Prelude to Foundation Chapter 18 Overthrow

THALUS, EMMER-†¦ A sergeant in the armed security forces of the Wye Sector of ancient Trantor†¦ †¦ Aside from these totally unremarkable vital statistics, nothing is known of the man except that on one occasion he held the fate of the Galaxy in his fist. Encyclopedia Galactica 87. Breakfast the next morning was served in an alcove near the rooms of the captured three and it was luxurious indeed. There certainly was a considerable variety to the food and more than enough of everything. Seldon sat at the breakfast table with a mound of spicy sausages before him, totally ignoring Dors Venabili's gloomy predictions concerning stomachs and colic. Raych said, â€Å"The dame†¦ the Madam Mayor said when she came to see me last night-â€Å" â€Å"She came to see you?† said Seldon. â€Å"Yeah. She said she wanted to make sure I was comfortable. She said when she had a chance she would take me to a zoo.† â€Å"A zoo?† Seldon looked at Dors. â€Å"What kind of zoo can they have on Trantor? Cats and dogs?† â€Å"There are some aboriginal animals,† said Dors, â€Å"and I imagine they import some aboriginals from other worlds and there are also the shared animals that all the worlds have-other worlds having more than Trantor, of course. As a matter of fact, Wye has a famous zoo, probably the best on the planet after the Imperial Zoo itself.† Raych said, â€Å"She's a nice old lady.† â€Å"Not that old,† said Dors, â€Å"but she's certainly feeding us well.† â€Å"There's that,† admitted Seldon. When breakfast was over, Raych left to go exploring. Once they had retired to Dors's room, Seldon said with marked discontent, â€Å"I don't know how long we'll be left to ourselves. She's obviously plotted ways of preoccupying our time.† Dors said, â€Å"Actually, we have little to complain of at the moment. We're much more comfortable here than we were either in Mycogen or Dahl.† Seldon said, â€Å"Dors, you're not being won over by that woman, are you?† â€Å"Me? By Rashelle? Of course not. How can you possibly think so?† â€Å"Well, you're comfortable. You're well-fed. It would be natural to relax and accept what fortune brings.† â€Å"Yes, very natural. And why not do that?† â€Å"Look, you were telling me last night about what's going to happen if she wins out. I may not be much of a historian myself, but I am willing to take your word for it and, actually, it makes sense-even to a nonhistorian. The Empire will shatter and its shards will be fighting each other for†¦ for†¦ indefinitely. She must be stopped.† â€Å"I agree,† said Dors. â€Å"She must be. What I fail to see is how we can manage to do that little thing right at this moment.† She looked at Seldon narrowly. â€Å"Hari, you didn't sleep last night, did you?† â€Å"Did you?† It was apparent he had not. Dors stared at him, a troubled look clouding her face. â€Å"Have you lain awake thinking of Galactic destruction because of what I said?† â€Å"That and some other things. Is it possible to reach Chetter Hummin?† This last was said in a whisper. Dors said, â€Å"I tried to reach him when we first had to flee arrest in Dahl. He didn't come. I'm sure he received the message, but he didn't come. It may be that, for any of a number of reasons, he just couldn't come to us, but when he can he will.† â€Å"Do you suppose something has happened to him?† â€Å"No,† said Dors patiently. â€Å"I don't think so.† â€Å"How can you know?† â€Å"The word would somehow get to me. I'm sure of it. And the word hasn't gotten to me.† Seldon frowned and said, â€Å"I'm not as confident as you are about all this. In fact, I'm not confident at all. Even if Hummin came, what can he do in this case? He can't fight all of Wye. If they have, as Rashelle claims, the best-organized army on Trantor, what will he be able to do against it?† â€Å"There's no point in discussing that. Do you suppose you can convince Rashelle-bang it into her head somehow-that you don't have psychohistory?† â€Å"I'm sure she's aware that I don't have it and that I'm not going to get it for many years-if at all. But she'll say I have psychohistory and if she does that skillfully enough, people will believe her and eventually they will act on what she says my predictions and pronouncements are-even if I don't say a word.† â€Å"Surely, that will take time. She won't build you up overnight. Or in a week. To do it properly, it might take her a year.† Seldon was pacing the length of the room, turning sharply on his heel and striding back. â€Å"That might be so, but I don't know. There would be pressure on her to do things quickly. She doesn't strike me as the kind of woman who has cultivated the habit of patience. And her old father, Mannix IV, would be even more impatient. He must feel the nearness of death and if he's worked for this all his life, he would much prefer to see it done a week before his death rather than a week after. Besides-â€Å" Here he paused and looked around the empty room. â€Å"Besides what?† â€Å"Well, we must have our freedom. You see, I've solved the psychohistory problem.† Dors's eyes widened. â€Å"You have it! You've worked it out.† â€Å"Not worked it out in the full sense. That might take decades†¦ centuries, for all I know. But I now know it's practical, not just theoretical. I know it can be done so I must have the time, the peace, the facilities to work at it. The Empire must be held together till I-or possibly my successors-will learn how best to keep it so or how to minimize the disaster if it does split up despite us. It was the thought of having a beginning to my task and of not being able to work at it, that kept me up last night.† 88. It was their fifth day in Wye and in the morning Dors was helping Raych into a formal costume that neither was quite familiar with. Raych looked at himself dubiously in the holomirror and saw a reflected image that faced him with precision, imitating all his motions but without any inversion of left and right. Raych had never used a holomirror before and had been unable to keep from trying to feel it, then laughing, almost with embarrassment, when his hand passed through it while the image's hand poked ineffectually at his real body. He said at last, â€Å"I look funny.† He studied his tunic, which was made of a very pliant material, with a thin filigreed belt, then passed his hands up a stiff collar that rose like a cup past his ears on either side. â€Å"My head looks like a ball inside a bowl.† Dors said, â€Å"But this is the sort of thing rich children wear in Wye. Everyone who sees you will admire you and envy you.† â€Å"With my hair all stuck down?† â€Å"Certainly. You'll wear this round little hat.† â€Å"It'll make my head more like a ball.† â€Å"Then don't let anyone kick it. Now, remember what I told you. Keep your wits about you and don't act like a kid.† â€Å"But I am a kid,† he said, looking up at her with a wide-eyed innocent expression. â€Å"I'm surprised to hear you say that,† said Dors. â€Å"I'm sure you think of yourself as a twelve-year-old adult.† Raych grinned. â€Å"Okay. I'll be a good spy.† â€Å"That's not what I'm telling you to be. Don't take chances. Don't sneak behind doors to listen. If you get caught at it, you're no good to anyone-especially not to yourself.† â€Å"Aw, c'mon, Missus, what do ya think I am? A kid or somethin'?† â€Å"You just said you were, didn't you, Raych? You just listen to everything that's said without seeming to. And remember what you hear. And tell us. That's simple enough.† â€Å"Simple enough for you to say, Missus Venabili,† said Raych with a grin, â€Å"and simple enough for me to do.† â€Å"And be careful.† Raych winked. â€Å"You bet.† A flunky (as coolly impolite as only an arrogant flunky can be) came to take Raych to where Rashelle was awaiting him. Seldon looked after them and said thoughtfully, â€Å"He probably won't see the zoo, he'll be listening so carefully. I'm not sure it's right to thrust a boy into danger like that.† â€Å"Danger? I doubt it. Raych was brought up in the slums of Billibotton, remember. I suspect he has more alley smarts than you and I put together. Besides, Rashelle is fond of him and will interpret everything he does in his favor. Poor woman.† â€Å"Are you actually sorry for her, Dors?† â€Å"Do you mean that she's not worth sympathy because she's a Mayor's daughter and considers herself a Mayor in her own right-and because she's intent on destroying the Empire? Perhaps you're right, but even so there are some aspects of her for which one might show some sympathy. For instance, she's had an unhappy love affair. That's pretty evident. Undoubtedly, her heart was broken-for a time, at least.† Seldon said, â€Å"Have you ever had an unhappy love affair, Dors?† Dors considered for a moment or two, then said, â€Å"Not really. I'm too involved with my work to get a broken heart.† â€Å"I thought as much.† â€Å"Then why did you ask?† â€Å"I might have been wrong.† â€Å"How about you?† Seldon seemed uneasy. â€Å"As a matter of fact, yes. I have spared the time for a broken heart. Badly cracked, anyway.† â€Å"I thought as much.† â€Å"Then why did you ask?† â€Å"Not because I thought I might be wrong, I promise you. I just wanted to see if you would lie. You didn't and I'm glad.† There was a pause and then Seldon said, â€Å"Five days have passed and nothing has happened.† â€Å"Except that we are being treated well, Hari.† â€Å"If animals could think, they'd think they were being treated well when they were only being fattened for the slaughter.† â€Å"I admit she's fattening the Empire for the slaughter.† â€Å"But when?† â€Å"I presume when she's ready.† â€Å"She boasted she could complete the coup in a day and the impression I got was that she could do that on any day.† â€Å"Even if she could, she would want to make sure that she could cripple the Imperial reaction and that might take time.† â€Å"How much time? She plans to cripple the reaction by using me, but she is making no effort to do so. There is no sign that she's trying to build up my importance. Wherever I go in Wye I'm unrecognized. There are no Wyan crowds gathering to cheer me. There's nothing on the news holocasts.† Dors smiled. â€Å"One would almost suppose that your feelings are hurt at not being made famous. You're naive, Hari. Or not a historian, which is the same thing. I think you had better be more pleased that the study of psychohistory will be bound to make a historian of you than that it may save the Empire. If all human beings understood history, they might cease making the same stupid mistakes over and over.† â€Å"In what way am I naive?† asked Seldon lifting his head and staring down his nose at her. â€Å"Don't be offended, Hari. I think it's one of your attractive features, actually.† â€Å"I know. It arouses your maternal instincts and you have been asked to take care of me. But in what way am I naive?† â€Å"In thinking that Rashelle would try to propagandize the population of the Empire, generally, into accepting you as seer. She would accomplish nothing in that way. Quadrillions of people are hard to move quickly. There is social and psychological inertia, as well as physical inertia. And, by coming out into the open, she would simply alert Demerzel.† â€Å"Then what is she doing?† â€Å"My guess is that the information about you-suitably exaggerated and glorified-is going out to a crucial few. It is going to those Viceroys of sectors, those admirals of fleets, those people of influence she feels look kindly upon her-or grimly upon the Emperor. A hundred or so of those who might rally to her side will manage to confuse the Loyalists just long enough to allow Rashelle the First to set up her New Order firmly enough to beat off whatever resistance might develop. At least, I imagine that is how she reasons.† â€Å"And yet we haven't heard from Hummin.