ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
In 1995, it was decided to create a single Samsung company in China, for previously, various operations were conducted separately by different Samsung units. The Chinese market The Chinese market was strategically important. At the time, China’s market was the third greatest in the world after NAFTA and EU in TV sales. This caused stiff competition. Sony and Matsushita dominated the high-end market; companies such as Sharp, Toshiba, Mitsubishi, JVC, Sanyo, and Hitachi were also influential. Furthermore, over 20 companies worked with the low-end market. In 1995, China produced 16 million color TVs, and 2 million out of these were exported to other countries. The small (<17-inch) color TVs were becoming unpopular, whereas the demand for medium and large screen (18-21-inch) sets was rising; together, they accounted for 83% of sales in 1994. In 1994, there were 80 million urban households in China; ≈80% had a color TV, so the urban market was almost saturated. Simultaneously, only 28% of the 220 million rural households had a color TV. It was predicted that there would be more than 200 million people whose official purchasing power was more than $1000 (i.e., who could afford such products as TVs and washing machines). Furthermore, many Chinese did not report their full income, so their purchasing power was even greater. And still, rural consumers preferred cheaper TVs with reasonable quality (mainly local manufacturers), whereas urban buyers preferred functionality and good brand names (e.g., Japanese products). As for the market environment, the first mover enjoyed major advantages such as the loyalty of the customers in China; the first impression was long-lasting. Importantly, Japanese manufacturers of color TV received significant recognition in this market. China also implemented a strong protectionism policy. The tariff for color TVs dropped from 100% to 50-65% in 1995. The rates were to be decreased further (to 36% in 1997, and to 15% in perspective), but in 1995 they still were high. In addition, the entry to the market was hindered by the product differentiation via the recognition of brand name; it was hard to establish a new brand name. A crucial method for the competition was obtaining cost competitiveness via the economies of scale and the learning effect; before a firm gained such an advantage, the scale and learning effects were a barrier. The situation at home Simultaneously, in the 1990s, in Samsung’s “homeland” (South Korea) labor costs were rising, the government’s subsidies were cut, and the economy was being significantly restructured, which led to decreased competitiveness in low-end products at home. In addition, Korean market entry barriers were lifted, which increased the competitiveness of the internal market and forced firms such as Samsung to seek compensation for the competition abroad. Samsung in the U.S. Samsung entered the U.S. market in 1979, focusing on the low-end segment, using Korean advantage of low labor costs; it adopted the “buyer brand name” policy, simultaneously creating a strong image. In 1984, Samsung also
The Urgent Need to Maintain Biodiversity Biodiversity is the description of the natural state of the planet. It is not something that humans can create, they can only manage it. Biodiversity is an important aspect of the earth’s ecosystem. It is extremely unfortunate that mankind will realize this when it is already too late. The most urgent problem right now is to maintain the level of biodiversity in this world but it has to begin with a more in-depth understanding of how different species of flora and fauna can be saved from extinction. The lack of knowledge is the main reason why many are apathetic when it comes to conservation of the earth’s natural resources, especially when it comes to maintaining the earth’s biodiversity. Three different but related scientific works will be consulted in this study in order to have a more well-rounded view of biodiversity as well as to reach a level of understanding that humans are part of the earth’s ecosystem. Humans must be active participants in conserving planet earth because he could not afford to be indifferent to its plight. Apathy will only bring destruction because no matter how technologically advanced the human race has become, it will not be able to survive without living organisms. According to Lovelock, they are man’s partner in keeping this planet alive. Every organism, including man is dependent on the integrity of the earth’s ecosystem. Urgent Need to Reform Behavior There is a common thread that weaves through the works of E.O. Wilson, John Cobb, and James Lovelock. It is the idea that humans must have a heightened awareness of its destructive actions. Wilson said the rate of decline is impossible to measure because of the numerous species that are in the wild and that no one really has an accurate data on every single species of flora and fauna that existed since the beginning of time. But there is one way to get a basic understanding of how biodiversity has declined in recent centuries. Wilson’s article will help provide this insight when he described the current state of tropical rainforests. Referring to rainforests Wilson wrote, “….although these habitats cover only 7% of the Earth’s land surface, they contain more than half the species in the entire world biota” (Wilson, 8). Knowing that tropical rainforests are being threatened by human activity one will have a basic knowledge of the rapid decline of biodiversity in the planet. Cobb has the same basic premise but he wanted to emphasize the reason why humans are indifferent to the plight of the earth’s ecosystem and threatened species of flora and fauna. Cobb said that “In the pursuit of economic gain, most people do not want to be bothered b
