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This paper aims to describe a conceptual design of Personal Learning Environment & Network (PLE&N) and a learning model developed in support of peer-based social and lifelong learning in higher education, which collaborate with classroom learning.

The model consists of students, instructors and external parties interacting synergistically in learning in PLE&N-enabled courses based on the collaborative designs of instructor-led pedagogical approach and external parties-assisted lifelong learning “first-mover” development. The research constructs, tests and assesses this model in courses of 12 subjects in nearly two years.

The practicality of the designs is evidenced in post-course surveys and reflected by students’ ability in productively using collaborative resources over the internet to create an ever-expanding personal learning space stretching from home to campus and beyond, oriented toward individuality, universality, ubiquity, interactivity and connectivity.

The research contributes to PLE&N, social and lifelong learning seamless integration in theory and practice to dramatically enhance students’ virtual learning skills.

Presents over sixty abstracts summarising the 1999 Employment Research Unit annual conference held at the University of Cardiff. Explores the multiple impacts of globalization on work and employment in contemporary organizations. Covers the human resource management implications of organizational responses to globalization. Examines the theoretical, methodological, empirical and comparative issues pertaining to competitiveness and the management of human resources, the impact of organisational strategies and international production on the workplace, the organization of labour markets, human resource development, cultural change in organisations, trade union responses, and trans‐national corporations. Cites many case studies showing how globalization has brought a lot of opportunities together with much change both to the employee and the employer. Considers the threats to existing cultures, structures and systems.

Gives an in depth view of the strategies pursued by the world’s leading chief executive officers in an attempt to provide guidance to new chief executives of today. Considers the marketing strategies employed, together with the organizational structures used and looks at the universal concepts that can be applied to any product. Uses anecdotal evidence to formulate a number of theories which can be used to compare your company with the best in the world. Presents initial survival strategies and then looks at ways companies can broaden their boundaries through manipulation and choice. Covers a huge variety of case studies and examples together with a substantial question and answer section.

This study extends the literature on the effectiveness of e-learning by investigating the role of student engagement on perceived learning effectiveness (PLE) in the context of Indian higher education. Further, the impact of personal factors (Internet self-efficacy (ISE)) and environmental factors (information, system and service quality parameters) on various dimensions of student engagement (behavioral, emotional and cognitive) is studied through the lens of social cognitive theory (SCT).

An online management information systems (MIS) course is delivered to a batch of 412 postgraduate students. An online survey was conducted to measure the factors affecting their PLE. In addition to the survey, a summative assessment is conducted to evaluate the students in terms of their marks to assess their achievements (actual learning). Covariance-based structural equation modeling (CB-SEM) is used to validate the developed research model.

It is discovered that the IS (information system) quality parameters (environmental factors) positively impact PLE. The ISE affects the PLE through the mediating effect of all the dimensions of student engagement. Furthermore, there exists a positive relationship between PLE and student marks.

This study develops a research model using personal and environmental factors to understand PLE through the lens of SCT and then empirically validates it. The psychological process from the students' ISE to the PLE is explained through the mediating effects of various dimensions of engagement. Further, it is found that the PLE is positively related to student marks.

Devotes the entire journal issue to managing human behaviour in US industries, with examples drawn from the airline industry, trading industry, publishing industry, metal products industry, motor vehicle and parts industry, information technology industry, food industry, the airline industry in a turbulent environment, the automotive sales industry, and specialist retailing industry. Outlines the main features of each industry and the environment in which it is operating. Provides examples, insights and quotes from Chief Executive Officers, managers and employees on their organization’s recipe for success. Mentions the effect technology has had in some industries. Talks about skilled and semi‐skilled workers, worker empowerment and the formation of teams. Addresses also the issue of change and the training that is required to deal with it in different industry sectors. Discusses remuneration packages and incentives offered to motivate employees. Notes the importance of customers in the face of increased competition. Extracts from each industry sector the various human resource practices that companies employ to manage their employees effectively ‐ revealing that there is a wide diversity in approach and what is right for one industry sector would not work in another. Offers some advice for managers, but, overall, fails to summarize what constitutes effective means of managing human behaviour.

