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Deeper Wholes free essay sample

Eighteen years back I tumbled down a hare opening, blue-peered toward and brimming with interest. From that point forward I have had numerou...

Wednesday, February 26, 2020

Assignment is to read the 22 page IPCC AR4 summary for policymakers Essay

Assignment is to read the 22 page IPCC AR4 summary for policymakers (SPM) (Introduction plus 5 sections) and write a concise summary of it - Essay Example shift in animal and plant ranges together with the earlier timing of various spring events has been linked to warming in the terrestrial ecosystems while changes in ice, frozen ground and snow have resulted in a general increase in both the total number and size of glacial lakes (Ipcc, 2007). It has been shown that the energy balance of the world’s climate system has been altered by changes in the atmospheric concentration of aerosols and various green house gases, solar radiation and total land cover. During the period ranging between 1970 and 2004, Carbon dioxide emissions have been shown to have grown by about 80%. The atmospheric concentration methane and carbon dioxide have exceeded the pre industrial levels recorded from ice cores over the last 650,000 years. This has mainly been attributed to the use of various agricultural products and fossil fuels (Ipcc, 2007). If the Emission of GHG continues at the current rate, this will potentially cause changes in the planet’s global climate system to be larger in the 21st century than those previously observed in the 20th century. Warming is expected to reduce the ocean and terrestrial uptake of CO2 resulting in an increase in the ocean’s acidity with an expected average decrease of its PH by about 0.1 units (Ipcc, 2007). The Greenland ice sheet is expected to continue contracting, a factor that is expected to continue playing a vital contribution to the increasing rise in sea levels after 2100, with various models suggesting the eventual virtual complete elimination of the ice sheet after a millennia. There are several adaptation and mitigation options available touching on various aspects. These include expanding water storage, harvesting and conservation techniques, the adjustment of agricultural product varieties and planting dates, reduction of the world’s dependency on a mostly single source of energy and opting for green energy, creation of storm surge barriers and sea walls to help create a

Sunday, February 9, 2020

Leading and managing Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Leading and managing Change - Essay Example Throughout the history, leadership remains an important point for interest for the social scientists, theorists and experts (Boal and Hooijberg, 2000, p515). The leadership theories and philosophies evolved from the beginning of the twentieth century and up to present day the experts have identifies several important characteristics that are supposed to be essential parts of the leaders’ personalities. The organizations usually encounter wide range of changes in their operations either in form of change in working structure or induction of new technology within the business and it is their core responsibility to create readiness for change in the organization (Boeker, 1992, p400). Changes are inevitable for the organizations in today’s rapidly changing and highly competitive business environment. However, only well planned and well manages changes could provide desired benefits to the firms by fostering efficiency, productivity and performance of the organization. In ca se of implementing any type of change the organizations have to encounter resistance from the employees due to the threats they foresee in case of change implementation. Their resistance strongly affect the organizational readiness for change implementation hence the leadership has to strategically work for retaining the employees’ trust and confidence upon the organization so that they can take the change positive and beneficial for them (Singh et al, 1986, p611). The success of change implementation depends upon number of critically important factors. Among these factors the readiness for change in an important one that any organization could not afford to ignore while planning a change. The readiness for change is reflected through the beliefs of the members of the organization, their attitude and intention for making the change successful. The members either respond favourable towards the change by supporting it or they respond elsewise by resisting the change and change effort. In such case, the leadership has to perform key role in changing the members' perceptions so that they can develop favourable response and belief towards the change and could support it rather resisting against the change. The essay discusses the leadership theories in the context of change management and discusses how different leadership attributes and qualities help in managing change and preparing readiness in the organization for change. The essay discusses the importance of organizations’ readiness for change and analyses the role of leadership in creating readiness in the organization for change by all the stakeholders the continuation or positive change in the vision and working patterns of the firms. In this regard, the paper reviews the literature exist around the topic and strives to explore the issue with the help of the reference of the relevant literature. Readiness for Change The management of change management is very crucial and challenging activity a nd important concept within the discipline of management that basically refers to the implementation of change in controlled method using predefined framework. There are certain important principles that are supposed to be followed for successful change management. It is important to get the support from the environment and system to make change successfully implemented in to the organization. The importance of leadership in the context of change management has been recognized and explained by the theorists from time to time and it has been widely accepted

