ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
The National Basket Association (NBA) brings together 29 teams from the United States (Surdam 29). The 30 th team is from Canada. The NBA is considered by “many people across the globe as one of the premier men’s professional basketball leagues in the globe” (Surdam 42). The league brings together competent sportspeople from Canada and the United States. The NBA has been categorized as one of the associations with a powerful organizational culture. Every team participating in the NBA league is encouraged to have a strong culture, share information, embrace diversity, and give back to their respective communities. The enactment of the “House Bill 2, the Public Facilities & Security Act (also called HB2 law)” has put the culture of the association into test. The proposed study seeks to analyze this scandalous bill and present new recommendations that can guide NBA to deal with the issue. Analysis of NBA’s Culture in the Wake of North Carolina’s Bathroom Scandal This project seeks to analyze the issues arising from the bathroom scandal in North Carolina. In March 2016, the governor of North Carolina signed a new bill that was aimed at preventing LGBTs from “using public bathrooms for the sex they identify as and restricting cities from passing nondiscrimination laws more broadly” (Kopan and Scott, par. 1). The effects of this controversial law have been far-reaching. For instance, NBA decided to move North Carolina All Star game to another state over the controversial bill (Josza 48). That being the case, thi project seeks to analyze the issues surrounding the controversial bill and how it affects the organizational culture of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The paper will go further to propose the best action plans that can be used by NBA. NBA’s Corporate Culture The NBA has been categorized as an association with a unique organizational culture. This culture is characterized by unique building blocks. This is the case because the association has 30 teams. In order to develop the best corporate culture, these teams are required to develop their unique organizational values, practices, and behaviors (Sampaio et al. 7). When each team portrays the best behaviors, it becomes easier for the association to have a positive image. Each team is required to focu
Abstract The primary goal of this research paper is to identify current product development strategies and their advantages. Issues that companies have to deal with during the process of implementation of such approaches are mentioned. Many companies struggle to stay competitive because some of the products become outdated. The demand for new ones has been increasing because new technologies are being introduced every single day, and some of them may be incredibly disruptive. Overall, the focus of this paper is on current trends, and aspects that should be taken into account by an enterprise to ensure that product development strategy is efficient and any possible expenses are minimized. Introduction It is imperative to mention that the role of product development has been increasing over the years. The most important aspect that needs to be mentioned is that an enormous number of strategies and approaches have been developed, and some of them are incredibly efficient. The issue is that many enterprises do not devote enough attention to this process, and prefer to use the same strategy for every type of product. Furthermore, it may lead to numerous issues, and such an approach cannot be regarded as effective most of the time. Methodology Several methods of research have been chosen for this paper. First of all, it is necessary to note that a broad range of peer-reviewed articles will be reviewed to identify current strategies and trends that are related to product development. One of the most significant factors that should not be disregarded is the determination of possible advantages and weaknesses of particular approaches. The descriptive research method has been because it is appropriate in this case, and it has proven to be incredibly efficient. Results It is necessary to mention that there are numerous articles on this topic, and some of the approaches that are suggested by authors can be regarded as incredibly efficient. The most attention is devoted to such aspects as the utilization of resources that are available and minimization of expenses. One of the studies suggests that it would be wise to take
Introduction An ancient saying by an unknown author states that “a stupid person is an individual who is determined to cause harm to the society and does not know that he is part of that society”. This is a manifestation of how human beings forget that while they yearn for happiness they must remember that other people are also in the same race. However, they have forgotten the need to have a stable society and embarked on a mission to destroy their lives. Human Nature Human beings have significant differences that distinguish them from other living things. They develop sophisticated weapons and arms to ensure they have adequate security. These weapons are mishandled by children leading to death or injury; moreover, criminals use these weapons to terrorize other people. Therefore, the presence of arms in the society becomes a serious security challenge rather than being a protective investment. Secondly, the human population is stressing natural resources and making them scarce. Scientists have developed artificial products to meet the high demand for food in most developed and developing nations by providing constant food supply (cheap) to the population. However, these scientific processes have not been proven to be healthy. Genetic engineering is posing serious challenges to the future and health of consumers due to their side effects. Forests and other natural resources are being exploited at a very fast rate yet they are not easily recycled or