ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
McDonald restaurant experienced several setbacks in its operations. A combination of internal and external problems severely affected its performance and resulted in customer dissatisfaction. As a result, many of the customers found alternative restaurants with similar services (Jellison, 2006). Considering these two fundamental problems the top management of the company decided to move toward the implementation of a new strategy. The core of this new move was the introduction of travel path technology and provision of lower calories services. These were seen as key to reviving the restaurants reputation in the public. Having a safe and well-prepared environment makes it easier to implement change (Jellison, 2006). The first step is to gain the trust and collaboration of your staff. Having to face barriers from within an organization makes it very difficult to implement change. The first phase of a plan which aims at ensuring a safe environment to implement change is gaining employee confidence and trust. The second step is to make all necessary technical preparation in order to avoid time waste and / or other barriers once change implementation begins. This includes all the necessary research and development activities related and financial backup if needed. The implementation of these steps will ensure a safe environment to implement change. Recognition of employee’s hard work and their ability to contribute to the management of the business will build trust and lower down internal barriers. As described above, the first step is to communicate the new strategies to the staff and gather their feedback about possible ways of implementing them. This feedback collection process will make them feel involved in running the business. This information could result beneficial since it is employees who are in direct contact with customers all day long. They may give valuable details about how to increase customer satisfaction. For example, they can give information about the low calorie services to offer and what customers like the most. A milestone plan is necessary to have a gradual change implementation. This plan will set milestones for all employees. This should not be a one-sided plan but employees should be involved in building it. At least their voice should be listened when drafting the plan. The plan should start with minimal increases in performance to continue with major ones. Employees should consider the target milestones they should fulfill prior to the external audit control (walk-in). Other steps include the assurance of franchise holders and other interested parties that the head office had adequate funds to cover this tra
This memorandum is a response to a proposal to cut funding for gender and peace programs across federal agencies such as USAID, Department of State, or USIP. The members of the United States House of Representatives Appropriations Committee define gender issues as a topic of secondary importance in conflict resolution and peace-building that can be addressed later as soon as the conflict is over and the peace agreement is achieved. This memo provides information about the importance of empowering women through education and to let them know their rights on the basis of Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of “symbolic violence” as one of the ideas to support the necessity of funding and prove that the chosen gender issue is worth attention. Conflict Resolution, Peace-Building, and Gender Issues There is no necessity to give a number of reasons to explain how conflict has become a natural and even vital part of human life and why it should be understood and studied thoroughly. Unfortunately, some people fail to realize that gender issues remain to be crucial in conflict resolution and peace-building processes. The idea to reduce funding for gender programs in peace-building seems to be evident as the committee considers gender issues of secondary importance, however, such decision cannot be justified as empowering women is a serious question that has to be discussed on a number of levels from many perspectives. Gender diversity helps to comprehend the reasons and nature of conflicts and choose the most appropriate solutions within a short period of time. Empowerment of women is a step to reduce the number of conflicts in society, explain how women and men should be treated, and prove that women have to participate in the decision-making process that can easily shape their lives (Women 2000 and Beyond 13) 1 . Nowadays, women are able to offer the same or even more effective ideas on how to create and develop peaceful relations and solve conflicts on different levels, this is why women have to know, comprehend and use their rights in all spheres of life. Funding for gender and peace programs cannot be neglected and reduced as women cannot be deprived of their opportunities and a chance to improve the world and create better living conditions for future generations. Bourdieu’s Theory of “Symbolic Violence” The necessity of power in society and the importance of changes are the topics that have been discussed by a number of sociologists and philosophers from diffe
