ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Cost-benefit analysis is a simple technique for deciding whether a change is to be brought in any production process or it may be applied to any situation where costs are involved to obtain financial benefits. In a cost-benefit analysis, only financial costs and financial benefits are taken into account. In a cost-benefit analysis, all the positive factors are found, quantified, and added and these represent the benefits. It also identifies, quantifies, and subtracts the negative factors representing the costs. The difference between the positive and negative factors indicates whether the planned action is advisable. The cost-benefit can be considered in three scenarios: Scenario I – The Company inspects 18,000 lots to keep the inspection costs within $ 1,000,000 In the instant case, by solving the case for the number of defectives to be inspected it is found that out of the 20,000 lots proposed to be made, 18,000 lots need to be inspected to arrive at a defective quantity of 300 lots. This defective quantity is arrived at by solving for the ‘X value in the Excel sheet. The inspection of 18,000 units will keep the inspection costs within the proposed level of $ 1,000,000. The total cost of inspection in this scenario is as follows: Cost of 300 Defective lots 300 X 100 X $ 33.3333 = $ 1,000,000 Cost of inspecting 18,000 lots 18,000 X $ 500 = $ 9,000,000 Total cost to the company $ 9,000,000 + $ 1,000,000 = $ 10,000,000 Scenario II – The Company does not do any inspection There is no inspection cost involved. Cost of defective items would be 20000 X 0.15 X 100 X 33.3333 = $ 10,000,000 Scenario III –The Company does 100 percent Inspection From the simulation process (done in Excel), it is found that the cost of defective units and cost of inspection remains the same irrespective of the fact that the Company inspects 1 unit or 20,000 units. There is no change in the cost. In this case, there will be no defective units. However the inspection cost remains at 20,000 X $ 500 = $ 10,000,000 Quality Policy Even though all three scenarios may involve a total cost of $ 10,000,000, the cost-benefit analysis leads to different results. Considering the financial involvements in the above three scenarios, to meet the condition that the inspection charges should be less than or equal to 1% of the total sales value, the Company should adopt a quality policy of inspecting 18,000 units as shown in scenario one.
Teams in the modern world have taken on a different structure, becoming increasingly diverse and dynamic with the onset of globalisation and digital technology. This makes the management of teams and ensuring effectiveness challenging as compatibility, competitiveness, and information require significant attention. “A compelling direction, a strong structure, and a supportive context—continue to be particularly critical to team success” (Haas & Mortensen 2016, para. 2). Teamwork can be emphasised through the establishment of these specific enabling conditions which contribute to a shared mindset. As a team member and potential leader, I learned the importance of creating a beneficial environment for teamwork to thrive in through my behaviour, expectations, and contributions. In order for a group of people to effectively collaborate and ensure long-term teamwork on a project, there must be a sense of self-awareness in each member. It is a realistic profile of one’s skills and abilities as well as expectations from co-workers. It may be human nature to have distorted self-awareness and inflated self-worth; however, it is critical for collaboration. It “impacted the quality of decision-making, teamwork, coordinating with other people, effectively managing conflict” (Huppke 2015, para. 11). Self-awareness allows evaluating personal strength and weaknesses which contributes to allowing input from others and serves as a drive for improvement. By taking accountability for one’s behaviour, each worker in the team can take a thoughtful approach to their responsibilities. However, self-awareness is not a built-in mechanism and requires competent implementation in a team setting. “First, cultivating self-awareness takes time and commitment. Second, many organisations consider team-building from an event-driven perspective and don’t make it a continuous process” (Beier 2016, para. 5). It is rare to see team members completely self-unaware, and most people support the need for growth and improvement. However, a range of subconscious communication behaviours such as defensiveness to feedback can be detrimental to effective collaboration. Self-awareness must be based on proper intentions and requires guidance and time to achieve. Managers can aid this process by emphasising the concept on a continuous basis rather than during periodical team events. In this instance, a team can display appropriate self-awareness and function in critical moments to demonstrate collaboration. A critical concept which demonstrates teamwork in any environment is emotional intelligence which consists of identity and reputation. It is a matter of perspective which defines the relationships and dynamics within a collective of people. “For most people, there is a disparity between identity and reputation that can cause them to ignore feedback and derail” (Chamorro-Premuzic & Sanger 2017, para.5). Self-awareness and emotional intelligence go hand in hand with improvement, particularly of interpersonal skills. By training or fine-tuning emotional intelligence in a worker, there is a profound effect on collaborative proc
