Reward Management in Ikea Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Reward Management in Ikea - Literature review Example Most organizations use reward management to motivate employees and enhance their productivity thereby contributing to improvement of overall organizational performance. Reward management is further aimed at ensuring internal, as well as external equity. More importantly, it strengthens psychological contract and also for organization to comply with legislation that require organizations to have reward management system (Phil and Cole, 2011, p. 101). Furthermore, reward management provides an organization with a system that enables it to efficiently administer rewards among employees. There are basically two types of rewards: extrinsic rewards and intrinsic rewards. Extrinsic rewards satisfy basic human needs such as security and survival and include raise in pay, better working conditions, and bonuses among others (Wright, 2004, p. 17). Intrinsic rewards aim at satisfying higher human needs such as development and esteem. The vision of IKEA is creation of better everyday life for man y people including its employees. Its human resource philosophy is that employees can be more productive and committed when the company is taking care of their needs. Like many Swedish companies, IKEA adopted a paternalistic stance towards the needs of employees and employees themselves that seeks to empower employees (IBS Center for Management Research, 2012). The application of its human resource philosophy is more or less standardized and reward policies are applied to all employees uniformly. Its human resource policies are aimed at making relationships between employees open and strong, and employees are encouraged to excel by taking care and supporting each other. In a nutshell, IKEA’s human resource policies seek to guarantee uniform and high quality standards in order to support its future developmental and business challenges (IBS Center for Management Research 2012). IKEA’s reward management system is designed to reward employees more or less equally and is i nformed by the need to make relationships between employees open and strong. Equity theory is relevant to IKEA’s reward management system. Armstrong and Stephens (2005, p. 92) note that this theory suggests that employees will be motivated to engage in actions that they perceive that the conditions of the situation are just and fair and which will ultimately benefit them. In addition, this theory holds that a person will be motivated towards organizational goals if they feel that the amount of effort being put forth commensurate the outcomes or the benefits being received (Byron and Khazanchi, 2010, p. 3). Considering that IKEA’s human resource policies are aimed at creating open and strong relationships among employees and empowering them, equity theory are more relevant to their reward management system. This is because it requires that this system regulates equity and help employees to maximize their outcomes as a whole. Looking into IKEA’s human resource pol icies also shows that the organization is keen to avoid distress among employees which might hamper its efforts towards attaining its goals. Equity theory will therefore be relevant to creating equal relationships among parties in the workplace thus avoiding distress. Equity theory recognizes commonly contributed inputs in organizations to include labor, personal investment, time, dedication, and skill (White and Druker, 2000, p. 81). Application of this

Classroom Management Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Classroom Management Project - Essay Example A proper communication system is established with the parents to inform them continuously about their ward's performance and conduct. A classroom should be designed in such a way, that it is enthralling and at the same time more informative to the students. The sense of comfort should be instilled into every student by the classroom atmosphere. The classroom should contain facilities which provide good comfort to the students and atmosphere should be made informative through charts and bulletin boards. A proper place to sit, a place to have fun and a place to do learning activities has to be specifically allocated. The class room should provide an atmosphere of learning. The students should be allowed to enjoy their learning. The educational system adapted should kindle their inquisitiveness to learn new things and at the same time allow them to come out with their own ideas. Equal importance should be given to non academic activity which identifies student's area of expertise and interests. From teachers perspective each and every corner of the room should be visible to the teacher's eyes. They must be able to provide equal attention to every student in the classroom without any consideration of where they sit. Considering the design of class room from a student's perspective, their average height should be taken into account and seating arrangements should be suitably planned. The light arrangement in the classroom should be in such a way that it provides a soothing sight of the board and other charts to the children's eyes. Classroom rules The rules in a classroom form the bridge between the student and the teacher. So, framing the rules of a classroom for third grade plays an important part in management