ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Mattel has to focus on its own internal and external responsibilities. The case study focuses on the company strengths and Opportunities to increase global revenues. The case study focuses on resolving its weaknesses and threats to avoid a reduction in global sales. Mattel must focus on both its internal as well as external responsibilities to keep its present headship in the global market segment. Strengths Mattel is a world Leader in the toy industry. The company built up its toy brand names after Ruth and Elliot Handler and Matson established Mattel in 1945, just after the war ended. The company’s switching to a publicly listed company generates $100 million revenue during the 1960s alone. Second, the company’s products continue to be very popular for over forty years. One of its popular brands is the set of Barbie dolls. Another popular Mattel brand is the Fisher Price. Third, Mattel’s Matchbox brand creates high toy car demand for many years. Other popular Mattel brands include Tyco toys and Hot Wheels race cars (Ferrell and Hartline 457). Third, the company complies with its global corporate social responsibility where its products are sold in the world market. The company sells its products in more than 150 countries around the world. The company sets up toy stores and production facilities in many countries. The company complies with the labor and child laws in the countries where its productions facilities are set up. The company complies with discrimination, freedom of association, cultural, ethical, and other working condition laws of the various countries where each facility is set up (Ferrell and Hartline 461). Fourth, the company focuses a majority of its time, money, and efforts positively touching the lives of children around the world for over forty years. The company’s children’s foundation gives back to the world’s children by promoting its philanthropic child care efforts. The company and its employees annually offer charitable contributions to children’s welfare organizations. The company continues to operate a children’s hospital in California (Ferrell and Hartline 465). The company complies with children’s rights policies in each country where the Mattel brand is seen (Ferrell and Hartline 463). Weaknesses The company has a tainted (weak) image. First, the unauthorized use of lead paint wreaks continuing damage to Mattel’s reputation. The China-made toys were tainted with unauthorized lead paint, under Lee Der’s leadership. Second, the toy’s magnets’ being seen as choking hazards is another weakness. Consequently, the company received the 2007 Bad Product aw
Introduction Some employee behaviors may be considered ethically dubious. However, they may have no adverse impact on the company, and could even be viewed as entitlements. This paper considers several examples of such behaviors, as provided in the case study of Brenda Franklin (Shaw, 2014, pp. 388-389). From the Kantian (deontic) perspective, most items condemned in Brenda’s list are morally wrong (Bowie, 2013), because the employees take what formally belongs to the company. However, staying at the most expensive hotel or using the company’s car for personal purposes may not be deontically wrong, if the employees were not asked not to do so. From the utilitarian perspective, the items on Brenda’s list are not morally wrong unless they cause harm (that is at least noticeable) to the company (Bowie, 2013). Discussion Some of the items listed as ethically dubious might indeed be considered as employee entitlements. For instance, using company’s computers to send personal emails costs nothing to the company, and employees cannot stay completely focused on the work 100% of the time because human brains do not work in such a way; some breaks are necessary. Companies need to take that into account and provide some ways for employees to briefly relax; sending personal emails may be one of such ways. Arguments against some of the items on Brenda’s list include, e.g., that the employees usually do not gain an explicit permission to do these things, therefore, they take what belongs to the company without asking. Also, some of these items (staying in an expensive hotel) cost much to the company. Arguments for some of these items (e.g., sending emails, using a photocopier) are that they cost next to nothing to the company; in addition, it is very likely that employees do some work for the company for free (e.g., they help other employees when they do not have to, etc.), so it is only fair to let them utilize a photocopier for personal purposes. The rightness/wrongness of some items is a matter of degree. Staying at a good hotel on a business trip for a multi-million business is part of decent working conditions; staying at the most expensive and luxurious hotel at the company’s expense is using the company’s resources for personal gain. An action such as taking a pad of paper can both be trivial and wrong, e.g., if one promised that they would not take any pads of paper, or were strictly forbidden to do so. However, forbidding employees to take a piece of paper and punishing them for doing so would also be ethically questionable. Employees have certain obligations to their employers. These include doing the job they are supposed to do according to the terms of employment; doing it well; not harming the company; fulfilling the terms of their contract; etc. However, employers also have obligations to their employees – such as providing adequate working conditions, paying for all the work that the