Introduction In the current days, there are increasing concerns about such environmental issues as global warming all over the world. These concerns have resulted in the renewal of interest in nuclear energy, which was at some point in time ignored. When the Cold War came to a halt, the building up of nuclear energy was overlooked for several years up to the time there was renewed interest among those countries that are developed to have “alternative energy sources” and at this point, once again consideration was made about nuclear energy being a reliable alternative source of energy. According to Gorton, in the coming twenty years, there are expectations of realizing growth in the nuclear market to a remarkable level. Taking the case in the US in the “Department of Energy”, there are expectations that the electricity demand will rise by half by the year 2030, and the demand worldwide is expected to more than double. Following this increase in demand for electricity that is expected, it is implied that there will be an increased nuclear power demand. The increased demand corresponds with the quantity of supply that is not strong (Preeg 167). According to Gorton “as emerging economies develop over the next 20 years, there will be an enormous spike of demand for low-cost, environmentally-friendly alternative energy sources, and nuclear power is expected to satisfy this demand” (Gorton Para 10). In this paper, there is going to be a discussion of nuclear power in India. The demand for electricity in India is increasing and there is a need to increase the level of supply to meet the demand and the best option is to invest more in nuclear power, considering that there is a shortage in fossil fuel supply and there are also environmen
Culture is a people’s way of life. It can also be defined as a set of traditions adopted by certain groups of people. When we define culture, we have to talk about the cultural values, which are the principles, or qualities that a group of people will tend to view as good or right (Peterson 22). Different people from different parts of the world have different ways of life. Some carry on activities not carried out by other people elsewhere. The culture of people includes the food they eat, dances, their race, their way of dressing, and religion just to mention but a few (Peterson 17). However, violent activities such as stoning, mutilation, killing and forceful abortions cannot be termed as part of people’s way of life. That is, crime and criminal activities cannot be termed as part of people’s culture. The culture of people can remain the same or change with time, especially as people become more civilized. The change can also arise because of a prolonged exposure to a different culture. The exposure to these different cultures can result to positive or negative changes (Haggis and Susanne 18). To some people, an activity carried out by others is not right before them. For example, different groups of people have different modes of dressing especially for woman. Some religions do not allow the exposure of some parts of the woman’s body like the hair and the legs, while according to others it is very much okay (Haggis and Susanne 104). This can be a great conflict if the two sets of people are to live in the same location. Circumcision is a form of initiation passed over very many generations up to the present one. Still, there are some communities who to them, circumcision is a taboo. Therefore, when such people with different cultures come together, conflicts can arise. This happens especially when the two groups of people differ with respect to a certain activity carried out by either of them. The integration of different cultures in one environment leads to disruption of traditions. Contacts between different cultures are also viewed as cultural clashes for they are bound to result in undesirable consequences or even destruction of one or all the cultures (Haggis and Susanne 7). Therefore, culture clash by definition is a conflict that occurs when people with different cultural values come together. The way of life of people is a measure of their level of civilization. The evolution of man from an ape has seen him change from being primitive to being modern. Thus, culture refers to the acquisition of civilization, which is a process of social development (Haggis and Susanne 18). The lack of change of people to the new cultures is normally referred to as under civilization. New inventions especially to do with technology normally inc
The cultural identity of Scotland within the UK has been distinct and recognizable for centuries. However, there appears to be not enough explanation on the role of language in forming that identity. One of the minority languages in this part of the UK is Scots, which is relative to English. With multiple historical, linguistic, and social factors, it is discussed whether Scots can be viewed as a separate language or a dialect of English. Regardless of its status, Scots has an essential part in Scotland’s political and cultural history and remains an argument for its sovereignty. This paper will examine the history of Scots as a language and its impact on politics, media, and society to prove the validity of linguistic distinction in Great Britain. Scotland obtains a well-established history of administrative use of Scots before joining the United Kingdom. Since the language is West Germanic and originates from Anglo-Saxon, it is closely related to English; the similarities in the early stages of these languages are the results of intense ethnical contacts. However, according to Sebba (2019), Scots was applied in literature, administrative functions, and legal writing and began developing distinctive norms of grammar since the end of the fourteenth century (p. 341). Until the seventeenth century, there was a period of Scots’ most legal validity and widest circulation among citizens. From the eighteenth to the twentieth century, Scots was gradually suppressed by English as the society was striving for unification. In the twenty-first century, the discussions about the status of Scots have risen, and researches are held to measure public knowledge of the language. As it can be seen from the historical overview, while Scots’ positions are unstable and the language had its natural downfalls in the past, the period of power and distinction had its consequences on today’s regional identity of Scotland. The presence of a distinct language remains a strong point in the Scottish strive for independence. Since Scots has noticeably different lexical and grammatical structures, it is believed to be capable of total separation from English. While describing the events of the early 2010s, Sebba (2012) presents a conclusion of that period, when the Scexit movement was gaining popularity, that «Scots may yet become a valuable symbol that can be mobilized in the task of building an independent nation state» (p. 346). Although the language is not actively present, it has strong adherents among writers, politicians, workers of the educational field, and other citizens, who mostly feel positive about Scots. This attitude presumably proceeds from the previous era when Scots was used as an official language of the Scottish parliament. Storry and Childs (2013) mention that in the sixteenth century, Scots formed «a highly developed cultural and political tradition entirely separate from England» (p. 213). The memory of an independent law system has public app
