ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Following the formation of the Deutsche Werkbund movement and the subsequent establishment of high-quality materials and techniques, Muthesius argued that the movement’s work had just commenced. In his 1911 paper, Mathesius asserted that for a piece of architectural work to be complete, its form should be considered of higher importance than its purpose, materials, and technique. In 1914 at the Cologne Conference that was organized by the Werkbund Movement, Muthesius called for the introduction of standards and standardization in architecture. Meanwhile, Van de Velde had an antithesis that portrayed an artist as a creator who requires freedom to express his thoughts. In addition, Van de Velde rejected the introduction of standards because they would only choke and put restrictions on what should be expressed freely. This paper explores standards and standardization in architecture in respect to the Werkbund Movement and the subsequent Mathesius and Van de Velde’s antitheses. According to Muthesius, standardization was meant to authenticate the quality of the materials and techniques in architecture. This approach would entail moving away from heterogeneous and unspecified conditions to the more disciplined and organized systems, which are governed by set rules and principles. Within these principles, the ‘architectonic’
The essence of war is the state of conflict which is often prolonged and armed. Wars can occur between parties, paramilitary groups, societies, states, and nations. The idea of total war is when one or both sides use everything available to them. These include military forces, natural and human made resources, as well as civilians (Eddlem, 2014). In contrast, limited wars do not mobilize all resources and engage only their military, while civilian needs are not disregarded. In the American Civil War, the concept of total war manifested in the actions of the generals against the other side. One of the examples was the Sherman’s March to the Sea – a campaign that occurred in Georgia in November and December 1864, and was led by a Union General Sherman (Boyer, 2004). Under his command, the troops burned down not only military targets but also civilian buildings and parts of local infrastructure. This was a severe violation of traditional rules which focused on using military forces rather than endangering civilian property. After 1865, total war became a prominent part of military conflicts worldwide. Many civilian areas, including whole cities, have been under attack. Two of the most known examples are World War I and II, during which Germany mobilized all resources, including civilians, to occupy other territories. Some conflicts where civilians were affected are more recent, such as the Battle of Aleppo, a part of the Syrian Civil War (Bernard, 2016). The city was de
Executive Summary Citibank has incorporated the use of e-business in its operation so that it can meet the needs of its customers and to withstand the market pressures which have been changing drastically. this paper has established the main capabilities and core competence of the bank, determined the bank`s strengths and weakness using SWOT analysis and explored on the competitive advantage which the bank is enjoying in the industry. Introduction Citibank is among the leading banks in the Unites States. Due to its good reputation and competitive pressure the bank has started an expansion programme to other countries especially in the Middle East. The bank has also faced a lot of challenges in meeting the needs of its consumers due to the changes in technology which the world is currently facing. As a result therefore the bank has incorporated e-business strategies which aim at improving its operations and at the same time satisfy the needs of its customers. Citibank Main Capabilities and Core Competence Citibank is the only bank in the globe whose bankcard uses the local currency and language of the country which the bank is situated in. The bankcard is readily accepted for purchases, corporate travel, and conducting many other transactions around the globe (Citigroup.com, 2011). The bank uses e-business strategy which makes it easy for its customers to acquire transaction information that enhance the customer’s capability to manage their business capital strengthening the business. Citibank is a core competent bank and as a result of this its customers always receive value from this added advantage. The bank employs sophisticated mechanisms which aim at improving their operational efficiency so as to satisfy the needs of their consumers. With its multi-skilled staff, use of latest technology and good management strategies, the bank has been able to achieve its targets and at the same time satisfy the needs of its customers. As a result, Citibank is among the most successful banks in the globe. SWOT Analysis for Citibank To ensure the success of the company a firm has to have a stable internal and external environment (Gibbert, 2010). This has been the main focus of Citibank for all the years it has been operational a factor which has made the bank to be successful. The internal factors which affect the operations of the bank can be classified either as being strengths (S) or weaknesses (W) while the external factors which affect the running of the bank can be classified as either opportunities (O) or threats (T). The study of strategic environments which affect an organization is best known as SWOT. This analysis can be used to determine the strengths and weaknesses of a company and how they can be utilized to create a competitive advantage for the company. Citibank over the years has developed a lot of strengths as compared to weaknesses (Johnston, 2000). It has got a strong brand name with a lot of loyal customers who bank exclusively with the bank. These customers have been loyal to Citibank because of the good services provided by the bank. The employees of the bank treat