† â€Å"I'm sure he must be doing something just the same. This is too important to ignore.† â€Å"Has it occurred to you that he might be dead?† â€Å"That's a possibility, but I don't think so. If he was, the news would reach me.† â€Å"Here?† â€Å"Even here.† Seldon raised his eyebrows, but said nothing. Raych came back in the late afternoon, happy and excited, with descriptions of monkeys and of Bakarian demoires and he dominated the conversation during dinner. It was not until after dinner when they were in their own quarters that Dors said, â€Å"Now, tell me what happened with Madam Mayor, Raych. Tell me anything she did or said that you think we ought to know.† â€Å"One thing,† said Raych, his face lighting up. â€Å"That's why she didn't show at dinner, I bet.† â€Å"What was it?† â€Å"The zoo was closed except for us, you know. There were lots of us-Rashelle and me and all sorts of guys in uniforms and dames in fancy clothes and like that. Then this guy in a uniform-a different guy, who wasn't there to begin with-came in toward the end and he said something in a low voice and Rashelle turned to all the people and made with her hand like they shouldn't move and they didn't. And she went a little ways away with this new guy, so she could talk to him and no one could hear her. Except I kept paying no attention and kept looking at the different cages and sort of moved near to Rashelle so I could hear her. â€Å"She said, ‘How dare they?' like she was real mad. And the guy in the uniform, he looked nervous-I just got quick looks because I was trying to make out like I was watching the animals-so mostly I just heard the words. He said somebody-I don't remember the name, but he was a general or somethin'. He said this general said the officers had sworn rel igious to Rashelle's old man-â€Å" â€Å"Sworn allegiance,† said Dors. â€Å"Somethin' like that and they was nervous about havin' to do what a dame says. He said they wanted the old man or else, if he was kind of sick, he should pick some guy to be Mayor, not a dame.† â€Å"Not a dame? Are you sure?† â€Å"That's what he said. He like whispered it. He was so nervous and Rashelle was so mad she could hardly speak. She said, ‘I'll have his head. They will all swear allegiance to me tomorrow and whoever refuses will lave cause to regret it before an hour has passed.' That's exactly what she said. She broke up the whole party and we all came back and she didn't say one word to me all the time. Just sat there, looking kinda mean and angry.† Dors said, â€Å"Good. Don't you mention this to anyone, Raych.† â€Å"Course not. Is it what you wanted?† â€Å"Very much what I wanted. You did well, Raych. Now, go to your room and forget the whole thing. Don't even think about it.† Once he was gone, Dors turned to Seldon and said, â€Å"This is very interesting. Daughters have succeeded fathers-or mothers, for that matter-and held Mayoralties or other high offices on any number of occasions. There have even been reigning Empresses, as you undoubtedly know, and I can't recall that there was ever in Imperial history any serious question of serving under one. It makes one wonder why such a thing should now, arise in Wye.† Seldon said, â€Å"Why not? We've only recently been in Mycogen, where women are held in a total lack of esteem and couldn't possibly hold positions of power, however minor.† â€Å"Yes, of course, but that's an exception. There are other places where women dominate. For the most part, though, government and power have been more or less equisexual. If more men tend to hold high positions, it is usually because women tend to be more bound-biologically-to children.† â€Å"But what is the situation in Wye?† â€Å"Equisexual, as far as I know. Rashelle didn't hesitate to assume Mayoral power and I imagine old Mannix didn't hesitate to grant it to her. And she was surprised and furious at encountering male dissent. She can't have expected it.† Seldon said, â€Å"You're clearly pleased at this. Why?† â€Å"Simply because it's so unnatural that it must be contrived and I imagine Hummin is doing the contriving.† Seldon said thoughtfully, â€Å"You think so?† â€Å"I do,† said Dors. â€Å"You know,† said Seldon, â€Å"so do I.† 89. It was their tenth day in Wye and in the morning Hari Seldon's door signal sounded and Raych's high-pitched voice outside was crying out, â€Å"Mister! Mister Seldon! It's war!† Seldon took a moment to swap from sleep to wakefulness and scrambled out of bed. He was shivering slightly (the Wyans liked their domiciles on the chilly side, he had discovered quite early in his stay there) when he threw the door open. Raych bounced in, excited and wide-eyed. â€Å"Mister Seldon, they have Mannix, the old Mayor'. They have-â€Å" â€Å"Who have, Raych?† â€Å"The Imperials, Their jets came in last night all over. The news holocasts are telling all about it. It's on in Missus's room. She said to let ya sleep, but I figured ya would wanner know.† â€Å"And you were quite right.† Seldon pausing only tong enough to throw on a bathrobe, burst into Dors's room. She was fully dressed and was watching the holo-set in the alcove. Behind the clear, small image of a desk sat a man, with the Spaceship-and-Sun sharply defined on the left-front of his tunic. On either side, two soldiers, also wearing the Spaceship-and-Sun, stood armed. The officer at the desk was saying, â€Å"-is under the peaceful control of his Imperial Majesty. Mayor Mannix is safe and well and is in full possession of his Mayoral powers under the guidance of friendly Imperial troops. He will be before you soon to urge calm on all Wyans and to ask any Wyan soldiers still in arms to lay them down.† There were other news holocasts by various newsmen with unemotional voices, all wearing Imperial armbands. The news was all the same: surrender by this or that unit of the Wyan security forces after firing a few shots for the record-and sometimes after no resistance at all. This town center and that town center were occupied-and there were repeated views of Wyan crowds somberly watching Imperial forces marching down the streets. Dors said, â€Å"It was perfectly executed, Hari. Surprise was complete. There was no chance of resistance and none of consequence was offered.† Then Mayor Mannix IV appeared, as had been promised. He was standing upright and, perhaps for the sake of appearances, there were no Imperials in sight, though Seldon was reasonably certain that an adequate number were present just out of camera range. Mannix was old, but his strength, though worn, was still apparent. His eyes did not meet the holo-camera and his words were spoken as though forced upon him-but, as had been promised, they counseled Wyans to remain calm, to offer no resistance, to keep Wye from harm, and to cooperate with the Emperor who, it was hoped, would survive long on the throne. â€Å"No mention of Rashelle,† said Seldon. â€Å"It's as though his daughter doesn't exist.† â€Å"No one has mentioned her,† said Dors, â€Å"and this place, which is, after all, her residence-or one of them-hasn't been attacked. Even if she manages to slip away and take refuge in some neighboring sector, I doubt she will be safe anywhere on Trantor for long.† â€Å"Perhaps not,† came a voice; â€Å"but I'll be safe here for a little while.† Rashelle entered. She was properly dressed, properly calm. She was even smiling, but it was no smile of joy; it was, rather, a cold baring of teeth. The three stared at her in surprise for a moment and Seldon wondered if she had any of her servants with her or if they had promptly deserted her at the first sign of adversity. Dors said a little coldly, â€Å"I see, Madam Mayor, that your hopes for a coup can not be maintained. Apparently, you have been forestalled.† â€Å"I have not been forestalled. I have been betrayed. My officers have been tampered with and-against all history and rationality-they have refused to fight for a woman but only for their old master. And, traitors that they are, they then let their old master be seized so that he cannot lead them in resistance.† She looked about for a chair and sat down. â€Å"And now the Empire must continue to decay and die when I was prepared to offer it new life.† â€Å"I think,† said Dors, â€Å"the Empire has avoided an indefinite period of useless fighting and destruction. Console yourself with that, Madam Mayor.† It was as though Rashelle did not hear her. â€Å"So many years of preparation destroyed in a night.† She sat there beaten, defeated, and seemed to have aged twenty years. Dors said, â€Å"It could scarcely have been done in a night. The suborning of your officers-if that took place-must have taken time.† â€Å"At that, Demerzel is a master and quite obviously I underestimated him. How he did it, I don't know-threats, bribes, smooth and specious argument. He is a master at the art of stealth and betrayal-I should have known.† She went on after a pause. â€Å"If this was outright force on his part, I would have had no trouble destroying anything he sent against us. Who would think that Wye would be betrayed, that an oath of allegiance would be so lightly thrown aside?† Seldon said with automatic rationality, â€Å"But I imagine the oath was made not to you, but to your father.† â€Å"Nonsense,† said Rashelle vigorously. â€Å"When my father gave me the Mayoral office, as he was legally entitled to do, he automatically passed on to me any oaths of allegiance made to him. There is ample precedence for this. It is customary to have the oath repeated to the new ruler, but that is a ceremony only and not a legal requirement. My officers know that, though they choose to forget. They use my womanhood as an excuse because they quake in fear of Imperial vengeance that would never have come had they been staunch or tremble with greed for promised rewards they will surely never get-if I know Demerzel.† She turned sharply toward Seldon. â€Å"He wants you, you know. Demerzel struck at us for you.† Seldon started. â€Å"Why me?† â€Å"Don't be a fool. For the same reason I wanted you†¦ to use you as a tool, of course.† She sighed. â€Å"At least I am not utterly betrayed. There are still loyal soldiers to be found.-Sergeant!† Sergeant Emmer Thalus entered with a soft cautious step that seemed incongruous, considering his size. His uniform was spruce, his long blond mustache fiercely curled. â€Å"Madam Mayor,† he said, drawing himself to attention with a snap. He was still, in appearance, the side of beef that Hari had named him-a man still following orders blindly, totally oblivious to the new and changed state of affairs. Rashelle smiled sadly at Raych. â€Å"And how are you, little Raych? I had meant to make something of you. It seems now I won't be able to.† â€Å"Hello, Missus†¦ Madam,† said Raych awkwardly. â€Å"And to have made something of you too, Dr. Seldon,† said Rashelle, â€Å"and there also I must crave pardon. I cannot.† â€Å"For me, Madam, you need have no regrets.† â€Å"But I do. I cannot very well let Demerzel have you. That would be one victory too many for him and at least I can stop that.† â€Å"I would not work for him, Madam, I assure you, any more than I would have worked for you.† â€Å"It is not a matter of work. It is a matter of being used. Farewell, Dr. Seldon. Sergeant, blast him.† The sergeant drew his blaster at once and Dors, with a loud cry, lunged forward-but Seldon reached out for her and caught her by the elbow. He hung on desperately. â€Å"Stay back, Dors,† he shouted, â€Å"or he'll kill you. He won't kill me. You too, Raych. Stand back. Don't move.† Seldon faced the sergeant. â€Å"You hesitate, Sergeant, because you know you cannot shoot. I might have killed you ten days ago, but I did not. And you gave me your word of honor at that time that you would protect me.