ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
A number of religious scholars categorize religious movements through the methods of formation. The most expansively employed classification is the church-sect typology. The church-sect theory observes that churches, sects, and cults form a continuum, with a declining effect on society. Groups that choose to secede from the mainstream spiritual organizations are referred to as sects. Therefore, sects are never in good terms with other religious organizations in society because their members are viewed as perverts. This explains why sects seem to be in continuous conflict with the society. Sects are different from cults and spiritual movements since they do not have innovative traditions, but instead they simply depart from the traditions of the conventional church. Researchers analyze the feelings of sect members and their level of participation in society in order to establish their culture. Many sociologists note that the church-sect conjecture is frequently utilized to distinguish sects from denominations and churches. The premise was derived from the works of Max Weber. As earlier observed, the church-sect assumption proposes that categorization of religions is a continuum that ranges from a protest-like sect to the regularity, which safeguards a certain belief. The church portrays the spiritual standards and principles of society meaning that they are the janitors of faith in a particular society. In this regard, spiritual antagonism is not endured in such societies since it may bring about nervousness and suspicion. An ideal example of a church is the Islamic faith, which does not give room to spiritual freedom. Unlike sects, churches aver universality implying that each member of society should be incorporated into the mainstream belief. Moreover, churches are dominant in society implying that they always try to eliminate all forms of rivalries. In fact, the church has the endorsement of the state because the state organs, such as the military, the judiciary, and the executive support it. During state functions, churches will always be invited to offer prayers and spiritual guidance. It should be noted that denominations are different from sects, but almost similar to churches. Just like churches, denominations are always in good terms with the state and may even influence the government to implement its policies. Unlike churches, denominations tolerate theological diversity. This means that members are free to criticize a certain belief. Moreover, they are permitted to suggest an amendment. Unlike sects, members of the denomination are not involved so much in its affairs. However, the level of involvement is
Porter’s 5 Forces Poor bargaining power of suppliers The Apple firm experiences a weak force due to several potential suppliers. Past studies have revealed that suppliers lack strong bargaining power. Owing to the relatively high number of viable supplying agents, suppliers have weak bargaining power when it comes to Apple’s products. Besides, the quantity of supply at the marketplace has been quite high over the years. The large base of possible suppliers makes it easy for Apple to make a choice about who to supply. Worse still, a highly competitive end is experienced by manufacturers of software and hardware products at the industry level. When Apple opts to switch from one supplying firm to another, the cost is very low and equally less hectic. Weak bargaining power of buyers Both collective and individual power to bargain when purchasing Apple’s products should be considered. At the industry level, a weak force in regards to individual bargaining power is evident. In other words, Apple does not lose any notable revenue when a single buyer opts out of the buying process. Nevertheless, mass customer defections to other competitive brands (collective bargaining power) may occasion a significant loss in revenue. Through substantial capital plow back in research and development, Apple is capable of countering the negative effects of collective bargaining power. The threat of new entrants There is a low likelihood of a new entrant into the marketplace who may economically jeopardize the profitability of Apple’s products. As it stands now, Apple enjoys a robust market share. The high capital expenditure of setting up a similar company may hinder serious competition. In addition, establishing brand name recognition is a costly and time-consuming venture that new market entrants cannot manage. ­ The threat of substitute products In regards to Porter’s Five Forces Model, substitute products may not be necessary items that openly rival with an organization’s goods or services. When it comes to Apple, a landline telephone can be a typical substitute for possessing an iPhone. The latter is a weak market force for Apple since a number of viable substitute products have minimal capabilities when likened to products from Apple. Competitive rivalry Firms that produce similar products compete aggressively with Apple. Hence, competition between other firms and Apple is rather high in order to gain a wider market share. On the other hand, the switching cost especially when producing new brands is quite low since the company has been operational in the market sometimes. Similar technologies are replicated during brand management. SWOT Analysis Strengths Apple enjoys a strong brand image owing to high-quality products. The company has also managed to effectively market its products across various mar