planning. Rather than conventional rules, these rules should make students understand their mistakes and rectify them. Rather than punishing for not adhering to the rules the students should be taught the goodness that comes by following the rules. Rules have to be designed so as not to instruct children on not doing certain things but to create a positive environment. Based on this concept, several rules can be put forward. Some are, Maintain silence while teacher is teaching. Listen to the class. To be friendly with classmates. Follow properly the instructions the teacher gives. In this contest the teacher plays an important role in bringing these rules into practice. It cannot be brought in only by means of force as these students belong just to the third grade. It can only be done by student specific means which can be adapted only if the teacher starts understanding their students. At this young age, each child should be taught about the consequences of their action. This would help them lead a disciplined life later on. When a child misbehaves or disobeys any of these rules, he or she must be given minimal punishment and a lot of advice so as to correct himself. Further the teacher must take into account the intensity and the frequency of the mistake before deciding on the punishments. The teacher must also discriminate between common and uncommon mistakes. Common and high intensity mistakes can be punished in front of others so that those mistakes would not influence other students. In nut shell, the teachers play more important role in

Quality and perf 1 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Quality and perf 1 - Assignment Example The data for the amount of time spent on each activity performed on the patient will be noted including transportation, waiting and the time spent on treatment. Also, comments from nurses, therapist and family-members of the patient will be noted to increase the efficiency of the project. Data collection will be a team work task among all the employees of all the departments. Each participant will note the time he spends on each activity and then submit the report to his respective department. All the final reports from each department will be organized in a â€Å"flow chart model with the timeline† as per organizational chart. The Quality Improvement Plan will be executed by the â€Å"Q-Team†. The team will consist of 6 senior members from each level of the organizational chart which includes the head of therapist, head of nurse, In charge of transportation, administrator, human resource manager and manager of strategic planning and financing. Head of the therapist will make sure that all the patients get the best care in an efficient manner considering the importance of time both for the organization and patient. Each therapist will fill a patient profile form mentioning the time spent on treatment and counseling. He then submits it to the head of therapist. In charge of the transportation will confirm that each patient will come to the centre, before his appointment time with the therapist. Transporters will note the time for transportation for each patient. Administrator will be in direct contact with the family members of the patient. In case of any complaint or request he will pass it on to the committee to refine the whole process. Any delays from the patients or complaints will be noted down and will be submitted to the committee later on. All the members of the committee being professional in their respective fields will utilize their

Reward Management in Ikea Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Reward Management in Ikea - Literature review Example Most organizations use reward management to motivate employees and enhance their productivity thereby contributing to improvement of overall organizational performance. Reward management is further aimed at ensuring internal, as well as external equity. More importantly, it strengthens psychological contract and also for organization to comply with legislation that require organizations to have reward management system (Phil and Cole, 2011, p. 101). Furthermore, reward management provides an organization with a system that enables it to efficiently administer rewards among employees. There are basically two types of rewards: extrinsic rewards and intrinsic rewards. Extrinsic rewards satisfy basic human needs such as security and survival and include raise in pay, better working conditions, and bonuses among others (Wright, 2004, p. 17). Intrinsic rewards aim at satisfying higher human needs such as development and esteem. The vision of IKEA is creation of better everyday life for man y people including its employees. Its human resource philosophy is that employees can be more productive and committed when the company is taking care of their needs. Like many Swedish companies, IKEA adopted a paternalistic stance towards the needs of employees and employees themselves that seeks to empower employees (IBS Center for Management Research, 2012). The application of its human resource philosophy is more or less standardized and reward policies are applied to all employees uniformly. Its human resource policies are aimed at making relationships between employees open and strong, and employees are encouraged to excel by taking care and supporting each other. In a nutshell, IKEA’s human resource policies seek to