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The purpose of this paper is to explore how students interact with discussion boards, given different cultural backgrounds. The paper draws from the literature on activity theory, communities of practice, as well as learning theory to inform a discussion on students use of discussion boards.

Students from a range of nationalities studying in London were issued with a five-point Likert scale questionnaire that was supplemented with opportunities for students to elaborate on their thoughts through the use of open response comment boxes. In addition to qualitative analysis, statistical analysis using the Kruskal-Wallis test was undertaken to investigate the degree to which national background influenced the use of discussion boards. Students were divided into four groups (British, European, Asian and African) for the purpose of analysis.

The findings tentatively echo earlier work (Hofstede) on how cultural/national factors impact on how people approach work/study. In this case, differences between African and Asian students were most apparent in a number of interesting areas.

This study is limited by the sample size and time constraints involved. The data were drawn from 70 students. Future student intake will be added to this cohort to build up the sample and test preliminary findings.

This paper infers that teachers should be actively aware of how nationality/cultural background may impact on how students learn and engage with information technology during the learning process.

This paper contributes to the work on learning in diverse learning communities and how information technology can contribute to a learning community.

Milk sampling is of little use unless some standard is fixed to which all ungraded milks might be expected to attain, this being essential for the comparison of results. The absence of such standards, other than those provided by the Milk (Special Designations) Order, is to be deplored, and it is essential that some limit should be fixed beyond which samples must be considered unsatisfactory. Authorities have therefore to exercise their own judgment in the matter. That no producer can at present be compelled to attain an unofficial standard is not so great a drawback as might at first be thought. Dirty milk means wrong methods, and any producer, given the necessary educational assistance, can, if he wishes, produce milk which will maintain a suitable standard. Unsatisfactory results mean neglect, and the remedy for consistent neglect is the use of the legislation provided. In other words, although action cannot be taken upon unsatisfactory bacteriological results per se, the root causes of the contamination as shown by the analyses can be dealt with through orthodox channels.

Through a survey of 200 employees working in five of the thirty establishments analysed in previous research about the microeconomic effects of reducing the working time (Cahier 25), the consequences on employees of such a reduction can be assessed; and relevant attitudes and aspirations better known.

We publish below a Circular which has been issued by the Ministry of Health (Circular No. 325), addressed to the Town Clerks of the various Councils, urging the Councils not to take actions against vendors of adulterated milk except in cases where it has been proved by repeated sampling that the milk from such vendors is consistently below the legal standard. A more stupid and damaging circular it is not possible to conceive, and the matter is one which calls for very strong representations being made by the Councils throughout the country. The effect of adopting the recommendations of the circular in question would be to practically stultify the Food and Drugs Acts in so far as the sale of adulterated milk is concerned, and it would further encourage the dairy farmer to keep certain breeds of cows which are well known for the very large quantity of milk which they produce of poor quality. The mixed milk from a properly selected herd of cows which are properly fed will never fall below the extremely lenient standard fixed by the Board of Agriculture. Whether the production of inferior or adulterated milk is due to the extraction of cream, the addition of water, improper feeding or improper selection of the cows, is of no moment to the consumer, the motive for the adoption of any of these methods is pecuniary benefit. If the desire of the Ministry of Health is to encourage adulteration and sophistication of food and to bring to nought what little protection is afforded to the consumer by the administration of the Sale of Food and Drugs Acts, a more effective Circular could hardly have been issued.

Status demotion in hierarchical loyalty programs (HLPs) has received considerable academic attention. However, little is known about whether status demotion engenders two widely recognised behavioural intentions: revenge and avoidance. This study aims to make up this gap by examining the effects of status demotion on customers’ revenge and avoidance intentions. The underlying mechanism and boundary conditions of these effects are also explored.

Two studies were conducted to test the hypotheses. Study 1 was conducted using a structured survey from 347 active HLP members/customers of Chinese airlines. Study 2 used an online experiment amongst 268 active HLP airline customers in Australia. Partial least squares-based structural equation modelling and Hayes’ (2013) PROCESS macro were used for data analysis.

The results of Study 1 show that status demotion increases customers’ revenge and avoidance intentions simultaneously. Meanwhile, these effects are more significant for demoted customers with an external locus of causality than those with an internal locus of causality and demoted customers with higher entitlement tend to possess more revenge intentions than avoidance intentions. Study 2 further identified perceived inequity as a mechanism, which links status demotion to revenge and avoidance intentions of demoted customers.

This study examines demoted customers’ revenge and avoidance intentions amongst Chinese and Australian airline travellers. Future research may focus on actual behaviour and test the current study’s model in cross-cultural and cross-industry settings.

Managers should deal with demotion decisions carefully as the failure to manage outraged customers may weaken customer-company relationships.

This study extends the existing literature on relationship marketing and HLPs by offering a better understanding of how and under what conditions status demotion elicits customers’ intentions for revenge and avoidance.

Tries to piece together a brief jigsaw of sales' various promotional bodies and their history. States that the year of 1933, which was the year when the British Sales Promotion Association was conceived, was not followed by its American equivalent until 23 years later. Discusses, in depth, the Association's early years from its inauguration with six members to its growth years, taking in the Second World War, which of course delayed progress everywhere. Says that the association grew to be 700 members and still growing in 1983.

THE Conference of the Library Association may be described as one without a press. The greatest dailies had the barest references to it, a fact which is surprising and lends us matter for reflection. If an admittedly national service, almost universal in application, can be completely ignored in its annual gatherings, what is to be thought? Is it that libraries are now so normal a part of the social landscape that they may be taken for granted? Are they so insignificant that they do not merit notice? Alternatively, were our proceedings too dull for the dramatic necessities of the reporter? Or, finally, was it because the general publicity of the L.A. is not aggressive, is indeed inert? These questions every librarian and library authority may ask and have a right to the answer.

THE Education Act (1944), if fully and sympathetically operated, should foster new reading habits, and encourage librarians everywhere. Thoughtful observers in Britain have been concerned for many years past over the comparatively small part played by books—in the schools no less than in the community at large,

SAID Sir Harold Wilson when he was Prime Minister, “One man's wage increase is another worker on the dole.” It seems as if that axiom has been forgotten. Members of this Labour Government which, it must be admitted, has striven manfully and successfully to bring inflation down, are now speaking with hopeless fatalism of any army of workless likely to reach over three million in a heartbreaking short space of time.