Smart Phone

Smartphone Security Survey of U. S. consumers Sponsored by AVG Technologies Independently conducted by Ponemon Institute LLC Publication Date: March 2011 Ponemon Institute © Research Report Smartphone Security Survey of U. S. Consumers Ponemon Institute, March 2011 Part 1. Introduction Ponemon Institute is pleased to present the findings of the Smartphone Security Survey: A Study of U. S. Consumers sponsored by AVG Technologies. The goal of the research is to determine consumers’ perceptions about the potential privacy and security risks when using their smartphones.In addition, we wanted to learn if participants in our study care about these risks and if they take security precautions. We surveyed 734 consumers who are 18 years and older and own a smartphone. The risks that we address in our survey concern location tracking, transmission of confidential payment without the user’s knowledge or consent, diallerware (specialized malware unique to smartphones), spyware, viruses from insecure WiFi networks and others. What we learned is that most of the consumers in our study are using their smartphones without understanding that they are exposing their sensitive information to the risks listed above.We also believe the findings of this study signal a potential security risk for organizations because so many consumers surveyed use their smartphones for both business and personal use. With business confidential information stored on these smartphones, organizations should make sure employees and contractors take appropriate precautions to secure such sensitive information. We also recommend that security policies state these precautions and ensure they are enforced. Following are the most salient research highlights: ?Eighty-four percent use the same smartphone for both business and personal purposes. The cross over of business and personal usage means much more sensitive and confidential data is at risk and suggests that the smartphone is with them most of the time. Sixty-six percent admit they keep a moderate or significant amount of personal data on their smartphones. Such personal data include email address, name, contact lists, photos, videos, anniversary and personal dates, music, Sixty-seven percent of consumers surveyed say they are concerned about receiving marketing ads and promotions.However, less than half (44 percent) are concerned about having a virus attack on their smartphone when it is connected to an insecure Internet network. In addition to using it as a phone, 89 percent use their smartphone for personal email and 82 percent use it for business email. A smaller percentage of consumers use their smartphones for financial transactions including payments. In fact, 38 percent of consumers use the smartphone to make payments and 14 percent use it for banking. Sixty-six percent of consumers have paid at least once for an item using their smartphone.In addition, 12 percent of consumers say they have experienced a f raud attempt vis-a-vis a mobile payment scheme. Despite this fact, only six percent say they check their mobile bill or statement every month and eight percent check the statement when the bill is higher than usual. Fifty-eight percent of consumers say that based on how they used the smartphone for purchases, Internet browsing and location they were targeted by marketers. Accordingly, 67 percent say they are very concerned or concerned about aggressive or abusive marketing practices. ? ? ? ? ? Ponemon Institute © Research Report Page 1 ?Despite security risks, less than half of consumers use keypad locks or passwords to secure their smartphones. In addition, only 29 percent of consumers said they have considered installing an anti-virus product to protect their smartphone. Forty-two percent of consumers who use social networking apps say they allow smartphone versions of well-known social networking applications such as Facebook to access the same key chains, passwords and log-ins that they use of their desktops, laptops or tablet. Only 10 percent of consumers say they turn off Bluetooth â€Å"discoverable† status on their smartphone when not in use. ? ?Ponemon Institute © Research Report Page 2 Part 2. Key Findings In this report we have organized the findings from the study according to the following topics: Consumers’ use of smartphones, consumers’ awareness about the security risks that accompany their use of smartphones, scenarios that illustrate potential smartphone security risks and how consumers are or are not managing these risks. Consumers’ use of smartphones Most consumers use their smartphone for both business and personal use. Forty percent use their smartphone for business and personal use equally and 25 percent use it for personal but some business use (Bar Chart 1).Only 6 percent of consumers surveyed use their smartphone exclusively for business. Bar Chart 1. What best describes your smartphone use? Both busine ss and personal use equally 40% Mostly personal but some business use 25% Personal use only 16% Mostly business but some personal use 13% Business use only 0% 5% 6% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% Despite using the Smartphone for personal use, 34 percent say their employer purchased the smartphone and pays all monthly charges. As shown in Bar Chart 2, 35 percent say they purchased it without any reimbursement.Bar Chart 2: Who purchased your smartphone and who pays the monthly service fee? I purchased it without any reimbursement from my employer My employer purchased it and pays monthly charges I purchased it and my employer provided some reimbursement I purchased it and my employer pays monthly charges My employer purchased it and I pay monthly charges 0% 5% 13% 35% 34% 10% 8% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% Ponemon Institute © Research Report Page 3 Smartphones can perform a wide range of tasks. However, the most popular use next to the phone is business and personal emailing.The mo st popular smartphone uses are checking both personal and business email, using it as an address book, texting, Internet browsing, storing or moving data, obtaining and viewing documents, as a calendar and listening to music (Bar Chart 3). Least popular are banking, travel assistance and video conferencing. (For a complete list of tasks, please see Q. 24 in the Appendix to this paper. ) We suggest this finding may indicate why many in our study are not concerned about the security risks. Because consumers believe its primary use is as a phone or to email they may think (incorrectly) that there are negligible security or privacy risks.Bar Chart 3: Tasks that consumers do on their smartphone Phone Personal email Business email Address book Texting Store or move data Internet browsing Obtain documents Calendar View documents Listen to music Schedule tasks Shop Camera Social networking 0% 20% 100% 89% 82% 57% 54% 53% 53% 52% 51% 51% 50% 48% 44% 42% 40% 40% 60% 80% 100% 120% As reported in Bar Chart 4, 66 percent have paid for an item via their smartphone once, irregularly (once every two months) or regularly (maybe once a month). Fifty-one percent were surprised that they were charged for a service of product they signed up for.Bar Chart 4: Key questions about smartphone use Each bar defines the percentage yes response Did you ever pay for an item via the mobile phone? Did you every sign-up for a service or product on a mobile without realizing that there would be a cost? Have you ever signed a terms and conditions request on your mobile phone? 66% 51% 46% Have you ever been the victim of mobile payments fraud? 0% 10% 12% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% Ponemon Institute © Research Report Page 4 Consumers store confidential information on their smartphones. Sixty-six percent (40+26) of consumers store a moderate or a significant amount of personal data.Bar Chart 5 shows that only 11 percent say they do not store personal data on their smartphone. Bar Chart 5: How much p ersonal data do you store on your smartphone? 45% 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% A moderate amount of A significant amount of personal data personal data A small amount of personal data None 11% 26% 23% 40% As shown in Bar Chart 6, data most often stored on smartphones include email addresses, names, contact lists, photos, anniversary and other personal dates and location. Consumers are less likely to store planned future purchases, purchase history, health data and security test questions (see Q. 3 in the Appendix for the complete list). Bar Chart 6: What kinds of data do you store on your smartphone? Email address Name Contact lists Photos Anniversary & personal dates Location Music Home address Confidential business documents Date of birth Gender Credit or debit card numbers Videos Passwords 0% 20% 97% 85% 69% 59% 53% 52% 47% 40% 37% 33% 32% 29% 25% 23% 40% 60% 80% 100% 120% Ponemon Institute © Research Report Page 5 Many consumers surveyed have used email and text to sign u p for services or products without realizing they would be charged.As noted previously in Bar Chart 4, 51 percent made what they thought was a free service and later found out they were charged for it. Bar Chart 7 shows most of these purchases were made by consumers using email (46 percent), text message (34 percent) and website (31 percent). Bar Chart 7: The methods used to sign-up for services or products on your smartphone 50% 45% 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% Email Text message Website Other 12% 34% 31% 46% Despite these unexpected charges, Bar Chart 8 shows consumers surveyed rarely check their bills for unusual or unidentified payments.Only six percent check their bills every month and eight percent check their bills only if it is higher than usual. Fifty-two percent never check their smartphone bills. Bar Chart 8: Do you check your mobile bill or statement for unidentified charges? 