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Why people use mobile devices during meetings |
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Written by Reetu Sharma
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Sunday, 05 July 2009 07:22 |
 Washington, July 5 : It''''s not communication overload but peer behaviour that determines whether people use their laptops or smart phones during a meeting, say researchers at The University of Texas at Austin.
It was believed that the more people experienced communication overload, the more they would engage in electronic multitasking during meetings.
But the study on individuals from a diverse range of organizations-including engineering, finance, software, energy, marketing and health care-debunked that view.
It was found that the perceived opinions of peers and supervisors and observation of others using their mobile devices in a meeting was what influenced an individual''''s tendency to multi-task.
"There''''s no doubt the ubiquity of mobile devices is changing the nature of workplace meetings. What we''''ve found is that simply feeling overloaded with messages coming from channels such as e-mail, texts and instant messages is not the primary driver for multitasking in meetings," said Keri Stephens, assistant professor of communication studies in the College of Communication.
The study is particularly informative as organizational norms overshadowed individual-level predictors, which might be due to the unique nature of portable technology.
For decades, people have been using non-technology communication-pens and paper-to multitask in meetings.
The research suggests that employee behaviour is likely to change if organizations ban mobile technologies, and set new norms for how they can be used during meetings.
The research comes in line with the news that organizations are banning mobile devices or going lap "topless" in meetings to get participants'''' undivided attention.
While banning mobile devices will likely eliminate unproductive behaviour, the researchers have warned that it can stifle legitimately productive behaviour that can enhance the meeting process.
One of the key findings of the study is that prior to a meeting, facilitators need to communicate clearly about whether using mobile devices is acceptable or not.
Meetings also need to include the right content for the right people, as well as engaging material.
The report, titled ''''The Social Influences on Electronic Multitasking in Organizational Meetings'''', has been published in the August issue of Management Communication Quarterly. (ANI) |
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Vietnam, sentenced two men for killing ape |
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Written by Deepak Joshi
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Friday, 03 July 2009 06:58 |
 Hanoi - A court in southern Vietnam has sentenced two men to prison for killing two endangered black-shanked douc apes, a local official said Friday.
Phan Huy Thang said, "I am not happy when I hear someone is put into prison, but I agree with the sentences because it will serve as an example to warn people not to kill wild animals," head of the Forest Warden Department of Khanh Hoa province, where the case was heard.
Vietnam News on Friday reported the People's Court in Ninh Hoa District sentenced Phan Van Chanh, 31, to 30 months in prison and Le Minh Canh, 36, to 24 months for violating regulations on the protection of endangered animals.
Chanh and Canh were charged with killing two black-shanked doucs in Ninh Hoa District on January 20.
The animal is listed on the Red List of the Internationals Union for Conservation of Nature and the Vietnam's Red List of endangered animals.
At the court, the men admitted they planned to sell the two black-shanked doucs to restaurants.
Eating wild animals is highly popular in Vietnam, where many animals are considered to have medicinal and spiritual qualities. As a result, many local species have been driven to the brink of extinction. (dpa) |
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Obamas’ are welcome to visit Syria, says nation’s First Lady |
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Written by Neena Sareen
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Thursday, 02 July 2009 10:26 |
 Damascus (Syria), July 2 : Syria''s First Lady has told Sky News that she would welcome the Obamas' should they decide to visit the country's capital, Damascus. Asma al Assad''s comments are the latest in a series of signs that US-Syrian relations are improving after years of tension.
"The fact is President Obama is young, and President Assad is also very young as well. So maybe it is time for these young leaders to make a difference in the world," she said.
"I can see myself hosting them in Damascus in the old town, meeting with people, getting a sense of how we live, who we are and what Syria''s about," she added.
The comments follow news that America is to send an ambassador to Syria for the first time in four years.
It follows President Obama''s offer of a "new beginning" in relations between the US and the Muslim world in general.
Relations were strained under the Bush administration, which regarded Syria as a state sponsor of terrorism.
They condemned its support of Palestinian and Lebanese militant groups and blamed Damascus for failing to prevent insurgents crossing Syrian borders into Iraq.
Asma al Assad was born and raised in London and only moved to Damascus after marrying Syrian President Bashar al Assad nine years ago.
