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The purpose of this paper is to introduce an integrated laboratory experiment setup (ILES) to overcome problems encountered in open distance learning (ODL) especially when offering engineering degree programmes.

Engineering laboratory experiments can be classified as experiments which are performed with the intention to inculcate theory, and second, to provide hands-on experience. The ILES integrates both types of experiments with face-to-face laboratory (FFL), online remote laboratory (ORL), and multimedia demonstrations, and it helps to reduce traditional FFL duration by 50 per cent. The first phase of the ILES provides an opportunity to refer multimedia demonstrations of the experiments. Thereafter, students attend the first FFL session, which covers about 25 per cent of the experiments. In the next step, 50 per cent of the experiments are offered using the ORL, via the internet while interacting with real equipment and making actual observations. The final step is used to accomplish the rest of the experiments (25 per cent) in FFL which facilitates the clarification of any problem that may occur in the ORL.

This blended laboratory system will help to achieve ODL objectives while utilising resources productively and cost effectively. Having implemented the idea and based on the information received from the stakeholders, this has proved to be a workable solution to one of the difficulties faced by ODL students.

The level of outcome of the students has to be observed and analysed in comparison with the traditional laboratory setup.

Some experiments (e.g. thermodynamics) which need more safety precautions are difficult to offer via ORL.

The ILES is a blended setup including FFL, ORL and multimedia demonstrations and it is a novel concept which is most applicable to engineering/science programmes offered in ODL mode.

At present, people have a tendency to carry out higher education in a distance mode due to their busy lifestyles. However, open and distance learning (ODL) educational organizations encounter difficulties when delivering laboratory experiments. This paper presents the development of an online laboratory platform as a solution. It can be used to deliver laboratory experiments, using electronic components and instruments such as a signal generator and oscilloscope. Students are able to perform experimental tasks remotely utilizing real equipment and components. The system users can view laboratory environments via a camera which provides a sense of reality.The platform provides facilities to customize and rebuild the laboratory experiments according to the requirements of the organization. It can also be utilized as a useful educational tool to acquire pre-experience before entering the real laboratory. Thestatistical analysis shows no significant difference between the face-to-face laboratory (FFL) and online remote laboratory (ORL) experimental results within a 95% confidence level.The system can enhance the existing open and distance learning system by sharing the resources in a flexible manner.This system reduces the difficulties that distance learning students encounter when participating in FFL sessions. It also reduces the number of FFL sessions and is helpful to working students. One of the main objectives of ODL is to provide a learning environment for those who missed the opportunity for higher education for a variety of reasons. This system will help to achieve this objective.

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.

Integrated solar combined cycle (ISCC) using parabolic trough collector (PTC) technology is a new power plant that has been installed in few countries to benefit from the use of hybrid solar-gas systems. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the challenges in modeling the thermal output of the hybrid solar-gas power plant and to analyze the factors that influence them.

To validate the proposal, a study was conducted on a test stand in situ and based on the statistical analysis of meteorological data of the year 2017. Such data have been brought from Abener hybrid solar-gas central of Hassi R’mel and used as an input of our model.

The proposal made by the authors has been simulated using MATLAB environment. The simulation results show that the net solar electricity reaches 18 per cent in June, 15 per cent in March and September, while it cannot exceed 8 per cent in December. Moreover, it shows that the power plant responses sensibly to solar energy, where the electricity output increases accordingly to the solar radiation increase. This increase in efficiency results in better economic utilization of the solar PTC equipment in such kind of hybrid solar-gas power plant.

The obtained results would be expected to provide the possibility for designing other power plants in Algeria when such conditions are met (high DNI, low wind speed, water and natural-gas availability).

This paper presents a new model able to predict the thermal solar energy and the net solar-electricity efficiency of such kind solar hybrid power plant.

Employee Stock Options are the most widely used incentive compensation tool, and prior research has shown their advantages. However, research among different peer groups, different time frames, different research methodologies, and the constantly changing public opinion prevents unanimous agreements on the various benefits of Employee Stock Options. In this paper we apply a number of research hypotheses tested in recent US studies to a European sample of EuroStoxx 50 companies. Due to the globalisation, the similar accounting regulations and the IT and telecommunications revolu tions, Europe and the United States have grown closer together than ever before and are expected to display similar business practices. This assessment should be especially relevant for the large European companies, which mostly have a dual listing in the United States and are therefore essentially forced to manage according to American practices. How ever, the results differ significantly from the existing US research, providing insufficient grounds to accept previous findings for European companies.

The following bibliography focuses mainly on programs which can run on IBM microcomputers and compatibles under the operating system PC DOS/MS DOS, and which can be used in online information and documentation work. They fall into the following categories:

Looks at the distinctive Australian background and the features of the national communication culture that may impact on business life as well as those of the traditional executive culture. Brings out the specifics of the Australian management style from a foreign viewpoint, looking at what differences exist compared to New Zealand, the United States and Asian countries. Concludes that Australians need to develop understanding of the global market whilst retaining their easy regard in which they are held.

In this presentation I shall be concerned with only one aspect of information science and its relation with linguistics: namely document analysis (for a broader survey of ‘Linguistics and information science’, see the recent article published under that title by C. Montgomery (1972); also M. Kay and K. Sparck Jones (1971), and the report prepared for F.I.D. by the same authors, forthcoming; M. Coyaud (1972), in French, deals with many separate facets of the same subject).

The 1997-98 financial crisis has had a profound effect on how East Asian economies the role of the IMF and its strategic interests relative to those of the United States in the international financial regime. It has prompted them to create a regional mechanism for financial and monetary cooperation, ranging from deeper policy dialogue and surveillance, to a system of financial cooperation, and common exchange rate arrangements. This paper analyses the economic and strategic motivations behind this and outlines recent developments in financial cooperation in East Asia to provide possible directions for the future.

A network of bilateral swap arrangements under the Chiang Mai Initiative(CMI) needs stronger policy dialogue and surveillance to develop into a regional financing facility, a sort of East Asian IMF. The facility plays a role as an regional lender of last resort, providing short-term funds to a member country facing a temporary liquidity shortage and for market intervention to stabilize foreign exchange rate. East Asian countries need to achieve regional exchange rate stability. In the long run, the region may develop a common currency arrangement, but it cannot be expected in the very near future because there is no convergence of macroeconomic conditions, economic structure and systems. A realistic approach would be for East Asian developing countries to adopt a currency basket system to minimize the impact of dollar/yen exchange rate volatility on their economies. Strong political will and a vision for regional integration will be required to introduce it.

How stressful is the role of inspectors of schools and senior educational administrators of a large state department of education? How do they compare with teachers and other professional groups in the perception of their occupational stress? The purposes of this study were (1) to determine the prevalence of self‐reported role related stress in senior educational executives, (2) to examine the influence of biographical characteristics on their perceptions of stress, (3) to investigate the sources of perceived stress, and (4) to test for evidence of ill‐health or other negative coping processes. The paper presents the general findings and reveals some significant relationships between general well being, personality type and physiological symptoms. Four reliable stress factors were extracted: teacher assessment, time management, disruption to family life, and aspects of representing the system. The data also show that this group claims significantly higher levels of affective disturbance than other professional groups. Insights gained from this study provide a guide for remediation that should be undertaken at both organisational and personal levels.