ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Introduction The 21st Century has witnessed integration and increased cultural interaction among people on a previously unprecedented scale. This frequent interaction between people from varied countries and cultures has risen mostly as a result of the advances that have been made in transport and communication technologies. As a result of this interaction, there has been the major integration of economies and cultures in a process known as globalization. As a result of globalization, governments are increasingly being required to link together different levels of their activities: national and global. This has resulted in the building of a global citizenry which sees the world as their “country”. However, the global citizen continues to be heavily influenced by the traditional notion of citizen, a term that is “wrapped up in rights and obligations and in owing allegiance to a sovereign state” (Lagos 1). This paper shall argue that it is hugely necessary for one to be a good citizen so as to become a global citizen. To reinforce this claim, this paper shall analyze the extent to which it is necessary to be a “good citizen” in order to be a “global citizen”, and vice versa. Good Citizen needed to make a Global Citizen The world is full of social injustices mostly perpetrated by the stronger members of the society against the weaker ones. A defining characteristic of a good national citizen in such an environment is his/her concern about the injustices that occur within their boundaries. This concern normally manifests itself in protests and public demonstrations calling for action by the government in place to counter the perceived injustices. A report by the World Bank demonstrates that the global citizen shows the same concern for the welfare of the globe and is moved to free their fellow men from dehumanizing conditions (1). As such, it takes a good citizen to make the global citizen who will be keen to decry social injustices against other human beings. Core to the agendas of the good citizen is the preservation of peace in his country. A good citizen will strive to preserve peace especially within the boundaries of his/her country. This is mostly because the citizen recognizes the destruction and loss that war culminates in. For this reason, the good citizen seeks to mobilize against all wars through peaceful demonstrations and advocacy against wars. The United Nations declares that peace is a precondition of global citizenship. The global citizen views war and strife as being contrary to his/her agenda. A good citizen who is committed to preserving peace is therefore needed to make a glo
Introduction Research in Motion (RIM) and Blackberry are common names associated with smartphones that revolutionized mobile communication and other related services. It is necessary to state that companies experience changes that break or make them depending on how they are managed. Blackberry had a success story to tell its competitors and clients but now it must struggle to regain its ground due to the financial challenges it is experiencing. This essay is a summary of an article about the Blackberry shares decline. The inside Story of Why Blackberry is Failing Blackberry started experiencing its downfall shortly after it released its first Smartphone. There was a need to introduce a device that would replace all other similar products and compete effectively with other similar companies. However, this was a terrible flop that forced Verizon to turn to Google and Motorola. He intended to ensure Blackberry produced a touch screen phone that would ensure its market is retained and expanded. This was not over and the efforts by co-CEO Jim Balsillie to develop instant messaging software were opposed by the current CEO Thorsten Heins. He was forced to quit the board and stop his relations with Blackberry because he thought his presence in the company was not adding value. The board of directors led by Mr. Heins ignored the advice and went ahead with their plans that had serious implications for the company. These are the main reasons that triggered Blackberry’s long journey to financial crisis and this has forced some of its top officers to resign for fear of being condemned for failing the company. Its wars started in 2012 when Thorsten Heins (CEO) and members of the board thought that the company’s weapon would be the full touch screen Blackberry Z10. However, Michael Lazaridis opposed this plan and said that it was not a wise move to refuse to listen to the voice of reason. The company had learned various lessons from its previous products and there was no need of investing in a device that had already saturated the market. Mr. Kristian Tear and Frank Boulben opposed this idea claiming that there was no market for keyboard-equipped mobile phones. This marked a turnaround for Blackberry’s performance because it failed to meet its financial targets after launching the Blackberry Z10 that had been opposed by some of its board members. It reported a $ 965 million fiscal second-quarter loss because of a huge write-down of this product. The plan had flopped because the company had not met its target eight months after launching this product. It is unable to meet the cost of paying its workers and has already cut 4,500 jobs; therefore, its workforce has been reduced by 40%. Even though this company invented the smartphone products it is unable to compete with similar companies and this has lowered its market value by $ 75 billion within the last five years. Significant rifts between board me