60% 52% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Never Yes, occasionally Yes, but only if the bill is higher than usual Yes, I check it every month 8% 6% 34% As previously noted in Bar Chart 4, the majority of consumers (78 percent) say they have not experienced any mobile payments fraud. Twelve percent say they have experienced such fraud and 10 percent are not certain. Ponemon Institute © Research ReportPage 6 Consumers’ awareness about the security risks that accompany their use of smartphones Marketing messages—not privacy and security risks—worry consumers. While the majority of consumers do not feel their private information is at risk or that their smartphone will be hacked (56 percent and 58 percent, respectively), they do worry about receiving unwanted marketing messages. A shown in Bar Chart 9, consumers also worry about being tracked when using their smartphone (64 percent). Bar Chart 9: Attributions about privacy and security risks The agree response is a combination of strongly agree and agree.The disagree response is the sum of unsure, disagree and stro ngly disagree. I worry more about the security of my desktop or laptop computer than my smartphone. When downloading software to my smartphone I do not always check to see if the app is from a trustworthy source. I do not worry that a hacker will attack my smartphone. I do not feel my private information or privacy is at risk when I use my smartphone. I do not worry about losing my smartphone while traveling. I do not worry about being tracked when using my smartphone. I do not worry about receiving marketing messages on my smartphone. 5% 35% 62% 38% 58% 42% 56% 44% 50% 50% 36% 64% 33% 67% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%100% Agree Disagree They also worry more about the security of their desktop and laptop computers than the security of their smartphone. Because of these perceptions about the security of the smartphone, they are not likely to check to see if an application comes from a trustworthy source before downloading it. Scenarios concerning smartphone risks In the surv ey, we asked consumers to respond to eleven scenarios illustrating a range of security issues and risks.Specifically, they were asked if they are aware that what is described in the scenario could happen to them, if they are aware that they experienced what was described in the scenario and what was their level of concern. Following are the 11 scenarios: 1. Location data embedded onto image files can result in the tracking of the smartphone user. 2. Smartphone apps can transmit confidential payment information (i. e. credit card details) without the user’s knowledge or consent. Ponemon Institute © Research Report Page 7 3.Smartphones can be infected by specialized malware called â€Å"diallerware† that enables criminals to make use of premium services or numbers resulting in unexpected monthly charges. 4. Smartphone apps may contain spyware that allows criminals to access the private information contained on a smartphone. 5. Financial apps for smartphones can be infe cted with specialized malware designed to steal credit card numbers and online banking credentials. 6. If a social network app is downloaded on a smartphone, failing to log off properly could allow an imposter to post malicious details or change personal settings without the user’s knowledge. . A smartphone can be disposed of or transferred to another user without properly removing sensitive data, allowing an intruder to access private data on the device. 8. In many cases, people use their smartphone for both business and personal usage, thus putting confidential business information at risk (a. k. a. cross-over risk). 9. A smartphone can connect to the Internet through a local WIFI network that is insecure. This may result in a virus attack to the smartphone. 10.Smartphones contain basic security protections that can be disabled by jailbreaking, thus making the smartphone more vulnerable to spyware or malware attacks. 11. Smartphone users can be targeted by marketers based o n how the phone is used for purchases, Internet browsing and location. As a result, the user may receive unwanted marketing ads and promotions their smartphone. Bar Chart 10 summarizes the consumers’ level of awareness about the above-mentioned smartphone security risks. Consumers are most aware of receiving unwanted marketing messages based on their smartphone usage (60 percent).They also understand that they may be putting business confidential information at risk when using the smartphone for both personal and business use (55 percent), and that they are vulnerable to a virus when connecting to the Internet through a local WIFI network is insecure (35 percent). Bar Chart 10: Are you aware of the following smartphone security risks? Each bar defines the percentage yes response Marketing abuse Cross-over Insecure WIFI Improper disposal Location tracking Jailbreaking Spyware Social network snafu Auto transmission Diallerware Specialized malware 0% 11% 11% 10% 9% 10% 20% 30% 4 0% 50% 15% 15% 21% 35% 31% 55% 0% 60% 70% Ponemon Institute © Research Report Page 8 Bar Chart 11 reports consumers’ actual experience with these security issues. Fifty-eight percent of consumers say they indeed have received unwanted marketing messages. In addition, 52 percent say they have experienced cross-over risk – wherein the security of business information was jeopardized because of the personal use of the smartphone. Bar Chart 11: Have any of these situations happened to you? Each bar defines the combined very concerned and concerned responseMarketing abuse Cross-over Insecure WIFI Improper disposal Location tracking Spyware Jailbreaking Social network snafu Diallerware Auto transmission Specialized malware 0% 5% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 8% 8% 6% 11% 10% 16% 13% 23% 52% 58% 60% 70% Bar Chart 12 summarizes consumers’ level of concern about eleven smartphone security risks. Accordingly, a large percentage of these consumers say they are very concerned or co ncerned about each scenario happening to them, especially diallerware (68 percent), unwanted marketing (67 percent), and the auto transmission of personal data from the phone (66 percent).Bar Chart 12: Are you concerned about of the following smartphone security risks? Each bar defines the combined very concerned and concerned response Diallerware Unwanted marketing Auto transmission Jailbreaking Spyware Location tracking Specialized malware Improper disposal Social networking snafu Insecure WIFI Cross-over 0% 10% 20% 30% 42% 40% 40% 50% 60% 51% 50% 60% 68% 67% 66% 65% 65% 65% 70% 80% Consumers are concerned about being tracked while using their smartphones or having their security protections disabled through â€Å"jailbreaking† but generally are not aware of this risk.In Ponemon Institute © Research Report Page 9 contrast, only 40 percent of consumers are very concerned or concerned about cross-over and 42 percent about an insecure smartphone-to-WIFI connection. While the re is some awareness that a smartphone that is disposed of or transferred to another user without removing sensitive data could allow someone to access private data on the device, about half of consumers are not very concerned about this occurring.In summary, consumers surveyed are least aware that the following can happen on their smartphone: the transmission of confidential payment information without their knowledge or consent, downloading a financial app for their smartphone that has specialized malware designed to steal credit card numbers and online banking credentials, â€Å"diallerware† infections that enable criminals to make use of premium services or numbers resulting in unexpected charges and spyware that allows criminals to access the private information contained on a smartphone.Those who are aware of these risks are generally very concerned about how these risks may affect their smartphone. Line Graph 1: Summary of consumer responses to eleven smartphone securi ty risks 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Location tracking Auto Diallerware transmission Spyware Specialized malware Social network snafu Improper disposal Cross-over Insecure WIFI Jailbreaking Marketing abuse Are you aware? Has this happened to you? Level of concern Ponemon Institute © Research Report Page 10 Part 3.How consumers are managing security risks associated with smartphones Despite the confidential information on their smartphones, consumers are not taking appropriate security precautions. As showing in Bar Chart 13, less than half (43 percent) of consumers surveyed consider security features to be important when deciding which smartphone to purchase. It is not surprising, therefore, that they are not taking security precautions. Bar Chart 13: How important is security as a feature on your smartphone? 60% 50% 43% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Important Not important 57%Bar Chart 14 shows 51 percent of consumers surveyed have neither keypad locks nor passwords on their smartpho ne. Nineteen percent have passwords and 10 percent have both keypad locks and passwords. However, when we analyzed the responses of the more experienced users the percentage dropped to 31 percent who do not use keypad locks or passwords on their smartphone. Bar Chart 14: Do you have keypad locks or passwords on your smartphone? 60% 51% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% No, neither Yes, keypad locks Yes, passwords Yes, both keypad locks and passwords 20% 19% 10% Ponemon Institute © Research Report Page 11Forty-two percent of consumers allow smartphone versions of well-known social networking applications such as Facebook to access their key chains, passwords and log-ins that are used on their desktop computer or tablet (see Bar Chart 15). Twenty-nine percent of consumers say they have considered installing an anti-virus product and 10 percent turn off Bluetooth â€Å"discoverable† status on their device when they are not using it. Only 10 percent set up download controls on their smart phone to protect against apps and games that may contain malware. Bar Chart 15: Security habits of smartphone users Each bar defines the percentage yes responseDo you allow smartphone versions of well-known social networking applications such as Facebook to access your key chains, passwords and log-ins that you use on your desktop computer or tablet (only for those who use social networks)? Have you considered installing an anti-virus product on your smartphone? 29% 42% Do you turn off Bluetooth â€Å"discoverable† status on your device when you are not using it? 10% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% Ponemon Institute © Research Report Page 12 Part 4. Methods Table 1 summarizes the sample response for this study of US consumers who own or use smartphones.Our sample frame consisted of nearly 30,000 adult-aged consumers located in the Unite States. These individuals were screened to ensure they use a smartphone for both personal and business purposes. A total of 793 respo nded to our web-based survey. Fifty-nine surveys failed reliability tests, resulting in a final sample of 734 consumers (2. 5 percent response rate). Table 1: Sample response Sample frame Invitations sent Total returns Rejections Final sample Frequency 29,921 27,498 793 59 734 Pct% 100. 