ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Introduction In the business context, the cultural differences experienced by international companies arise as a result of two main reasons. These relate to differences in corporate culture and national culture (Jackson & Schuler, 2001, p.131). According to Schuler, Jackson and Luo (2004, p.120), national culture affects operation of multinational companies in a number of ways. On the other hand, cultural issues between organizations occur as a result of the difference in the corporate culture that a particular organization has developed. Corporate culture differences between organisations are evidenced by the diverse norms, beliefs, values and attitudes adopted by organizations (Dwivedi, 1995, p.9). Additionally, culture clash between organizations may arise from the difference in treatment of employees, decision making procedures and what each organization values (Carleton & Lineberry, 2004, p. 13). Additionally, difference in corporate culture between organizations may arise from difference in opinion regarding how the organization will implement its business strategies ( Erdogan, Liden & Kraimer, 2006, p.309). Other issues that lead into difference in corporate culture relate to differences in company mission, vision and philosophies (Carleton & Lineberry, 2004, p.13). Cultural differences may result into failure of the firm undertaking the acquisition attaining the desired synergy. Existence of cultural difference in the new entity formed through mergers and acquisitions result into a high employee turnover. Additionally, it also results into a decline in the employees’ productivity with an approximate margin of 15% ( Gitelson, Bing & Laroche, 2000, p. 1). This mainly occurs amongst the key executives. Cultural differences also lead to internal confusion and infighting within an organization (Carleton & Lineberry, 2004, p.13). To deal with cultural differences, most organizations which have adopted the concepts of internationalization and mergers and acquisitions are increasingly adopting various harmonization strategies. Additionally, organizations are also adopting due diligence the process of conducting mergers and acquisitions (Hewitt, 2009,p.2). In an effort to attain international expansion objective, Kraft Foods which operates within the US food industry in Chicago acquired Cadbury which is based in Birmingham, UK. Kraft Foods deals with marketing of various food products such as snacks, cheese, grocery, convenient meals and beverages. The firm is ranked as the 2 nd largest company in the US food industry. Cadbury deals with marketing of products such as gum, candy and chocolate. The firm is also ranked as the 2 nd largest confectionary company in UK. The two companies are characterized by different cultures. For example, Kraft Foods have incorporated aggressive management style. The firm has also integrated the concept of mergers and takeovers as its core goal to gain a high market share and to attain its financial performance goals. On the other hand, Cadbury has adopted a paternalistic leadership. Cadbury is mainly concerned with creation of a strong heritage and a loyal workforce. Cadbury goal is to gain strong brand
The topic of the Study Findings in neuroscience have important roles to play in childhood development. Stakeholders should use such findings to develop appropriate policies that account for social challenges with detrimental impacts on the development of children. Such studies have included several years of research across various disciplines to understand toxic stress, brain functions, and their relationships with child development. Therefore, there is a greater need for collaboration and utilization of findings from neuroscience in the development of policies to enhance life outcomes for children, particularly those who have experienced effects of toxic stress and other significant childhood adversities like poverty. It is believed that effective adoption of findings from neuroscience studies could help policy development and inform policymakers on appropriate interventions that could lead to healthier children. This literature review focuses on the application of neuroscience developments to improve childhood development through policymaking and effective implementation to improve child health and life outcomes. Summary of Professional Readings Various studies have established that neuroscience study findings could be used to develop appropriate policies for childhood development. Such studies contend that adoption of scientific findings into policy childhood policy development could lead to healthier lives and society. Shonkoff and Levitt (2010) noted that there is a need for greater collaboration between findings in neuroscience and the development of innovative childhood policies to transform lives and ensure a healthier society. Such policies must account for significant adversities in the lives of children. In this regard, the adoption of neuroscience findings in the development of new childhood theories and policies could lead to enhanced interventions for improved life outcomes. Several gains have been achieved in the field of neuroscience and other fields of biological sciences after several decades. For some stakeholders, the key priority has been to utilize the findings to enhance learning and skill acquisition among children in the early years of development (Shonkoff & Levitt, 2010). On the other hand, others have expressed their wish to use the new findings in mitigating the effects of adverse early experiences to “prevent developmental impairment” (Shonkoff & Levitt, 2010). In both cases, all these stakeholders have shown that the use of neuroscience findings in developing sound early childhood policies could be highly effective and beneficial. In this regard, Shonkoff and Levitt (2010) have pointed that long-term adoption of neuroscience findings to inform