Introduction All organisations in the world exist with the purpose of fulfilling certain objectives. These objectives, however, are challenging to attain because of many environmental factors that cannot be predicted accurately on time. Thus, the organisations determine their direction, as well as the scope for purposes of achieving advantage within the changing environment well in advance. This is done by configuring the resources and the competencies such that the stakeholders’ expectations can be fulfilled. In essence, it is this kind of arrangement and planning that comprises the aspect of strategy and strategic thinking (Johnson, Whittington & Scholes 2011, p. 9). It is an important concept because without strategy, there will be no chances of achieving the objectives. Strategic leadership, on the other hand, must have the ability to translate the strategy to operational requisites. It should involve achieving a perfect alignment of the organisation and strategy (Boak, 2010, p. 34). In particular, this paper seeks to extensively cover the topical issue of strategic thinking and leadership, mainly expounding on the main theories concerning strategy formulation. It also covers strategy development, implementation, and analyzes the relationship that exists between strategy and innovation. The paper also highlights the strategy process adopted at Coca-Cola Company. Strategy Development and Implementation: Theories Strategy can be defined in five different ways that are based on plan, ploy, pattern, position, and perspective (Mintzberg, Ahlstrand & Lampel, 2003, p. 13). As a plan, Mintzberg and his colleagues describe strategy as an intended course of action that is conscious. In other words, it as a set of guidelines that are used for purposes of dealing with a given situation. In terms of a ploy, strategy is looked at as a section of a plan. Mintzberg, Ahlstrand and Lampel (2003) describe it as a specific manoeuvre, such as the establishing of a brand that is competitive, or building of barriers to deny rivals the opportunity and chance of entering the market. Strategy is, thus, a perfect means that can be employed to block or outwit others, mainly the competitors in the market. In terms of a pattern, strategy is described as a pattern of action that is consistent towards achieving a goal. Such a plan may not have been organised in advance or done in an intended manner. However, it can still be observed in retrospect. This definition of strategy is unique in the sense that other scholars have not considered it in their definition of strategy (Mintzberg, Ahlstrand and Lampel 2003, p. 13). In terms of looking at strategy as a position, the focus by Mintzberg, Ahlstrand and Lampel (2003) is on the organisation and the position that it occupies in the respective market that it serves. Finally, strategy as a perspective conside
Introduction The concept of the common carriage was developed in Europe in the eighteenth century. During the initial applications of the concept, it was considered a natural occurrence in the social system and a fact that could not be easily discredited. The concept was applied to the public services that people ought to access regardless of their social status. Postal and transport services were the most recognized industries that conformed to the law in almost every aspect (Croteau et al., 2012). However, the judicial system recognized the law of common carriage even without its formal registration as a regulation. In the early twentieth century, the judicial system in the United States of America recognized the validity of the law of common carriage even without its formal establishment by the legislature. It became necessary to recognize the law with the development of telecommunication services that were of critical importance to the wellbeing of the society (Croteau et al., 2012). In 1934, a law was enacted in the United States of America to regulate all common carriers in the telecommunications industry. The law stipulated that the carrier involved had to be fully engaged in particular telecommunication business and had an obligation to avail services to any member of the public who needed them (Sandvig, 2007). Policy of Media In the early 1970s, computer networks existed as independent entities that shared information among the computers that were locally connected. During this time, efforts were made to develop protocols that allowed the connection of different networks to one large and complex network known as the internet (Sandvig, 2007). In this network, computers can communicate freely without the favor of any of the many computers in the network. However, the liability of the internet providers for the information transmitted over the network is limited. These are aspects of the concept of common carriage. The government did not require internet providers to observe the law of common carriage. However, when the internet service providers decided to let the individual computers in the network determine the type of interface to be used and the contents of the messages being sent, the concept of common carriage became effective. All internet users could transmit information over the network using whatever interface they chose (Sandvig, 2007). Individual computers were liable for the contents and effects of the messages involved. Recently, there have been propositions that internet providers and cable companies should be obligated to let internet users access any information on the internet at unrestricted speed. This proposed law denies the internet providers the right to determine the type of information that can be accessed and t
