ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Competitive Strategy Competitive advantage is basically the long-term strategy of a company to create a market niche that can survive the impact of competition. In application, a competitive advantage strategy is tailored to set up a defensive position in an industry and ensure realization of higher return on investment. Cost Leadership AV Packaging Company Limited has been proactive in guarding its cost leadership strategy by managing the cost of production and diversification. For instance, AV Direct has been an effective cost management tool in the diverse productivity matrix. At present, the company has more than 20 product lines that are managed from a central location. Through mass production, the AV Packaging Company Limited has gained from economies of scale (Kajalo & Lindblom 2015). Differentiation Leadership Differential leadership refers to development of products with unique attributed that are desired by customers (Kotler et al. 2013). For instance, AV Packaging Company Limited offers a huge range of chemicals cleaning supplies and janitorial equipment to serve the desires of different private and public institutions. Moreover, the glass-wares, cutleries, disposable and industrial packaging products are tailored to meet the needs of different market and customer segments. In addition, the company’s distribution network is well spread to reach all markets. Cost Focus The cost focus strategy is concentrated on narrowing different customer segments to realize optimal cost advantage through market differentiation. AV Packaging Company Limited’s products are tailored to serve customer and business segments in equal measure. The markets are differentiated by size, location, and demands. The business segments are classified into small, medium, and large institutions. The customer segment is divided into low-income, middle-income, and high-income classes. This strategy has created an environment of own competition to reduce the overall impact of competitors (Clow & Baack 2014). Differentiation Focus AV Packaging Company Limited has been able to serve the needs of different customer segments through product diversification, market differentiation, and focus marketing (Chaffey & Smith 2013). For instance, the company has a show room where different products are displayed to appeal to all customer and business segments. Smart Objectives Based on the results of the Five Forces, SWOT, and environmental analysis for the AV Packaging Company Limited, the SMART are increasing sales, creation of strong online presence, and establishment of a loyal customer base as discussed in the next section. Increasing Sales The AV Packaging Company Limited’s proposed marketing plan has the objective of
Introduction Sex education for students has emerged as a very important component of quality educational system in recent years. The goal of this education is to prepare the young people for responsible, healthy and productive citizenship by providing them with knowledge on their sexual development, biological and reproductive health, and self management. While the objectives of sex education are favorable for the entire society, the issue is still controversial with debates being held over the suitability of offering sex education to children and teenagers. Sex education is supposed to help the youth to develop a positive attitude towards their sexuality and gain knowledge and skills that can be used to achieve sexual health. The controversy over sex education surrounds the issue of who should teach students about sex and the specific way in which this teaching should be accomplished (Hillier and Mitchell, 2008). While proponents of sex education assert that it will instill factual knowledge about sex to the young hence enabling them to enjoy sexual health in future, opponents contend that it will encourage students to become sexually active at an early age. This paper will set out to argue that sex education in schools has many significant merits and should therefore be promoted. To reinforce this opinion, this paper will highlight the merits and demerits of sex education in order to demonstrate that the merits far outweigh the perceived demerits. What is Sex Education? Goldman (2010) asserts that “Learning about sex is a core part of school life” (p.48). It would therefore be most beneficial if this learning took place in a formal manner through sex education programs. The sexuality education programmes offered in schools embody a wide range of aspects including sexual development, reproductive health, safety, and interpersonal relationships. Lack of sex education can result in ignorance, and poor decision making by youths in matters concerning sex. This would result in increased rates of sexually transmitted infections and unwanted pregnancies by many young people. Sex education therefore seeks to empower children by giving them information that can be used to protect their health and well being. Merits of Sex Education Today’s children are reaching the reproductive maturity of puberty at earlier ages than any of the other previous generations. One half of all girls are having their first periods by age 12 while one half of all boys are having their first erection at about 13 years of age (Goldman, 2010). These lowered ages of reproductive fertility mean that a good number of children will experience signs of pubertal development during their primary school years. Without sex education, the children will have no knowledge of the dramatic changes their bodies are going through. Goldman (2010) asserts that it