guarantee uniform and high quality standards in order to support its future developmental and business challenges (IBS Center for Management Research 2012). IKEA’s reward management system is designed to reward employees more or less equally and is i nformed by the need to make relationships between employees open and strong. Equity theory is relevant to IKEA’s reward management system. Armstrong and Stephens (2005, p. 92) note that this theory suggests that employees will be motivated to engage in actions that they perceive that the conditions of the situation are just and fair and which will ultimately benefit them. In addition, this theory holds that a person will be motivated towards organizational goals if they feel that the amount of effort being put forth commensurate the outcomes or the benefits being received (Byron and Khazanchi, 2010, p. 3). Considering that IKEA’s human resource policies are aimed at creating open and strong relationships among employees and empowering them, equity theory are more relevant to their reward management system. This is because it requires that this system regulates equity and help employees to maximize their outcomes as a whole. Looking into IKEA’s human resource pol icies also shows that the organization is keen to avoid distress among employees which might hamper its efforts towards attaining its goals. Equity theory will therefore be relevant to creating equal relationships among parties in the workplace thus avoiding distress. Equity theory recognizes commonly contributed inputs in organizations to include labor, personal investment, time, dedication, and skill (White and Druker, 2000, p. 81). Application of this

Quality and perf 1 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Quality and perf 1 - Assignment Example The data for the amount of time spent on each activity performed on the patient will be noted including transportation, waiting and the time spent on treatment. Also, comments from nurses, therapist and family-members of the patient will be noted to increase the efficiency of the project. Data collection will be a team work task among all the employees of all the departments. Each participant will note the time he spends on each activity and then submit the report to his respective department. All the final reports from each department will be organized in a â€Å"flow chart model with the timeline† as per organizational chart. The Quality Improvement Plan will be executed by the â€Å"Q-Team†. The team will consist of 6 senior members from each level of the organizational chart which includes the head of therapist, head of nurse, In charge of transportation, administrator, human resource manager and manager of strategic planning and financing. Head of the therapist will make sure that all the patients get the best care in an efficient manner considering the importance of time both for the organization and patient. Each therapist will fill a patient profile form mentioning the time spent on treatment and counseling. He then submits it to the head of therapist. In charge of the transportation will confirm that each patient will come to the centre, before his appointment time with the therapist. Transporters will note the time for transportation for each patient. Administrator will be in direct contact with the family members of the patient. In case of any complaint or request he will pass it on to the committee to refine the whole process. Any delays from the patients or complaints will be noted down and will be submitted to the committee later on. All the members of the committee being professional in their respective fields will utilize their

Evaluating a Health Promotion Website Essay Example for Free

Evaluating a Health Promotion Website Essay Health Information Technology (HIT) has been introduced into the National Health Service (NHS) in order to improve the quality, efficiency, safety and cost effectiveness of the delivery of health care. The application of computerized information technology in health care settings has so far played a vital role in improving the accessibility of information and has replaced more labour intensive and unproductive methods (Shekelle and Goldzweig, 2009). The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC, 2009) maintain that that nurses’ skills, knowledge and practice must be guided by the best available evidence. Often this evidence is found on the internet however many sources of information can be inaccurate so a good standard of critical evaluation is required (Kim, Eng, Deering et al 1998). To evaluate the quality and reliability of a chosen website the use of a framework can be helpful such as Roberts (2012) 5 C’s website tool. This framework evaluates five areas: credibility, currency, content, construction and clarity. The website The Royal College of Psychiatrists (RC Psych, 2012 a) was chosen to be evaluated because as a mental health nursing student this will develop an awareness of how information technology is implemented and applied to practice in health care. Additionally, by using Roberts (2012) 5 C’s framework to critically evaluate this website, knowledge and skills of the quality and reliability of HIT will be acquired. Main Body RC Psych is the professional and educational organisation for psychiatrist in the UK as well as being a registered charity (RC Psych, 2012 b). Their website is aimed at improving the lives of individuals affected by mental illness through educating the public. They claim to be at the head of developing and promoting best practice in mental health services through their education, training and research projects. Additionally they are involved in the publishing of the following world-class journals; British Journal of Psychiatry, The Psychiatrist, Advances in Psychiatric Treatment and International Psychiatry (RC Psych, 2012 c). Credibility Having gained a royal charter this shows us that the organisation has been recognised by the Queen and seconded by the government to call itself a registered organisation of the highest regard. As stated by the Privy Council Office (2012) organisations granted a Royal Charter must have a solid record of achievement. 