Thursday, January 30, 2020

Theories of Formation, Maintenance and Breakdown of Relationships Essay Example for Free

Theories of Formation, Maintenance and Breakdown of Relationships Essay The reward/ need satisfaction model (Byrne and Clore 1970) is a good example of how relationships are formed. It is based on the behavioural model which is influenced by both operant and classical conditioning where we form relationships due to direct or indirect rewards. These could be money, status, companionship, sex etc. However this theory is limited as it doesn’t take into account that participants in relationships are often concerned with equity. For example Hays (1985) found that in student friendships that rewarding someone and being rewarded oneself were valued equally. Also, not all relationships can be explained by this model as it suggests that all relationships are one sided in reward giving and that people don’t do things unless they thought they’d get e reward. This doesn’t explain why relationships continue even when they become satisfactory. The reward/ need satisfaction model is likewise culturally bias; the theory is relevant to Western cultures. Many Collectivist cultures, usually in the East, show little concern for the receipt of reinforcement. Maintenance of relationships can be explained through the Social Exchange Theory (Thibault and Kelley 1959). This is an economic theory which suggests that people maximise the possible rewards in a relationship whilst minimising their costs; specifically attraction. It also suggests that commitment to a relationship is dependent on profitability of the outcome – a cost-benefit ratio. It is the outcome of this which determines the attraction to one another. The theory also argues that if your partner has a ‘high cost’ then they have to counter balance that with lots of rewards. A strength of this theory is that it helps to explain why marital dissatisfaction doesn’t necessarily predict divorce. However it fails to explain what can cause initially successful marriages to breakdown. It also suggests that all people are selfish and that they would walk out of a relationship that has become unrewarding. That however does not explain cases of domestic violence. This theory is again culturally bias; it is based on Western cultures so it assumes that people can pick and choose their partners. It doesn’t take into account arranged marriages. Walster et al (1978), suggested the Equity theory in maintaining relationships. This theory suggests that relationships are maintained by a kind of economic balance to ensure equality between the two partners. This is achieved by matching the giving and receiving between the two partners. If there is an imbalance between them, then this is resolved by either adjusting the levels of giving and receiving, or comparing the relationships to somebody else’s to evaluate whether it is worth staying in the relationship or not. A supporting study was conducted by Hatfield et al (1979), who found that the happiest newly-weds were those that perceived an equitable relationship; those that were over or under benefited had lower satisfaction. However, Hatfield also said that equity was more important for females than males. This theory however is culturally bias; it was researched in a Western society. In some cultures relationships aren’t assessed on their economic validity, so this theory cannot be generalised. This theory also suffers from beta bias- there is no comparison between males and females, so it assumes that males and females have an identical attitude to relationships when they may actually look for different things in terms of relationship maintenance. Rollie and Duck (2006) have the most substantial model of relationship breakdown. It is a phase model that describes six stages of relationship breakdown. These start from the initial breakdown, intra -psychic process, dyadic process, social process, grace dressing process to the resurrection process; where at the end a person is supposed to redefine themselves and look for a new partner. The breakdown process- one or both of the partners becomes unhappy with the relationship- ‘I can’t stand this anymore’. Intra-psychic- the individual begins to over exaggerate the irritating the other one does and focus on the bad times- ‘I’d be justified in leaving’. The dyadic process- the unhappy partner confronts the other one and they bargain and negotiate terms- ‘I mean it, I want to leave’. Social process- both partners tell their friends and family who take sides to either support the relationship or the breakup- ‘it’s now inevitable’. The grave dressing process and resurrection process is where the relationship dies and decide what they want in future relationships- ‘time to get a new life’, ‘what I learned and how things will be different’. However this model doesn’t explain how couples stay together despite having misgivings about the relationship; as breakdown isn’t necessarily inevitable. The model also assumes that all relationships go through these specific stages which ignore individual differences; not all individuals discuss problems in their relationship. Some people may ignore their problems or end the relationship there and then. This theory is culturally bias as some Eastern cultures frown upon divorce so a married couple would stay married and therefore be stuck at the social process perhaps and not get the chance to move on. A strength of this theory though is that it addresses both cognitive and behavioural aspects which include people’s feelings. This theory is also reductionist compared to the holistic view on relationship breakdown. It ignores the fact that past experiences with relationships could have an impact on the stage of dissolution in relationships, or the prevention of the dissolution of a relationship. Although the theory does have good practical applications; if the reasons for relationship breakdown according to this theory are true, then confronting relationship issues with counselling, for example, to solve problems should be effective. Research into the area of relationship breakdown is considered as socially sensitive. Therefore great care must be taken when researching participants to avoid causing unnecessary distress.