“ Reality is more than the thing itself. I look always for the super-reality. Reality lies in how you see things. A green parrot is also a green salad and a green parrot. He who makes it only a parrot diminishes reality. A painter who copies a tree blinds himself to the real tree. I see things otherwise. A palm tree can become a horse.” – Pablo Picasso. Ghost could be the element being used in Pedro Paramo that made the book inspired the creation of the magic realism genre. The short novel written by Juan Rulfo, originally published in 1985, tackles the death of Comala through the narration of the ghosts of the former inhabitant of the town. Juan Preciado, the protagonist of the story traveled to Comala, Colima as being beseeched by his dying mother in the beginning. He intends to seek the answer in this place of the revenge that his mother wanted him to do to the man responsible for his biological existence, Pedro Paramo. She left Pedro Paramo. Pedro Paramo had stolen all the supposed lands and the inheritance of Juan Preciado. As the story progresses he eventually learned about Comala’s history through the ghosts of the town. Although it tackles real pains and sufferings of humans in such circumstances, it was delivered in a surreal situation using entities that were not acknowledged to be real in some aspects – putting it in a magical context or the genre that is called magical realism. Magical realism is regarded as an artistic genre usually being used in films and literature, where creators are using unusual elements such as mystical entities or even scenarios far from reality while it was told in a realistic setting. Using such element is to convey the message that is more effectively executed by using entities that has some literary relevance, the message, and its characteristics. These are being considered for poetic license and aesthetic value of the text. Although the term was initially coined by German art critic Franz Roh in his painting to point out an altered reality and in writing it was the Cuban Alejo Carpentier who formally claimed he used magical realism in his work, still Rulfo’s work had a major influence on the creation of the genre through his novel Pedro Paramo. In it he executed the story in a painting like narration, using first-person and third-person points of view. Upon scrutinizing the text, Rulfo’s work is nevertheless a fiction especially using such elements but the realism and accuracy of the historic Mexican Revolution discussed as subtext is cannot be ignored. The novel is also regarded as the breakthrough of the “realists” trend of the novel during its contemporary, which was popular and at its peak during that period. Dissecting the term, it can be explained as a combination of reality and fiction or a fantastical realm. Indeed this is how Pedro Paramo was executed, meeting both the ess
Background study Budgeting is a key element for every government in the process of executing various economic policies. Government budgeting is undertaken by both the local and state governments. According to Tigue, effective budgeting results into an improvement in the chances of the government attaining effective decisions making, planning for its financial resources in a way that promote economic growth, and their implementation(Para. 1). Government budget is defined as a legal document which is formulated by the legislature and the executive arms of the government. Government budgeting entails allocation of revenues and other borrowed funds with the aim of achieving predetermined social economic goals of a given country. It also involves effective management of various government expenditures. This results into creation of the desired economic impact in the production of goods and services thus enhancing the country’s fiscal position. Various governments adopt different processes in their budgeting processes in an effort to stimulate their country’s economic growth. Over the past few decades, there has been an increment in the number of economic integration witnessed amongst various countries based on various characteristics. Some of these characteristics include geographical location. Examples of such integration include Gulf countries and Middle East-North Africa (MENA) countries. The Gulf countries consist of Saudi Arabia, United Arabs Emirates and Kuwait while MENA countries include Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco. This paper entails a report on government budgeting for MENA and Gulf countries. Aim The report involves a comparison of government budgeting between the Gulf and MENA countries. Scope The report covers a comparison of the major sources of government revenue for MENA and Gulf cou
People use music to deal with different issues in the society. In this regard, hip hop music has been used to address various questions, especially those which refer to women. The role of women in hip hop and rap has been changing over the years. Initially, women used hip hop to fight for women rights in society (Morgan, 435). They also used the music to make people aware of sexual harassment against females as well as exploitation. Moreover, the music was to depict what it meant to grow up as a black woman in society. Additionally, the role of women included addressing the issues of gender, race, and class discrimination. Nevertheless, in recent years, women have been depicted as weak persons dominated by men. However, women are sometimes not aware of the role they have gained in the music industry, especially in recent times (Morgan 441). It is important to note that the notion of the female complaint is heavily depicted in today’s hip hop. Various women who sing hip hop and rap usually represent themselves as independent persons who do not fall for cheap tricks used by men. In this regard, women are shown as the ones being able to take care of their affairs, including going to night clubs without having to depend on men (Rose 173). On the same note, the lyrics in hip hop and rap, as well as the videos, are aimed at telling men that they should not think that dressing has anything to do with behavior. In today’s hip hop and rap, women represent themselves as people of integrity who can easily survive with or without men. Similarly, the lyrics are directed at reprimanding various negative behaviors of men towards women. On the same note, women used hip hop and rap nowadays to warn the rest to be aware of the canning behaviors of men (Rose 157). While looking at the various roles of women in hip hop and rap, it is also important to note that the way women are presented has various effects on society. To begin with, the way women in wrap dress while shooting their videos is explicit. These dressing styles have been taken up by women and ladies in society (Hill and Ramsaran 92). Moreover, women are also depicted as sex objects. Thus such an image negatively affects the morals of the society. Consequently, there has been a lot of concern from various people who argue that this representation of women has immense effects on culture. Nonetheless, there is a lot of subjectivity in this criticism because men are also represented as violent and rough people who spend all their money on women. Regrettably, there are very few people who complain about men and the w