renewed to replace the ones depleted. Climatic conditions are worsening and pose serious challenges to living things since food and water shortages are becoming common challenges in societies that were once endowed with surplus food production. Moreover, human beings are developing various technologies and inventing and reinventing new, faster and efficient ones. This means that industries are being constructed to produce modern tools, machines and equipment. The fumes emitted from industries, factories and automobiles pollute the environment; as a result, living things are exposed to harmful radiation that may cause skin cancer in human beings and animals and interfere with photosynthesis in plants. In addition, acid rains are common and this makes iron sheets, plants and other exposed surfaces to risk corrosion effects due to the chemicals present in the rain water. In addition, religion has become a booming business in most parts of the globe since people are interested in church offerings more than in spiritual development. There are conflicts among church leaders as they try to fight for top positions in their churches in order to earn huge salaries. Lastly, capitalism has forced people to change their feelings and attitudes towards others and everybody wants to own more than what is necessary
“The Thousand and One Nights” is a collection of tales, legends, anecdotes, and fables from different cultures, mostly Middle East and India. It has been written for centuries by different authors. The collection of legends became popular all over the planet, being an impressive literary monument. The prototypes of the story include real historical characters, Harun al Rashid, an Iranian caliph, and his Vizir Jafar al-Barmaki. The frame composition of the story is most likely to be taken from Indian literature tradition. However, there are different theories concerning the creation of this book and its authors. The tales have different sources, including Egypt, Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Mesopotamia, and Greece. When the stories became known in the West, they became part of the Western folklore culture. The most famous stories from the book are the tales about Aladdin, Sindbad the Sailor, and Ali Baba, which were added to the corpus of stories much later than most part of them. The story about Aladdin and his magic lamp was depicted in a Disney cartoon, which made it even more popular across the globe. “The Thousand and One Nights” have also influenced different authors and filmmakers. Fir example, such poets and writers as Edgar Allan Poe, Angela Carter, Voltaire included the images and plots from this book in their stories and poems. A Japanese animated film, called “Sinbad: Sora Tobu Hime to Himitsu”, was also inspired by it. Paolo Pasolini has filmed an adaptation of the story, called “Il Fiore Delle Mille e Una Note”. Thus, “The Thousand and One Nights” have an immense impact on the Eastern and Western cultures, being a masterpiece created by many authors.
The successful creation of a product depends on quite a number of factors such as the company’s collective health. Organizations have a special role in the business ecosystem and should enlighten its stakeholders on issues regarding the ecosystem. The use of stand-alone strategies is no longer suitable for companies that have an intention of improving their production and delivery systems. Business ecosystems are very critical in the day to day running of organizations. Companies that have enjoyed considerable success such as Microsoft and Wal-Mart employ aggressive strategies that enhance the success their business ecosystems. A business ecosystem is a network of different companies ranging from suppliers, outsourcing firms, distributers, product manufacturers and technology providers. All the components of a business ecosystem have a special contribution towards the success of an organization. The internal capabilities of a company can only be enhanced with a healthy business ecosystem. The sharing of real-time information among different members of a business ecosystem enhances its performance and at the same time making organizations to be very competitive. The symbiotic relationship between different members of a business ecosystem brings customer satisfaction. Companies that have a working relationship with market leaders such as Microsoft and Wal-Mart benefit from the creativity and innovation within the industry. Some companies establish business networks beyond their respective industries o promote a healthy business ecosystem. The concept of business ecosystems has become very popular in modern business due to the success that companies like Microsoft and Wal-Mart continue to enjoy. Many organizations are not well informed about the concept of business ecosystems and this has led to the mismanagement of ecosystems. The health of a company’s business ecosystem should be assessed on regular basis using the recommended framework. There are lot of companies involved in the manufacturing and distribution of a single product such as a personal computer. All the companies involved in the manufacturing and distribution of a product form a business ecosystem. A complex eco-system can also be subdivided into different segments known as business domains. The domains should be healthy for the entire ecosystem to deliver the desired results. There are a lot of similarities between a business ecosystem and a biological ecosystem especially when it comes to assessment. The health of an ecosystem depends on its productivity, robustness and niche creation. The transformation of inputs such as raw materials and technology into quality products at a lower cost demonstrates the productivity of a particular company. The productivity of a company can be used to determine how healthy a business ecosystem is. The returns from a capital investment reflect the effectiveness of a business ecosystem. The ability of a business to survive all kinds of disruptions is another indicator of the state of an ecosystem’s health. The disruptions may be brought about by unexpected techno