Introduction The story, set in a small town in New England, opens with three teenage girls, wearing just their bathing suits, walking into an A&P grocery store; it is the watching of these girls that gets the story rolling (Tiger-town). The narrator, Sammy, a teenage boy working in the store, watches these girls closely, taking note of how they behave and carry themselves, their hair styles and bodies as they go on about their business in the store. Sammy and his coworker, the married Stokesie, ogle over the girls and joke about it. But Sammy is conscious of the fact that Stockesie is married and cannot go after the girls but he feels he still has the opportunity and freedom to go after the girls himself. The store manager, Lengel, reproaches the girls because of the way they are dressed and the girls are embarrassed. When the girls leave, Sammy, hoping that they are watching, reproaches his boss for his treatment of the girls and decides to quit. Against his boss’s pleas he insists and in the end, he leaves only to find the girls long gone. Discussion The story explores a number of themes; the key one around which the rest seem to revolve is the power of desire (Tiger-town). The author manages to bring out this through the behavior of the characters. The girls, although there’s no beach around, are dressed in bathing suits, a symbol of their disregard for the town’s social norms and a deliberate and explicit provocation of the men. Now they have set the men’s desires rolling, including the married Stocksie and Lengel who downplays it by confronting them. While every man watches them, they act nonchalantly, especially Queenie; thus, by not acknowledging the men, the girls further inspire the men’s desire while managing to avoid being subject of it. In Sammy, the narrator, the girls inspire much stronger desires since his desire for Queenie inspires his imagination. His description of the girls shows, on one end, his appreciation of the females, and on the other, how aggressive the male gaze is. In the end he quits his job; it is largely argued that Sammy’s reckless behavior is not purely as a result of his desire. Instead it is blamed on his hormones. Nonetheless, his response cannot be separated from his desire. For Sammy, he has attained a kind of freedom and the deliberate behavior by the girls a
How does Southwest make money when other airlines do not? What are the factors contributing to Southwest’s success? Southwest Airlines is one of those unique airline companies that has continued to be profitable over the years. It has done so for 33 consecutive years and, on its 127 th financial quarter which happened to be last week, it was still able to pay a modest dividend to its shareholders. Thus it continues to serve as an example in an industry that is ravaged by cash and other problems. (Brancatelli, 2008) There are many factors that led to the success of Southwest Airlines. First and foremost Southwest Airlines positioned itself as an interstate carrier adopting a point-to-point system instead of the conventional hub and spoke structure used widely in the industry. This allowed it to save excessive costs and provide a more convenient service to its customers. This system also helped the company in reducing their turnaround times and use their fleet of planes, which were also procured at comparatively cheaper prices, to provide a cheap and effective solution to airline travel. Costs and Turnaround times were further reduced due to many other factors. These factors include the fact there was an absence of meals on all flights, approximately standard configuration of all aircraft, a team orientated approach towards providing ground services with an emphasis on creativity and novel ideas to ensure that everything was completed on time. Furthermore, the company successfully implemented a ticketless policy and continued on to effectively use its website to provide online services to its customers. Southwest Airlines also adopted a culture that was very rewarding and motivating for its employees. Employees were given a free hand and were encouraged to find creative and innovative ways of conducting tier day to day operations. Thus this kind of empowerment meant that Southwest had lower employee turnover rates than the industry average. The style of leadership was also very highly charismatic and effective. Leaders served as an example to others as to the promotion of Southwest Airlines’ main value of doing “Whatever it takes” to preserve the Southwest Airline Culture, Service, and Values. Depending upon the industry, intangible assets are more important than tangible ones. How is this evident at Southwest? Southwest Airlines, has proved itself as one of the most successful U.S.-based airlines over the years. It has done so by consistently making wise decisions such as point-to-point systems, keeping the customer’s convenience as a top priority, utilizing one type of aircraft, reducing turnaround times; and is dedicated to employing the be