Introduction Indubitably, General Motors Company (GM) is one of the largest vehicle manufacturing companies in the world. Currently, General Motors employs over 325,000 people around the world. Although headquartered in Detroit, General Motors has over 120 branches in different countries, 31 of them being manufacturing centres. Primarily, General motors and its strategic partners manufacture vehicles but sell them in diverse brands such as Opel, Isuzu, Chevrolet, Holden and many more to interested buyers all around the globe. According to the recently released statistics from GM’s department of logistics and supply, China tops as the biggest market for GM’s products. Other major market places include countries in the European Union such as Germany, France, Russia and United Kingdom. Traditionally, the automotive industry has employed a business model of mass production where automotive companies rely on mass production for competition. Providentially, this was the then fortitude of competition. However, as time went by, the mass production of vehicles from other automotive manufacturers such as Toyota and Ford became irrelevant. On the other hand, demands and expectations from customers intensified forcing many manufacturing companies to reconsider their logistics and supply chain management. The paper is an executive summary of General Motors Company and will specifically look into the past successes and failure, current economic and financial situation, and economic and financial future (Cooper 1). Past Successes and Failures Since its foundation in 1908, General Motors grew form a small holding company into a leading manufacturer of motor vehicles. During this period, General Motors experienced a number of successes and failures. The road to GM’s success started in 1908 when its founder, William Durant, devised ways of expanding the horizons of the company. However, the company was one year later plunged into financial distress that threatened its collapse. Since most American businesspersons had seen the business idea of GM, some bankers pumped financial resources into the company thus, preventing its collapse. The company was again back on its feet, and in 1911, it entered into the international market by making sales outside North America. Durant who had been ousted from the company he founded, moved on to create another company, Chevrolet, which enables him to come back to General Motors in 1915. History categorically states that GM started growing hysterically. During this time, GM sold the highest number of Cadillac vehicles, and in 1918, GM acquired another motor company, Chevrolet Motors. The economic recession of 1920 caught the company by surprise and Durant was again affected as he found himself outside the ranks of General Motors Company. Nevertheless, the financial boom of 1920s helped the compan
In general, the amount of generated household hazardous waste in European countries, Canada, Greenland, India, Japan, Pakistan. And the United States increased from 0,4 to 7,9 kilograms per person annually (Lim-Wavde & Kauffman, n.d.). The major part of the global household hazardous waste stream is electronic waste, as mobile phones became highly affordable. In the UAE , the management of hazardous waste is constantly developing, while the community members’ level of awareness of waste management is considerably low. According to the research conducted by Al Sha’rawy, et al. (2019), almost 60% of participants reported that “they do not take any precautions when disposing of hazardous products and they just throw them in the general waste” (p. 746). Almost 70% of municipal solid waste, along with hazardous waste, is disposed of in landfills (Al Sha’rawy, et al., 2019). In the Czech Republic , household hazardous waste comprises 2,047% of the municipal solid waste’s general stream (Adamcová, et al., 2016). Hazardous substances traditionally include paints, mercury-containing waste, vehicle maintenance products, batteries, and pharmaceuticals. As 70% of solid waste is disposed of in landfills, these substances are poorly controlled – they are not collected separately and recycled (Adamcová, et al., 2016). In China , the rate of household hazardous waste generation has recently been more than 6g per person daily that has accounted for 2,23% of the total household solid waste stream (Gu, et al., 2014). The main categories of hazardous waste include home cleaning products, medicines, and personal care products (Gu, et al., 2014). Single-use products, containers, and packaging accounted for 80% of the total household hazardous waste generation (Gu, et al., 2014). In Mexico , the rates of household hazardous waste generation considerably vary across the country. In the central region, household hazardous waste totals 1,03% of general municipal solid waste, and it is predominantly represented by cleaning products, self-care products, and insecticides (Delgado, et al., 2007). At the same time, in the country’s northern region, the household hazardous waste’s generation comprises 3,7% of the general municipal solid waste stream with the largest categories of home care pr
