ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Introduction Execution of Transportation and Logistics Management operations in the global market consist of many challenges that affect a firm’s ability to operate efficiently and cost effectively. Conversely, each of these challenges possess solutions that could potentially minimize situations that could prove detrimental to a Transportation or Logistics Management firm’s ability to maintain a certain level of service at an acceptable level of cost. These challenges and solutions can vary based off variables in the world and the firm’s ability to adjust to them. Challenges facing transportation management Terrorism The rise in terrorism has had impacts on nearly all forms of transportation. But maritime and air transport have been the worst hit. The events of Tuesday 11 September 2001 are not the earliest instances of terrorism to affect transportation. During the early 19 th century, Mediterranean pirates from North Africa Barber states captured merchant ships and terrorized their crews. Ships were held in exchange for ransom. What followed has been a long protracted war pitting governments and sea pirates. In the past few decades, piracy has more than tripled in the coasts of the lawless Somalia, Nigeria and along the Malaccan straits. Today’s pirates are not merely armed men, they are often trained fighters using state of the art weapons and speedboats and equipped with the most modern satellite phones and GPS gadgets. Piracy today is not as simple as that of the yester years. Political agendas and ideologies are playing part making shipping a very costly endeavor. Figure1. Shows vessel attacks in 2010 Piracy has direct economic costs on doing business. Delay in delivery of goods tops the rank. However, the costs of ransom have the highest financial implications on transportation. In November 2010, owners of Samho Dream, a South Korean Tanker paid a total of $9.5 to Somali pirates in order to release the ship and its crew. Figure 2.Table showing the cost of Somali piracy ransoms in the last two years Figure 3. Cost of excess Insurance Premiums from transiting around the horn of Africa The cost of insurance (war risk, kidnap and ransom, cargo and hull) has increased making the cost of doing business more than triple. Conversely, the price of imported good could rise by 10% in the near future.The worst hit region in the world is east Africa and especially Kenya. Cost of doing trade in this region is very high with the Kenya Shipping Council estimating that piracy by the Somali increases the cost of imp
The Hawthorne experiment remains one of the most debated and controversial studies conducted in the field of management thought that has received both praise and criticism at the same time (Wren and Bedeian 2009). Much of the criticism regarding the study revolves around Elton Mayo, a researcher from Harvard Business School. The study was initiated by researchers from Western Electric and Harvard University and its main aim was to examine the impact of different environmental variables on the production of a group of workers at Western Electric Company (Gale 2004). The workers were divided into control group and test group. Variables were introduced to the test group while the controlled group worked under constant conditions. Pennock and Stoll, the engineers in charge of the experiment, first began manipulating the lighting of the test group. The performance of test group increased with better lighting but the performance of the controlled group increased as well to which no changed were made in the lighting conditions (Gillespie 1988). The experimenters then reduced the lighting of the test group but this did not have any effect on the increasing productivity of both the groups even when the lighting was made so dim that it was becoming difficult to see (Gillespie 1988). The researchers concluded that the lighting had no significant effect on the performance of the workers and that psychology of the workers was the only factor influencing the result of the research (Zerega 2008). The main purpose of the experiment was to improve the overall experience of work of the employees to increase the productivity of the workers. The experiment, however, initially failed to do so and was unable to recognize factors that had any impact on the productivity of the workers. The conclusion made by the experimenters, that there was a psychological factor involved in the motivation of the workers, came as a shock in the management thought because prior to this study it was believed economic interest was the only factor responsible for individual motivation. It was concluded that the reason why the productivity of the workers increased was because these women were given attention for the first time and they were trying to please the experimenters no matter what the working conditions were (Gillespie 1988). After that a number of studies were conducted to study the behaviour of the workers and to discover how the workers can be motivated so maxim