0% 91. 9% 2. 7% 0. 2% 2. 5% Table 2a provides the types of smartphones used by consumers.Table 2b lists the operating systems contained on these smartphones. As can be seen, the top rated smartphones are Apple’s iPhone, RIM Blackberry and Google Nexus One. Accordingly, the top rated operating systems are iPhoneOS, RIM and Windows Mobile. Table 2a. Type of smartphone Apple iPhone RIM Blackberry Google Nexus One Nokia N8 Motorola Droid X T-Mobile G2 Sprint HTC EVO 4G Palm Pre Plus Samsung Epic 4G Other Total Pct% 27% 21% 12% 9% 9% 6% 6% 5% 4% 0% 100% Table 2b. Operating system iPhoneOS RIM Windows Mobile Android Symbian OS Linux Maemo Garnet OS Bada MeeGo Other or unsure Total Pct% 24% 19% 12% 9 % 3% 3% 2% 2% 1% 1% 25% 100%Pie Chart 1 reports the age range of consumers in our study. Pie chart 2 shows the employment status of consumers. The largest segment of consumers are aged 36 to 45 (21 percent), and 52 percent are employed in a full or part-time position. Pie Chart 1: Age range 10% 2% 18% 18 to 25 26 to 35 36 to 45 46 to 55 19% 17% 56 to 65 66 to 75 75+ 21% 14% 10% 9% 52% 8% Pie Chart 2: Employment status 5%2% Employee Homemaker Retired Student Unemployed Business owner Active military 13% Ponemon Institute © Research Report Page 13 Pie Chart 3 reports the household income of consumers.Pie Chart 4 shows the location of consumers according to their region in the United States. A total of 44 states are represented in our sample. The median household income of consumers is $81,000 per year. Pie Chart 3: Household income Pie Chart 4: Regional location 1% 4% 10% 13% Below $20k 20 to $40k 41 to $60k 19% 19% Northeast Mid-Atlantic 14% 20% 61 to $80k 81 to $100k 101 to $150k 12% 18% Midwest Southeast Southwest 15% 17% Pacific west 16% 22% 151 to $200k Over $200k In addition to web-based survey analysis, we conducted debriefing interviews with a random cross-section of consumers.In total 128 individuals were contacted, resulting in 66 one-to-one interviews to discuss certain questions and probe for additional insights from the consumers when appropriate. A total of 53 percent of consumers are female, 47 percent male. Forty percent of consumers say they use their smartphone for both business and personal reasons. Only six percent say they use their smartphone solely for business (see Bar Chart 1). Ponemon Institute © Research Report Page 14 Part 5. Conclusion The key finding from this research is that consumers in our survey are unaware of the security risks associated with their smartphones.This could be attributed, in part, to the lack of information being published about smartphone security risks. We also conclude that there may be a perception that because the most popular uses are phoning and emailing they are not putting the data on their smartphones at risk. In contrast, the security of desktop and laptop computers receives much more attention. It is not surprising, therefore, that consumers surveyed are more worried about protecting their computers from security risks. This is despite the fact these devices can contain just as much sensitive data that if lost or stolen could result in financial harm.Caveats There are inherent limitations to survey research that need to be carefully considered before drawing inferences from findings. The following items are specific limitations that are germane to most Web-based surveys. ? Non-response bias: The current findings are based on a sample of survey returns. We sent surveys to a representative sample of adult-aged consumers in the United States, resulting in a large number of usable returned responses. Despite non-response tests, it is always possible that auditors who did not pa rticipate are substantially different in terms of underlying beliefs from those who completed the survey.Sampling-frame bias: The accuracy is based on contact information and the degree to which the list is representative of individuals who are information system auditors. We also acknowledge that responses from paper, interviews or telephone might result in a different pattern of findings. Self-reported results: The quality of survey research is based on the integrity of confidential responses received from consumers. While certain checks and balances were incorporated into our survey evaluation process, there is always the possibility that certain consumers did not provide responses that reflect their true opinions. B ? ? Ponemon Institute © Research Report Page 15 Appendix: Detailed Survey Responses Following are the survey results for a final sample of 734 adult-aged consumers located in all regions of the United States. Fieldwork concluded in February 2011. Sample response Sa mple frame Invitations sent Total returns Rejections Final sample Part 1. Background Q1a. Please select the smartphone that you presently use. If you use more than one smartphone, please select the one you use most frequently.T-Mobile G2 Apple iPhone Motorola Droid X Samsung Epic 4G RIM Blackberry Sprint HTC EVO 4G Nokia N8 Google Nexus One Palm Pre Plus Other (please specify) Total Q1b. Please select the operating system your smartphone runs on. Symbian OS Android Linux Windows Mobile Bada MeeGo Maemo Garnet OS iPhoneOS RIM Other Unsure Total Q2. What best describes your smartphone use? Please select only one. Business use only Mostly business but some personal use Personal use only Mostly personal but some business use Both business and personal use equally Total Frequency 29,921 27,498 793 59 734 Pct% 100. 0% 91. 9% 2. 7% 0. % 2. 5% Pct% 6% 27% 9% 4% 21% 6% 9% 12% 5% 0% 100% Pct% 3% 9% 3% 12% 1% 1% 2% 2% 24% 19% 0% 25% 100% Pct% 6% 13% 16% 25% 40% 100% Ponemon Institute © Resea rch Report Page 16 Q3. Who purchased your smartphone and who pays the monthly service (usage) fee? Please select only one. I purchased it without any reimbursement from my employer I purchased it and my employer provided some reimbursement I purchased it and my employer pays monthly charges My employer purchased it and I pay monthly charges My employer purchased it and pays monthly charges Total Q4. Please select all the tasks that you do on your smartphone?Phone Personal email Business email Address book Texting Internet browsing Store or move data Obtain documents View documents Calendar Listen to music Schedule tasks Shop Camera Social networking Payments Games Maps and navigation Upload videos Location services Watch TV/films Banking Travel assistance Video conferencing Monitor health Q5. Have you ever paid for any item via your mobile phone? Yes, only once Yes, irregularly (maybe once every two months) Yes, regularly (maybe once a month) Never Total Q6a. Have you every signed u p for a service or product on your mobile without realizing that there would be a cost?Yes No Total Q6b. If yes, please select the all the methods you used to sign up for the service or product. Text message Email Website Other Total Pct% 35% 13% 10% 8% 34% 100% Pct% 100% 89% 82% 57% 54% 53% 53% 52% 51% 51% 50% 48% 44% 42% 40% 38% 34% 24% 24% 23% 21% 14% 10% 9% 5% Pct% 11% 32% 23% 34% 100% Pct% 51% 49% 100% Pct% 34% 46% 31% 12% 123% Ponemon Institute © Research Report Page 17 Q7. Do you check your mobile bill or statement for unusual or unidentified payments? Yes, I check it every month Yes, but only if the bill is higher than usual Yes, occasionally Never Total Q8.Have you ever signed a terms and conditions request on your mobile phone? Yes No Unsure Total Q9. Have you ever been the victim of mobile payments fraud? Yes No Unsure Total Part 2. Attributions Q10. Please rate each one of the following statements using the scale provided below each item. Strongly agree and agree shown . Q10a. I do not feel my private information or privacy is at risk when I use my smartphone. Q10b. I do not worry that a hacker will attack my smartphone. Q10c. I do not worry about receiving marketing messages on my smartphone. Q10d. I do not worry about being tracked when using my smartphone.Q10e. I do not worry about losing my smartphone while traveling. Q10f. I worry more about the security of my desktop or laptop computer than my smartphone. Q10g. When downloading software to my smartphone I do not always check to see if the app is from a trustworthy source. Part 3. Scenarios Pct% 6% 8% 34% 52% 100% Pct% 46% 21% 33% 100% Pct% 12% 78% 10% 100% Strongly agree 18% 25% 10% 11% 18% 25% 21% Agree 38% 33% 23% 25% 32% 40% 41% Q11. Sometimes location data can be embedded onto image files such as digital photos contained on your smartphone so that other people can track where you are.Were you aware that this could happen? Yes No Unsure Total If yes, has this happened to your smartphone? Yes No Unsure Total Pct% 21% 45% 34% 100% Pct% 13% 28% 59% 100% Ponemon Institute © Research Report Page 18 On a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 = not concerned and 5 = very concerned, how concerned are you that your location could be tracked while using your smart phone? Concerned and very concerned shown. Response Q12. Smartphone apps can transmit confidential payment information such as credit card details without the user’s knowledge or consent. Were you aware that this could happen?Yes No Unsure Total If yes, has this happened to your smartphone? Yes No Unsure Total On a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 = not concerned and 5 = very concerned, how concerned are you that your credit card details could be transmitted with your knowledge or consent? Concerned and very concerned shown. Response Q13. Smartphones can be infected by specialized malware called â€Å"diallerware† that enable criminals to make use of premium services or numbers resulting in unexpected monthly charges. We re you aware that this could happen? Yes No Unsure Total If yes, has this happened to your smartphone?Yes No Unsure Total On a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 = not concerned and 5 = very concerned, how concerned are you that your smartphone could be infected by diallerware? Concerned and very concerned shown. Response Q14. Smartphone apps may contain spyware that allows criminals to access the private information contained on a smartphone. Were you aware that this could happen? Yes No Unsure Total Very concerned 29% Concerned 36% Pct% 11% 53% 36% 100% Pct% 6% 41% 53% 100% Very concerned 31% Concerned 35% Pct% 10% 58% 32% 100% Pct% 8% 65% 27% 100% Very concerned 36% Concerned 32%Pct% 15% 53% 32% 100% Ponemon Institute © Research Report Page 19 If yes, has this happened to your smartphone? Yes No Unsure Total On a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 = not