Expected Utility Theory (EUT) Expected Utility Theory (EUT) has taken over, analysis of decision making under uncertainty. It was originally devised by Daniel Bernoulli in 1738 and later axiomatized by Von Neumann and Morgenstern in 1944 (Tversky 1975, p. 163). After a decade, Savage incorporated subjective probability into EUT according to Tversky (1975, p.163). EUT has been used extensively in economics to explicate various scenarios. Further, it has been put to use to establish the best possible decisions and policies. The concept of Expected Utility states that ‘a person entitled to make a decision opts to choose among risky or unsure scenes by contrasting their expected utility value.’ The expected utility value is the summation of the products of probability and utility values of the possible outcomes (Davis, Hands & Maki 1997, p. 342). A person can act rationally or irrationally, and also a person can be termed to be rational if his or her action gets the most out of the outcomes. Indecisiveness crops up if the result of potential action are uncertain. One might think that if the result is uncertain then there is no need to perform the task or act. For example, consider a person who does not run for safety due to uncertainty of whether he has heard a gunshot. Uncertainty is mingled with actions people execute; therefore the concept of the expected value of activity provides a way of choosing how to act if uncertainty is spelled out. Expected Utility Function Granger & Machina (2006) provide for the concept of expected value as depicted below (p.15); As stated earlier, the expected value is the summation of the multiplication between probabilities and values of each possible result. For instance; Let S 1 , S 2 , S 3 …S m —————— represent possible results Let P(S m ) —————————– represent the probability of outcome S m And Let V(S m ) —————————– represent the value of the result S m Therefore, the expected value of Z = (V (S 1 )*P (S 1 )) + (V (S 2 )*P (S 2 )) + (V (S 3 )*P (S 3 )) + … + (V (S m )*P (S m )) ———————- (A) To properly calculate the expected value, every possible result must be established, and then probabilities and values are then allotted. In reality, numbers cannot be allotted to probabilities or values of any outcome, but for clear understanding, the following scenario is highlighted (Starmer & Chris 2000, p. 159); The scenario is of a particular person betting a dollar on a reward of 100 dollars if he or she gets a six on a single throw of a six-sided dice. If six do not appear, the person loses his or her dollar. Critically analyzing the situation, the results are only two; losing or winning the bet. On one hand, if the player loses then the result has a negative value on the dollar and it attains a probability of 5/6. On the other hand, if the player wins then the result has a positive value of 99 dollars ($100 – $ 1- the dollar the player bet) and a probability of 1/6 is assigned. Therefore, using the derived formula denoted as (A) above the expected v
Introduction In this case study, the investigator focused on ischemic stroke, one of the most common types of stroke in the world. Ischemic stroke, as Bhatnagar et al. (2015) observe, is a medical condition where a blood clot blocks a vital vessel that transports nutrients into a given part of the brain. If it is not addressed urgently, the cell in that part of the brain, which is denied blood, starts dying. The author selected a patient with this condition because of the agony she was going through at the time she visited the hospital. The patient had an intense headache at the time when she was admitted to the unit. She appeared confused and did not understand simple questions or instructions given to her by the medical team. This life-shortening illness is currently a major pandemic in the United Kingdom (Ciccone et al. 2013). The relevant statistics provided by numerous healthcare units indicate that approximately 152,000 cases of stroke occur in the country every year (Ahn et al. 2013). It means that for every five minutes, the health problem emerges. More than 1.1 million people in the country are stroke survivors, some of whom are under close medical observation because of their delicate conditions. Lee (2017) argues that other than being a major cause of death, stroke is also a leading cause of disability among adults who are lucky enough to survive it. They have to rely on their family members to lead a normal life because some of them are paralysed in various ways (Fleisher 2013). About 50% of cases of stroke reported in the country are caused by high blood pressure. A report by Doeppner and Hermann (2016) estimates that for every 100,000 people in the United Kingdom, 380 men and 299 women suffer from stroke. Through the efforts put in place by the government and private stakeholders, cases of stroke declined by over 24% in women and 18% in men from 1995 to 2004 (Lapchak & Zhang 2017). Goyal et al. (2015) argue that the African-Caribbean people are the worst affected group. The condition is not unique in the United Kingdom (Williams, Perry & Watkins 2013). The World Health Organization estimates that about 15 million people across the globe suffer from a stroke (Bhalla & Birns 201
Introduction Benazir Bhutto’s final chapter in her anthology talks of Reconciliation as the key to solve both the internal and external differences of the Islam. In her opinion, there are a number of things that hamper development and democracy. This summary breaks down the entire chapter into the main points she discuss in a series of concise paragraphs. Islam, Democracy and the West The world is experiencing a split between the Muslims and the western world. The interpretation of the Sharia is hardly the problem. Neither is the language used in the Holy Quran, nor the succession of the Holy Prophet by the divided Shiite and Sunni communities. In fact, these differences can be attributed to the Muslim-on-Muslim violence and the rigidity of the Islamic nations’ cultures, as well as their beliefs. These beliefs and cultures prevent Muslims from adopting modernism. She asserts that unless reforms happen, Muslims might not survive long enough to prosper in the