ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
While the nature of the modern developed society implies equality for people of all genders, cultures, races, religions, and sexual orientations, the issue of the pay gap between men and women remains a topic of heated debates. According to the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (2014), the majority of current organizations will have a gender pay gap of like-for-like, by-level, or organization-wide forms. Nowadays, many companies try to achieve pay transparency to account for payment equality in the workplace. Let’s explore the example of Amazon, a global corporation specializing in e-commerce and employing 230,800 workers worldwide. Arjuna Capital forced the company’s management to conduct an analysis of its payment policies and disclose the results to the public. It was concluded that women made 99.9 cents for each dollar earned by men in the same positions, showing that the gender pay gap was not an issue for the company (Segar, 2016). Therefore, Amazon’s newly-introduced payment transparency policy helped the company reinforce its equal treatment to employees and become an example for other corporations. According to Ireland (2016), pay secrecy can encourage employees to make biased decisions about employees’ payment. Thus, Amazon’s attempt to disclose its payment policies by gender will make the company follow its promises and improve under the ‘public eye.’ Current equal payment campaigns such as the “daughter water”, introduced in Australia, encourage companies to initiate their payment analyses, making sure that all employees get equal treatment (Gaze, 2014). It can be stated that Amazon is currently leading the move towards equal pay for all genders and cultures, which is an excellent example for other corporations to follow. However, seeking gender pay equity should not compromise employees’ performance because it is unfair to pay either men or women more if they work fewer hours in their positions (for example, women taking maternity leaves).
Introduction It is arguable that one can view multiculturalism and racism as two sides of the same coin. This follows from the prevailing possibility of manipulating the two to achieve similar results, which include the marginalization of minority groups both economically and politically. However, multiculturalism when viewed in the objective light is important to a cosmopolitan nation such as the United States. People can use it to fight such racist deeds as ethnic stereotyping and the coining of identity labels, which carry with them connotations that are in most cases negative. However, multiculturalism can also result to racism. How multiculturalism contributes to racism The premise that multiculturalism is based on seems to rely more on the view of a certain culture and individual’s relationship to that culture. However, this cannot hold true since cultures are not distinct and they seem to exist in a network of others. This is because of the rise of cultural hybridism. In cases where systems
Following the current advancement in technology and modernization, issues concerning information technology management have become so eminent that; information technology managers ought to develop strategies which would enhance efficiency and effectiveness. As a matter of fact, issues regarding information technology are so challenging that, a very high level of management competence is required. According to Melymuka (2003), the issue of IT management really requires the formulation of sound strategies in which the business or the company would find it quite helpful in achieving its laid goals and objectives both in the long-run and the short-run. By properly organizing and modifying the available resources in an IT business, the mangers would be propelling it towards its success and accomplishment of its laid goals. This paper presents a critical appraisal of the most effective strategies that an IT business can make so as to be successful and the issues surrounding the decisions made for an effective and efficient IT business. As it has been revealed in various IT businesses, compromises in restructuring of devastated IT businesses would be very vital as they provide for a basis to see back and then strategize as per the current situation. As Keith and Richard (1995) argue, it is better for an IT business to compromise the current situation and then basing on the previous steps followed, a restructuring would be made. In this case, IT businesses should focus on their laid down objectives while organizing for a restructuring process, which would enhance the achievement of the laid down goals. Certainly, IT businesses ought to be always focused on the objectives of the business; as they incorporate new strategies in their businesses so as to enhance success. Perhaps, the issues regarding IT management can be described in objective terms rather than being subjective; in which the businesses should focus on the laid down objectives as they pursue development plans. As White (2004) asserts, IT businesses should devise frameworks which would enhance the achievement of the laid down objectives by formulating policies which are easy to implement and result into positive impacts to the business. More specifically, the key issues that IT businesses should consider are the objectives for the businesses and the available resources which would enhance the achievement of such objectives. By so doing the success of the IT business would be guaranteed through the employment of various strategic plans with an aim of enhancing efficiency and effectiveness in the business. Nevertheless, the issue of strategic integration would be a very crucial tool for mangers in ensuring the achievement and enhancement of the laid objectives in an IT business. Luftman and Brier (1999) argues that, in order to achieve a sustainable IT business management, the mangers should align a variety of strategic plans in the entire business so as to evaluate the most effective among the selected plans. In this case, the IT businesses should integrate a variety of tools in the management process which in the long run would provide the business with substantial base for prosp