Wednesday, January 22, 2020

Marketing Plan for a Cosmetics Company Essay -- Business Marketing Fin

Marketing Plan for a Cosmetics Company EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  CosmoCosmetics.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1389 Sunshine Ave.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fort Lauderdale , Fl 34587   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  CosmoCosmetics has decided to create a new foundation make up line for African American women exclusively. We believe there is a niche for this type of business since no make up brands specialise in this target.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  CosmoCOsmetics would be the exclusive manufacturer that sells to cosmetic retailers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Not only would emphasise on the variety of colours but also the packaging of the product. 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The colours would be adjusted to this type of skin( a wide variety of darker colours ) 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The make up would be offered as a spray, a completely new format in the make up industry. A Compact size that doesn?t occupy any space in the hand bag, extremely easy to use and achieves the best natural and professional results any woman would dream of.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After studying the cosmetic market we can identify a series of needs in this market: 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  EASE OF USE 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  AVAILABILITY 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  PORTABILITY 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  VARIETY OF COLORS 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  DURABLE Our Spray Foundation would meet these needs by offering: 1)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Spray packaging with a diffuser. 2)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Big cosmetic retailers across South Florida, near business areas and suburbs (Miami Downtown, North Miami Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach. 3)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Compact size: 30 ml.(doesn?t occupy much space in the lady?s purse). 4)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Variety of colours adjusted to their type of skin tone. 5)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Long Durability: Just needs to be applied once a day, for long lasting results. The combination of powder + minerals will make the makeup last longer leaving a moisturized and natural look. Market. Household and personal care product companies are making efforts to stimulate sales in a variety of ways, such as entering new markets, creating new product categories, adding new distribution channels, and acquiring (and divesting) businesses to be able to compete in this highly competitive industry. Over the last decade, sales at general merchandise stores, pharmacies and drugstores, have grown at average annual rates of 6.0% and 7.5%, respectively, according to US Census Bureau retail trade data. The US and Western European markets are reaching saturation- therefore cosmetic companies see the future markets for their products in Central and Eastern Europe, Chi... ...lenge for us. Break-even (units)= ($116.400 + $32.000)/ $23= 6.453 units /quarter Break-even sales ($)= 6.453*28.5= $183.911 Total Revenue from sales   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   $183.911 Cost of goods sold  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   $43.500   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  ------------- Gross profit  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   $140.411 Calculating the ratio of variable expenses to net sales The percentage is $43.500/ $183.911 = 23.65% Cosmo-cosmetics Co. uses $0.246 out of every sale dollar to cover variable expenses, leaving $0.753 as a contribution margin to cover fixed costs and make a profit. (Note: 75.3% is the contribution margin as a percentage of sales) Break-even sales = $116.400/ 0.753 = $154.582 Thus, Cosmo-cosmetics will break even with sales of $154.582 Break-even Chart We would expect a sales level of $183.911 (Point A= Income) Income & Expenses Sales Volume The break-even point is located in the intersection between the total expense line and the revenue line. As it is shows, Cosmo-cosmetics operates at a sales Volume to the right of the break-even point (point A), this means that it would earn a profit because the revenue line lies above the expense line over this range ?Profit area?