† â€Å"What are you waiting for?† snapped Rashelle. â€Å"I said shoot him down, Sergeant.† Seldon said nothing more. He stood there while the sergeant, eyes bulging, held his blaster steady and pointed at Seldon's head. â€Å"You have your order!† shrieked Rashelle. â€Å"I have your word,† said Seldon quietly. And Sergeant Thalus said in a choked tone, â€Å"Dishonored either way.† His hand fell and his blaster clanged to the floor. Rashelle cried out, â€Å"Then you too betray me.† Before Seldon could move or Dors free herself from his grip, Rashelle seized the blaster, turned it on the sergeant, and closed contact. Seldon had never seen anyone blasted before. Somehow, from the name of the weapon perhaps, he had expected a loud noise, an explosion of flesh and blood. This Wyan blaster, at least, did nothing of the sort. What mangling it did to the organs inside the sergeant's chest Seldon could not tell but, without a change in expression, without a wince of pain, the sergeant crumbled and fell, dead beyond any doubt or any hope. And Rashelle turned the blaster on Seldon with a firmness that put to rest any hope for his own life beyond the next second. It was Raych, however, who jumped into action the moment the sergeant fell. Racing between Seldon and Rashelle, he waved his hands wildly. â€Å"Missus, Missus,† he called. â€Å"Don't shoot.† For a moment, Rashelle looked confused. â€Å"Out of the way, Raych. I don't want to hurt you.† That moment of hesitation was all Dors needed. Breaking loose violently, she plunged toward Rashelle with a long low dive. Rashelle went down with a cry and the blaster hit the ground a second time. Raych retrieved it. Seldon, with a deep and shuddering breath, said, â€Å"Raych, give that to me.† But Raych backed away. â€Å"Ya ain't gonna kill her, are ya, Mister Seldon? She was nice to me.† â€Å"I won't kill anyone, Raych,† said Seldon. â€Å"She killed the sergeant and would have killed me, but she didn't shoot rather than hurt you and we'll let her live for that.† It was Seldon, who now sat down, the blaster held loosely in his hand, while Dors removed the neuronic whip from the dead sergeant's other holster. A new voice rang out. â€Å"I'll take care of her now, Seldon.† Seldon looked up and in sudden joy said, â€Å"Hummin! Finally!† â€Å"I'm sorry it took so long, Seldon. I had a lot to do. How are you, Dr. Venabili? I take it this is Mannix's daughter, Rashelle. But who is the boy?† â€Å"Raych is a young Dahlite friend of ours,† said Seldon. Soldiers were entering and, at a small gesture from Hummin, they lifted Rashelle respectfully. Dors, able to suspend her intent surveillance of the other woman, brushed at her clothes with her hands and smoothed her blouse. Seldon suddenly realized that he was still in his bathrobe. Rashelle, shaking herself loose from the soldiers with contempt, pointed to Hummin and said to Seldon, â€Å"Who is this?† Seldon said, â€Å"It is Chetter Hummin, a friend of mine and my protector on this planet.† â€Å"Your protector.† Rashelle laughed madly. â€Å"You fool! You idiot! That man is Demerzel and if you look at your Venabili woman, you will see from her face that she is perfectly aware of that. You have been trapped all along, far worse than ever you were with me!† 90. Hummin and Seldon sat at lunch that day, quite alone, a pall of quiet between them for the most part. It was toward the end of the meal that Seldon stirred and said in a lively voice, â€Å"Well, sir, how do I address you? I think of you as ‘Chester Hummin' still, but even if I accept you in your other persona, I surely cannot address you as ‘Eto Demerzel.' In that capacity, you have a title and I don't know the proper usage. Instruct me.† The other said gravely, â€Å"Call me ‘Hummin'-if you don't mind. Or ‘Chetter.' Yes, I am Eto Demerzel, but with respect to you I am Hummin. As a matter of fact, the two are not distinct. I told you that the Empire is decaying and failing. I believe that to be true in both my capacities. I told you that I wanted psychohistory as a way of preventing that decay and failure or of bringing about a renewal and reinvigoration if the decay and failure must run its course. I believe that in both my capacities too.† â€Å"But you had me in your grip-I presume you were in the vicinity when I had my meeting with His Imperial Majesty.† â€Å"With Cleon. Yes, of course.† â€Å"And you might have spoken to me, then, exactly as you later did as Hummin.† â€Å"And accomplished what? As Demerzel, I have enormous tasks. I have to handle Cleon, a well-meaning but not very capable ruler, and prevent him, insofar as I can, from making mistakes. I have to do my bit in governing Trantor and the Empire too. And, as you see, I had to spend a great deal of time in preventing Wye from doing harm.† â€Å"Yes, I know,† murmured Seldon. â€Å"It wasn't easy and I nearly lost out. I have spent years sparring carefully with Mannix, learning to understand his thinking and planning a countermove to his every move. I did not think, at any time, that while he was still alive he would pass on his powers to his daughter. I had not studied her and I was not prepared for her utter lack of caution. Unlike her father, she has been brought up to take power for granted and had no clear idea of its limitations. So she got you and forced me to act before I was quite ready.† â€Å"You almost lost me as a result. I faced the muzzle of a blaster twice.† â€Å"I know,† said Hummin, nodding. â€Å"And we might have lost you Upperside too-another accident I could not foresee.† â€Å"But you haven't really answered my question. Why did you send me chasing all over the face of Trantor to escape from Demerzel when you yourself were Demerzel?† â€Å"You told Cleon that psychohistory was a purely theoretical concept, a kind of mathematical game that made no practical sense. That might indeed have been so, but if I approached you officially, I was sure you would merely have maintained your belief. Yet I was attracted to the notion of psychohistory. I wondered whether it might not be, after all, just a game. You must understand that I didn't want merely to use you, I wanted a real and practical psychohistory. â€Å"So I sent you, as you put it, chasing all over the face of Trantor with the dreaded Demerzel close on your heels at all times. That, I felt, would concentrate your mind powerfully. It would make psychohistory something exciting and much more than a mathematical game. You would try to work it out for the sincere idealist Hummin, where you would not for the Imperial flunky Demerzel. Also, you would get a glimpse of various sides of Trantor and that too would be helpful-certainly more helpful than living in an ivory tower on a far-off planet, surrounded entirely by fellow mathematicians. Was I right? Have you made progress?† Seldon said, â€Å"In psychohistory? Yes, I did, Hummin. I thought you knew.† â€Å"How should I know?† â€Å"I told Dors.† â€Å"But you hadn't told me. Nevertheless, you tell me so now. That is good news.† â€Å"Not entirely,† said Seldon. â€Å"I have made only the barest beginning. But it is a beginning.† â€Å"Is it the kind of beginning that can be explained to a nonmathematician?† â€Å"I think so. You see, Hummin, from the start I have seen psychohistory as a science that depends on the interaction of twenty-five million worlds, each with an average population of four thousand million. It's too much. There's no way of handling something that complex. If I was to succeed at all, if there was to be any way of finding a useful psychohistory, I would first have to find a simpler system. â€Å"So I thought I would go back in time and deal with a single world, a world that was the only one occupied by humanity in the dim age before the colonization of the Galaxy. In Mycogen they spoke of an original world of Aurora and in Dahl I heard word of an original world of Earth. I thought they might be the same world under different names, but they were sufficiently different in one key point, at least, to make that impossible. And it didn't matter. So little was known of either one, and that little so obscured by myth and legend, that there was no hope of making use of psychohistory in connection with them.† He paused to sip at his cold juice, keeping his eyes firmly on Hummin's face. Hummin said, â€Å"Well? What then?† â€Å"Meanwhile, Dors had told me something I call the hand-on-thigh story. It was of no innate significance, merely a humorous and entirely trivial tale. As a result, though, Dors mentioned the different sex mores on various worlds and in various sectors of Trantor. It occurred to me that she treated the different Trantorian sectors as though they were separate worlds. I thought, idly, that instead of twenty-five million different worlds, I had twenty-five million plus eight hundred to deal with. It seemed a trivial difference, so I forgot it and thought no more about it. â€Å"But as I traveled from the Imperial Sector to Streeling to Mycogen to Dahl to Wye, I observed for myself how different each was. The thought of Trantor-not as a world but as a complex of worlds-grew stronger, but still I didn't see the crucial point. â€Å"It was only when I listened to Rashelle-you see, it was good that I was finally captured by Wye and it was good that Rashelle's rashness drove her into the grandiose schemes that she imparted to me-When I listened to Rashelle, as I said, she told me that all she wanted was Trantor and some immediately adjacent worlds. It was an Empire in itself, she said, and dismissed the outer worlds as ‘distant nothings.' â€Å"It was then that, in a moment, I saw what I must have been harboring in my hidden thoughts for a considerable time. On the one hand, Trantor possessed an extraordinarily complex social system, being a populous world made up of eight hundred smaller worlds. It was in itself a system complex enough to make psychohistory meaningful and yet it was simple enough, compared to the Empire as a whole, to make psychohistory perhaps practical. â€Å"And the Outer Worlds, the twenty-five million of them? They were ‘distant nothings.' Of course, they affected Trantor and were affected by Trantor, but these were second-order effects. If I could make psychohistory work as a first approximation for Trantor alone, then the minor effects of the Outer Worlds could be added as later modifications. Do you see what I mean? I was searching for a single world on which to establish a practical science of psychohistory and I was searching for it in the far past, when all the time the single world I wanted was under my feet now.† Hummin said with obvious relief and pleasure, â€Å"Wonderful!† â€Å"But it's all left to do, Hummin. I must study Trantor in sufficient detail. I must devise the necessary mathematics to deal with it. If I am lucky and live out a full lifetime, I may have the answers before I die. If not, my successors will have to follow me. Conceivably, the Empire may have fallen and splintered before psychohistory becomes a useful technique.† â€Å"I will do everything I can to help you.† â€Å"I know it,† said Seldon. â€Å"You trust me, then, despite the fact I am Demerzel?† â€Å"Entirely. Absolutely. But I do so because you are not Demerzel.† â€Å"But I am,† insisted Hummin. â€Å"But you are not. Your persona as Demerzel is as far removed from the truth as is your persona as Hummin.† â€Å"What do you mean?† Hummin's eyes grew wide and he backed away slightly from Seldon. â€Å"I mean that you probably chose the name ‘Hummin' out of a wry sense of what was fitting. ‘Hummin' is a mispronunciation of ‘human,' isn't it?† Hummin made no response. He continued to stare at Seldon. And finally Seldon said, â€Å"Because you're not human, are you, ‘Hummin/Demerzel'? You're a robot.†

