ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Introduction Servicescape in its simplest form is a concept that defines how physical surroundings can influence and affect people and events within the vicinity. Having been a concept that was first suggested by Booms and Bitner, it has gained popularity based on their original definition which they gave as: “the environment in which the service is assembled and in which the seller and customer interact, combined with tangible commodities that facilitate performance or communication of the service” (Bitner and Booms, 1981, p. 36). It has many enabling concepts that are in line with its core intent in corporate development and that is why servicescape is among the most prosperous business concepts that finds universal appreciation and application. This paper in discussing this topic uses pop-up restaurants and pop-up or flash retailing event as one of the latest trends in the experience economy. This will be done by considering an event and design of a restaurant, Metricum Restaurant, that will attract young people to the display of the restaurant’s design exhibition and in the process realize profitability for the owner of the building where the two week event will be hosted. Design of the Restaurant The design is given in three regards: the interior, the exterior and the kitchen area. These areas reveal the personality, brand and concept of this pop-up restaurant that creates a memorable impression of guests and clients. Metricum Restaurant has an instant curb appeal which is seen by well-lit areas at its entry with well done landscaping fully glowing with its name at the main entrance. In the interior, the restaurant is painted with archaic paints that communicate its concept of antediluvian sophistication. Its walls are furnished with sparkling beige varnish that shines straight from the main entrance. The main lounge of the hotel is lit with yellow and orange tones that create a warm environment (Ton, Bijman and Oorthuizen 2007). There is a dining room which is dimly lit with round tables lined with marched candles to create a romantic feeling. These designs greatly increase its architectural and interior elements. In order to furnish the restaurant further, the walls and selected areas are designed specially with murals, paintings, sculptures and mounted and these complement the areas’ colour themes and supports the personality of the restaurant’s brand (Ton, Bijman and Oorthuizen 2007). The following photos show different aspects of the hotels interior design. The kitchen design of the restaurant is equally finely furnished with marble walls and tiles on the floo
Abstract This study was designed to identify the issues for UEL students in managing their time and balancing their studies with their private lives. Data were collected from the University of East London (UEL) through the use of questionnaires and interviews. A total of 20 respondents were selected for the questionnaire survey while the interviews were conducted on 10 participants. There was 100 percent response rate given the small number of participants. The results indicate that many students have a challenge in managing their time effectively. The study recommended students to be using various strategies for time management. Introduction There is no doubt that time management is a critical aspect in the lives of students at the university. Most students are faced with circumstances where they are required to balance between their private lives and their studies. This is a common experience among students in UEL and in other institutions of learning across the globe. However, time management is not easily achieved as many students find it very challenging and difficult. Some of the issues identified in research to be contributing to poor time management among people in general include ineffective relationships, poor attitude, fatigue and the weather (König and Kleinmann, 2007). For students, leading issues that prevent them from managing their personal lives and studies effectively include interruptions such as television, guests, meetings, or crisis. Procrastination and indecision has also been identified by researchers to be a major contributor of time waste among university students and people in general (Dom, et al., 2006). Cell phones and computer devices are good innovations in communication technology, but they can also become a huge time waste for students. The devices have very attractive application which students can spend a bulk of their time using at the expense of other important activities (Jex and Elacqua, 1999). Study objectives This seeks to identify the issues for UEL students in managing their time and balancing their studies with their private lives. Relevance of study Most students face difficulty in managing their time. They face challenges when it comes to balancing their academic work and their private lives (Eerde, 2003). Some get engaged into relationships which end up taking much of their time thereby making it difficult for them to concentrate on academic work (Margol and Kleiner, 1989). However, it is possible to balance between personal lives and studies. The issues identified in this study and the recommendations provided will be of paramount help to the students. Methodology Statistical methods were used for analysing and summarising the data collected. The primary data collected during the research were both qualitative and quantitative nature. The approach to
