ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Introduction Democracy and the state Democracy as a form of government encompasses a government that has significant core values, adheres to the rule of law, maintains popular sovereignty, guarantees its citizens rights and liberties, and aims at achieving a status of economic wellbeing of its populace (Sodaro 27). Democracy has been seen as the existence of democratically elected governments around the world. This is marked by free and fair elections and respect for the constitution. In spite of the fact that many countries around the world are democratic, it is commonplace for some states to deprive citizens of their basic freedom, which has been the dominant characteristic of countries such as Peru and Philippines. Although the concept of free and fair elections in choosing of leaders is supposed to go hand in hand with constitutional liberalism, this condition has been flouted by many states thus making the two phenomena go apart (Zakaria). By a state is meant a set of political institutions that are used to produce and implement policies pertinent to development. The set of institutions claim legitimacy in a specific territory, which is considered to be sovereign (or tries to be sovereign) and is therefore not subject to any kind of influence from any other state (Sodaro 44). States or governments consolidate democracy by ensuring that they monitor all activities within their territories to facilitate development rather than escalation of undesirable conditions. They do this by controlling the use of resources within their jurisdiction and ensuring that they are used for the betterment of the conditions of the populace. States thus supervise people to ensure that they do not engage in activities that are detrimental to economic development. As sovereign territories, states use violence legitimately to protect their citizens as they to strive to build the economy. The states or governments aim at development by providing conditions that are conducive for their citizens to engage in economic development activities such as improving the level of technology, and creating a national culture that makes every citizen to identify with and be proud of the state. This brings a sense of being content among citizens and avoids instances of disquiet as is characteristic of undemocratic states (Sodaro 57). A state’s democracy can be weakened by lack of resources, both natural and manmade, to facilitate economic stability. In addition, leaders and their ideas are instrumental in augmenting the stability of democracies. If leaders are not visionary and their ideas are not cohesive, the situation leads to the formation of splinter groups within the state, a condition that is unbefitting for the health of a democracy. International factors such as international politics or some countries’ influence of others can destabilize their democracy especially when splinter groups emerge within the democracy. Such influence may lead to uprisings and demonstration effects that distort the path to democratic st
Introduction: The Way It All Started People say that power is like a litmus paper. Once gripping it, one is bound to show all the facets of his/her personality that have been hidden from the rest of mankind until now. However, it still can be considered that once realizing the problems that such uncontrollable power can lead to, a person can choose another path to follow. To give an example of the different shapes that power can take, I would like to consider my own experience. One of the most significant pieces of my life, the time when I realized how multilateral power can be, is the period when I had to take the leading part in the company management, though I did not have the position. Showing considerable competency, I tried to create alternative ways for the company to move towards progress. Thus, I was to exercise the type of power that was described as “personal power”, that is, the position when “you don’t have a formal position in an organization to have power” As soon as I realized that a group of people was in my command and I was supposed to be their leader, I had a strong, almost intolerable temptation to take the approach that could be described as an expert power – “influence wielded as a result of experience, special skill, or knowledge” (183). However, it was rather soon that I realized that such a path is quite dangerous – once being overestimated, I could face the risk of losing all my authority in case of a failure. Thus, I resorted to the kind of power that can be defined as the referent power – the one that “is based on identification with a person who has desirable resources or personal traits” (183). I must admit that in the given case this was the most reasonable and the only possible position since I possessed certain skills that could bring considerable profit to the company. Therefore, it cannot be considered that I overestimated my possibilities. At the Crossroads: Choosing the Right Turn What needs emphasizing is the fact that I preferred choosing the path that could be described as possessing a certain power, not taking leadership in the company. Since I feel quite uncomfortable in the position of a leader, it was much more convenient to choose the position of a consultant rather than taking such responsibility as the leadership over a certain group of people. Also, it was more comfortable from a psychological point of view to communicate with them from the position of a peer, not a boss. As it was wisely