Introduction The realm of technology is ever-changing. New advances in applied science have forever transformed the way people interact. Exploring the impact of technology on communication and debating whether people connect with others differently seems to be the topic of the day. Technology has allowed people to keep in touch no matter the distance. One is able to communicate 24 hours around the clock, seven days a week, 365 days on an interpersonal level. What are the real impacts of technology on communication? How do electronics mediate and change the ways in which humans interact? How has the emergence of the Internet, mobile phones and social networks affected society and businesses? In order to reveal the importance of technology in communication, the essay tries to find answers to these questions. It explores how everything changes over the years and discusses the connection between technology and communication. To begin this examination and find answers to these questions, we begin by defining media and communication and outlining the stages of technological advancement from old age to the present day in the field of communication. The paper will highlight the use of internet, newspaper, radio and other media but it mostly dwell on the use of mobile telephony. Communication is “the imparting or exchange of information by speaking, writing or using some other medium” (Daniel & Rod, 2011). On the other hand media is defined as “the main means of mass communication (television, radio and newspapers) regarded collectively.” Advancement of Technology in Communication Technology has changed everything in the modern society. The way we communicate has been revolutionized by the advancement of new innovation in the telecommunication sector. Connecting with other people with ease is more feasible in today’s world and this is due to speed. Several centuries ago books and news papers reigned as the only choice of communication. Then later, innovators brought the radio and television before innovation was taken a notch higher with coming of the personal computer (Johnson, 1997, p.3). With every new innovation, the reliance on books and newspaper as the mass medium of communication continued to reduce. With time, the human culture has come to understand the power and the mechanisms involved in technology and invention. In today’s world the information has permeated in the cycles of change and development. The world today, past and present can be studied at ease with the growing information technology. The technology has advanced with sheer velocity allowing different media to shape our thinking and habits. The people who were born during the television era thought that it was the climax of innovation but they suddenly found themselves acclimating to a new medium of the World Wide Web. Every time a new medium r
Introduction Employees and patients living with AIDS comprise two groups of people that experience discrimination and segregation in many places (Page et al, 2006). In workplaces, employees living with aids are discriminated against by their colleagues, employers, and supervisors because of their health status. This happens despite constitutional provisions that promote equality and fairness in the workplace. On the other hand, patients living with AIDS receive unfair treatment in hospitals. In many places, they are treated as outcasts and people, not deserving respect and consideration. Patients and employees living with AIDS should enjoy responsibilities and human rights similar to those enjoyed by everyone regardless of their health status (Page et al, 2006). Rights and responsibilities of employees living with Aids The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 was enacted to prevent discrimination against people with disabilities. People living with HIV and AIDS are classified under the people with disabilities group. Under the act, people with AIDS are entitled to similar rights and responsibilities that people who do not have AIDS enjoy (Maguire, 2007). Employers are not supposed to discriminate, segregate, or victimize employees physically or emotionally. As such, an organization’s policies and practices should be all-inclusive and cater to the needs of such employees (Maguire, 2007). For example, policies and procedures that govern remuneration, appointment, promotion, and dismissal should be executed fairly among all employees. HIV-positive employees have a right to be promoted, transferred, or remunerated similarly to other employees. In addition, they have a right to all employee benefits that an organization offers such as medical aid, pension funds, training and development courses, and subscriptions to health clubs (Maguire, 2007). It is also their right to have their health information kept private by the employer. Unless it is a policy of an organization for employees to go for HIV tests, no employer should disclose his or her HIV status to an employer. However, if it is the policy of the organization, it is the responsibility of the employee to give accurate information to the employer. It is the right of an HIV-positive employee to receive a promotion despite their health status. In addition, an employee should be neither dismissed nor demoted or transferred based on their HIV status. Promotion, demotion, transfer, or dismissal should follow the statutes of organizational policies that govern such actions (Maguire, 2007). If the employee can work and possesses the required knowledge and skills, then
