as the 1940’s, as a concept, based on the racial diversity of our country. The goal was the redistribution of opportunities on the basis of race. Now as we approach the 21st century, affirmative action seems to be a dying issue, legally and otherwise. The fact still remains that we have a racially and culturally diverse population, here in the United States, and something has to take the place of affirmative action. Diversity seems to be the new concept of most public and private organizations, Many Human Resources specialist seem to believe that where there is diversity there is no need for affirmative action. In this report I will look at what affirmative action has done for us, and whe re diversity can take us. President Johnson formally created affirmative action in 1965; it initially targeted employers that held federal contracts. The originating document for affirmative action was Executive Order 11246, which mandated a race-neutral means of equal opportunity and created a level playing field for previously excluded people. Employees should be treated equally without regard for their race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. With the passage of time, affirmative action received a broader definition and became the platform for women’s groups, civil rights’ groups and other minorities. The umbrella term, ‘affirmative action’, refers to a variety of highly regulated efforts used ... ... B., & Packer, A. E. (1987). Workforce 2000: Work and workers for the twenty-first century. Indianapolis: Hudson Institute and Washington, D. C.: U. S. Government Printing Office. Source: Carson Public Library Kessler, L. L. (1990). Managing Diversity In An Equal Opportunity Workplace. National Foundation for the Study of Employment Policy, Washington D. C. Source: CSUDH Library Loden, M. & Rosener, J. B. (1991). Workforce America! Managing Employee Diverstiy as a Vital Resource. Business One Irwin, Homewood, ILL. Source: CSUDH Library Riccucci, N. M. (Spring, 1997). Cultural Diversity Programs to Prepare for Work Force 2000: What’s Gone Wrong? Public Personnel Management, 26(1). Source: CSUDH Library Sunderland, T. (1996). "Diversity in the Workplace." <http://cctr.umkc.edu/wicc/wdpaper.ht Source: CSUDH Internet 4 November 98

The Tiger :: essays research papers

The Tiger The Tiger is often described as a particularly dangerous, sly, and invincible predator. The Tiger is the largest of the cat family. They have powerful bodies, large paws, and very sharp claws. The head of the Tiger is rounded and has a convex profile. The ears are black with white in the middle. The Tiger's eyes are a yellowish-orange color, but at night they almost look green. Coloration of the Tiger is reddish yellow or rust- brown on the upper side, and a whitish under side. There is prominent beard like growth of hair on the cheeks, and they may have a short neck mane. There body is covered with heavy black stripes ( Grzinek's Animal Life Encyclopedia 1972).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During the day a Tiger may rest in the shade, or lie in a quiet pool of water to escape the heat. Tigers like water, and are very good swimmers. Northern Tigers undertake long migrations. These migrations occur when epidemics wipe out the prey populations. This type of migrations happens often. Temperatures down to -45 degrees Celsius are not harmful and do not dampen their activities ( Mammals Multimedia Encyclopedia 1990).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Tigers usually live and hunt alone. When they hunt they can leap 5 to 6 or jump as far as 10 meters. Tigers do not usually prey on people, but some do become man eaters. If a Tiger becomes a man eater it is because of a wound, weakness, or just because it is to old. The young accompany their mother on the hunt when they are 5 to 6 months of age. Tigers begin to hunt alone when they are just eleven months old. Before the young can hunt alone, the mother will demonstrate how it is done(Comptons Interactive Encyclopedia 1993).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Tigers usually prey on deer wild cattle called gore, and wild pigs. Whenever humans have domestic animals, Tigers will feed on cattle, horses, sheep, and goats. A cattle eating Tiger will kill an ox about every 5 days, or from 60 to 70 a year. If a tiger has trouble finding food it will eat birds eggs or berries. If a Tiger can not find any kind of food at all, it will eat any kind of flesh it can find( Grzinek's Animal Life Encyclopedia 1972). Tigers have only three major requirements:they need large prey,water,and cover.An adult tiger requires 12 pounds at a time, but it may eat as much as 60 pounds in one night.A tigress with three young require 280 kg of meat every twenty days.At times a tiger must go without food,or will have to make do with