ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
By 2002, the technology already existed to collect enormous amounts of personal information with or without the explicit consent of consumers. Graeff and Harmon (2002) define the context for primary research by pointing out that:   * No less than 80 percent of Americans were at least “somewhat concerned” about their privacy being violated;   * A Gallup poll had found that half the population gave no credence to the time-worn claim of the Bureau of the Census that information gathered about the family would never be shared, even with other government agencies;   * Citing a Harvard Law Review article by Warren and Brandeis, the authors show that the right of the public against breach of privacy is a long-established precedent; and,   * Without the benefit of explicit consent from individuals, retailers continuously collect shopping information and match these against personal data recorded when consumers applied for loyalty or credit cards in order to segment the market and arrive at strategies for enhancing their share of dollars spent. Since it can be done, retailers and those who operate retail audit databases (e.g. Nielsen, MRI) have no qualms about selling information to manufacturers keen on strengthening marketing strategy and to direct marketers desirous of sending targeted, because personalized, direct mail and email “blasts” in the millions. Against this backdrop, Graeff and Harmon contend, there are large information gaps about consumer awareness of the means used to gather purchase information, degree of concern if aware, and effect on purchase behaviour if concerned. In addition, the researchers find the literature distinctly sparse when it comes to understanding the above dependent variables according to consumer demographics, type of retailer or degree of intrusiveness experienced. The Graeff and Harmon methodology represented a good start, given that the study was a first step at relating the independent and dependent variables of concern and since e-commerce was neither as prevalent nor as intrusive in 2000 as experienced today. Hence, the research team could perhaps be forgiven for:   * Targeting a three-county area in a southern state without acknowledging the need for including a sizeable metropolitan market. After all, the initial literature search had provided clues that higher education and income predicated greater concern about privacy. And where else does one find concentrations of these desirable consumers if not in cities?   * Opting exclusively for a telephone survey, regardless of the computer-aided format, since there is very likely a strong affective component to concern about privacy and face-to-face interviewing might have accessed the non-verbal and verbatim manifestations of depth of feeling (Yang and Miller, 2007). To be fair, however, the authors had conducted a pre-test enabled formulation of pre-coded response categories when a verbatim response was solicited over the phone. One might also view askance the formula
The paper entitled “Designing Integrated Conservation and Development Projects (ICDPS): Illegal Hunting, Wildlife Conservation and the Welfare of the Local People” offers to the reader a bio-economic model that the authors have developed in order to analyze effects of ICDPs on the wildlife, illegal hunting, and general human welfare. The analyzed data was collected from Serengeti, Tanzania. The study has revealed that increasing work opportunities promote conservation, however if the transfers of money and distribution of game meat to the locals are not supported by objective of conservation, these measures fail to perform their purpose. The model presented in this article consists of bio-economical aspect of hunter-agrarian community that resides on the border of a national park. State holds the wildlife property rights however the park agency is responsible for protecting the area of the natural reserve. Although locals have no right to hunt, there are still cases of poaching, as the park agency does not have strict enough rules that would eliminate illegal hunting, and protect the State property. The authors summarize that a certain plan that includes benefit-sharing instruments between the local people and park authorities should be designed in order to provide efficient wildlife conservation. The plan must also indicate the duties and rights of both parties, as well as rational penalties that would make those parties comply with the law. The second article reviewed was called “Investing in Biodiversity, a Review of Indonesia’s Integrated Conservation and Development Projects”. It conducted an asses
