Contemporary Issues in Information Systems Management

Assignment 1 Due Date: 05 February 20141. Analyze the relationships among ethical, social, and political issues that are raised by information systems. [10] 2. (a) Identify the main moral dimensions of an information society and specific principles for conduct that can be used to guide ethical decisions. [10] (b) Evaluate the impact of contemporary information systems and the Internet on the protection of individual privacy and intellectual property. [15] 3. Present three major arguments of those who believe that IT will not result in massive unemployment.[15]Assignment 2 Due Date: 19 February 20141. Should producers of software-based services, such as ATMs, be held liable for economic injuries suffered when their systems fail? [10] 2. It is often said that business information systems play a vital part in the success or failure of a business enterprise. a) Explain why computer-based business information systems are so vital to the operation of an organization. [10] b) Computer-based information systems can be categorized into operational information systems and management information systems. Discuss these two categories giving business examples for each one. [15] 3. Organisations are not always able to perform their own business information systems functions and some businesses prefer not to do so for various reasons. The solution for some is outsourcing. Briefly explain the concept of information systems outsourcing. Is it a good option? [10]Assignment 3 Due Date: 5 March 20141. The Internet has had a significant impact on business processes and led some organizations to consider developing a business strategy more appropriate to an e-business environment. a) Explain what is meant by an e-business strategy. [5] b) Discuss the impact on the business information systems function if the organization decided to develop an e-business strategy. [20] 2. Discuss the impacts of IT and individuals at work. [10] 3. Identify some of the major societal impacts of the Web including the digital divide and computer crime. [15] 4. Outline the role and impact of virtual communities. [15]

Organizational socialization Essay

Organizational socialization is a very important aspect in all organizations. It has been a lot of definitions, one is â€Å"the process by which organizational members become a part of, or absorbed into, the culture of an organization† (Jablin, 1982, p. 256). Another meaning that we have for organizational socialization is â€Å"the process of ‘learning the ropes,’ being indoctrinated and trained, and being taught what is important in the organization† (Schein, 1968, p. 2). Last but not the least, we have â€Å"the process by which a person learns the values, norms, and required behaviors which permit him or her to participate as a member of the organization† (Van Maanen, 1978, p. 67). Organizational socialization is evidently very important for growth and satisfaction not only in an individual’s job output, but more importantly it is essential to an organization’s growth towards innovation, job satisfaction, cooperation, organizational commitment, and ultimately organizational performance (Fisher, 1986). Even though organizations vary in their different natures, we must keep in mind that the nature of man and the dynamics of working as a group towards a common goal is what keeps all organizations united in the process of keeping its dynamics at its utmost best to come with the best results as they can with the given field of work they choose to follow. This is why so many people have come up with so many different theories with having the most ideal organizational socialization in their company. More importantly, this is why these different theories matter in the day to day encounters of people with in the company or any organization for that matter. Although the theories hold well in some practices in organizational development, practice of each theory in different settings will still vary and depend a lot on how each person will practice what theories present specially in organizational socialization (Tosi. et al, 2000 p3). Up to date, there have been a lot of studies pertaining to organizational socialization. A problem with these studies though is that so far, little research has been done to measure the specific settings and circumstances in which such socialization occurs (Ashforth & Saks, 1996; Jones, 1986). There was this one study, conducted by Ashforth, Saks and Lee (1998) that the examined the effects of three organizational context variables such as structure, size and job design. These variables were tested on the use of socialization tactics and the impact of these tactics on newcomer adjustment. This was particularly pretty helpful in t he field of organizational socialization to measure and compare the data gathered not only in the newcomer’s experience, but also to contrast each experience in varying fields. The study and application of organizational socialization is very important in the dynamics of the organizational processes also for many different reasons. One is that organizational socialization opens doors to behavioral changes that may occur from an employee’s entry point to being a key player in an organization or in a managerial or administrative role. Another is that the transitional view point of a worker in this process shapes an individuals’ growth, behaviors, decisions and even some key points that help shape the entrepreneurial process of an organization (Gartner, 1989; Stevenson & Jarillo, 1990). Another would be that specific role relationships within the person and key outsiders can be shown by viewing the influential outside constituents as socializing agents that can assist a newcomer in the formation of the firm he entered. Another would be that socialization literature such as orientations and the likes can identify the response of a new comer to the pressures of the environment of a new comer depending on the adaptability of each individual, henceforth showing the diversity of entrepreneurial experiences and new ventures (Gartner, 1985). Finally, the socialization perspective complements the environment of the newcomer by specifying the mechanisms that singles out those who cant fit with in the new environment. In the socialization process, the newcomers learn how to adapt and value the beliefs through social knowledge their new roles and function that they have to play in effectively in and organization (Aldrich & Zimmer, 1986). Van Maanen and Schein (1979) even developed a theoretical model of socialization which shows that socialization tactics used by an organization can influence the role orientation of a newcomer. Jones (1986) argues that a combination of six tactics form a socialization process namely formal, collective, sequential, serial, fixed, investiture or individualized. Jones concluded that institutionalized tactics encouraged newcomers to passively accept these established roles, while individualized tactics tend to encourage newcomers to develop their own approaches to playing their roles. According to some studies, there are specific socialization tactics in organizational socialization, Jones summarized Van Maanen & Schein’s 6 socialization tactics into a single polarity called institutionalized vs individualized dimension. He defined the institutionalized to be characterized by the common starting learning experiences. Due to the nature of this specified learning, it is sequential, fixed, collective, formal, and investiture. On the other hand individualized socialization is by its name, individual, random, informal, variable, and disjunctive and divestiture. This may be due to the nature of how it is learned by the new comer as it was defined by its characteristics. There are a lot of bases for adaptation of organizational socialization. In the motivational bases for adaptation, sociability of a newcomer is directly in line with the newcomer’s motivation to adapt to the expectations, norms and values that are already eminent not only in the organization members, but also in the structure of the organization. Intrinsic and extrinsic motivational factors also let new recruits attend to socializing with the older members and adjusting accordingly through their actions. Furthermore, man’s psychological make-up makes him have real qualities that will help him have the right motivation to learn to adapt to the new setting that he is in behavior wise. This is probably why individuals respond in organizational efforts differently which causes a personalized response to each new setting. In organizational socialization, the main goal of adapting as a newcomer is to reach the entrepreneurial stage. In the entrepreneurial process, this can be viewed as a way where in you determine where in you will to start out a career in the path you chose as a newcomer in the field that you entered. This process of adapting to the field that you entered can also be viewed as your initiation or stepping stone towards your will to start a business. Some literature has tried to link a relationship between the motivational factors driving entrepreneurial activity and firm performance, with limited success (Cooper & Gascon, 1992) Even though some studies show the motivation to adapt in the environment of entrepreneurial endeavors, the literature in the entrepreneurship world shows the typical entrepreneur as the innovator who has to be different from the people around him. In most studies present, there has been a small consideration of the motivational mechanisms, activities, circumstances, or encounters where imitation, accommodation, or compliance might be the critical survival response. Four motivational bases for adaptation to socialization pressures can be applied to the entrepreneurial context–Personality, Anxiety or stress reduction, Choice, and Rewards/Power. A big aspect you have to factor in an organizational socialization also is personality. The variable of the uniqueness of each personality is bound to affect the motivation to become socialized. An individual’s unique tendencies to respond to authority, his need for control, and feedback can affect the newcomer’s adjustment and accommodation process to the expectations of members around him. One example would be a newcomer with moderate self-esteem and self-efficacy beliefs will cause him not be afraid to explore the new role and seek feedback as the basis for learning how to behave appropriately, otherwise, his coping mechanisms will be different. In other cases when an individual with a strong self-efficacy concept may have the tendency to attempt to change the organization rather than adapt to the situation presented to him. In the entrepreneurial context, his need for achievement motivation has been manifested to be his driving force in his start-up process in the organization (Brockhaus & Hurwitz, 1986). The goal orientation, self-confidence, and independence that compel individuals to start new businesses may also be factors in the entrepreneurial socialization process. Another thing to factor in organizational socialization is the anxiety and stress levels of the new comer. The new comer’s capacity for anxiety or stress reduction is important given that it is only inevitable for a newcomer to face a lot of stress while dealing with the unfamiliar pressures of a given field he entered. Some people are even motivated but this kinf of tension created by a new setting that tend to let them seek out new information for a new learning experience. Through developing and adaptation to the new environment, they will be able to create a predictability and certainty. This will enable then to adapt to their new setting. In the entrepreneurial context, one’s ability to manage risk, and associated personal characteristics such as tolerance for ambiguity, are generally linked to new firm performance. Another important thing to factor in is the concept of choice. This is because a person’s motivation to adjust to a new setting will always be influenced by the newcomer’s choice and commitment he has to his new role. This choice is essential considering that this choice defines to what extent a new comer will be willing to adjust to. Also, if the new role is a role the newcomer preferred compared to his previous role, his inclination and motivation to succeed in the new role should be higher. Rewards and power also is another factor in organizational socialization. Tangible benefits and possible power holding roles can be a big motivation for a new comer to excel and be more adaptive to changes in his new environment. This aspect of motivation is an essential component of organizational socialization. This is because newcomers respond to organizational communications that specify role behaviors that can promise or lead to organizational rewards or career growth. Also, traditional sources of social influence and reciprocity, such as proximity, status, and affective interactions, may also motivate compliance. In one study, Dornblaser, Lin, and Van de Ven observed differences in the concerns and performance expectations of innovation managers and resource controllers in 16 innovation settings (Dornblaser et al. , 1990). In human resource procedures, most of the instructions regarding norms, values, standard operating procedures, skills related to the job and the likes are provided by veteran organization members. Organizational insiders act as socializing agents which serve as critical resources who may both be the reason for impediment or better adaptability of new comers in an organization. The person in charge of giving the orientation is in charge of providing the background history, informal practices, local culture and any other information that a newcomer will be needing to cope with the new environment. Due to this, the newcomer’s perception of the organizational experiences will rely a lot on the person in charge of introducing him to the organization. Through this orientation to the organizational structure, a newcomer will be able to adapt to the organization, despite this other current members may or may not also be cognizant that they serve as role models and information sources for newcomers. In the modern scenario of emerging organizations, given that there are a number of organizations setting a competitive scene, an entrepreneur must learn to respond or adapt to several incumbents representing multiple organizational contexts. Due to this, customers, suppliers, bankers, employees, and other members of the business community function as comrades who guide, and influence the new entrepreneurial recruit (Aldrich & Zimmer, 1986; Larson & Starr, in press). Mentioned here are some features of entrepreneurial networks which describe ways in which network members serve as socializing agents in the entrepreneurial setting. Typically, in organizational settings, there is normally more than one agent who influences the newcomer. The power of agents’ influence depends on several factors earlier discussed such as tangible reward power, frequency of contact, perceived legitimacy and expertise, explicitness of expectations, and the compatability between the expectations of the agent and the newcomer. Other agents such as colleagues, bosses, and subordinates surrounding the newcomer in his environment are very important in the process of organizational socialization. Although this area has not yet been explored, future research should be dedicated regarding the facilitation of better dynamics of all these agents in relation to maximizing the results of organizational socialization. In the entrepreneurial context, the powers in the dynamics of hierarchy are more subtle. Despite this it is still implicit in the negotiations and informal and legal contracts with critical stakeholders that they exist. (Gabarro, 1987). Ofcourse organizational socialization exists and is studied for a very good reason, this is done to achieve a better outcome not only of the newcomer in an organization but also for good output of the organization as a whole. Outcomes related to organizational socialization should ideally be measured to improve tactics on how to deal with newcomers for optimum results. Role orientation is ideally done in this process where in a newcomer will be briefed and equip to face the new challenges for his job. Given that a newcomer ideally fits in a fixed role in an existing organization, it is through this process that our new comer can accept the conformity of a position while practicing innovation that he needs to display in wanting the best for his growth and that he wants to impart in the organization that he is taking part in. Organizational Politics is also an intricate issue that managers should deal with in orienting a newcomer for his proper adjustment to the organization. This is where managers orient acquired employees by specifying clearly the job hierarchies and the reporting relationships associated with different jobs in the firm and its component groups. In doing this, the newcomer can easily distinguish his superior from his subordinates and more importantly, to whom he should regularly report to. It is through this formal communication that organizations can avoid confusion within operations and its structure. This can also be where a new comer can view the organization structure so that he can be motivated and set his work and goal towards climbing up the organizational ladder. Another important aspect of organizational socialization is the technological advances that now innovate the way we deal with organizations. Technology has now paved the way in the way run organizations especially in the way we store and communicate information. As compared to older and traditional means of running organizations, new age technology through electronic communication and information technologies, information is now disseminated faster at an even much lower cost that what used to cost organizations before. While more people offer increased data communications and more powerful technological capabilities, the advancement of the communication process has extended the number an variety of people involved in organizational decisions (Huber, 1990; Sproull & Kiesler, 1991), this happens because technological communications make it possible to diminish temporal and physical interaction constraints through online conferencing and the likes (Eveland & Bikson, 1988; Kaye & Byrne, 1986), it will also increase horizontal and vertical communication as everyone in the organization is easily accessible via the world wide web(Hinds & Kiesler, 1995).

