ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Introduction United National Environment Programme (UNEP) is an international environmental organization under the umbrella of the United Nations (UN). New York harbors the headquarters of the UN while Geneva, Nairobi, and Vienna have regional offices and this explains why the location of UNEP offices is in Gigiri, Nairobi Kenya. Established more than four decades ago, the main purpose of the organization is to correlate human activities with the environment. Fundamentally, UNEP functions in encouraging all sectors within its mandate to preserve and protect the environment. Through voluntary contribution from cluster members and corporate institutions or persons, UNEP acquires finances needed in running and implementing their strategic plans. Unfortunately, location, bankruptcy, and bureaucracy are some of the challenges that UNEP faces while implementing the strategic plans. Therefore, UNEP, as an environmental organization, provides the funds used to create awareness about human environment; unfortunately, limited financial aids and political issues are some of the challenges the organization experiences. Under the United Nation system, the United Nation Environmental Program (UNEP) is the main branch that deals with environmental policies. In 1972, the UN assembly established the body to monitor the environment and human activities within the member states and across the world. Although other countries like China are nonmember states, UNEP also monitors their role in preserving or sustaining the natural resources. With its headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, and regional offices in other parts of the world (but within member states), UNEP accomplishes its role in controlling human activities like farming, hunting, and industrial activities within the environment. Achim Steiner heads the UNEP activities, and he collaborates with other experts to ensure the continuity of life without negative impacts on the future generations. Concisely, the purpose of UNEP is to address environmental problems in over fifty states. Internationally, UNEP coordinates or monitors human activities in relation to the environment. Therefore, UNEP facilitates environmental programs at country, regional, and global level. As aforementioned, the main function of UNEP is to promote environmental science and information (Hiemer 134). Through partnership with corporate institutions, international bodies, nongovernmental organizations, governments of cluster members, and civil societies, UNEP enhances sustainable environmental issues (Rechkemmer 60). The first function is to monitor climate change in relation to human activities. The past few years have experienced a decline in the forest cover, natural water resources, and wetland areas. Consequently, the weather patterns have changed with increased in global warming, carbon emissions and discharge of greenhouse gases into the environment. Therefore, UNEP creates awareness
Article titled “The Determinants of Relationship Marketing: an Application to Thermal Spas” by Joaquim Antunes covers the study centered on the analysis of the different roles performed by the determinants of relationship marketing and the environmental factors in satisfaction and customer loyalty. The study was carried out with 346 people patronizing Portuguese thermal spas; therefore, the results of the study cannot be applied to other countries. The study is weak and poorly presented. The investigation does not contribute to the existing literature on relationship marketing. Introduction Introductory part is concise and clear. The definition of relationship marketing is provided. In addition, Antunes states the purpose of the study: to equate a set of constructs associated with relational marketing which responds to changes in attitudes and demands of consumers with a view to their loyalty. Antunes explains the choice of the thermal sector for investigation. In particular, it is stated that thermal sector offers promising tourism products and the results of the study can be useful for the business community. In overall, the language is simple and easy to understand. All necessary information is provided in this section. Theoretical Model and Research Hypotheses This part of the article starts with the analysis of the relationship marketing and its essence. However, the information presented does not fit this section because it is general and refers more to the introductory part. Antunes includes references to several studies relevant to the given research; however, no explanation is given. The studies are listed but the reader is not aware of their essence and relevance to this study. At the same time, Antunes succeeded in justifying the choice of customer loyalty as a dependent variable. The theoretical model is based on the assumption that customer satisfaction and loyalty are reflected upon environmental and organizational/corporate factors. Antunes includes a figure illustrating the conceptual model of the study. The figure helps readers visualize the fundamental premises of the study. Hypotheses “are connected to the questions involved in this investigation and come from the revision of literature related to each construct of the model and exploratory interviews with those responsible for the main Portuguese thermal spas” (p. 156). This one sentence summarizes the methods employed by Antunes to investigate the research question. Section Theoretical Model and Research Hypotheses is rather short; however, it includes enough preparatory information. Research Hypotheses The section starts with the general information that could be excluded. For example, there is no need to provide another definition of the relationship marketing, customers’ expectations and nee