75% of its members should be qualified to at least first degree level and the work completed by the organisation must be in the interest of the public. Professor Peter Tyrer is named as the Editor, of the website, and is said to be responsible for the editorial and production aspects of its publications in addition to the production of their online continuing professional development (CPD) e-learning resources and its sales and marketing (RC Psych, 2012 d). After researching Peter Tyrer it is evident that he is highly qualified within the field of mental health and is a professor of community psychiatry for the Department of Medicine, within the Imperial College London (Imperial College London, 2012). The website offers a vast amount of information around mental health including conditions, diagnoses, treatments and types of therapies. The advice provided is produced in the form of online leaflets for the use of the public as well as professionals. Within the website there is no evidence to show that the same specific authors are used regularly for their published articles however, at the end of each article the producer, editor and sometimes an author are named in addition to any expert that has been involved in the making of it. All these leaflets are produced by the RC Psych Public Education Editorial Board that is responsible for producing 300 educational leaflets. These leaflets have been accredited by the NHS Information Standard and subsequently gained numerous awards (Byrne, 2011). They have achieved Plain English and BMA patient information awards and have received consistently positive feedback for the web versions. The editor of these leaflets is Dr Phillip Timms who is currently employed as a consultant Psychiatrist for the South London Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust as well as a senior lecturer in psychiatry at King’s College, London (BMJ Masterclasses, 2012). This site’s web address shows that it is delivered by a UK based academic body as it has an ac.uk URL. This confirms their credibility and reassures the reader that they are qualified experts able to give advice in this field (Roberts, 2010). Combining all this it is apparent that the producers of the website have appropriate qualifications and expertise to offer advice in regards to mental health and supports the credibility of the organisation and the website. Some of these points also link into the other five C’s for example, the awards that the leaflets have received show that the content and clarity of their work has been assessed and found to be of an acceptable standard. Currency When using a website for personal development reasons or to recommend to a patient the information being accessed should be the most current evidence available that has been proven in practice. In regards to the advice provided on the website RC Psych (2012 e) states that they endeavour to update it every two to three years. This is reflected in the articles by showing the date the information was last updated and the date it will be reviewed in the future. Additionally RC Psych (2012 d) state that their information derives from the best evidence available at the time of writing and is updated regularly to reflect any changes in knowledge. Another way to determine the currency of information is to consider the references used to back it up (Roberts, 2010). If the sources are dated then what you are reading may not come from the most current research so there may be more up to date evidence elsewhere. The dates of the references used throughout the website are quite varied however, they do contain many recently published articles and up to date clinical guidelines so this suggests that they are committed to producing up to date information and evidence. This is seen in a leaflet on depression where RC Psyche (2012 f) cites a recently updated guideline by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE, 2009) which looks at the treatment and management of depression in adults. The currency and credibility of the website can also be reflected in its content and therefore this should also be assessed during the evaluation process. Content As well as being credible and current the content must be assessed for its objectivity, accuracy and completeness (Roberts, 2010). The content of a website can be judged by assessing what the website aims to achieve. This could be selling a product, persuading the audience to believe in something or to provide the reader with unbiased and up to date information on a specific topic (Roberts, 2010). RC Psych (2012 