Introduction The management of any business organisation considers health and safety as important elements in terms of attaining its objectives. This decision is based on the fact that health and safety guarantee the successful operation of the organisation. For example, running a company without the right of security checks in place is next to impossible. Every business organisation requires all the above-mentioned elements for the sake of smooth operations. This paper will analyse in detail the importance of having both health and safety for the purpose of ensuring the smooth operation of an organisation. It is imperative to note that health and safety are part of the long term objectives that any company would like to have in place. Analysts contend that an organisation without these components experiences hardships along the way in terms of operation (Saleem, 2010). Analysis and discussion The first reason why managing health and safety within an organisational context makes sense is for operational purposes. For example, safety and health are instrumental in terms of defining the direction taken by any business entity. An organisation cannot operate well without proper security in place. Security means that all operations of the company run smoothly without interference. There is no way an organisation can operate without the right security structures. Having proper security structures sends the right message to the clients and the public in general. It is for this reason that most organisations invest heavily in the area of security. The problem with poor security structures is that no meaningful progress can take place. This is because insecurity affects the smooth operation of organisational activities. When the mentioned aspects are taken into account, it is presumed that the company is headed in the right direction. The second reason why addressing health and safety issues within an organisation makes sense is for enhancing the mission and objectives of the business. There is a need to understand that many companies have always incorporated health in their operations in order to realise their long term objectives. From a strategic management perspective, long term goals are instrumental in terms of pushing the ideals of the organisation forward. For example, institut
Diversity In the company, there are interactions among the people from different backgrounds, sexes, religions, and social status. Indeed, diversity that the company experiences, poses a great challenge to management, that has to assure the stakeholders and potential customers of unilateralism. In fact, it was only through impartiality that the company could achieve sustained growth. Therefore, the management had to find a way of dealing with the dilemmas before it worsens the company operations. Conflict of Interest In this company, conflict of interest occurs when one’s interests affect his/her duties and the level of performance. Additionally, it lowers a person’s integrity, and might cause anxiety in the company. Notably, organizational ethics calls for the fact that the workers, stakeholders and customers should not be overwhelmed with personal interests at the expense of their duties. This might compromise the quality of their produces and integrity, because self-interest and nature of the duty may not have any relationship. Analysis and Evaluation (SWOT) Company Strengths The company is operated in a chain of coffee shops in various locations across the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada, thus it commands the market and beverage industry (McWilliams and Matten 42). Therefore, consumers have the freedom to select from a range of coffee drinks and products served at Starbucks restaurants. The other strength of the company is the development of a website, designed to give relevant information about the drinks and other products that it sells. Company Weakness The company experience is the slow in the supply of the coffee that it uses in making the drinks. It means that the quantity they receive from the suppliers is short of the market demands even within America. This emphasizes the need for increasing the production of coffee to cater for the increasing demands. In addition, the pricing of similar products that the small scale restaurants fix on similar products is also seen as a weakness to the giant company, since some of its customers are lost (McWilliams and Matten 44). Opportunities for the Company The quality products that the company sells and health concerns of the people in the developed nations have created an unending opportunity for the company. This shapes the buyer behavior and promotes its growth in the industry. Certainly, the involvement of the company in corporate social responsibility is also seen as an opportunity for growth (McWilliams and Matten 45). Finally, the company has built a brand in the coffee sector of the economy, hence enjoys the monopoly of the market. Threats to the Company The company has witnessed stiff competition from other local resta