It has been taken for granted for a very long time that health care in the United States is something of crucial importance for the government. Naturally, there are always some shortcomings, for example, some financial problems; however, it has been widely believed that the officials always treat these problems with all due respect, but unfortunately, this is not always so. Another aspect of the problem that we are discussing is the attitude of medical workers to their duties. Overall, it is quite possible for us to say that a doctor is one of the most respected professions in many cultures because he or she is a person who serves (in the best sense of this word) to other people, who entrust him or her probably the most precious thing they have, their health. However, now, we can see many people who work in hospitals choose this profession not because they like it, but because it is profitable. Consequently, their attitude towards their patients can easily become callous or even superficial. A famous American journalist, Julie Salamon, took a closer look at the health care service in the Untitled States. The author spent almost a year in Maimonides Medical Center, which is located in Brooklyn. It is worth mentioning that she was staying in a nonprofit medical institution; however, even their market relationships are dominant. Overall, it is possible to say that the book produces a shocking impression on the reader. Perhaps, it would be better to give some examples. First, the author focuses attention on the fact that the doctors in this hospital are more concerned with the official site of their duties, file for instance with mortality rate, but such figures are just mere statistics because it is the health of a patient that really counts. One of the administrators gives a very eloquent summary of the way in which the health service system works “You treat a patient for pneumonia, and they go home and have a horrible course. They get readmitted, but the patients survive, so the mortality figures don’t look that bad”(Salamon, 123). Moreover, the author says that non-profit hospitals are poorly financed. For example, it is a very difficult task for a nurse to find a free bed because the hospital is constantly overcrowded. The lobbies are teaming with patients round the clock, which makes the efficient work of the hospital practically impossible(Salamon, 99). It should also be taken into consideration that physicians are always overworked. The question arises, how he or she is supposed to treat a patient if he or she is exhausted, naturally, the quality of his work will decrease, to say the least. Another danger is that he or she will gradually turn into a hack worker, then we are sure to expect a horrible disaster. Naturally, there are many other aspects explored in the book “Hospital,” but these seem to be of the utmost importance, and definitely, they should be attended to. Thus, having di
Introduction The international system is the interaction between units whereby various variables at the systemic level come together to influence the external behavior of a state. In this case, foreign policies are determined by the activities at the international level. In other words, the effectiveness of foreign policy depends on the interpretation of international system, states do not formulate policies based on their available resources or manpower but instead rely on the activities taking place at the international system. Harold Sprout and Margaret Sprout came up with ecological triad to explain foreign policy formulation techniques. In this case, the environmental factors are to be considered in coming up with a policy that would determine the relationship between a particular state and another. The ecological triad captures the interaction between policy maker and the international system. The triad is composed of the actor-state, environment that surrounds the actor and the actor-environment relationship. In foreign policy, the actor is surrounded by the international system. The policy maker must behave within the complex environment that is, the international system. The environment is usually complex because there are various units such as religions, civilizations, economics and international organizations (Held 158). The environment can constrain the foreign policy maker, can provide opportunities for a certain behavior and can affect the willingness of decision makers to take advantage of those opportunities. The environment controls decision makers because it controls all limits that actors should do or not do. These entities are actually states and international organizations. The states are only controlled by the international system. In this paper, the involvement of the international organizations that is, the NATO and the UN in Iraq is discussed. In the real sense, realists would argue that the organizations represent the interests and wishes of the developed states such as the US, France, Britain and Russia. On the other hand, the liberalists would argue that the international bodies exist to further the interests of the people of Iraq. Involvement of the International Actors NATO established itself in Iraq in 2004when the alliance was charged with the responsibility of assisting the people of Iraq to form an effective military that would counter the influence and the power of the Al-Qaida. Furthermore, the NATO alliance was supposed to offer training services to the Iraqi military in order to be counted as an inte
Introduction The process of eating is very personal. The type of food that people eat is directly linked to their culture and social background. This paper aims to find out and describe how ritual and aesthetics influence how food is presented and how it is eaten. The paper is based on three-course readings: the article A Second-Century Chinese Kitchen Scene by Pirazzoli-t’Serstevens, the chapter Daily Foods from the book Korean Cuisine: An Illustrated Hi story by Pettid, and the chapter The Quest for Perfect Balance: Taste and Gastronomy in Imperial China by Waley-Cohen from the book Food – The History of Taste Contents . Food is important both in China and Korea. There are some similarities between Chinese and Korean cuisines. For instance, rice is a basic component of Chinese and Korean meals. Nevertheless, some obvious differences between Chinese and Korean cuisines can be noticed too. These differences refer not only to food but also to dining etiquette. In his book, Pettid describes an ideal Korean meal. He emphasizes that