Plymouth Colony and Borderlands Virginia Company

British crown and that were granted full rights of galvanometers Royal Colonies a colony ruled or administered by officials appointed by and responsible to the reigning sovereign of the parent state. Ought salvation; did not follow traditional religion; sought freedom (right to worship without interference from England or from establish heed churches Plymouth Plantation lays outside the London Company's territory; no legal basis for settling there; William Bradford chosen again and again to be the â€Å"Plymouth plantation† governor; 1621 : persuaded the Council for New England to give them legal permission to live there; ended the communal labor program, distributed land among families, and made â€Å"all all hands very industrious† Mayflower Compact (importance) n agreement to establish a government, entered into by the Pilgrims in the cabin of the Mayflower on November 1 1, 1620. Massachusetts Bay Company designed to take advantage of opportunities in America; transf ormed itself into a colonial government John Winthrop governor of Mass. Bay Company; affluent, university educated gentleman with a deep piety and a forceful character.Puritan Dissent Roger Williams engaging but controversial young minister who lived in Salem, MA; Separatist; Massachusetts church should abandon all allegiance to Church of England; complete separation of church and state Anne Hutchinson intelligent woman from Boston family; women rights in society; antagonized the leaders of the colony by arguing that the members of the MA clergy who were not among the â€Å"elect† that had not undergone a conversion experience, had no right to spiritual office Restoration Colonies Peugeot War & King Phillips War (Metabolic) English settlers allied with the Meghan and Narragansett Indians (rivals of the Bequests); marched against the Possess, almost wiping them out William Penn Dominion of New England

Eudoxus and Dedekind Irrational Numbers and Mathematical Development Essay

Eudoxus and Dedekind Irrational Numbers and Mathematical Development - Essay Example The theory, as stated, was very oblique and difficult. It was pondered by mathematicians until it was superseded in the nineteenth century. His definition of proportions in Euclid's work exemplifies the struggle taking place in the Greek mind to get a handle on this problem. Magnitudes are said to be in the same ratio, the first to the second and the third to the fourth, when, if any equimultiples whatever be taken of the first and third, and any equimultiples whatever of the second and fourth, the former equimultiples alike exceed, are alike equal to, or alike fall short of, the latter equimultiples taken in corresponding order. What could such an inscrutable statement possibly mean It seems that Eudoxus (through Euclid) must have sat up nights trying to write something that no one could comprehend. To understand this statement we must remember two things about Greek mathematics. First, Eudoxus was not talking about numbers, but magnitudes. The two were not the same and could not be related to each other. Second, the Greeks did not have fractions, so they spoke of the ratios of numbers and ratios of magnitudes. Hence, our fraction 2/3 was for them the ratio 2:3. For their geometry, they also needed to talk about ratios, not of numbers, but of geometric magnitudes. For example, they knew that the ratio of the areas of two circles is equal to the ratio of the squares of the diameters of the circles. We can show this as (Flegg, 1983) (area of circle A):(area of circle B) (radius of circle A)2:(radius of circle B)2 The Greeks had to be sure that when these ratios of magnitudes involved incommensurable lengths, the order relationships held. In other words, would their geometric proofs be valid when such proofs involved ratios of incommensurable lengths The definition developed by Eudoxus was an attempt to guarantee that they would. The magnitudes in the ratios have the following labels: first: second = third: fourth. Eudoxus said that the first and second magnitudes have the same ratio as the third and fourth if, when we multiply the first and third by the same magnitude, and multiply the second and fourth both by another magnitude, then whatever order we get between first and second will be preserved between the third and fourth. This explanation, simple as it is, can be rather confusing. An example will clarify the matter. We will assign the following lengths to the four magnitudes: 3:6 = 7:14. From this we get the following inequalities: 3 A3:B6 = A7:B14 or 15:12 = 35:28. Now clearly 15 > 12 and 35 > 28. Hence, multiplying by 5 and 2 preserved the order of the two ratios. Eudoxus' definition says that for two ratios to be equal, all values of A and B will preserve the order between the corresponding magnitudes. This gave Greek geometry the definition of magnitudes of ratios it needed to carry out the various proofs relying on proportion. However, magnitudes are not numbers, and the requirement that all values of A and B satisfy the definition introduced, through the back door, the notion of infinity. While Eudoxus' work satisfied the needs of geometers, it was

World Trade Organisation Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

World Trade Organisation Law - Essay Example Since 1947, many General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) panel reports proposed that "the burden of establishing a violation under Article XXIII: 1(a) of the GATT 1947 was on the complaining party"2. "As early as 1952, in Treatment by Germany of Imports of Sardines, concerning a complaint by Norway, the panel clearly put the burden of establishing a violation of the GATT 1947 obligations at issue on the complaining party."3 Many other panel reports followed to confirm this proposition. In 1978, in EEC - Measures on Animal Feed Proteins, the 1992 report in Canada - Import, Distribution and Sale of Certain Alcoholic Drinks by Provincial Marketing Agencies and the 1994 report in United States - Measures Affecting the Importation, Internal Sale and Use of Tobacco. Nevertheless, it is the 1997 panel report United States - Measures Affecting Imports of Woven Wool Shirts and Blouses from India which under the GATT 1994 constitutes the reference in the Burden of Proof issue and confirm ed that it is the complainant who should bring the proper pieces of evidence in order to prove his complaint. We will try in the following essay to explain the different rules that guide the admission, submitting and admissibility of evidence, and we will focus on the current system of Burden of Proof by analyz... Subsequently, and still at the same meeting, the party against which the complaint has been brought shall be asked to present its point of view."4 In the idea of the complainant having to show Burden of Proof, it is his duty to present the necessary evidence to prove his case. The complainant is the first party invited to do so and then the other party, the respondent, will have the possibility to present its own evidence. The evidences are usually presented at the first substantive meeting in order to build the case. This is the usual conduct of the dispute settlement procedure. Nevertheless, in Understanding on Rules and Procedures Governing the Settlement of Disputes5, we are presented the Argentina - Textiles and Apparel dispute where Argentina has argued in his appeal that evidence should not have been accepted after this first substantive meeting and that it was inconsistent with Article 11 of the DSU. Argentina requested the evidence to be rejected but the Panel replied that it gave sufficient time to Argentina in order to prepare for this new submission. It finally stated: Article11 of the DSU does not establish time limits for the submission of evidence to a panel. Article12.1 of the DSU directs a panel to follow the Working Procedures set out in Appendix 3 of the DSU, but at the same time authorizes a panel to do otherwise after consulting the parties to the dispute. The Working Procedures in Appendix 3 also do not establish precise deadlines for the presentation of evidence by a party to the dispute. It is true that the Working Procedures 'do not prohibit' submission of additional evidence after the first