Introduction Corporations need good governance ethics to ensure continued growth and development. Moreover, good corporate ethics ensures their stability and profitability. Competitive edge is every manager’s ambitions. Organizations seek to achieve their goals through good corporate ethics. The boards of directors, CEOs and other stakeholders have the responsibility of ensuring proper corporate governance to spur growth and sustainability. However, it is important to note that governance has been quite difficult even in the open society. It takes into account the need to harness power as has been stipulated in the constitution of such organizations, without diverting to other purposes. This is because corporations define the economic and social life of countries within which they are carried out. In additions, it provides ways or structures by which these corporations are controlled as well as directed. It does this by specifying allocation of responsibilities and rights to the various capacities and participants in that corporation. These participants involve CEOs, managers, board members, shareholders and other stakeholders (Cross & Miller, 2008, p. 23). Every organization aims to exercise good governance of their businesses. Structures are usually put in place to guard corporate governance. In addition, governments have established numerous policies that regulate corporate governance. Most companies are shifting their focus to ensure that corporate governance encompasses both the controllers and shareholders. Good corporate governance is entrusted with the responsibility of providing viable structures that would benefit every stakeholder, even if it were in theory. In most cases, these structures rarely benefit all stakeholders. In fact, recent years have witnessed criminal activities committed by corporate officers. It is the responsibility of every effective corporation to ensure that these mischiefs are prosecuted as required by law. This paper will try to provide recommendations that an analyst would give to policy makers on ways of improving corporate governance in post-Enron era. It will also endeavor to focus on changes that would apply to C.E.Os., shareholders as well as board of directors. (Cross & Miller, 2008, p. 23). Corporate ethics Corporate governance can be defined as the process of controlling and directing business corporations. In addition, it may also refer to processes, laws, or rules by which businesses, organizations or corporations are regulated, operated, o
Introduction Businesses work towards the end that they make profits. The business plan, structure and strategy, is what determines whether the company ends up in profits or not. The task of developing business plans, systems and their alignment strategy and analysis, rests with the top leadership. The chief executives must determine the overall business strategy and the operating systems that support the implementation of business goals. Business planning has to do with business goals identification, existing design and business priority clarification. The framework also outlines the company’s action plans to complete the set goals, objectives and priorities. The achievement of business plans requires effective implementation made possible by use of operating systems such as the information technology system. Information system design has to do with the aligning of all available information technology (IT) resources and functions towards the facilitation of the business goals and objectives. It is acknowledging the vital role that information technology plays in the success of business ventures. It is necessary to understand business goals and IT goals and their interconnection (Steven, 2007). Aligning IT investments with business goals is already bearing fruits in some business corporations in the USA (Heather, 2004). This means that the chief executives must develop the linkage between the business goals and the information technology system, a process known as, business – IT alignment. It describes a situation where the information technology resources developed must be applied harmoniously with the business priorities, strategies and goals (Luftman, 2000, p. 3). Information Technology System Case Study Analysis Organizational transformation value indices include the business, IT and prudent measures. IT plays a significant role in the transformation of business corporations and other institutions (Abareshi, Martin & Molla, 2010). The fact that information technology plays a crucial role towards the achievement of business goals and priorities is clear (Luftman, 2000). Case studies confirm the basic coexistence between businesses and IT. Such is the case study of Sunshine State Share Dealing Service (SSSDS). The conversion project entailed bulk share dealings that could have been frustrating to do manually. The conversion process involved dealing with over 5 million customer accounts. The process was not easy. Challenges SSSDS executives realized that they had to face challenges to tackle in order to achieve their goal: Sorting the files containing customer details. This was a difficult task because of two reasons. The extent and scope of the work was enormous and tedious. It entailed dealing with 5 million customer accounts. The customer accounts seemed disorganized and chaotic. Creation of integrated customer registers. The conversion from a building society to a share dealing service demanded IT system to integrate the details of customer accounts in the share register. This task was difficult because the details in the customer accou
