ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Abstract There is a great extent of opposition exhibited by not only workers but also managers who perform performance evaluations. For example, such procedures usually imply pointing out the tedious or unproductive aspects of work, which leads to negative feedback. Furthermore, assessments require extra work, such as formal discussions, forms, and prescribed processes that take excessive amounts of time. To be effective, managers have to prepare for performance evaluations better and listen to the needs of their employees when setting both qualitative and quantitative goals. Introduction Performance evaluations have long been used for determining the degree of success achieved by employees at organizations. Overall, despite the positive intentions, performance evaluations do not live to their intent, which explains why both employees and managers may be opposed to their implementation. This paper will focus on exploring the question of why some managers are against performance evaluations to reveal how the process can be improved. Traits of an Effective Manager Effective managers operating in organizational settings usually assume leadership positions as they are responsible for ensuring that businesses are functioning successfully. Those people in leadership roles who understand their staff and support them are more likely to maintain happy and loyal employees who bring value to the companies in which their work. Thus, the first important trait of an effective manager refers to understanding the importance of workers (Crawshaw, Budhwar, & Davis, 2017). Clear communication and listening skills also allow managers to be effective because workers must understand what is expected from them while leaders should know what their employees expect from their companies. The delegation of responsibilities represents an essential trait for effective leaders because good managers can break down large projects into smaller sections and divide them between employees. However, delegation requires a high degree of trust. Therefore, instead of micromanaging, an effective leader allows his or her workers to do the job successfully. Getting to know employees on a much more personal level than usually is essential because of the need to understand what they want to achieve from their jobs. Effective leaders find out whether their employees would like to ascent leadership ladders to determine whether mentorship or training is needed. While some workers may want to have flexible hours to combine personal and professional life, others may be more attracted to new office equipment and additional amenities. The job of a manager is to determine the approach that suits workers to ensure that employees are as efficient as they can be. Finally, it is essential to mention transparency as one of the most essential qualities of a manager. Individuals in leadership positions who are open about their intentions and communicate them clearly to their employees are more likely to be perceived positively in organizational settings. When workers believe that they are being misled and their managers are not honest, they are more likely to
Strategies Used by Super Bakery Inc. Super Bakery Inc. was a virtual corporation preferring to outsource its main business applications. This was with a view of minimizing the cost of operation relative to its income levels. By outsourcing, Super Bakery was able to control the flow of the activities that yielded its revenue. This was without necessarily taking the immense responsibility of bearing the risks involved with each stage of production and transaction. This explains the realization of its goal in the reduction of expenses. Otherwise, it would incur the expenses through the acquisition of relevant assets for the various processes involved. These processes include machinery for the production of the different products, maintenance of these machines, and their replacement whenever that need came up, and the costs of production. Examples of costs of production include the cost of raw materials and other inputs as well as overhead costs such as the cost of electricity, water, salaries, and wages for the greater number of employees that would have to be directly and indirectly involved in the process (Staubus, 1971). Costs of transportation of inputs and finished products to the various distribution points are also eliminated, as are the costs of storage of raw materials and finished products before transportation to the target market (Horngren and Foster, 2003). Super Bakery employed the traditional costing methods , which relied on the listing of the costs for the various businesses it had sought to perform the various responsibilities on its behalf. This involved the write-down of the individual company’s schedule for all firms so that their individual costs and revenues were not independent of Super Bakery’s costs schedule. This meant that the final cost per product was spread out evenly in its units of merchandise. Therefore, it was not possible to maximize on the highly profitable units due to their relatively low costs since the low-profit margin units whose production costs were high had a neutralizing effect on them. In perspective, the variation in the cost per unit structure is superficially hidden by the unification. It, therefore, makes it impossible to tell the costs per uni