Zoning of ordinances has become a common battlefield between landowners and the local government in Georgia. Zoning laws are essential to help the local government subdivide areas into various zones for further development. If these laws aggrieve anyone, he/she can use Article 6 of the Georgian Constitution that allows people to appeal any ordinance they believe is inconsistent with public safety and morality. However, this appeal must be made within 30 days after the zoning board has enforced the law (Derek, 2011, para. 6). The local government has established ways which can be used by a person in order to challenge zoning ordinance; this can be followed by Irene Lopez. Irene Lopez is a resident of Atlanta who is upset because the local government has passed the zoning ordinance that hinders her from establishing a daycare in her residence. She intends to challenge the ordinance. However, challenging the Federal government can be rather tough. According to Atlanta jurisdictions, the local government requires anyone who proposes to appeal against the zoning ordinance to pass all exhausted administrative remedies before bringing the matter to court. However, there is an exception if the local government board does not have the jurisdiction to grant relief from the zoning ordinance. Lopez can challenge the
The dynamic markets have forced many organizations to incorporate SMS in marketing strategies. The organizations offer rewards such as gift vouchers and travel packages to their customers through SMS. In this case, the SMS is integrated with other media such as radio, TV, or social sites to allow customers to send codes and their details. When the customers purchase the products of the organization, they find special codes in the products. These special codes are sent to match the codes that are attached with prizes. On the other hand, the organization could utilize the media to offer codes, where customers are required to send their codes and individual details to special numbers. After the codes from various customers are received, they are subjected to random picking. The lucky codes picked will enable the owners to receive some prizes. For this reason, organizations can maintain the loyalty and trust of their customers. At the same time, organizations can attract the interests of the customers, which enhances organizational profitability. In the recent past, Macca, a chain that offers junk food, used SMS to enhance its sales while offering prizes to its loyal consumers. In essence, the company collaborated with a local radio station that offered a special number for listeners to send their details to it. Many listeners were attracted to try their luck by sending their details to the number. Based on random selection, the lucky customers of the company could be selected for various prizes. This marketing approach elicited interest among many people in organizational products. Consequently, the level of sales in the company increased drastically. The dominance of SMS has forced TV channels to incorporate the concept in their programs. Popular programs on the TV channels request viewers to send their perceptions or votes. When viewers participate in the program, they can support their favorite programs, models, or concepts being covered. TV stations can earn some revenue from the SMS since their rates are higher than the standard SMS. For instance, ‘Late Night Legends’ and ‘Good Game’ use SMS to attract audience participation. On the other hand, organizations could use TV stations to offer prizes to their loyal consumers. In this case, people are required to send their details to certain special numbers. Consequently, their details would be picked at random, and the lucky winners are offered prizes. Besides, the selected individuals could be invited to TV stations to present their views about certain concepts or products. These activities enable the TV channels to earn some revenue while marketing the services of different
Critical literature review of theories of innovation and change Modern world is too rush and busy to remain at and the same place, without innovation and change. The main idea of this paper is to consider the theories of innovation and change, critically evaluate each of them and stress on their advantages and disadvantages. The processes of innovation and change are interconnected and cannot be used separately. Those who underestimate the importance of innovation and change do not know the recent tendencies in the business world. Innovation and change have become key leadership notions in the USA since the end of the WWII. Much discussion is conducted in the sphere of innovation and change implementation. Scholars are unable to deduce a unique theory which can be applied to all the situations. Thus, much attention is paid to the theories of innovation and change and their criticism. Adair (2007) considers innovation just as a part of change which may be present or not in the process of innovation. In other words, change is a natural flow of event, it is an obligatory process which may be implemented into intervention, creation or change. According to Adair (2007) innovation, as a means of change, is easier for implementation, it involves the whole staff and it is “more positive and less threatening than other forms of change” (p. 9). Thus, this scholar considers innovation as one of the processes at the work place which lead to changes. Birkinshaw, Hamel and Mol (2008) also believe that innovation is just a part of change and offer four perspectives, institutional perspective, fashion perspective, cultural perspective, and rational perspective. No matter which perspective is used, it should come through four phases, motivation, invention, implementation, and theorization and labeling. However, such opinion is not supported by others authors, who consider innovation and change as two absolutely different processes which still interrelate with each other. Innovation and change are the interrelated processes. Implementing innovation and change at the work place, managers interfere into something unknown and unpredicted. Clegg, Kornberger, and Pitsis (2007) are sure that it is impossible to predict the outcomes of the change. Considering the reasons of innovation and change failures, these scholars point at the reasons connected with inappro