concerned and 5 = very concerned, how concerned are you that your smartphone could be infected by spyware? Concerned and very concerned shown. Res ponse Q15. Financial apps for smartphones can be infected with specialized malware designed to steal credit card numbers and online banking credentials. Were you aware that this could happen? Yes No Unsure Total If yes, has this happened to your smartphone?Yes No Unsure Total On a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 = not concerned and 5 = very concerned, how concerned are you that your smartphone or downloaded apps could be infected by this specific type of malware? Concerned and very concerned shown. Response Q16. If a social network app is downloaded on a smartphone, failing to log off properly could allow an imposter to post malicious details or change personal settings without the user’s knowledge. Were you aware that this could happen? Yes No Unsure Total If yes, has this happened to your smartphone?Yes No Unsure Total On a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 = not concerned and 5 = very concerned, how concerned are you that your failure to close the social networking app on your smartphone could allow unauthorized access and/or malicious posts your user account? Concerned and very concerned shown. Response Pct% 11% 56% 33% 100% Very concerned 33% Concerned 32% Pct% 9% 57% 34% 100% Pct% 5% 66% 29% 100% Very concerned 32% Concerned 28% Pct% 11% 56% 33% 100% Pct% 8% 55% 37% 100% Very concerned 26% Concerned 23% Ponemon Institute © Research Report Page 20 Q17.A smartphone can be disposed of or transferred to another user without properly removing sensitive data, allowing an intruder to access private data on the device. Were you aware that this could happen? Yes No Unsure Total If yes, has this happened to your smartphone? Yes No Unsure Total Pct% 31% 36% 33% 100% Pct% 16% 54% 30% 100% On a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 = not concerned and 5 = very concerned, how concerned are you that private information on the smartphone would not be removed properly before disposing of it or transferring it to another user? Concerned and very concerned shown. Response Q18.In many cases, p eople use their smartphone for both business and personal usage, thus putting confidential business information at risk. Were you aware that this could happen? Yes No Unsure Total If yes, has this happened to your smartphone? Yes No Unsure Total On a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 = not concerned and 5 = very concerned, how concerned are you that your use of a smartphone for personal reasons could put the confidential information of your business at risk? Concerned and very concerned shown. Response Q19. A smartphone can connect to the Internet through a local WIFI network that is insecure.This may result in a virus attack to the device. Were you aware that this could happen? Yes No Unsure Total If yes, has this happened to your smartphone? Yes No Unsure Total Very concerned 23% Concerned 28% Pct% 55% 28% 17% 100% Pct% 52% 36% 12% 100% Very concerned 19% Concerned 21% Pct% 35% 42% 23% 100% Pct% 23% 45% 32% 100% Ponemon Institute © Research Report Page 21 On a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 = not concerned and 5 = very concerned, how concerned are you that your smartphone when connected to an insecure Internet network may result in a virus attack?Concerned and very concerned shown. Response Q20. Smartphones contain basic security protection that can be disabled by jailbreaking, thus making the smartphone more vulnerable to spyware or malware attacks. Were you aware that this could happen? Yes No Unsure Total If yes, has this happened to your smartphone? Yes No Unsure Total On a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 = not concerned and 5 = very concerned, how concerned are you that your smartphone’s security settings could be disabled remotely by a third party without your knowledge or consent?Concerned and very concerned shown. Response Q21. Smartphone users can be targeted by marketers based on how the phone is used for purchases, Internet browsing, and location. As result, the user may receive unwanted marketing ads and promotions. Were you aware that this could happen? Yes No Unsure Total If yes, has this happened to your smartphone? Yes No Unsure Total Very concerned 22% Concerned 20% Pct% 15% 57% 28% 100% Pct% 10% 55% 35% 100% Very concerned 34% Concerned 31% Pct% 60% 17% 23% 100% Pct% 58% 15% 27% 100%On a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 = not concerned and 5 = very concerned, how concerned are you that your smartphone could receive marketing ads and promotions? Concerned and very concerned shown. Response Part 4. Other Questions Q22. On average, how much personal data do you store on your smartphone? None (Go to Q24) Only a small amount of personal data A moderate amount of personal data A significant amount of personal data Unsure Very concerned 31% Concerned 36% Pct% 11% 23% 40% 26% 100% Ponemon Institute © Research Report Page 22 Q23.What kinds of data do you store on your smartphone? Email address Name Contact lists Photos Anniversary and other personal dates Location Music Home address Confidential business documents Date of birth Gender Credit or debit card numbers Videos Passwords PIN number Hobbies, sports and travel interests Ages and gender of children Names of children Alarm codes Planned future purchases Purchase history Health data Security test questions Q24. Do you use a one Gigabyte (or higher) storage device on your smartphone? Yes No Unsure Total Q25. What do you worry more about?Losing my wallet/purse Losing my smartphone I worry about both equally Total Q26. What do you worry more about? Losing my laptop computer Losing my smartphone I worry about both equally I don’t have a laptop computer Total Q27. Do you have keypad locks or passwords on your smartphone? Yes, keypad locks Yes, passwords Yes, both keypad locks and passwords No, neither Total Pct% 97% 85% 69% 59% 53% 52% 47% 40% 37% 33% 32% 29% 25% 23% 19% 15% 13% 13% 11% 8% 8% 5% 2% Pct% 19% 68% 13% 100% Pct% 50% 23% 27% 100% Pct% 38% 10% 19% 33% 100% Pct% 20% 19% 10% 51% 100%Ponemon Institute © Research Report Page 23 Q28a. Do you synch your smartp hone with any of the following devices? Laptop Desktop Another smartphone An online backup storage solution None of the above Total Q28b. How regularly do you synch your smartphone with any of the devices listed in Q28a? Hourly Daily Weekly Monthly Irregularly Total Q29. Do you allow smartphone versions of well-known social networking applications such as Facebook to access your key chains, passwords and log-ins that you use on your desktop computer or tablet?Yes No Unsure I don’t use social networking apps Total Q30. Do you turn off Bluetooth â€Å"discoverable† status on your device when you are not using it? Yes No Unsure Total Q31. Have you considered installing an anti-virus product on your smartphone? Yes No Total Q32a. Do your children have a mobile/cell smartphone? Yes No I don’t have children Total Q32b. If yes, do you use your children’s smartphone to keep track of them (from a security perspective)? Yes No Total Pct% 44% 38% 9% 8% 45% 144% Pct% 25% 29% 14% 8% 24% 100% Pct% 21% 25% 4% 50% 100%Adjusted 42% 50% 8% 0% 100% Pct% 10% 83% 7% 100% Experienced 30% 62% 8% 100% Pct% 29% 71% 100% Pct% 22% 33% 45% 100% Experienced 53% 47% 100% Pct% 41% 59% 100% Ponemon Institute © Research Report Page 24 Q32c. If yes, do you set up parental controls on the smartphone to protect your children when they access the Internet? Yes No Total Q33. Do you set up download controls on your smartphone to protect against apps and games that may contain malware? Yes No Unsure Total Q34. When deciding which smartphone to purchase, how important are its security features?Very important and important shown. Response Part 5. Demographics D1. Please check your age range. 18 to 25 26 to 35 36 to 45 46 to 55 56 to 65 66 to 75 75+ Total D2. What is your present employment status? Full-time employee Part-time employee Business owner Homemaker Retired Student Active military Unemployed Total D3. What range best defines your annual household income? Below $ 20k 20 to $40k 41 to $60k 61 to $80k 81 to $100k 101 to $150k 151 to $200k Over $200k Total Pct% 21% 79% 100% Pct% 10% 74% 16% 100% Very important 21% Important 22%Pct% 18% 19% 21% 17% 13% 10% 2% 100% Pct% 48% 6% 5% 13% 10% 9% 2% 8% 100% Pct% 13% 20% 22% 17% 14% 10% 4% 1% 100% Ponemon Institute © Research Report Page 25 D4. What is your highest level of education attained? High school Vocational University or college Post graduate Doctorate Other Total D5. Please check gender: Female Male Total D6. Are you head of household? Yes No Total D7. US Region Northeast Mid-Atlantic Midwest Southeast Southwest Pacific Total D8. Please rate each one of the following statements using the following five-point scale.Strongly agree and agree sown. The Internet is central to my lifestyle I often give advice to others about how best to use computers and software I need to ask for help if something goes wrong with my computer I always try to spend as little time as possible online I am often confu sed when I try to use the Internet to do things I am really concerned about online threats Only people who do risky things on the Internet are at risk to online threats I don’t feel the online threat is that significantPct% 21% 22% 45% 7% 1% 4% 100% Pct% 53% 47% 100% Pct% 48% 52% 100% Pct% 19% 18% 17% 15% 12% 19% 100% Strongly agree 25% 19% 22% 16% 23% 18% 15% 18% Agree 32% 21% 23% 24% 24% 35% 28% 34% Ponemon Institute © Research Report Page 26 Please contact us at 231. 938. 9900 or send an email to [email  protected] org. Ponemon Institute Advancing Responsible Information Management Ponemon Institute is dedicated to independent research and education that advances responsible information and privacy management practices within business and government. Our mission is to conduct high quality, empirical studies on critical issues affecting he management and security of sensitive information about people and organizations. As a member of the Council of American Survey Resea rch Organizations (CASRO),we uphold strict data confidentiality, privacy and ethical research standards. We do not collect any personally identifiable information from individuals (or company identifiable information in our business research). Furthermore, we have strict quality standards to ensure that subjects are not asked extraneous, irrelevant or improper questions. Ponemon Institute © Research Report Page 27