Throughout its entire market history, Toyota Corporation has been referred to as the flagship of the automobile industry due to the genuine quality of its produce. The concern’s annual revenues for the year 2009 have exceeded those of Chrysler and General Motors (Camuffo & Wilhelm, 2016). However, despite its quality standards being the highest in the market segment, the company faced massive recalls in late 2009 – early 2010, which seriously undermined its reputation. The present paper will study Toyota’s organizational structure in detail to figure out which drawbacks it may contain and what changes need to be made to prevent the issue from reoccurrence. Although the concern’s organizational structure is explicitly formalized, it is evident that new strategies need to be addressed to develop an efficient P-O-L-C framework. An Insight into Toyota’s Organizational Structure The concern’s inner structure is explicitly formalized in rules: Toyota’s board of directors consists of Japanese people only. The company owners openly demand that all of the established rules are to be strictly followed. There are certain categories of decisions that cannot be made anywhere except Japan. The company’s heads choose the Kaizen philosophy as their major guide in planning business strategies (Camuffo & Wilhelm, 2016). This model calls for continual improvement of the company’s facets and stands behind all innovation initiatives. In addition to the mentioned philosophy, the founding shareholders successfully utilize the Genchi Genbutsu model involving on-site monitoring of business processes. To ensure the desired quality of produce, Japanese people attempt to watch over the entire process of production, from assembly to coating. One of the organization’s rules confers employees a right to halting production if any error is detected. Initially, this directive was introduced as a counter means to reduce the percentage of flaw produces. Considering the events of 2009/2010, one might suggest that the board of directors need to go further in this direction and grant their employees a voting entitlement in the matters of a product recall as well. Camuffo and Wilhelm (2016) indicate that the company’s top managers are usually slow at reacting to external threats. It is, therefore, recommended that local branches are given more resources and autonomy in the process of decision-making. The provided opportunity would allow local managers to respond to non-standard situations with less time spent. The Elements of Toyota’
In 1985, Saudi Arabia decided to purchase fighter jets to strengthen its Royal Air Force. To make the purchase, the government appealed to the Reagan administration; however, AIPAC has taken active steps to ensure that the transaction was not feasible. Due to the initial refusal, the prince of Saudi Arabia flew to London to meet with Margaret Thatcher. It should be noted that, in this country, there was no need to obtain the appropriate approval from the parliament according to the terms of MO (DESO), which, in its turn, made the arms deal implementable. Details BAE Systems was the largest arms manufacturer in the European countries and the leader in the UK. The Prince of Saudi Arabia and Margaret Thatcher made a deal concerning the purchase of 48 “Tornados” and 30 “Hawks” by Saudi Arabia (Aitken 25). The contract gained the name Al-Yamamah according to which the UK started delivering “Tornados” from the Air Force Reserve already by the end of the first month of cooperation. Gradually, the number of deliveries increased significantly and included additional weapons and maintenance. All the contracts concluded under this agreement totaled about 40 billion US dollars. The principle of the deal was based on the barter exchange. Despite the fact that the supply was paid off officially, part of the money was paid in bribes (including 2 billion received by Prince Bandar, bill payment to the Chilean dictator, and a bribe to the husband of the Dutch queen). The essence of the barter was the daily deliveries of the tanker of oil from Saudi Arabia in exchange for UK fighters (Martin 219). It is essential to note that in spite of the date of signing the contract, the official delivery was recorded in 1989. Many researchers emphasize that most of the oil was sold on the spot market. In particular, the deals were delivered through banks such as British Petroleum and Royal Dutch Shell and the oil was sold at market prices. Given these conditions, the experts evaluated all oil supplies in the amount of 160 billion USD. The total amount of payment for the fighters supplied by BAE Systems was about 80 billion including the bribes (Petersen 31). Thus, the core of the scandal lies in the fact that the documents provided by the Ministry of Defence did not commensurate with the real value of the fighters. A question that remains uncovered is how did the UK spend the money collected on the payment difference. That is to say, Al-Yamamah was not only a political contract (the struggle with communism by Saudi Arabia) but also the financial one (Holbrook 101). Interestingly, in addition to the illegal finance, the arms deal revealed the imperfections and loopholes in the legislation. To be more precise, the illegal financial activ