Pursuing Public Safety.A Loose Fish in the Sea of Criminal Justice Term Paper

Pursuing Public Safety.A Loose Fish in the Sea of Criminal Justice - Term Paper Example The states have enforced or applied the principles of incapacitation and rehabilitation as ways to ensure public safety. Recidivism is defined as â€Å"a tendency to slip back into a previous criminal behavior pattern† such as the return to prison or a new sentence for a new offense (Beck, n.d.) The principle behind incapacitation follows that a person who is imprisoned will not perpetrate a crime. Imprisonment and capital punishment are the major ways to compel incapacitation which will prevent a person to commit a crime. Rehabilitation, on the other hand, is non-punitive and believes that a person can be prohibited to commit a crime by helping him to solve his issues that led him to commit a crime. This principle considers that each person is defective and commission of a crime is not the person’s purpose but may be a result of other physical, emotional, sociological factors (Renter, 2008). The paper talks about how the government should focus on determining the strat egies that will actually lessen the recidivism. According to Gomez (2008), although there are lots of theories on how to reduce recidivism and ensure public safety, resorting to incapacitation has not been very helpful to achieve these goals. This is because the government and the criminal justice system has devoted its resources and focus on isolating the lawbreakers and not on how to treat the criminal behaviour of the offenders. The treating of behaviour of the criminal offenders is more important than just merely imprisoning them. Thus, according to the Gomez (2008), it is better to make sure those who are capable of earning an honest living be allowed and encourage doing so. During the time the study of Gomez (2008) was still ongoing, Minnesota is suffering the highest unemployment rate in seventeen years thus the government thought that it should be the time to address the reality and let this offender work without sacrificing the public safety of the people. Aside from being able to give a chance for the offenders to earn and support their family and earn an honest living, they can help Minnesota on solving issues on impaired bridges, highways, dams, plants and water systems (Gomez, 2008). This is something like â€Å"hitting two birds with one stone.† The offenders are more likely not going to commit crime again because of the employment opportunity given to them. If this is the case, recidivism issue is addressed and community problems are solved without sacrificing public safety. Another Look at That Loose Fish But certainly, this approach will not always be giving us the positive effects. If there should be a reason why we should not try to reduce recidivism among the state and federal prisoners by teaching them to build houses and highways that would not otherwise be built is because of the fact that there will be a number of prisoners that will just run-off and leave the responsibilities. Another reason is that it is going to be unfair for the public because as we know, there is a high unemployment rate, meaning there are still a lot of people in the community who are unemployed and are not given an opportunity to get a job because these jobs are given to the offenders or felons. Billions of dollars are spent by the government to incarcerate felons to train and at least some of them so they can re-enter the free world more capable of

Operations Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 3

Operations Management - Essay Example One of the major reasons for effective management of sustainability in relation to Jaguar’s Land Rover is the incorporation of the sustainability governance structure. The structure is essential in illustrating the strategic management and practices in relation to how the organisation executes its business activities. The framework and structure has been proficient in enabling effective and efficient cross-functional engagement, thus the perfect platform for the organisation to maximise or optimise the value from the finance team. In the process of managing its activities, JLR focuses on ensuring that the policy relates to the corporate decision-making practices and processes through inclusion of sustainable development within the corporate business plan, thus elevation of the status of the policy to the similar level in comparison to other critical imperatives (Harper & Wells, 2012). From this perspective, it is remarkable that all business functions tend to incorporate a set of sustainability targets. In the case of JLR, finance professionals are critical to business planning practices and process, thus the tendency of guiding target setting process and the measurement and performance reporting activities, which might be ideal in facilitating progress. The governance structure has the ability to facilitate the occurrence of all business functions, thus the delivery of the JLR’s long-term sustainability vision, in addition to medium and long-term action plans, thus effectiveness and efficiency in understanding goals and targets (Harper & Wells, 2012). JLR’s sustainability approach or strategy focuses on the transformation of products and business operations under the influence of environmental innovation. In addition, the organisation considers increased investment in the human resources or people while advancing and encouraging the knowledge and support for the communities in the global context. From this perspective, the organisation

Mandarin Oriental Bangkok Human Resource Management Practices Essay

Mandarin Oriental Bangkok Human Resource Management Practices - Essay Example Organizational support With talented employees Mandarin Oriental Bangkok provides them with an opportunity to experience working aboard at Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong. Work environment There is a locker room with toilet and shower for both male and female employee.Uniforms and suits are provided by the hotel. There is laundry service for all employees’ uniform and suits. All restaurant equipment provided by the hotel.There are employees’ areas to hang out there before/after work or during break-time, which consist of cafà ©, library, computer room, sitting areas and flat screen TV with Play Station 4 in the living area. Thai customs are applied throughout the hotel, which is the purpose of showing respect between employees. Flexibility The hotel understands employees who have children and allows them to have adjustable work hours to meet their preferred time or have split shift if they needed to. The hotel allows employees to use their public holiday and annual vacatio n usually this depending on the seasonality. In some serious or important the case HR manager will decide upon the case and will inform the employee of the result. Internal and External Factors Analysis The Mandarin Oriental Hotel is a multinational organization that invests in and manages a chain of luxury hotels, resorts as well as residences all over Europe, Asia, and America. This paper analyses and evaluates both internal and external factors in relation to the Human Resource Management practices at Mandarin Oriental Bangkok.

Deregulation Act of 1978 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Deregulation Act of 1978 - Essay Example The Airline Deregulation Act’s intention was to stop government control over airline industry policies. The control was majorly over routes, fares, and market entry of new airlines from commercial aviation. The government approved this Act on 24th October, 1978 and President Jimmy Carter signed it into law four days later (Kaps, 1997). Before the Act, the industry was more of a public utility with a government agency. The CAB; Civil Aeronautics Board determined the routes taken by each airline and the prices they charged their passengers. This has changed ever since after the incorporation of the Act which has seen the market shift to a market –driven industry. The customer demand determined the level of service and price charge. The deregulation Act came by after several flaws in the airline industry. One of them was the Middle Eastern oil case; this led to a rise in price of fuel costs. This shoot up in fuel cost led to price inflation. Another flaw was the development of the wide body aircraft that allowed for carriage of increased capacity to different and many routes with one flight. These two cases came when there was an economic fall that led to a strain on the airlines. This fall led to failure in the airline businesses, and rising fuel prices did not aid the situation at all. The Civil Aeronautics Board in response to this situation and trying to ensure reasonable return for the airlines allowed the different carriers to increase fares. It also embarked on a four year suspension by the carriers on authorizing new services and approved agreements among the airlines to limit the carriage capacity on specific routes. The public did not welcome this move with open arms the fares had increased. The airlines also did not see much change on the Civil Aeronautics Board last decision as through the 1970’s their earnings were poor despite the

Stages of a Criminal Trial Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Stages of a Criminal Trial - Essay Example Depending on the severity of the crime, after the booking procedure the defendant is either held in custody or released before trial. During the O.J. Simpson criminal proceedings there was a period before Simpson’s initial arrest, as the case’s high media profile resulted in increased legal scrutiny. Eventually Simpson was allowed to turn himself in, before which he started a bronco chase throughout Los Angeles. The O.J. Simpson trial was a serious case and resulted in grand jury proceedings. The grand jury is a special collection of jury members that meet and decide whether the government should issue a grand jury indictment. In the O.J. Simpson trial the grand jury met and decided to issue an indictment against O.J. Simpson for double murder. The next stage of the criminal trial is the arraignment proceedings. During the arraignment proceedings the defendant pleads guilty, not guilty, or no contest ("Criminal law stages," 2011). At O.J. Simpson’s arraignment proceeding he pleaded not guilty. During the arraignment proceedings the court also sets bail. Bail allows the defendant to go free before the criminal proceedings in exchange for a cash deposit. During the O.J. Simpson trail bail was denied by the court system because of the severity of the crime. Notably, many criminal cases are resolved during the arraignment proceedings, as the criminal defendant reaches a plea arrangement with the prosecution. Following the arraignment proceedings, are the pre-trial motions. The pre-trial motions occur without jury observation and function to establish what evidence and testimony will be admissible during the trial ("Criminal law stages," 2011). During the O.J. Simpson pre-trial hearings, in addition to issues of admissib ility, the trial was moved from Santa Monica to Downtown Los Angeles. Following these stages, the criminal proceedings move to the main trial stage. This stage is the heart of the criminal case and involves