Data Commentary on Obesity Essay

Introduction After reading and evaluating six articles written by experts on obesity, the data seems to imply that better educating people about how their behavioral lifestyle choices effect their future and current health is the best solution. The six journal articles evaluated and analyzed include: David Freedman’s article, â€Å"How to Fix the Obesity Epidemic,† published in Scientific American in 2011. Green Gregory’s article, â€Å"Physical Activity and Childhood Obesity: Strategies and Solutions for Schools and Parents,† published in Education in 2012. Micheal Wietings article, â€Å"Cause and Effect of Childhood Obestiy: Solutions for a National Epidemic,† published in The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association in 2008. George Blackburn’s article, â€Å" Science Based Solutions to Obesity: What are the Roles of Academia, Government, Industry, and Healthcare,† published in 2005 in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. As well a s, â€Å"Obesity Solutions: Report of a meeting,† published in Nutrition Reviews in 1997. Kate Dailey’s article â€Å" Can Laws fix the Obesity Crisis,† published in Newsweek in 2010 Evaluation In his article, â€Å"How to Fix the Obesity Crisis† David Freedman explores topics such as how the US has blindly gone down the path of obesity, what researchers are doing currently to fix the problem, and how these solutions will pan out over future generations. Obese people cost the government millions in medical bills each year while the problem has not hindered. One problem with the research is that many findings challenge one another, which leads to contradicting solutions. Freedman focuses on weight loss programs, such as weight watchers, which have proved successful over recent years. As well as how they have been able to attain success. These programs have shed positive light on the issue, unfortunately there is no way to know if they can maintain success over time and larger populations. David Freedman is a senior editor at Forbes ASAP, and has appeared in many respected journals, such as The Harvard Business Review. The information and statistics stated in his paper are backed by research scientists from respected schools, such as John Hopkins University of School and Medicine, as well as the Kennedy Krieger Institute. Freedman also cites journals such as the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. He begins his arguments by stating facts or statistics from these credible sources, then explains how and why they are relevant, creating a non-biased argument on the issue. The article was written in 2011 and cites statistics as recent as 2010 making all information relevant to the issue as it stands presently. Some experts believe that it is partly the government’s responsibility to fix the problems associated with obesity. Kate Dailey explores this issue in her article, â€Å"Can Laws Fix the Obesity Crisis?† Movements in larger cities such as San Francisco put bans on restaurants, such as McDonalds for advertising high caloric food without also advertising the nutritional facts. These efforts are often shot down early by government officials because of the financial impact they have on corporations. Even when government funds obesity fixes their efforts are too often based on a â€Å"best guess† basis because results of an action are difficult to quantify. Kate Dailey utilizes actual actions governments have taken against obesity in American cities and explains the results that stem from these actions. Newspapers such as the LA Times and San Fransisco Chronicle are primary accounts finding first-hand how these experiments have faired upon implementation. Kate is a senior articles editor at Newsweek, and she reviews hundreds of articles on a broad variety of issues each week. In her article she states both positive and negative impacts of the government taking a stand on obesity, allowing readers to make their own conclusions on the issue. Adult obesity is often preceded by childhood obesity, Gregory Green explores this issue in his article â€Å"Physical Activity and Childhood Obesity : Strategies and Solutions for Schools and Parents.† The youth of today spend more time on passive sedentary activities than they do any others. This  leaves youth not only inactive but also exposed to the ruthless world of advertising by food conglomerates. Obesity does not merely hinder youth physically but mentally as well; once youth see themselves a certain way it is difficult to dissuade their thinking. Parents and schools can play a major role in assisting children by educating them and giving only healthy options when eating. Gregory Green is a Professor at Fort State Valley University where he teaches Health and Physical Education department on top of being the university’s Faculty Athletics Representative . Green consistently cites the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in his article, the leading center for all things disease related, as well as a plethora of articles written by his peers. Green utilizes facts to support claims throughout the paper, which allows him to leave personal opinion and bias out of context. Michael Wieting also explores causes to childhood obesity, and how it links to a lifetime of obesity. Obesity is a caused by â€Å"attacks† on multiple fronts, such as lack of education, genetic factors, and negative advertising by the food industry. Societal factors play large roles against obese children. In urban neighborhoods there is often a lack of open area for activity. Urban areas also lack supermarkets where the healthy food is located. Only in realizing the many causes of obesity is it possible to brainstorm solutions. Advocacy and regulation can play a large role in prevention of the problem while physicians consistently research medical solutions for the obese community. Michael Wieting is a professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Lincoln Memorial University where he is also the Dean of Clinical Medicine. Like Green, Wieting cites the Center for Disease Control and Prevention often throughout his paper. Wieting acknowledges different causes and solutions in his paper, and pulls information from many different scholarly papers written by his peers. His paper avoids bias by explaining multiple viewpoints on the issue, which allows the reader to interpret and make conclusions without any sway from the author. The article was written in 2008 and cites sources from the same year, making the statistics relevant  relevant and current information. George Blackburn reminds readers about the science behind the epidemic of obesity in his article, â€Å"Science Based Solutions to Obesity: What are the Roles of Academia, Government, Industry, and Healthcare.† Scientists are constantly researching reasons behind why some people are obese as well as possible scientific solutions that go beyond the everyday â€Å"go to the gym† solution. As obesity kills more and more people each year, medical institutions are making a point to study the biochemistry behind the issue. Blackburn is an expert in the field of healthcare and nutrition, he currently works as the Associate Director of the Division of Nutrition at Harvard University. Blackburn is on the cutting edge of healthcare information concerning nutrition, which is pertinent to the matter of obesity and fixing the effects obesity has had on the country. The article was written in 2005, however, none of the information in the article has been disproved since the time of publication, which means it is all pertinent to the issue. Blackburn also leaves personal opinion out of the discussion by stating proven facts and explaining why the facts are detrimental to our well-being. In 1997 a workshop entitled â€Å"Obesity Solutions† was held at St. Lukes-Roosevelt Hospital in New York City in order to address the problem of obesity spreading across America. Scientists had begun finding reasons for obesity which went beyond merely overeating and lack of exercise. Genes in the body and proteins encoded by those genes were found to be one of the many causes for obesity. While nutritional food intake and exercise could greatly impact obesity those new discoveries can yield freedoms to obese people they had never before experienced. This report was groundbreaking and paved the way for millions of dollars in obesity research over the decade that followed. Twelve medical professionals had input in the â€Å"obesity solutions† workshop, all of which were qualified by respected institutions to be part of the research. Although the research is almost fifteen years old it has been the  starting pad for larger discoveries and remains as relevant as it was when it was first discovered. Science remains immune to personal bias because results are not interpreted, they are stated. The scientists thoughts and opinions on the topic are absent, therefore having no impact on the paper. Synthesis The scientific and nutritional community agree that obesity needs to be put to an end as soon as possible for the benefit of all. Experts do not always agree as to the best possible solutions to the problem. They argue that certain solutions can bring about better results than others. Obesity may be solved through government lobbying and intervention, through medical intervention utilizing pharmaceutical drugs or surgery, or behavior modification of obese through healthy eating and exercise.. The government plays a huge role in American citizens’ lives even if most people do not notice or realize. The government regulates what we see on television, what the food industry can and can not do, as well as the curriculum American children are taught in school every single day. The government should be taking steps to end the biggest killer in America: obesity. Blackburn argues, â€Å"the need to update and refine school curricula as a key objective in the fight against obesity.† (Blackburn) This is pertinent to success in defeating obesity because there is an unacceptable health illiteracy in America currently. Kids are not taught how to eat healthy until they take health class in tenth grade in most school districts today. Not only are they kept in the dark when it comes to nutritional information, they are not given the opportunity to combat obesity through physical activity. Wieting cites the CDC, â€Å"participation in physical education has declined 30% in the past decade.† (Wieting) This is a direct result of government interference in Wietings opinion due to â€Å"state and federal pressure to improve performance on proficiency tests by reducing-or eliminating-time for recess and physical education classes.† (Wieting) This proves that governments are more worried about bringing tax dollars home than maintaining a healthy lifestyle within the community it serves. Some argue that the government is taking measures to â€Å"combat obesity† when  in reality they have no effect on the problem. Communities are different all over the country, and â€Å"it’s difficult to evaluate the success rates or determine whether what works in one place will play well in another.† (Dailey) In other words, this means it is difficult to implement the same plans in places where climate psychographics are drastically different. In order to succeed, experimentation will have to take place around the country and implementation of different solutions must occur in order to find out what the most successful approach is. The scientific community can gives a helping hand not only in research of the obesity cause, but also scientific solutions. Scientists are able to discover which types of nutrients are able to help the body shed fat. In 1997 at the â€Å"obesity meeting† in New York it was discovered that, â€Å"high protein diets provide the best short term results, however long term effects are similar, if not the same than most diets.† (Albu) This is important for those just beginning to diet, proving that encouraging beginnings to weight loss positively correlates to successful behavior modification. Scientists have discovered differences in the genotypes of healthy people compared to those of obese people. Genes code for different types of proteins in the body, which have specific jobs to do in maintaining health. the protein Leptin is meant to control the body’s food intake, to tell the body it is full when it has had enough to eat. The New York meeting discovered that â€Å"circulating leptin is reduced in obese subjects during times of hypocaloric intake.† (Albu) Obese people do not stop eating because their brains fail to receive the message that they are full; instead they continue to eat an unhealthy amount of food. Behavior modification and lifestyle changes continue to be the front runner as a cure to the epidemic. â€Å"Programs based on behavioral principles are more likely to help people take and keep off weight than other approaches.† (Freedman) This is the conclusion of a study that was funded by weight watchers, completed by an unbiased third party. The conclusions find that changes in lifestyle by consistently tracking calorie intake, keeping an exercise journal, and recording weight values weekly. are frontrunners the  cure for obesity. Weight loss does not happen quickly, but rather at a snails pace and long term change is critical. Today children are brought up into obese lifestyles which they have no control over. Often times obese children know nothing about healthy meal choices or the positive impact of exercise. â€Å"Today’s children spend hours participating in sedentary activities, and eat more fast food and vending machine food than older generations have in the past.† (Green) Green argues that the lifestyle that Generation Y is being raised in and the social norms that they have been taught are acceptable encourage obese behavior. Commentary It is clear that obesity is caused by a multitude of problems ranging from medical conditions which people have no control over, to lifestyle choices which obese people are encouraged to act proactively about. Continued scientific research allows the community to better understand what causes obesity in certain cases. Research may also lead to an end all be all solution to obesity that could save the lives of millions. It is also clear that taking an active part in changing lifestyle can dramatically improve the future wellbeing of the country. Actively teaching people about the negative impacts their choices have on their own lives could save many misinformed, uneducated people. The data seems to imply that better educating people about how their behavioral lifestyle choices effect their future and current health is the best solution. An education system that stresses healthy living through better eating habits as well as an emphasis on physical education could help to fix the behavioral problems seen in many obese victims. Work Cited Albu, J., Allison, D., Boozer, C. N., Heymsfield, S., Kissileff, H., Kretser, A., Krumhar, K., Leibel, R., Nonas, C., Pi-Sunyer, X., Vanltallie, T. and Wedral, E. (1997), Obesity Solutions: Report of a Meeting. Nutrition Reviews, 55: 150–156. Web. 2 Mar. 2014 Blackburn, George L., and Allan Walker. â€Å"Science-based Solutions to Obesity: What Are the Roles of Academia, Government, Industry, and Health Care?† The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 82.1 (2005): 2075-105. Web. 2 Mar. 2014. Dailey, Kate. â€Å"Can Laws Fix The Obesity Crisis?† Newsweek.com 16 Nov. 2010. Academic OneFile. Web. 2 Mar. 2014. Freedman, David H. â€Å"How To Fix The Obesity Crisis.† Scientific American 304.2 (2011): 40-47. Military and Government Collection. Web. 2 Mar. 2014 Green, Gregory, Brenda Hargrove, and Clarence Riley. â€Å"Physical activity and childhood obesity: strategies and solutions for schools and parents.† Education 132.4 (2012): 915+. Academic OneFile. Web. 2 Mar. 2014 Wieting, Micheal J. â€Å"Cause and Effect of Childhood Obesity: Solutions for a National Epidemic.† The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association 108.10 (2008): 545-52. Web. 2 Mar. 2014.