Introduction The most significant work of ancient Anglo-Saxon poetry is the Poem of Beowulf. The poem is divided into two parts, connected only by the personality of the protagonist Beowulf. The first part is the legend of Beowulf and Grendel; the second is about Beowulf and the dragon. The development of the main theme is interrupted by a series of inserted episodes in both parts; however, these episodes are important for understanding the idea of the poem. This piece is based on ancient epic songs; therefore, many aspects and features of the Anglo-Saxon culture are represented in the poem. Beowulf embodies some of the major elements of Anglo-Saxon culture such as friendship, generosity, loyalty, and bravery. Main body Firstly, friendship has always been an important part of any society, and Anglo-Saxon culture is not an exception. It is also a significant theme in the story. It is represented in the relationships between Wiglaf and Beowulf, “then that brave king gave the golden necklace from around his throat to Wiglaf, gave him his gold-covered helmet, and his rings, and his mail shirt, and ordered him to use them well” (Beowulf 817-820). This selfless action represents the closeness between the characters. It also shows that Beowulf is, indeed, capable of true friendship, which supports the claim that he embodies such cultural feature, as friendship. Secondly, generosity is another aspect of Anglo-Saxon society, as evidenced by Hrothgar’s offer of enormous wealth to Beowulf in exchange for saving the Danes in Beowulf. Generosity was also a kind of honor among warriors, as demonstrated by Hrothgar’s treatment of Beowulf simply for visiting him, “But to the table, Beowulf, a banquet in your honor: let us toast your victories and talk of the future.” (Beowulf 223-224). In this case, the protagonist is depicted as an object of generosity. Nevertheless, when Beowulf becomes a king himself, it is clear that he has the same qualities by the way he treats his people. Thirdly, the governmental system of the Anglo-Saxons was based on the principle of loyalty. Therefore, the trait of loyalty is probably the most significant to them, which has a profound impact on their tribal culture. This is demonstrated in the literature. Beowulf’s devotion to the Danes led him to Hrothgar in order to protect Grendel (Beowulf 112-115). Beowulf was following an agreement made by his uncle with Hrothgar. To write his story, he sailed the seas, “When we crossed the sea, my comrades and I, I already knew that all my purpose was to this: win the goodwill of your people or die in battle, pressed in Grendel’s fierce grip. Let me live in greatness and courage, or here in this hall welcome my death!”(Beowulf 364-369). This supports the idea that the theme of loyalty might be major in Beowulf’s personality as well as in the whole story. Eventually, Beowulf brags about his valor in the story by recounting his previous battles and victories. With his bare hands, he fought monsters. Until the very end, he is p
The 18th century French philosopher Denis Diderot’s remark that “Only passions, great passions can elevate the soul to great things”, is significant and deserves primary attention as a close look at history reveals that all the great people were obsessed with some passion or the other. The ambition and the passions of an individual are closely linked as one is most likely to go after his most dominant passion to cherish his ambition in life. It is the innate passion of the individual that motivates him and leads him to undertake any amount of challenges for the accomplishment of his dreams and ambitions. Each individual has his/her own unique passions and my greatest passion in life is for the poor and needy humans. Hailed from a very poor region in Russia and having lost my dad at the age of 15, I always had a passion to make this world a better place for the poor and the homeless children whom I came across from my early childhood onwards. Thus, my passion for the suffering humanity has drastically changed my life and this instilled in me a strong desire to dedicate my life for their cause. Within no time I realized that I needed to pursue the career of a social worker to fulfil my passion for the poor and downtrodden section of the society. My desire to become
As it would be observed, the idea of getting informed about sources and elements of sustained competitive advantage has transformed into a key area of study and research in modern strategic management. In this article, Barney has examined the relationship between firm resources and sustained competitive advantage in business. Here, the writer has described a number of common indicators that can be used to show the ability of firm resources to guarantee sustained advantage. These indicators would include imitability, substitutability, rareness, and value. Other significant aspects and approaches that are applied to the objective of facilitating sustained competitive advantage are also discussed in the article. For the purpose of this article, the writer has tried to explain the need and the importance of making use of the many factors surrounding the idea of sustained competitive advantage, as it is utilised by modern businesses in their constant struggle to stay ahead in the competitive business world. First of all, the article has emphasized on the use of the single framework of SWOT analysis in gaining competitive advantages in business. The provided summary of the framework gives a clear guideline on how modern businesses can obtain competitive advantages through the implementation of the SWOT analysis approach. Through this strategic approach, businesses are able to see the many benefits associated with the idea of SWOT analysis in the assessment of business value and potential. As it has been indicated in the article, this is whereby firms could apply the strengths on their side to gain full advantage of the identified potential opportunities, while at the same time trying to neutralize the threats from external bodies and getting rid of any form of weakness observed from within. Apple Company, which has succeeded in setting the pace with technology through innovation, is a good example of how firms can utilise the concept of SWOT analysis to stay ahead of competitors. According to Barney (1991), firm resources would entail things such as capabilities, assets, information, attributes, organizational processes, and knowledge of a firm, among other key aspects that are controlled by a business and which main aim is to help the business implement strategic approaches that finally see its effectiveness and efficiency in the market improve. As it will be observed, various authors and scholars have proposed numerous firm attributes that can help firms come up with strategies aimed at creating value in business. The main firm resources or attributes discussed in this article are divided into three main categories which include the human capital resources, resources attached to physical capital, and the resources linked to organisational capital. Human capital resources would consist of a number of aspects that can
