ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Introduction My friend J. D. was working as a project manager in an office for six months two years ago. Now, he remembers this experience with bitterness. In the beginning, he was eager to start a new job. He had been selected among more than ten candidates after three stages of the hiring process and was proud of how he had done at the interview. J. D. was promised a lot of freedom in terms of managing his projects and organizing the work of his team. Passionate about project management, he had been reading a lot and watching lectures online on the subject. He was well-prepared, looking forward, carrying many ideas about what he could bring to the work, and eager to start. Everything seemed well for the first month or so. Soon, the low season came, and the scarcity of projects made everyone in the office more or less disengaged. J. D. found himself in a situation where he would spend his entire working days just watching series on his laptop, and the rest of his colleagues did not do anything related to work either. Main body From the human resources management (HRM) perspective, J. D. was displaying employee disengagement. It was expressed in his cyberloafing, i.e. using Internet access at work for personal entertainment (Lim & Chen, 2012). Besides, J. D. says that, after two months of working in that office, he was significantly less willing to come to work on time in the morning or stay there until the end of the working day. For a few times, he skipped his work without really having to explain the absence to his supervisor because his supervisor did not seem to care much. At meetings, J. D. was bored. Tardiness, absences, and neglecting work functions are included in the notion of employee disengagement (Baker, 1999). For human resources managers, they signify issues of productivity, reliability, and commitment. Solutions for J. D.’s case could be proposed within the HRM framework but should not be limited to it because HRM is not separate from other management actions (Roos, Fernström, & Pike, 2004). When asked about what the reasons for his disengagement were, J. D. replies that he experienced a lack of motivation. Even when he had enough projects to work on all day, he no longer felt inspired. Motivation comes from a purpose; humans who do not see the purpose or positive outcomes of their work perform worse (Lindley, 1984). Therefore, the measure that needed to be taken by the management was to show the employees how meaningful their work was. A low season is a challenge, but this is exactly when managers should enhance internal communication to keep the employees motivated. The combination of employee engagement and manager self-efficacy is proven to positively affect effectiveness (Luthans & Peterson, 2002). Finally, J. D.’s cyberloafing could be turned into something less harmful for the working process. Studies show that employees’ extensive use of the Internet at the workplace can be transformed into a contribution to productivity (Dery & MacCormick, 2012). To accomplish that, human resources managers should have encouraged employees to find an
Introduction This paper tackle the virgin blue company in Australia and the strategies it uses to be an outstanding brand not only in Australia but also in neighboring countries. Some of its competitive advantage has been discussed and also its current marketing strategies it’s using to reach where it is today. The summary of the paper has highlighted some of recommendations which can make Virgin Blue sustain it success in Australia Virgin blue competitive advantage Competitive advantage is the traits or characteristic the company has which puts it on upper hand than other close competitors (Porter 1985) Virgin blue velocity frequent flyer reward program Members are allowed to purchase tickets which have got points which are accumulated. This allows them to save points which can book off peak flights. if points accumulate then they can be used to book a seat just before the deadline, this is an advantage that stands only in virgin blue, they are sustainable because even if the customer is booking the flight using points he must have travelled severally and purchased these flyers hence even before the flyers have accumulated enough points, the virgin blue is already having its profits. This competitive advantage I believe is more sustainable and it makes the customer feel that they have also owned the company. Still this may be short lived because as it makes more routes the more the customer will accumulate many points which will be subject to the booking of more trips which might be only serviced by points instead of money. Virgin blue extends domestic routes With new jets virgin blue has progressively been able to enter new domestic routes by introducing new jets to service new points and routes which were unconcealed and also supporting those routes by their larger capacity routes in order to maintain those routes. This may be sustainable by the virtual that the established routes are earning big profits the virgin blue will be able to work their way to the profit. Contrary this may not only be easy because this domestic flight may not be profitable because the customers may be having alternative travelling method domestically which they may prefer to the air travel. Due to transport charges customers may prefer using land transport. On the other hand ,the issue of the established routes supporting the domestic routes may be short lived this is because the larger capacity jets may not be profitable enough to support the domestic routes and also may not be deployable in those domestic routes given their capacity. Low air fares in virgin blue Virgin blue since it started in Australia has been a discount airline whereby it has got low cost carrier. This made virgin blue to have many customers whom were able to afford for the fare, this consequently made virgin blue to