Oscar ceremony Essay Example for Free

Oscar ceremony Essay An informative speech is strictly regulated. It should meet certain norms of presentation: 1) A model length of an informative speech is up to 7 minutes; 2) Visual aids are welcome but their role is limited to illustrating the verbal message; 3) The speech should be based upon credible sources which should be cited during the presentation; 4) Using notes is acceptable but a fluent memorized presentation is ideal. 5) An excessive use of emotions is prohibited whereas the use of non-verbal communicative means (confident posture, measured gestures, stable eye-contact) is highly praised; 6) The language of an informative speech should be simple, logical, and laconic. Bright imagery can somewhat embellish the speech when used appropriately. Topics/basic concepts Although it impossible to enumerate all the topics that can be suitable for an informative speech, it is generally accepted that an informative speech should be dedicated to some recent technical or medical investigations, unexpected facts and unusual events. This is a sample list of themes for an informative speech: famous lives, glorious deeds, history of creating a book, etc Outline An informative speech should be carefully structured so that such elements as introduction, body and conclusion could be clearly identified. Specific for an informative speech structure are a thesis statement and an organizational preview in the introduction. A generalized outline of an informative speech includes parts as follows: 1) Introduction: Declaring the speech topic; Attracting the attention of your listeners to the problem you are going to reveal; Making a thesis statement; Providing a brief preview of aspects of the problem that will be illuminated in the speech; 2) Body: giving a point-by-point revelation of the speech topic. 3) Conclusion: Making a cumulative review of the information provided; Referring to the introduction and ending the speech up with a startling conclusion. ++ Samples /while browsing through these, make sure you identify the structure/ Oscar ceremony The grandeur of the Oscar ceremony is well predicted, as well as an Oscar earned or an Oscar managed celebrity-chic that can be a great illusion of our time. Extravagant gowns, expensive jewelry, fantastic makeup, and all teeth smiles this years glamorously floating celebrities lightly touch the red carpet with their expensive footwear, later to worship, with all Academy voters, Slumdog, a tear shedding rags-to-riches saga that squeezed eight Oscars, including best director and best picture. The Oscar ceremony is endangered by commercialization. In the past it used to reward talent and art. Now, it is a well established tradition, a show of its own right. Yet, repeated over eighty times, this ceremony is unlikely to turn into a routine event. It sticks to the rules of the game with all the fever of a hot entertaining event. I have watched the TV version of the ceremony, so the following are my first-hand impressions. I would like to admit that nothing special was noticeable during the ceremony. Standout moments were Sean Penns calling the academy a bunch of commie homo-loving sons of guns and Dustin Lance Blacks address to the gay audience. Kate Winslet had proved that patience (five previous nominations) would bear fruit. Her Titanic never sank. Woody Allen had  prepared the fifth supporting acting Oscar, this time it was Penelope whose surname means in Spanish Saint. The evenings screw up was an innovative technique used while handling an annual favorite. It was a recognized failure. The ceremony was reviewed from different angles. A big fashion trend glorified red, white, and black one-shouldered gowns. Marisa Tomeis pale gray Versace, Kate Winslets Yves Saint Laurent one-shoulder slate blue and black gown, Anne Hathaways strapless silver beaded Armani Prove gown or Penelope Cruz fairy-tale white gown from Pierre Balmain were in contrast with the slum scenes from the best picture. The Oscar ceremony, almost perfect, is over. Everything is glamorous, gorgeous, and traditionally well staged. The reporters doubt that all fuss about the best picture opened new horizons in cinematography. The Oscar ceremony is still a great event, pompous and costly. It is about fashion and success, good fun and commercialized entertainment. I wish it were more about the art of cinematography. Coping with depression Depression is a psychological state that is hard to cure, hard to live with, and hard to endure. A depressed person lives in a nightmarish world, darkened by pessimism and dulled by unwillingness to act. This devastating and destructive state has a negative impact on the individual. It drains energy, evaporates optimism and enthusiasm, and paralyzes hope. It distorts the world and substantially reduces the pleasure of living. It may lead to repetitive suicidal thoughts that can end in self-destruction. I have consulted psychological literature to give you some tips how develop a step-by-step program to overcome depression. People suffer from depression for many reasons. They become depressed when all they do seems to become a failure. They get worried about their inability to realize their plans. They get shelled in loneliness. They get nervous and easily irritated. They find their lives unstable and hopeless. They lack safety and become vulnerable to outside influences. Depression is  a hazardous state, especially when you allow it to invade your body and mind. As soon as you realize that something is wrong with your state of mind, turn to help without hesitation. Now, I will give you some anti-depression tips. First of all, stay focused on what you are doing. Start with a small goal and fulfill it: go to a shop, take a short walk, or make a telephone call. Just start taking action and stick to doing it. Second, develop supportive relationship, turning to people who love you and whom you love. Refrain from retreating into yourself, sharing a meal, emailing, accompanying your friend to the movies, confide in a counselor or clergy member. Third, get interested in your own life. For this, have eight hours of sleep, practice relaxation techniques, and go easy on yourself. Why not to practice yoga or tai chi? Why not to introduce a meditative element to your life? Fourth, get regular exercise. Fifth, eat healthy food. Sixth, avoid negative thinking and negative emotions. Finally, ask for help if you cannot overcome your depression without outside aid. Now, you must embark on the road to depression recovery. Remember: action is the best anti-depressant for you. Look at the world from a new perspective: integrate into it on equal terms. Life is given only once, and you have no time to waste it. Not a single moment to spare! As soon as the world starts changing, you will keep a stronger touch with it. You will realize that inward problems are mainly our own creations, our own illusions, our own misunderstandings. Share your doubts with the world, and you be understood in return. It is easiest to shut your heart and pretend that loneliness is desirable. A white lie! Out of depression to communicate with people to establish relationships and depression will quietly go away! I do not think it will be welcomed again! How to build a happy marriage A clear-cut tendency is observed today: neither men nor women are in a hurry to marry. The growing independence of women, reluctant to do all housework and bear the main burden of childrens upbringing, sacrificing career growth, is one of the causes of the changes in family formation. A happy  marriage may be built only on love, tolerance, mutual understanding, equality, and respect. The problem is important because materially both husband and wife are now in many cases on equal terms. More and more women demonstrate higher levels of education than men, More and more women compete with men, holding leadership positions in business, politics and social life. As the result, women become materially independent. They are not materially tied to a family anymore. When they marry, they enrich their world that is now built on kinship, love, safety, quality leisure time activities in which all family members are involved. A family develops a collective feeling of interconnectedness, which is opposed to loneliness. Joy and duty, love and care, discipline and kindness all these are taken together in a family as a pillar of stable social development. I have talked to married people in search of a happy family recipe. I want to share some of my findings with you. A happy marriage is based on intimacy and commitment. It is a bond that outgrows passion as the feature of romantic love. It is a bond that is based on mutual respect and the feeling as if both husband and wife were in many respects one. It is a way of constructing lifestyle, emphasizing intimate relationship and devotion to a person of your choice. It is confidence in the stable character of marriage, reinforced by having kids. Although even happy marriages tend to undergo changes, they never change the high quality of relating to each other. People are happy to be together, to share opinions, to spend time together, to make plans, which is inherent in their attitudes to each other. Happy marriages are tested, like others, by time, material difficulties, hardships, deteriorating health, fluctuations of mood, identity development, and the like. Happy marriages, unlike others, never ruin fundamentals of relationship: commitment is so deep that no difficulty can destroy it, since both spouses know how to help and support each other. Happy marriages cherish happy memories, and they cannot destroy these memories when one of the spouses has a temporary temptation to experience something new. On the contrary, happy marriages are full of wisdom, consensus, and their happiness is rooted in a unique feeling of freedom that ties up to a happy marriage experience more than anything else. They cultivate universal love, which is care, understanding, and tolerance  to human weaknesses. Happy marriages are built by people who worship communication, interaction, and cannot live without sharing all they have in their hearts and souls. There is no couple that would not like to create a happy marriage. Only very few families can build long-term relationships that stick to happiness even under unfavorable circumstances. I have talked to married people who are happy in their own way. They feel the aura of happiness and advise others to be tolerant. A happy marriage is an ideal construct that is like a dream that cannot be realized without hard work, creating a relationship and being happy in the process of its creation. I wish you thought over my information. Do not waste your time. Test your own willingness to be perfect in your relationship. Prove that a happy marriage may be a reality. How to improve your conversational skills The feeling of being tongue-tied is familiar to many of us. We admire people who can express their thoughts with fluency and confidence. Some people think that a conversational skill is a gift, while others believe that this is the result of training. A blabbermouth monopolizes the conversation, turning it into a monologue. I have known a person who was able to talk to anybody with invariable energy and interest. He impressed people by his conversational eloquence. In business communication, conversational skills are an asset to a persons ability to persuade and negotiate the meaning. Conversational skills are necessary for successful career growth and our pleasant interaction with other people. Commitment and consistency are fundamental to improving conversational skills. People with conversational skills have more friends and better chances in life, for they know how to promote their ideas and establish relationships. I am going to inform you about the nature of conversational skil ls, and then I will give you some practical tips that you may find useful. Conversational skills are special tools that make a conversation go. They are learned and trained to become automatic. They control questions, control feedback; help break the ice during unwanted pauses, give an idea of open-ended questions that drive a conversation, elaborate a theme. They are  about shifts to another theme, the use of semantic means, combined body language and verbal speech. Conversational skills make people comfortable while talking to each other. Now, I will give you five ways to improve your conversational techniques. First of all, the speakers should show interest in each other. Healthy curiosity heats up interest. When you ask questions, you intend to be given a response that can drive the conversation. Second, remember that a conversation is a dialogue with well-balanced talking and listening. Skilful speakers monitor themselves, taking control over taking turns. If you get skilled in taking turns, even talking a little, you will perfect your conversational skills. Third, give genuine compliments for the actions the person who you are talking to has done. This appraisal must be specific and will do wonders if followed by a tag question. Fourth, your paralanguage may speak louder than words. Bodily expressions have a meaning of their own. Fifth, a skilful speaker employs What, where, when, who, how, and if questions. Conversational skills are acquired through special training. They help master the art of conversation as a meaning exchange of human thoughts. People are often clumsy and tongue-tied when expressing their thoughts and feelings. They need conversational eloquence, which may be achieved by using conversational techniques. Practice conversational skills with a smile, and this learned art will be yours at the moment when you need it most. London fashion week Fashion has become a large part of identity making in the post-human world in which people play dress-up with their clothing. Fashionable clothes reinvent people as sexual, desirable, and enigmatic. We care about what we wear a great deal because our culture emphasizes an outward appearance. Fashion changes every season, squeezing our wallets. A gorgeous event London fashion week attracts all lovers of fashion from all over the world. It was held in March, using the official London Fashion Week Catwalk. This 450-seater catwalk celebrates the best of the best British  designers of clothes. The event was well advertised. You can surf this events Internet page to enjoy beautiful pictures that covered it up. It was the embodiment of luxury and power, having proved again and again that fashion is in a constant state of flux, generating fantastic new styles and new feelings. Demonstrations of fashionable trends are amusing and inviting to copy trendy features, visible to an eye. First, I will inform you what hot trends London fashion week has promoted. Second, I will inform you why London Fashion Week is so popular. This seasons trends are inspired by cinema, popular culture, and religious icons, with glamour, creativity, and modest beauty combined. Domestic goddess, African Queen or Ethereal Nude, inspires SS/09 wardrobe. All the freshest trends, hot off the catwalk of London, are enjoyable. It is not only a pleasure of renovating your image and counting the money to be spent on the fashionable trendy designer clothes but also a mission to introduce others, less fussy about trendy things, to a new fashionable trend that every show promises. London Fashion Weekend is a single event that gives access to a large number of London Fashion Week designers, classic labels, and the hottest trendy garments. 150 designers are not only showing their newest designs but also selling ready-to-wear pieces at a bargain (at least it is advertised so) price. You may choose from Christopher Fischer, Collado Garcia, Crumpet, Belle Bunty, Ben de Lisi, Alice McCall, Garguz, Inexcess Dashion, Janet Reger, John Smedley, Karl Doroghue, Sass Bide, Nicky Dupont, Madeleine Press, My Lovely Jeans, and some others. This years new designers are Luella, Richard Nicoll, Emma Cook, and Eley Kishimota. All of them pursue their philosophy of fashion that can be made out only when all is seen as one trendy entity in color, cut, and accessories. You may not be chasing fashion but you cant be indifferent because fashion is inherent in our culture and people are always impressed by those who know the taste of trendiest trends. Our appearance depends on what we are wrapped in; fashion is about our social status, success, individualism, and good taste. We like clothes that wear well. We dream of clothes that impress. We desire clothes that make us aggressively gorgeous