Introduction Historians and social scientists have presented various impacts of white colonization to different societies. In historical works, scholars present the British as the master and the owner of property within the colonized societies. Most scholars assert that all the colonizers were rich, powerful, and influential. This argument has become a truth in the current political and social societies, as evidenced by the unabated blame from the colonized to the colonizers. However, the purpose of this essay is to present a contrasting scenario of the ‘whites’ in a colonial country based on the movie Mr. Bones by Anant Singh. The producer illustrates a story of a white man who embraced the African culture to an extent of becoming a magician of a fictional Kuvukiland. Particularly the essay describes the plot, analysis and undertakes a critical evaluation of the movie. Description of the movie; ‘Mr. Bones’ A videovision Entertainment production and directed by Anant Singh, Mr. Bones is a fictional story in a traditional south African geography illustrated by Kuvukiland. Mr. Bones, the protagonist, is a white man and interestingly a magician. His role is to mediate between the people of Kuvukiland and their god, known as “the great one”. The story begins with Mr. Bones presiding over the traditional marriage of the Kuvukiland king, King Ekule. Before Mr. Bones authenticates the marriage, he first performs the rituals using his ‘bones’. Controversy of the story occurs when an Indian man interrupts the marriage ceremony. The man offers a necklace to the king with a precious stone before he dies on the hands of the king. Suddenly, the stone starts to haunt the king; Ekule transforms into a violent Indian man. As all the people in the ceremony run for their safety, Mr. Bones is busy pleading to the “mighty one” to take away the evil spirit from the society. Finally, the god responds and the king transforms back to Ekule. Because of the condition of the king, Mr. Bones seeks for a solution from the “mighty one”. Through a series of magic and pleading, Mr. Bones establishes that the king should return the precious stone to its home to discard the haunting spirit. In their hunt for the home of the stone, Mr. Bones and his King, Ekule, end up in an Indian town but they do not know the exact geographical position of the town. When Mr. Bones performs his magic, “the mighty one” directs them to a woman in a red dress. They finally land to Rensh
Nowadays, the continuous development of modern technology provides the human resource practitioners and recruiters with a plethora of instruments for applicant screening (Catano, Weisner, Hackett, & Methot, 2009; Purpura, 2013). Nonetheless, it is questionable whether their activities have a tendency to comply with the legal principles and concepts to ensure the absence of the wrongful actions of the individuals. In this case, the initial objective of this essay is to address the legal guidelines related to the debated topic while explaining their existence. In the end, the conclusions are drawn to summarize the primary findings of the paper and underline the significance of the legal background. One of the most important legal guidelines is the necessity to highlight the importance of equality, as the presence of prejudice related to the particular “race, color, national origin, sex, or religion” could be regarded as an illegal act of discrimination (U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 2016, para. 2; Rey & Mignin, 2008). It could be said that this recommendation assures that the individuals have equal opportunities for a particular job while cherishing the rights of the applicants. It could be said that this issue has to be vehemently addressed, as, despite a high tolerance of the modern society, the problems related to discrimination have a tendency to be present in the workplace around the world. In turn, following this guideline emphasizes the company’s values, viewpoints, and corporate culture. Furthermore, it is recommended that employers have a tendency to check a plethora of social profiles to avoid the formation of the one-sided opinion about an applicant (Segal, 2014). This guideline contributes to providing equal opportunities to the individual while evading the development of prejudice based on the acquired information. It remains apparent that it has a correlation with the avoidance of discrimination. In turn, another aspect is the fact that HR professional is prohibited from asking for the password for the social network account, as it is private information (Segal, 2014). In this case, following this suggestion will assist in the elimination of issues associated with the violation of privacy and individual freedoms. Furthermore, the employers have to be able to consider the coverage of the different laws during screening, as sometimes it is prohibited to use third parties to acquire personal information (Segal, 2014). This guideline contributes to the avoidances of the adverse consequences associated with the wrongful actions of the company. Another aspect, which has to be considered while performing applicant screening is the storage of information (U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 2016). In this case, following this guideline has a beneficial infl