Attracting talent Each organization has to consider the current supply versus demand for a certain skill in the labor market. In the case of high demand and a low supply of talent, an organization is compelled to seek ways to attract the right candidates (Iles 218). However; the following factors influence the attraction of talent economic, political, and social environments and brand identity.   * Economic stability- determines the availability of funds needed for recruitment and training. The availability or lack of sufficient funds influences the means and the channel an organization uses to advertise. For instance, premium recruitment firms charge high, making it difficult for upcoming or rambling organizations to afford to compete. Besides, the salary and other compensations to target employees could be competitive or at lower rates, thus affecting interest from talented employees.   * Political environment- includes policy issues and restrictions on the number of foreign employees in an organization. The current state of political instability has also compromised the ability of organizations to exercise strategic and long-term planning (Ali, Metz, and Kulik 589). These conditions have influenced the demographic changes that negatively affect the labor market.   * Social environment -involves the educational system. The type of preparation determines the actual skills and competencies achieved and if they match the level of skills needed by a company. Other social factors include culture, open-mindedness, and the ability to network.   * Brand identity- refers to how an organization views a brand name, the manner of communication, and other factors that are visible to the clients (Iles 218). A company that projects a positive reputation finds it easier to appeal to potential employees as well as retain them, compared to a company with a negative reputation. Similarly, a well-known company is perceived as stable and has higher chances to attract talented employees as opposed to a company that is yet to gain momentum. Describing the organizational benefits of a diverse workforce Embracing diversity has become inevitable to businesses because it ensures an organization’s competitiveness, a good reputation, and increased prod
Introduction Since Thailand adopted an austerity program under a 17.2 billion dollar loan given by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in 1997, individuals especially in the lower classes of society has suffered a lot under the globe’s financial upheavals. It is under this perspective that the World Bank intervened to launch the Thailand Social Investment project, directly aimed at helping the underprivileged and poor classes of society who had been laid off from work and cut from the government’s social welfare program. In 1998, the government entered into a memorandum of understanding with the World Bank to borrow $120 million for the social investment project, with the government obliged to pay back the loans at a 7 % interest rate within the next 15 years (“Kyondo News,” 1998). Originally, the social investment project was aimed at funding community projects nationwide. The fund was basically aimed at helping individuals suffering under the economic crisis to come up together and cooperate in the search for community-based development projects which were not designed to attain profit objectives. Areas that were given priority by the fund included health-care, food processing, and environmental activities. Governmental agencies, non-governmental organizations, and schools were initially not eligible to benefit from the funds. The fund planned to spend over $7.5 million (300 million Baht) on its first outlays, and the first phase was supposed to be concluded by the end of 2001. Owing to unemployment, poverty, and population trends, the social investment fund was supposed to allocate the largest segments of the funds to the Northeastern area of the country (“Kyondo News,” 1998). According to the World Bank, the first priority area of the Social Investment Project was to respond to the economic and financial crises through the provision of vital social services to the poor and unemployed Thai citizen