Les faux-monnayuers is the 1925 Novel by French Author Andre Gide that was written as a form slice of life novel that was well known for its many characters and crisscrossing plotlines. The novel’s main theme is that of an original story then a copy of the same and how they are different from each other. The external story of the counterfeiting of gold coins and the internal story of portraying the characters’ feelings and their relationships. The novel gained attention because of its style of being a novel within a novel Another reason it was famous was the use of an omniscient narrator that spoke to the readers directly to discuss Gide’s outlook and ideas with them which made it a precursor to the nouveau roman style. Still more things that made it famous was the large number of bisexual and gay male characters including Oliver who was just an adolescent and the closet homosexual friend of his Bernard. Gontran and Philippe were also closet homosexuals along with Comete de Passavant and the benevolent Eduard. Their large number and the depictions of homosexual relationships is one of the reasons the book was originally held as Pariah but later became famous. Today the book is a famous piece of Western literature. The plot itself revolves around Bernard and Oliver, Bernard is preparing for college when he discovers that he is an illegitimate child. This gives him the pretext to run away from home. Bernard then goes off to visit Oliver in his bedroom where they discuss sexuality and recount a not so
Introduction Texting while one is driving can be defined as that act whereby one sends, reads, emails or composes text messages through the mobile phone while at the same time operating a motor vehicle (Ishigami & Klein 157). With the onset of modern day technology, individuals are now in a better position to communicate easily with others despite their busy schedules, regardless of where they are or what they may be doing at that particular time. This habit of texting while driving has been perceived by majority of individuals and authorities as being dangerous (McCartt 1). From recent studies that have been conducted, it has been revealed that approximately 9 out of 10 American citizens aged between 18 years and 36 years hold the same belief that texting while driving is distracting as well as risky (Beede & Kass 415). In addition, approximately 66% of American adults have been observed to email or read text messages from their mobile phones while driving to their various destinations. Essay As much as majority of American individuals and the rest of the world may agree that texting while driving is not only distracting but also dangerous, there are a few individuals who may argue that texting while driving should be made legal. When SMS, also known as Short Message Service was introduced in the cellular phone industry, it immediately became evident that it should be considered as a danger as far as road safety is concerned (McCartt 3). To consider both sides of the coin, it is wise to state a few advantages and disadvantages of texting while driving. As aforementioned, the cellular phone, better known as the mobile phone has brought about numerous luxuries and conveniences that make it sufficient for everyday individual activities (Ishigami & Klein 158). Those arguing that texting while driving should be made legal suggest that the younger generation, that is, those between the ages of 18 years to 36 years are better able to use a mobile phone and thus are considered better texters as compared to the older generation, those aged between 40 years and above (Beede & Kass 416). This is because those of the older generation did not grow up using such technology unlike the younger ones who have been brought up having learned to use the cellular phones at an early age. On the other hand, one of the disadvantages of texting while driving is because of its sole reason of creating a distraction for that particular individual thus making them not to pay full attention to the road ahead or the various road signs along the way (Beede & Kass 417). Texting while driving should be made illegal. To begin with, it has been observed from recent studies that have been conducted that majority of American citizens are in complete agreement that texting while one is driving should be banned as it is the leading cause of numerous road
The American Revolution denotes the social, political and intellectual developments in the American states, which were characterized by political upheaval and war. This happened during the last half of the eighteenth century (Burg, 1). The revolution began in 1763 and lasted up to 1383 when the American Revolutionary war or the American War of Independence ended. During this time, the thirteenth states of North America, which were colonies of the British Empire, joined effort to fight for their freedom (McNeill, para.1). These states came together and formed the United States of America. The American people started by rebelling against the government of Great Britain and denying the administration structure and composition. The people rejected the authority of Britain’s Parliament governing them from overseas without local representation. The British government had imposed many laws on their colonists and imposition of many taxes in order to demonstrate their authority. The move by the colonizers seemed unpopular to the colonists and a violation of their rights. The colonists made plans to come up with their own congress. This led them to expel all the royal officials. The American people then made local governments, which they replaced with the British’s ruling apparatus by 1772. This