4.2. Describe the Importance of Reassuring Children

4. 2. Describe the importance of reassuring children, young people and adults of the confidentiality of shared information and the limits of this. Confidentiality is the preservation of privileged information, concerning children and their families, which is disclosed in the professional relationship. It is a complicated issue which is based upon the principle of trust. Confidentiality is very important when working in a closely with parents. Some information needs to be shared but only with your superior, i. e. head teacher, as it will be a matter of total confidence. If you suspect a child-protection issue, this should be shared only with your superior and again in strictest confidence, and the parents will need to be aware of this. It will be important from the very beginning of your relationship with parents, there is an understanding and they can tell you something in confidence, you may have to share the information with your superior. It is important never to gossip about parents or their children. -It is important never to discuss one parent with another. -It is important not to make judgements about children or their parents. -Some information needs to be shared with the all the staff, in particular diet, allergy, religious rituals, if the child is being collected by someone other than their main carer, general records on pupils individual teachers’ records of assessment, SEN information on pupils. Under the Data Protection Act 1998, information about pupils needs to be kept in a secure place. Never take any information off site and do not provide opportunities for others to gain access to it. When sharing information with colleagues only discuss points they need to know. If you notice any breaches of confidentiality always report the matter to an appropriate member of staff.

Philosophies of Education Essay

There are different theories that govern the procedure of learning among students today. Likely, because of the modern culture learning, the said theories are now changed towards the possibility of supporting the modern needs and demands of the students today. Such theories include the philosophies of idealism, realism, neo-thomism, experimentalism and existentialism. Each philosophy addresses different aspects of an individual’s learning and also presents different ways of approaching the subject of education. Idealism  The philosophy of idealism stresses the belief that ideas are the sole truth and the only real things that are worth knowing. Everything that is in this world are mere shadows and distorted images of a more genuine, a more real world. There is a world of ideas on which this world is based and it is only that world which is worth knowing. Proponents of this philosophy focus on the mind and intellectual mechanisms of students. The world of ideas, in the educational setting, becomes the world of the mind. This means an emphasis on fields dealing with symbols and ideas such as history, literature, art, and the like. Realism The philosophy of realism espouses the belief not in a world of ideas but rather in a world of things and beings. Truth, for the realist, is found in observable facts. This means that the realist believes in the world as we see it. The strength of the laws of nature are emphasized. The realist student relies on his or her senses. Learning is thus geared towards fields like math, chemistry, physics, biology, and the like. Neo-Thomism Neo-thomism believes that reality is the universal truth of God. Reality is something that is eternal and unchanging to the neo-thomist. Reality, or universal truth, is only revealed through holy text, such as the Scriptures or through revelations of a divine nature. Although it is only through these two mechanisms that reality can be learned, neo-thomists assert that truth is always supported by human reason. Experimentalism Experimentalism believes in a continuously changing world. Reality, for experimentalists, is what an individual experiences at every precise moment. Experimentalists discover reality through testing and group decisions. An experimentalist student would thus be viewed as an individual who is able to experience different things and coming into contact with other individuals who either add, do nothing, or detract from the said experiences. Emphasis is placed on fields such as sociology, political science, psychology, and other such socially driven fields as well as fields that deal with problem-solving. Existentialism Lastly, existentialism is discussed. This philosophy, originating from the likes of Sartre and Kierkegaard, believes in one’s own interpretation of everything that is around him or her. An individual is able to set for himself or herself a standard for reality and truth. Also, because the individual has this freedom, he or she also has the responsibility over his or her decisions and actions. Reality is, for the true existentialist, subjective. There is no one truth because everyone has their own version of truths and realities. Existentiallist students are free to learn what they want. Discussion is not structured in an existentialist school. Educational Implications of other Philosophies of Education It is undeniable that many of the philosophies of education have had varying impacts and implications on education as a whole. Some of the many theories that have done so include existentialism, behaviorism, perennialism, essentialism, and reconstruction. Existentialsim Existentialism believes in a relative world where every individual is free to create his or her own standards of truth and reality. Because of the propagation of this belief, education has expanded. Curricula are no longer based solely on the scientific method, in symbols, or in the words of a few significant individuals in history. Rather, learning has also become about dialogue between the student and the teacher. It is no longer rare to find teachers believing that they too have learned something from their students. This development is rooted in the principles of existentialism. Teachers are able to see that students are not merely empty vessels waiting to be filled with knowledge. Rather, they are also capable of setting their own versions of reality and of creating their own truths. This is why there are now many classrooms encouraging discourse and free expression. Behaviorism The philosophy of behaviorism emphasizes an individual’s nature to be conditioned, at an early age, to act in particular ways. Students are viewed through the mechanisms of stimulus-response. Behaviorism is behind the educational system’s drive of teaching through modeling and of teaching through a strict implementation of schedules. Rules and regulations in education as well as punishments that come from not following them are based on stimulus-response mechanisms. The most popular impact behaviorism has had on education is the use of grades as a form of reward for those who achieve well in school. Perennialism, as an educational philosophy, espouses a strict and inflexible form of education. It is the philosophy of perennialism that espoused the importance of rational thinking and reasoning. The structure of education, today, is based on the rigidity and conservatism of perennialism. Disciplining of the learner’s behavior in order to achieve reason is a common practice in today’s education and is based on perennialist form. Teaching through structured lessons, controlled teacher-led discussions and class drills are also a few examples of the palpable impacts perennialism has had on education. Essentialism Essentialists believe that there are certain specific skills that an individual must gain in order to have a rational life. The impact of essentialism is clear in today’s educational curricula. There are set subjects for students to learn and basic topics that are believed to be essential in rational living. The basics of reading, writing and math, for example, are never left out of learning. The emphasis education has had on such fundamental concepts are all a result of the teachings of the essentialists. Reconstruction Finally, education has also been impacted by the philosophy of reconstruction. This philosophy revolves on the concept of constant change. The world is constantly changing and humans have to constantly change in order to keep up. The greatest impact it has had on education is the way educators have handled other aspects of the field. Intelligence, for example, is now studied through a multi-dimensional eyepiece. There are now alternative learning procedures developed for the purposes of learners that fall outside the norm. There is more freedom to change educational machinations because of the concepts espoused by reconstruction.

A GIS process to select a suitable site for locating a hospital in Literature review

A GIS process to select a suitable site for locating a hospital in London where ambulances can reach people within 10 minutes - Literature review Example The site should be big enough to accommodate a hospital with about 7000 rooms where about 800 beds can be placed and more than fifty two thousand hospital equipment and furniture. The stated rooms can appear to be incredibly many but with rooms needed for emergencies, offices, rehabilitations, outpatient and inpatient services; they cannot be enough. A site accommodating such a hospital ought to be as big as forty football pitches to ensure that there is even available space for hospital employees and patients’ families parking. Additionally, the hospital prospected has to have a number of towers to save on cost and land. Currently, most hospitals have to deal with congestion and extreme struggling incase more facilities are needed. Having a lot of land like that stated above ensures that the hospital can build all facilities required. Expansion of hospitals after their construction is always an unavoidable act. For this reason, there is a need of buying land as big as the one stated above to cater for expansion in the later years1. London has four major parts that include the southwest London, southeast London, northeast London and north central London. According to statistics, there are about twenty hospitals in each stated part but most are not newly build. Among these hospitals, a number are faced with difficulties of managing cleanliness. In choosing a site for constructing a hospital, it is essential to ensure that the site is near to multiple sources of water and power. It is essential to realize most hospitals around the London town centre are faced with problems related to water shortages since they did not take precaution during construction. Some locations may have all the other qualities but lack water. This should not be such a major problem since there are artificial build wells and boreholes that can supply the hospital with enough water.

Discussion Questions law Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Discussion Questions law - Assignment Example Litigation is also cost prohibitive due to the legal fees and case filing fees involved. Due to the unpredictable time frame involved in trying such cases, additional emotional and financial damage is inflicted upon the person who filed the case. That is why ADR has become a logical alternative for some people who do not want to deal with the hassles of litigation. ADR offers an alternative solution to filing a case in a shorter amount of time because the negotiations involve and informal and less adversarial setting than litigation. Both parties can compromise on an issue with the aid of an expert in the decision making process. This is something that judges approve of as sometimes their knowledge of certain business related cases can be limited. Examples of ADR or arbitration that can happen to a person in his personal or professional life include restructuring of debt payments (personal) and an administrative case filed before a person in his place of office that needs to be resol ved by the owners of the company or its in-house legal department. 2. Substansive law is the written law that defines the crimes and punishments in criminal law, or civil rights under civil law. It is a codified legislated statute that is enacted through public initiative. An example of this law would be the law covering the intentional killing of a person. This should not be confused with Procedural law which is the law that enforces the said rights and duties through rules determined in civil or criminal proceedings. A clear example of a procedural law is when a decision is made to arrest a person. The grounds covering his arrest fall under procedural law. These are totally different from criminal law which, simply put, is the system of law that punishes people who commit crimes such as felonies and misdemeanors. Civil law on the other hand, deals with private relations between community members. Civil law looks to gain compensation for damages received

Human Resource Management Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Human Resource Management - Term Paper Example The organization chosen for the study will be IBM. Performance Management performance management can be described as a human resource strategy, which covers non-job precise behaviors such as ‘cooperation’ ‘dedication’ ‘enthusiasm’ and ‘persistence’ and is differentiated from task performance covering job-specific behaviors (Borman and Motowidlo 71-98). As Fletcher (91) mentions, contextual performance is concerned with the attributes which set off further than task proficiency and that encourage behaviors that boost the efficiency of the organization. Hence performance is regarded as behavior, in which the organizations, teams and individuals execute their work. Campbell (690-710) suggests that performance is such a behavior that needs to be differentiated from the results. An additional broader analysis of performance is attained if it is described as taking up both behavior and outcomes. Performance management can be a factor impa cting behaviors and results together. Behaviors originate from the performer and alter performance from idea to action. Performance management can be described as an important practice that concerns with overall attitude of the employees towards the organization. It replicates the perspective one has for performance and it contains secondary procedures like: policy description, plan implementation, training and performance measurement. Consequently performance measurement is a secondary procedure of performance management which is the focal point of classification and communique of performance outcomes determined by performance beacons. Performance management is concerned with the action taken based on the results whilst performance measurement deals with evaluation of results, at the same time as performance management is related with taking action depending on the outcomes of the assessment and making certain that the objective outcomes are accomplished. Performance management can also be characterized as being associated with a â€Å"future orientation† based on the inputs and output exerted an organization or individual. Performance management is becoming an important aspect of the organizations to manage the performance of their employees and keep them motivated for the achievement of their goals resulting in the achievement of overall organizational goals (Brumback 168-170). It can be seen that there is major difference between the performance management practices in private and public sector organizations in most parts of the world but nevertheless it is important for every organization to continuously improve their practices because these practices have a greater influence on the motivation of the employees. These differences in practice are subject to the working and control system being implemented in different sectors. Finally, it is the need of the hour for the organization, to keep their employees motivated intrinsically through the perform ance management practices because in this downturn economic time, it is getting important for the organizations to motivate employees other than extrinsic factors. Critical incident method is used by the current organization for the

SOCIOLOGY OF CRIME Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

SOCIOLOGY OF CRIME - Essay Example It can be of various forms such as sexual abuse, threats of violence, physical violence or intimidation. In Australia, domestic violence occurs in all cultural groups though it is mostly felt in regional and rural Australia. In 2005 for example 36 percent of women were reported to have experienced physical assault, 21 women had experienced sexual assault from ex-partners. The percentage of women experiencing physical assault from current partners was reported to be 38 percent (LaFree and Katheryn, 1993. This act denies equality, security, self-worth and dignity to both women and girls. Though societies proscribe violations against women, the truth is that these violations are mostly authorised by cultural practices and norms or in some cases misinterpreting religious tenets. In addition, when these violations occur at home, as is the case, the act is condoned by tactic silence and the passivity from law enforcers. This study looks at the domestic violence occurring in Australia in reference to two theories which include social learning theory and feminist and critical race theory their strengths and weaknesses and how they are applied in our day to day life. Social learning theory enables people to learn new behaviours through punishments or observation learning of social factors of a society. If communities observe positive and desired behaviours, then other people will be able to imitate them and adopt the good behaviours. This theory states that social learning occurs through four stages of imitation. These include; close contacts, understanding concept, role model and imitating superiors. The parts can be summarised as observing the acts, imitating them and using reinforcements to instil those behaviours. Julia Rooter, a socialist suggested that behaviour effect has an impact on people’s motivation to engage in specific behaviours. This shows that behaviour is influenced by environmental factors and not only psychological factors.

PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE - Essay Example However, the definition of stress from the proponents tends to face a lot of criticism (Passmore, 1967). The second definition of stress from the organism perspective is a set of challenges that human being face. The challenges cause discomfort, anxiety, speculation, and uneasiness among other emotions. When the challenges face people, they must devise ways to overcome them. The evaluation is done in order to determine whether one is capable of solving the issue at hand. When the means of solving the problem are exhausted, and no changes have been made, it results to stress. According to this perspective, stress is the set of forces that originate from the external environment that make life very unbearable for human beings. The forces make it difficult for human beings to cope with the conditions that exist. It causes mental torture and result to hormonal changes that may interfere with the biological functions of the body. The body then becomes exposed to diseases. This kind of stress originates from factors which are beyond the control of individual (Despues, 1999). The process organism perspective definition is the best because it acknowledges that the stress is largely outside the control and influence of a human being and has the potential to have an adverse impact on someone. Sometimes, stress requires anyone to be skilled in knowing how to overcome the stressful situations and position himself strategically in order to survive. Internal factors and external factors are the main causes of stress. Logical positivism definition of stress is only concerned with proving that stress must be determined using measurable parameters. It does not provide the tools that can be used to measure the existence of stress. The proponents of the definition had only the intention of watering down the concepts of believers of metaphysics philosophers. Philosophy branch deals with abstract concepts where theoretical work is being emphasized. The two schools of thoughts

Disparate Impact Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Disparate Impact - Essay Example aving high school diploma on the city by following the disparate impact theory of liability to prove its business requirement – not just a ploy to single out certain groups of society from getting employment (Lazarus, 2001). The Supreme Court first described the disparate impact theory in 1971, in Griggs v. Duke Power Co., 401 U.S. 424, 431-2 (1971): Title VII. It â€Å"proscribes not only overt discrimination but also practices that are fair in form, but discriminatory in operation. The touchstone is business necessity. . . . [G]ood intent or absence of discriminatory intent does not redeem employment procedures or testing mechanisms that operate as built-in headwinds for minority groups and are unrelated to measuring job capability.† In 1989, the Supreme Court minimized the defendant’s burden of proving business necessity to a burden of producing proof of business requirement in the case of Wards Cove Packing Co. v. Antonio, 490 U.S. Later, the Civil Rights Act of 1991 annulled that part of the Wards Cove decision (HR Guide 2001). "Disparate impact" is a legal theory for proving unlawful employment discrimination. But in practice, â€Å"disparate treatment† theory is practiced. Disparate impact is a thought that some recruitment practices adversely impact a group or community of people than the others. In the example of US Supreme Court Title VII case on the issue of disparate impact, in a particular case of employing laborers, the applicants needed to be high school diploma holders. This condition weeded out more blacks than whites, although there was no such intention on the part of the employer to discriminate against blacks. But as a result of the condition, there was a disparate impact on a particular race (Runkel, 2006). According to the Supreme Court, if the employees raise such a concern, the responsibility of proving the usefulness of the high school diploma lies with the employer, having â€Å"a manifest relationship to the employment in question.†

Portfolio Project Part 5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Portfolio Project Part 5 - Essay Example amiliar with the physical railroad distinctiveness including passenger stations, the decline, and incline the locomotive to the right way and the speed is confined. Alongside conductor, the engineer observes time not to leave the station early, nor fall behind schedule. The speed of the train must be decreased when behind other trains, variable time over road to keep away from arriving early, or approaching route diversions (Patzak, 171). The engineer can assume the conductor’s duties and responsibilities if the conductor is sick or injured. The locomotive engineer is demanded of him to have a clear knowledge of railroad geometry that includes signal positions to control safely the train. Retaining concentration is of significant importance in this role. In various US railroads, the progression of career is one that begins as an assistant brakeman, then conductor and lastly, an engineer. The U S, engineers need accreditation and re-accredited after every 2 to 3 years. The least instructive prerequisite for a locomotive engineer is at least a high school diploma or its equivalent, two years college and another two years of public contact experience. Potential engineers should be at 21 years and above of age and in good bodily condition, not have drug or alcohol addiction troubles. Most training for this profession is on the job, through a simulator experience, hands on instruction and combination of classroom lessons. Students must normally pass training class for a conductor before being permitted to begin the locomotive engineering program (Rajegopal, et al 189). Train engineer is needed with a federal license to drive passenger or freight locomotive. After the completion of training program for engineers, potential applicants pass a written exam that tests their knowledge of train operations and skills performance test. Licensed applicants are required to pass a vision and hearing test, a surprise operational test that measures engineers’ reaction to

Canadian v.s. American Healthcare System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Canadian v.s. American Healthcare System - Essay Example In Canada, the single layer healthcare system seems to deliver outcomes, which are more positive, explaining why members of the public have exhibited preferences for it. There is a salient need for both countries to provide their citizens with reliable access to quality health care as well as preventive health care services. However, the multi-layer healthcare system in the United States has presented certain disadvantages that serve as barriers to the delivery of quality health care and access to health care services when needed. On the other hand, the single layer system in Canada has received an appraisal for its fairness and efficiency, ensuring that all the citizens can have access to health care services. This paper will compare the Canadian healthcare system with the American health care system. The paper will place emphasis on the fact that the Canadian single layer system is more effective and has a more desirable outcome than the American health care system. There has been an increasing controversy over the increasing number of uninsured people in the United States. The American government seeks to develop strategies for reducing the number of uninsured people and ensuring that every American has access to quality health care. However, the reforms made in the healthcare sector do not match the efficiency presented by the Canadian single-tier health care system. The United States operates on a multi-layer healthcare system. The multi-layer healthcare system depends entirely on employment. Only some layers of the healthcare system are government sponsored. The greatest providers of health care insurance in the United States are private companies. Many critics have described the American health care insurance system as privately owned. On the other hand, the Canadian health care system is publicly owned. A close analysis of the Canadian system reveals that it is a universal insurance coverage offered by provincial health insurance plans. B oth the federal

Psychological review Essay Example for Free

Psychological review Essay This interesting movie had many twist and turns that always kept you on the edge of your seat. The mysterious ending could have been interrupted in a variety of different views depending on the person watching the movie. The psychological role of the movie was tremendous, with patients ranging from paranoid schizophrenia to multiple personality disorders. The patients in the Manhattan Institute are suffering from various different disorders. The patient Prot was a delusional person that also suffered from PTSD. He thinks he’s from another planet, and many other of the patients are starting to believe him. Bess is another patient that is in a state of depression called paraiod schizophrenia and psychotic depression. Maria is a patient that is suffering from Multiple Personality Order. Her personalities vary form one to another. Howie is a patient that is on tranquilizers, and he has a desire for perfection. He spends most his time reading dictionaries and encyclopedias which enables him in his mind to speak without any mistakes. Prot is to be said from another planet, K-Pax. The evidence that is supporting his statement would be numerous events in the movie. First, he gave an entire map of his solar system and the exact coordinates. It was an amazing discovery that no other astronomer has yet discovered in our time. Next would be when the scientist said that Prot could see ultraviolet light, no human being can see this light. Also when Prot talked to the doctor’s dog about the kids sneaking up on the dog that the dog did not like that and the dog told him that which he talked to the kids about not sneaking up on the dog from the left side because he was hard of hearing in that ear. Prot said that he was going on a trip to Iceland and Greenland. The doctor didn’t believe him but Prot was missing for a couple of days. When he said he was going back to his planet at that exact time and date, a light came into the room and messed up all the security systems. Also Bess was missing because he said he was going to take one person back with him. After this incident Prot didn’t have to wear his sunglasses, and didn’t talk at all. All of the other patients didn’t recognize him at all. Also where Robert Potter lived near Roswell, New Mexico, which is a place where aliens have been spotted. Also after Robert killed the rapist and murderer he went down to kill himself in the river. The movie never really gives you the exact answer you are looking for as far as if he was an alien or not, it leaves the viewer to determine their own answer. All in All, k-pax is still one of my favorite movies just because of the psychological elements behind it.