Introduction Current media today have evolved from the traditional print to broadcast, and now, streaming media where audio, video, and print combine to interact with its recipient. These changes, however, have been further mutilated with the convergence of media and marketing where two become inseparable. In light of current media, this paper shall try to provide a substantial and informed analysis of the ideas, arguments, and positions expressed in the article “Passa Passa: Interrogating Cultural Hybridities in Jamaican Dancehall” by Donna Hope. It will use a few background ideas from “Media Now” (Straubhaar and LaRose, ) with the understanding that the discussion on media encourages readers to think critically about media and its effects on culture. Discussion Hope provided a backgrounder about dancehall as a reflection of Jamaican culture as well as stratification and a channel for youth expression. The article used “mix up and blender” basing on Passa Passa, a popular weekly street dance in examining cultural hybridity “from the viewpoint of dancehall culture as it participates in socio-cultural construction of personhood, meanings, and knowledge from within the restrictive and marginalized spaces designated for its primary creators, members of the black, lower-class, and inner cities of Jamaica,” (p 126). The article used three facets of dancehall culture examining first the uneasy marriage between a popular and political culture where dancehall culture contain and expand the restrictive elements of Jamaica’s political culture, second, the interrogation of the alternative gender readings that tamper with the hegemonic readings of heterosexual masculinity, and lastly, analyzes the empowering and liberating potential of selective manifestations of the dancehall identity transmitted in the “socially darkened spaces of Kingston’s depressed communities,” (p 127). It is to be understood that under Hope’s opinion who herself admitted as an insider for being a “longstanding dancehall fan,” Passa Passa temporarily integrates the “uptown” middle class with their “downtown” inner-city counterparts with particular importance on its location at Tivoli Gardens, a hub of the political opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) where outsiders were treated with animosity, even law enforcers. However, this notion of danger in entering inner-city areas always emblematic of the chaotic place has been posited to be set aside as residents and regular patrons make outsiders feel safe as a symbolism of the “way the ghetto run” which could refer to Black city life reminiscent to the ghettos of the United States. The author was informed of a “one Order” community system based on fear of the ruling “Don” Duddus or The president, and his soldiers: deviant acts such as attacks on patrons of the Passa Passa, rivals in the inner city, robbery of patrons, and theft of motor veh
Introduction Vaccination is associated with one of the most dramatic ethic controversies in the field of medicine when it comes to possible side effects and complications. The development and introduction of new vaccines throughout the 1960’s and 1970’s was a turning point in public health as it helped significantly reduce serious healthcare burden, largely dropping the infection incidence rate (Betáková et al. 92). Frequently, the injection of vaccines can lead to the occurrence of some mild side effects such as fever, rash, swelling, etc. It is possibly worthwhile undertaking the risk of having those side effects when compared to possible severe flu- or measles-related complications including blindness, encephalitis, and so on. However, some researchers and parents express the concern that thimerosal used in several vaccines as a preservative can trigger the development of autism in vaccinated children (Colaizzo 1). However, this compound is still used in the production of some vaccines, e.g., flu vaccine, because researchers could not find a direct link between the exposure to it and the onset of autism in children. Thus, global and national organizations including the Academy of Pediatrics recommend using vaccines containing thiomersal because the benefits related to the procedure significantly outweigh any hypothetical safety risks. Utilitarianism: overview Due to the multidimensionality of the matter, there is no single answer to it, and it can be interpreted from different ethical points of view. From the utilitarian perspective, an action or decision may be considered ethical if it leads to the attainment of the greatest possible benefit. In utilitarianism, virtue does not depend on the conformity with morals and standards of behavior but rather on consequences. Moreover, according to Mill’s basic principle of utility, an action can be considered ethical when it contributes to the happiness of every party (or the public) involved in a situation, and unethical – when it interferes with the creation of happiness. Overall, such a consequentialist approach in decision making can “lead to harm to some individuals while the net outcome is a maximum benefit” (Mandal et al. 6). The utilitarian solution to vaccination When thinking about the thiomersal controversy in terms of epidemiology, utilitarianism seems to justify the administration of vaccines because the chances of vaccine-related complications in individual cases are significantly low compared to the chances of new epidemic development in non-vaccinated communities. For example, influenza can cause a few million cases of severe illness and lead to mortality in half a million cases per year globally, while flu immunization may provide nearly 80% degree of protection against the virus and its complications. At the same time, Colaizzo claims that the decades of research provide no evidence to verify the link between vacci
