Dual task experiment proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Dual task experiment proposal - Essay Example Therefore determination of the effectiveness of dual or multiple tasks over single task is very important in many areas. It is interested to know whether someone can perform multiple and single auditory tasks with similar effectiveness. The objective of this study is to measure the effectiveness of dual auditory tasks against single auditory task. The hypothesis is effectiveness of a single auditory task is significantly higher than that of the dual auditory tasks. It is expected to find out the human ability to correctly understand and interpret two verbal messages when heard simultaneously compared to separate events. In general these findings will be helpful to understand the divided attention in auditory tasks and thereby minimize human errors in critical situations. Equipment: This experiment requires two IPod players, one with a 3-minute news broadcast containing 5 news items and one with a 3-minute meaningful song consisted of 4 stanzas, which had not been heard by the subjects before (both in English). Subjects are 60 undergraduates 30 males and 30 females between the ages 18 to 25, randomly selected from Johns Hopkins undergraduate students. Persons having any type of hearing loss or mental illness or who cannot understand the English language are excluded. Fifteen males and 15 females are selected randomly from the total sample for the controlled group and the rest is considered as the experimental group. All the participants are given a reference number. Procedure: This experiment is performed in a classroom with a quiet environment. Firstly, the controls are advised to seat in the class room and a question paper is given to list out news items and the meaning of the each stanza in the song. Then the song is played for 3 minutes and at the end 5 minutes time is allocated to write the meaning of the stanzas. Then the news broadcast is played and another 5 minutes time is provided to

How Does Intensive Care Unit Nurses' Work Become More Efficient Essay

How Does Intensive Care Unit Nurses' Work Become More Efficient - Essay Example Scholars and researchers have been involved in research activities, to examine and gather literature on the role of the human factor in ensuring better patient outcomes. This paper makes a critical analysis of one research conducted on a similar issue. The research titled †How Efficacy Beliefs predict Collaborative Practice: a Two-wave Study among Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Nurses† was conducted by a team of researchers namely Pascale M. Le Blanc, Raoul E. Nap, Marisa Salanova, Susana Llorens and Wilmar B. Schaufeli.   In the research, LeBlanc et al (2010) sought to find out how efficacy beliefs i.e. professional competences and work team commitments among intensive care unit nurses affected the quality of collaborative practice between these nurses and physicians (Le Blanc, Schaufeli, Salanova, Llorens, & Nap, 2010). The study was conducted on the foundation that past research has shown the existence of a relationship between professional efficacy and superior work behaviors. However, these observations were not specific to the healthcare industry. Hence, upon this background, the study by LeBlanc et al (2010) aimed to integrate these findings into the healthcare industry, particularly in the intensive care unit. The research was intended to add to the already existing knowledge that efficacy beliefs are jointly correlated to work resource and positive work behaviors and that the level of affective commitment to work team among nurses is correlated to superior intensive care unit performance outc omes. Particularly, the study hoped to strengthen efficacy beliefs among intensive care unit nurses which would, in turn, lead to improved collaborative practice (Le Blanc, Schaufeli, Salanova, Llorens, & Nap, 2010). According to the researchers, the study has significant implications in the healthcare industry since it encourages institutions to provide appropriate resources to the ICU nurses, in order to improve both patient and organizational outcomes.