Tuesday, January 14, 2020

The Lady with the Pet Dog

Comparison of two stories of the same name A story of two lovers in an affair is never a simple thing to understand. Anton Chekhov original and Joyce Carol Oates’s updated version of â€Å"The Lady with the Pet Dog† tells the story of two unhappy individuals trying to find love in a long lasting affair. Both versions of the story are similar in plot, but the different point of view allows readers to view the conflicts and emotions that each character faces, instead of just getting one side of the story. Although both stories follow the same plot, there are many differences that help readers understand the emotions of the protagonist.Chekhov’s version of â€Å"The Lady with the Pet Dog† the main protagonist is a male named Dmitry Gurov. The third person point of view allows readers to only see how Gurov’s emotions throughout the story and not his love interest Anna. Gurov is an unfaithful husband and views women as the â€Å"inferior race† (Ch ekhov 205). He has been through many affairs in Moscow that he already knows that the affair will grow into an â€Å"extreme complexity† (205) and when the end comes a â€Å"painful situation is created† (205).In Oates version the protagonist is Anna, who is not as timid as she appears in Chekhov’s version. Anna doesn’t know what it feels like to have a bond with a person, because she can’t seem to connect with her husband. The affair allows Anna some freedom from her boring life and allows her to have some purpose in life. Yet she feels guilty for being in an affair with a stranger. The plot in Chekhov’s version is very straight forward being in chronological order, whereas Oates mixes the plot around starting with the climax first.They share the same climax of the theater, but in both stories Anna reacts differently when seeing her lover appear to see her. In Chekhov’s version, Anna is shocked by Gurov’s appearance. She tells him that she is suffering and thinks only about him, but wants to forget everything that happened. Yet she is knows she wants to be with him so she promises to see him in Moscow and tells him to leave. While in Oates’s version, Anna is shocked and very unpleased with seeing her lover, and makes sure he doesn’t come near her.Her lover then calls her, and we see that Anna get frustrated with him for calling her. We can see that Oates was trying to give Anna a little more power in the affair unlike Chekhov. The mix of the plot in Oates’s version I feel allows readers to really understand Anna and her emotions. It would’ve been easier to understand if it was in order, but Oates took the same story and updated it and wrote it in a way that made it much different from Chekhov’s. She gave Anna life and we got to see how the guilt ate at her, while Gurov wasn’t really affected as bad as she was in Chekhov’s.I had to read Oates’s story more than once to get the story into order, which allowed me to think more about Anna’s feelings more then I could do if I only read it once. In both stories the protagonist are stuck in unhappy marriages, but neither actually make an effort to divorce. The setting of Chekhov’s version takes place at the turn of the century, so I feel maybe divorce wasn’t an option for both characters then. Yet Oates had her story take place in the 1970’s, which happened to be a time of feminism, which to my surprise Anna never thought about leaving her husband for her lover.The confusing emotions from an unhappy marriage and guilt drove Anna crazy. She would ponder â€Å"this is fate†¦to be here and not there, to be one person and not another, a certain man’s wife and not the wife of another man† (222). We could tell she just wants to be accepted from someone, and that was her lover. The guilt of cheating even on a broken marriage drove her to tell he r lover that she wished that one of her men would die, so it could make things easier on her. In each story we find that the protagonist finds some sort of love in the end of the story.Chekhov’s character Gurov, sees his wife as â€Å"limited intelligence, narrow minded and dowdy† (205). Anna seems to be the opposite of his wife, which makes him even more attractive to her. Gurov has been in many affairs, but each time he was left lonely, because he was focused on looking for the sexual aspect of the relationship and not the emotional. Anna allowed him to open up emotionally, giving him someone to talk to. In the end Gurov knew he was growing old and that he truly for the first time actually loved someone.Oates’s Anna, has been through a lot of confusion never knowing who she loved. She almost commits suicide and gives up on her relationship. It takes her sometime, but she finally learns to accept her lover and the secrets. Anna was looking for her own identity and love, but she had to learn to love herself first before she could love anyone else. With the third person point of view we are limited to so much information, but Oates’s adaption sheds light on the other half of the story. A one sided story would’ve left readers with a lot of questions concerning Anna.It’s like they made the affair seem so easy in Chekhov’s version, but we find out that they struggled just like any couple would. Although the stories shared many similarities they did have their difference in approach. Works Cited Chekhov, Anton. â€Å"The Lady with the Pet Dog. † The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature. Ed. Michael Meyer. 8th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin;s 2009. 205-16 Oates, Joyce Carol. â€Å"The Lady with the Pet Dog. † The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature. Ed. Michael Meyer. 8th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin;s 2009. 219-31

Monday, January 6, 2020

How To Make Scented and Colored Bath Salts

This is a recipe for making scented, colored bath salts. Difficulty: Average Time Required: 15 minutes Heres How: Mix salts together in a bowl.Stir in remaining ingredients. Generally a drop of two of fragrance is sufficient. Use ingredients containing water with care (color, certain fragrances), since too much water will dissolve salt.Spoon salts into the jars and seal them. Decorative labels listing ingredients are nice! Tips: Make certain jars are absolutely dry. Salts absorb moisture, so this project will work better in low humidity.Kitchen fragrances work well. Try extracts of vanilla, lemon, orange, cinnamon, or mint.Not all essential oils are appropriate for bathing! Suggestions to try include lavendar, rose geranium, rosemary, or jojoba.Colors or fragrances may be omitted, if desired, for persons with chemical sensitivities.Some essential oils are naturally colored (e.g., chamomile is blue). What You Need: 2 C Epsom Salts1 C Sea Salt or Rock Salt1/4 tsp GlycerineFood ColorsEssential Oils or PerfumeJars with Lids/Stoppers