Whereas anti-drug policy acts on multiply levels, the drug trade thrives. Methamphetamine, the drug that is now considered one of the most abusive hard drugs in the world, has many romantic, intriguing names: glass, crystal meth, speed. The documentary “The Meth Epidemic” examines its prosperous march across the streets of America. Cristal epidemic began in the late 60s as a vogue among West Coast motorcycle gangs and rapidly widespread; its cultural influence might be traced already in the 80s. For example, the movie Slumber Party Massacre from 1982 contains a dialogue in a group of high school students. A guy asks girls from his school if they have all they need for the party, like “pot, booze, crystal meth…” (The Slumber Party Massacre). Meth drug crucially influences their user’s brains, withering human physical and psychical powers. Though the crystal drug is considered more abusive than cocaine and heroin, few efforts are made to pull off this problem; or, at least, there is no excuse to do less than one’s best within the bounds of the meth enforcement program. The Meth Epidemic documentary tells the story of anti-meth struggle failure. In fact, there is no successful policy against any kind of abuse until business interests are involved. There was an attempt to restrain the meth epidemic in the middle 80s when the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration proposed registering customers’ personal information the nd limiting the maximum amount of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine purchasing. Still, the leisures led to the decline in pharmaceutical companies’ profits. Representatives of the pharmaceutical industry insisted, that DEA agents overreacted and interpreted their proposal as almost “uncivilized”. The White House and Congress made the “right” choice and released cold medication from the Drug Enforcement Administration regulatory proposal (Frontline – The Meth Epidemic). The second DEA attempt to control meth usage dealt with the source of drug ingredients. Only a few competent laboratories may produce such complicated chemicals as ephedrine and pseudoephedrine. Thereby, it would not be so hard to track them. Still, as Washington policy was mostly directed against cocaine and heroin production this attempt also failed for bureaucratic reasons. There was a tangible anti-meth achievement after 1994 when a large, illicit load of ephedrine was found on a plane that flew from India to Mexico. When the ephedrine export to the Mexican cartel ceased the meth quality along with its users started to decline (Frontline – The Meth Epidemic). Still, as The Meth Epidemic says, this breathing space is only temporary. As methamphetamine locks the part of the brain that is in charge of dopamine generating meth users gradually lose the ability to feel pleasure from anything except more doses of crystal drugs. In fact, meth changes the way human brains function. In fact, it is a miracle that some people give up meth usage. In fact, many films present drug cons
Introduction Many small businesses face quite a several difficulties when starting up. These problems are mainly in raising the necessary capital required to start the business. One such difficulty is the determination of how much capital is required to start, operate and expand the business venture. Most businessmen and women lack the accurate knowledge of the prices of goods and services they would require to kick off their business undertakings. They lack proper plans for spending the finances once they got them and they also fail to prove to the lenders how they will break the finances to finance different requirements in the business. Failing to convince the lenders that they can account for the expenditure of every bit of finances is a good reason that makes their proposals rejected. Another problem is the lack of adequate communication with the lender. Lack of a concise and professional business plan fails to give the details of the business concept which lacks proper information to be conveyed to the lender because the plan reflects its creator. In addition, insufficient marketing and sales strategies result in the disqualification of many business people from accessing finances to start and expand their ventures. Lenders are proud of a business plan that has 30% information devoted to selling and marketing. Any business plan that falls short of this does not qualify to be financed. Generating finances Every business venture faces threats or risks in one way or the other. Lenders are more ready to finance business undertakings that reflect these risks rather than covering them up. Many business people lose chances of getting finances because of covering up these risks and hence fail to start up their businesses. Firms generate finances internally through bootstrapping. This involves leasing and factoring rather than using credits and purchasing equipment. Bootstrap financing can be used by a firm to stretch its current capital outlay. It goes a long way into finding methods that can meet the firm’s resource needs and trying to avoid any formal financial transaction. Bootstrap financing Several categories of bootstrap financing available to a firm include cooperative assets, client-based funds, leases, outsourcing, subsidies or incentives, foundation grants, funding from relations, barter, quasi-equity arrangements, and short-term borrowing. Borrowing serves adequately in the early stages of an enterprise. It boasts what is already available from the owner and enables the business to kick-off fast enough to overcome any initial struggles that might exist. The use of credit cards is useful in businesses that need to expand their base of working capital. This is because they can readily access finances at any point and in the most convenient way. Many entrepreneurs have used barter trading to get the resources they need to start, sustain and expand their ventures. This is especially crucial for ventures with unproductive and non-performing assets which can be