China’s economy has been experiencing problems in the recent past. Roberts concludes that both the manufacturing and services sectors are affected, with a dip in consumer confidence. Cable says that the manufacturing sector has declined for the eighth consecutive month up to June 2012. Roberts reports that the HSBC/Markit index for the manufacturing sector fell 0.9 points in April, with the same reduction in the services sector index for May. Economists give various reasons for this decline. Lardy states that the decline is due to a government-supported low-interest-rate policy, which causes a negative after-inflation return for savers who, to maintain their saving goals, save more, thus reducing local consumption. He further notes that the high growth of the Chinese economy is fueled mainly by a real estate bubble caused by a diversion of capital from bank savings, due to low-interest-rate earnings, to residential property, which has higher returns and prospects. He, therefore, predicts slower growth of the manufacturing sector if there is an oversupply of residential property. This would result from a reduced price due to the increase in supply thus lowering relative demand, pushing prices down. The reduced prices would mean fewer returns for the real estate industry, hence fewer investments and lower demand for construction inputs such as steel, cement, and copper. However, not everyone is of this view. Deng says that there is no real estate bubble in China, stating that the government is approving state projects which will see the manufacturing industry’s growth stabilize. Lardy suggests that to avert the looming economic downturn, China must liberalize interest and exchange rates. This will boost local consumption, moderate investment, and reduce the external surplus. However, he says, vested interests are opposing these reforms. Johnson suggests that China is preventing a discussion on economic issues, with the state having control over major sectors of the economy. Since the beneficiaries of state control are Communist Party members with stakes in-state companies, it is unlikely that the reforms will be seen any time soon. Works Cited Cable, Jonathan. “Outlook darkens as Europe sinks, China struggles.” Yahoo News. Web. 2012. Deng, Agnes. Interviewed by Rapoza, Kenneth. “What’s So Great About China?” Forbes.com. 2011. Web. Johnson, Ian. “China Closes Window on Economic Debate, Protecting Dominance of State.” New York times. 2012. Web. Lardy, Nicholas R. interviewed by Barboza, David. “Imbalances in China’s economy.” Economix Blog . New York Times. 2012. Web. Roberts, Dexter. “Bad News Piles Up for China’s Economy.” Businessweek.com. 2012. Web.
The book Personality Psychology: Domains of Knowledge about Human Nature by Larsen and Buss covers wide range of research topics on personality psychology. In this case, the authors have largely focused on research studies done by other scholars that cover numerous domains which shape personality in human beings. This paper will narrow down on the cognitive domain that is also referred to as experimental domain. It is worth noting that the researchers came up with a personality theory in order to understand how cognitive performance of Individuals influences their personalities. In addition, researchers in the book conducted a survey to examine how people with different cognitive abilities differ in their personalities. As a result, the researchers found out that different individuals have dissimilar level of cognitive performance (Larsen and Buss 34). Consequently, this influences their altitude and level of motivation, a factor that is likely to influence their personalities either positively or negatively. Needless to say, research on personality domain revealed that the experiences which an individual goes through in life also influence personality. In addition to this, the study revealed that aspects such as gender, emotion and evolution affect personality. Needless to say, emotion as well as physical and mental health have also been proved to cause personality variation among individuals. Having a close look at the analysis in the book, it is evident that the research study derived its conclusions from traditional spheres through questionnaires (Larsen and Buss 317). Despite the outcomes of the research, it is imperative to note that there were a few limitations. As a matter of fact, there is lack of appropriate benchmarks to measure cognitive abilities among individuals since different environmental conditions expose individuals to dissimilar experiences. Moreover, some individuals who could have been perceived to have poor cognitive ability were misquoted due to lack of motivation in their environment. In this case, cognitive performance was not the best benchmark to determine personality of an individual. Moreover, another potential limitation of the study is the fact that researchers also derived their conclusions by reviewing previous researches which could obviously be biased (Larsen and Buss 412). However, the study on personality domain is essential to students who pursue personality psychology. This is due to the fact that they get exposed to the numerous aspects that influence personality development. Moreover, they also get to understand how other domains such as culture, intra-physic, biological and dispositional factors influence personality (Larsen and Buss 12). Needless to say, it is definite that learners will benefit from this book and especially be informed on how to apply numerous personality theories. Additiona