internal audit proficiency and internal controls

internal audit proficiency and internal controls LITERATURE REVIEW 9.0 Introduction This chapter is a review of the related literature generated by the researcher on the subject of study. The chapter entails the relationship between internal audit proficiency and internal controls; internal controls and corporate governance; internal audit proficiency and risk management; internal controls and risk management; and risk management and corporate governance. 9.1 Internal Audit Proficiency Internal auditors should possess the knowledge, skills, and other competencies needed to perform their individual responsibilities. The internal audit activity collectively should possess or obtain the knowledge, skills, and other competencies needed to perform its responsibilities. The internal auditor should have sufficient knowledge to identify the indicators of fraud but is not expected to have the expertise of a person whose primary responsibility is detecting and investigating fraud. (IIA, 2007). The rationale is that internal auditors experiences, knowledge and education are most valuable to management (Giselle, 2000). 9.2 Internal Audit Proficiency and Internal Controls From the definition of internal auditing, the objective of internal auditing not only includes involvement in governance but also highlights the importance of evaluating and improving control and risk management (IIA, 2007). Most internal audit professionals argue that an effective internal audit function clearly correlates with an organisations success in meeting management objectives and whether the internal control system is functioning as intended (Faudziah et al, 2005). The effectiveness of internal audit greatly contributes to the effectiveness of each auditee in particular and the organization at large (Dittenhofer, 2001). Dittenhofer (2001) also observed that, if internal audit quality is maintained, it will contribute to the appropriateness of procedures and operations in the organization. Therefore, internal audit proficiency is seen as an important attribute to the quality of the internal audit function and the way it adds value to the internal control frame work. The Institute of Internal Auditors Standard 1210 on proficiency of auditors, requires that internal auditors posse the knowledge, skill and other competencies needed to perform their responsibilities (IIA, 2007). Internal audit effectiveness is determined by the internal audit departments capability to provide useful findings and recommendations and to prove that it is of value to the organization and promotes good governance within the organization. Internal auditors need specific technical skills and to be seen to undertake continual professional development to keep up to date with changing business practices and remain capable of providing a value-added service in their audit approach (Giselle, 2000). They should therefore be experts in the area of internal control and should use their skills and expertise to evaluate internal control systems of their organizations and recommend improvements that will greatly contribute to good governance. According to Jan Cattrysse (2005), internal audit could have an important input based on their experience from independent monitoring operations or previous occurrences of wrongdoing. 9.3 Internal Audit Proficiency and Risk Management. The role of internal audit is to provide objective assurance to those charged with governance and management on the adequacy and effectiveness of the risk management framework, help in improving the processes by which risks are identified and managed, help in strengthening and improving the risk management framework. According to (Herdman 2002; Richards 2002; Bailey et al. 2003; Gramling et al. 2004; Carcello et al. 2005b; Deloitte 2005; Gadziala 2005), the internal audit function plays a unique and critical role in corporate governance by monitoring organizational risks and helping ensure financial reporting reliability. Chris Jeffrey (2008) asked that, if an internal audit group does not clearly understand the industry, how could it decipher what the greatest risks to the organization were? In order to do all this, internal auditors need to be skilled and experienced on how risk management works. They also need to gain a better understanding of the key business risks and the impact they can have on the organizations ability to build shareholder value (risk assessment). Internal auditors must also be able to assess the responses to key exposures and determine if those responses are sufficient or relevant (Gerrit and Ignace, 2006). Spira Page (2003), note that the recent corporate governance guidelines assume that risks can be objectively identified, quantified and thus strategically managed. Consequently, expertise in risk management techniques and knowledge about the internal control system become a source of power which enables internal auditors to advance and play an important role within their organization. Companies facing higher risk will increase their organizational monitoring through internal audit, providing evidence of the importance of the internal audit function (Colin et al, 2008). Lastly, according to Ian William, (2007), one external auditor commented that the internal audit profession had been trying to reposition itself over the last six or seven years from being relatively unfashionable function: â€Å"Im not saying that it was just re-badging. They have been taking on new skills and repositioning themselves more as risk advisory/ management people†. 9.4 Internal Controls and Risk Management. According to the new definition of internal controls by the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA, 2007), controls do not exist in a vacuum and implies, rather, that controls exist to assist organizations in managing risk and promoting governance processes. A companys system of internal controls has a key role in the management of risks that are significant to the fulfillment of its business objectives. It is important to note therefore, that a sound system of internal control provides reasonable, but not absolute, assurance that a company will not be hindered in achieving its business objectives by circumstances which may reasonably be foreseen. Risk in a financial context is generally understood to be the potential for financial loss consequent on fraud and incompetence. Although it is widely understood that such risk can never be entirely eliminated, it is generally believed that a system of internal control will act as a deterrent to fraud and a protection against incompetence (Spira Page, 2003). Gerrit Ignace, (2006), noted that internal controls are only one of the means to manage key organizational risks. Other devices used to manage risks include the transfer of risks to third parties, sharing risks and the withdrawal from unacceptably risky activities. 9.5 Risk Management and Corporate Governance From an agency perspective, the importance of strong governance stems from the need to align the interests of management with other stakeholders in the firm in order to reduce agency costs (Cohen et al., 2002). One of corporate governance mechanisms that can be used to monitor managements behaviour is internal audit (Davidson et al., 2005). Internal auditors are certainly exhorted in the professional literature to embrace the opportunity to contribute to the achievement of corporate objectives through risk management (Gerrit Ignace, 2006). 9.6 Internal Controls and Corporate Governance