Christianity had its origin in Africa a long time ago, in the first and second centuries. It was in Egypt that we had important people influence the development of Christianity. People like Alexandria were very significant for the establishment of Christianity in Egypt. The first church of Alexandria was Greek-speaking, but later on, the scriptures were translated into other local languages in Egypt. Throughout the third and fourth centuries, there was the expansion of the church alongside the persecutions of Christians. With persecutions, Christians fled from towns into the deserts, but when the persecutions declined, some Christians remained in the wilderness praying, and this kind of culture started spreading to other parts of the Christian world. West African states were characterized by trading activities with a number of trade routes. For instance, Ghana was known to control trade in gold. It is through trade in slaves, gold, and ivory that Europeans started their entry into African states, and some of them came along with missionaries who were on a mission to spread Christianity. The Atlantic slave trade involved the trade of African slaves to the colonies of the new world by the developed countries. This trade occurred in the Atlantic Ocean and occurred between the 16 th and 19 th centuries. Most of the slaves in this trade came from West Africa and central African states such as Ghana, Mali, and Ivory Coast. The slaves were obtained along the coasts or even through kidnapping in some areas. African slaves were traded to go and work in South American colonies of Spanish and Portuguese empires. Brazil was a major region where slaves were traded for goods. Slaves were acquired from wars between African tribes where those who were captured could be sold out in exchange for goods along with the coastal areas. During this time, Christianity had not gained popularity in Africa because the few missionaries who were around feared penetrating through the interior of Africa because of the fear of hostility from Africa and also due to the presence of tropical disease. Otherwise, the early Christians, such as St. Thomas Aquinas, were not opposed to the idea of the slave trade. It is quite interesting that some of them advocated for the enslavement of Africans who were not of the Christian faith. These are the likes of Pope Nicholas V,.From this time, all the other early Christians who came to Africa advocated for the abolition of slavery and the slave trade. Other popes condemned the slave trade since it went against Christianity and its teachings. They also condemned the inhabitants of such places as Canary Island, which were characterized by slavery and its associated activities. Therefore early Christians in Africa were against the slave trade because it went against Christian teachings and also it was inhuman. The slave trade before the nineteenth century took a triangular dimension whereby goods were exported from European countries to Africa in exchange for slaves. Kings and rulers in Africa were involved in this trade until around 1900. Merchants were also part of the trade. They received severa
Introduction All global and domestic organizations or corporations have external factors that affect their operations. Some of the factors may be controlled by the organizations but in most cases, the organizations have no power to control most of the factors (Nicoulaud, 1989). However, they may be able to manage or influence them. These factors are what make up the business environment of every organization. These factors always influence the domestic marketing decisions. A number of these factors that exist but all organizations have their unique set of factors that affect their operations. What affects one company may not affect the other. Examples of these include regulations, technological factors, economic factors, competition and social factors. The McDonalds Corporation, just like any other company, faces several external factors that affect its operations. The external factors that affect this company include political factors, economic factors, socio-cultural factors, technological factors, regulatory factors (laws), demographic factors, and other environmental factors such as those touching on waste disposal (impacts to the environment). Influence of global economic interdependence McDonalds Corporation is dependent on the global economy and is affected by the trade practices and agreements. The global economy usually faces. This may cause the shift of demand in the market. One of the economic issues facing McDonalds is the credit crunch issue. This meant that people had less disposable income and this means that they have less money to spend. The low Gross Domestic Product in most of the economies has also been a challenge to the corporation. The increasing interest rates and effects of inflation have had negative impacts on the McDonalds Corporation. This mean that McDonalds would sell less than they usually do. In order to combat this issue, McDonalds has adopted an affordable menu in order to favor also the low-income earners and those affected by the global economy. Demographics and physical infrastructure Several demographic factors have influenced the operations of McDonalds Corporation. They include the ever-increasing population and the existence of different age groups. Others include geographic shifts in population and the presence of educa
