ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Introduction & Contextual Information Cut-throat competition, technological advances, geopolitical realignments and other related pressures are combining with concerns for security, shifting customer demands, expansion urges and organizational governance to generate momentous pressure for organizational change (Howard, 1994). Current literature as demonstrated by Kotter (2007) reveals that organizations need to continually change and reinvent their strategies, structures, processes and culture to remain relevant as well as maintain competitive advantage. But as observed by McGahan (2004), the change process itself need to be planned beforehand and aligned to the business strategy and objectives if it is to achieve success. The capacity of an organization to plan and implement the change process is therefore fundamental for success. By presenting a case of the current challenges facing FastLink Logistics Company, this paper will focus on providing an outline through which the underlying challenges can be adequately addressed by initiating a change process. Headquartered in Boston, MA, FastLink Logistics has been in operation for the last 20 years, and has consistently maintained a leadership position in the industry judging from its financial returns and competitiveness. An interview with the company’s operations manager revealed that the company operates a fleet of 3000 trucks and 10 cargo airplanes for purposes of transporting goods to various destinations across the U.S. and internationally. From the beginning of the current financial year, however, the company’s management has been receiving sustained customer complaints regarding delayed deliveries of their orders, especially from truck drivers. Indeed, some of FastLink’s traditional customers have opted to look for other logistics companies who keep their word on deliveries, implying that profits for FastLink Logistics have been on a downward trend. The management, having studied all the facts, identified massive paperwork in cargo clearing departments and irresponsible behaviour on the part of truck drivers, who engage in personal business while performing official duties. Upon holding several consultative meetings, the management decided to undertake a change process that will automate the clearing departments and install remote sensors on their trucks to monitor their movements and timeliness. The intended change process, however, is likely to experience some challenges, especially from employees who may oppose the intended automation of duties for fear of being rendered redundant. Still, truck drivers may feel that the intended introduction of remote sensors on their trucks may impinge on their privacy, hence perceive the new system negatively. Overall, the change process may be resisted by employees since it requires dramatic shifts in business processes and employee roles (Suntano et al., 2008). The management, therefore, must come up with strategies that ensure employee participation, commitment and identification
Introduction The instructor is the determining factor on how students learn and understand best teaching guidelines which will help students to read and understand content taught in class. When the instructor understands his students well, he can change teaching tactics depending on the circumstances and the level of difficulty of the subject. The instructor has to carry out a constant evaluation of the learning needs of students which will help him to plan on the effectiveness of teaching. Effectiveness of teaching According to Ornstein, Thomas & Lasley (1999), this originates from proper planning and this is what helps us to distinguish the best from an average teacher. Each instructor should be in a position to give personal ratings that depend on the span of teaching and the challenges encountered. After this, considerations can be given depending on the changes in teaching methods as demanded by students. In comparison with an average teacher, the best teacher will:   * Make students enthusiastic to attend his class.   * Use different teaching techniques and methods that suit different learning environments.   * Combine different teaching aids to help students learn quickly difficult case studies.   * Make learning objectives and goals clear and easy to disseminate topic after another. Effectiveness of our teaching begins with assigning weights to various learning factors like self-evaluation, student evaluation, peer evaluation then lastly other factors like courses, support from the department and overly co-ordination with fellow teachers in the department. The self-evaluation process begins with an examination of self-teaching styles and tactics as compared to other instructors. The comparison will be obtained from videotaped classes, which are in progress. The instructor should thereafter organize peer evaluation. This helps because the peers will be in a position to give remarks about the content and organization of the classes and how the students enjoyed the learning. This is a portfolio evaluation since it gives an account of the currency of information, appropriateness of organization, informativeness of the content and syllabus coverage. The process requires that the instructor and students to be videotaped and comparisons can be made showing how the learning took place and the instructor can adjust accordingly about how other instructors are doing their work (Marzano et al., 2004). After a peer evaluation exercise, the instructor should carry out the following procedures to help in ensuring effectiveness in teaching.   * Carry out an individual assessment on the quality of the teaching in comparison to laid out project teaching guidelines from the department.   * Re-evaluation of class teaching materials and teaching aids and contribute towards working out for a new teaching curriculum that is
Recommendations   * Bankruptcy protection- the airline used this strategy to deal with financial problems caused by operational challenges which are beyond their control.   * Capacity – its is vital for airline operators to plan their capacity to minimize cost. They should maximize usage of their planes rather than increase their fleet size.   * Contend with competitors- regardless of operational challenges, the airline should push on to stay in the market.   * Negotiating with governments- Air Canada should negotiate with governments to have some restrictions reduced or abolished.   * The airlines should try to schedule their airlines in a way such that the weather will have less effects on them to avoid flight delays. Action Plan   * Following financial crisis in 2010, the airline controlled its finances by creating new agreements with suppliers and credit providers.   * Canada airline was forced to launch a low price Tango fares to compete with Westjet who host smaller players in a low budget segment.   * To cut costs and compete with international airlines, Air Canada has forged alliances with other operators for example it’s the founding member of star alliance.   * Air Canada entered into an agreement with EU governments. Restrictions for Air Canada were reduced. Following this it launched five direct airline services to major cities in Europe. Summary   * Due to challenges in the environment, Air Canada had to make strategies in order to succeed. They came up with recommendation to ensure that they minimize losses.   * The recommendations were implemented and some of these include: signing deals with governments, forming alliances with other operators and making financial deals with their suppliers and credit providers.