Suitably qualified staff Essay Example for Free

Suitably qualified staff Essay Staffing to meet changing business demands Suitably qualified staff may be recruited or trained within the organisation to have the right level of skills when they first join the business. At XMA computers, they need to have enough staff to meet demand but not too many as they would be wasting money on their wages. They also need to pay for staff training and sick pay. During the holidays, such as Christmas, XMA need to hire more staff as retailers will want to buy more products for the sale season. Coordination of team resources to meet targets As well as making sure that individual employees are managed within the organisation, it is essential that resources are used effectively within terms to meet company targets that are set. At XMA all employees need to work together to make the business successful. The people receiving and sending out calls need to have good teamwork skills to work with those who organise and dispatch the orders. This helps the business become successful in taking and delivering orders on time. Monitoring of team performance Coordinating a team is likely to mean that a company knows what employees should be doing to work towards their targets; but it is also essential to monitor the teams performance to make sure that they are actually making progress.XMA need to keep track of employees progress and they have many ways of doing this. They mainly do it through appraisals. An appraisal is a meeting between an employee and his/her line manager. During this meeting they talk about the employees progress throughout their working time. This review can be done in two different ways: Formal and Informal. Liaison with other departments Large organisations may have hundreds of different teams working across the organisation and unless each is able to work with other departments and coordinate as a whole organisation there will be conflict or unsatisfactory performance. XMA need all their teams to work together so that the business is run smoothly without any problems. If the teams do not work together than the business may not be successful and details may be wrong. Establishment of professional culture Part of the management of human resources concerns teaching employees about how the business operates its professional culture; for example the level of formality it uses and the way that managers and staff deal with each other. XMA need to teach all employees about the way their business operates. Many employees call fellow colleagues by their first name but in some companies they prefer to be addressed by a title e.g. Mr, Mrs., Dr. Provision of appropriate incentives To manage human resources effectively managers may decide to use incentives to encourage employees to work harder or to produce work of a higher quality. At XMA, employees are given extra-pay if they can hit their daily phone targets or get higher. E.g. If an employee is given a target of 50 orders, and they get 70 orders, they may get and extra à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½50 for their work. Encouragement of creativity and initiative Businesses that are able to change quickly and can be adaptable to customer needs are more likely to be successful. XMA need to be able to do this in order to be the number 1 distributor company in the UK. As they also have a website, they have international orders which will get them more profit.

Critical Review of Henkel (2014)