This week she is launching the latest phase in a youth movement called Massar, which is one of her great passions.
Syria needs to make more progress to benefit its people, she said. (ANI) |
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U.S. treads carefully with Honduras crisis |
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Written by Heman Kothari
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Tuesday, 30 June 2009 16:12 |
 After failing to stave off a military coup in Honduras, the Obama administration moved gingerly Monday to try to undo it, leaving key levers of U.S. influence untouched as it urged Hondurans and other countries in the region to seek a settlement.
The administration's approach appeared designed to avoid damaging Washington's ties either to U.S.-allied backers of the coup that forcibly removed President Manuel Zelaya or the regional powers that have universally condemned it.
President Obama expressed "great concerns" about the strife, and U.S. officials planned on attending a session of the Organization of American States in Washington today to address the situation.
"We believe that the coup was not legal and that President Zelaya remains the president of Honduras, the democratically elected president there," Obama said after a meeting with Colombian President Alvaro Uribe. "In that we have joined all the countries in the region, including Colombia, and the Organization of American States."
But while condemning the overthrow, U.S. officials did not demand the reinstatement of Zelaya. The administration left its ambassador to Honduras in place, while several governments in the region recalled theirs.
And despite control over millions of dollars in aid and massive economic clout, the administration did not threaten sanctions or penalties against Honduras for the formation of a new government the day after Zelaya was dragged from his bed and removed from the country Sunday.
Before Sunday, Obama administration officials were aware of the deepening crisis and said they spoke to Honduran officials in the hope of resolving the dispute and averting a forced transfer of power.
However, senior administration officials said the Honduran military ended those discussions Sunday and refused to take further calls.
Now, as U.S. officials assessed the fallout from the first military overthrow in Central America in 16 years, they made it clear Monday that they were looking for a compromise that could restore democracy without risking further upheaval or destroying Honduras' fragile economy.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said the political crisis "has evolved into a coup." But U.S. officials had not made a legal determination that the action actually constituted a coup, a finding that would trigger cutoffs of U.S. aid. |
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Oil prices jumped above $73 on dollar fall |
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Written by Deepak Joshi
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Tuesday, 30 June 2009 16:02 |
 Oil prices jumped above $73.Singapur- Tuesday in Asia as a weakening U.S. dollar and attacks on oil installations in Nigeria helped push prices to eight-month highs.
Oil has surged from below $35 in March in part on investor concern that massive U.S. fiscal stimulus spending will eventually spark high inflation. Investors often buy commodities such as crude as a hedge against a weakening dollar and inflation.
On Monday onwards, Euro gained to $1.4108 on Tuesday from $1.4078
In August, Benchmark crude delivery was up $1.06 to $72.55 a barrel by midday Singapore time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange after trading as high as $73.38. On Monday, it gained $2.33 to settle at $71.49.
Prices were also bolstered by another round of attacks Monday by Nigerian militants, who this time partly damaged and shut down a Royal Dutch Shell offshore oil platform. Nigeria is Africa's largest oil producer.
According to Clarence Chu, Crude trading volume was about three times more than normal Tuesday in Asia, a trader at market maker Hudson Capital Energy in Singapore.
China boosted state-set gasoline and diesel prices Tuesday to reflect rising global crude costs, days after indicating plans to increase its strategic crude oil reserves by 60 percent over the next five years.
The government raised the retail price of gasoline by 8.6 percent and diesel by 9.6 percent, the fourth change in prices this year.
Crude reached $73.23 a barrel in intraday trading earlier this month, the highest since October.
In other Nynex trading, gasoline for July delivery rose 2.73 cents to $1.96 a gallon and heating oil gained 2.65 cents to $1.81. Natural gas for July delivery jumped 2.4 cents to $3.97 per 1,000 cubic feet.
Brent prices rose $1.31 to $72.30 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange, London report. |
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Page 7 of 9 |
Belgrade - Serbia on Wednesday reported its first case of swine flu, a man who recently returned from Argentina, the ...
Hamburg - Dinara Safina continues to lead the women's tennis rankings, while fellow Russian Elena Dementieva moved ba...
Hanoi - A court in southern Vietnam has sentenced two men to prison for killing two endangered black-shanked douc ap...
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