Introduction The advent and spread of the computers brought many changes to the world. The first years of computers so their widespread adoption in military and learning institutions as they were considered efficient tools for information exchange. This era was characterized by less computer usage by the civilian population. This was followed by another important period in the history of computers which saw mass adoption of these devices by the civilian population and the spread of computer networks (later coined “internet”). It may be true to say that the Personal computer was the main catalyst for this change. The internet was quickly adopted by governments, businesses, and individuals as the preferred channel to communicate, educate, transact business or just for entertainment. However, none of this uses took center stage position in the use of the internet. Since early 2000s, a new force has arisen; this force threatens to permeate every aspect of our lives. Be it business, relationship, profession, or leisure. This force is the social network and it is all about “you” and your friends or “followers” with friends updating each other about their daily activities. Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, Blackplanet, Classmate, Flicr, Flixster, Friendster, Hi5, LinkedIn, Multiply, MyYearBook, Perfspot (Blow, n.pag ) and tickle to mention just but a few are some of the popular social sites with millions of users. This papers discusses the significance of social networks on young people’s lives with specific focus on how it is influencing how they learn, relate and the challenges presented by this technological change. Uses Social networks are very popular with young people within the age group of 13 to 25 (Blow, n.pag).These young people primarily use a host of social sites to establish new and maintain old friendships in a unique and non-physical way (Ito, n.p). The social networks have given them a superb platform, complete with freedom and autonomy to meet new people, date and even marry online (Ito, n.p). Social networks give young people an opportunity to “apply” for friendship from people they have even never met before or from persons they idolize and greatly admire. Special qualities are not essential for one to win over a multitude of friends. To win over more friends it is common for these young people to lie about their height, weight, age, social status, relationship, history, habits among others in a bid to create an image of attractiveness about themselves (Blow, n.p). This may be difficult or impractical in real life but is not the case in “online life”. Online users are tolerant toward some of these lies or simply care less about them (Blow n.p). The established friendships are sustained and maintained via constant charts, messaging or gaming services most social sites offer. These efforts are privately augmented with communications such as instant messaging o
Introduction One of the reasons why the short story The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman has traditionally been referred to as such that constitutes a high literary and philosophical value is that it contributed towards advocating the legitimacy of psychiatry as a newly emerged medical science. At the same time, Gilman’s story represented a powerful critique of the discourse of male chauvinism – hence, the sheer progressiveness of this story’s themes and motifs. In my paper, I will aim to explore the validity of this suggestion at length. The Narrator’s Mental Condition in the Story As it appears from the novel, the reason why the narrator and her husband John decided to spend their summer vacation in a secluded mansion is that this proved beneficial to the narrator’s mental condition. For the vacation’s duration, she would be unlikely to experience any socialization-related distress. As Treichler noted: “Her (narrator’s) physical isolation was in part designed to remove her from the possibility of over-stimulating intellectual discussion” (61). This suggests that, prior to the couple’s relocation, John was already aware of his wife’s mental condition. Nevertheless, he continued to deny that her mental anxieties had to be taken seriously: “You see, he (John) does not believe I am sick!” (Gilman 1). Partially, the narrator herself provides an explanation as to why, despite having been an accomplished physician, John nevertheless could not help referring to his wife’s pleas for help in the thoroughly arrogant manner: “John does not know how much I really suffer. He knows there is no reason to suffer, and that satisfies him” (Gilman 2). This narrator’s remark helps us to understand the essence of John’s failure to prescribe his wife with the appropriate therapy, which, in turn, created the objective preconditions for her to keep descending into madness. Apparently,