Personal research on topics for Information Technology and Human Paper

Personal on topics for Information Technology and Human Factors - Research Paper Example This important information is greatly needed for the assessment, diagnosis, prevention, management and treatment of various diseases, and making sure it arrives as fast as possible to save many lives. Because of the vast information available through the use of nursing informatics, practice will become safer because the practitioners will have access to more knowledge, keeping them informed of procedures, warning signs, potential outcomes, and alternative treatment options. Nursing informatics is also responsible for bringing up-to-date vital information on the patient which is crucial for health care practitioners in the monitoring of the patient. It can also help with the nursing shortage by allowing the nurse and other health care practitioners to perform with more speed and efficiency, giving them more time to handle more patients (Staggers & Thompson, 2002). 2. Given the growing net-savvy, empowered consumers, how will you transform your practice to accommodate these patients? T he internet age has brought about many innovations in information and communications technology. ... On the other hand, it can also mislead many people. The overwhelming amount of information on the internet also includes a lot of outdated, poorly researched, misinformed, and even outright deceptive information. This clashes with other information and confuses the general public as to which ‘specialist’ is actually right, or is telling the truth. Using nursing informatics in health education requires nurses to provide quality content that is backed by extensive research to help the general public find the right information for the sake of their health. A study made by Hubner, Ammenwerth, Flemming, Schaubmayr, and Sellemann (2010), and Hubner and Sellemann (2004) showed how Austrian and German hospitals are increasing usage of IT technology. Aside from generating and disseminating useful information to the public about health, the main role of the informatics nurse is to use information structures, information processes, and information technology to support the health c are team in all situations in the provision of care. Some ways to do this is to conduct trainings for the medical staff in the usage of new technology in health care; shifting from physical records to completely digital records is underway, but requires training for the staff both old and new as they adapt to the changes (McCormick, et al., 2007; Staggers & Thompson, 2002). 3. What are the top three human computer interface issues that you identify for an informatics tool you expect to use in our organization? And what ideas or suggestions do you have to address these top three HCI issues? One of the very useful informatics tools slowly gaining use in the modern medical field is the computerized physician order entry (CPOE). It is a system designed to reduce

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Principal institutions of European Union - Essay Example Britain joined the European Economic Community in 1973 and since then, European law has become a significant part of the laws of the UK (Adams, 2013). The Maastricht Treaty which came to force in 1993 officially changed the name of the EEC to the European Union and integrated the three main wings of the European communal cooperations into the European Union. The European Communities Act of 1972 integrated European Union Law into UK Law (Adams, 2013). This implies that the UK is a signatory to the European Union and it has to adhere to rules, regulations and directives. The various institutions of the European Union therefore engage in laws that are directly or indirectly applicable to the UK. The main institutions of the EU are hereby discussed below alongside their impact on the making of European Union laws. The European Council of Ministers is the main legislative arm of the European Union (Gerven, 2010). The Council of Ministers was set up by the Treaty of Nice that all the member states of the European Union signed. Article 203 of the Treaty of Nice states that "a representative of each member state at ministerial level authorised to commit the government of the Member State". This means that the Council of Ministers, popularly known as Council of Europe is constituted of a minister of state who is recognised under international law. Such ministers come together to make laws and rules for the Union. The Council of Ministers varies according to the matter or subject under discussion. Thus, if the matter in question is about Agriculture, the Agricultural Ministers of each member state would have to be present at the council meeting and when they make laws, it is authorised and approved by the states through their ministers (Richardson, 2012). The primary function of the Council of Ministers is to coordinate and make policies that are binding on the institutions and

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In James Joyce's The Dead discuss the themes of loss and involuntary Research Paper

In James Joyce's The Dead discuss the themes of loss and involuntary memory in relation to Freud's Mourning and Melancholia - Research Paper Example The moment of epiphany at Gretta’s revelation has a serious effect on Gabriel’s mind and he, in a state of mourning, loses interest in his life and develops a feeling a disregard for his own â€Å"self†. The hero of the story â€Å"The Dead† apparently seems to be a star of the show at his aunts’ party. He has been given the honor of delivering after-dinner speech. But when we see this man in the company of people we find that this man lacks self confidence and is not sure what impact his speech would make on the people. Perhaps he is aware of the hollowness of his words. The bubble of his self confidence bursts when he comes to know that his wife compares him with her past lover who is dead. Gabriel felt ashamed that he was being compared with a dead person and in this comparison the dead person was regarded superior to him. The consciousness about his diminutive self made him melancholic and â€Å"he saw himself as a ludicrous figure, acting as a penny-boy for his aunts, a nervous, well-meaning sentimentalist, orating to vulgarians and idealizing his own clownish lusts, the pitiable fatuous fellow he had caught a glimpse of in the mirror† (Joyce 150). This feeling of disillusionment and loss experienced by Gabriel is not the expression of individual rather it is going to be an elegy of a country or a nation. Joyce himself was writing his collection Dubliners in a broader context. Explaining his authorial intent for writing Dubliners, he states, â€Å"My intention was to write a chapter of the moral history of my country and I chose Dublin for the scene because that city seemed to me the centre of paralysis† ( qtd. in Friedrich 421). The story â€Å" The sisters† acted as the prologue of this elegiac epic while â€Å" The dead† was its inevitable â€Å"coda†(421). Gabriel seems to be a mouthpiece of Joyce and Noon traces some autobiographical implications of Joyce’s personality in the character of Gabriel and finds that it is difficult for the reader to â€Å" separate the ‘moral history’ of the city from the self-portrait of the artist†(254). Gabriel here is mourning the loss of the city (Dublin) which is the center of paralysis and like his writer shows anger and sorrow towards Ireland (Noon 255). Gabriel is reminded by Miss Ivors that he has lost his link with Irish identity and he has become a â€Å" West Briton†. She suggests that he should feel ashamed of himself for that. He also likes to spend vacations in Europe instead of Ireland. His talk about Ireland offends nationalist in Miss Ivor and she leaves of party early in an indignant mood. Gabriel in his speech Gabriel’s constant resort to his past through his memory is actually the cause of his emotional distrust and his neurotic cynicism with his present situation. We try to recollect our past through an attempt to access our sub-conscious memory. This we do voluntarily . But sometimes our unconscious invades our consciousness through recurring bouts of involuntary memory. Joyce’s technique of â€Å" stream of consciousness† works in this paradigm of voluntary and involuntary memory. Gabriel’s sense of loss is strengthened by these sudden infiltrations of involuntary memory which make him compare his present with his past. This comparison ultimately leads him to a situation where he develops a feeling of disillusionment with his present. This stylistic technique is the hallmark of James Joyce through which his characters come to recollect their past. This activity

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Project Report communication barrier at 2 sister foods group scunthorpe - Essay Example Employee performance declines sharply and employers lose the employee confidence because of communication barriers. Inadequate verbal and non verbal communication results in bitterness and a significant gap between the employees and employers. Communication barriers must be identified in order for effective communication to happen. In the food industry, business processes heavily relies on communication. Understanding communication barriers leads to enhancing communication. This paper aims at investigating the communication barriers at 2 sisters Food group and identifying how communication can be improved in a multicultural organization. The research also aims at pointing out the impacts of communication barriers to the productivity of the business and general operations. Communication barriers affect the relationship between employers and employees. The food industry sector employs a significant number of people. The success of the industry depends of communication effectiveness. In this context, communication is viewed as meaningful interaction among the people in an organization. This interaction results in the meaning being perceived and understood by the parties. This process can be interrupted by a variety of barriers resulting to business failures. Improved communication depends on the elimination of the communication barriers. The literature review is dedicated to having a deeper and better understanding of various theories and models that guide the phenomenon of communication. It could therefore be said that the literature review is being undertaken as a form of conceptual framework on communication to have a better understanding of existing models of communication and selecting the most appropriate model that can be instituted at 2 Sisters Foods Group Scunthorpe. After a thorough analysis of various models of communication, the constructionist model is

Was the Iraq war of 2003 driven principally by US interest in oil Essay

Was the Iraq war of 2003 driven principally by US interest in oil - Essay Example It is only in December 2011 that the US completed the withdrawal of its troops from Iraq. Since the post war era, a great attention has been raised as regards to the US motives of getting involved in Iraq. The Bush Administration proposed different justifications for its decision to invade Iraq. At the beginning, it singled out the threat to US national security caused by the alleged assembling of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) by the Saddam administration and connection with international terrorists. Then, it emphasized the necessity to spread democracy in the Middle East in addition to also stressed Saddam Hussein's tyrannical regime and human rights misuse (Boot, 2003). However, many sceptics consider that all of these justifications were just distractions and bureaucratic arguments. In their view, the real key driver was US interest in Iraqi oil as it is one of the main components of global power. The Persian Gulf is the heart of the world petroleum industry. It holds 65 perce nt of the world’s oil reserves and 34 percent of the world’s natural gas reserves (Everest, 2004). The Gulf has strategic importance as the global race for oil has grown. Since the end of World War II, domination in the Middle East and control its oil supplies have been very important to US foreign policy. In pursuit of these objectives, the US made various actions – political and military pressure, overthrowing governments and even menacing the use of nuclear weapons. The subordination of repressive Arab rulers, the support of Israel and Shah’s regime in Iran are good examples of US attempts to control the Middle East. There are many disputes surrounding the role of the Iraqi oil in US invention of 2003. It is argued that one of the main reasons for this war was for the acquisition of the second largest oil reserves in the world. As it has become the major factor of today’s global military-economic-political balance (Fawn & Hinnebusch, 2006). Ther e are many arguments that this was mainly commercial purpose in order to maintain the US economy and oil lobbyist. Moreover, it is widely argued that Iraqi oil has great strategic value for the US as it could decrease dependency on the undemocratic oil producing countries and undermine their economic and political situation (Alkadiri & Mohamedi, 2003). This essay will analyse the oil factor in Iraq war 2003 and its role in American hegemony. It will analyse the case for the numerous attempts made in a bid to have control over Iraqi energy resources and analyse its relationship with the US policy in the context of this war. We however observe an almost failure for the Iraq case which further resulted into the US getting weaker in terms of global domination and in terms of energy security. This study is divided into various sections. The first section of the essay provides a positive opinion about the struggle for Gulf energy resources being a major requisite of Iraq war. The second s ection of the paper offers an in-depth analysis of US interest in Iraqi oil while the third section identifies the implications for US policy in achieving their main goal in Iraq war. What was the main origin in Iraq war? President Bush has been indicted by many people for concealment of his real motives for the Iraq war of 2003 (Pfiffner, 2004). To gain an in-depth understanding of the origin of the war, the essay will examine several sets of

Descriptive writing Essay Example for Free

Descriptive writing Essay Descriptive writing is a way through which a writer shows his ideas by giving a clear and a vivid image of an object, a person, place or an event. In order to clearly explain a situation thereby creating a clear picture in the reader’s mind, descriptive essay must contain certain important elements. Pamela Arlov guides us to a good description in the book, Wordsmith a guide to college writing. A good descriptive essay uses fine vocabulary, original discussion about an event or an object which appeals to the five senses, uses clear dominant impressions and spatial order. Merely the description is to be used on the basis of the five senses. For instance, while dealing with an event or an object, the description is to be done on the basis of experience or imagination which will enable the reader visualize the discussion. Words which evoke sight, smell, hearing, touch or taste are to be used. The use of dominant impression is quite essential and can be taken as the central theme of the essay. It is the way in which the author conveys his strong feelings about a topic. This can be done by talking about all the possibilities while discussing a particular topic. Moreover, a good descriptive essay is organized in a systematic way. Here we talk about the spatial order. It is essential to maintain an order in an essay. As a result, the essay is more effective and easier to study. In spatial order, things are arranged according to their physical positions. Hence the idea is clearer with the reference of positions like left to right, high to low and so on. Thus, if the discussed techniques, further explained in the book, Wordsmith a guide to college writing, are considered while writing a description, the essay will be quite effective.