Critical Review of Henkel (2014) Review of â€Å"Point and shoot memories: The influence of taking photos on memory for a museum tour† by Henkel Introduction In psychology, it is important to review literature critically. Questions require to be asked of all research, both prior and subsequent to publishing. Matters such as justification for the research, the approach taken to carry out the research, the results of the research and its generalizability all require to be examined in order to establish whether the findings are worthwhile and reliable. This essay will take such an approach and critically analyse a recent study carried out by Henkel (2014). The article, published in Psychological Science, will be reviewed with any shortcomings addressed and suggestions made for improvement. Overview of paper Henkel (2014)suggests that photography is a common pastime, with more than three billion photographs having been taken in 2012. Citing a variety of evidence, Henkel (2014) suggests that the review of photographs can assist with the retrieval and activation of memories. This applies to both healthy individuals (Hodges, Berry, Wood, 2011) as well as people with specific pathologies (Berry et al., 2007; Loveday Conway, 2011). With the foregoing in mind, it is proposed that research to date has not elucidated how the conscious taking of a photograph affects the subsequent memory of what has been captured. The hypothesis proposed is two-tailed and suggests that memory performance following the taking of a photograph will either be improved, or impaired. In order to investigate this question, Henkel carried out two relatively simple experiments in which participants were required to carry out a visit to a museum. In the first experiment, participants were divided into two separate groups and requested to either view or take photographs of specific objects in the museum, such that all objects were both viewed and photographed once. Subsequent to the visit, participants were given an assessment of their memory for both the location of the objects and the objects themselves by means of a free recall test, followed by a recall test based on a list of object names. In addition to the object name recall test, participants were required to indicate their confidence in the accuracy of their responses. Finally, a recall test was administered to participants based on photographs of objects. Across all recall tests, participants were required to indicate whether the object in question had been observed, photographed or had not been part of the tour. Results suggest that photographing an object has a negative impact on a person’s memory for that object, although participants could remember whether an object had been photographed or viewed at better than chance levels. Participants were, however, better at remembering objects from a photographic cue, as opposed to a name cue. Following the first experiment, some further questions were raised in connection with the procedure and a second experiment took place with a view to clarifying these. The procedure in the second experiment was broadly similar, although objects on the tour were split into three groups requiring them to be photographed in full, in part, or viewed, such that all objects were photographed in full, in part and viewed once. The post-visit memory tests administered to participants were similar, with the exception that participants did not participate in the free recall test. In the name recall test, participants were required to answer two questions about the object and in the event that a specific part of the object had been photographed, a question was asked about that part, as well as a more general question about the object. Results replicated those of the first experiment, in that there was an impairment effect of taking a photograph generally, as well as the previous observation that memory for whether an object had been photographed or viewed was better than chance. In contrast, when an object had a specific part photographed, memory for that part , as well as the object more generally, was improved. Methodological comments Participants In experiment 1, it is noted that two thirds of participants had indicated a previous visit to the museum in question, although not within the month prior to the experiment. No such note is made in respect of the participants in experiment 2. This may be an oversight, or it may be that all of the participants in experiment 2 are, in fact, naà ¯ve participants. In the event that this is an oversight, the simplest resolution would have been to insert a line in the original manuscript to identify how many participants in experiment 2 had previously visited the museum. In the event that all participants in experiment 2 were naà ¯ve, it may prove problematic when comparing the two experiments. Ideally, all participants in this sort of experiment should be naà ¯ve, as a previous visit to the museum may give those participants a memory advantage over those who have not visited. It is unclear how this may have affected the results of the experiments, but future experiments of this nature may look to deal with participants with a previous experience by using a quasi-experimental design (Bryman, 2008). Such a design would allow for participants’ previous experience to be catered for, although the negative impact of such a design is that causality cannot be fully inferred from the results (Bryman, 2008). Method of recording accuracy of memory recall When recording participants’ responses in experiment 1, a free recall test was used initially, followed by tests to measure recall prompted by a name or a photograph. The photograph prompt recall task is well explained in the paper and does not require attention here. Unfortunately, detail relating to the free recall task is slightly less clear. Participants were requested to recall the names of objects on the museum tour, indicating whether they had been observed or photographed. Where an object name could not be remembered, participants were requested to write a brief description of the object. The major issue with this particular aspect of the experiment is that no detail is provided in respect of how the descriptive element of this task was assessed. In the circumstances, it may have been a better option to have only graded responses dichotomously, ensuring that responses where the participant cannot remember the object are graded as such. This appears to be how the data h as been coded here, although no information is provided in respect of a cut off point for remembered or forgotten where the name cannot be remembered by the participant. In respect of the named recall task, there appears to be no requirement for participants to grade their confidence in the accuracy of their responses, as this data is neither referred to anywhere else in the paper, nor statistically analysed. It is unclear why this particular task was required as the paper makes no reference to participants’ confidence in their memories. As the task does not appear to be completed in experiment 2, one could ponder whether it was actually necessary for experiment 1. Suitability of statistical tests It is well documented that the ANOVA omnibus test is not suitable for data which are proportional in nature due to the fact that the data is restricted by fixed boundaries of 0 and 1 and the error does not follow a normal distribution, amongst other reasons (Crawley, 2005; Field, 2009). In Henkel’s (2014) study, the data in both experiments is measured by way of response frequency which is subsequently converted to proportions. It would appear that an ANOVA is therefore not the most appropriate statistical test. In order to rectify this issue, there are three possibilities. The first possibility is to transform the data, using a procedure such as the arc sine transformation, which has the effect of normalising the error distribution (Crawley, 2005). Transforming the data makes it more appropriate for use in an ANOVA, although care still requires to be taken with interpretation of results. It is not clear from Henkel’s (2014) article whether a transformation has been car ried out on the data and on the basis that it is not noted in the article, it must be assumed that no such transformation has been completed. In the event that a transformation has been carried out on the data, the article should have a note to this effect in order to avoid confusion for the reader. A second proposal to deal with the data would be to carry out a logistic regression, which is a suitable method to use on binomially distributed data, such as proportional data (Crawley, 2005; Field, 2009). Using a logistic regression would allow the researched to make predictions about the impact of taking photographs on subsequent memory, however it would not allow inferences of causality to be drawn. In addition, problems with generalisability of results would also arise, as a logistic regression is not assumed to be valid for predictions which do not apply to the dataset (Crawley, 2005; Field, 2009). The final suggestion for rectification of the problems with statistical procedure is to avoid using proportional data altogether and measure simple response frequencies. This would require a change in the statistical test used for the experiments to the chi-squared test for independence (Pearson, 1900). Again, the main issue with this course of action is that it would no longer be po ssible for the experiment to indicate causality, as the chi-squared test is correlational in nature. Nonetheless, this may be an appropriate course of action with a view to prompting further research in relation to memory for items which have been photographed and the causal effect of taking such photographs. General comments Introduction The introduction is concise and follows a clear, coherent structure. The reasons for the research question and subsequent experiment are clearly detailed. Experiment 1 Aside from the issues identified in the previous section, the methods section is clear, coherent and concise. Whilst not everything required for a replication is included, with some minor additions, the relevant information would be available. At the foot of the results and discussion section (p.398), results of a Source x Retrieval Cue ANOVA are reported without any statistics quoted. The statistics are reported in respect of an interaction, but not for the main effects. It may be that the main effects are not statistically significant, however, for the purposes of clarity, it would be better for them to be reported here. Experiment 2 The rationale behind experiment 2 follows on from experiment 1. The background is clearly and concisely laid out and seems logical. Other than the issues noted previously in respect of methodology, no further problems are noted in respect of the methods applied in the experiment. General discussion In the final paragraph of the general discussion (p. 401) the results are discussed outwith the parameters of the experiments in, one would assume, an attempt to generalise the results more widely. The final sentence appears to make a claim relating to interacting with photos and the effect of interaction on memory. Whilst previous evidence is referred to, it is not clear how this assertion can be made from the results of this experiment, as no attempts were made to show the effect of interaction with photographs on memory. It may be that this conclusion should be revised in order to make a better fit with the results of the experiment. Conclusion In summary, this study appears to be novel and timely, following from and adding to recent research findings. There is a defined gap in the literature in relation to the focus of the study which could be addressed by it. In addition the study may provoke future research into photographs and memory in the social environment, outwith the scenario of a museum visit, which will allow further generalisation of the findings. Despite the issues identified in relation to methodology, the article is well written and the research generally well designed. With a few minor tweaks in relation to statistical tests and provision of further information for the purposes of replication, the article could be improved further. Nonetheless, this series of experiments is novel, appropriate, timely, and adds to the current understanding of memory in relation to photographs more generally. References Berry, E., Kapur, N., Williams, L., Hodges, S., Watson, P., Smyth, G., †¦ Wood, K. (2007). The use of a wearable camera, SenseCam, as a pictorial diary to improve autobiographical memory in a patient with limbic encephalitis: A preliminary report. Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, 17, 582–601. Bryman, A. (2008). Social Research Methods (3rd Ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. Crawley, M. J. (2005). Statistics: An Introduction Using R. Chichester: Wiley. Field, A. (2009). Discovering Statistics Using SPSS (3rd Ed.). London: Sage. Henkel, L. A. (2014). Point-and-shoot memories: the influence of taking photos on memory for a museum tour. Psychological Science, 25, 396–402. Hodges, S., Berry, E., Wood, K. (2011). SenseCamà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¯: A wearable camera which stimulates and rehabilitates autobiographical memory. Memory, 19, 685–696. Loveday, C., Conway, M. A. (2011). Using SenseCam with an amnesic patient: Accessing inaccessible everyday memories. Memory, 19, 697–704. Pearson, K. (1900). On the criterion that a given system of deviations from the probable in the case of a correlated system of variables is such that it can be reasonably supposed to have arisen from random sampling. Philosophical Magazine, 50(5), 157–175.

Essay --

Factory Farming: Mass Production or According to the Organic Consumers Association, in 1970 there were approximately 900,000 family farms in the United States; by 1997 there were only 139,000 family farms. This number is continually decreasing by the year. Why is this a problem? Factory farms promote abusive practices in order to maximize production at minimal cost at the expense of the environment, the community, and even our personal health. They house thousands of animals and inject them with hormones in order to maximize their growth and food output. The techniques being used are inhumane and are used thousands of times a day. According to the Organic Consumers Association, two out of every three animal products in stores come from factory farms. Factory farms dominate food production throughout the country. Animals most commonly consumed that require large-scale farming practices are cows, chickens and pigs. The methods of farming are not only bad for the animals themselves, but it’s affecting the meat we put into our bodies, and is therefore affecting one’s health. Factory farms ultimately have a negative effect on the health of both the animal and the consumer of the animal product. In today’s traditional factory farms, beef cattle are being raised in cruel living environments. In an article written by Berry Estabrook titled Feedlots vs Pastures: Two Very Different Ways to Fatten Beef Cattle, published in â€Å"The Atlantic† written December 28th, 2011 says that most of Americas beef comes from factory farms. They are crammed by the thousands into crowded, confined dirt lots. The cattle have hardly any room to move around and are forced to live in piles of their own excrement. Due to the many cows, they are deprived from ve... ...hat can be made towards stopping factory farming corporations from taking over. One of those ways could be to discovering how animal products are made. You can research companies that you commonly buy to make educating purchasing decisions when buying items from a grocery store. If you decide to buy an animal product, look up if the animals were forced to live in confined environments or if they were raised in open fields in their natural habitats. We can also spread the word to others. Talk to them about the problems with factory farming and the issues and encourage them to take action. This can range to anyone from a small audience like your family, to a much larger audience like a local school. By taking these small steps you will impact animals that are being abused, your personal health, the health of loved ones, and the health of others throughout the country.

Essay --

John C. Maxwell once wrote, â€Å"Leadership is the power of one harnessing the power of many.† Rousseau, in The Social Contract Theory writes that leadership is necessary to create law. A leader must have the ability to provide for all, no matter the case. Thus, they must have the â€Å"power of many† in order to understand the will of the people. A population cannot create laws for itself without guidance from some higher power. An effective leader must be able to harness the power of many in order to create effective laws and rules for the collective good. Rousseau uses several examples of worthy leaders in order to prove that quality leadership determines fair law in Book II, Chapter VI: THE LAW. In particular, he discusses the role of God, legislators, and guides. First, the efficiency of lawmaking will be discussed, then the reasons law is essential, next the characteristics per Rousseau of an ideal lawmaker, and finally the best type of leader or guide will be debated. Many things have changed since Rousseau’s time, however the need for a leader to determine fair law has remained the same, and will continue to be a large part of governments and societies. Rousseau describes the efficiency of lawmaking, saying: â€Å"So long as men are content to attach to this word only metaphysical ideas, they will continue to debate without being understood† (p.178). Rousseau is essentially arguing that the relationship between the number of leaders and the productivity of those leaders is an inverse one: the more leaders, the less accomplished. This is why it is necessary to have one strong leader instead of having the whole of the people lead the people. The difference between decrees and laws is the difference between States and republics. R... ...lways right. A guide who is able to enlighten the general public and create laws is a true asset to the population because of a leader’s ability to view objects and situations without a personal perspective. This is why there is always â€Å"need of a legislator.† Some leaders believe that they are held to lesser standards than their people. This is one problem with putting certain people in charge of the rest of the community. However, laws apply to everyone, including those who make them. This is why there is a separate party that enforces the law, to create equality for all. This is why leaders and guides are beneficial for a community. In order to maintain a fair society, there is need for legislators who are subjected to the laws they create. Without guides, the laws would not be effective or fair to all, and the State would not obtain the status as a republic.