Introduction The company overview Westfarmers Ltd is amongst the biggest retail chains in Australia. The company was established in 1945 with the objective of providing consumers with high quality and reliable products that met their aspirations of getting value for their money. Because of the firm’s concerted efforts, it achieved exceptional growth and is now amongst the largest listed retail firms and employers in the country. Currently, the firm is highly diversified offering varying products and services to its consumers (Westfarmers, Limited, 2012). Presently, the company’s main objective is to increase its brand awareness within the Australian market and establish itself in the international market. In addition, the company aims to establish and increase its brand loyalty in major Asian emerging markets such as India and China. The main reason why Westfarmers limited is planning to expand and establish into the Indian and Chinese markets is to increase its global market share. Currently many retail chains are expanding globally, particularly in the emerging economies because of the massive potential they provide in terms of constantly increasing demand for consumer goods (Westfarmers, Limited 2012). The reason why India and China continue to remain the major targets for international expansion is the immense potential for rapid economic growth and rise in consumer spending. Currently, the two countries hold the world’s largest and fastest growing middle-class with constantly increasing spending patterns on consumer products. Rapid economic growth and easy availability of natural and human resources at lower costs will enable the firm to operate at low-cost, thereby increasing its competitive advantage. This paper will analyze the internationalization policy of Westfarmers Ltd with the basic objective of answering the crucial issue of what strategies it will have to adopt and what actions it will have to take in becoming a major player in the global market. This question will be best answered by deciding and justifying the paths that the company will take while wo
MOST Analysis Mission Jumbo Safari’s mission is to offer quality and affordable tourism services that transcend cultural boundaries. The company is investing in employee development to serve tourists from different cultural backgrounds. Objectives Jumbo Safaris should set a number of goals in a bid to achieve its mission. One of the company’s goals should be to establish numerous tourism facilities across the globe to help it serve diverse customers. Another goal should be to establish a workforce that comprises staff members from different cultural backgrounds. Strategies Jumbo Safaris should invest in employee training in a bid to establish a workforce that is endowed with the necessary skills to serve diverse customers. Besides, the company should hire employees from different cultural backgrounds to deal with cultural diversity. Tactics Jumbo Safaris should establish an employee-training program that covers diverse cultures. The company should ensure that its staff members have the necessary skills to serve its target customers. In addition, the company should launch a recruitment campaign that sources employees from different cultural backgrounds. SWOT Analysis Strengths Jumbo Safaris embraces eco-tourism. Therefore, the company can attract many tourists since the tourism industry is shifting to eco-tourism. Another strength that Jumbo Safaris enjoys is its experienced workforce. The company has highly trained workers who can reach and convince tourists. Malaysia neighbors some of the most populated states. Hence, Jumbo Safaris is open to a broad market from these countries. The company can focus on countries like Singapore for market diversification. Weaknesses Jumbo Safaris has not invested in technology. Consequently, the company is unable to reach many customers. In addition, the company depends on intermediaries, which affects its profit margins. Another weakness is the lack of market diversification. The company focuses mainly on foreign tourists. It has not invested in the local market, which offers an excellent opportunity for growth. Lack of adequate capital is another challenge that affects Jumbo Safaris. It is hard for the company to expand its market due to financial constraints. Opportunities Jumbo Safaris has invested in eco-tourism. However, the company can strengthen its eco-tourism as a strategy to enhance its performance. In addition, the company can invest in the differentiation of products and services. Jumbo Safaris can position itself uniquely by offering superior products and services. Market diversification is another opportunity that Jumbo Safaris can exploit. The company has not exploited a number of potential mark
Literature Review Bloggers can influence clients’ intentions to acquire commodities depending on the prevalence of use of the internet by different groups of people. According to research by Lenhart et al. (2010), as from 2006, the prevalence of blogging shifted from teen to older adults. Considering that older adults (18-29 years) are more likely to have had a better experience with the use of specific products, male customers are less likely to trust and/or depend on the information that bloggers relay in influencing their purchasing decisions. Male clients have a tendency of finding out the taste of a product through experience. They will hardly go for a product based on a review by a blogger since such a person (blogger) may be giving counterfeit information in favour of the company but on the expense of the customer. Lenhart et al. (2010) present a decreasing trend in the participation of males in seeking information from blog reviews, although the trend is heightening when it comes to female customers. Women and men may access the internet to view blogs in search of information on different products. Lenhart et al. (2010) assert that women and men access the internet to seek all types of information. However, health information constitutes one of the women’s critical areas of interest. For example, 70% of females who have not attained 50 years access the internet in need of health information. Hence, women are more likely to search such information compared to men (Lenhart et al. 2010). Consequently, women are more