After the civil war ended in 1865, a lot changed in the southern states. Being a region that mainly depended on agriculture they had to resolve how they would proceed with their lives as new developments were being made all over and they had to adapt fast. In Jefferson, Mississippi, almost everyone in the town had decided to adapt to these recent changes except for a particular resident in the town Emily Grierson who was a tough conservative and was reluctant to any sort of change. Her reluctance made her hold onto social conventions that were no longer relevant, and in the process, she detached herself from the Jefferson community and their new way of life. The author’s idea is to try and give the reader an impression of the importance of change when one is forced by circumstances. Faulkner efficiently uses different symbols in the story to show Emily’s drive and sensation. The story is a typical southern gothic tale. The character of Emily Grierson has been portrayed as a very dynamic person, strong with a sense of tradition but also, with a distorted perception of the world. However, her seeming insanity leads her to murder. This also appears to be balanced in her character with a strong sense of pride. This is portrayed by both her and her father. In the story, Emily Grierson shows strength in an instance like where she snubs the men sent to collect tax, knowing very well that her witness colonel Sartoris has been dead for years. Another instance is when she sees men around her house throwing lime to counter the pathetic smell but appears to stand firmly observing them. However, this sort of strength that is shown is a mere cover-up to hide her low self-esteem issues. Emily is only trying to come to terms with the changing times. Deep respect is also shown in Emily’s character. In addition, some form of reliance on her ancestry and the past is portrayed. This is due to where her family comes from the south is popular with using the old style or being conservative. A good example is when she asks the tax officials to leave and calls his black servant Tobe. “Show these gentlemen out” (Faulkner 2). The town changes as it continues to develop. However, she reluctantly does not. She uses the past as a scapegoat to dictate how she wants to live. This has been demonstrated when she says “I have no taxes in Jefferson. Colonel Sartoris explained it to me. Perhaps one of you can gain access to the city records and satisfy yourselves “(Faulkner 2). This was her technique of trying to steer clear of taxes by using an old myth. Considering the situation where she gets involved with him, this is a man who is working for the city. Baron Homer persuades her to live with him. Th
The concept of freedom has been addressed from all possible angles and regarding various tenets. Freedom among human beings is responsible for the current shape of various institutions including religion and politics. Lack of freedom is also attributed to most of the inconsistencies that apply to the current society. Consequently, freedom is a contentious subject that on some occasions empowers human beings and on other times gets in the way of their desires. Jean-Paul Sartre’s views on freedom lean on his existential philosophy. Sartre’s philosophy borrows on “his new vision of consciousness, and by answering the question of the being in a new way, he provides a different understanding of our existence in this world” (Caws 45). At a glance, Sartre’s philosophy attributes human freedom to the conscious aspect of humanity (the ‘for-itself’) and the non-conscious state (the ‘in-itself’). Consequently, Sartre claims that the meeting point of these two aspects of a human being is the genesis of freedom. Sartre was of the view that human beings are essentially free and they are responsible for the dynamics of their guiding consciousness and the resulting actions. Nevertheless, Sartre was of the view that “with total freedom comes total responsibility” (Gutting 67). Responsibility about freedom makes individuals responsible for all their decisions including their choice to be non-committal. This essay explains Jean-Paul Sartre’s understanding of human freedom and his concept of responsibility. The paper also offers a reflection of Sartre’s concept of freedom and responsibility and its suitability in the modern context. According to Sartre, freedom, and responsibility go hand in hand. Consequently, human beings are always free and consequently responsible for their actions and accompanying individual circumstances. This worldview is subject to analysis and scrutiny from several quarters. To sustain his argument, Sartre uses the example of individuals who are involved in a war. According to the philosopher, the general outlook when soldiers are involved in a war is that they have no freedom of choice when it comes to individual circumstances. However, the true scenario is that anyone who is involved in a war can run away or commit suicide as a choice to protest his/her scenario and thereby exercise his/her freedom. On the other hand, individuals only fight in a war because they believe that fighting provides the option that represents their best interests. Sartre’s main argument is that individuals always choose freely and engage in activities that represent their best interests. The concept of freedom as expressed by Sartre negates the possibility that an individual’s free will can be overrun. The overall sentiment through Sartre’s example of war and freedom is that “each person is an absolute choice of se