The movie Joint Security Area was a successful blockbuster that showed the commercial growth and mainstream success of South Korean cinema at its release. It is mystery thriller that captured the realism of political tensions on the Korean peninsula while creating a highly emotional and dramatic story told through the eyes of soldiers experiencing everyday life on the brink of war. The film is an exploration of national and political identity. The Cold War tensions that have pitted the two Koreas against each other were not declining. Both people and soldiers were taught that the other side is the enemy without a clear understanding of the true nature of the ideological conflict. “The ideological training they had received to hate and to kill the enemy loses its legitimacy in the face of reality — the kind of reality that gets created when people meet and talk to one another” (Seo, 2006, par. 12). The ridiculousness of the DMZ is portrayed from the very beginning as the tourist’s hat gets blown across the border and requires a strict procedure of handing it over to border patrol officers. The tone of divisiveness and helplessness to fix the situation resounded with the South Korean audience which was worn out from the geopolitical pressures of the crisis. Joint Security Area finds its depth in the emotional bond formed between the four soldiers. As the film’s protagonists became close, they became like brothers. It was an accurate sentiment considering that many families were divided by the Korean war decades earlier. Their relationship is portrayed to be vastly different when secretly spending time together in comparison to official duty. However, despite all odds and apparent ideological differences, they connect as men would in any fraternal situation. The film seems to show that playing games, sharing meals, and talking about their girlfriends is something that both sides share. Despite political divisiveness, Korea is still unified in culture and through its people. The film’s character development is complicated and does not fall within traditional guidelines of blockbusters with a clearly defined divide between protagonists and their enemies. The plot attempts and succeeds in creating thought-provoking moments that could be contemplated by the audience and applied to the real-life situation. The director did not attempt to take the direction of glorifying conflict but focused on creating the sense of closeness and warmth in the scenes of interaction amongst the protagonists. This was a unique approach to cinematography in a film about the Korean tensions. The film’s bold theme of por
Introduction The topic of Obama’s media coverage has sparked numerous debates in several media houses in America. Many of these arguments have taken a comparative study between the previous regimes, for instance the Bush and Clinton reign. A comprehensive research has been carried out and divided into three categories. First was to establish if the media has been biased, secondly is to identify whether the media has taken a neutral stand and thirdly to establish if the media has taken a negative view. Lastly, if the said research has been biased; it is imperative to note that the American media since the presidential campaigns in two thousand and eight has been in favor of president Obama. Positive, negative neutral or biased coverage The media is expected to be fair and balanced but it is said to have grossly deviated from such norms. The gravity of the allegations of bribery was stated but none has so far been proved; hence confrontations and blame has been levied on the media houses up to the casting of the ballot when the democrat candidate took an early lead. The media was labeled biased in its opinion polls even before the polls. The swearing into office of president Obama was highly captured by the media and accordingly the media had no option except covering the event for the sake of their faithful viewers and listeners. It would be unreasonable to suggest or imagine less coverage of such an event since it would have had a negative commercial effect on the media further the fear of being termed the governments enemy couldn’t be ruled out at that stage (Calmes, p.40). The only option seen as the last resort was to sufficiently cover such an event. It is without doubt to state that what happened in the campaigns was reflected in the white house when Obama took office. This reflection by American media serves as a great detriment to America and the consequences are felt by the citizens who mainly rely on the media for first hand information. If the media feeds its respondents with one-sided stories it means that the truth will be kept hidden. The only unfairness is to have the media which purports to be neutral and independent but instead it turns out to be the fourth arm of the government (Obama, p.47). The media seemed to have given the Obama’s administration a positive coverage from the first day in office in what they famously called the hundred days in office. A policy started by the former American president Roosevelt who measured his achievement from the first day in power up to the hundredth day. Compared to Clinton and Bush the Obama administration received a positive tone from the media. Editors are said to have positively covered Obama’s government as early as the first hundred years in office. Media was said to give Obama, by then a democratic presidential candidate, more coverage than his republican counterpart John Mcain.This criticisms were strongly hurled on almost all media houses but much of the criticism was directed towards CNN (Phillips, P. 12). However, many media houses can defend their positive image by stating that president Obama took power when America w