Situation analysis According to Shields (2012), the sales of Nokia’s Windows-powered Lumia smartphone have gotten off to a slow start. Data acquired from a straw poll by mobile indicate that the Lumia phone acquired approximately a fifth of online smartphone market share sales in November. This executive summary is about a marketing plan for improving the sale and productivity of the newly launched Lumia smartphone by Nokia Corp. by the end of 2012. Nokia Corporation has current forecasts margins of -3% in the first quarter. This is different from its earlier estimates of “breakeven.”Nokia’s operation in the second quarter is expected to be “similar to or below the first quarter 2012 level”. (O’Reilly, 2012a, para. 7). According to O’Reilly (2012b, para. 13), there was a 21 % drop in Nokia’s revenue for the fourth quarter of 2011 to 10 billion Euros. This was in spite of making sales of over a million pieces of Lumia devices in the same phase. According to Steven Elop, Nokia’s President and CEO, the first quarter of 2012 has been disappointing in terms of financial results for devices and services offered by Nokia, including the Lumia smartphone. The CEO further observes that the projected sales of the second quarter of 2012 show that Nokia Corporation is still in the transition phase. This transition has been a result of the recent partnership between Nokia and Microsoft that has seen Nokia concentrating on the Windows Phone operating system rather than its own Symbian OS (O’Reilly, 2012a, para. 8). Marketing objectives The Nokia Corporation is hopeful of broadening the market of the Lumia series to attract new segments like the lower end of the market, traditionally the stronghold of Nokia with Symbian handsets and feature phones (O’Reilly 2012a, para.2). Through this approach and as exemplified by the recent launch of the lower-end Lumia 610, Nokia is optimistic that it will succeed in pushing down the price of the Windows Phone device. According to Steven Elop, Nokia’s president and chief executive, “there will be more devices of a similar pricing range to come” (O’Reilly 2012a, para.5). Additionally, Nokia has the ambition to repeat the accomplishment of its sponsored DeadMau5 light projection show in the UK at Millbank Tower in November, Overman adds, as it seeks to make events that will attract people to share. So far, more than three million people have already watched the event video on YouTube (O’Reilly 2012b). Strategies and tactics As part of its strategy to compete in the lower market ends of the smartphones, Nokia Corporation is toiling to speed up the tempo at which it can influence the price of Windows Phone devices. This was the reason behind the recent launch of the lower-end Lumia 610 model (O’Reilly 2012a, para.6). In spite of astonishing projections to incur losses during the first half of the financial year, in the midst of harsh competition in emerging markets, Noki
Police subculture is always shown as a persistent and a potential factor that can influence the behavior of other officers. The basis of these allegations is regarded to be flimsy and mostly depends on the critical impending of the concept than the descriptive power. This article is about the racial profiling of the police. On October 6, 2003, The Toronto Star started a string of investigations of stories of racial profiling in Toronto. The information was drawn together from a database owned by the Toronto police and various crime statistics from independent bodies. It included various documents of arrest warrants and charge sheets. The database contains information on more than 500,000 incidents that occurred and led to an arrest or fined by the police department from the period of 1998 to 2003. The information was accessed mainly because of the freedom of information act since the police had initially refused to give access to that information. A renowned statistician from Harvard University was used to scrutinize the methodology used and found it to be accurate. The analysis gave out shocking revelations indicating how different ways were used when dealing with blacks and white people in law enforcement. The data showed that a very contradictory number of African American motorists were given tickets for violations that only came about after being stopped. Also, African Americans who were accused of petty drug possession were regularly taken to police stations than white people facing a similar charge. The other abnormality was that African Americans were normally apprehended overnight for a bail hearing at two times the rate normally paid by white people. These facts were too disturbing to any civilian especially members of the black community. As an African American officer, I decided to investigate this matter because it is not something that is practiced by every policeman. I decided to discuss this issue with my two former colleagues, one who happens to be an African American (Shawn), and the other a Whiteman (Jim). According to Jim, the reason why there is racial profiling is that a lot of black people and Hispanics are involved in crime than white people. Being a former officer I can attest to that because in my line of duty I have encountered numerous black people engaging in crime at different levels. Another thing that he pointed out was that a lot of Hispanics and Black people are in gangs and come from poor backgrounds thus ending up getting involved in crime. Such perceptions towards Black people and Hispanics are the reasons why there is police profiling. The facts and ordinary ordeals by officers in the police force create a platform for profiling. However, as new members join the force, officers are drawn from different backgrounds and races like th