Titanic :: essays research papers

Titanic Titanic was the largest ship in the world, built by a workforce of 17,000. The ultimate in turn-of-the-century design and technology. First-class suites ran to more than $ 55,000 in todays dollars, and when she sailed on her maiden voyage from Southampton, England on route to NY , she held among her 2,227 passengers. The cream of industrial society, including colonel John Jacob Astor. Macys founder; U.S. congressman Isidor Straus and Thomas Andrews, the ships builder. The ship was built of easily sealed-off compartments. If, for some unimaginable reason, the hull were punctured, only the compartment actually ruptured would flood. In an worst case example - builders figured that the Titanic would take from one to three days to sink, time for nearby ships to help, because there was only 16 lifeboats. Unfortunately, things didn't work out that way. On April 14th, 1912 at about 7:30, at the first ominous hint of disaster has came. Into the earphones of the wireless operator on duty came amessage from the steamer California: Three large bergs five miles southward from us. But the Titanic continued to rush through the deepening darkness. The temperature was one degree above freezing. When lookouts Frederick Fleet and Reginald Lee had come on duty at 10 P.M., the sky was cloudless and the air clear. At around 11:30 P.M., just half an hour before they were to be rewired, a slight haze had appeared, directly ahead. And about two points on either side. Suddenly - his training causing his reflexes to function instinctively. Fleet gave the warning bell and immediately reached across the crowns nest to the bridges telephone. In its compartment on the starboard side. He rang   ms bell urgently. Fleet replaced the telephone and gripped the crowns nest rail. At 11:40 P.M., April 14 , 1912 ; The lookouts spotted the iceberg   a quarter-mile ahead. Had they not alerted the bridge, the ship would not have attempted a turn. At 11:40P.M. ; the ship sideswipes the ice. Because of the steels ductility,it would have absorbed massive amounts of energy. The ice crashed right through the plating as it grinded along the side, Strinking at an angle like s 300-foot zipper. ON midnight, April 14-15; fist six   compartments were filling; water was beginning to slosh over. 12:40.; water filled 2,000 bathtubs 1:20 A.M.; The bow dipped; water flooded through anchor - chain holes. At 2:10 A.M.; The Titanic titled to 45 degrees or more and stress reaches nearby 15 tons per square inch. The keel bends; The bottom plating buckles. At 2:15 A.M.; The stern   grew heavier and until it   reached some 16,000 tons of in - water weight .

Plato, Descartes, and The Matrix Essay

The Matrix movie had many similarities with the readings from Plato and Descartes. All three discussed the scenario in which reality was discovered to be a non-reality. Specifically, in The Matrix, reality that was experienced by multitudes of people is actually a computer simulation called â€Å"The Matrix†. This is actually a deviation from the Plato and Descartes readings in that computers were not mentioned or available at the time of those writings. Plato (380 BC) speaks of people having their â€Å"legs and necks fettered from childhood†, while a source of the restraint is not specifically mentioned, it is most certainly a physical restraint as opposed to the material, computer generated reality as described in The Matrix movie. Descartes was the only one of the three situations that contemplated God in the various reality verses truth contemplations. Plato speaks to the initial shock of discovering that known reality is actually a lie and goes on to speak of the resulting repercussions of this discovery. The denial of the true reality is so tangible that the people in the described scenario would rather believe that the lie was real than to believe and accept what they were actually experiencing. In The Matrix movie (1999) Morpheus asks â€Å"Have you ever had a dream, Neo, that you were so sure was real?† Similarly, Descartes (1641) also contemplates how often he dreamt that he was in familiar circumstances, dressed and by a fire, only to realize that he was undressed and lying in bed. Plato, Descartes, and The Matrix are all similar in that they consider people living in a world that they discover is not real and that they exist in perceived delusions that produce resulting anti-realities. The Matrix movie is parallel to the Descartes reading in that they both examine our senses as sources of realities. Descartes contemplates how our senses occasionally mislead us  whereas The Matrix describes a continual sensual overhaul which is controlling our mind and ultimate realities while our bodies lay dormant. In The Matrix movie Neo never expresses happiness over his liberation from the computer program but he does feel the need to liberate those still living under the control of the computer program. In contrast, the Plato reading describes and expresses a feeling of joy that would be experienced after emerging from the controlled reality. Can we prove the world we are experiencing is real? In order to contemplate how we know that our current state of being is real we must first decide what â€Å"real† is to us. What is reality? In my opinion, reality is what we see, hear, smell, feel and taste in the present. Reality is what is occurring to us right now, this very second. Is what is happening to us, the world we are experiencing, real and can we prove that it is real? How do we know we are not dreaming? It has been my experience that dreams do not produce anything but thoughts and visions. I do not feel, taste or smell while dreaming. Therefore I can prove that the world I am currently experiencing, while I type this essay, is real because I can feel the keyboard that I am typing on and I can taste and smell the coffee that I am drinking. Which is better: the harshness of reality or the â€Å"ignorance is bliss† of illusion? In my opinion, the harshness of reality is a far better state than the â€Å"ignorance is bliss† illusion. I believe this to be true because I believe that true depth of character cannot be achieved without experiencing the full harshness of reality. How can our intellects and philosophies be explored without experiencing the full range of life events? If you lived your life in ignorance then the world you experienced would skew the thoughts you pondered while excluding the full range of contemplations, restricting them to a bliss-filled reality. With intelligence comes a plethora of knowledge, both good and bad. Conclusion In conclusion, through the viewing of The Matrix and the reading of both Plato and Descartes, we can see that all three bring to mind many philosophical questions related to actual and perceived reality. Obviously, it is very fascinating to imagine a world where alternative and controlled  realities are possible and even very real. The truth is sometimes stranger than fiction and, in my opinion, The Matrix and the thoughts contemplated by Plato and Descartes are just stories that will never be reality. I believe that my Christian worldview is such that would prevent me from ever believing any different. While all of the situations explored were interesting, they will remain, in my mind, fantasies. References Plato. (380 BC). â€Å"The Allegory of the Cave.† In The Republic (Book VII, 514A1 – 518D8). Descartes, R. (1641). Meditation I of The Things of Which We May Doubt. In Meditations on First Philosophy. Wachowski, Andy, and Lana Wachowski. The Matrix. Directed by Andy Wachowski and Lana Wachowski. Los Angeles: Warner Bros. Pictures, 1999.