Introduction The U.A.E. as a rapidly developing society faces several water management challenges due to the growth in water demand. The water demand increases annually, which puts the country’s water infrastructure under significant pressure. Sewage treatment infrastructure must always keep up with the pace of the country’s development in the spheres of industry, agriculture, and social services. Therefore, it is crucial that measures to deal with waste are compatible with other environmental initiatives (Environmental Agency – Abu Dhabi, 2016). Consequently, it is pivotal to take into account the full variety of issues related to the treatment of water, and to the potential dangers associated with the inappropriate treatment of sewage and industrial effluent, to avoid these dangers when creating and managing wastewater reuse or discharge systems. It is also important to keep in mind that sewage treatment infrastructure should be viewed as a part of the general environmental management system (Government of Dubai, 2014). Industrial Wastewater Use for Agricultural Purposes Industrial wastewater use for agricultural purposes can be dangerous if the transportation and treatment procedures are not followed properly. Even treated wastewaters sometimes fail to meet the standards provided by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO; as cited in Sou, Mermoud, Yacouba, & Boivin, 2013). Poorly treated waters may lead to soil degradation and contamination of groundwaters (Shakir, Zahraw, & Al-Obaidy, 2017; Sou et al., 2013). Such types of contamination as increased salinity, excessive modification, and dangerous levels of chlorides in the soil are common (Shakir et al., 2017). This degrades the soil and has a negative impact on the health of the population. Clearly, the type of contamination depends on what manner of a plant the water comes from. Also, the severity of contamination may depend upon the season in which wastewater is used for irrigation (Shakir et al., 2017). Therefore, to prevent these problems, it is paramount to follow all water treatment procedures, e.g., provided by WHO and FAO, and to take into account the seasonal factors (Shakir et al., 2017; Sou et al., 2013). Issues of Wastewater Collection Infrastructure The challenges related to wastewater collection are most severe in the segments of domestic effluents and industrial water reuse. For instance, poor treatment of domestic sewage is associated with infections, such as diarrheal diseases (e.g., cholera), malaria, and tuberculosis, and may cause considerably increased mortality rates in the population (Naik & Stenstrom, 2012). Improper collection and transportation of industrial effluents may cause ground contamination (Shakir et al., 2017). Inapprop
The world has experienced an economic slowdown that has affected many economic sectors over the last couple of years. One of the sectors that have been highly affected is the labor market. Many people have been losing their jobs since the organizations they work can no longer afford enough money to finance their salaries. Labor economics seeks to understand the dynamics in the labor markets. Currently, there are several labor issues that have been of concern to organizations, countries and the world as a whole. This report will address the issue of loss of jobs and the increasing rate of unemployment. Many people are jobless today compared to any other period in the past. The current situation is arguably the worst ever to be experienced. In the United State of America, the rate of unemployment was at its highest in the year 2007. It reached a peak in 2010, but it has since started to increase (Associated Press, 2013). It is said that the situation in the US is getting worse each day. The rate of unemployment in the US currently stands at 7.6%. It is a drop from last year, but there are still very many people actively looking for employment. Labor participation is at the lowest since 1979. About half a million people are reported to have dropped from the labor force by 2013 (Associated Press, 2013). This creates an illusion that the situation has not shown any signs of improving. The number of unemployed people could have increased due to several factors. To begin with, the population growth has increased. This means that there are more people seeking jobs, yet the industries and organizations that can offer the jobs are growing at a much slower rate than that of the population growth. Secondly, the rate of economic growth has been low. This business has been negatively affected. It means that the number of investments has decreased; therefore, not many job opportunities are being created. Organizations are, instead, downsizing to reduce their level of expenses (New York Daily News, 2013). The government has been doing its best to try and salvage the situation, but there is not much success as of now. The Obama administration has tried options such as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) that brought the issue of the stimulus bill. The government has also tried the American Job Act. However, it is disappointing that none of the efforts is yet to bear tangible benefits. Currently, the world is in a period of economic recovery. As a result, there are some improvements in the labor market, although they are still negligible (New York Daily News, 2013). The topic of unemployme