Human rights and good governance

Human rights and good governance Introduction: Good governance is an necessary element of durable development is not deniable. It is the key stick of recent Economic growth and rapid social advancement achieved by the newly industrializing economies in East and South-East Asia. It has also altered postulates and shaped perspectives on development economics with some prominence being given to the so-called (East) Asian values and development-oriented governance or a â€Å"development State† as a positive force for economic growth and social transformation. Human Rights is another burning issue now a days. The growing power of executive authorities sometime causes serious violation of Rights of human. Human right dealt with the rights that every human being routinely qualifies for at birth. These cannot be denied because of the color of ones skin, religion, age or other personal factors. Sometime it seems that there are many contradictions between Good Governance and Human Rights, especially then the question of application is come. But in the book â€Å"Human Rights and Good Governance† edited by Hans-Otto Sano, an article â€Å"Good Governance: How Does It Relate to Human Rights?† the author shows that how they are related with each other, and sometime how they sometime cross their limit and harm each-other. But in the conclusion the author found that in practice actually the Good Governance strengthen human right. And also good human rights condition also helps to achieve the main goal of Good Governance that is Development. Definition of Good Governance: The concept of Good Governance has been around for last few decades. In 1969 Philip Selznic sought to develop a law of governance in his study of industrial organization. But this term â€Å"Good Governance† emerge on the development agenda. Because there were three important factor that played a great role to raise this issue. 1.The experience of international financial institutes in sub-Saharan Africa in implementing structural adjustment Programs showed that after an initial adjustment phase where macro-economic balance were set straight ,further economic growth failed to materialize. Its showed that empowering the capacity of key government agencies was necessary in order to create an strong environment for sustainable development. 2. The end of the cold war and the associated collapse of communist economic and political system showed the world how potentially damaging big and inefficient state apparatuses could be to economic development. And at the same time the end of superpower competition has given western donors to impose political condition in their policies towards the third world countries. Yes, in these regards the third world countries has lost the paradigm of â€Å"negative sovereignty that states that state must not hinder in the domestic affairs of another country.   Even the human rights issues primarily concern the relationship between the state and its citizens; they are increasingly seen as a legitimate concern of the international society. Because the realm of human rights has crossed the boundary of a national state. 3.The third factor is that the emergence of good governance on the development agenda was the remarkable economic boom experienced by the East-Asia which is known as â€Å"Emerging Tigers†. These emergence has showed that economic development mainly depends on Good and fair Governance. The World Banks publications â€Å"East Asian Miracle† in the early 1990 showed that strong and interventionist states can serve to promote economic growth. In order to define more fully meaning of Governance, we distinguish between the World   Bank and the rest of the donor community. The World Bank sets the agenda and is the dominating actor in aid community. and in the same time its policy is to restricts it from getting involved in the internal affairs of economic factors recipient countries.The Banks authorization is limited to economic development, and it can only take non-economic factors into consideration where these are perceived to have an important impact on economic development. In the same time the donor agencies and the donor states denote Good Governance as something different than Banks policy. Here the donor country or agencies emphasize in political affairs. What do we understand by term â€Å"Bad Governance†? In ‘Bad Governance the state official doing their job for their own interests and there acts are without accountability, the trust on personal networks for endurance rather than on holding the state accountable, modified politics and patronage, unlawful leadership, and excessive control over information and of associations. The narrow focus on management was thus broadened and supplemented with concepts such as accountability and transparency. The World Bank has changed the focus from narrow management approach to broader and more political governance. In an article Peter Evans showed that there are two newer trends within the development literature. One is focusing on the role of social capital that is norm of trust and networks of reciprocity for economic development and government performance. And the another is focusing on the role of the developmental state that is strong governmental agencies capable of active in tervention in the economy for capital development and he bickers that these two trends could be very well integrated. And now a days â€Å"Good Governance† is something that will ensure both political development and economic development. So, there are two aspect of   good governance, a political aspect concerning legitimacy and a technical aspect concerning capacity. But sometime it is clear that even though the Banks mandate prohibits it from getting involved in domestic politics, the view of governance overlaps with matters of political controversy. So, it is hard to separate politics from economic when good governance is described as ‘predictable, enlightened and open policy- process, bureaucracy with a professional ethos, a government accountable for its actions, a strong civil society participating actively in public affairs and all under the rule of law. Bilateral donors and the EU are able to be clearer when adopting political conditions for aid. Thus the rest of the aid agencies and stats have given more stresses on political aspect of governance. As an example according to a DAC (Development Assistance Committee) report the technical and the political aspect is the main issue for their aid. And now they emphasized in the concern with the ability of governments to govern effectively and the latter with avoiding that states have excessive power in relating to citizens. In the official publications of Danida (The Danish Development agency) says that good governance is closely linked to human rights and democratization. The consensus about good governance is somewhat super facial. Below the surface there are disagreements concerning what the role of the state should be and which particular governance components should be stressed. Nevertheless, there is on a general level a consensus within the development community emphasizing human rights, democracy, responsiveness, and accountability on the one hand, and capacity, effectiveness and efficiency on the other hand. Characteristics of Good Governance: When trying to relate good governance to human rights, it is important to distinguish between various ways of using the concept. Good Governance can be defined in some ideas. Like as a normative ideal, as analytical concept, and as a donor practice Good Governance has been defined in the Community Consultation Resource Guideas existing when a government governs for and on behalf of its community (p 5). This provides a democratic basis which is essential to an understanding of good governance in the local government sector, with a focus of good governance as it applies to democratically elected governments. Besides this Good governance is consists of eight (8) major individuality. These are as followings: 1) Participatory, 2) Accountable, 3) Consensus oriented, 4) Effective and efficient, 5) Responsive, 6) Transparent, 7) The rule of law 8) Equitable and inclusive The principle and practice of democratic governance underpins governance in a local government sector. Democratic governance refers to the democratic nature of local government and the accountability of local governments and their communities. It makes corruption minimized, the suggestions of minorities are taken into account and the most vulnerable groups voice in society are heard in decision-making. It is also opens societys present and future needs. 1. Participation For, good governance one of the key cornerstone is the participation of both men and women. Participation might be either directly or through lawful intermediate institutions or as an agent. The important matter is that the concerns of the most vulnerable in society would be taken into suggestions in decision making does not always mean by representative democracy. Participation must be well-informed and organized. This means organized civil society on the one hand and freedom of association and press and expression on the other hand. 2. Consensus oriented There are many actors and as many points of view in a certain society. It requires a broad and long-term outlook on what is needed for sustainable human development and how to achieve the goals of such development. Good governance involves mediation of the different interests in society to reach a broad consensus in society on what is in the best interest of the community and how it can be achieved. We understand what is best for them by observing the historical, cultural and social contexts of a given society or community 3. Accountability Accountability is another important condition for good governance. Generally an organization or an institution is accountable to those who will be affected by its decisions or actions. The governmental institutions and the private sector and civil society organizations must be accountable to the public and to their institutional stakeholders. Who has to be accountable to whom, varies depending on whether decisions or actions taken are internal or external to an organization or institution. Without transparency and the rule of law, accountability cannot be imposed. 4. Transparency Transparency is another main thing to ensure good governance. Transparency means that taken decisions and enforcement of these decisions will be done in a way that will follow the rules and regulations. It also means that information is without stinting available and easily accessible to those who will be affected by those decisions and their enforcement. It also means that sufficient information is provided and these information is provided in easily understandable forms and media. 5. Responsiveness Institutions and processes will try to serve all stakeholders within reasonable timeframe is another important requirement of ‘Good governance. 6. Effectiveness and efficiency To ensure ‘Good governance, effectiveness and efficiency is another important thing. When processes and institutions decisions meet the needs of   the best use of societys resources means ‘Effectiveness and efficiency. The concept of efficiency in the context of good governance also coats the sustainable use of natural resources and environment protection. 7. Equity and inclusiveness Well being of a society depends on ensuring that all members of the society feel that they have a chance in it and do not feel barred from the majority of society. If it is found that all groups, and mainly the most vulnerable, have equal opportunities to improve and continue their well being in the society, then it could be said that the equality and inclusiveness has been ensured. 8. Rule of law Rule of law is the root of ‘Good governance. In a good governed society fair legal frameworks are enforced neutrally. It also needs full protection of human rights, certainly those of minorities. Free and independent judiciary and an neutral and honest police force can ensure the fair enforcement of law. The Relevance of Good Governance for Human Rights: Governance as a normative ideal: The concept of Good Governance and the concept of human rights point at areas of state-society friction and at areas of state-society synergy. Normatively, good governance is frequently understood as also involving respect for human rights, as for instant in this definition: the concept of good governance refers to ‘effective user-friendly rules, beneficial to those living under the states jurisdiction. But there may be tensions between good governance and human rights that can be traced back to liberal political thought. To such neo-political thinkers as Friedrich Hayek or Robert Nozick the use of state authority for redistributive purposes is a serious infringement upon the individuals liberty-rights.According to Nozick, rights are boundaries that demarcate legitimate spheres of action for an individual, that may not be crossed without an anothers consent. An extensive state cannot be morally justified, because it would   violate the rights of individuals not to be forced to do certain things. Nozicks minimal state is thus inconsistent with â€Å"planning in details† and with the active redistribution of resources ‘forcing some to aid others. Likewise, Hayek is concerned about the democratic element of liberal democracy weighing too much and the liberal elements too little. He distinguishes between law and legislation. According to him the Rule of Law implies limit s to the scope of legislation and it restricts it to the kind of general rules known as formal law, and excludes legislation either directly aimed at particular people, or at enabling anybody to use the coercive power of the state for the purpose of such discrimination. These neo-liberal concerns imply a tension between on the one hand that is negative rights- the rights protecting the individual from the state and on the other hand the positive rights, the rights that require the state to take measures to enhance the economic and social well-being