Australian Taxation System has a guideline determining the degree to which taxation is implemented on different categories of income. Assessable income refers to income, which can legitimately be subjected to taxation. Non-assessable income is in the category of income, which government policies have legitimately exempted from state taxation (Woellner, 2011). The total amount of US$ 1,200,000 comprises two significant components, US$ 500,000 being a capital contribution to the business, which is assessable, and US$ 700,000 is a prepaid business income, which is not assessable. Capital contribution automatically qualifies to be part of assessable income. On the other hand, prepaid business income is a liability to the business, until the commodities it was intended for are delivered. Business capital is advantageous to enterprises over revenues earned in advance. A good example is in the case of Westfield LTD in 1994, when it had received various capital contributions (Coleman, 2011). For SEM, the initial income of US$1,200,000 is partially assessable. The other factor determining the qualification of an income as assessable for a person is whether a taxpayer resides in Australia or in another region during a certain period. Assessable income for an Australian resident includes revenues ordinarily generated either directly or indirectly during the financial year (
Negative Environmental Impact of a Meat-Based Diet The production of beef along with other animal protein tends to consume a lot of our natural resources including fossil fuels, water, and topsoil. At the same time, there is a resultant pollution of natural resources (Baroni et al, 2006). The depletion of our natural resources is the greatest negative environmental impact of a meat-based diet. It is estimated that there are approximately 17 billion livestock in the world, and this translates into about three time the number of the world population. In order to raise this large number of animals, we need a lot of water to irrigate the hay and grains fed to these animals. The Water Education Foundation estimates that in order to produce a single pound of beef in the state of California, we require about 2,464 gallons of water. On the other hand, the production of one pound of beef only requires 25 gallons of water. The United States Geological Survey estimates that there is a drastic drop in water tables across the world. The Survey also estimates that in 2000, 40 percent of all the fresh water that was consumed in the United States was used to irrigate livestock feed. Besides water, other natural resources that get depleted by raising livestock include topsoil and fossil fuels. A study that was carried out by researcher from Cornell University revealed that in order to produce a single calorie of protein from feedlot beef, we require 40 calories of fossil fuel. On the other hand, in order to produce a single calorie of protein from tofu, we only need two calories of fossil fuel. Another important natural resource that gets depleted by producing meat base diets is the topsoil. Corn and soybeans are the main grains fed to livestock. A lot of soil erosion occurs during their production since these crops have to be grown in rows. Because of the presence of bare patches between rows of soybeans and corn, the topsoil gets exposed to both rain and wind erosion. The study at Cornell University that was headed by David Pimentel calculated that about half of the topsoil in Iowa has already been lost as a result of farming activities that have taken place in the state for the last 100 years (Pimentel & Pimentel, 2008). The study further estimated that every year, nearly 7 billion tons of topsoil is lost. The rainforest is also under threat owing to the increased production of livestock. The Nature Conservancy estimates that nearly the size of a football field of rainforest gets destroyed every day (Pimentel & Pimentel, 2003). A lot of the forestland is normally cut down to create room for farming and livestock rearing, and such produce exported to the United States. The sad thing is that this threatens the lives of hundreds of insect, plant, and bird species. Different plant species are also under threat. Moreover, the production of meat based diets pollutes our air and water. For example, these animals produce a lot of urine and manure, and this then pollutes natural resources. Animal wastes contaminate the air and changes the PH of water
Introduction The Cabin in the Woods is a thriller with elements of a detective and horror scripted by Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon, who also worked as a director and producer. According to the plot, five young people gather for a weekend in a hut in the forest. Further, the guys in the cabin find the entrance to the basement where the main character Dana finds a diary and reads a spell, thereby summoning the family of the dead murderers. Scientists from a secret laboratory who manipulate their actions adjust the events so that a zombie family kills the friends. One by one, they die, first Jules, then her boyfriend Curt always stoned Martin, and intelligent Holden. Gradually, the viewer reveals the picture that the guys were only part of the scientists’ ritual. The celebration is already beginning in the laboratory when only Dana remains alive. However, the phone rings, and it turns out that Martin is not dead also, and he found a secret elevator that brought him and Dana to the laboratory. There, they found hundreds of containers with different monsters, and, in an attempt to escape, Dana and Martin release all the creatures from their cages, and they kill all the lab workers. The final scene is the fight between Dana, Martin, and the head of the laboratory, who first talks about the ritual to the Gods who, without sacrifice, will rise and destroy the world. Young people win the battle, break the rite, and the Gods rise. The purpose of this essay is to analyze the details of the editing and plot to understand the success of the movie. It was discovered that some features of the story, editing, and sound made the perfect combination for this genre of film. Thus, the creators made a movie by complementing a quite ordinary horror story with nontrivial details and finishing it with an unexpected ending to make it more exciting for the viewer. Story The