a) profess that they aim to improve the lives of individuals with a mental health illness. They aim to do this by educating people through making information and advice available on their website. This would indicate that it falls under the category of providing unbiased and up to date information to the public. The articles on the website are written in the third person so prevents the author from expressing personal opinion. Furthermore the leaflets produced provide links to various other sources of information on the topic being discussed. This encourages further reading which provides a complete and balanced view preventing bias and, where treatment is recommended, allows the reader to make an informed choice (Roberts, 2010). The references used within the website are taken from well known and respected sources that provide current and acknowledged recommendations such as NICE, the Department of Health (DOH) and various field related journals. This indicates that the website seeks to provide and maintain up to date, accurate and unbiased information that concurs with information available in books and journals on the same subjects. Construction The construction of a website, for example, the layout, colours, fonts, sizes and ease of access can determine whether or not a reader believes the website is of good quality or not (Roberts, 2010). A study by Lindgaard, Fernandes and Dudek et al. (2006) found that the first 50 milliseconds that the reader is exposed to a website can cause the reader to form an opinion as to whether a website is worth using or not. On first impression, the website in question looks colourful and professional. The eye is drawn to the bolder writing that states the websites purpose and there are minimal graphics to distract the reader from this. There is a lot of information on the home page of the website and could be considered cluttered, however it is divided into clear sections and appears well organised, giving clear subheadings which guide the reader to their areas of interest easily. The main colour used for the website is grey and presents a professional look. It is subtle but effective in breaking up different sections of the website without being obtrusive. The font size is varied throughout but mainly of a larger size making the website easy to read. There is no option for the reader to change the font sizing or colour which could cause some difficulty as it is not possible to suit everyone with one font size, style and colour (Roberts, 2010). As this is a registered charitable organisation it would be unfair to expect them not to promote money making offers. There are two links to buy books that are published by the royal college of psychiatrists and an option to support them in future development projects. They have presented these links as the last things you would come across on the website. Because of where they are situated it comes across to the reader that they are more interested in providing free and accessible information to educate the pubic over making money. Clarity Clarity is another important area to consider when evaluating a website. Due to our continually growing multi-cultural society it is important that websites cater for all groups in society and not just the English readers. One part of the website caters for professionals working in psychiatry and another to the public wanting to learn more about mental illness. Both sections are presented and written in a way that is understandable to the general public. In the public section they offer their advice in 21 different languages in addition to visual aids using BSL sign language as well as audio pod casts and printable versions. This shows that they have made an effort to cater for diverse cultures and needs. Unfortunately it appears that they have not taken into account the needs of people with dyslexia. Approximately two million people in the UK population are affected by dyslexia of which around 35 to 40 percent experience visual disturbances when reading (Dyslexia Action, 2012). The British Dyslexia Association, (2012) states that the reading ability of an individual with dyslexia can be negatively affected by bright white backgrounds and the use of too much text. By changing the background to an off white colour and spreading out the information over larger areas this would cater for yet another group in society. Conclusion Having the ability to access health information via the internet has given nurses the capacity to constantly improve their knowledge base and skills knowing that they are delivering the best possible care derived from the best available evidence. The RC Psych website not only offers nurses a place to go and build on their knowledge and skills but it also provides them with a safe, reliable and easily accessible knowledge base that they can confidently refer their patients to. The evaluation of this website has shown that the website contains quality, reliable evidence and could be recommended to anyone interested in the field of mental illness. In addition to this the use of the five C’s evaluation tool has provided a great foundation to the development of evaluating skills. It has given an opportunity to discover that the evidence being accessed is suitable for developing personal practice and to help educate patients and is accepted within the NMC code of conduct (Roberts, 2 010).