Impact of E-Technology on E-Learning

Impact of E-Technology on E-Learning Table of Contents (Jump to) Introduction Application Core Technology Competitors and Market data Future trends and Conclusion References and Bibliography Introduction The term Electronic-Technology (Also referred to Information Communication Technology) or E-Technology originates from the fact that most of these technologies are electronically facilitated. E-Technology has become a commonplace entity in all aspects of life (Carr, 2003). Across the past twenty years the use of E-Technology has fundamentally changed the practices and procedures of nearly all forms of endeavour within business and governance (Oliver, 2002). Every organisation is looking to use the numerous advantages offered by these new evolving technologies and enhance their organisational prospects, be it business houses (E-commerce), banks (E-banking), educational institutions (E-learning, E-Training) etc. For the purpose of this report we will concentrate on the educational use of E-technology in the form of E-Learning. People have always had a need to learn from people who aren’t in their immediate vicinity (Dede, 1995). In the early days, for example, guilds provided opportunities to be trained by skillful teachers and learn from experts. People traveled great distances to learn from the best. Today’s technologies allow us to do similar sharing but at a distance. Early models of such learning were known as correspondence study and were text-based because books and paper were the technology that was available at the time. As technologies change and expand, the options for learning expand with them. Because of the ongoing technological evolution and progress, it can and will be harnessed for learning. These new technologies that can be used for learning purposes are collectively better know as E-Learning technologies. There seems to be no agreement on a unified view on the definition of e-learning as per the literature. The author of this report will use the definition of e-learning as proposed by NCSA: â€Å"E-learning is the acquisition and use of knowledge distributed and facilitated primarily by electronic means. This form of learning currently depends on networks and computers but will likely evolve into systems consisting of a variety of channels (e.g., wireless, satellite), and technologies (e.g., cellular phones, PDA’s) as they are developed and adopted. E-learning can take the form of courses as well as modules and smaller learning objects. E-learning may incorporate synchronous or asynchronous access and may be distributed geographically with varied limits of time.† (NCSA, 2000) Applications A growing body of research supports that E-learning technologies, if appropriately used in the classroom, may allow students to create knowledge in a creative way by giving them opportunities to explore, interact, problem solve, and collaborate (Clarkson et al, 1999). Kirschner and Selinger (2003. p.6) elaborates by mentioning that these technologies offer the potential to: meet the learning needs of individual students; to promote equality of opportunity; to offer high-quality learning materials; and to increase self-efficacy and independence of learning amongst students of all ages. In the U.K., the Department of Education and Employment (DfEE) now known as Department for Education and Skills (DfES), believes that ICT can provide new levels of learning support and mentioned that: â€Å"We believe the ambitious and imaginative use of technology will be a central element in improving personalisation and choice across the system† (DfES, 2004, p.88). Some of the widely used appl ications of E-Technology in the form E-Learning in an educational setting are given below. Data – logging and Graphing: In data-logging activities, learners need only to make decisions about what parameter to measure, in a suitably designed experiment, and to select the appro ­priate sensor, to be able to record high-quality data. Bartons (1997) comparative study of graphing using computer and non-computer methods has highlighted the flexibility afforded by the computer approach. Real-time plotting has time advantages over manual methods, in particular in encourag ­ing pupils to focus on trends and patterns rather than individual data items. Spreadsheets and other types of software that provide graphing facilities enable pupils to explore the presentation of data in different graphical forms, and to look for trends and patterns in data. Obtaining and transmitting knowledge: The facility of computers to archive large quantities of information and to permit its ready retrieval was of potential educational benefit for conveying knowledge. Software that is designed to exploit these properties includes multimedia resources such as CD-ROM (O’Bannon, 1997) and web-based materials accessed through internet browsers . Presenting and reporting: The presentational tools provided by word processing, desktop publishing, web-based and other specialized presentation software offer pupils powerful tools for presenting and sharing their ideas with others. As well as deciding what information they may wish to report, pupils can decide on styles and formats for presenting their ideas. This allows for a degree of creativity and exploration in the search for the most appropriate and effective format. We believe that the creative processes involved in producing reports and presentations help pupils to develop and secure their understanding of science. Core Technology E-learning technologies are available in a variety of types and forms. Electronic learning has existed before the Internet came into existence. It was known as computer-based training (CBT), where training materials, some were even interactive, were stored in floppy disks and later in CD-ROMs (Schittek et al, 2001). The CD-ROM version still exists today. The current Web-based form of E-learning is merely an enhanced version, capitalising on the latest computer technologies to incorporate the capability of multimedia and global accessibility of the Web. The technologies could include hardware (e.g. computers and other devices); software applications; and connectivity (e.g. access to the internet, local networking infrastructure and video conferencing) (Toomey, 2001). The capacity of these new technologies to support learning in a creative way through experience of simulations, problem solving, investigating and handling information is considerable. With E-Learning, there is opportunity for high level interaction among students, the lecturers and the computer-mediated material. Teaching is flexible because as it can be conducted synchronously or asynchronously, contact is dynamic and can be as variable as the student or the lecturer desires and communication can take place through a variety of modes, such as email, chat, bulletin boards, etc all facilitated by the computer this can be viewed as distributed learning. It is general knowledge that the most widely used of the E-learning tools in the education sector is electronic communication tool (Email). Academic teaching staffs are making themselves available for 24 through the use of email and bulletin boards. Bates (2000) notes that the use of electronic communication for most lecturers actually increases their contact with students, which can be very beneficial for the students. Lecture notes and other teaching resources are placed on the internet for students to access, and linking useful web sites to these resources enables students to navigate through relevant resources. Academic staff also employs published classroom resources that are directly linked to the internet. Learning or Course management systems are used to create an online environment which houses a multitude of resources – such as course outlines, listed resources, internal email, bulletin boards, discussion forums, synchronous communication and so on. Presentation soft ware’s (PowerPoint etc) are also being widely used to enhance classroom teaching. Compared to preparing a â€Å"Chalk and talk† lecture, the preparation of appropriate presentation software requires more time although it may save time in comparison to preparation of detailed overhead transparencies. However, if one has to concur on a single technology that has resulted in the exponential growth of E-learning, it has to be the internet. The World Wide Web has made it possible for people to access primary sources of information on demand. Mastery of this tool has become essential in order to gain access to an ever-growing body of recent and up-to-date knowledge available electronically. The rate of job change has also caused a rethinking of the skills required for lifelong learning, such as skilful use of ICT. The potential is there for these new technologies to attract a more competitive market, thus making the institution a more financial and viable entity (Bates, 2000). Competitors and Market Data Government along with Industry leaders have identified the potential of E-Learning and this is clearly evident from the amount of investment made governments and the companies. For example the UK government has, â€Å"Programmes to invest an additional  £81m over three years awarded from HEFCE and HEFCW have been earmarked to support central objectives of the DfES’s E-strategy, the Science and Innovation Investment Framework: 2004 – 2014, and ‘Reaching Higher’, the Welsh Assembly Government’s strategy for the higher education sector† (JISC, 2006). The following figure shows the amount that has been set aside for E-learning which is an around 20% increase from the previous investment. The industry is not left far behind either. Organisations view learning increasingly as a competitive advantage rather than just another cost factor (Urdan Weggen, 2000). The industry is to a greater extent divided in two major groups. One that provides centralised learning management systems (LMS) with the most commonly used applications and the other group of companies are the ones who provide bespoke E-learning systems as per the requirements of their clients. The ability to sustain and compete in this growingly competitive market is evident from the increasing number of mergers that we have seen in the past few years especially in the LMS sector. The following table shows a recent market state after the mergers and comprise of the big players in the LMS or E-learning sector. Even though the bespoke E-learning market is growing every day the companies are not as big as the LMS vendors. However, this is a positive sign and it enables small sized organisations to integrate affordable E-Learning solution into their business provided by these companies rather then the ones provided by the LMS vendors which are hugely expensive. Commercial and social impact There is absolutely no doubt that these E-Learning technologies are having a massive impact at commercial as well as social level. Some of them are mentioned below: Online Social Communities – The asynchronous and synchronous communication ability of E-Learning systems has enabled institutions to cater for a variety of users by removing the barriers of time and distance. Users who are normally geographically disadvantaged have access to a variety of educational resources not usually at their disposal (Bates, 2000). This, in a way has lead to the evolution of online social networks (‘Myspace’, ‘second life’ etc). These networks are having an enormous social impact on the society in a positive way to a greater extent. Social networks are playing a instrumental role in learning environments as a major conduit of resource and knowledge exchanges (Cho, Stefanone, Gay, 2002) and as a source of social support and socialisation for distributed learners (Haythornthwaite, 2002). There are abundant discussions emphasising the value and the impact of social networks in the studies of organisational learning (Nahapiet Ghosh al, 1998), knowledge management (Cohen Prusak, 2001), and distance learning (Haythornthwaite, 2002). Pedagogical Improvement and staff renewal – Teaching staff are able to preset information using a variety of tools in order to better relate to the content to the concrete realities of a given field of study. Innovative hands-on learning experiences are also made possible for students through computer simulation software. Asynchronous communication technologies are used outside the classroom to enrich classroom learning through discussion groups, mentoring and coaching (Burg Thomas, 1998). The challenge of teaching with ICT has led to revitalizing teaching practice for academic staff (Bates, 2000). Cost-effectiveness – According to Chute, Thompson and Hancock (1999) the potential financial savings associated with E-learning can be significant when compared to traditional methods. E-Learning can improve the cost-effectiveness of the operation of educational institutions in variety of ways. One way is by the ability to reach different students and in greater numbers. Academic teaching staff can be freed from many routine activities by replacing certain activities with appropriate technology (Deden Carter, 1996). Leading firms such as CISCO, Motorola, IBM and Ford are already reaping benefits associated with E-learning with some of them having cutting costs in the range of a whooping 30 to 50 percent (Greengard, 1999). Future Trends and Bibliography Although the growth of E-Learning is considerable there are those who are sceptical about its potential. Cuban (2001) argues that although governments are spending substantial sums of money to develop and implement educational policy to fund E-learning; research reveals that these new technologies are often oversold and underused (Cuban 2001, cited in Kirschner and Wopereis 2003). Also, with respect to E-Learning being a driving force behind educational innovation and reform, research indicates that the role of E-Learning is not as profound as one would expect (Kirschner and Wopereis 2003, p. 107). This may be because ICT is too often used as a modern and efficient substitute for existing learning and teaching materials and seldom as a vehicle for innovation and transformation of education (Kirschner et al 1995, cited in Kirschner and Wopereis 2003, p. 107). This has prompted the government to shift its attention from technology to pedagogy as shown below. Whether or not someone is keen on using technology for learning, the fact is that it’s here to stay. Technology has become an essential way to handle the education, training, and retraining needs of an expanding knowledge society. According to a recent report on job skills, 50 percent of all employee skills become outdated in three to five years. In addition, experts say the percentage of jobs that fit into the category of â€Å"knowledge workers† is rapidly increasing (Moe Blodgett, 2000). Even jobs that were traditionally thought to require fewer skills, such as retail sales, now commonly require computer skills and the ability to keep pace with product changes. Many blue-collar workers regularly use computers and databases in their work. We simply don’t have the capacity to support today’s educational and training needs by using traditional methods alone. References Barton, R. (1997). ‘Computer aided graphing: a comparative study.’ Journal of Information Technology for teacher education. 6(1), 59-72. Bates, A. W. (2000). Managing technological change Strategies for college and university leaders. San Fransisco: Jossey Bass. Burg, Jennifer J., and Thomas, Stan J. Computers Across Campus. Communications of the ACM 41, 1 (Jan. 1998), 22-25. Carr, N.G., (2003). IT doesn’t matter. Harvard Business Review cited by McCredie, J., 2003. Does IT matter to higher education? Educause Review 38 (6), 14–22. Cho, H. Stefanone, M. and Gay, G. (2002), Social information sharing in a CSCL community, Proceedings of 2002 ACM CSCL conference, Lawrence Elbaum Associates, Boulder, USA (2002), pp. 43–53 Chute, A,G., Thompson, M. M., Hancock, B W. (1999). The McGraw-Hill handbook of distance learning. New York: McGraw-Hill. Clarkson P, Dunbar A, and Toomey R (1999) Whole School Reform and the use of ICT. An evaluation of the Navigator Schools Project (Cited in Toomey R (2001) Information and Communication Technology for Teaching and Learning. Schooling Issues Digest 2. Canberra: Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs.) Cohen, D. and Prusak, L. (2001) In good company: how social capital makes organisations work, Harvard Business Press, MA, Boston (2001). Dede, C (1995). The Transformation of Distance Education to Distributed Learning. [Online] Available http://www.hbg.psu.edu/bsed/intro/docs/distlearn/ [Accessed on 06/02/2007] Deden, A. Carter, V. (1996). Using technology to enhance students skills. New Directions for Higher Education, 96, 81-92. DfES (2003) ‘Fulfilling the Potential’ Transforming teaching and learning through ICT in schools, available at http://www.dfes.gov.uk DfES (2004), Five Year Strategy for Children and Learners, July 2004. http://www.dfes.gov.uk/publications/5yearstrategy/docs/DfES5Yearstrategy1.rtf DfFE (1998) Teaching: High Status. High Standards. Requirements for courses of Initial Teacher Training. Annex B: Initial Teacher Training National Curriculum for the use of Information and. Communications Technology in Subject Teaching (quoted in Pachier N (1999) Theories of Learning and ICT in Leask M and Pachler N (eci) (i 999) Learning to Teach using ICT in the Secondary school New York: Routledge. Greengard, S. (1999). Web-based training yields maximum returns. Workforce, 78(2), 95-96. Haythornthwaite, C. (2002) Building social networks via computer networks: Creating and sustaining distributed learning communities. In: K.A. Renninger and W. Shumar, Editors, Building virtual communities: learning and change in cyberspace, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (2002), pp. 159–190. JISC, (2006), Annual Review of Joint Information Systems Committee, UK, Available at http://www.jisc.ac.uk/publications/publications/pub_ar06.aspx [Accessed on 07/02/07] Kirschner P and Selingcr M (2003) The state of affairs of Teacher education with respect to Information and Communication Technology Technology Pedagogy and Education 12 / J / pp. 5-1 Kirschner P, Hermans H J and De Wolf H C (1995) Onderwijsvernieuwing en Informatie Technologie (Educational Reform and Information Technology) (Cited in Kirschner P and Wopereis I (2003) Mind tools for teacher communities: a European perspective Technology Pedagogy and Education 12 (I) pp. 105-124. NCSA (2000), e-learning – A review of literature, National Center for Supercomputing Applications, Available at learning.ncsa.uiuc.edu/papers/elearnlit.pdf, [Accessed on 08/02/07] OBannon, B. (1997) CD-Rom Integration peaks student interest in inquiry Computers in the Schools 13 (3/4) pp. 127-134. Oliver, R. (2002). The role of ICT in higher education for the 21st century: ICT as a change agent for education. Available online at: http://elrond.scam.ecu.edu.au/oliver/2002/he21.pdf. Accessed [08/02/07] Schittek M, Mattheos N, Lyon HC, Attstrom R. (2001) Computer assisted learning. A review. Eur J Dent Educ. 2001 Aug;5(3):93-100. Toomey, R. (2001). Information and Communication Technology for Teaching and Learning. Schooling Issues Digest 2. Canberra: Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs. Urdan, T. A., Weggen C. C. (2000). Corporate e-learning: Exploring a new frontier. WR Hambrecht Co.

Unethical Act Among Contractors: Class F in Selangor

Unethical Act Among Contractors: Class F in Selangor 1.0 INTRODUCTION Contractors are the independent entity that agree to construct certain number or quantity of goods, material, equipment personnel ,or services that meet the requirement of specifications at a mutually price with a specific timeframe with another independent entity call contractee or project owner (Oxford Times). All contractors are rated Class F are Bumiputera. According to Article (160(2)) the concept of a bumiputra ethnic group in Malaysia was coined by activist Tunku Abdul Rahman. It recognized the special position of the Malays provided in the Federal Constitution of Malaysia, in particular Article 153. But, the constitution does not use the term bumiputra; it defines only Malay and aborigine (Article 160(2)).This means that the contractor is Class F Bumiputera contractors and do not need to apply for Recognition of Bumiputera. According to PKK (Pusat Khidmat Kontractor) until 26th June 2010 there are 4210 registered class F contractors in Selangor. A countrys economic system, irrespective construction industry plays a role in, construction industry plays a substantial role in a countrys national economic system (Zantanidis Tsiotras, 1998). Indeed, this sector is an important employer of a nations workforce as it employs between 2% to 10% of total workforce of most countries (Abdul Rashid Hassan, 2005). Malaysia has gained an impressive economic growth during the last three decades (Abdul Rahman et al, 2005) and this sector has employed an estimated 798,200 workforce nationwide in 2004 (CIDB, 2006). The Malaysian Government has given a much needed boost to the countrys construction industry under the 9th Malaysian Plan where a total of 880 projects worth RM15billion is to be tendered (The Star, 2006). It should be foregrounded that the issue of poor quality in the construction sector has, nevertheless. been identified as a major concern even as far back as the mid 1980s (The Star, 2006). Generally, it is a rule that constructi on projects must be completed within the planned cost, scheduled time and required quality. Quality may sometimes be ignored in this industry to cut the costs or to shorten the project time (Turk, 2006). To deal with the low quality problem faced by the industry, quality management is seen as an approach to achieve the required level of quality of the end product and has been given great attention worldwide over the past three decades (Hiyassat, 2000; Berawi and Woodhead, 2005). However, there is a perception that majority of quality related issues are caused by human factor. In response to that perception, a study was performed to look into the relationship between professional ethics among participants of construction sector and the quality related issues in Malaysian construction sector. It should be noted that for this purpose of survey, contractors and clients are regarded as professions and they are required to demonstrate a high degree of professionalism in performing their t ask, in response to the Governments effort who has introduced the National Integrity Plan to enhance integrity and ethics in the nation. Unethical acts of fraud, waste, abuse, and corrupt practices are what receive prominent treatment in the media worldwide. Such as inappropriate gifts, unauthorized payments, and fiscal infractions are the unethical act problems most noted. The Conference Board in New York reported that the above issues have widespread agreement on each of these issues as being a serious concern among the leaders of the free world, including those in the United States, Canada, Japan, and Australia. Due to the increased of public awareness toward the contractor unethical acts and also decreased of public tolerance for wrong-doing, it is important for contractor to focus specifically on the question of how professional ethics should be incorporated into awareness of individual to make sure every projects should be completed as standard. The ethical statement can describe the act was right or wrong, or act with a right or wrong which it can provide a line of distinction between good and evil of the act or the tendency of a person or at least it can develop guidelines that can be made with various moral considerations(J.L Mackie, 1971). Ethical act are very important because it use to determine the thoughts, actions and behavior of members of the organization to fulfill their responsibility and trust as an employee. It is also to create statements and coordination between the contractors as a key institution for national development. Ethical act also important to maintain and improve client confidence in the organization, 84% of FMIs respondents said that theyve seen an unethical act committed in the construction industry in the past year is an alarming statistic. Contractors, can take little comfort in the probability that incidence of unethical behavior is just as high in other industries these days. FMI had offer f our solution and one of the solutions is to stiffer the penalties for those caught in unethical or illegal acts is the least likely to succeed. Secondly, the FMI had suggest to develop an industry-wide code of ethics which these codes of ethics need to be enforced in every country. A less formal but corollary solution would hit closer to home. Companies should place more emphasis on social responsibility in their dealings with other firms. This approach is easier said than done, of course, although a few respondents in the survey say they have walked away from projects or companies and suffered short-term consequences as a result. They did not indicate, however, that they regretted their decisions in the long term. Training in ethical conduct is the fourth solution, and its the one that holds the most promise as long as it is coupled with commitment to these practices from the top ranks of any construction company. The FMI report states that unethical acts can signal a failure of management to know how to get the job done the right way. 1.2 Problem statement Due to many issues in our country regarding construction industry that lead to the unethical act by the contractors in running the projects such as the issue on the Kuala Lumpur Middle Ring Road 2( MRR2 ), Matrade building and also the issue on the Navy Recruit Center. If this ethical issue still going on in our construction industry, it will affect our construction quality. According to the Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu, more than 18,000 contractors and sub-contractors were either paid late or have yet to receive payment for completed work totaling RM23.7billion since 2000. This is a very huge sum, about 14% of the allocation for development projects under the 9th Malaysia Plan. The Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) had carried out a six-month survey on 330 contractors, in which 273 cases of payment problems involving RM877.8mil were reported. Another example for the issue in Malaysian construction industry is the Plaza Rakyats project. The government will iss ue a warning notice to the Plaza Rakyat project contractors to continue the project as early as next week, initially, and if defaults, the tender will be forfeited. Minister of Federal Territory and Welfare Commissioner, Datuk Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin said, a notice will be given to contractors in a week or two so that they continue construction work. 1.3 AIM AND OBJECTIVES OF THE RESEARCH. The aim of this research as far as the unethical act among contractors class F in Selangor is concerned, is to identify the effect in the construction quality. These main objectives are broken down to more specific objectives in order to better understand the topic at hand. To achieve the desired aim of the research, there are some of the objectives had been choose for this research. Objectives for this research are: Assess the level of professional ethical standards and its practice in the Selangor construction industry, To identify the problems associated to unethical acts in construction industry Determine the role of professional ethics in improving quality management in construction industry. 1.4 Organization of Study Chapter 1 introduces the research topic. It discussed about the unethical acts, definition of contractor, definition of bumiputera, issue related to unethical acts in construction industry problem statement and the objectives that initiated this study. Chapter 2 involves the extensive review of literature relating to the relevant topic of the subject matter of research including the professional ethic and relationship between ethic and construction. Chapter 3 discussed the methodology used in this study. It includes the developed hypothesis and data collection methods. It also includes a brief explanation on the data analysis methods. Chapter 4 reports data analysis and findings of the survey obtained from the findings. Chapter 5 involves detail finding and discussion on the result of survey base on the analysis. Chapter 6 present conclusions and recommendation based on the findings of the study. Key recommendation and their future prospect have been outlined which may assist in future plans to facilitate knowledge sharing plan in school. CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.0 Introduction In this chapter a great extent of literature of relevant concepts are being reviewed in order to get insight of and identify variables which have impact on the objectives of this research. The researches which are done by different scholars and researches will be reviewed. 2.1 Quality In Construction Industry Quality is a measure of excellence or a state of being free from defects, deficiencies, and significant variations, brought about by the strict and consistent adherence to measurable and verifiable standards to achieve uniformity of output that satisfies specific customer or user requirements. ISO 8402-1986 standard defines quality as the totality of features and characteristics of a product or service that bears its ability to satisfy stated or implied needs Since tribal chiefs, kings, and pharaohs ruled the issues of quality have already existed (Gitlow, 2005). In a project scenario, quality can be defined as meeting the legal, aesthetic (Arditi Gunaydin, 1997) and functional requirements of a project (Berawi, 2006). Customers nowadays place more emphasis on the quality of products rather than the price which was the major concern in the past. Hence, a rapid expansion of international competition in quality has occurred (Tsiotras Gotzamani, 1996; Abdul Rahman Berawi, 2002). In America, the professional societies have prepared codes of ethics since before early twentieth century. These have been incorporated to a greater or lesser degree into the regulatory laws of various countries. Such as The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) in the UK, they have a code of ethics incorporated into its standards of conduct and as for Canadian societies of professional engineers likewise have such codes of conduct as well (Bowen, P., R. Pearl and A. Akintoye. 2007). Mainly for practical and professional use, codes of ethics are developed for supplementing the building codes and other acts of law. These ethical aspects were considered based on mans natural morals (Darabarek Symotink, 1999). In terms of quality in construction industry, Turk (2006), citing Arditi Gunaydin (1999), mentioned that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"high quality building project includes factors like the design being easily understandable and applicable, conformity of design with specifications, economics of construction, ease of operation, ease of maintenance and energy efficiency. According to S. Fryer, Buro Happold, UK (2007), no matter how clever or elaborate the design of a structure is, any construction project will ultimately be judged on the quality of the finished product. Zantanidis Tsiotras (1998) and Abdul Rahman Berawi (2002) mentioned the expectations for quality construction projects will continue to grow rapidly as the number of affluent, educated and quality conscious customers are increasing. With the globalization of economy, construction firms worldwide are actively engaged to achieve internationally accepted quality levels to ensure their position in the emerging international market especially in those developing economies. Thus, the need to have a proper system that ensures quality is critical, coupled with high level of attention paid to quality management in construction industry (Abdul Rahman, Berawi, et al, 2006). Scholars indicate that quality management has been adopted by many countries in their construction industry including Hong Kong (Leung et al, 1999; Au Yu, 1999 and Tang Kam, 1999), Singapore (Low Omar, 1999 and Low Yeo, 1997), Greece (Tsiotras Gotzamani, 1996 and Zantanidis Tsiotras, 1998), Turkey (Turk, 2006), Jordan (Hiyassat, 2000), Saudi Arabia (Bubshait Al Atiq, 1999), Sweeden (Landin, 2000), United States (Chini Valdez, 2003), South Africa (Rwelamilla, 1995) and Malaysia (Chew Chai, 1996). As for Malaysia,we have the code of ethics for co ntractor which need to be followed by the contractors. In that code of ethic it emphasizes more about the level of professionalism, productivity, and quality. Excellence in the construction industry is very much determined by the level of efficiency, productivity, quality and professionalism in the delivery services. The delivery of construction services is connected directly or closely related integrity of the construction contractors in the performance responsibilities. This aspect has been dealt with when Construction Industry Master Plan (CIMP): 2006-2015 enacted. CIMP has given special emphasis on increasing productivity, image and professionalism in the construction industry as the strategic thrusts of this industry to greater high. For this purpose CIMP also has proposed legislation Code of ethics to further strengthen the practice of values and moral ethics among contractors in the country in implementation of construction works. Many developers were also fined for not confo rming to the Housing Development Act, including not preparing reports on schedule, especially work progress reports every six months (NST, 2010). This quality in our construction industry can be improved if everybody doing their part. For every developer, starting a new housing project is a new business. So, if they understand their responsibility as a developer and follow the agreement, they must complete the projects according to the dates set. According to Michael S. Poles, the quality of the construction can be control by competence supervision. It is the duty of the contractor to complete the work covered by his or her contract, in accordance with the approved plans and specifications. The contractor must carefully study the approved plans and specifications and should plan their schedule of operations well ahead of time. If at any time it is discovered that the work which is being done is not in accordance with the approved plans and specifications, the contractor should immed iately correct the work. In order to assure that the work being done is in accordance with the approved plans and specifications, the contractor must always supervise, and coordinate of all of the work that need to be completed. 2.2 Professional Ethic in Construction Industry Profession is an occupation that requires both advanced study and mastery of a specialized body of knowledge and undertaken to promote, ensure or safeguard some matter that significantly affects others well being (Vee Skitmore, 2003). Almost every profession has its codes of ethics to provide a framework for arriving at good ethical choices. Therefore, professional ethics is a system of norms to deal with both the morality and behavior of professionals in their day to day practice, and ascribes moral responsibility not to an individual, but to all professionals practicing in a particular profession. For the building and designing professions, the incalculable value of human life demands nothing less than the highest moral considerations from those who might risk it otherwise (Mason, 1998, cited in Vee Skitmore,2003). Professional ethics concerns the moral issues that arise because of the specialist knowledge that professionals attain, and how the use of this knowledge should be governed when providing a service to the public (Ruth Chadwick, 1998). The construction industry is a perfect environment for ethical dilemmas, with its low price mentality, fierce competition, and paper thin margin (FMI, 2006). Jordan (2005) stated that unethical behavior is taking a growing toll on the reputation of the industry. From a survey conducted by FMI, 63% of the respondents whom are the construction players feel that construction sector is tainted by unethical conducts (FMI, 2006). Surveys conducted by researchers in Australia (Vee Skitmore, 2003) and South Africa (Pearl et al, 2005) identified several unethical conducts and ethical dilemmas in the construction industry such as corruption, negligence, bribery, conflict of interest, bid cutting, under bidding, collusive tendering, cover pricing, frontloading, b id shopping, withdrawal of tender, and payment game. It is evident that there exist significant areas of concern pertaining to the ethical conducts practiced by the construction professionals. There are many other efforts taken to increase the ethical standards and integrity among the professionals in construction sectors worldwide. According to Pearl et al (2005), the regulatory professional Acts relating to the built environment professional sector in South Africa were totally overhauled in the late 1990s and a new suite of professional Acts were promulgated in 2000 to enhance the professionalism. Meanwhile, in America, the Construction Management Association of America (CMAA) has updated its code of ethics to include a wider range of professional services as well as professional services among construction players (CMAA, 2006). A Standard of Professional Conduct to govern the ethical practices in the American civil engineering profession was published by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE, 2007). On the other  hand, Australia has their own codes of tendering to enhance fairness and transparency (Ray, 1997). In Malaysia, the government is very serious about improving ethics in both public and private sector. For instance, the construction industry has introduced codes of ethics for contractors to encourage self regulation among the contractor in this sector (The Star, 2006). Stakeholders of construction projects were asked to enforce the existing code of ethics to safeguard the engineers good name (The Star, 2006). The Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) of Malaysia also host integrity courses for contractors to promote the importance of integrity and plans to make the course as a pre9requisite for contractors when renewing their registration (The Star, 2006). Finally, the launching of the Construction Industry Master Plan (CIMP) by CIDB in 2004 also had in the master plan an objective to enhance professional ethics in the local construction industry (Construction Industry Master Plan 2006 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" 2015). According to Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha, 1,345 developers and more than 5,000 directors of such companies involved in problematic projects have been blacklisted because they abandoned housing projects and also those that were not completed on schedule. They are not only been blacklisted, they also fined for not conforming to the Housing Development Act, including not preparing reports on schedule, especially work progress reports every six months(NST 2010). 2.3 Relationship between Professional Ethic and Quality Related Issues Besterfield et al (2003) mentioned quality is dependent on ethical behavior, whereby quality and ethics have a common care premise which is to do right things right and it is a proven way to reduce costs, improve competitiveness, and create customer satisfaction. It is evident that low  ethical standards among construction professional will lead to quality problem. These issues were highlighted in the media and received great concern of public (Fleddermann, 2004; NST, 2004; and RTM, 2006). As an example, the ethical related case in the construction industry was the collapse of the Hyatt Regency Kansas City walkways (Fleddermann, 2004). It is a hotel project in 1970s with walkways suspended over the large atrium. With the intention to save the cost, the subcontractor for the fabrication and erection of atrium steel suggested changes in the structure and it was approved by the consulting structural engineer. During the construction, part of the atrium collapsed and the engineer came out with the report saying that the design was safe and ready to be opened for business in 1980. The tragedy happened one year after the completion of the project during a dancing party in the atrium lobby. Some of the walkways on which people were dancing collapsed onto the crowded atrium floor, leaving more than a hundred people died and almost two hundred injuries. Investigation was then conducted by the Missouri Board of Architects, Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors reported that the original design was only marginally acceptable to the Kansas City building code where the walkways would only have had approximately 60% of the capacity required by the code. The situation was even worse in the new design proposed by the steel subcontractor and approved by the engineer. The consultant was found negligence in its investigation of the atrium collapse and places too much reliance on the subcontractor. Therefore, the engineer has been charged for negligence, incompetence, and misconduct. Both the engineer and the consultant firm lose license of practicing. This case strongly indicates that unethical behaviour will lead to quality problems and structural failures. In Malaysia, as an example, a newly opened specialist hospital in Johor Bahru was closed due to fungi attack on the equipments and walls (RTM 2006). It was found that many of the hospitals equipments such as oxygen piping and sewerage system are not according to the specifications. This clearly shows the poor ethics of the contractor who failed to do right things right. The contractor was given three months to rectify problems including leaking pipes, broken ceilings and faulty air conditioning ducts (NST, 2004). Another substandard quality of construction project in Malaysia is the RM238 million Middle Ring Road Two (MRR2) flyover which was closed to traffic after cracks were found in 31 pillars and structural movements were detected (The Sun, 2004). The Government engaged an independent consultant from the United Kingdom to investigate the defects. The independent consultant identified that design deficiencies and improper anchoring of the columns to the crossbeam were the main cau se of the cracks (NST, 2004). Design deficiency is found to be a negligence on the design team and the repair works was then carried out at an estimated cost of RM20 million. Contractors confront dozens of issues, many of which have substantial impact on their own self or organization, as well as others involved in the project. Many decisions have a straight forward answer determined by contract language or budget. Some, however, require entering an indistinct gray zone where the contractor must use best judgment to devise a course of action. Ethical questions raised include: what happens when professional codes and regulations lag behind technological innovations; what precautions must engineers take when trying to balance the benefits, new technologies bring against risks to public safety, often associated with engineering innovation and what are engineering and corporate responsibilities to the public for failed innovation; and should he hold then payments for the benefit of his organization. Often these challenges are managed with little or no preparation or formal guidelines and sometimes with negative results. Engineering ethics is attracting interest in colleges of engineering throughout the world. Therefore, the new technology must address the human being as its central subject and has to be introduced by ethics (Cywinski, Z. 2001). The construction of the new national palace at Jalan Duta, Kuala Lumpur has doubled in a period of four years from RM400 million to RM 811 million. Contracts for the construction were awarded to three companies through direct negotiations instead of open tenders ( NST 2003). Government will focus on overcoming the problem `leakage of tenders in the Ninth Malaysia Plan (RMK-9) are exploring the possibility of tightening conditions of the application to the contractor class F. Entrepreneur and Cooperative Development Minister Datuk Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the conditions were studied for class F contractors license applican t is to ensure that applicants undergo interview, examination, has offices and operations background of the net. The number of contractors has increased dramatically recently that 46.983 of the contractors registered with the Contractor Service Centre (PKK) in the country. Of the total, 35,544 are Class F contractors. The contractors will face intense competition in seeking jobs or contracts, and more disturbing is the number of contractors that own more than the number of contracts offered, especially from the government. CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3.0 Introduction This section describes the methodology used in conducting this research. It starts by describing the sample selection, research design, variables and hypothesis and continues with the description of the methods of data collection and data analysis. Finally, some of the limitations and key assumption of the findings are described. Primary source were used to collect data from the sample to assess the perception of respondents toward knowledge management and knowledge sharing, the school culture and work environment, individual barriers and organization barriers toward knowledge sharing. The selected data was tested and conclusions were drawn. There are 6 procedures used in completing this study. First, a review of literature was conducted. The review was focused on the emergence of knowledge economy and knowledge management. Then the roles of knowledge sharing were discussed. A further potential barrier toward knowledge sharing was reviewed. Variable which has affected on knowledge sharing was also discussed. The review of literature served as a frame work for the study, and offered contrasting opinions of the authors. Second, a rough draft of the survey instrument and possible methods of testing and assessment of variables was done. A questionnaire was tested and validated before implementation reviewed for preventing any bias and avoiding errors. Questionnaire survey is the main research methodology used to achieve the research objectives. Five hundred (500) sets of questionnaires were distributed to targeted respondents in Selangor state by post ,via the internet , by hand. Targeted respondents ranging from consultant firms and contractor personnel within Selangor area .To ensure the reliability of the questionnaire survey, the sample size taken was then compared to match with the sample size recommended by Krejcie and Morgan (Sekaran, 2000: 295). Third, a survey was implemented. Questionnaire was sent to the list of all class F contractors which registered under PKK within Selangor area. Fourth, the result of the survey was assessed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) 15.0 software. The result were tested and presented with illustration. Scores were converted into percentage rating and presented in graphical format using excel 2003. Fifth, the conclusion was driven from data analysis and findings. Important points were highlighted and recommendations were given. Research Design The research was designed to explore the unethical acts among contractors regarding the issue on the construction quality in Selangor. The data produced from the research was then analyzed so that the following objective could be achieved. The stated hypothesis could be tested and further recommendations could be made with regard to specific focus of this research. To identify areas for further, and more specific areas of research Quantitative method utilizing survey method is used for gathering information. Variables Variables are classified into three groups including dependent variables, moderate variables and independent variables. Dependent Variable Unethical act is considered as dependent variable Independent Variable Contractors and construction quality are considered as independent variables. Data Collection A comprehensive literature review and self administered questionnaire were used to provide an insight to the study. These instruments provide informative ideas on the possible issued experienced by factors affecting perception of respondents about unethical acts will effected the construction quality The survey aimed is to target contractor class F in Selangor. The aimed was chosen because of two reasons. Firstly, there are too many contractors class F in Selangor. Secondly, the issues that involved contractor class F are more major in our construction industry and this give the author the possibility to sent the questionnaires to some contractor firm on one to one basis. The author would have preferred a larger sample of respondents to participate in the research, but due to limitation of time, this was not possible. The survey was aimed at the contractors class F in Selangor area. Data were collected from 500 contractors selected randomly from different firm and background. Questionnaire was send through mail and respondents were given three weeks to respond before they were send back to the author. 3. 4 Research Assumptions When conducting this study a number of assumptions have been made with regards to the literature reviewed and the respondent sample selected. These assumptions are identified as below. The secondary data collected from various resources have been assumed to be valid and based on the research done by authors. The secondary data has been assumed to present public interest as a whole and without any biases. The respondents have responded to the questionnaire without any biasness and to the best of their abilities. Instrumental Biases In administrating the questionnaire, there has been a significant degree of biasness that was exercised by researcher. The questionnaire was developed based on the respondents. This minimizes the respondent biasness to a certain level. Various scaling methods were utilized where appropriate to minimize biasness. Sample size Approximately 500 contractors were randomly selected from the target population of different firms. The simple random sampling method was utilized in this situation. This was to deter any sample biasness that could have distorted the result. The respondents samples of contractors were surveyed in the Selangor area. The contractors who responded came from various hierarchy levels of different firms. Scaling of Questionnaire In order in measure the operationally defined and elements of a variable, the rating scale has been used to elicit responses with regard to the person studied. A number of rating scales techniques and measurements were utilized when administrating questionnaire involving Category scale and Likert scale. Example: Category Scale What is your highest educational qualification? PHD degree Bs degree Ms degree Diploma/STPM Knowledge sharing is fully supported by school administrator. Extremely disagree/ Strongly disagree/ Disagree /Agree /Strongly Agree/Extremely A