The US versus Germany Germany and the UK have different cultural backgrounds hence the two countries respond differently to international entrepreneurship. The greatest notable factor is the language difference. In the UK, English is the major languages while Germans speak the German language. In the UK for instance, it is in their cultural practices to keep time and observe punctuality. Being late is considered bad etiquette and unprofessional unlike in Germany where the rules are not so strict on time (Hisrich, 2010). The UK is more developed technologically compared to German because Germans are more reserved and are not very receptive of new and modern civilization in terms of technology. Even in the political scene, the UK has an advanced political structure compared to Germany whose structure does not allow a majority seats in the lower house. While UK is highly globalized, Germany is very rigid in terms of cultural homogenization, which makes the United States of America a better choice for investment. However, Germany is quite stable politically compared to the UK. The numerous public protests that are seen in the UK are rare in Germany due to political stability. Differences in market versus the ‘US-only’ market Political stability is very crucial for investors seeking to expand or establish business entities in a country. A country where there are uncertain prospects of security and political stability will definitely attract fewer investors. Political stability creates the right business environment for investors to carry out their production. Nonetheless, America has improved its ICT technology making it very advanced compared to German’s ICT platform (Economic globalization and culture, 1998). In social spheres, America is more receptive to foreigners and foreign investments unlike in Germany. This has opened their market to foreign entrepreneurs unlike Germany whose foreign policies are not friendly to foreign investors. Market penetration between the Germany and England Penetrating the Germany market is not as easy as it would be to penetrate the England market. The two countries are different in cultural settings as discussed above. Germans are more conservatives compared to the UK hence market diffusion is quite a challenge. Germans are not very receptive to new products and the market in almost inaccessible. The main difference between the two countries is culture. Post by – NJ Your argument on the need to exploit the electronic platform in a bid to increase the chances of reaching out to many young people is very practical. You have mentioned that many teenagers are more inclined to reading from the internet. This is true and the social media platform can play a vital role in publicizing the magazine. To add on your idea, it is important for that the content of the magazine to be relevant to teenagers. Post by – G.O. You have argued very well by showing the difference of marketing a product in different countries. Different countries will definitely pose different challenges to investor
Abstract Unethical marketing practices are a major issue affecting the operations of firms in contemporary society. The fast food industry is one of the most affected sectors of the economy when it comes to unethical marketing practices. A case in point is when a company promotes a product without indicating the implications it has on the health of the consumer. Ethical standards in business are focused on ensuring that the organisation attains its core objectives in a manner that adheres to the laid down requirements. The process of developing a marketing plan may tempt the business entity to violate the ethical principles put in place. As a result, there is need to examine some of the ethical practices that businesses must comply with. Every industry has its own unique set of guidelines that the players are expected to adhere to. However, a number of standards apply to all businesses operating in the modern global market. In this study, the author analysed the case of unethical marketing practices in McDonald’s UAE. Background Information In marketing, ethical considerations play a vital role in advancing the objectives of an organisation. In the world of business, ethics is all about developing trust between the various parties involved in trade. According to Murphy and Laczniak (2012), a number of ethical practices are evident in the process of carrying out business activities. They include, among others, honesty and integrity on the part of the producer. Unfortunately, many organisations flout the ethical principles put in place. Ethical violations have a devastating effect on both the business concerned and the consumer. The current study intends to shed more light on this issue of ethical business practices in the contemporary market. It is a case study of McDonalds and how the international company disregards the ethical considerations of business in the fast food industry. The discussions in this paper focus on the ethical issues that emerge in the process of implementing a marketing plan. In this regard, the study uses the McDonalds’ chain of stores in the United Arab Emira