Roman Polanskis Repulsion Essay -- Film Movies

Roman Polanski's Repulsion Analysis of an aspect of visual form in the film ‘Repulsion’ In the 1964/65 film ‘Repulsion’ by Roman Polanski, the story is about the conflict between reality and fantasy or sanity and insanity inside the main character’s mind – Carol played by Catherine Deneuve. Therefore the narrative technique of symbolism is used to display visually to the film’s audience what happens to Carol’s mind. In this particular instance, the degeneration of Carol’s state of mind is symbolised. Carol’s state of mind degenerates, or breaks down because of her repulsion of masculinity in a sexual context. Through Carol’s eyes, we see masculinity as being aggressive, obsessive, crude/sexually suggestive, rapacious and sinister, and although these are masculine traits, they are not a full representation of males/masculinity in society. Therefore one can see that Carol has misunderstood and become very wary of men. She is a very pretty woman and the film uses her to display an almost stereotypical femininity – weak/ fragile and delicately featured – ironically, the complete opposite to Carol’s own view of men. And so, overall, the film basically represents male domination and female vulnerability. Also to highlight the difference between Carol’s reactions to men and her reactions to women, the writer has chosen to place her character in a beauty parlour. This is used to represent a pleasant but superficial world against a nasty one – through Carol’s eyes that is. From the beginning, one can tell that there are going to be elements of surrealism in the film by the style in which the credits are run. These opening credits run generally upwards (I say generally as some of the credits are at angles – but still maintaining an ‘upward-ish’ direction) over an extreme close-up shot of Carol’s face, and also some credits finishing on-screen at her top eyelids whereas some finish by running off-screen. During the film, we see Carol go to work at the beauty parlour. By the camera-man shooting over her shoulder, a personal view of her life and how she sees life around her. If the camera was used as her eyes, it would have made these scenes too subjective and too unsubtle. We can therefore look at the same things as Carol, but for our own sakes, though this does leave a certain ambiguity. For example, when Carol walks to work, she looks at an empty, da... ...late with the rotting rabbit and the cut-throat razor on it. This could symbolise that she is on the ‘razor’s edge’ and that it is rotting her mind away. It is unclear why Carol has become repulsed by men and sex. It is suggested that it is to do with something or even someone in her past, e.g. she might have been sexually abused by an older person. Maybe that is why she is repulsed by the landlord and in her irrationality, she attacks him. She also regards the photo of her when she was young with happiness. That, along with the bells and the sound of girls running around dubbed over the film at that point, could suggest that she went to a convent school, which are all girls, and therefore makes her feel safe and protected, as the beauty parlour does. Carol’s neurosis of life might be that she see men as sexual objects only, not as real people, and so she is repulsed. Then one can ask, why is she repulsed by this? And the only possible answers are that she might have been abused in her childhood, or something else deep and psychological of a very sexual nature affected her back then. But it is extremely hard to say exactly what, since we are never shown any part of her past.

Lazarillo de Tormes and the Swindler

/*Class. Project 1*/ import java. io. BufferedReader; import java. io. FileReader; import java. util. StringTokenizer; import java. io. *; import java. math. BigDecimal; import java. util. *; /** * * @author: Huma UmmulBanin Zaidi * @Project:Project1, Data Structure. * Running program looks like: This program finds sum or product of a LARGE numbers of integers. Enter as many integers > 0 as you would like. Enter the numbers: 1 3 5 7 7 5 3 1 Please select the number of one of these options: 1. Sum the numbers in the list 2. Multiply the numbers in the list Your choice: 1Answer is: 16 Exiting program†¦ */ public class Project1 { //public class ReadFile { // Read lists of numbers from a specified text file. public static void main(String[] args){ if(args. length == 0) System. out. println(â€Å"No file specified. â€Å"); else { FileReader theFile; BufferedReader inFile; String oneLine; int s; try{ // file not found exception must be caught theFile = new FileReader(args[0]); inFi le = new BufferedReader(theFile); while((oneLine = inFile. readLine()) ! = null) { String numbers[] = oneLine. split(â€Å",†); // † † for space s = 0; for (int i=0; i= 0 ){ Node cur = new Node(); cur. setData(Integer. valueOf(n. remainder(d). intValue())); n = n. divide(d); node. setpNext(cur); node = node. etpNext(); } } public void mainLoop() { int numbers = 0; // Used to store numbers read in Node pHead = null; // head of linked list Node pTemp; // used in new node creation while( numbers ! = -1) { if (numbers ! = -1) { pTemp = new Node(); // Insert at head of list pTemp. setData( numbers); // store the number pTemp. setpNext( pHead); // set the â€Å"pointer† pHead = pTemp; // reset the head of the list } }//end while( number†¦ }//end of mainLoop //} public LargeNumbers AddNumbers (LargeNumbers n) { /public static void main(String[] args) { //System. out. println(â€Å"Addition of two numbers! â€Å"); LargeNumbers sum = new LargeNumbers(); sum. head. getpNext(). setData(this. head. getpNext(). getData()+n. head. getpNext(). getData()); int b = 0; int a = 0; int sum1 = a + b; System. out. println(â€Å"Sum: † + sum1); //} return sum; } public static void AddNumbers(LargeNumbers a, LargeNumbers b) { int n1 = 0; int n2 = 0; int sum1 = n1 + n2; System. out. println(â€Å"Sum: † + sum1); //} } public String toString(){ String str = â€Å"†; Node temp = head. getpNext(); while(temp! = null){ str += (temp. etData() + † â€Å"); temp = temp. getpNext(); } //end while return str; } // end toString public LargeNumbers Multiply (LargeNumbers n) { int mul1; int mul2; public static void main(String args[]){ try{ Multiply mul= new Multiply(); int multiplication; BufferedReader object=new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(System. in)); System. out. println(â€Å"Enter number:†+† â€Å"); mul. mul1=Integer. parseInt(object. readLine()); mul. mul2=Integer. parseInt(object. readLine()); System. out. println(â€Å"Width is =†+ mul. mul1); System. out. println(â€Å"Height is =†+ mul. mul2); multiplication = mul. mul1*mul. ul2; System. out. print(â€Å"Multiply number is=†+ multiplication); } catch(Exception e){} } } } /*class. node*/ public class Node { // For simplicity sake assume we only store an integer in each node private Integer data; private Node pNext; // Default Constructor public Node() { data = 0; pNext = null; } // Fully Qualified constructor public Node(Integer data, Node pNext) { this. data = data; this. pNext = pNext; } // get and set methods public void setData( Integer data) { this. data = data; } public Integer getData() { return this. data; } public void setpNext( Node nextNode) { this. Next = nextNode; } // return a reference (the address) of the next node public Node getpNext() { return this. pNext; } // toString allows printing a node public String toString() { return( â€Å"† + this. data); } }//end class Node /*data. text */ 9 4 31,415,926,535 2 0 1,234,567,890 1,734,792 131 1,506,033,005,018,000,029 1,992 23,571 100,000,002,750,004,128,293,702,150,000 9,999,999 9,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999 31,415,926,535 31,415,926,535 3,276,765,535,021 271,828,128,450,945 112,233,445,566,778,899 99,887,766,554,433,221,100 198,719,881,989,199,019,911,992,199,319,941,995 141,421,356

Complaint Letter Against Employer Essay

I am writing this email to inform you that the decision made to relieve me of my duties as office manager and remain on staff as â€Å"office support† has been done on unlawful grounds. Last week on April 21st I was informally given some vague feedback regarding comments from my co-worker Jane Doe. Her allegations caught me off guard so I requested an opportunity to review some of these concerns with the hope that I could also give a brief explanation from my perspective. I also requested time to review the job description so that we could confirm the nature of my role in the office for clarity’s sake. Dr. ——– asked that I be prepared to discuss what I enjoyed doing in the office as well as the job description, noting that I would continue doing the things I enjoyed doing and other tasks would be handled by current or future staff. This was to be addressed on the next work day which was April 25th. Today I addressed Dr. ——– at the end of the day to let her know I was ready to discuss these matters when she was available at which time she came to the back office. I was then told that our file clerk was going to be let go, that our reserve receptionist was promoted to full-time and that we would need someone to replace Jane who will have her last day in the office on April 29th of this week. After discussing a few of the responsibilities of the above mentioned positions we began reviewing the job description. Dr. ——– then crossed out 80% of the job description and divided it among a previous administrative employee, a contact who has agreed to begin working with Dr. Khan in June and yourself. This was not what was discussed on April 21st and is an unfair result of an unfair assessment for the primary reasons below: 1. The action taken by Dr. ——– does not fit the problem that occurred in that there was no verbal warning, no reprimand, and no opportunity to improve. 2. There was no standard or guideline of what my position as an Office Manager consisted of even on an introductory level – there was no job description. 3. I was not told I was being assessed and not given the specifics of the assessment itself and was therefore not afforded the courtesy of explaining my position adequately or even understanding where and how the errors/conflicts occurred. 4. The assessment was incomplete/unbalanced as one area of office development was assessed while others that are also critical to the function of the office were not addressed. Also, I am sorry to say that this issue now calls into question how things will be resolved based on the fact that you as the HR consultant are also the nephew of Dr.