Major macro-economic indicators     2010   2011   2012   2013(f) GDP Growth (%)                      3.6%   2.7%   3.1%   0.9%    Inflation (Yearly average) (%)      1.1%   2.2%   1.99%  1.3%    Budget balance (% of GDP)           4.2%   0.8%   0.2%   0.4%    Current account balance (% of GDP)  6.11%  5.63%  5.65%  5.69%   Public debt (% of GDP)              83.4%  81.5%  83%    81%      Strengths Germany is characterized by a thriving export industry, strict discipline on fiscal matters and industrial relations and welfare policies which are driven by consensus among all parties. The country is specifically associated with goods of high quality and goods that are high-tech. It also practices a social market economy which is characterized by a combination of free enterprise and competition that concentrates on high level of social services. Germany’s economy is ranked third largest in the world in terms of market exchange rates and fifth largest one in terms of purchasing power parity. There is social understanding and cohesion among employers and employees, and the workers’ union representatives negotiate with executives of corporate companies in boardrooms. This system is referred to as co-determination. Germany is also credited with having the largest coal deposits among the European Union countries, estimated at 7.4 billion short tons. This state has also put in place a highly developed transport and communications network which helps in transportation of goods and services (Merikas & Merika, 446). Weaknesses Germany as a country does not have a lot of natural resources and therefore relies on importing them from other countries to fuel its manufacturing industry. A large percentage of the country’s population is ageing and this has put a lot of pressure on the country’s high welfare and spending on universal health provision. Unfavorable geological conditions make the mining of hard coal economically unviable. The country’s economy is over regulated in an attempt to protect the locals from international competition and the government has been accused of strong resistance to change (Merikas & MErika, 447). Risk assessment The country is categorized as a CRT-1 country which has very low risk levels in all the three risk categories i.e. political risks, economic risks and financial system risks. In 2009, the country’s economy went under recession and recorded a sharp decrease of 5% in real GDP. After the recession, the country was able to recover but has been on a downward trend and growth has slowed down to 0.6% in the year 2012. This is caused by weak global demand for exports and the risks and uncertainties brought about by the Euro zone debt crisis (Ewing, par 10). Efforts to stem high unemployment and low average economic growth During the period beginning1998 to 2005, the government of Germany, under the leadership of Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, came up with various reforms to try and control the increasing unemployment in the country and to put some energy into economic growth recovery . These reforms led to strong growth in the economy which was recorded in the years 2006 and 2007 and the falling unemployment
Introduction Love is probably one of the most frequently used words in modern world media. In almost every song of a popular singer and many romantic movies, the topic of love and romantic relationships is paramount. It is relevant and understandable for people from different parts of the world, with diverse backgrounds, genders, or ages. Despite such ubiquity of love in contemporary societies, the notion of this feeling seems to be misperceived and even idealized without any regard to reality. As Sam Keen (1997) states in his book To Love and Be Loved , “I can offer no final explanations for why we idealize love so much and practice it so little” (p. 7). In this essay, the opposition between love as an idealized concept and its real manifestations is examined with attention to the reasons why people fail to practice sincere love. Main body Trying to explain the different forms of love in people’s lives, the author of To Love and Be Loved elaborates on how they should be experienced and how meaningful each of them is. Keen (1997) perceives love, not as a miracle that is portrayed as perfection in movies but as hard work that requires patience, skills, and time. However diverse the forms of love are, from simple signs of attention to a friend to sexual appeal and desire to a spouse, the author emphasizes that modern society idealizes love (Keen, 1997). Probably, such idealization leads to the situation when the majority of media-dependent people cannot live up to the imposed standard of love and fail to experience the true feeling in reality. The most disturbing fact about it all is that even the person who shows a great level of expertise in this field finds it inexplicable why people prefer imaginary feelings to a real one. Throughout the history of humanity, there have been millions of love stories created and written down in poems, novels, screenplays, theatrical scenarios, cartoons, and other works of art. People in the twenty-first century have an opportunity to use the rich experience the societies have collected to understand what love is and how to live a life full of love. However, it seems that such a great scope of exemplary cases related to love portrayal in old and new media caused an opposite effect. Indeed, the words of Keen (1997) find their proofs in the fact that people have too much to follow and imitate instead of simply freely experiencing the feeling. The imposition of artificially created traditional images of partners in love is accepted as an example to follow. And if one’s relationship does not comply with the ide