The FMLA legislation of 1993 is part of a progression of laws that aim at providing fairness in the workplace and protect employees against any form of prejudice and unfair labor practices. The FMLA, however, goes further in that it forms a representation of an active effort “to balance the demands of the workplace with the needs of families, therefore advocate for the stability and economic security in the families and to support national interests in preserving the integrity of the family as an institution” (29 U.S.C. 2601-2654 (1994)). This law, since its passage, has enabled over 50 million workers to take leave for up to 12 weeks to take care of themselves and their loved ones. This unpaid leave has been used by those who are sick and even those who have a newborn or ill child. The provisions in the law prohibit the employers from counting the leave granted against the employee’s benefit programs. The law has given workers decency and peace of mind as they are from the fear that they might lose their careers at the expense of their families. As a result of this law, most employers have expanded their policies so as to comply and protect the rights of workers. The FMLA is a real success initiative and is a very significant step towards ensuring that the nation has not only productive but also successful male and female workers who are healthy and lead secure families. The law has seen millions of workers grace with their presence to critical family needs without taking the loss of their jobs as a result. In terms of eligibility, the existing standards do not impose obstacles on workers seeking to take FMLA leave. This is because there is a balance between the employer’s needs and those of the workers. According to studies done by the labor department on employers covered by FMLA, this legislation has a neutral impact on organizations’ profitability and productivity. FMLA has been essential in advancing the equality of women in the workplace and enhancing their participation. FMLA is a very significant step towards achieving a nation that really values the family unit. The FMLA as a law has been fundamental in changing policies in the workplace in general and influencing public policy to support local family-friendly activities. The impression derived from the existing literature suggests, however, that for S.E.T. professionals, much more is required to make things better. The demands of an arduous profession at the moment seem to rule out the possibility of leave and other family-friendly policies being fully utilized without compromising the careers of leave takers. It is further suggested that the period of leave is not long enough for some situations while the fact of leave being unpaid creates a burden, even if there are company-specific policies that manage to pay a portion of the salary. However, it is vital to point out that the extent to which the FMLA and other similar legislation can potentially pressure the recruitment, retention, and promotion of women, minorities, or persons with disabilities in certai
Organizational situations that requiring professional assistance In the day to day running of organizations, a number of issues do prop up requiring organizations to take necessary, appropriate and applicable steps in order to solve the issues effectively and completely. Issues that come up may originate from individuals, groups in the organization or the interaction of the systems of the organization. Organizations that deal with a large clientele such as the university that handles thousands of students plus the academic and non-academic staff is likely to encounter many problems. The problems may arise from either the students, the academic staff – lecturers or the subordinate staff of the organization – University. These issues may also have a faceted origin that touches on both the students and the two staffs. The issues develop to situations, and if not diagnosed promptly, they become threatening to the organization and its practices. Professional aid is thus needed to address the situations (Cummings & Worley, 2009). Organizational health is among the most important elements that contribute to the good performance of organizations. Good health automatically leads to high productivity. The health situation of the university is important for delivery of both the student and staff. Symptoms of unhealthy, organizational working environment include rising stress levels, interpersonal conflicts, and work-life imbalance. All these plus many others may result to a rise in the cost of healthcare by the organization thereby causing a downward trend in productivity. Unhealthy and unsafe organizational environment is brought out inform of costs to the organization which include absenteeism, a rise in drug benefit costs, increased employee turnover in the case of the university, this will be seen in terms of the rising cases of deferral or termination of studies. Other indicators of unhealthy environment in the organization are significant drop in the commitment and satisfaction levels of both the staff and students, increase in the cost of healthcare and the general loss of productivity (Cummings & Worley, 2009). Also in academic organization like the case of the university, new programs are introduced in different faculties. These new programs come with new contents and in most cases new requirement on both sides of students and the academic staff. When such programs are introduced into the institution, a lot of guidance is needed by the students and staff. This is what will ensure that the