of its citizens. In a neo-liberal view, demands for good governance involving the improvement of social and educational services might conflict with demands for the respect of liberty rights. On the contrary, the new left would discover other tension between good governance and human rights. They would start out by exploring the ways asymmetries of power and resources impinge upon the meaning of liberty and equality in daily relations. And they would find that large numbers of people are systematically restricted from participating in political life. What use are the formal civil and political rights if such large numbers in reality are excluded from enjoying their rights? Thus, potential tension may derive from the donors emphasis on the political and civil rights rather than on economic and social rights when demanding good governance. To the new left, equality and liberty are not at odds, on the contrary, they are mutually reinforcing, and civil and political rights can best be pursued within participatory framework. And in this framework, the state must be democratized by making parliament, state bureaucracies and political parties more open and accountable while new forms of struggle at the local level must ensure that societies as well as the state are democratized. This sketch of the positions of the new right and the new left not only shows how tensions between good governance and human rights can be identified but also how observers can differ on their views about which human rights should be accentuated. Clearly, neo-liberals focus exclusively on political and civil rights and therefore ascribe a minimal role to the state. Similarly the new left focuses as much on social and economic rights. What can be concluded from this section, then, is that governance means many things to many people, and that how it relates to human rights depends on how both governance and human rights are defined. In this way it becomes apparent that the normative aspect of both concepts is fundamental for the understanding and usage of the concepts. Governance as analytical concept: The core of governance is not essentially about democracy, but it has to do with legitimacy and accountability. Understood this way, it can be argued that the better governance is the more a government is accountable towards its citizens, the more likely this government is to respect basic political and civil rights. According to Hyden (1992), the core of governance is bounded by four properties which are most important. These are: a) Authority. b) Reciprocity. c) Trust. d) Accountability. Trust refers to a normative consensus on the limits of action present in a political community. It is sustained by socialization into the rules of a society. Indicators of trust in a political community are the extent to which individuals and groups in society co-operate in associations that cut across basic divisions such as ethnicity, race, religion, and class Reciprocity refers to the quality of social interaction among members of a political community. Reciprocal action tends to have the effect of generating new forms of consensus about the basic rules of politics. An important indicator of reciprocity in politics is the extent to which individuals are free to form associations to defend and promote their interests in the public dominion. Accountability refers to the effectiveness with which the governed can exercise influence over their governor. Both trust and reciprocity are not easily maintained without specific rules of holding political leaders accountable to civil society. Signs of accountability can be showed by holding various forms of election that is fair and thus officials are appointed who are responsible for making their decisions and actions. Authority is the legitimate use of power. Authority is facilitated by the other three variables but it goes beyond these in stressing the significance of effective political leadership. The authority consists of compliance with not only given policies but also the process by which they are arrived at, that is the extent to which leaders respect rules or change them in ways that are acceptable to the governed. The more the four variables are present, the greater the likelihood of good governance. From the way the governance sphere is outlined above, it follows that the more authority, reciprocity, trust and accountability there is, the higher the likelihood the individual rights are respected by the state. A political community can hardly be imagined in which there is widespread trust and reciprocity, power is exercised legitimately, and the governor are accountable to the governed, at the same time as severe infringements upon the human rights of the citizen take place. Such a political community would not be able to sustain high level of trust and reciprocity. The use of power in such a society would be arbitrary and raw, not legitimate and constrained by the rule of law. The governance is also relate to state capacity and governance affect the ability to deliver services to the public and hence promote economic and social rights. Mick Moore argues in a novel and interesting way that democratic governance and state capacity are inextricably connected. A broad system of taxation based on ‘tax per head and income tax involves a range of features such as organizational capacity to obtain information about citizen and more broadly, a weberian-type bureaucracy capable of administering a complex tax system. In such system, the state will tend to be accountable towards its citizens rather than towards sources of income such as donors, or big oil or mining company. This is because governments tend to be responsive towards their main income. If this is aid , then government will be more accountable towards donor than towards their own citizens. Moore said that the more government income is ‘earned, in the sense that the government has to mobilize o rganizational resources to collect income and provide some service in return. And it is surely promote human rights. But in a weak state, where aid dependency is high and taxation is on trade rather then income, governance will thus tend to be unaccountable. In the sense that democratic governance means that the state ‘comes closer to its citizens and starts negotiating more with the citizens and providing basic services, better governance means higher likelihood that the governance will start respecting human rights that is individuals rights. It has to, if it wishes to secure tax compliance. Accountable governance in fact becomes part of the process of constituting individuals as citizens with rights and duties rather than as subjects. Respecting human rights is inextricably connected to building state capacity, because it involves building a system in which the state depends on its citizens for income and must give them something in return for their contributions. Understood this way, situations could arise in which governance in particular country was unaccountable at the same time as the donor were implementing apparently successful good governance programs, such as financial management programs,   in that same country. Good governance as donor practice: Good governance has become ingrained in the aid policies of most donor. Despite difference in the interpretation of good governance, the concept was a part of a growing consensus among donors concerning fundamental assumptions relating to development. One of the assumptions asserted that sustainable economic and social development on the one hand and human rights, democratization, and good governance on the other hand are intertwined in mutually supportive entities. But it is a big questions that does donor practice concerning good governance promote human rights or is the basic assumption only an expression of what ought to be the case. A way in which good governance program can potentially improve human rights conditions is by strengthening the states capacity to deliver service to the public. The kind of human rights abuses which result from bad or non-existent service delivery, the deprivation of peoples basic economic and social rights, are not very direct or visible. The increased involvement of international financial institutions in many countries economic policies tended to increase their capacity to manage the macro-economy In their effort to set macro-economic balances straight, the governments hired more economists and other technocrats and adopted donor-supported civil- service reforms in order to strengthen their core economic agencies such as the treasury and the revenue authority. According to Grindle, † Other important state capacities, such as the capacity to deliver service to the people or to have a responsive public administration and have deteriorated to the economic crisis.†Ã‚   Grindles study says that some capacities may be strengthened at the same time as other capacities are weakened. Even a country with considerable economic success may at the same time experience deteriorated social and economic rights conditions. Yet good governance programs may well contribute to improving human rights. For example, donor support for public accounts committee in parliament may lead to less waste of tax-payers money and thus improve the citizens political rights. Or, to the extent that public sector reform is a public good because it improves public service and makes them equally accessible to al citizens, successful public sector reform must improve a countrys social rights conditions. The point here is that there is nothing automatic about such a positive relationship between good governance and human rights, as a consequence of the different reasoning behind the usage of the concepts. The good governance concept has a technocratic bias, which aims as an instrument at creating the best possible conditions for economic development.The primary objective of economic and managerial and all the elements involved are first and foremost viewed from an economic and managerial perspective. This follows from the fact that good governance programs were introduced as a remedy to structural adjustment programs and their lack of immediate effects in Africa, as mentioned above. In a good governance perspective legal reforms, for instance, deal primarily with the legal needs of the commercial actors in the market. In contrast to this, the concept of human rights is explicitly normative, connecting ideas and principles about how a state should act towards its folks. Human rights are a means to the end of human dignity, and therefore they set some minimum standards for what the concept of human dignity should govern. According to the last perspective, good governance should mainly be defined by human rights standards and then by economic and managerial criteria. Another important difference in the way good governance and human rights are practiced and used by the international community is that good governance consists of recommendations on how the state is to exercise power most efficiently, the relevance of governance is the exercise of power and should be constrained so as to prevent its arbitrary use. The later involves a procedural, formal and legal perspective on governance that differs from political and economic perspectives. There is thus a distinction between rights and recommendations. Rights are formally binding in the sense that they may not be altered unless a formal procedure has taken place, whereas recommendations can be changed without any procedures in order to achieve a better realization of the political or economic objectives. In relation to human right this distinction is central. Political recommendations may lead to greater fulfillment of human dignity, but this does not necessarily lead to an increased respect for h uman rights. The realization of the contents of rights is of course necessary, but it is not sufficient for human rights because the acknowledgment of rights is in itself important. There is a difference between being given something and being entitled to something. When using the legal perspective on good governance, it becomes evident that policies of good governance have to be in compliance with human rights standards even though this demand may be viewed as having an immediate negative effect on economic development. The argument that policies, merely by creating economic development, are in compliance with human rights therefore cannot be accepted from a legal perspective. (Whether there exists a trade-off relationship between human rights and development is highly controversial).This way human rights should be seen as part of the general legal framework in which good governance policies can be pursued, that is an international legal framework which sets some human rights obligations for the governance of state. In describing good governance policies, donors tend to acknowledge human rights as fundamental guiding principles and aspirations to be achieved, but this is not implemented fully since human rights are not treated as legally binding standards guiding the implementation of governance policies. These obligations, however, not only include the obligation to respect and acknowledge human rights as mentioned above, but also an obligation to protect and an obligation to fulfill. Where every state has the possibility of respecting human rights formally by incorporating new laws, not every sate is fully able to protect and to fulfill these rights. Tod ay most human rights problems are not only the problems of recognition of rights, but also the problems of implementation of rights. In consideration of the above, the relationship between human rights and good governance need not be seen as only a conflicting one, in which human rights are seen as legal corrective to good governance policies. On the contrary, the relationship between good governance and human rights may also been seen as one affording mutual interests, where, on the one hand, governance policies may benefit from legal human rights obligations and, on the other, good governance measures strengthen the protection and fulfillment of human rights.