Introduction Rapid economic growth and development in various parts of the world have provided international companies with major business opportunities. Brazil, Russia, India, and China (usually referred to as BRIC) have especially been attractive to international investors. In fact, major manufacturers and service providers in developed countries have embarked on aggressive processes of establishing centers in BRIC. Entering these fast-expanding economies at these early stages is been seen as a key advantage for future growth. Contained in this report is an analysis of how an international company (Amdocs) can enter these BRIC markets. The analysis also provides an investigation of how Amdocs made an entry in some of these countries, China and Brazil. The study is divided into three sections: a background that provides viewpoints on the company, an issues section that stipulates challenges and opportunities of entering BRIC, and an analysis section that provides solutions to concerns mentioned in the issues sub-section. A conclusion will highlight important points made herein. Background Amdocs is NYSE quoted company that provides wireless (especially phone companies) with support services that include managing customer services management (Amdocs) The company has a wider clientèle that spreads through the six continents. The rapid economic development in BRIC economies has with no doubt been accompanied by an expansion of respective telecommunication companies. Amdocs has therefore seen a rapid expansion of its services to clients in those countries. However, Amdocs has not fully taken the advantage of market potential. The future for the communication industry is especially bright considering that the economies are on a faster rise. Telecommunication companies that Amdocs has been serving in developed countries have also expanded operations to BRIC nations. Fact that they would need similar services in their new markets serve as clues that Amdocs may be needed to expand there, too. Many other companies providing similar services with Amdocs, meaning that competition is still rising. Issues There are five specific issues facing Amdocs management as it makes decisions on whether to expand to BRIC nations. These challenges will hereby be set in form of questions. The firsts one is: Should Amdocs take the advantage of the market potential in BRIC nations by establishing operations there? This question is best answered through cost-benefit analysis, which helps in weighing the long-run income that would be gained by entering into new markets compared with any short and long-run costs that will be faced (Balls 9). This is something that Amdocs management should take time to discuss and arrive at the most agreeable decision. Most importantly, the management should avoid making rash dec
The Sustainable Development Goals are a kind of call to action emanating from all countries – poor, rich, and moderately developed. This call aims to improve the well-being of people and animals and protect our planet and nature. All countries admit that poverty liquidation measures must be taken at the same time with efforts to improve economic growth. Also, addressing a range of issues in the areas of education, health, social protection, and employment as well as combating climate change and protecting the environment should be done as soon as possible. The purpose of this paper is to list and discuss the United Nations’ seventeen Sustainable Development Goals. The United Nations or U.N. is an intergovernmental organization that seeks to keep international safety, peace, and security, develop healthy and friendly relationships between people from different countries, be the center for harmonizing the actions of nations, and achieve international cooperation. The Sustainable Development Goals are considered to be the foundation for a better future for everyone. These goals appeal to the global problems that are related to inequality, poverty, environmental degradation, climate change, justice, and peace (“About the Sustainable Development Goals”). All the seventeen goals are connected with each other, and the United Nations want to achieve all of them by 2030. The first goal is to get rid of all kinds of poverty by ensuring that all people have equal rights and access to basic services, economic resources, ownership, natural resources, inherited property, financial services, and relevant new technologies. The second aim is to eliminate hunger by providing all people with permanent access to adequate, healthy, nutritious, and safe food. The third goal is to promote well-being and ensure healthy lives for all people of all ages. It may be achieved by reducing mortality rate, ending preventable deaths of children and newborns and premature mortality, increasing health financing. Also, this goal’s steps are completing the epidemics of tuberculosis, AIDS, tropical diseases, and malaria and combating water-borne diseases, hepatitis, and other infectious sicknesses. The fourth aim is to establish quality education by providing all boys and girls with quality, free, and equitable early childhood development, care, preprimary, primary, and secondary education (“About the Sustainable Development Goals”). Also, it is necessary to make sure that all people have equal access to affordable and quality higher education and that all gender disparities in education are eliminated. Goal number five is to achieve gender equality by ending discrimination, harmful practices, and violence against all girls and women all over the world. The sixth aim is to provide all people with clean and safe water by eliminating dumping, reducing pollution, and minimizing the release of dangerous materials and chemicals. Also, it is important to halve the amount of wasted water and increase reuse and recycling. The seventh aim is to provide people with access to reliable, affordable, modern, and sustainable energy. It may be achieved by upgrading technology a