Introduction Disasters are a constant reality in human life and while some can be avoided, some are inevitable. How we go about managing a disaster situation greatly determines how well we recover from the situation. When dealing with disasters of a natural or manmade kind, the various personnel involved have to effectively communicate and coordinate their operations to contain the situation. One of the kinds of disasters that have increasingly plagued man over the last few decades is terrorist attacks. Terror attacks can be defined as forms of manmade disasters that are aimed at destroying property and/or human life. Due to the uniqueness of each terror attack coupled with the heightened levels of psychological pressure, anxiety, and strain on resources, the normal forms of organization may prove inadequate in handling the situation. An ad hoc strategy that the responders to an attack come up with maybe the most efficient method of coordinating and effectively dealing with the terror threat. In this paper, I shall outline a strategy that will be employed in dealing with a bomb that has exploded at City Hall. A description of the lifesaving efforts and protection considerations that shall be employed shall be made bearing in mind that there are speculations that this bomb attack contained biological or chemical toxins. Preliminary Evaluation of the Scene The emergency responder is the first line of defense in the event of a terror bombing (Burke, 2007). It will therefore be the responsibility of my team to ensure that the situation is contained most effectively. The first step to being undertaken by my team will be evaluating the scene. The preliminary assessment is performed on the basis that before implementing any rescue operations, the hazards that are contained in the area must be positively identified and the resources available or necessary to deal with the issue decided on (Levy, 2006). The information that is obtained from this assessment shall become the framework of how emergency personnel will go about their operations. In the preliminary stage, the situation will be assessed to determine if the incident poses a credible chemical or biological threat. To investigate the contaminations, the team will be forced to enter the suspected hot zone and take samples which will subsequently be tested for known contaminants on-site (National Response Team, 2005). This is necessary since this particular attack is alleged to be of a chemical/biological nature. However, the preliminary assessment sampling will require more extensive sampling in a laboratory setting to determine is additional isolation and decontamination are required. Ascertaining the exact nature of the chemical or biological attack will also be of importance. This is because statistics indicate that despite there being hundreds of biological agents that can be used by terrorists, there exist vaccines that can be used to inoculate against these harmful agents (Bymes, King & Tierno, 2003). Confirmin
Introduction Linking performance to organization rewards is an effective way of ensuring that employees remain motivated, staff turnover is reduced, and there are increased chances of a company retaining the best talents (Lemieux, 2008). The traditional reward system involved rewarding an individual employee due to his commitment to the set duties in a firm but as the business environment evolves, the system has been replaced by the group reward system that aims at rewarding the best performing teams in an organization (Mondello & Maxcy, 2009). Though critics have argued that employees are driven by their standards, research indicates that the performance-based reward system helps to improve workers’ morale leading to increased profitability of a firm (Perry, Engbers, & Jun 2009). Incentives that come along with this type of plan include financial gains such as pay rise and bonuses granted to the best performing individual workers or clusters of employees. Apart from the monetary benefits, other non-monetary benefits could also be linked with the program. Non-monetary benefits include promotions, shopping vouchers, and staff tours to mention a few (Rosenthal, Frank, & Epstein, 2005). Reward Linkage programs The Fierce competition for talent in the current labor market has prompted human resource managers to look for ways to maximize the output from the human capital (Lemieux, 2008). Linking performance to organization gains is one of the strategies that have been adopted by business managers to motivate employees and to attract and retain the best talents. Several programs center on maximizing human capital gains as discussed hereafter: Performance Bonuses This refers to financial benefits awarded to a worker or a group of employees based on their short-term or long-term benefits to the company (Rynes, Gerhart, & Parks, 2005). The bonuses are not determined in advance and vary from one case to another depending on the results of the assessment of an individual employee (Perry et al., 2009). This program must, however, be cautiously implemented since it may cause controversies if the managers awarding such bonuses fail to explain issuing unequal amounts of additional benefits to employees. Awarding bonuses devoid of unjustifiable reasons may cause loss of morale among the non-beneficiaries thus managers should explain each case. This strategy is effective than the competitive pay programs that emphasize rewarding employees competitively to retain them and to induce motivation (Perry, Mesch, & Paarlberg, 2006). Research indicates that focusing on individual paycheck may go a long way in motivating employees since every worker in the company will work towards achieving the set standards with a view of benefiting from the incentives availed by the company. Gain Sharing Organizations make profits in the course of doing business (Mondello & Maxcy, 2009). The profits are acquired due to the tireless efforts of employees in the firm; hence, workers ought to enjoy a