In theory and practice, the e-commerce operations plan of the New Motor Company is based on the people, products and profits model. The founders of the company ensured that the company could achieve competitive advantage by starting an e-commerce company based on a combination of B2B and B2C e-commerce business models. (1) The New Motor Company’s developed an operations business model consisting of offering new and used motor vehicles, spare parts and other engine components of different motor vehicle models. The web-website has inbuilt features that enable the company’s operations manager to add/delete products, control the provision of spare parts, assess the status of the existing stock, and find the products that are out of stock to be replenished. (2, 3) The main suppliers of new vehicles include Nissan, Toyota, and Ford companies and used motor vehicles are sourced from the local market and other international markets depending on the price, quality, and other compliance specifications. The operations plan consists of: A company web based e-commerce website that supports both the business-to-customers and business-to-business functions.   * A logistics and supply chain management information system   * A secure financial management system that enables financial transactions to be done on the website.   * The company offers 24/7 support services to the clients   * Customer representatives who can be called or engaged to answer customer questions.   * Product pricing policies that enables customers to check product prices on-line by clicking on the image of the product they are interested in.   * An inventory management system that allows products to be added and removed on a regular basis using an integrated inventory management module. Products and services to market The main products are new and second-hand motor vehicles, motor vehicle spare parts, engines, gear boxes, differential units, and other accessories that can be used for the maintenance of the vehicles. In addition, other services are offered on the Internet and at designated points if the problem to be addressed requires specialised personnel such as mechanics to troubleshoot and solve. (5) After sales services are provided to those who purchase the new vehicle and after sales services are part of the guarantee that lasts for only one year. Customers (1)                                                                 Students        11%     41,000   42,500   53,450   69,895   85,885     11.00% Retirees        11%     75,000   67,200   71,264   81,296   94,412     11.00% Family members  13%     410,000  440,000  444,000  522,400  511,640    11.00% Unmarried       15%     264,000  210,000  212,000  216,200  245,820    11.00% Other           9%      14,000   23,000   14,200   33,620   11,282     15.00% Total           11.17%  715,000  718,700  809,914  919,411  1,168,039  19.17   The e-commerce website provides the New Motor Company with a strong on-line presence and enables customers to evaluate different models of vehicles a
Introduction Marie Antoinette was a French queen, and her public execution marked the end of monarchy in France. She is remembered for being beheaded after the French revolution; however, her last days on earth were a mystery until 2016. That year, Will Bashor published his book, Marie Antoinette’s Darkest Days , which became a well-thought and impartial account of the queen’s last days spent in the Conciergerie. It is a well-written scholarly work that unintentionally evokes sympathy for Marie Antoinette by means of personal details and a narrative form of storytelling. Main Aspects Will Bashor is a professor at Franklin University who obtained a doctor’s degree in International Studies. As he says in the author’s note of his book, his purpose was to provide evidence about the last days of Marie Antoinette’s imprisonment (Bashor xi). He did not aim at advocating or acquitting the queen’s actions; therefore, he managed to make his narrative unbiased and provided readers with the possibility to form their own judgments. In the book, the author describes the seventy-six days of Marie Antoinette’s incarceration. The conditions in which she had been placed were terrible: she lived in a “noisy, moldy dungeon that reeked of rat urine, pipe smoke, and poor sanitation” (Bashor xi). The author recounts that some wardens were compassionate toward the queen. Some of them even agreed to help her flee from prison but quit their intentions at the last minute. Wardens’ sympathy contrasted with the cruelty of revolutionaries who were responsible for the queen’s incarceration. The author describes all these events in much detail, supplementing his narration with dialogues so that readers vividly imagine what happens in the book. Bashor paid particular attention to the sources used in this work. He used both primary sources, including archive documents, and secondary sources, most of which were written in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The author states that some sources were contradictory, which is why he decided to note the discrepancies in the course of narration (Bashor xi). As for the dialogues used in the book, the author included their original texts at the end of the work, thus giving the reader the possibility to check the accuracy of the author’s translation. The author managed to make the style of his narration impartial and objective. At the same time, the book is easy to read since it looks more like a novel rather than a mere recitation of relevant facts. The text is sometimes supplemented with footnotes that help to clarify the events happening in the book and provide readers with details that enhance understanding of the historical context. Conclusion To sum up, Marie Antoinette’s Darkest Days is a valuable contribution t