Background One of these hotbeds of backwardness in comparison with the rest of the world in the regions of West Africa. They are clearly distinguished by the diversity, scale and interweaving of social problems. In West Africa, long-term unfavorable population trends are combined with appalling poverty, large income inequality, an extremely unfavorable situation in health care, education, high unemployment and many other social problems. To solve them, special strategies and ways should be applied by the government of the state to help the population. Poverty Despite the development of modern society and all its achievements, poverty remains one of the global problems of the African population. Statistics show that millions of people die from hunger and poverty every year (). There is a fairly high percentage of the population living below the poverty line on the African continent. There are a number of very important reasons for this. One of them is the colonial past of African countries. Also, there is a low level of literacy and education, low-paid unskilled labour. Demographic factors such as a high birth rate and a large number of young able-bodied people are of great importance. Constant droughts and natural disasters are a normal phenomenon on the continent, significantly exacerbating the food problem in the region and leading to a significant increase in prices for necessary food products. These problems not only have a negative impact on the level of poverty and poverty of the population of the African continent, but also largely determine the vector of further development of the region in various spheres. Poverty will not be reduced automatically, only based on economic growth. Political will is needed to solve the most important task – the development and implementation of a new policy of distributive relations that prevents discrimination against the poor in their access to resources, such as jobs and income. On the other hand, it is necessary to provide a system of social protection of the population. The State social protection system includes: pension benefits, unemployment benefits, benefits for large families. Diseases The inevitable consequence of unfavorable demographic trends in sub-Saharan Africa, the low income level of both States and the majority of the population is the extreme strain that the social infrastructure of the region and, above all, the health sector is experiencing. In addition, the African continent is experiencing difficulties in its efforts to meet the needs of a growing population using limited resources (Coates et al. 265). As a result, the region is the epicenter of many dangerous diseases and, above all, AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. The management of the healthcare system, as well as the process of forming a healthy society as a whole, largely depends on the degree of scientific understanding of the entire set of factors and processes in this area. The transformation of beliefs and values regarding health can play a crucial role in solving the problem of morbidity. Health is provided by the main social inst
Introduction Free enterprise is an economic system that provides individuals the opportunity to make their own economic decisions, free of government constraints, and as private profit potential businesses. It equates to a capitalist system of economy which is completely different from a socialist or communist system. It is, however, important to note that a free enterprise system is not simply the absence of government. It is therefore wrong for any one to simply assume that a free enterprise system automatically comes into existence when government interference is removed. There is a heavy dependency on the law to determine what should be traded (JTF, 2008). The system allows for the privilege of individual ownership of property and the means of production. The key ingredient of the free enterprise system is the right of individuals to make their own choices in the purchase of goods, the selling of their products and their labor, and their participation in business structure (Lewis, 2001). The system is based on a number of principles that include the right to private ownership of property, the rule of law, free prices, and competition among others. A free enterprise system operates in a democratic environment and allows private citizens to freely go into business, produce whatever they choose to produce, and distribute whatever they produce. Some government restrictions may, however, exist to make sure that the marketplace is orderly and causes no harm to the public. It is through government controls that smaller companies are protected from any form of exploitation by the giant companies. This paper looks at how a free enterprise system affects the moral and economic development of individuals in a society. The above principles of a free enterprise system and their effects will be examined. Features of a Free Enterprise System and Effect on Individuals and Development By and large, free enterprise systems are considered responsible for the moral decay in certain areas. Although this is the case, there are other instances where the morality of individuals in the society is enhanced. However, it all depends on an individual’s judgment regarding what constitutes a good life. As observed by JTF (2008), a free enterprise system leads to more than simply creating and spread wealth. It also results in better moral character among its participants. Critics are, however, of the opinion that a free enterprise system is a stumbling block to social and ethical agendas, such as the desire to reduce child labor and poverty in poor countries and the promotion of gender equality and environmental protection globally (JTF, 2008). Private Property Private property consists of items of value that individuals have the right to own, use, and sell. It is different from public property which is provided by the government for the common use by all. The right to own property gives individuals the freedom to control productive resources such as land, labor, and capital. These productive resources can be u