Abstract Mergers and Acquisitions are old corporate strategies used by many companies to meet their goals. Different firms have unique motivations for choosing such strategic choices. Using a case study approach of LVMH, this paper focuses on the luxury brand segment to find out the main motivations why luxury brands choose the M&A strategy, the possible synergies they enjoy from choosing such strategies, and the value creation potential associated with the M&A strategy. The findings of this paper would help us to move a step closer to arriving at a conclusive position regarding why luxury brands, such as LVMH, have consistently pursued this strategy. Furthermore, they would help researchers who want to expand their body of knowledge regarding mergers and acquisition in the luxury brand segment to do so. Introduction (Background) According to Holliday (2015), there has been a dramatic increase in the number of Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) in the last few decades. Today, the global value of M&A transactions has surpassed the $5 trillion mark (BUSMAN 2014). While most M&A transactions have occurred in the United States (U.S), other parts of the world are now reporting increased numbers of such transactions (Miller 2011). For example, between the late 1990s and the early 2000s, the volume of European M&A transactions matched those in the U.S. Conversely, according to Teixeira (2011), different economic sectors have reported increased volumes of M&A transactions, among them being the luxury goods sector. Indeed, in the last decade, consolidation has characterized the luxury brand industry. Therefore, many companies have adopted M&A strategies to remain relevant, outwit their competition, and promote their brands. LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, better known as LVMH, is a pioneer company in the luxury brand segment that has been on the forefront in pursuit of the M&A strategy (Gaughan 2007). It has participated in several M&A deals within its sector, such as the purchase of an 80% controlling stake in Italy’s Cashmere Company, Loro Piana, for more than $2 billion (The American Graduate School of International Management 2013). In 2011, the company also entered into an M&A deal with Rome-based jeweler, Bulgari for $5 billion (Gaughan 2007). In 2010, the company also purchased minority shares in rival companies, such as Hermes International. LVMH has also acquired several small niche brands such as Ole Henriksen and Nude skin care in the last decade (Needle 2004). Based on these deals, the company has earned a reputation for being “predatory” (Teixeira 2011). Nonetheless, content with its strategic direction, the company’s brand development strategy and expansion plans have seen it open more than 3000 branches around the world (Hitt 2012). With more than 100,000 employees (80% of whom work outside France), LVMH has had a strong growth trajectory (Needle 2004). Using the LVMH as a case study, this paper focuses on finding out the impact of mergers and acquisitions on the Luxury brand segment. Research Rationale The luxury brand market is a multibillion-d
Information Technology has made a lot of difference in the business world. It is almost impossible now to imagine a business without information technology. Business and IT has been intermixed with each other now to such an extent that business success now implies proficiency in the execution of business transactions through information technology. IT is no longer a tool for top highly professionalized businesses. It has become a necessity for each and every business, whatever may be the size or structure of the business, as IT now controls and executes every business action in each business segment and section. Old guards of business no longer treat IT as an impediment but consider that a necessary ingredient for the success of a business venture. IT no longer acts as a constraint on the business, as was the earlier impression to non-IT- the era of the business community. In fact, monitoring and reporting capabilities of information technology create a more flexible infrastructure that provides a platform where governance of organizational and legal compliances gets polished with excellence. Meeting Competition pressur
Genetic diversity refers to genetic variations within a population or species of a given organism and it has been shown to offer the amphibians protection against environmental adversaries. Research has shown that the wood frogs (Rana sylvatica) that have a lower genetic diversity are more susceptible to the negative effects of ultraviolet- B radiation than those having a higher genetic diversity. In the experiment done, frogs eggs and larvae were exposed to three different conditions that included; unfiltered sunlight, sunlight filtered through a UV-B blocking filter (Mylar), and through a UV-B transmittin known as acetate. The findings showed a negative relationship between genetic diversity and egg mortality, larval mortality, and defog filter city rates. It showed that the UV-B radiation causes an incre