rice, vegetables, ‘kimch’i’, “a type of food made by salting and seasoning certain vegetables such as cabbage and radish” 1 , meat, fish dishes, and soup or stew are the basic ingredients of Korean cuisine. The Koreans cook a variety of different dishes mixing various grains and legumes. Sauces and condiments are important. It is difficult to imagine Korean cuisine without sauces called ‘kanjang’ is ‘toenjang’. It takes from two to five years of fermentation to cook these sauces. In general, Korean meals tend to emphasize harmony between flavors, colors, textures, and temperatures. Korean cuisine The Koreans have their ways of eating and cooking food. They are different from the traditions and manners of the Chinese or Japanese. The kitchen is a woman’s place in Korea. In the past, the meal was served for men first. Also, mealtime was not a time for conversations. However, these traditions are gone, and mealtime is family time nowadays. The Koreans eat sitting around a small table without chairs. There are rice and soup bowls, a spoon, and chopsticks on the table. Hot food is placed on the right side of the table, and a cold meal is on the left. In Korea, it is common to eat with metal chopsticks, whereas Chinese and Japanese people prefer wooden chopsticks. All in all, it can be said that Korean cuisine is based on seasonal customs and foods according to Korea’s four seasons. The Koreans appreciate the aesthetics of mixing. Korean dining etiquette “re
The article describes believes as well as the actions of a farmer who thinks different from what the other people do about animals. The famer feels and practices animal farming, because he believes that animal meat should also be incorporated in their diets. This was against the traditions of those in the United States as most were vegetarians (Bergson 1948). The farmer respects the animals as he urges that, each and every one of them was important in the ecological issues. In the farm where he practices this is referred to as a polyface that is to mean, a land of many faces as he raises different types of animals in the farm. The land is said to be there for fifty years. In some way, the farmer had inherited this from his father who was also practicing animal farming. The farmer desired to do a variety of things that he had no legal right over this is because, the government in the region had restricted on the type of food the people in the region should eat (Lavoie 1985). According to the government in the region rearing of animals as a source of food appeared unusual and hence people had adapted to this resulting to the being vegetarians. This is demonstrated by the way people viewed the idea of the farmer keeping animals in his farm as not fit. As an ecological engineer, the farmer felt that the animals were part of the ecological system. He is at one time being interrogated for his rearing the animals where the cow is said to be causing negative contributions in the environmental predicaments but he supports his actions by telling the interrogator not to blame the cow for the harmful effects of industrial food system. On the other hand, the farmer had the moral rights in the rearing of the animals. This is due to the fact that, he raises animal with a good motive of providing a better local diet to the people, which would have an indigenous flair. For the farmer, farming is indivisible from faith, natural balance, and attitude as well as from politics which was at the time ruling on the type of diet that people in the area should have. He had not at any time campaigned against consumption of other diets, but instead he educated people in his different books on the importance of incorporating meat in the diet (Lavoie 1985). He also brings out the role of the animals in the ecosystem as beneficial to the environment as well as to other crops that could be grown perennially. In his speeches he not only elaborates on the importance of rearing animals but tells people to also focus on what can be grown fit in their area with little effort. In a book by Pollan, the farmer is brought out as a fame man who raises the animals for meat in the correct way (Bergson 1948). It is also through his book and speeches that he becomes an adored speaker. His reluctance to sort out, transformed him to a convincing ethical influence for the food association. Besides livestock rearing, the farmer also engages himself into other activities as a writer as well as a speaker where he at times comes up as a theorist, an entr
Introduction Social psychology is a field of study of relations that exist between individuals and groups. Scholars in this area employ groups and individuals as units of analysis. They do this in an attempt to identify and explain how others influence behaviors, thoughts and feelings of a person. Social psychologists use various theories of cognitive and social phenomena. This paper will focus on the theories of social psychology that explain social interactions and individual behavior. Attribution theory The first theory is the attribution theory. Heider Fritz, Lee Ross, Kelly Harold and Jones Edward developed this theory. The theory posits that individuals associate cause to behavior and events. This association can be explained by the elements of the theory. The first element is known as locus. It refers to the cause location- the location is either external also called situational or internal also known as dispositional. This means that a person’s self-esteem is a reflection of their feelings. For instance, when a person succeeds or fails and they attribute this to the internal location. If they succeed, they feel very proud which leads to increased self-esteem but failure decreases self esteem. Some people also attribute their failure or inconsistencies in behavior to external influences rather than their personality traits (Smith & Mackie, 2000, p.113). Stability is the other element of attribution theory. In this case, it refers to whether a cause will remain the same or change in the future. This element i
In general, a documentary called “Freedom Riders” directed by Stanley Nelson provides a comprehensive overview of the crucial, terrible events regarding the civil right movement that happened at the beginning of the 1960s. This episode greatly undermines the image of American liberty that was propagandized at that time (Nelson). As a commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of freedom movements, Nelson’s movie is a story of segregation and racism, abhorrence, courage, and the general brutality of the depicted events. The film starts with the description of the events occurred in 1961. Thus, at the beginning of 1961, the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) along with Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) attempted to manage the problem of segregation between white and black people in public transport. The strategies and the main purpose of these organizations were almost the same. The main advantage of their strategies was that they explicitly showed that the social segregation causes only negative effects. The main disadvantage of the strategies was that their actions were in most cases ineffective (“Civil Rights Movement”). Thus, they decided to send young activists of both races, most of which being students, on a bus trip through the US’s southern states. As a result, people who saw them expressed a high degree of violence, with which even law enforcers did not want to deal. The beginning of the story depicts two buses departing from Atlanta in 1961. The destination was Birmingham in Alabama. The initiators of this trip knew that the activists would face hostility, but they could not predict the consequences of this confrontation. One of the buses was already burned in Anniston, Alabama. The second bus continued moving without knowing what had happened to the first one (Nelson). However, the amount of courage that they had was enough to continue their journey even if they were warned about the events occurred with the first bus. At that time, Birmingham was one of the most racially segregated cities in the whole country. The mayor of this city was Bull Connor, who, being a police commissioner, was obsessed with the idea of racism. Connor gathered many members of the Ku Klux Klan in order to destroy the buses and neutralize the passengers (“Civil Rights Movement”). Another character of the movie, John Patterson, the governor of Alabama, was ordered by the federal government to provide protection to the activists. In the present-time interview, he claims that he was afraid of confronting Connor and, being a political opportunist, he supported the Ku Klux Klan position. The film conveys the idea of powerlessness of justice which was sustained by the emotionally unstable racist fanatics. Moreover, the Supreme Court twice attempted to abolish the law about the racial segregation in public transport twice, one being in 1946 and the other – in 1960, both ending with failures. By the end of 1961, the number of people participating in the freedom movements h
Introduction In Mintz unbeaten publication, Sweetness and Power, a grand task of advancing economic, social and cultural history of sugar is commenced. The author spawns with mordant with the complexity of the sugar commodity bringing to the forefront, its significance as a daily product and how it moderated economic growth in the encroaching global market. The idea that sugar production has a direct connection to capitalistic economic system sounds far fetched-an oxymoron to the phony thinker, yet in the well elucidated master piece Sweetness and power , Mintz frogspawns the correlation between slavery and capitalistic growth through the sugar commodity. The author employs anthropological techniques to trace the roots of sugar production in the European historical context. He further highlights the growth of its consumption and how it related to social status and eventually the scrapping of status quo as the product garnered popularity amongst all the social classes. This paper examines how the book Sweetness and Power establishes the significant changes in the socio-economic scaffold leading to dramatic alteration in consumption, which incorporated sugar with the daily diet as a daily requisite. Main body As early as 1000 A.D the sugar commodity was introduced into the European market. Its demand however, remained stifled until 1800, when sugar was transformed into staple food in the English diet. Before 1800, sugar was only preserved for the wealthy in the society and the noble class who consumed it in colossal quantities, the working class only afforded to purchase it occasionally due to the exorbitant price tag attached to it. In the 18 th century as Mintz expresses, it was a “Monopoly of a privileged minority.” (Mintz 45). Beginning 1800, England started advancing towards industrialization; as this trend augmented internal production of sugar picked in homeland and its import too increased. This was due to bolstered economic stability, which led to an increased demand for sugar product. Consumers were drawn from all the social classes so that it was no longer a luxurious product but a basic commodity. Mintz, clearly explains the presence and usage of sugar product amongst the British populace. When sugar was first introduced to the British market emanating from the East, it was treated as some kind of noble spice that could only be accessed by the nobility and the wealthy class in the society. There were medicinal values attached to sugar so it was both seen as a spice and medicine so that it was