plot of the film at the very beginning seems quite simple and ordinary for the horror since a group of people travels to a creepy old house in the forest where they meet monsters. However, doubts creep with the first scenes in which scientists appear, and one can assume that the plot will not be so simple. Besides, the story holds the entire film since the details of the mysterious actions and the profiles of clients and scientists are being revealed gradually, and the viewer needs to guess the real reasons for the events that are taking place. Also noteworthy are additional short scenes of fighting monsters in other countries and the routine life of the laboratory workers, as it shows another perspective of the story. Most movies end with the victory of the main characters and the rescue of the world; however, this film shows the end of humankind. Dana says, “Humanity… It is time to give someone else a chance” (Goddard 1:28:42). Thus, the combination of a typical horror with science fiction and mystery makes the story unusual and intense and pushes the viewer to watch the movie to the end. Mise en Scene The plot of the film takes place in two spots, such as a cabin in the forest and laboratory, so the filmmakers create an appropriate mise en scene for bo
Introduction Mission: Impossible II (2000) is a film about violence and rivalry, the good and the evil, and the competition between two men. The director John Woo is known for a transactional context in his movies since his cinematic output began with Hong Kong works and was transmitted into Hollywood action films. The analyzed motion picture explains the purpose of violence in works of this genre through the perspectives of manhood and masculinity. Behind the chaotic representation of actions, the filmmaker reveals a complex theme of hegemonic masculinity through the subtopics of a man’s heroism and nobility, rivalry, and male relationship with the help of different elements of the mise-en-scene. Two Cultures in One Setting The themes of masculinity and male bonding are important for Woo because they help unite two different cultures. The traditional Chinese values emphasize loyalty, compassion, fidelity, and righteousness, while classic Hollywood films involve active and goal-oriented heroes (Wang 5). The movie is a combination of two genres: action and adventure. The protagonist Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) has a mission: to find and destroy a biological weapon – a disease known as ‘Chimera.’ The adventure side of the film is a long quest to conquer in order to complete this mission. The action aspect is to defeat the villain Sean Ambrose (Dougray Scott), who had stolen this weapon. John Woo’s films represent the combination of the East and West elements, complementing each other and distinguishing his works from other similar movies in the genre of action. Since Woo began to create films for Hong Kong cinematography, he preserved some features of Chinese culture in his Hollywood works. According to Szeto, Woo reveals the themes and motifs of heroism “in a transactional context, targeting polities such as hegemonic masculinity, family, and nation” (72). In the analyzed movie, the author combined ultra-violence and aesthetic beauty, choreographed bullets and slow-motion fireballs, high angles, and extreme long shots to reveal the subjects of masculinity, rivalry, and male relationships. The action of the play rotates around the struggle between two men, one representing unmitigated evil and one of absolute good. The director tried to add ritual meaning to his work, separating human sin from grace associated with a hero and an antihero. Ethan is an embodiment of a noble, heroic, and beautiful man, while Sean is associated with greed, brutality, and horror. All actions in the film occur around these two male characters, thus emphasizing the role of men in society. The Role of Mise-en-Scene The opening scene establishes a
Introduction Japan experienced severe effects from the atomic bomb (A-bomb) which was dropped by the United States in August 1945 on both Hiroshima and Nagasaki cities. Plutonium-type was the kind of bomb which exploded in Hiroshima and contained platinum core bounded by high explosives designed to explode at the same time produced a 22 kilotons explosion. The type of bomb which was dropped in Nagasaki was uranium-type and consisted of 140 pounds of uranium and discharged energy of 12.5 kilotons (Kyōko and Selden 34). These types of radiation are expected by many studies to remain in the environment for even more than 800,000 years and this will affect the generation to come. There was recorded raise of temperature during the explosion which was estimated to be millions degrees centigrade. The fireball that was created a few seconds after the incidence was recorded to be 300,000 degrees centigrade and was very dangerous to the environment and humans. The first experienced effects of the explosion were blinding lights, followed by a massive wave of heat. Dry flammable objects were burned and all the people who were half a mile from the bombsites died instantaneously. Majority of the buildings were destroyed; even some of the buildings in Nagasaki which were designed to severe earthquakes also collapsed. Some of the water lines were destroyed and it was nearly impossible to stop the fires due to water scarcity. One and half months after the explosion, Hiroshima and Nagasaki were still experiencing water shortage. In Nagasaki, a small fire together with wind produced a firestorm, causing deaths to the people who survived but were still immobile due to several reasons (Holdstock and Barnaby 4). Some weeks after the bomb explosions, diseases related to the explosions were then noticed and many more de