The government has intervened trade by imposing barriers which are either, political, social or economic. The efforts to do away with these barriers that governments have imposed are discussed. Governments always support their domestic companies. Reasons for government’s intervention to trade Governments intervene in the trade of goods due to various reasons. These reasons are political, economic, or cultural. They restrict trade by providing support to domestic companies’ exporting activities. This intervention is usually high in nations whose economy is not performing. Political reasons: There are several political reasons that make a government intervene in a country’s trade. These are; protecting jobs, preserving national security, and gaining influence over other nations. Nothing costs a government than high rates of unemployment (Cavusgil 130, 2012). Economic reasons: The major economic reason for government’s intervention in trade is to protect the domestic industries from competition. This is because as an industry grows, it gains the knowledge to become more efficient, innovative, and competitive. Most of the domestic industries are very young. Cultural Reasons: Many nations restrict the trade of goods and services to protect their national identity. Negative cultural influence in a country can make the government block the imports. This is because it can cause great distress to a country. This means the government controls all trades in its country. Methods of promoting trade: Subsidies -A subsidy is a financial help granted to the domestic producers in the form of cash payments, low-interest loans, or in other forms. Subsidies are given to help the domestic companies to compete with international companies. Though subsidies provide short-term relief to industries, they have other limitations. Export Financing: Governments help companies to finance their export activities. They give them loans or charge them at a lower interest rate. The government also assures that it will repay the loan in case the company fails to pay the loan. Nations also have other agencies that are there to support the companies. These nations only support companies that are domestic. That is the ones in their country. Foreign direct investment Foreign direct investment involves the purchase of physical assets of a company in another country to gain a measure of management control. There are several factors that have promoted the growth of Foreign Direct Investment over the past decade. The two main propellers of Foreign Direct Investment are globalization and international mergers and acquisitions. There are many theories that attempt to explain why these companies engage in foreign direct investment. These include the internationathe l product life cycle, market imperfections, electric theory, market pow
Summary The historic silk route or the Silk Road is one of the finest examples of the quest that the people even in those days used to display in order to carry out trade and business. In fact, the policies of globalization date back to the later part of the 20 th century, but if we minutely analyze the trade along the Silk Road, we find that the barter trade of goods and commodities en route the Silk Road is an example of the globalization practices of those times. Modern-day globalization has opened up newer vistas of trade and business all around the globe. It is said that the opening up of economies has now tilted the balance in favor of market forces, which is helping the consumer by way of providing quality at reasonable prices. During the 2 nd Century BC, the traders used to have an influence on the respective governments, while now the MNCs are effectively dictating the policies to the governments. MNCs have now begun to explore the markets outside their domestic grounds. Therefore, studying the historic Silk Road, its inception, its emergence as a reliable trading route, and its role in transforming the social relations and economies will help in understanding the relevance of prevailing ‘globalization practices’ during the period. Silk Road – Network of Trade Routes The historic Silk Road is in fact not a single highway or road, but it is a network of interconnected routers. Some of these routes became famous as the Silk route, as silk was an important commodity being traded along the routes which had a connection with China and the Chinese silk. In their urge to explore the business prospects, Western travelers took the route across the Torugart Pass from Chinese Turkestan through to the Central Asian countries, including the fabled caravan cities of Samarkand, Burkaha, Merv, and Mashad. Other routes across Pakistan and Afghanistan, and on through Iran and/or Turkey to the Mediterranean. Though it is not a single road, yet the formal opening of the Silk Road is stated to have taken place in the late second century BC, when Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, started expanding his empire into Central Asia, where his imperial routes and agents connected with the existing routes to India, the Middle East, and Rome 1 . Historians have roughly divided the Silk Road into three regions:   * Northern Silk Route: It goes through Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Russian Federation, and Mongolia.   * Central Silk Route: Passing through the Caspian Sea, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbeki