Research Articles Base: Dissertation Topic

Information Security Law particularly data protection focus on Nigeria

The Data Protection Regime in Nigeria: Analysis and Comparison of the Nation’s Existing Laws of Information Security with International Standards   In the emergence of the internet and other online processes, a shift towards a new age has been introduced. Information has acquired ascendancy and considered as one of the most potent tool to date. This situations occasioned by social change have also triggered developments in commerce and trade. Activities, that were once believed to be done only through certain channels and by means of certain specific procedures, are now given the added elements of efficiency and effectiveness with the advent of online technologies. Collectively, these processes are deemed as “e-commerce.” As the term implies, business and other trading procedures are at play. This only implies that the legal coverage is similarly required. At some level, vast economies like that of UK and US have established their individual regimes in the protection of the private interests of the members of its civil society. However, similar developments have yet to be seen in developing and less-developed countries. In this regard, this dissertation will focus on the case of Nigeria. The said state has the reputation in the continent as one of the leading markets and users of e-commerce. However, it appears that there are vast rooms for development required in the information security laws in the state as it also infamous for certain online scams that cons people around the world. This dissertation will look into the aspects of information security laws and data protection procedures present in Nigeria.   Chapter 1 Problem and Its Background A.    Introduction B.     Background of the Topic C.    Aim and Objectives of the Dissertation D.    Plan of the Study E.     Rationale Supporting the Dissertation F.     Importance of the Study G.    Scope and Coverage Chapter 2 Literature Review A.   Introduction B.     E-Commerce C.    The Nigerian Experience: Favourable and Otherwise D.    Information Security and Data Protection E.     The Common Criteria for IT Security Evaluations (ISO 15408) F.     Standards for Information Security Management (ISO17799) G.    Synthesis Chapter 3 Method and Procedures A.   Introduction B.     Method Used C.    Tools For Research D.    Administration of the Research E.     Ethical Considerations Chapter 4 Presentation, Interpretation, and Analysis of the Data Chapter 5 Summary, Conclusion and Recommendations A.   Summary B.     Conclusion C.    Recommendation     Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

Information Security Law particularly data protection focus on Nigeria

The Data Protection Regime in Nigeria: Analysis and Comparison of the Nation’s Existing Laws of Information Security with Internationa...

TOPIC : How Government Policy Contributes to Social Inequality: How the introduction of employer-sponsored health insurance contributes to inequality particularly in the workforce

How Government Policy Contributes to Social Inequality: How the introduction of employer-sponsored health insurance contributes to inequality particularly in the workforce ¨        The government policy initiatives of the past 25 years with potential to affect economic and racial/ethnic disparities in health and health care; ·         How the economic benefits of government health-related expenditures are distributed among individuals by income, race/ethnicity, and family      structure/composition, and how this distribution has changed over time; ·         How the current system of employer-sponsored health insurance contributes to inequality; and ·         How different approaches to health care reform and the expansion of health insurance coverage are likely to affect social inequality.   Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

TOPIC : How Government Policy Contributes to Social Inequality: How the introduction of employer-sponsored health insurance contributes to inequality particularly in the workforce

How Government Policy Contributes to Social Inequality: How the introduction of employer-sponsored health insurance contributes to inequa...

Thesis Chapter 2 on The Practice of Public Relations in Lebanon

CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW     	 	Introduction 	The previous 	chapter introduced the study’s problem and purpose. The purpose of this 	chapter is to review the literature pertinent to the major variables of the 	study as expressed in the research questions. The first section reviews the 	literature related to the theoretical basis of the study.  The next section 	examines the debate between those who believe in the globalization of public 	relations practices and those who believe that a localized approach is more 	appropriate.    	 	Theoretical Perspective 	In searching for an appropriate theoretical perspective 	upon which to base this study, the researcher determined that Grunig & 	Hunt’s (1984) four models of communication is the most appropriate.    	Heibert (1992) asserted that the only theory that describes reality now is 	the pragmatic theory.  The “who says what to whom with what effect” model 	that started with Harold Lasswell in the 1940s is a simple model compared to 	today’s communication models, which are more sophisticated.  However, 	according to Heibert (1992), communication is not successful unless the 	message is effective.  Today’s communication models, though still calling 	for a circular process starting from a source through a medium to a 	receiver, include feedback as essential for the success of the communication 	process.  Heibert further provided support for pragmatic communication 	theory by quoting public relations practitioners stating that public 	relations is a “two-way street”, or a “two-way symmetric” process. 	Grunig and Hunt (1984) identified four typica1 models of 	public relations practice in North America. These models are press agentry, 	public information, two-way asymmetrical, and two-way symmetrical. Press 	agentry and public information are one-way models. They form a continuum of 	craft public relations, which ranges from propaganda (press agentry) on one 	end to journalism (public information) on the other. The two-way models make 	up a continuum of professional public relations, which ranges from 	persuasion on one end (two-way asymmetrical) to conflict management (two-way 	symmetrical) on the other. 	Craft public relations                          	Professional public relations 	Press agentry (propaganda)                 two-way 	asymmetrical (persuasion) 	Public information (journalism)          two-way 	symmetrical (conflict management) 	Press agentry and public information are not based on 	research and strategic planning. The press 	agentry model can be summarized as public relations programs aimed to get 	favorable publicity for an organization in the mass media, such as in 	publicity for sports, movie stars, products, politicians or even managers.  	The public information model is the dissemination of information through the 	mass media and controlled media such as newsletters, brochures and direct 	mail. 	The other two models are more professional, sophisticated 	and effective. The two-way asymmetrical model uses social science research 	to identify attitudes and to develop messages that appeal to those 	attitudes.  This model works when there is no conflict between the 	organization and the public.  When conflict arises, the two-way symmetrical 	model appears to be the most efficient model, because it assumes that both 	the organization and practitioner may change their behavior as a result of a 	communication program.  Grunig and Hunt’s research shows that the 	professional continuum, with emphasis on the symmetrical model, is the most 	effective practice for organizational public relations. 	It should be noted that in addition to these four models, 	another model was found in some countries that was not used in the United 	States.  Public relations firms operate on behalf of international clients 	in the United States by the personal influence model.  It is formed from 	former government officials who use their personal contacts to solicit good 	connections for the company.  Some of the disadvantages of this model are 	the unethical practices that are connected with manipulating personal 	contacts (Botan, 1992).  This model will not be considered in this study.   	 	Globalization versus Localization 	The Grunig and Hunt (1984) models appear to represent 	Northern American public relations.  These models have proven to be a 	realistic approach to study the practice of public relations.  They are also 	used and applied by researchers who study international public relations.  	Reagan, Summer and Hill (1992) tested the models in the state of Washington 	in the United States.  Ekachai and Komolsevin (1996) researched public 	relations in Thailand in relation to these models.  Grunig et al. (1995) 	used these models to study public relations in India, Greece and Taiwan.  	 	Vercic, Grunig, and Grunig (1996) argued that a normative 	model of global public relations could be relevant to not only Western 	cultures but also too non-Western cultures.  Some other public relations 	scholars suggested, however, that public relations should be culturally 	relevant (Banks, 1995; Botan, 1992; Epley, 1992; Reed, 1989). In the 	following sections, viewpoints advocating a global perspective versus a 	local perspective of public relations practice will be examined.   	 Advocates 	for Globalization 	Proponents of globalization believed in the ability to 	create a “global village”. According to a 1985 study, most U.S. companies 	are either doing business in a foreign market or are examining the 	possibility of establishing a presence in a location outside the United 	States.  Similarly, a survey of Chief Executive Officers revealed that 	global competition and globalization of operations were the greatest 	challenges facing firms in the 1990s (Fitzpatrick & Whillock, 1993).  Murphy 	(1996) stated that telecommunications are the major supporting factor in 	paving the way for globalization by building the global information 	infrastructure. 	In the area of public relations, Hiebert (1992) deemed 	old communication theories based on political ideologies “ridiculous” after 	the fall of the Soviet Union and advocated a global theory.   Hiebert 	believed that because of new communication technologies the public could not 	be forced to one point of view.  As noted previously, Hiebert believed in a 	pragmatic theory.  Unfortunately, Hiebert did not take a strong stand in 	supporting his theory.  This uncertainty led to the notion that this might 	be more a personal opinion more than an idea based on scholarly research 	(Bender & Druckrey, 1994). 	For decades, the U.S. dominated the practice of public 	relations.  However, Hirsch (1992) described how Turow and Carveth mapped 	out the change in institutional and economic environments since the 	explosion of domestic and international media acquisitions in the late 	1980s.  Major changes in the goals and strategies of the largest media 	corporations were made.  The first change was to define the audience more 	globally than locally.  Second, corporations sought projects with more 	public relations potential, for example, contracting with book authors for 	possible movies and a sound track.  	Carveth traced the decline of American media’s dominance 	through the lens of economics and business strategy.  The Australian 	publisher Rupert Murdoch dominated newspapers and television.  Polygram from 	Holland and Sony from Japan became two of the three largest American rock 	music-recording companies. 	Not only were other countries becoming involved in public 	relations to a greater degree, but also it appeared that principles of the 	practice of public relations were the same worldwide despite 	country-by-country differences in public relations focus.  Based on his 	personal travels to South America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and 	North America, Sharpe (1992) concluded that conflict shapes the face of 	public relations differently country by country, even though the principles 	as to what public relations is and can do remain the same worldwide.  Sharpe 	observed, “public relations can be practiced in a wide variety of cultures, 	not only in an American type of democracy” (p.103).  His strongest case was 	Nigeria, where he found that though Nigeria is very different from the 	United States, public relations practice was one of the most impressive.  	However, it must be noted that the British colonial background of Nigeria 	and the democracy that exists there is similar to American democracy.  Thus, 	the conclusion that public relations can be practiced the same worldwide 	based on Sharpe’s observations of Nigeria may be an erroneous one. 	 	A common characteristic of research on public relations 	and globalization is the dominance of qualitative research.  Another 	characteristic is the various perspectives of globalization.  Several 	researchers focused on public relations roles.  Wilson (1990) focused on 	issue management, noting that there are universal images and reputations 	that destroy an organization no matter where the company is located in the 	world.  Wilson asserted that the nature of the international operations and 	public relations efforts of multinational corporations made it too expensive 	for such organizations to be only concerned with local or national image 	within the U.S. or only the economically developed Western nations.  	According to Wilson,  “A multinational chemical company must be concerned 	with issues of pollution in all locales of operation and on a global level, 	not just from the perspective of dealing with political activists near its 	U.S. headquarters or using headquarters personnel to implement issues 	management in locations around the world” (p.50). 	D’Jaen (1998) was concerned with factors that help 	companies establish a strong corporate reputation and found that these 	factors are consistent across international borders.  As an illustration of 	the global nature of corporate reputations, she described a trip to Vietnam, 	where she noticed an old episode of the U.S. Oprah Winfrey television show 	being broadcast that featured a fast food chain controversy that had been 	resolved a year ago.  However, in Asia it was new information that was as 	damaging to the company’s reputation as it had been in the U.S. a year 	before.      	Roth et al. (1996) examined the existence of ethical 	values that are shared all over the world during their search for a 	universal code of ethics for the practice of international public 	relations.  The researchers argued that while not all public relations 	practitioners may agree to a specific code of ethics there might be 	agreement to a set of principles that contain enough ambiguity to allow for 	differing interpretations and practices.  Hunt and Tirpok proposed “to put 	forth a general code and let its interpretation and use suggest further 	refinements that will help adopt it to the nuances of the global 	community”.  Kruckeberg (1996) observed that “cultural relativism is not 	problematic for a universal ethics code” and that “globally . . . there is a 	plentitude of shared ethical values, and those which are within differing 	areas of moral taste can be discussed, universally accepted or negotiated” 	(p. 182).  	Gruban (1995) believed in the existence of generic 	principles in public relations that have been proven global and are 	therefore applicable to most cultures and political systems.  If these 	principles were employed with caution, he added, they could facilitate the 	transformation of political systems and social culture.  As noted 	previously, Sharpe (1992) contended public relations principles and roles 	are the same worldwide and, therefore, public relations can be globalized. 	Three major themes regarding the globalization 	perspective of public relations emerge in the literature.  First, the 	research purports that certain public relations principles are the same all 	over the world, particularly since the fall of the former Soviet Union 	(Hiebert, 1992).  Second, ethical values that organize the practice of 	public relations are shared even in different cultures (Hunt & Tirpok, 	Kruckeberg, 1996; Roth et al., 1996).  Third, globalization advocates agree 	that the world is heading towards becoming a “global village”.  Corporations 	are implementing issue management that is globally accepted and not just 	related to their national identity (Hirsh 1992; Wilson, 1990). 	There are, however, a number of researchers who are 	convinced that globalization in public relations can never succeed due to 	cultural differences and beliefs, not just with the West and the rest of the 	world but within countries (Banks, 1995; Botan, 1992; Taylor & Kent, 1999; 	Waisbord, 1998).   These proponents of localization believe that public 	relations should reflect cultural practices.  In the next section, the 	viewpoints of advocates of localization are discussed.    	 	Advocates for Localization 	 	Taylor and Kent (1999) found that many of the assumptions 	that guide Western theories of public relations and public relations 	practices are not applicable in other regions of the world.  Based on their 	case study on the practice of public relations in Malaysia, they found the 	Western assumption that the practice of public relations targets a variety 	of organizational publics was not true because in many developing nations 	government officials are more important than the general public in making 	public relations more effective.  Taylor and Kent (1999) maintained that to 	create theories and practices that can be followed on an international 	level, scholars should examine how theories developed.  For instance, 	American public relations theories have their roots in democracy and 	capitalism (Pearson, 1990).   European theories started with the social 	critic Max Weber (Nessmann, 1995). In Asia, eastern theology and hierarchic 	relationships formed public relations. 	Taylor (2000) conducted a case study of the reaction 	towards the Coca-Cola scare in Europe when children became ill from drinking 	Coca-Cola.  She found that national culture affects the behavior of the 	public toward threat and that countries with close cultures reacted in the 	same manner to the threat. Waisbord (1998) analyzed national and regional 	cultures in Latin America and concluded that, “the existence of a globally 	mediated public sphere is not synonymous with shared concerns, cultures, and 	identities.  While technology lessens distance and fuels new consciousness, 	identity-shaping entails a more complex process by which mass populations 	are mobilized and integrated and identities are created and maintained” (p. 	396).             	During fieldwork in Kuwait and the Gulf area, Wheeler (1998) discovered that 	“local cultural frameworks play an important and under recognized role in 	the kinds of practices that are enabled by networked communications and 	adaptations to the global economy” (p. 360).  Wheeler noted that the big 	difference between the West and the rest of the world is that the West 	monopolizes technology.  He posed the question, What about the countries 	that do not have satellites or complete free Internet without censorship.  	Western culture is rejected as imperialistic morally bankrupt and harmful to 	local identity.”  (p. 361).     	Sriramesh (1992) hypothesized that public relations 	variable that are currently known may not explain Indian public relations 	practice and thus emphasized the use of the ethnographic research 	methodology.  Though it has been over a decade since this research was 	conducted, Sriramesh’s findings are still relevant today for two reasons.  	