Introduction Many people misconceive that modern popular culture entirely propagates immoral ideologies, including violence, racism, and drug abuse, among others. However, the society should remember that modern popular culture defines behaviors that are famous in the modern world regardless of their morality. This implies that opinion leaders and mass media can propagate morally right behaviors leading to positive effects (Crothers, 2010). This paper will, therefore, focus on the positive effects of modern popular culture and evaluate whether media affects society or society affects the media. Positive Effects of Modern Popular Culture Morally Right Popular Culture Burke (2009) argues that modern popular culture has been used to propagate positive ideologies, especially in churches, motivational forums and non-governmental organizations. Churches have profoundly preached religions across the world transforming millions of people to Christianity, Hinduism and Muslim. For example, the Catholic Church has publicized Christianity in China, reducing the level of paganism. Media has played an imperative role in publicizing Christianity in the society until it has become a modern popular culture. While most people seek to be associated with a religion, paganism is considered to be a moral defect in most countries. In another instance, modern popular culture has embraced motivation and popularized it. Great motivational speakers have been supported by the media to publicize their career. For instance, Les brown, which is a popular motivational speaker, has appeared in many media houses which publicize his program across the world. These are typical instances where media propagates positive ideologies in the society. Uniformity When people act according to modern popular culture, they tend to follow what their colleagues consider to be fashionable and acceptable in the society. This implies that people will aim at following the famously accepted behaviors. It, therefore, follows that people who follow modern popular culture develop uniformity when they are tackling issues. As a result, government can predict their behavior, enabling it to govern effectively. Businessmen can also predi
Introduction Best Buy Co., Inc. is a retail business enterprise that deals in consumer electronics. In addition, the stocks of Best Buy Co. are traded within the New York Stock Exchange. It is interesting to note that Best Buy Company commands approximately 20% of the US domestic market share in consumer electronics. The firm distributes its products through the 24 stores located in the United States of America (Kwok, Dornbach-Bender, and Lange). In addition, Best Buy Company also operates the United Kingdom, Mexico, and Turkey. In 2011, Best Buy Co. was ranked amongst the 100 best firms in the US. The following SWOT analysis aims at identifying the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of Best Buy Company within the consumer electronics market. In addition, the paper provides specific recommendations in relation to the SWOT analysis. SWOT Analysis of Best Buy Company SWOT analysis is one of the strategic management tools that enterprises use in order to understand their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Through SWOT analysis it becomes very easy for a firm to understand how to use the strengths and opportunities to overcome the weaknesses and threats for the purposes of achieving their set objectives and targets. Strengths Indisputably, Best Buy Company is regarded as the largest firm selling consumer electronics in USA and other countries such as Mexico, Turkey, and the UK. The reason as to why the Best Buy Company is able to command approximately 20% of the consumer electronics market share is the unique market position. Market positioning is an important strategy in ensuring that consumers are able to obtain the required goods. In addition, Best Buy Company has an extensive network of outlets and subsidiaries, which make the firm able to access many consumers within a shorter period (Kwok, Dornbach-Bender, and Lange). The strong network of stores enables the firm to continue enjoying economies of scale hence further positive performance. According to Gulati, Best Buy Company operates a profitable business that has the capability and potential of growing. Increased growth rates, profitability, as well as the extensive involvement of the community are some of the strengths that Best Buy Company enjoys. It is also important to note that another Best Buy Company’s strength stems from the alliances it has with not only the subsidiaries but also the consumers and other firms within related industries (Kwok, Dornbach-Bender, and Lange). Such alliances enable healthy relationships for business performance. Weaknesses Despite being ranked amongst the best 100 firms in the US based on its strengths, Best Buy Company has some specific weaknesses. The weaknesses include limited suppliers of consumer electronics, increased lawsuits, and insufficient geographic concentration. Best Buy Co. continues to over-rely on few suppliers hence
Identification of Community San Joaquin is one of the counties in the state of California ( San Joaquin County , 2016). San Joaquin County has a population of around 690,000 people. One unique aspect of this community is that San Joaquin City is in another county. The county seat is in Stockton City. Created in the year 1850, this county borrows its name from the San Joaquin River. The county is famous for the Tracy Tire Fire of 1998. The authorities allowed the 1998 fire to burn for over two years because extinguishing it could pose numerous environmental threats ( San Joaquin County , 2016). In terms of size, this county has an area of 3,690 square kilometers. Approximately 2.5 percent of the area is covered by water. The county boasts of a national area known as the San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge (SJRNWR). The county is among the top 100 most populous metropolitans in the United States ( San Joaquin County , 2016). The major newspapers published in the county include the Lodi News-Sentinel and The Record ( San Joaquin County , 2016). The county boasts of the Stockton Airport and Port of Stockton. San Joaquin County is known as the home of walnut processing in the world. Tools, Description of San Joaquin County and Interpretation of Collected Data Several tools were used to identify the health risks and needs associated with the county. The population economic status assessment tool was used to examine the income of different groups in the county. The tool also examined the demographics of the county. The community safety inventory was used to analyze the major health problems and risk factors. The cultural asses