Constraints and Barriers to Participation This week’s study was based on the three types of constraints; structural, interpersonal and intrapersonal. Structural constraints are mostly brought about by financial shortcomings and the laws of the land. Financial inadequacies are reflected when one does not have the means to get to the venue for a leisure activity or even the total lack of the venue due to the high costs involved in setting up one. Interpersonal constraints are caused by our interaction with others. This includes a friend who does support your sporting activity while intrapersonal constraints are caused by the individual’s decisions to quit participation in a leisure activity. This includes one’s perception of himself or herself as either too fat or thin and not worthy of being seen by other people. Intrapersonal constraints are brought about when we become too judgmental of others, forgetting that even we have our own flaws. We should learn to accept ourselves as we are and focus on maximizing our participation in leisurely activities. Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) This week’s lecture discussed the Theory of Planned Behavior which helps us in understanding how we can change one’s behavior. TPB is explained using three considerations; behavioral, normative and control beliefs. Behavioral beliefs are about one’s attitude towards a behavior; an individual may first consider the consequences of his actions before actually undertaking them. His assessment of the consequences as either positive or negative determines whether he/she undertakes it. Normative beliefs are about the individual’s perception of the way his behavior will be judged by other people while control beliefs are about the individual’s perception about the ease or difficulty with which a particular behavior can be achieved. It is a bad idea when our behaviors are influenced by others yet we are the ones who suffer when faced with health problems arising from lack of exercise like obesity. This is better summarized by Fishbein and Ajzen (1990) who argued that an individual is best placed to make the best choice affecting him/her. Stereotypes: Errors and Biases in Interpersonal Interaction This week we looked into the factors that affect the decisions we make during our leisurely activities, especially through stereotypes and the attribution theory. A stereotype is a commonly held public notion about specific target groups and affects our judgment of others ((Franzoi, 2000 p114).). Stereotypes can also include inhuman forms like plants and can be positive or negative, accurate or inaccurate (Jussim, McCauley & Lee, 1995). Our idea of one’s stereotype may affect the interaction with them, for example, the notion that football players are unruly off the pitch may determine the nature of our interaction with them. Attribution theory discusses the reasons why an individual does a particular behavior and looks into whether the behavior came from within the person or from external factors. Our perception of others is often wrong and may be due to errors or biases in our perceptions. The most common err
Nowadays people are coming up with a wide range of TV shows which may be influential, entertaining, or educative. Bearing this in mind, people will always have diverse opinions on what type of TV show they watch. In America, there are several TV shows that are normally aired on TV channels and DSTV. RuPaul’s Drag Race is not left out of the long list of TV shows as it has gained popularity among many viewers. Primarily, the TV show is about a reality competition that aims at exploring drag stars in the world today. Watching the show is so amazing because it portrays how the participants can behave like women without noticing their male features (Stanley, 2009 Par.6). To begin with, the host, RuPaul is an elegant man who impersonates himself like a woman. Particularly, RuPaul imitates Tyra who is also a TV host in America. Bravo to RuPaul because he really knows how to entertain his audience as he goes about his performances. His show mainly involves lip-synching, cross-dressing, and imitation of women. The show is well organized as participants are active and well-dressed in their nice drags (Stanley, 2009 Par.7). Coming up with such a show was a brilliant idea because it creates an opportunity for homosexuals to express themselves. Other than this, it also gives them a sense of belonging since they feel represented like other minority groups. RuPaul’s show is an eye-opener to people who often discriminate against those who dress in drags. Thus, the show is organized in such a way that people can be able to appreciate those who dress in drags. With its hilarious nature, RuPaul’s show is one that amuses an audience as participants perform in their drags. Reference Stanley A. (2009). Television Review: RuPaul’s Drag Race. Web.