Language Differences: Age Essay

When children are young, apart from natural instincts and biological aspects, their brains are virtually blank slates. Thus, as they develop, their behaviors and speech also develops, depending on their environment. So it is factual, that when they are young, they do not have a properly developed vocabulary, have a lower rate of speech motor control, and have poorer sentence structure and grammar. All these factors play a part in the language difference between, say, a five year old child and a 20 year old adult. Experiment: Speaking to 6 year-old children. Results: Initially it was difficult to get them started to speak to me, as they can prove quite shy. This may be because of their lack of language, ensuing in their lack of confidence. This however varies from child to child. When we did start speaking though, I found myself automatically speaking at a level which they’d understand. I noticed that even though they may have a lot to say about something, they find it hard to express their ideas and communicate with others. I also observed the limited vocabulary used and the occasional stuttering and stumbling with words. Experiment: Speaking to Adults. Results: They tended to be easier to talk to. I noticed that once they began talking and had a clear idea of what they were talking about the words began to flow. Most were quite articulate and used a range of vocabulary. The speech-tempo was also at a steady yet quick pace as well. It was clear that they had more set and direct ideas that they understood more about what they were saying than children did. Therefore, these are the main differences of language between ages. It is proven that as age develops, so do speech qualities.

Fish- Beneath the Surface (An article for ‘Future of Fish’ magazine)

Natural cod stocks going down. There has been much press coverage of the decline in natural cod stocks due to over fishing in the North Sea. I like my cod and chips and so was quite concerned about this. It may be too late to get the numbers back up to 1970's levels but less documented by the press, is the rapid growth of mariculture, the cultivation of marine organisms for food, which retailers say could ‘revolutionise the fishing industry' (2). I visited the Manx Mariculture fish hatchery to investigate the principles behind fish farming and soon discovered that it was not without its problems. As my guide, Rick Fullerton, explained, a bacterial problem in the live feed meant that the hatchery faced a crisis in the year 2006 when only a few hundred cod were produced instead of the target 1 million. This is a common problem in mariculture and there is the potential for exciting new developments in the production of live feed which could eliminate this problem in the future. Use of live feed as an answerMuscular System: Muscle Metabolism In order to kill bacteria, live feed may be disinfected or treated with UV rays (6). A recent study (Cutts, Sherwood and Treasurer) showed that bacterial numbers were lower in tanks of live feed treated with Pyceze, often used as a disinfectant of water and a preservative in cosmetic products, and the survival of larvae was 6.1% higher (6). Other future developments in the production of live feed may include using rotifers which match the nutritional requirements of the larvae. This could be achieved by finding new methods of enrichment. Research in collaboration with Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) has been carried out into developing enrichment methods using vitamin C, bacteria and fungi (7). Rotifers: These multicellular animals are 200-300à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½m in length and are kept at a density of around 1500 per ml (3). They supply the nutritional requirements of fish larvae by retaining nutrients which are then passed on to the larvae (5), ensuring rapid growth. As I go round, a putrid smell laces the air. Dark and bitter, it hangs heavily in the small room. The humidity makes it difficult to breath. Four tanks prevail to one side, overbearing. This is the live feed room of the Manx Mariculture fish hatchery. I peer closer to make out the reptilian green contents of the tanks. Here, rotifers, used as live feed, are grown in aerated tanks on a diet of yeast and algae at 25à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½C (3), optimum conditions for growth. The cod and turbot larvae farmed at the site are reared on these for up to 20 days during which time it is not possible to produce food pellets small enough for their consumption. To small to be seen with the naked eye, rotifers are an excellent replacement of the fish's natural diet, zooplankton (copepods) and they are enriched to supply the nutritional requirements of the larvae. Nutrition in the diet is essential in ensuring optimum growth. Brine shrimps: With my knowledge of cod limited to its appearance in a plastic take-out box, the sight of the fish at 20 days, with their dark silken bodies deftly navigating the water, surprises me. At this age, they are around 7-8 mm in length and are fed for a further 20 days on brine shrimp, or Artemia, 500-700 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½m in length (3). By using a specially formulated diet for the Artemia, their nutritional content is increased to maximise the growth of the larvae. This also reduces pigmentation problems in the turbot, a species of fish I had not previously heard of. My first impression of them is that they bear a certain resemblance to the shape of a stingray. They line the bottom of the holding tanks, their slender bodies overlapping, producing a carpet of shimmering grey. A tight ship: Nevertheless, live feed production is extremely expensive. To improve efficiency at Manx Mariculture, rotifer production is carried out as a continuous process. Future developments are needed in the production and reliability of rotifer and Artemia whilst reducing the cost of the feeds. Recent studies (Lubzens E, Zmora O, Barr Y, 2001) have shown that the rotifers, B. plicatilis and B. rotundiformis, are two species of rotifer most suited to mariculture. Fish and chips – a change of diet As cod are cannibalistic, grading is carried out at 2 to 4 months using filters of increasing width to separate out different sizes into different tanks. This increases the survival rate of smaller, weaker cod which may not have survived in the wild. As it is not economically viable to produce live feed in large amounts as the fish mature, they are weaned off this and onto a diet of hard fishmeal pellets. This is achieved by gradually increasing the ratio of hard pellets to live food, fed once a day using automated feeders suspended above the tanks. Made from smaller species of fish and crustaceans unfit for human consumption, standard fishmeal has a content of 65-67% protein and 12% fat (8). There may be some dispute over the validity of this data as it is from an internet site and the source is not clear, therefore it cannot be guaranteed that the information is entirely accurate. Fishmeal contains proteins, lipids, minerals and vitamins but very little carbohydrate. Its close composition to that of the fish's natural diet makes it an excellent alternative (8). Fishmeal increases feed efficiency and growth due to a greater nutrient uptake and absorption. It also provides a high amount of energy per unit weight (8). Lipids in the diet provide phospholipids and fatty acids required for optimum growth and development. They are also important in the structure and function of cell membranes. They can be easily digested and have a high energy content which is important as the diet contains little carbohydrate. This is most likely because there is limited availability of carbohydrates in marine environments (9). If the diet does not provide enough energy, protein needed for growth will be broken down instead which increases the costs of fish farming. Protein is needed in the diet as it provides the 10 essential amino acids which the fish cannot synthesis. Fishmeal also contains minerals such as calcium, phosphorus and magnesium and vitamins including the B-complex (8). There are, however, ethical concerns over the use of fishmeal as some argue that for every tonne of farmed fish produced, 5 tonnes of fishmeal are used in the process. On the other hand, fishmeal can be seen to reduce pollution to the environment as there is increased nutrient uptake by the fish (8). Green issues Further environmental concerns which surround fish farming include the pollution caused by waste being discharged into the sea. However, made up of fish waste and undigested food, this is natural and it does not cause major problems or damage to marine environments (3). This likely to be accurate and precise information as Nick Fullerton is a professional with a degree in biology and has had many years experience in mariculture. The energy cost of running the hatchery which includes pumping water 24 hours day and the continuous monitoring probes must also be taken into account when considering the environmental implications of fish farming. A breath of fresh air Continuing my tour, I am shown the large round tanks where the fish are held. A strange looking square device sits on the surface of the water. Consisting of a flimsy plastic frame, it looks unimportant, however, it has the potential to raise the survival of the fish by 90% (3). This is a surface skimmer which cleans the surface of the water by blowing air over it to remove the oily film which would otherwise build up. When the surface is clear, young fish are able to gulp air in order to inflate the swim bladder, an organ in bony fish used for buoyancy. As the fish rely on the water in order to breathe and grow, the water quality can have a huge impact on the success of fish farming (10). The seawater in the hatchery is filtered through filters only 1 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½m thick in order to remove most harmful bacteria and parasites and the continuous flow maintains the water quality (3). Bacteria such as Pseudomonas, Oceanospirillum, Marinobactera and Paracoccus are common in marine environments (11). Much more impressive are the electronic probes which measure oxygen, carbon dioxide and ammonia levels and pH. However, water is not recirculated otherwise very strict controls would have to be enforced on water quality (3). Oxygen, required for aerobic respiration, is kept at a concentration of 8 mg per litre, or almost 100% saturation (At 20 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½C, normal pressure and in freshwater, 9.1 mg/L = 100% saturation (12)). Fish require a high concentration of oxygen because they are very active and have a high metabolism. The oxygen concentration is increased when stress levels are elevated such as during transport. This causes the heart rate to increase and so the fish to take in more oxygen. Carbon dioxide levels are kept below 5 parts per million (ppm) and ammonia which is excreted by the fish is kept below 0.02 ppm. PH is ideally kept between 6.5 and 9.0 (10). More advanced probes are being developed but these advancements are limited by cost. Temperature is kept around 7-8à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½C for cod and slightly warmer for turbot. These temperatures are maintained by 3 water inlets to each tank of cold, heated and ambient water. Hot water is not used due to the high cost, especially as the water is not recirculated. Food for thought The ethics of keeping the fish at high stocking densities needs to be considered, however, it can also be seen that their survival is much higher than in the wild. At 50 days, this is 20-30% compared with less than 1% in the wild (3). Turbot even appear to thrive at high densities (13) as this is natural to them in a marine environment on the ocean floor. This is likely to be valid information as it comes from an educational source although, published in 1992, it is not up-to-date. Another concern is that if farmed fish escape and breed with wild stock, the genetic strain may be weakened as farmed cod have lost much of their natural awareness (3). Help or hindrance? Mariculture is growing worldwide at a rate of 5% annually (14) but is it actually accomplishing its aim of increasing fish stock? The use of fishmeal in fish farming means that it relieves pressure on one species only to transfer it to others. It can be argued that the numbers of other species of fish removed from the ocean in order to feed farmed fish mean that the problem is not solved. Furthermore, depleted stocks of other species may disrupt complex food webs in marine ecosystems as ‘population dynamics, competition for food and patterns of predation' are changed (15).