Introduction and Assessment of Threats According to Wee and Myers (4), “Disaster is an event concentrated in time and space in which a society or a relatively self-sufficient subdivision of a society undergoes severe danger and incurs losses to its members and physical appurtenances that the social structure is disrupted and the fulfillment of all or some of the essential functions of the society is prevented”. Disaster can be caused by a number of factors that are either natural or man-made. It can cause physical, emotional or spiritual harm to the affected subjects. They can be classified as natural if they happen as a result of natural occurrences, accidental if they arise as a result of man-made tools and failures or intentional when they are planned by malicious people ready to harm for personal gain or destruction. All this can affect a student in college or even at home. Natural disasters include fire, floods, tornadoes, earth quakes, mud slides, landslides, and volcanic eruptions. Tornadoes occur from time to time in the United States. A tornado is, “a violent windstorm characterized by a twisting, funnel-shaped cloud. It is usually spawned by a thunderstorm (or as a result of a tornado)” National Weather Service (2009). In fact, the ‘tornadoproject.com’ indicates that 12 tornadoes occurred in the year 2008 in the United States. The effects are very devastating. An example of the most recent occurrence is Joplin Missouri Tornado which took place this year. From this incident, Americans learnt a lesson as quoted on the Red Cross website, “… the five-year anniversary of tornados with a dinner honoring of first responders, commemorative events in Mississippi and a canvassing event in which volunteers distributed information and resources to help be better prepared for future disasters” (Red Cross). The other type of disaster is accidental disasters. In this category, it will be appropriate to quote the release of radioactive materials from nuclear reactors in Japan when the earthquake occurred. This kind of disaster cannot be classified as natural because the nuclear reactors were manmade though the destruction of the nuclear reactors may have been caused by nat
Hartman industry, LLC Manufacturing processes is a company that was set up after it realized the need of customers to use readily available products, brands, and services, which were within their level of income. The Hartman group researched how the total sales of a product were determined by a consumer’s taste and preference. The group set up industries in different parts of the world by practicing innovative skills. The growth in technology presented an opportunity for Hartman industries to exploit the market using readily available resources. The countries included Michigan, Albany, Sanjose, Hangzhou, and California. For the Hartman industry to succeed, it had to employ a new system on how the organization will be run this way, the company will be able to plan and calculate costs. This system had to be organized and convenient in a manner that will be able to accommodate all the activities involved in plastic injection molding. The first section of this system is the receiving department since they have to obtain raw materials to help commence their work. Then there is the molding department which helps cut costs in the dying section as their products have standardized colors. The Hartman industries use the ISO 9000 standards, which greatly improves their system requirements because this way everything is organized. They can follow a certain schedule in maintaining all the major processes in the company, this way everything is kept under control. The employees have to work hard and be committed to their work to achieve this (Lal, 2008). The processes are carried out accurately and the records stored are adequate as the data stored is efficient. An introduction of modern machinery boosts the industries’ rate of production (Lal, 2008). Hartman industries intend to put up a more developed innovative and research centers in the various countries to sharpen the existing skills. Application of Six Sigma exceeding ISO: 9000 standard in the Quality Control Sector ensures production of high quality products. The Chinese partners who are trained in the maintenance of waste and machines manage the industries’ Quality Control Sector. The partners also handle wastes from the different departments to avoid wastage and pollution. The Hartman industries have a quality management system that helps them work harder at achieving their goals. The quality management at Hartman industries strives at satisfying their customers hence; creating a good market for themselves. Realizing their customer’s expectations and working hard to exceed them by using high-quality polymer materials. It also ensures that the business runs at a low operating expense to avoid any debt drawn on any credit line as recommended by Lal (2008). This helps provide solutions to the challenges facing the customers in their various fields of expertise. Quality management in a company is usually driven by competition from other producers and companies; this applies to the Hartman industries as well. The trends in industries keep changing and the Hartm
Introduction Environment policies are drafted with the aim of preventing environmental pollution that can lead to depletion of natural resources. Governments are committed towards regulating the activities of investors by making them responsible for the waste they eject from their premises. Different countries have different environmental policies. The intention here is to compare and contrast the environmental policies in Britain, Canada, and India. The environmental policies for UK and Canada are borrowed from European countries while the ones for India are based on international conventions. This paper will shed light on the environmental policies of the three countries and their effectiveness in promoting sustainable development. Environmental Policy in United Kingdom (UK) Britain is among the most developed countries in the world, and has effective environmental policies. Probes into the history of UK’s environmental policy reveal that waste management was not mandatory (Vandenberghe, 2008, p.15). In addition, the spheres of environment, including air, water and land were considered separately. However, in 1990, legislators reviewed the Environmental Protection Act, which called for an integrated environment management. The environmental policy of UK emphasizes on the significance of sustainable development by encouraging manufacturers and businesses to employ Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP). In this concept, manufacturers trim the waste from raw materials to ensure the finished product can be recycled to produce the same product without compromising on quality. By embracing this approach, the manufacturers in UK can never run out of raw materials, thus protecting the environment (Wyn, Peter, and Duncan, 2000, p.23). The government initiates environmental policies in UK as it consults other independent agencies on matters regarding environmental regulations. The better Regulation Task Force is the official government consultant and is believed to have hatched the idea of New Environmental Policy Instruments. According to Vogler and Charlotte (2006, p.16), the instruments are intended to discourage people from generating waste. The instruments include Landfill tax, Climate change levy, 100% Capital Allowances Scheme, The UK Emission Trading Scheme, and The Renewables Obligation. The Landfill tax is imposed on all waste deposited in landfills in the UK. This instrument aims at transforming peoples’ production behavior. The volume of waste dictates the amount charged and the levy reduces with reduction in waste. This instrument is important because it holds people responsible for their waste as it help them to develop alternatives that are geared towards elimination o
Case Summary FCT v DAY (2008) was a court case that represented the According to the details of the case, the taxpayer, who served as the customs officer, was incapable of complying with the basic principles of the Public Service Act 1922 , which was adopted under the Commonwealth in the year mentioned in the title. The officer attempted at receiving legal advice, yet incurred costs in the process. The study of the case and its further discussion by the organization’s authorities resulted in the further dismissal of the officer; however, the officer was not discharged but demoted to a less favorable position, which made the taxpayer in question file an appeal for the reconsideration of the decision. The appeal resulted in the officer’s further promotion to the position, which allowed for being paid a higher salary than the position, which the taxpayer was discharged from. Because of the suspension from work, which the taxpayer suffered in the course of being demoted and then promoted again, the officer incurred significant financial expenses; the latter included legal expenses primarily and were taken to handle the case in point. According to the decision of the Commissioner, the expenses, which the taxpayer incurred in the process of handling the legal issues mentioned above, were supposed to be deductible as long as they addressed the routine activities of the taxpayer. However, in the case in point, the expenses were incurred due to the unwillingness of the taxpayer to comply with the existing legal regulations out of personal considerations; as a result, the court ruled that the taxpayer could not receive any reimbursement of the costs taken, as the above-mentioned costs were not related to the issue of handling professional responsibilities and abiding the company’s rules regarding the staff’s code of behavior (Coleman et al. 113). Arguments of the Key Parties Day, the officer, who was demoted and, therefore, incurred a considerable loss in the process due to the necessity to cover the legal expenses related to representing his case, claimed that the expenses, which he had taken, were to be reimbursed by the company as prescribed by the basic principles of the Public Service Act. According to the latter, the