Your Mind And Body Are Clearly Distinct Philosophy Essay

Your Mind And Body Are Clearly Distinct Philosophy Essay During his meditations, Descartes starts by doubting everything unless it can be indubitably known to be true. After much questioning and scepticism, Descartes comes to the conclusion: I am, I exist.  [2]  This seems to state that the I Descartes describes (usually defined as the conscious mind) must exist for an individual to exist. Because for every time the I makes the above proposition, the mind or conscious self is engaged in thought and therefore demonstrates its own existence. After conclusively grounding his existence, Descartes inquires as to what makes up a person. He eventually deduces that I am not more than a thing that thinks  [3]  . Because to assume that his body exists is to rely on his senses that could be deceived. Therefore through intellect alone, Descartes concludes that he must be essentially a thing that thinks. When returning to the contemplation of the mind and body in his Sixth Meditation, Descartes then asserts that I [that is to say, my soul by which I am what I am], is entirely and absolutely distinct from my body, and can exist without it.  [4]  How and why he goes from a thinking thing, to a mind distinct from body is a perplexing problem both for Descartes and for his critics. In both the Second meditation, but more clearly in part four of his Discourse on the Method Descartes presents what is commonly known as the argument from doubt: I saw that I could conceive that I had no body, and that there was no world nor place wh ere I might be; but yet I could not for all that conceive that I was not. On the contrary, I saw from the very fact that I thought of doubting the truth of other things, it very evidently and certainly followed that I was; on the other hand if I had only ceased from thinking, even if all the rest of what I had ever imagined had really existed, I should have no reason for thinking that I had existed. From that I knew that I was a substance the whole essence or nature of which is to think, and that for its existence there is no need of any place, nor does it depend on any material things; so that this me, that is to say, the soul by which I am what I am, is entirely distinct from body, and is even more easy to know than is the latter; and even if body were not, the soul would not cease to be what it is.  [5]  This argument can be displayed as such  [6]  : I can doubt that I have a body. I cannot doubt that I exist. Ergo, I am not a body.  [7]   There have been many famous refutations of this argument from doubt. One problem with the argument, forwarded by Norman Malcolm, is that arguments using the same logic can be formed that lead to ridiculous results. For example: I can doubt that the author of the pamphlet Why I Am Not a Christian exists I cannot doubt that Bertrand Russell exists Ergo, Bertrand Russell is not the author of that pamphlet.  [8]   However as Malcolm himself points out, this counter-example is based on contingent propositions, whereas Descartes argument is intended to be based on a priori propositions. But whether the subject of the proof is a posteriori or a priori, the reasoning behind the proof can still be called into question. Descartes can think of his mind without his body, but this does not necessarily mean that this is the case, that without his body his mind can still exist. In this form of reasoning, Descartes is attempting to use Leibnizs law of the indiscernibility of identicals. However Leibnizs law states that no two objects have exactly the same properties.  [9]  Therefore, if it is true that two things (the body and the self) have different properties, then they cannot be the one same thing and there must be different objects. But it is mistaken to say that if one believes that two things have different properties then they cannot be identical. This is because what people know or think they know about an object, is not a property of that object. Therefore when Descartes claims that he doubts his body exists, this does not mean that the body has a different property than if he did not doubt its existence. He also claims he cannot doubt that his mind exists, but if his mind is a part of his b ody then we can doubt that his mind, apart from the body could exist. For the doubt argument to work, Descartes needs a provable reason for us to think that the mind and the body are truly distinct. The second argument Descartes employs is often referred to as the argument from conceivability. It is also presented in the sixth meditation and through it Descartes sets out to prove that one can exist as a thinking thing distinct from the physical body it goes as follows: I know that all things which I apprehend clearly and distinctly can be created by God as I apprehend them, it suffices that I am able to apprehend one thing apart from another clearly and distinctly in order to be certain that the one is different from the other, since they may be made to exist in seperation at least by the omnipotence of GodI rightly conclude that my essence consists solely in the fact that I am a thinking thing (or a substance whose whole essence or nature is to think). And although possibly (or rather certainly, as I shall say in a moment) I possess a body with which I am very intimately conjoined, yet because, on the one side, I have a clear and distinct idea of myself inasmuch as I am only a thinking and unextended thing, and as, on the other, I possess a distinct idea of body, inasmuch as it is only an extended and unthinking thing, it is certain that this I (that is to say my soul by which I am what I am), is entirely and absolutly distinct from my body, and can exist without it.  [10]  This argument can also be split into three parts: I can clearly and distinctly conceive of myself existing (as a thinking thing) apart from my physical body. Anything I perceive clearly and distinctly is logically possible. If I can clearly and distinctly perceive of myself as an unextended thinking thing, and my body as an extended unthinking thing, then it is logically possible that my body and my mind can exist apart. One obvious objection to this argument is that just because one can perceive of themselves as existing without physical properties, does not mean that they do exist without physical properties.  [11]  Another problem is that the second premise seems to be rather weak. To perceive something clearly and distinctly is not necessarily the same as it being logically possible. Descartes may be able to clearly and distinctly conceive of himself as an unextended thinking thing, and his body as an extended unthinking thing, but that does not mean he can conclude that my essence consists solely in the fact that I am a thinking thing.  [12]  He may only have an incomplete understanding of his mind and his body (with the scientific advancements of the past 300 years this seems very plausible). He has not shown that thought is the sole property of the mind, other properties could still be essential for the mind to exist (such as extension). In order for Descartes to prove the minds distin ct separation from the extended body he must prove that it is impossible for the mind to be extended or to have extension as another essential property. Therefore Descartess argument from conceivability only stands up if one agrees that clear and distinct perception is all we need to have a complete knowledge of the world, and this seem a very weak conclusion to draw. Another argument posed by Descartes is the argument from divisibility. This argument tries to prove that the mind and body are clearly distinct due to their difference in divisibility. It is set out, in the Sixth Meditation, as follows: I here say, in the first place, that there is a great difference between mind and body, inasmuch as body is by nature always divisible and the mind is entirely indivisible.  [13]  He then describes this assertion: when I consider the mind, that is to say, myself inasmuch as I am only a thinking thing, I cannot distinguish in myself any parts, but apprehend myself to be clearly one and entireyet if a foot, or an arm, or some other part, is separated from my body, I am aware that nothing has been taken away from my mind.  [14]  Here Descartes is offering the following reasoning: all extended matter is divisible, the mind is not divisible, therefore the mind is not made of extended matter. It is clear here that the second premise of the divisibility argument: the mind is not divisible is problematic. There are many objections here that can be raised against the second premise, an obvious objection is the scientific evidence has shown convincing evidence that different areas of the physical brain are responsible for different mental states (memory, rational thought, language, emotions etc). Therefore if one removed parts of the physical brain, that persons mind would most definitely be altered. This does not mean that one must reject the idea that thoughts cannot be spatially mapped, merely that the brain in which they are contained and processed can be spatially and physically altered, and that this alteration would have a direct effect on the state of the mind. The only way that the divisibility argument can plausible is if one believes the second premise, that the mind is an immaterial substance distinct from both the body and the brain. This is highly improbable and would oppose everything that has been discovered by scientifically studying the brain. This conclusion leads on to the biggest objection to the Cartesian claim that the mind and body are clearly distinct. How can an immaterial mind, distinct and separate from all other matter, interact with the physical body? This is the brick wall that Cartesian dualism runs up against. And there has been no convincing answer, from Descartes to the present. It is more common now for philosophers to talk of the mental and the physical as two aspects of one reality. Indeed, one could go a step further and argue why have a single entity? The mind or self is not a single thing, a unified identity that travels from cradle to grave, but merely a catch all label for our swirling fragmentary perceptions of the world and reactions to it. The reason we create this self, an inner puppeteer directing our behaviour, is due to our ability to view ourselves from the outside. After all isnt this what consciousness is, to be self aware? Personally I find R.A. Brooks description of robot behaviour much more plausible, when thinking about the immaterial self so elusive to Descartes  [15]  : It is only the observer of the creature who imputes a central representation or central control. The creature itself has none: it is a collection of competing behaviours. Out of the local chaos of their interactions there emerges, in the eye of the observer, a coherent pattern of behaviour.  [16]