Man has been seeking an ideal existence for a very long time. In this existence, justice, love, and peace are no longer words, but actual experiences. How ever, with the American preemptive invasion and occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq and the subsequent prisoner abuse, such an existence seems to be farther and farther away from reality. The purpose of this work is to stop this dangerous trend by promoting justice, love, and peace through a change of the paradigm that is inconsistent with justice, love, and peace. The strong paradigm that created the strong nation like the U.S. and the strong man like George W. Bush have been the culprit, rather than the contributor, of the above three universal ideals. Thus, rather than justice, love, and peace, the strong paradigm resulted in in justice, hatred, and violence. In order to remove these three and related evils, what the world needs in the beginning of the third millenium is the weak paradigm. Through the acceptance of the latter paradigm, the golden mean or middle paradigm can be formulated, which is a synergy of the weak and the strong paradigm. In order to understand properly the meaning of these paradigms, however, some digression appears necessary.

Presents a special issue, enlisting the help of the author’s students and colleagues, focusing on age, sex, colour and disability discrimination in America. Breaks the evidence down into manageable chunks, covering: age discrimination in the workplace; discrimination against African‐Americans; sex discrimination in the workplace; same sex sexual harassment; how to investigate and prove disability discrimination; sexual harassment in the military; when the main US job‐discrimination law applies to small companies; how to investigate and prove racial discrimination; developments concerning race discrimination in the workplace; developments concerning the Equal Pay Act; developments concerning discrimination against workers with HIV or AIDS; developments concerning discrimination based on refusal of family care leave; developments concerning discrimination against gay or lesbian employees; developments concerning discrimination based on colour; how to investigate and prove discrimination concerning based on colour; developments concerning the Equal Pay Act; using statistics in employment discrimination cases; race discrimination in the workplace; developments concerning gender discrimination in the workplace; discrimination in Japanese organizations in America; discrimination in the entertainment industry; discrimination in the utility industry; understanding and effectively managing national origin discrimination; how to investigate and prove hiring discrimination based on colour; and, finally, how to investigate sexual harassment in the workplace.

Outlines social dialogue by providing a definition and background to its introduction and covers its progress to date. Critically examines the social dialogue resulting in the European collective agreement, the instrument for implementing directives. Concludes with the Collective agreement’s place in formulating European Law. Suggests the integration of the Maastricht Treaty into the body of the Treaty of Amsterdam forms a basis for solid advances in social policy.

This study aims to evaluate the use of polyoxyethylene lauryl ether (PLE) as a dispersant in the preparation of novel pigment dispersion with enhanced dispersion ability, which can find application in the printing industry.

To obtain a good dispersion, PLE was used as a dispersant in pigments dispersion. The colloidal and rheological properties of the PLE-based dispersion, such as particle distribution, zeta potentials and apparent viscosity were evaluated.

The particle sizes of the pigment dispersions were within the range of 150 to 200 nm. The measurement of zeta potentials varied between −24 to −32 mV, revealing a strong surface charge interaction between pigments and PLE. Subsequently, its stability to high-speed centrifuge and freeze-thaw treatment was carefully investigated. To demonstrate the coverage of pigment particles by PLE, thermogravimetric analysis was carried out. Moreover, X-ray diffraction was used to disclose the combined impacts of PLE and ultrasonic power on the crystal structures of the pigments. Finally, the coloring performance and leveling properties of pigment dispersions on cotton substrates were evaluated by measuring their K/S values (color strength), rub and color fastness properties, which possessed good results.

The dispersant used is incompatible with strong oxidizing agents and strong bases. More so, modification to improve its dispersion properties can be studied.

The use of PLE as a dispersant could be readily used in pigment dispersion processes and other suitable applications. PLE could also be used as a co-surfactant in synergy with other surfactants or dispersants in the dispersion process.

The use of PLE in pigment dispersion as well as investigating its coloring properties on cotton fabric is novel and can find various applications in the dying, printing and coating industry.

Man has been seeking an ideal existence for a very long time. In this existence, justice, love, and peace are no longer words, but actual experiences. How ever, with the American preemptive invasion and occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq and the subsequent prisoner abuse, such an existence seems to be farther and farther away from reality. The purpose of this work is to stop this dangerous trend by promoting justice, love, and peace through a change of the paradigm that is inconsistent with justice, love, and peace. The strong paradigm that created the strong nation like the U.S. and the strong man like George W. Bush have been the culprit, rather than the contributor, of the above three universal ideals. Thus, rather than justice, love, and peace, the strong paradigm resulted in in justice, hatred, and violence. In order to remove these three and related evils, what the world needs in the beginning of the third millenium is the weak paradigm. Through the acceptance of the latter paradigm, the golden mean or middle paradigm can be formulated, which is a synergy of the weak and the strong paradigm. In order to understand properly the meaning of these paradigms, however, some digression appears necessary.