Bookbinders Book Club Essay

About 50,000 new titles, including new editions, are published in the United States each year, giving rise to a $20+ billion book publishing industry. About 10 percent of the books are sold through mail order. Book retailing in the 1970s was characterized by the growth of chain bookstore operations in concert with the development of shopping malls. Traffic in bookstores in the 1980s was enhanced by the spread of discounting. In the 1990s, the superstore concept of book retailing was responsible for the double-digit growth of the book industry. Generally situated near large shopping centers, superstores maintain large inventories of anywhere from 30,000 to 80,000 titles. Superstores are putting intense competitive pressure on book clubs, mail-order firms and retail outlets. Recently, online superstores, such as www. amazon. com, have emerged, carrying 1–2. 5 million titles and further intensifying the pressure on book clubs and mail-order firms. In response to these pressures, book clubs are starting to look at alternative business models that will make them more responsive to their customers’ preferences. Historically, book clubs offered their readers continuity and negative option programs that were based on an extended contractual relationship between the club and its subscribers. In a continuity program, popular in such genres as children’s books, a reader signs up for an offer of several books for a few dollars each (plus shipping and handling on each book) and agrees to receive Copyright  © 2008 by DecisionPro, Inc. To order copies or request permission to reproduce materials, go to www. decisionpro. biz. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, used in a spreadsheet, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise – without the permission of DecisionPro, Inc. a shipment of one or two books each month thereafter. In a negative option program, subscribers get to choose which and how many additional books they will receive, but the default option is that the club’s selection will be delivered to them each month. The club informs them of the monthly selection and they must mark â€Å"no† on their order forms if they do not want to receive it. Some firms are now beginning to offer books on a positive-option basis, but only to selected segments of their customer lists that they deem receptive to specific offers. Book clubs are also beginning to use database marketing techniques to work smarter rather than expand the coverage of their mailings. According to Doubleday president Marcus Willhelm, â€Å"The database is the key to what we are doing†¦. We have to understand what our customers want and be more flexible. I doubt book clubs can survive if they offer the same 16 offers, the same fulfillment to everybody. 2 Doubleday uses modeling techniques to look at more than 80 variables, including geography and the types of books customers purchase, and selects three to five variables that are the most influential predictors. The Bookbinders Book Club The BBB Club was established in 1986 for the purpose of selling specialty books through direct marketing. BBBC is strictly a distributor and does not publish any of the books it sells. In anticipation of using database marketing, BBBC made a strategic decision right from the start to build and maintain a detailed database about its members containing all the relevant information about them. Readers fill out an insert and return it to BBBC which then enters the data into the database. The company currently has a database of 500,000 readers and sends out a mailing about once a month. BBBC is exploring whether to use predictive modeling approaches to improve the efficacy of its direct mail program. For a recent mailing, the company selected 20,000 customers in Pennsylvania, New York and Ohio from its database and included with their regular mailing a specially produced brochure for the book The Art History of Florence. This resulted in a 9. 03 percent response rate (1806 orders) for the purchase of the book. BBBC then developed a database to calibrate a response model to identify the factors that influenced these purchases. For this case analysis, we will use a subset of the database available to BBBC. It consists of data for 400 customers who purchased the book, and 1,200 customers who did not, thereby over-representing the response group. The dependent variable for the analysis is Choice — purchase or no purchase of The Art History of Florence. BBBC also selected several independent variables that it thought might explain the observed choice behavior. Below is a description of the variables used for the analysis: Choice: Whether the customer purchased the The Art History of Florence. 1 corresponds to a purchase and 0 corresponds to a nonpurchase. Gender: 0 = Female and 1 = Male. Amount purchased: Total money spent on BBBC books. Frequency: Total number of purchases in the chosen period (used as a proxy for frequency. ) Last purchase (recency of purchase): Months since last purchase. First purchase: Months since first purchase.