Product-mix flexibility and capacity utilization Product-mix flexibility is the conferred ability of an organization to produce different products sequentially using the same lines of production. As indicated, the shift from Fordist mass production systems enables a company to reduce tool specifity and enhance the multi-tasking of various production lines in the production process. For example, the deployment of Robotics in automobile manufacturing by the Fiat Company enabled the company to have product-mix flexibility. This enables firms to use limited number of production lines to generate numerous products as compared to inflexible production that adopts a new line for each production process. Conversely, product-mix flexibility allows the company to downsize its labor force without affecting total output. In fact, after adopting Robogate technology by Fiat Company, it downsized the labor force. This, however, did not have negative effects on its production (Maielli, 2005, p.110). This phenomenon is proven by the results of Jones and Paris who argue that turbulences created by workers has marginal influence on productivity among companies which are product-mix flexible (Maielli, 2005, p.110). For a company to reach product-mix flexibility there should be a discontinuity in management and organization. This is a key pillar supporting Fordist mass production system. This company must initiate a cost reduction initiative by reducing the asset specifity. The product-mix flexibility is directly connected to capacity utilization since if a production system is totally flexible, the capacity utilization of each line must be optimal. Flexibility in a company’s production system is a direct assurance of achieving product-mix flexibility. Such connection is set to minimize the spare capacity created during mix production. Capacity utilization approach in product-mix flexibility is further enhanced given that the productivity of labor force still continues to do mass productions even after the number of man-hours is reduced (Maielli, 2005, p.109). The reduction of monthly working days from 19-23 and 232 annually after the adoption of robotics deployment in the production lines of Fiat Company explicitly shows that product-mix flexibility has maximum capacity utilization. Innovative features of Robogate technology The Robogate technology was developed in-house by Fiat Company and used to create flexibility with enhanced product-mix flexibility. Robogate key innovative feature was the ability to produce different car models in a sequence using a single production line. The technology also offered the company chance to explore other areas where production costs could be reduced. For example, downsizing the number of company workers. The Robotics deployed in different Fiat Company plants enabled the company to optimally utilize its capacity through engaging every possible capacity in
The aspects of democracy are evident in the America’s context. This is notable especially during and just after the First World War. Democracy is a kind of regime in which all eligible citizens are allowed to contribute to the decisions of the state. This paper discusses the extent to which America made democracy realistic (locally and abroad), during and just after the First World War as indicated before. It is crucial to understand the provisions of democracy as well as its elements. America is one of the countries that have nurtured the establishment, ratification, and embracement of democracy to extreme levels. At home, the country has a well-structured constitution to ensure that the American citizens enjoy their democratic rights. Previously, the country experienced racial discrimination, gender inequality, abuse of power, and unquestionable administrative trends. These have changed remarkably. For instance, nowadays, black Americans can hold executive offices, a fact that could not be allowed before. The aspects of democracy have evolved in numerous sectors of the government. Additionally, election provisions have been set in regard to democracy. Americans have been mandated by the law to exercise their voting rights among other considerable provisions. Precisely, it is vital to note that the country has made remarkable steps to enact and embrace democracy. These provisions emerged during and immediately after the world war when the country realized the significance of every stakeholder in the governance mechanisms. Democracy has also spread to other countries despite the challenges. However, the U.S. has hardly inculcated democratic objectives in the Middle East. It is crucial to understand why such challenges exist despite the quest to have conventional democratic provisions. Nonetheless, America has made democracy more a reality both at home and abroad. The country has initiated various programs meant to enhance democracy in its territories. Other nations affiliated to the U.S. enjoy credible support on their endeavours to establish, enact, and embrace democracy. It is vital to understand the provisions associated with democracy as indicated earlier. For instance, the U.S. has established and supported a proficient Human Rights department to propel the aspects of democracy within the country. Human rights activists and other relevant lobby groups have been established to ensure that the country achieves its pre-established mandates on democracy. There are considerable challenges that the country faces in its efforts to promote democracy in other countries. This has been pertinent in numerous countries where dictatorship and bad governance still reigns. Various countries, which participated in the First World War, have made considerable steps in the context of democracy. Viable leadership styles, economic growth, freedom of speech, and human rights provisions are major indicators of democracy. America has spearheaded these provisions since the commencement of the First World War. At home, Americans are enjoying a considerable democr