current evolving times. Observational reviews on suggested reform The Muslim intelligentsia has constantly addressed the issue of reforms through speeches and poems in forums. Other facets regarding necessary reforms include mass education, economic progression, and democracy. Unfortunately, such changes require that democracies come up to protect reformists so that they do not get swayed by their dictatorial regimes. Dictatorial regimes in Islamic nations choke off the nations from the freedom of innovation. Mohammed Iqbal, a Muslim reformist and author, related the problems of non-reformism in Islamic nations to the traditional teachings/schools of Islam-ism. Iqbal asserts that old Islamic teachings should be overcome by modern twentieth century reforms. By so doing, he urged for the revision of the principles of faith. Iqbal called for textual reconstruction of the Prophet’s ultimate principles so that Islamic nations can achieve spiritual democracy. Professor Fazul Rehman affirms Iqbal’s postulation that the modern negativity exhibited by Muslims in the medieval centuries contrasts the Quran’s teachings. He asserts that one might simply be appalled upon juxtaposing the two. It is important to note that Nurcholish Majdid also pushed for review, reinvention, and reinvigoration of Muslim theology based on the evaluation of both social and historical factors used in the original precepts. His reason is that they ought to get rid of erroneous doctrines. Another reformist is Abdul Karim Soroush asserts that text alone has no weight if it does not continuously evolve and reflect understanding and new construction on the text. It is important to note how similar and bland the Quran’s teachings are in comparison to the Islamic extremities experienced in recent years. According to Maulana Wahiduddin Khan, Muhammad f
Recommendations and Guidance to the Incident Commander Environmental hazards require comprehensive and critical strategies for incident management. The Incident Commander must be aware of specific steps to ensure that the emergency or risk is contained in an effective manner. The commander must identify and initiate proper communication and feedback channels. This ensures that all persons within the scene obtain adequate information about the existence of the risk. The coherent communication mechanisms also provide a reliable platform for the establishment of response initiatives (Friend & Kohn, 2010). As a commander, one must acquire full information regarding the risk. The commander must access full information about the test results obtained from site and hazard assessment procedures. Moreover, the commander ensures the management and operation of all systems and duties by relevant personnel. This prevents confusion of roles (Fulekar, 2006). The Incident Commander must also communicate precise description of the type, extent, danger, and management of the hazard. This occurs whilst qualified experts are undertaking empirical assessments. The Incident Commander must ensure that all roles are explicitly attained and information is exchanged in an explicit manner. The Main Industrial Hygiene Concerns for the Team and the Clean-Up Recovery Workers There are several industrial hygiene considerations for the team and the clean-up-recovery workers in this process (Plog & Quinlan, 2002). To begin with, they must consider personal and environmental hygiene practices. This relates to the prevention of contamination, both at personal and extended levels during the whole operation. The whole team must also be keen to apply environmentally sustainable practices during their cleaning operations. Apart from this, it is mandatory to follow critical and standardized steps in the hygiene operations. Quality assurance measures are appropriate for all procedures in the hygiene intervention. Machining operations must not affect the users and the general environment in a detrimental way. All hazardous materials must be handled according to their classification and management processes. This ensures limited cases of contamination and risk incurred from such hazardous materials (Karmis, 2001). Identification processes must comply with relevant best practices and systems. In addition, these must be internationally acknowledged by the appropriate agencies dealing in industrial hygiene. Another critical consideration is the disposal of waste material derived from the clean up processes. Principally, the materials, irrespective of their nature, must be handled and disposed in a safe manner. The observation limits the cases of cross-contamination and pollution that may be notable within other virgin and new environments. These include some of the important concerns that must be considered by the two teams involved in the mitigation and management process. Team Organi
Introduction Project evaluation is a structured method for gathering, analyzing and using information to get answers about project policies and procedure, particularly the project efficiency and effectiveness. The main aim of evaluation is to give feedback to the stakeholders, sponsors, client groups, and administrators. This feedback is important because it aids in decision-making and policy formulation. It gives answers to the stakeholders about the progress, whether the project team has achieved the desired results, and better ways to change project activities to achieve better results, and whether the project outcome justifies its input (Thamhain, 2005). This paper focuses on project evaluation tools and techniques, and the importance of evaluating technology-based projects. Project evaluation is performed either by an internal evaluator for example selected staff or by an external evaluator who is not a partner in the project but is hired as an expert to do that task. Evaluation carried out in various stages in a program’s lifetime. Each stage has different concerns for the evaluator, thus a good technique for evaluation is essential. The two major types of evaluation are formative and summative evaluation (Rossi, Lipsey, Freeman, 