Saturday, December 28, 2019

An Examination of Legal, Ethical and Social Issues on Information Systems - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 8 Words: 2508 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Information Systems Essay Type Research paper Level High school Did you like this example? Dissertation Proposal: An Examination of Legal, Ethical and Social Issues on Information Systems Provisional Title The Provisional Title of the Dissertation is as follows: â€Å"An Examination of Legal, Ethical and Social Issues on Information Systems†. Brief Review of the Related Literature We will begin our review of the related literature with a close examination of the literature concerning the definition of Information Systems. A clear definition of the concept of Information Systems is vital, because as Currie shows there is a great disparity between the extents to which clear concepts apply in a field such as chemistry compared with the academic discipline of management. â€Å"For example, physical chemists know exactly what they mean by ‘entropy. Would-be scholars in the management field, on the other hand, have no shared precise meaning for many of their relevant concepts, for example ‘role, ‘norm, ‘culture or ‘information system all these terms are often fuzzy as a result of their unreflective use in everyday chat† (Currie 1999: pp.46). In this passage Currie eloquently sums up the task before us when we attempt to define the concept of Information Systems. The conceptual haziness and lazy use of concepts such as Inf ormation Systems in everyday usage as well as in academic circles has led to a situation in which providing a clear definition of the concept of Information Systems is a highly complex undertaking. For this reason it is probably not possible to provide a rigid and narrow definition of the concept of Information Systems, because any such definition will be criticised for its inability to incorporate the broad spectrum of features that management scholars understand by the term Information Systems. Many management scholars prefer this approach to the concept of Information Systems and the approach of Rainer is a clear example of this. She understands the concept of Information Systems to be a broad concept incorporating any number of activities that include the use of information technology to support management operations. â€Å"It has been said that the purpose of information systems is to get the right information to the right people at the right time in the right amount an d in the right format† (Rainer 2009: pp.10). She looks closely at a range of concepts that full under the umbrella term of Information Systems and argues that â€Å"one of the primary goals of information systems is to economically process data into information and knowledge† (Rainer 2009: pp.10). The UK Academy for Information Systems agrees with the type of broad definition offered by Rainer and defines Information Systems as â€Å"the means by which people and organisations, utilising technologies, gather, process, store, use and disseminate information† (UK Academy for Information Systems 1999: pp.1). It is clear, therefore, that the term information Systems can be used and applied to a wide variety of activities. Information Systems can denote the interaction between people, data, technology and knowledge and as a result Buckland also argues that a broad definition of the concept is desirable. As he explains, â€Å"information systems deal with d ata, texts and objects, with millions of these objects on endless miles of shelving, in untold filing cabinets, and on innumerable magnetic and optical devices with enormous data storage capacities† (Buckland 1991: pp.69). Buckland goes on to specify one of the most important reasons why a clear and concise definition of Information Systems is so difficult to attain. He argues that â€Å"any significant change in the nature or characteristics of the technology for handling the representations of knowledge, facts and beliefs could have profound effects on information systems and information services† (Buckland 1991: pp.69). In other words, Information Systems are likely to be affected by such an enormous variety of factors that a concise definition of the concept will probably always fail to include some important elements of the concept. It is for this reason that it is advisable for the purposes of this investigation to proceed in the same manner as the vast maj ority of the literature and therefore operate with a very broad and inclusive definition of the concept of Information Systems. The next challenge that lies before us is to illustrate some of the most salient and prominent legal issues associated with Information Systems. Sacca defines one of the major challenges in the relationship between Information Systems and legal issues when he states that â€Å"first of all, the Rule of Law is based on these unavoidable elements, among others: equality and freedom of citizens. How can the legal system put this element into effect in a highly technological society?