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After a glance into the recent history of the impact of the computer on unemployment it becomes quite easy to see how the technology has changed where people work, how they work or if they work at all. This brief overview examines some of the basic questions asked a number of years ago in this area. It concludes that the problems of employment are complex. The author reviews characteristics and early classifications of workers who were displaced by technology. The problems identified some 30 or 40 years ago continue today. The brief overview concludes with a discussion of an entirely new set of circumstances thrust on today’s worker when an organization refuses to automate, displaces workers and moves offshore.

The USA generates hundreds of million tons of solid waste per year. Solid waste has become a major problem – it is a potential threat to public health, it scars the environment, and it can be a block to the economic development of an area because of the negative image it presents. Many simple solutions are proposed: waste reduction being the obvious one, yet it appears that increasing waste generation is unavoidable. This article examines a number of environments in which strategic planning models, sometimes with associated regulatory intervention, have been suggested to counter the growing problem of waste and its effects on the environment.

How does an information system manager know who is liable if the system fails? The courts have had difficulty fitting this bifurcated world of goods and services. We, as information specialists, can appreciate that software can be supplied in a variety of forms, some more tangible than others. Programmers might write software for mass distribution, tailor an existing established package, or design from scratch a custom system. Although the majority of courts have yet to face this issue in the precise context of tort liability, most believe the characterization of goods or service is properly determined by the supplier’s degree of involvement with the customer. Examines a number of important issues related to the question of computer information system failures and who may be liable for damages because of the failure. Concludes with a reminder that computer information system failure is not limited to economic loss alone.

Inequality and freedom mean different things to different people; whether inequality should encapsulate ethical concepts such as the desirability of a particular system of rewards or simply mean differences in income appears to be the subject of much debate. The World Bank conceptualises inequality as the dispersion of a distribution, whether that is income, consumption or some other welfare indicator or attribute of a population. When Lawrence Reed introduced his seven principles of sound public policy at a presentation at the Economic Club of Detroit, one item that stood out was his principle which stated that “free people are not equal and equal people are not free“. He was not addressing the foundation of equality in society but about income and material wealth a person may earn in the marketplace, essentially he was addressing “economic equality”. Hofstede touches on a number of postulates when he speaks of inequality within a society and how it is visible in the existence of different social classes: upper, the middle, and lower. According to Hofstede, classes differ in their access to and their opportunities to benefit from the advantages of society. He cites education and the benefits derived by advanced education. The World Bank has concluded that inequality in intelligence is part of the human condition and inescapably contributes to a substantial degree of income inequality that greater equality of opportunity cannot circumvent. This article examines a number of concepts which dispel formal equality theory and the belief that equality is achieved if the law treat likes alike is faulted.

The user interface is defined as the link between the computer and the user. With organizations striving to increase productivity, focus must be shifted from the capabilities of the machine to the ability of the user. Research has shown that the use of the graphic user interface leads to a reduced learning curve for the user as well as a resulting efficiency increase. Provides an overview of research findings which support the use of the graphic interface to increase user productivity.

More than any other war in history, the Second World War was a battle of production. The Germans and their allies had a ten‐year start amassing weapons. It was clear that Europe and the USA were playing a game of catch‐up, and it was equally clear that the side with the most aircraft, bombs, tanks and weapons would likely be the side that would win the war. Yet much of the workforce went to war and many women formed the logical alternative, though inexperienced, workforce. This was a culture change – the demands of wartime production had to take precedence over women’s conventional domestic roles, particularly those of married women. Few women in the USA had ever seen the inside of any manufacturing plant, let alone a defense plant, or the inside of a war plane or tank. But as their sisters abroad did, they left their kitchens, learned quickly and were wonderfully successful.

An old, often‐paraphrased adage (generally attributed to Georges Clemenceau) suggests that “war is too important to be left to the generals”. Similarly, military privatization/outsourcing is too important to be left to civilian accountants. The concept brings fear to labor unions and bureaucrats, and is a source of considerable risk. This paper examines potential benefits and potential problems associated with such privatization and outsourcing, alongside the cultural and psychological barriers to its acceptance.

Organised labour, in the form of trade unions, has been an ever‐present part of the industrialised world. Organised labour has faced a number of structural threats but recent changes in company formation and operation pose perhaps the ultimate threat. The new breed of entrepreneur – the “cyberknight” – adopts new forms of employment and labour practice which change the need for, and the role of, unions to the point where they may be unable to adapt. Describes the history of trade unions and highlights the changes that may break the continuum of this history. Suggests that the cyberknights – often unwittingly – may bring about the end of organised labour.

Explains the problems disabled women have with the obstacles they must overcome to “cliff jump”. Focuses on the research literature, pointing out that much of this has been oppressive. Argues that the research reinforces on those with disabilities that the differences they face are the results of their individual limitations or inadequacies rather than the limitations of society. Covers areas such as attitude, education, health care, abuse, information and empowerment.

The author has observed that a common social background assists members of military organizations to develop as a cohesive unit. Similarities in previous social experiences such as social class, regional origin and age appears to contribute toward solidification of the primary group. This paper briefly examines the factors which contribute to the development of socialization and cohesion in an organization. One vehicle to assist the reader in understanding the cohesion concept is the discussion of the German Wehrmacht model and its impact on the issue.