Both lookism and extreme body modification are inherently linked to unhealthy and unrealistic beauty standards of modern society. This trait aside, however, the two are very different in its manifestations and direct consequences. Lookism is merely the act of considering someone whose appearance is not what most people would regard to be beautiful. It focuses on exhibiting negative judgement to people that do not fit the standard and is thus oriented outside of the person who engages in it. Extreme body modification is the act of changing one’s body in order to look in a way that deviates from the norms that society sets on appearance (Good, 2016). To contrast these two, one does not look pleasing in appearance, while the other intentionally marks oneself in ways that others would perceive as deviances or outside of societal standards. The differences between the two stem from their external or internal angles, despite both being related to the dissatisfaction with appearance. It is likely that a person who engages in lookism is deeply insecure about their own beauty, and thus takes a judgemental stance towards the beauty of others. Obsessiveness over other peoples’ features or grooming habits generally signals a very unhealthy relationship with self-image, despite being less visible than bodily modifications (Good, 2016). Meanwhile, said modifications can happen both by a person’s own accord, and as an act of social pressure or custom. An example of the latter would be an ancient Chinese tradition of binding female feet to make them small and rose-like in their shape. More often then not, the expectations of extreme bodily modifications are placed on women, who are expected to conform to them in certain cultures to uphold their respectability and perceived marital value. Reference Goode, E. (2016). Deviant Behavior (11th ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.
Under Armour is the international sportswear company that originates from the United States. The company manufactures a range of sports apparel with footwear as its primary product focus. Despite the relatively late market entry and initially modest financial performance, the company is currently in the top tier of the market segment, with its Adidas and Nike being among its closest competitors. The company’s mission is to “make all athletes better through passion, design, and the relentless pursuit of innovation” (Under Armour, n.d., para. 1). The mission is achieved through a range of strategies and maintained with the help of respective values. The values include acting like a global citizen (the encouragement to make decisions and act with an international mindset and spread the idea among its customers), thinking like an entrepreneur (focus on performance and end result in order to maintain the competitive advantage associated with the company’s status of the underdog), innovating (take risks and adjust actions based on the failures as a part of the pursuit of excellence), and performing as a part of the team (aligning the actions with the brand’s ambitious goals and participate in a collaborative effort of inspiration and support) (Under Armour, n.d.). Despite the availability of products for wide demographics, the company’s operations are organized in accordance with a highly specific strategy that emphasizes the uniqueness of products rather than a wide appeal. The focus on specific areas of sports offers Under Armour a significant advantage over its competitors who try to cover all major segments of the sports domain (Rothaermel, 2015). The focused strategic approach allows the company to create a clearer marketing message, maintain the viability of operational and delivery techniques, timely react to setbacks in performance, and create a more loyal customer base. Under Armour is a publicly-traded company and discloses its financial performance in annual reports. According to the latest report, the company’s revenues are increasing steadily for the last five years, with a reported gross profit of $ 2,240 million in 2016, a more than $ 200 million increase over the previous year (Under Armour, 2017). A large portion of revenue is attributed to the emphasis on innovation that is especially prominent in the footwear product line, where the company needs to constantly upgrade the characteristics of its products in order not to fall back behind the giants such as Nike and Adidas. At the same time, the report points to the reduction of net income by $1.7 million in 2016 (Under Armour, 2017). Therefore, it would be reasonable to suggest several objectives to improve the company’s financial position. Objective                                           Measure                                                                                                                                                                                     Operational Target  Managemen