Summary The article, “Have Federal Funds been Left Behind” explores the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and the inherent limitations and the resulting problems brought about by federal funding issues. Basically, Dubcombe, Lukemeyer and Yinger (2008) presents the notion that states within the U.S. educational system actually have an incentive to keep their educational standards low in order to avoid severe penalties under the NCLB. Not only that, they also present the notion that while current methods of federal funding are “sufficient” for an “average” level of educational performance, they are no where near the levels needed in order to develop the same performance capacities seen in students from private educational institutions. Critique When exploring the article I cannot help but agree with Dubcombe, Lukemeyer and Yinger (2008) regarding the current state of the American educational system. Through its presentation of the concept of educational accountability and how state budgets are oriented regarding their systems of education it becomes clear that the concern of individual states is not the type of education that is being provided but rather whether it is provided or not. This would of course result in drastic reductions in overall quality as presented by the article. One of the weaknesses of the article though was that it lacked sufficient long term evaluations of the possible impact such a method of education will have on the cognitive and intellectual capacties of children that graduate from such a system. Personal Reaction Overall, I have to say that the account of Dubcombe, Lukemeyer and Yinger (2008) is an insightful look a the current failings within the U.S. system of education. It becomes immediately apparent that the system seems more like a factory line churning out students for the sake of money rather
Introduction In some product markets certain types of consumer goods and services require “an extra push” so to speak when trying to conduct normal business operations. In such instances, as explained by Professor John Zang from the Wharton School of Business, “if customers aren’t buying, more often than not it is an indication that a company is targeting the wrong people” (Malik, 2008). Taking this into consideration it can be assumed that in cases where a hard to sell product is involved it is not that the company is experiencing a situation where the consumer does not want to be a customer but rather the company is merely targeting the wrong consumer market. Targeting the Correct Market Segment What must be understood is that the ultimate goal of marketing is to be able target products to the consumers who want to buy them. As such, in order to create sales for certain products what is needed is to examine current market and customers and determine why a product or service is not selling and revise strategies accordingly in order to target the correct market segment. Zang explains that companies in such situations can approach their relationships with consumers through the use of “a systematic, rigorous process of segmentation, targeting and positioning” which should result in the company being able to determine which consumer segment to approach and how to properly position itself to create sales and maximize profit (Malik, 2008). Changing Selling Strategies Another aspect to take into consideration is the fact that at times certain products become a “tough sell” as a direct result of consumer objections to the product itself. One case where this is evident is changing consumer attitudes in the U.S. towards the use of gas guzzling SUVs. From 1995 to the early 21st century SUVs were considered almost the vehicle of choice for a large percentage of families and consumers within the U.S. however due to increasing gas prices the demand for SUVs has severely plummeted resulting in a significant deterioration the market base for current SUV dealers (Stoddard, 2004). Professor Stephen Hoch of the Wharton school of Business explains that in such cases what is needed is to “frame an offer to get rid of the objection” (Malik, 2008). This means to create a buying situation where the consumer observes the perks of buying a particular product and neglects to take into account the possible negative implications of the sale. One strategy advised by Hoch is the use o
Introduction The industry of fast fashion offers a wide range of available garments, which makes it attractive for many people around the world. The widespread consumption of cheap clothing is used by companies to maximise their profits and sell as many products as possible. The global apparel market grows rapidly by 3-6% per year (O’Connell, 2019). Chang and Jai (2015) state that this dominant business model promotes greater consumption that is led by the claims for the so-called democratisation of fashion when the latest trends are made available for all consumers. In this context, fast fashion is understood as cheap clothing that was created based on celebrity culture and high street stores (Chang and Jai, 2015). The main idea behind fast fashion is to copy and produce clothing for the mass market as soon as possible, catching the moment of their popularity. Fast fashion leads to overproduction and overconsumption that compose one of the key problems in the 21st century. Stringer, Mortimer and Payne (2020) emphasise that a lack of sustainable consumption, environmental pollution, and changing consumer preferences compose the adverse consequences of these problems. Considering that globalisation facilitates international relations, fast fashion develops across the countries. Western companies, such as Gap or Walmart, tend to cooperate with the developing countries due to cheap labour; Bangladesh, Cambodia, and China are the leading exporters for fast fashion (Taplin, 2014). A lack of ethical consumption minors global morality and erodes society since those who buy do not think about the influence of their purchasing decisions, while those who produce have to work for minimal wages in dangerous environments. The environmental impact of fast fashion is