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are traditionally associated with high levels of technology failure due to factors such as lack of readiness for networking with other entities, incapacity for knowledge retention, and inefficiency in IT governance (Devos, Van Landeghem, & Deschoolmeester, 2008). Other factors include reluctance to employ advanced IT capabilities and incapacity to obtain sustainable competitiveness. Additionally, most SMEs that implement IT projects using outsourced environments are known to experience unique challenges (Grossman, 2011). The author of this paper assumes a consultant’s perspective with the view to providing recommendations aimed at addressing the failure of IT projects in outsourced environments. Problem statement The problem identified in this case study is outsourced information systems (IS) failure (OISF) in SMEs due to differences between the principal (owner of SME) and agent (contractor or vendor). These differences revolve around inconsistent project goals, risk behavior variations, and information asymmetry or loop-sidedness (Devos et al., 2008). Outsourcing of IT projects occasions other problems which include lock-ins (inability of a client to get out of a relationship without experiencing extra costs) as well as legal or non-legal disputes. However, these secondary problems will not be addressed in this forum. The paper will focus on attempting to understand why outsourced IT projects fail in SME contexts and how this problem and the underlying symptoms (e.g., lack of trust, information asymmetry, goal differences and risk behavior variations) can be resolved. Analysis From a consultant’s perspective, it is important to use a business tool to address the problem since it is not related to IT security. As such, value chain analysis can be undertaken to work out a mechanism that could be used by the principal and agent to create the greatest possible value for the IT project. This tool revolves around three steps, namely “activity analysis, value analysis, as well as evaluation and planning” (Gunzenhauser & Bongulielmi, 2008, p. 465). In IT projects, all parties need to come together to identify the activities that need to be performed to deliver the project. These activities include establishing the project scope, defining work standards, and ensuring free flow of operational processes. The first step encourages information sharing between the principal and the agent, thus addressing the problem of information asymmetry. This step als
Introduction Lots of nations are now preoccupied with developing democracies. The central aim is to make the will of the majority exercised. There are many approaches to reach this goal. Some countries have numerous political parties that are seen as certain representation of some groups of people. The USA is the only democracy with two parties. Some may consider this to be an obstacle to a democracy as, seemingly, only two major groups can achieve their aims. However, I believe this political system is a very good approach to achieve true democracy. The Two Parties Address Issues of All Groups of the US Population In the first place, it is necessary to note that Americans have been living with this pattern for more than two hundred years. This system has worked for them so far. Of course, it is impossible to say that all groups of people enjoy the same rights and have similar opportunities in this country. Nonetheless, the will of the majority is exercised. Those who believe two parties cannot address all the issues existing in the society focus on the number of parties rather than on their activities. Thus, the existence of two parties does not mean that rights of two groups are secured whereas all the rest of groups are not represented in legislative bodies. The two parties have representatives of the majority of groups who reveal their needs and inclinations. The two parties simply have two quite different approaches to reach goals and meet expectations of a variety of groups of people. Two-Party System Is More Effective Therefore, the two-party system does not mean that there are benefits for a small group of people at the expense of the rest. More so, this system is more effective as the two parties have consistent approaches to achieving aims. Many political parties in the legislative body can often lead to ineffectiveness of this body as the parties have totally different views on core issues. When it comes to the USA, all democrats (as well as all conservatives) have a specific program where major issues are perfectly outlined (Burnell & Ware, 2007). Therefore, the party’s decisions are consistent. At the same time, the country does not run the risk of becoming an autocracy as decisions of democrats are weighed by conservatives who do not let their rivals to pass laws which can be harmful for the country (and vice versa). The rivalry between the two parties brings balance. Finally, existence of many parties may also lead to financial losses. That is no news that political parties are funded. Eventually, tax payers have to lose their money (Burnell & Ware, 2007). Funding two parties may be quite costly. However, funding many parties that fail to produce effective laws is very costly and ineffective. Conclusion To sum up, it is possible to note that the US approach to democracy, i.e. two political parties, is effective as all groups of citizens of the USA (and even immigrants) can articulate their needs and inclinations. These needs will be addresse