Introduction The multimedia developers are mainly concerned about the sample resolution and quantization when scanning a full-color photograph in digital processing. Digital processing digitalize images both spatially and in amplitude. The analog video signal is sampled and quantized by the digitizer. Continuous data is converted to digital form using sampling resolution and quantization. The spatial resolution of a digitized image is affected by the sampling rate, whereas the amount of grey levels in a digital snapshot is controlled by the quantization level. During processing an image, the size of a sampled image is presented as a digital value (Torii, 2018). Quantization Levels The quantization levels of the image should be high enough for people to detect small shade variations. When an image is quantized with insufficient brightness levels, incorrect outlines are the primary problem. The authors discuss color picture quantization algorithms that are adjustable and tapered. The goal of the research is to show high-quality color reproductions with small frame buffers. According to the research, various color images that normally need a frame buffer with 15 bits for every pixel could be quantized to 10 or fewer bits with little subjective deterioration. The images produced are usually superior to those created using uniform quantization (Torii, 2018). The Task of Color Picture Quantization is divided into Four Stages :  1. Obtaining color statistics from the original image  2. Using color statistics to select a color map  3. Mapping original colors in the color map to their closest neighbors  4. Redrawing and quantizing the original image. Sampling and Quantification If the camera or sensor’s output is not already digital, the image is recorded by a sensor (e.g., a camera) and converted using an analog-to-digital converter. The image to be processed first is saved in a computer as a continuous voltage waveform then the computer converts the images into digital form. It converts the continuous image to digital form by digitalizing the coordinate and amplitude values. The digital image gives the response value and spatial position of the image. The analog image represents a continuous signal, while the digital image represents a discrete value. Sampling contributes to a spatial resolution, and quantization gives a gray image resolution (Torii, 2018). In sampling, a line is can from the bottom to the top vertically at certain intervals; on each horizontal line, remove the one-dimensional scanning of gray value. The disc
Introduction Pulpmaster was introduced in 2004 in Australia in a bid to move from the old landfill method of waste disposal. The commonly used machine is referred to as the Pulpmaster 3000. It is not only a move from the traditional landfill waste disposal but it is a very affordable alternative. After grinding waste food, it stores the waste in tanks in such a way that foul smell is avoided. Automation is a unique feature in this machine as it provides feedback through SMS alert in case of any dysfunctions. Looking at the viability of Pulpmaster 3000, it is no doubt that it has an enviable business model. It is for these reasons that we set to research on Puplmaster 3000 and present its business model. Milestones in the project After identifying our intended area of research for a business model, we went ahead to formulate a proposal in order to showcase how we would conduct research in a business model analysis (with a focus on Pulpmaster 3000), and also estimate completion of the final project in time. To realize our objectives, we set a clear guideline indicating timeline of completion of specific stages of our project. In our project plan, we envisaged to draft a structure and compile individual findings into a proposal document. We would then compile, draft, edit and print a final copy of the proposal. As such, our aim was to submit our project proposal by 25 th August 2011. This is a milestone that we achieved as planned. To execute the proposal and ensure smooth running of the execution process, we went ahead and set specific measures. Execution of the plan involved conducting research, interviews with sources and acquiring information. To this effect, we conducted group meetings where information was compiled to help identify Pulpmaster business model. We wou
In various cases, it has from time to time been obligatory for higher-ranking officials of chief executives, envoys and governments to live inside a complex with secured boundaries, and to journey out of it only in a group. This may perhaps, in various cases, be easier and calmer for all apprehensive people including families, than endeavoring to formulate a secluded stronghold of each entity. It does, though, depend on a key strategy result by the government, and will consequently be exceptional. An individual bastion can be well-built — although almost certainly, not tough enough to discourage a military assault by a big, well equipped guerilla division. But to discourage something short of this, the same protection in power is essential for a plant or office multi-part. This implies that concentric rings to holdup and give caution of attack, adjacent with determination built house with a ‘keep’ for extended defense pending help. (Goldstein, 1990) The external concentric loop is once more a practical one: the objective should avoid conventional routines, and maintain the comprehension of his whereabouts only to those who require the knowledge. The second ring is both ritual and material: he ought to try not to let everybody see him getting into or out of his automobile, nor in opening a gateway or garage access. As previously pointed out, his exit and arrival are his most susceptible moments.
Many would not dispute the fact that even nowadays, the Romans’ structures represent the glory of their verse. Not only were the Romans possessing great ideas, but also they were capable of implementing breathtaking structures and inventions. For example, those structures are Roman Roads, Roman waterwork, the creation of waterproof concrete, and enormous buildings like the Pantheon or the Colosseum. The ancient Romans were accomplished engineers who made significant contributions to the industry. They created a vast network of roads that attached towns across their empire. Moreover, they also constructed aqueducts and bridges using arches as supports. Whilst the Colosseum and the Pantheon symbolized the greatness and power of The Roman Empire, the roadways outlined how tremendous and resourceful it was. There is a rather great chance that the discussion about the most impressive and significant structure may well long forever. The aqueducts were some of the most valuable arrangements for the life supply. The immense Colosseum is one of the most remarkable constructions that have ever been built because “the engineering behind it is absolutely astonishing” (Smarthistory 00:01:49-00:01:53). However, without roads, which
Introduction All organizations dream of being successful in all its actions. To achieve this, organizations have to realize that success stems from the people employed to work for it. If these people are not motivated, they lack the morale to work hard. Motivation comes in many ways; recognition, incentives, promotions, or salary increase. However, many organizations fail in assessing their employees, and many are the times when they make biased decisions and reward employees who do not deserve to be rewarded. This paper will introduce a new concept called 360-degree feedback that I believe should be used by my organization in assessing the employees to be rewarded. 360-degree feedback is a recognized evaluation of employees based on input from people who work for and with them, sometimes including customers and suppliers. It’s called a 360 degree because the input stems from an examination by a handful of people. The numerous inputs become another way of determining leadership effectiveness. The information gained from the feedback can be used to help leaders refine their attitudes and behaviors. For best results, it is really important that 360-degree feedbacks reflect on those behaviors and attitudes that the organization values most. Care should also be taken to ensure that the dimensions measured reflect important features of leadership execution. This paper will take at the importance of using 360-degree feedback, how it relates to HRM, and how it is being used by organizations. It will also look at the relationship between 360-degree feedback and goal setting. Using 360-degree feedback This feedback is referred to as 360-degree feedback because evaluations come from all the stakeholders in the organization, forming a circle with the person being evaluated is at the center. It is a concept that has been in existence since the late 20 th century, although its importance has been discovered recently. With the advancement in technology, the use of 360-degree feedback as an evaluating tool has become easy, and now employees can assess their coworkers over the internet. Before the discovery of the internet, the use of 360-degree feedback was quite hectic because it involved a lot of paper work. For it to be effective, the person assessing an employee must have known him for a reasonable period to be able to give unbiased results. However, this assessment technique has been found to result in conflicting opinions because people tend to perceive others differently. To ensure that, it gives accurate results, personal assessments have to be incorporated. Also, the period that the rater has known the person in question determines the level of accuracy of the results. The most accurate results are believed to emerge from raters who have known the assessed for a period of two to three years, followed by less than one year and then above three years. Importance of using 360-degree feedback 360-degree feedback gets off the use of single-source assessment and tests for employee promotion, salary increment, training and development, and selection and
Upon its commissioning in 2022, the Giant Magellan Telescope will represent the next generation of the largest ground-based telescopes whose primary goal is to extend and broaden the humanity’s comprehension of the universe. The construction of the telescope is an international project funded by a number of academic institutions from different countries, including Harvard University, Australian National University, Carnegie Institution for Science, São Paulo Research Foundation, University of Texas at Austin, University of Chicago, Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, and several more organizations (“GMT Founders”). The telescope will be located in the Las Campanas Observatory in Chile, where highly favorable conditions exist for seeing through the atmosphere in terms of weather and altitude (it is one of the highest and driest places on earth) as well as in terms of the number of clear nights per year—300 in average (“Giant Magellan Telescope Overview”). The telescope will employ seven mirrors as segments; six off-axis 27-foot segments will be combined into a structure around the central on-axis segment resulting in a total collecting area of almost 4,000 square feet. The telescope is under construction. According to the official website, the fist question that the project will strive to address is whether we are alone in the universe, i.e. whether life exists on other planets (“Giant Magellan Telescope Overview”). Another question that astronomers will try to answer with the telescope is how the first galaxies formed. Another impressive project with which many astronomers’ ambitious expectations are associated is the Thirty Meter Telescope. It is funded by several partnering scientific institutions, such as California Institute of Technology, Department of Science and Technology of India, National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, National Institutes of Natural Sciences/National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, and National Research Council of Canada (“About TMT”). Currently postponed, the project is not expected to be completed before 2022. It had been planned to be located in Hawaii, but a conflict occurred due to the cultural significance of the planned location to the indigenous people of the area. Following its name, the telescope will employ a 30-meter segmented mirror consisting of 492 1.45-meter mirrors (“Fast Facts for Astronomers”). If constructed, the telescope will allow astronomers to study objects within the solar system as well as beyond it and to observe forming galaxies on the farthest borders of the universe as we perceive it now. Another similar project is the European Extremely Large Telescope, which is no