First, because very little information was available regarding public 	relations in India, this research paved the way for further studies.  	Second, the finding on how societal culture affected public relations was 	well elaborated. 	Dwek (1995) found that European public relations style is 	different from the United States style. European public relations style does 	not have a universal approach to conducting press conferences.  Their press 	conferences take longer time than U.S. conferences because they demand more 	details and information to make their decisions.  Because of their lack of a 	universal language, European countries must print their press material in 	the national language and its local dialects.             	After a multi-year project of comparing approaches to public relations from 	around the world, Botan (1992) concluded that an international public 	relations is also intercultural public relations.  Botan discussed the need 	to understand the assumptions that shape public relations through the 	world.  Botan, citing Sattler (1981) noted that public relations in the U.S. 	originated from the media, especially journalism.  He also noted that while 	many African countries, for example, also trace their public relations 	practice to journalism and the media, their practices are not similar to 	those of the U.S.  Thus, Botan advocated localized rather than globalized 	public relations.                     	After consulting with 30 senior practitioners in international public 	relations, Epley (1992) concluded, “no matter how small the globe shrinks, 	it is still made up of many tiny segments each with its own unique culture, 	language, politics, and idiosyncrasies.  Global public relations are local 	public relations” (p. 112).   Epley’s study is relatively old and one has to 	be cautious in generalizing about such a small sample.  However, the 	findings have been cited in many newer studies and have applicability. 	As with research supporting globalization, 	research-supporting localization is also characterized by qualitative 	approaches.  Another characteristic of the localization approach is that it 	is more current.  Today’s public relations researchers are less interested 	in international public relations than they were in 1992 (Hiebert, 1992).  	 	In addition to being more current, localization research 	seems more focused and more integrated.  As evidenced in this review, a 	number of researchers have focused on cultural differences and case studies 	done all over the world, with two themes emerging.  The first is the 	tendency towards localization.  Clancy (2000) conducted qualitative 	interviews with senior executives, in which one executive, a vice president 	of a national e-commerce services company, stated, “localization is a large 	issue” (p. 28).  Another executive of another multimillion international 	e-commerce American company told Clancy that the company was receiving many 	orders from Japan.  As a result, the company had to launch a localized 	version of its website because of cultural differences between the American 	and Japanese credit card purchases over the Internet. The executive noted, 	“While many U.S. consumers are comfortable using credit cards, this is not 	the case in Japan” (p. 28). Although Clancy’s findings cannot be generalized 	because of the small sample of interviewees, they can be considered a good 	starting point for research on international marketing and consumers’ 	purchasing habits.  	As discussed previously, Dwek (1995) found differences in 	the practice of public relations even within similar cultures such as the 	United States and Europe. Taylor’s (2000) case study concluded that national 	cultures affect the behavior of the public to threats.  The existence of a 	globally mediated public sphere does not mean shared concerns, according to 	Waisbord (1998).  Botan (1992) observed that the uneven growth between 	nations is an obstacle in the way of globalizing the practice of public 	relations, further, even in countries where public relations had the same 	origin; different practices were detected (Botan, 1992).   	 	Conclusion 	In reviewing the literature on the practice of public 	relations in undeveloped countries that are similar to Lebanon in culture 	and economy, it appears public relations is practiced in these countries 	based on the press agentry and public information models rather than the 	two-way models.  The literature shows a lack of focus on the elements 	necessary to create a global practice for public relations, such as same 	language, same culture, same economic structure, or same religion. For 	example, clear answers to the questions Can public relations can be 	practiced the same way in Western countries with democratic capitalist 	regimes.  Moreover, can public relations be practiced the same way in 	all countries that live by the Islamic religion?  Remain unanswered.  	 In 	Chapter three the details of the study’s methodology will be presented.  An 	explanation of the settings and participants, the test instrument, and 	method of data collection will be included. 	    	 	   Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