triggered the British government to send combat troops to dissolve the local governments and impose their direct rule (Lancaster and Plumb, 66). By 1775, the colonies had mobilized their troops and war broke out. In search for independence, the thirteen British colonies in North America started a war between them and the British government; a war, which was known as the American war of Independence, or the American Revolutionary war. This war, which started in 1775 and lasted through 1783 ended in a global war between the many great powers of Europe. The war saw the end of the political revolution of America, where the parliament of Great Britain was rejected as a legitimate governor of the people of America. By 1776, all the thirteen colonies in North America had succeeded in driving out the colonial governors and declared the colonies states. They set out their own legislation and this new constitution was used in each state (Mcllwain, 21). Newhampshire ratified its constitution on January 5, 1776 as the first state constitution. Later, the other states like Virginia, South Carolina and New Jersey created their own constitutions to decide what kind of government they needed. In July 4, 1776, the Continental congress adopted the declaration of independence s
Critically evaluate the three brand equity approaches discussed in the case The case study describes three different brand equity approaches that could be used to analyze the brand value of Evergood Coffee: the conversion model, indirect value assessment, and the royalty method. All three approaches use different aspects of brand equity to evaluate the cost of the brand. The conversion model evaluates the customers’ attitudes towards the brand. Current customers are seen either as ‘secure’ or as ‘vulnerable,’ if they are not entirely happy with the brand. Potential customers are viewed in terms of their availability for conversion. This approach is useful as it is focused on the customers, who are the main contributors to the brand equity. Indirect value assessment uses a different method. It aims to dissect the profits made by the business to estimate the contribution of the brand equity to sales results. However, this approach has been criticized for its complexity (Budac & Baltador, 2013, p. 446). Finally, the royalty method is based on the amount of benefits that would be achieved if the brand was leased to a third party for a given period of time. The value is estimated based on the cash flow gained and on the final price of the brand at the end of the lease. The main limitation of this approach is the “difficulty […] to find relevant rates, especially where there is a no history and a critical amount of transactions” (Budac & Baltador, 2013, p. 446). How could Evergood capitalize on its brand equity in order to plan its future brand strategy? Evergood Coffee is a well-established Norwegian brand that has been using a stable strategy to achieve brand equity over the years. Seo and Jang (2013) note the benefits of a high brand equity for business strategies: “The traditional view on brand equity focuses on the advantageous side of strong brand equity, which is the so-called “buffering” perspective. This theory asserts that strongly built brand equity increases future cash flow […] and enhances marketing efficiency” (p. 192). The main aspect of the brand equity that Evergood Coffee could utilize is its high level of brand awareness. For example, brand awareness is one of the determining factors for the use of corporate branding strategy. It is centered on “a firm using a single name that is connected to the parent company” (Seo & Jang, 2013, p. 192-193). This promotes brand recognition and remembrance, which ensures a higher number of returning customers as well as of those who would express a preference for the brand’s well-recognized name. The single brand name is associated with stability and high quality, and the marketing strategy of Evergood Coffee is partly based on that association. For instance, the company’s website does not have a lot of information, as the customers are expected to know the brand. Such awareness is partly due to the TV advertising that uses well-known public figures such as Madonna, Sop
Differences in Presenting Annual Performance The two reports use similar way of presenting heavy information on financial performance, especially the financial ratios with minor differences in reporting format. When reporting the financial performance for the year 2015, the reports of Stryker Corp and Abbott rely heavily on comprehensive financial ratio tables and graphs in the analysis of each performance indicator against the projections (Stryker Corporation, 2016; Abbott, 2016). Besides, there are pie charts that are uniformly spread in the part of describing the basic financial ratios such as profitability, liquidity, and internal rate of return among others (Grace, 2011). The tables are in the form of income statements. At the end of presentation of heavy information in both Stryker Corp and Abbott reports, there are prose summaries in the financial reporting consisting of 20 and 22 elements that summarize the whole analysis, respectively. Various ratios are used to analyze profitability such as, gross profit margin, operating profit margin, net profit margin, the return on assets (ROA) ratio, and the return on equity (ROE) ratio in the two reports. As mentioned earlier, the financial reports are prepared in accordance with IFRS (Grace, 2011). As stated in the financial reports, the Stryker Corp and Abbott make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities (Stryker Corporation, 2016; Abbott, 2016). The most critical accounting policies and significant areas of judgment used by