2004). Formative evaluation Formative evaluation strengthens or improves a program by examining the delivery of the program or technology, the process of implementation, structures and methods. This type of evaluation is change-oriented and checks any inconsistency in the program’s direction, its outputs and generated ideas of how to improve the implementation of the program. Activities found in formative evaluation include analyzing information during the project cycle, and giving appropriate feedback of the evaluation results to the program directors so that they can make decisions and take necessary actions (Rossi et al., 2004). The evaluator’s roles are not fixed because they are ever changing. The roles include gathering data, giving feedback about the evaluation findings, and engaging those who are involved in the project in the evaluative inquiry. When formative evaluation is participative – when all the program actors, contributors and other participants are involved – it is likely to have a positive effect and improve professional development. It mobilizes the staff and involves them in thinking about future alternatives. Summative evaluation Rossi et al. (2004) argue that summative evaluation takes place after the completion of the project, and is used to review whether objectives are met. It provides the information gathered on the activities and results of the project. Nevertheless, the evaluation has the following phases: outcome evaluation, impact evaluation, cost benefit and effectiveness analysis, secondary analysis and meta-analysis (Turner, 2009). Outcome evaluation indicates whether the technology shows effects on the set goal results. Impact evaluation assesses all the net effects, which are either planned or unplann
Watershed Years and the Effects of the Second World War in APA Communities A watershed is the period during which the World War II took place from 1939 to 1945. The war initiated many major changes in the history of the Asian Pacific Americans in all aspects of their lives. The self-esteem and confidence of the Asian Pacific Americans increased and many citizens of America saw an emergence of democracy and liberty. This resulted in a situation where the Asian Pacific Americans as well as other non- Native Americans in the country enjoyed more rights and opportunities than before. Thus, the period acted as a bridge in the lives of many Asian Pacific Americans from a state where they experienced racial discrimination, prejudice, and oppression to an era where discrimination and oppression reduced. It was an age when Native Americans worked together with the Asian Pacific Americans and accorded each other fair and just treatment. The Second World War brought all Americans and Asians together irrespective of their race. Hence, the unity occasioned by the Second World War compelled the state to review the rights accorded to the Asian Pacific Americans. Human rights activists and the state encouraged non-Americans, which included Asians, to take up good and well paying jobs that were previously undertaken by the Native Americans. The issue of racial and gender discrimination subjected by the Native Americans on the Asian Pacific Americans reduced, and all the members of the Asian Pacific Americans living in the country started receiving equal tr
Introduction As defined by Transparency International, corruption entails power misuse by persons seeking to satisfy their selfish interest. Corruption is a widespread problem that is especially rampant among the developing nations. It significantly hinders development since it is associated with misuse of the public resources. Bribery, embezzlement of funds and illegitimate procurement always impose extra and unjustified costs to the cost of acquiring public services and damages the credibility of those institutions that are involved in the vice. The corruption perception index of 2009 indicates that Somali and Afghanistan are among the most corrupt countries with their CPI scores registering as low as 1.1 and 1.3 respectively. Denmark and New Zealand on the other hand are ranked as having least corruption incidences in the public sector with CPI scores of 9.3 and 9.4 respectively. The CPI score displays the perceived level of public sector corruption in a given country and is used to rank countries depending on the score attained (Transparency International, 2009). Corruption Trends in Somali and Afghanistan In Somali, corruption is experienced on daily basis on almost every area of life. The government institutions charged with the responsibility of providing services to the Somali citizens has been found wanting for decades. However, the self-declared republic in the North is trying to put in place a stable system and working institutions in an attempt to remedy the situation (Warsameh, 2009). Corruption is widespread all over Somali. Government officials frustrate the poverty-stricken citizens by requiring them to pay bribe at every level of contact with them. At the airports, the citizens have to pay a fee to internal security officers when entering and leaving the country. The populace has to part with these illegal fees to evade false charges risk (Warsameh, 2009). At sea ports, merchants complain that they have to pay excessive import taxes. In addition, they have to pay a ‘facilitation fee’ to the port authority officials in order to receive better services (Warsameh, 2009). Motorists particularly in the capital city of Mogadishu are constantly faced with similar demands from traffic officers, military officers, and clan militias. They have to pay a daily fee to enable them to use the drivable roads in the city. The Somali authorities continually deny having knowledge of such money being extorted from the public service vehicle operators. The local media has limited access to the information that would incriminate the government officials involved in corrupt deals and graft (Warsameh, 2009). Government activities are surrounded by great secrecy and any news that come from the government is always spin or being aim