Introduction First described by Dorothy Andersen in 1938, the hereditary disease Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is believed to have appeared in human race around 3,000 BC as a product of gene mutations and human migrations. Some of the signs attributed to this disease are repetitive damages in the respiratory system and may sometimes produce some digestive disorders. Different individuals are affected differently hence quite some difficulty in detecting the exact sign of this disease. Causes The disease is primarily characterised with secretion of slippery mucus. In normal conditions, mucus lubricates and protects the epithelial lining in airways in all systems of the body. Such systems include digestive, reproductive and other organs in the body. In most situations, people affected by cystic fibrosis are likely to abnormally secrete mucus. Unlike normal mucus, the CF mucus is sticky and thick in texture. According to Harris and Maurice (21), this CF mucus poses a threat in an individual’s health system because it blocks and clogs the airways, reducing the channel of air passage. In turn, this affects the respiratory system, leading to difficulties in breathing efficiently (Harris and Super 36). Due to limitation of breath, an individual may suffer from wheezing or continuous coughing. The build-up of mucus encourages the existence of infections, with bacterial populations developing infections that eventually results to damaging of lungs. This problem does not only have effects in the respiratory system, but also causes some digestive problems. Considering that the intestinal lining has an epithelial lining with mucus glands, it is worth noting that it is equally affected. This is especially found in young babies, where the intestines are blocked some few days after birth or when the kids are introduced to solid foods. Research has shown that the formation of thick yet sticky mucus is associated to pancreatic dis- functioning because the digestive enzymes block the pancreatic duct, causing some limitations in the production of insulin. Consequently, such children have poor growth and development and experience reduced weight. According to (Rosaler 12), it may also lead to diarrhoea or malnutrition in adult. Although it is mostly mild in adults, the disease can be fatal in children. With improved ways and early detection, there can be effective ways for managing the condition. Cystic fibrosis is associated with the CFTR gene. In its broad sense, the gene product has the effect of giving way to negatively charged particles to travel in and out of cell membranes (Fredrick and l Ibba 228). These particles, which are actually chloride ions, are responsible for production of sweat, a component of sodium chloride. The ions also help in the movement of water in tissues, which are responsible of producing thin and free mucus that is important in body secretions (Harris and Maurice 25). The reproduction of
Two types of leadership, transactional and transformational, might be easy to distinguish theoretically, but in practice, their differentiation sometimes proves more difficult. For instance, The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) might be sometimes viewed as transactional (if it is assumed that the Act only extends the status quo), but it might also be perceived as transformational. We argue that ACA should be seen as transformational leadership because it introduces qualitative changes in health care sphere, including extended coverage and better quality of care, and thus changes the existing situation and optimizes system benefits; it possesses some other qualities typical of transformational leadership as well (Robertson, Fernandez, and Porter 287), and has the potential for increasing both the effectiveness and efficiency of organizations (which is an important task, according to tables 10-13 of the Management Handout). ACA, a federal statute adopted as a law in 2010, does not simply extend the status quo established by Medicare and Medicaid health care and insurance programs but introduces new rules that should lead to major changes in the existing system. One of the transformations it leads to is the inclusion of a greater number of persons in health insurance coverage. For instance, according to ACA, the coverage of Medicaid is expanded to families and persons who have an income of up to 133% of the federal poverty level. This is not only a quantitative but also a qualitative change, for it recognizes the needs of people having the income of e.g. 101% of the federal poverty level, and admits that these people are, in fact, equal to those having the income of 99% of this level. Another change related to the coverage is the new requirement for enterprises that employ 50 or more persons to supply insurance for their full-time workers or pay additional taxes to the government. This provides employed workers with greater opportunities for health insurance, thus optimizing system benefits, which is another trait of transformational leadership (Robertson, Fernandez, and Porter 287). Notably, this change is not an attempt to reconcile different groups of power; it favors those who have less power and provides them with an additional benefit, which is uncharacteristic of transactional leadership (Robertson, Fernandez, and Porter 287), and, in fact, contrast it, as table 7 in the Leadership Handout displays. Besides, ACA offers a number of other transformations that change the rules and “habits” according to which health care institutions work. For instance, the advancement of the National Quality Strategy is lead to the creation of new quality and efficiency measures. These measures should result in higher safety for health care customers, greater access to health information for patients, and better opportunities for value-based purchasing. The ACA also directs additional funds to improve Comparative Clinical Effectiveness Research and fi