† (Sacca 2009: pp.29). Sacca argues that legislation governing the use of Information Systems has existed for a long time, stretching back as far as the 1970s, but that such legislation must constantly be updated in order to be able to keep up with the pace of innovation. He therefore proposes, for example, a â€Å"dialogue between institutions and citizens based upo n a ‘digital citizenship† in order to fully exploit the relationship between Information Systems, the government and people and set up an e-government in which everybody who has access to a computer and Internet can participate. As Sacca states, â€Å"democratic legal systems have to foster and promote civil and political rights also with reference to the use of ICT, against digital divide† (Sacca 2009: pp.29). However, the issue of electronic democracy is only one of many legal issues that has been raised by the development of Information Systems. Pollack argues that â€Å"we are living in an era in which we routinely deal with issues such as privacy, digital security, identity theft, spyware, phishing, Internet pornography and spam. These costly and time consuming concerns were completely foreign to the American public only a few years ago† (Pollack 2006: pp.172). It is clear, therefore, that there are a multitude of legal issues surrounding Inf ormation Systems and Adamski argues that how we deal with information and data is a critical part of how we function as a modern liberal democracy and that the legal system must reflect this emphasis upon freedom of information. â€Å"Information, being an intangible and an entity that can be possessed, shared and reproduced by many, is not capable of being property as most corporeal objects do. Unlike corporeal objects, which are more exclusively attributed to certain persons, information is rather a public good. As such it must principally flow freely in a free society† (Adamski 2007: pp.1). It is clear, therefore, that legal issues are of vital importance with regard to Information Systems and that a multitude of issues must be examined in order to fully understand the relationship between Information Systems and the Rule of Law. In the next section we will examine the extent to which ethical issues impact upon Information Systems. A study on the relationship betwe en ethics and Information Systems has defined ethics as â€Å"the principles of right and wrong that individuals, acting as free moral agents, use to make choices that guide their behaviours† (Ethical and Social Issues 2010: pp.128). The study argues that the development of Information Systems has fundamentally transformed the relationship between management and ethics because new Information Systems give rise to a series of new ethical dilemmas. The study argues that â€Å"information systems raise new ethical questions for both individuals and societies because they create opportunities for intense social change, and thus threaten existing distributions of power, money, rights, and obligations† (Ethical and Social Issues 2010: pp.128). Many of the ethical problems of Information Systems were foreseen by Mason in a famous study conducted in 1986 entitled ‘Four Ethical Issues of the Information Age. In this study Mason argues that there will be above all four ethical issues that will dominate the era in which information Systems will dominate. He defined four ethical issues, namely â€Å"privacy, accuracy, property and accessibility† (Mason 1986: pp.5). Mason raised a number of pertinent questions that are indeed still relevant today and help us greatly in our quest to fully understand the relationship between legal, ethical and social issues and Information Systems. For example, with regard to privacy Mason asked, â€Å"What information about ones self or ones associations must a person reveal to others, under what conditions and with what safeguards? What things can people keep to themselves and not be forced to reveal to others?† (Mason 1986: pp.5). At this point it is important to point out that whilst such questions are clearly ethical questions in nature, the answers that society provides to such questions have clear and profound social dimensions and therefore the relationship between ethical and social i ssues is inextricably linked with regard to Information Systems. As the study on Ethical and Social Issues points out, â€Å"like other technologies, such as steam engines, electricity, the telephone, and the radio, information technology can be used to achieve social progress, but it can also be used to commit crimes and threaten cherished social values. The development of information technology will produce benefits for many and costs for others† (Ethical and Social Issues 2010: pp.128). Despite the fact that ethical and social issues are inextricably intertwined, it is important that we delineate between the two concepts and in the final section of this dissertation we will focus upon the social issues relating to Information Systems. Here we will examine some of the most prominent social issues that arise when dealing with Information Systems. Some of the social questions we will examine concern the extent to which society is affected by a move toward computer-b ased systems. What costs do societies incur by doing so and what benefits do they accrue as a result? Do increased levels of automation affect employment patterns and cause people in lower social classes to lose employment opportunities? Will the rise of Information Systems serve to strengthen or dilute class divisions? It is possible to argue that Information Systems serve only to expand the power of the rich, because they re-enforce existing prejudices against the poor. As Wilson argues, â€Å"the economic climate and the differential stratification of resources will define some work environments as ‘information-poor and others as ‘information-rich, with consequent effects upon the probability of information-seeking behaviour and the choice of channel of communication (Wilson 2006: pp.665). Another important social concerns the extent to which Information Systems will give rise to greater Identity Theft in which ordinary citizens are the victims and the great ri se in the numbers of Identity Theft victims shows that there are a large number of negative social issues that have occurred since the birth of Information Systems. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "An Examination of Legal, Ethical and Social Issues on Information Systems" essay for you Create order Aims and objectives of the research The aim of this dissertation is to encompass a broad spectrum of academic research in order to fully examine the legal, ethical and social issues on Information Systems. In order to be able to complete this task competently, we must first of all begin by outlining a clear structure of how this dissertation will be completed. We will conduct this investigation in five distinct sections. In the first section we will seek to define the concept of Information Systems. This is a vital task in this dissertation because in order to be able to fully and adequately analyse the legal, ethical and social issues on Information Systems we must first of all clearly define the concept of Information Systems in order to be able to proceed any further. In the next three sections we will focus upon the legal, ethical and social issues on Information Systems. We will examine each one of these issues in turn and begin by defining some of the most important issues that are relevant to Information Systems in each field. Once we have defined the relevant concepts in this dissertation we will move on to apply the concepts to an organisation that clearly reflects a number of pertinent issues raised by the literature review. We have chosen to focus upon the firm Panasonic, because it is an example of an organisation that has been greatly affected by the developments of Information Systems over the last few decades and will allow us to fully explore the social, ethical and legal issues that arise when dealing with Information Systems. Statement of the Design and Methodology This investigation will allow us to critically evaluate the impact of legal, social and ethical issues upon Information Systems, focusing particularly on the organisation of Panasonic. It is likely that this dissertation will take a considerable amount of time and we will need to ensure that we have access to the relevant data and statistics that will be necessary in order to support and justify our findings. The aim of this dissertation is to clearly present a theoretical framework from which we can critically examine and evaluate the most important concepts within the title of this investigation. Once the internal theoretical framework has been established we will move on to apply the theoretical framework to the external world in order to analyse the extent to which this theoretical framework is supported by the realities of running a modern organisation in the real world. This will allow us to transfer the internal theoretical framework to the external world where such th eoretical concepts operate. Sources and Acquisition of Data Throughout this dissertation we will focus primarily upon primary and secondary academic literature in order to establish the theoretical framework upon which this investigation will be based. If possible, it would also be useful to conduct some first-hand interviews with employees and manager of Panasonic in order to ascertain the impact that our theoretical framework has upon the company. Method of Data Analysis Throughout this dissertation we will employ both deductive and quantitative techniques as well as inductive and qualitative techniques. The literature review will be primarily based upon qualitative techniques, but we will also focus upon quantitative techniques in order to be able to compare the data and statistics that we found in our literature review with the evidence we will assemble from the firm Panasonic. We will also use both deductive and inductive techniques throughout this investigation and allow for the fact that the conclusions we reach may be false in nature. This type of hypothetical reasoning will strengthen our ultimate conclusions and findings. Form of Presentation The dissertation will be presented in written form, but where necessary relevant graphs, tables, charts and illustrations will be included in order to provide statistical data that support and justify the conclusions reached in this investigation. References and Bibliography Adamski, A., 2007. Information Management: Legal and Security Issues, pp.1-17 Buckland, M., 1991. Information and Information Systems. London: Greenwood Publishing Currie, W., 1999. rethinking Management Information Systems. Oxford: Oxford University Press Ethical and Social Issues in Information Systems, 2010, pp.124-165. https://www.prenhall.com/behindthebook/0132304619/pdf/laudon%20MIS10_CH-04%20FINAL.pdf Accessed 26/07/2010 Mason, R., 1986. Four Ethical Issues of the Information Age. Management Information Systems Quarterly, 10 (1), pp.5-12 Pollack, T., 2006. Ethical and Legal Issues for the Information Systems Professional. Proceedings of the 2006 ASCUE Conference, pp.172-180 Rainer, K., 2009. Introduction to Information Systems: Enabling and Transforming Business. London: Wiley Publishing Sacca, D., 2009. Information Systems: People, Organisations, Institutions and Technologies. New York: Springer Publishing UK Academy for Information Systems, 1999. The Definition of Information Systems, pp.1-6 Wilson, T., 2006. On User Studies and Information Needs. Journal of Documentation 62 (6), pp.658-670