Thesis Chapter 2 on The Practice of Public Relations in Lebanon

CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW Introduction The p revious chapter introduced the study’s problem and purpose. ...

Thesis Proposal Topics on Development Management

Development Management             Management development is often encountered by various college students as they were about to finish their degrees. Management comes out as one of the courses in order for a college student to complete a degree. This enables them to get into the point of being a true professional. Being serious in the said course, one can become an effective manager in whatever field he/ she got to choose.             There are a lot of managers laid out all over the universe. We often encounter them in the fast-food chains or restaurants supervising their division, meeting up one goal. Most often than not, managers miss some activities in order to make a better task to meet a goal effectively.             The management development deals with the organization and management processes of different development programs and projects. Managing include activities of project identification, planning (preparation and assessment), implementation and monitoring, and evaluation.             In schools, the management development programme focuses on the analysis of management, planning and policy-making aspects of the development process. It is designed for social science graduates or for those working in a variety of institutions including central and local government, parasitical organizations, non-governmental organizations and multilateral or bilateral aid agencies involved in the management of development activities in developing countries. It aims to blend theory and practice and seeks to explain policy behavior through an integrated approach, drawing on a range of disciplinary perspectives.             For organizations to be satisfactory, it has been believed that management development must be implemented or applied by various organizations. The management of an institution or any kind of organization often depend on the people that run it. There are different employees in an organization. Now, let suppose a setting where we often encounter managers face-to-face: in the restaurants. We see different faces in the restaurants; the waiters/ waitresses, the cashier, the cook (who work inside the kitchens, managers, and other staffs). I you have noticed it yourself, all of them make the best out of themselves, especially when the managers are around, looking at how they work. They entertain costumers the way we want ourselves to be entertained. Even the worst costumer must be treated the same way. Everything happens for the reason that they’re meeting one same goal, and they work as a team, and their leader in that area? Their manager. If the manager is serious enough to get the job done in an excellent manner, that manager would follow critical analyses to get to the top of their plan, and those would follow the activities being mentioned in the first part of this paper.             The project identification is when the manager, together with the other team members identify their project, as to what is often considered as the goal-setting. Next activity is planning wherein they formulate and make an appraisal on how to meet their project or goal. Implementation and monitoring then follows. In this part of the activity, the manager is the most essential feature because he/ she must see to it that the whole team is working harmoniously in coming up to one goal. The manager must always monitor the performance of the team. Finally, to know whether the goal was met or not, an evaluation should be done.             There may be managers who make themselves as the center of the plans and goal-setting at all times that make them not seek for anyone’s advise, suggestions, or comments but stick to their own. Yet, to become a good manager, he or she needs to seek for the advice of the whole team, using all of the skills that every team member can contribute in meeting their goal.             It has always been thought about that leadership and management is linked with each other. Good leaders can also be good managers, but not all managers can also be good leaders. Therefore, to become a good manager, it is better to also become a good leader first.             Some say that leaders are born, not made. But, as we could see, there are different leadership seminars and trainings all across the country, making it clear that that belief is not a trend anymore. Hence, leaders are already made these days. We continue to discover who are those individuals who have a leader within. In that sense, there are still big chances for any of us to become better in whatever we do. To develop our management skills, discover the leader in us, and know what does it take to have a good management, especially in all kinds of organization, there are programs about management development that are laid in front of us to grab.             The management development programs are not just designed for managers but also to all the positions in an organization. It is because, as we have noticed, the management won’t become effective without any other employees. The management development provide several trainings such as the following: job training for employees, powerful management training, help develop employee strengths – not weaknesses, group mentoring, tips for HR training, low and no cost, creative, successful employee training ideas, the bottom line for employee retention, and more.[1]             Management Development is the overall concept or terminology that describes the various ways that organizations help employees develop their personal and organizational skills, whether they are managers or with a management job in mind. 	   		 		 		[1] Retrieved on May 21, 2011: 		http://humanresources.about.com/od/managementdevelopment/Management_Development_Training_for_Managers_and_Supervisors.htm Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

Thesis Proposal Topics on Development Management

Development Management Management development is often encountered by various college students as they were about to finish...

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