In the context of this evaluation, two cases, including The Bomb Threat and Response and The School Shooting and The Response , were assessed. In the first case scenario, a receptionist with the principal of the school analyzed the phone call informing about a bomb and identified its ID while assuming the bomb’s location in the art area. Simultaneously, the meeting of the assessment team was organized, and responsibilities were delegated (calling and visiting the identified location). Using this method assisted in saving time and responding to the situation quickly. Informing the assistant superintendent was also critical to ease the process and get the required help. Simultaneously, the unordinary object was discovered while the building was informed and evacuated due to the threat. As for the shooting incident, the initial step was to calm down the students to avoid the panic, and after that, inform the rest of the school about the red code situation and initiate the lockdown, call for help of a school resource person, and contact the required services. In both of these situations, the sequence of actions helped react quickly to the accidents and minimized their fatal consequences. In the case of the unexpected situation at schools, school management and teachers have to be able to analyze the accident, act according to the established plan, stay attentive and careful, avoid panic, and rely on effective and safe search techniques (Benerjee & Ercetin, 2013). In both situations, the observed skills complied with the key characteristics mentioned above, as the management, along with staff, carefully implemented crisis management plans. Along with that, acting in collaboration helped them become effective and make decisions as fast as possible. In this case, it could be said that teamwork was one of the most important matters to ensure efficiency (Daft, 2015). The post-crisis actions are also of paramount importance, and student counselor plays a pivotal role in the recovery process. In this case, during several first days after the crisis, it is essential to be responsive and provide long-term mental health support to both students and staff (National Education Association, 2017). These goals can be achieved by organizing individual or group sessions, as this support will help minimize the risks of the development of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) (National Education Association, 2017). Subsequently, the main activities will include organizing educational sessions, classroom discussions, group, and individual meetings while focusing on the students with the symptoms of PTSD (Studer & Salter, 2010). Simultaneously, it is vital to provide support to parents of the students, as they were also traumatized by the event, and contacting them and explaining the situation are priorities. Overall, covering a diverse range of school’s stakeholders will help minimize the adverse consequences of the crisis and retu
In his book, The Wealth of Nations, Adam Smith indicated that among the factors of production, labor was the most important and the only true source of a country’s wealth. He explained that each citizen or laborer had the ability of deciding what was best for them and if the government left them free without interfering in their activities this could result in maximum and optimal productivity of these laborers. The same could be explained of the human resource management, if the department could allow the workers to work freely in a laissez faire (leave us alone) economic environment, workers could have motivation of working an extra step gaining maximum productivity. However, in the past this was not possible as it was experienced during the industrialization process. During this period, it was very clear that human capital was the central contributor to the generation of wealth and industrial capitalization with the key to productivity being mass production. As a result, the employers acquired monopolistic powers controlling labor in the manner they wanted since there were no other alternative sources of income. The employers made bumper harvests becoming even richer at the expense of the laborers who continued living in abject poverty (Engels, 2007). Due to those conditions, the workers viewed that they were being treated negatively by the human resources and thus they formed labor unions. The unions were used by the laborers to represent their interests in efforts of offsetting the monopolist power, which their employers had acquired in the exchange to gaining of more economic gains. These gains were realized through advocating for better payments, reduced work times and also the abolition of debtor imprisonments. As a result of these movements, employees were now well recognized although the employers were still using the prevailing oppressive legal environment to arrest and jail the union leaders (Engels, 2007). The union helps employer-employee relation to work together by providing the rules required. For example, through a laborers’ union, there is usually the power of the collective bargaining where the involved stakeholders negotiates the terms and conditions that will be used before the official signing of the contract. The fame of these unions not only is related to a single country but they have spread in many parts of the world with the formation of International Labor Unions. To work with labor unions, organizations have established labor relation strategies through which they can choose to cooperate or not to cooperate. The first strategy an organization can use is the acceptance strategy where the organization recognizes the workers’ unions as a legitimate player in ensuring the rights of the workers are not abused. Other firms use the avoidance strategy, where the organization fears that the union might influence how the workers perform their duties and also losing employees. Such a strategy is not advisable as it creates conflict between the two parties (Holley, Jennings & Wolters, 2008). The role of unions, however, has of late declined especially due to the economic growth and advancem