another concern that is discussed in the literature. Many retailers use the cheapest fabrics that are produced from fossil fuels, which promote global warming, and the use of microspheres multiplies plastic trash (Zamani, Sandin and Peters, 2017). The use of these materials requires a lot of water and electricity, which can result in soil quality and biodiversity issues. Bowers (2019) reports that the fast fashion industry produces 10% of carbon emissions and causes 20% of water pollution, while 85% of garments is sent to landfills annually. At the same time, fast fashion encourages the culture of throwing away and overconsumption. Such clothing implies rapid obsolesce and the need to constantly buy more products as a way of satisfaction (Kim, Park and Glovinsky, 2018). The pressure on the environment and people is enormous, and it is likely to grow without changing people’s attitudes towards fast fashion. Therefore, it is critical to pay attention to how fast fashion impacts society, understanding the current trends and gaps. The issue of fast fashion is of contemporary, topical, and academic interest since it should be con
Introduction Webvan is an online firm that deals with packaging, selling, and delivery of grocery products. The firm was established in 1996 under the leadership of Louis Borders. Borders’ vision was to establish a customer-focused grocery firm. The firm’s objective was to increase its customer base by nurturing a high level of customer satisfaction (McAfee and Ashiya 1). One of the ways through which the firm intended to achieve this goal entailed simplifying the consumers’ purchasing process. The firm intended to achieve a high level of effectiveness and efficiency in its operations. For example, Webvan ensured that orders were delivered within thirty minutes. Its efficiency regarding product delivery was facilitated by the fact that the firm established a number of distribution centres. Problem identification In a bid to achieve its vision, Webvan adopted the concept of online marketing. Webvan intended to exploit the niche market that is arising from the growth in the Internet and the high rate at which consumers are purchasing products online. The firm invested heavily in infrastructure, but it did not focus on marketing, which led to low sales. Consequently, the firm’s online model was adversely affected. This paper evaluates the problems faced by Webvan coupled with how they can be resolved in order to reposition the firm as a strong online company. Inherent complexities in Webvan’s business model Despite Webvan’s goals to attain an optimal market position in the e-groceries market, the firm faced a number of fundamental challenges. One of the major complexities faced by the firm relates to the fact that it did not understand how the groceries value chain operates. Therefore, the firm invested in a system that it had not tested (McAfee and Ashiya 3). Secondly, the firm also faced a major challenge in motivating consumers to adopt online shopping in their purchasing processes. During its inception, most consumers were only acquainted with purchasing groceries from convenient stores. By visiting the stores, consumers were in a position to access price discount in addition to gaining a unique experience during the purchasing process. Moreover, most consumers attached little economic value to the amount of time spent when shopping in the supermarket, which means that a significant proportion of consumers did not value convenience. Consequently, online shopping was a rather new concept to most consumers. Therefore, changing the consumers’ behaviour is one of the uphill battles faced by the firm. Webvan intended to deliver a wide range of perishable and non-perishable products to customers through its online model. However, the 30 minutes duration within which the firm intended to achieve this objective was relatively short. Moreover, this model was untested with regard to d
HIV/AIDS is no doubt the world’s worst epidemic in both the ancient and modern history of human existence. It has affected mankind from all spheres life and the sad part of it all is that up to now, there is no known cure. In the US and other developed countries, both governmental and non-governmental institutions have combined resources in their quest to fight the scourge. As a result cases of the disease in the countries have drastically reduced. However, these countries at all levels of economic development are facing the same problem, HIV/AIDS (Parker, 2002). It is a daunting task for health care professionals to watch their patients die, and it is also a hard job since it weighs down one’s psychology and physical strength. There is generally lack of enough safety equipment that would protect these professionals to ensure there is no risk of infection. Most people in places such as sub-Saharan Africa lack the basic education and awareness about the presence of the disease. As a result they don’t know the risks they may be exposing themselves to through indulging in sex without protection. Sometimes they don’t even know there is an enemy to guard against. Primitive belief systems and religious ideology is also a problem. Some religions forbid the use of the condom yet they do not educate the brethren to get tested to know their status before an intercourse. The difference in health care systems and standards of health care resources available in different parts of the world, greatly affect the course of the disease in individuals and groups. Countries that have a well managed health care system and a responsive structure have knowledgeable clients. In these countries, there is minimal spread of the pandemic. A good examp