the two companies in their reports are as follows. The main accounting policy used in the reports is the revenue recognition. The two companies recognize the invoiced amount as revenue. This value excludes the sales made between the two companies and value added tax. It also excludes estimates accruals for chargeback and refund. The two reports use a similar policy to offer a credit note for all returns and destroy all returned stock in the market (Stryker Corporation, 2016; Abbott, 2016). Further, revenue is recognized at the point of delivery. The second policy used in the two reports is on research and development (R&D). The R&D on activities to produce commodities is expensed in the year it was incurred. Besides, purchase of intellectual property to supplement the R&D is capitalized as an intangible asset in the two reports (Stryker Corporation, 2016; Abbott, 2016). Third is the policy on litigation. Contingent liabilities may arise from day to day operations of the business. The two companies have a similar policy to disclose and not p
Costs and Benefits Air cargo is not as common as the other available forms of freight but it reliance is on the rise. The environmental costs that are associated with air transport include its high emission rates. Even as an efficient form of transport, airfreight can have significant environmental costs. First, when airplanes land or takeoff, they do so with high rates of emission that pollute the surrounding air and contribute to global warming. Air cargo is also synonymous with noise pollution, which is more noticeable to individuals who live near airports. This cargo-movement method also contributes to congestion and land-utilization issues in the areas that neighbor airports. The environmental benefits of using air cargo include the fact that it is able to account for lower volumes of emission per tonnage. For example, moving a container through land takes longer than moving goods through air. Consequently, the intensity of emissions by air cargo is less than that of other forms of transport such as road and ship. Air transport is also restricted to certain environmental impacts and this makes it easy to counter its negative environmental impacts. Direct, Indirect, or Cumulative Impacts Some of the direct impact of air cargo include increasing rate of emissions such as nitrogen oxide, hydrocarbons, and carbon monoxide. When these gases build up in the atmosphere, they are become smog or they react to form ozone. Currently, aircraft emissions represent the fastest rising category among transport-related pollutions. Air transport is the only form of transport that emits greenhouse gases at high altitudes. These emissions are instrumental in creating imbalances in the atmosphere. At high altitudes, greenhouse emissions are more potent than when the
Introduction Aramex has established itself as a global brand whose services are valued by consumers across a global scale. Even though it is based in the United Arabs Emirates, the strategic positioning of Aramex in the Gulf Cooperation Council has provided a platform for it to effectively provide logistics solutions to both regional and global consumers. Conversely, the high demand experienced in the global shipping and logistics sector has provided Amarex with a wide range of competition from different organizations across the globe among them being DHL and FedEx. Consequently, Aramex experiences increased competition across all angles hence it must develop and undertake competent measures to cement its positioning (Abdullah et al., 2020). However, Amarex has boosted its competitive advantage and cemented its strategic positioning by maintaining its operation ability by enhancing its diversified business model, and fostering its robustness in the finance sector. For instance, its significant investment in digital transformation placed it in a good position to effectively adapt to the forced spike of e-commerce activities triggered by the COVID 19 pandemic. Its competence in e-commerce and digital transformation has laid a strong foundation while providing it with broad opportunities for Amarex to ensure its sustainability and business growth. Undoubtedly, high-level technology and e-commerce platforms have ensured that Aramex attains broad benefits while providing solutions on transportation and logistics (Aramex, annual report, 2015). To enable them to maintain their competitive advantage, Amarex should heavily invest in both the employees and customers through developing effective measures in its hiring, selection, and placement practices, reinforcing employee retention, and observing customer needs through monitoring the dynamic trends in preferences and fostering customer satisfaction. The purpose of this study is to analyze the strategic positioning of Amarex, the strategic decisions it undertook regarding COVID 19, and to develop strategic alternatives and orientations that would provide it with a competitive advantage and strategic positioning. The Strategic Positioning of Aramex Over the years, Aramex has grown into a well-recognized and established global brand whose services have proved to play a pivotal role for customers across the globe. Based in the United Arab Emirates, the organization is well situated to effectively provide logistics solutions to both regional and global consumers. Further, its unique positioning enables it to effectively monitor the regional markets together with the global market while focusing on changes in the global trends to cement its global position (Aramex, annual report, 2015). Among its significant strengths in pursuing business growth opportunities across emerging global markets and ensuring profit maximization. Further, the organiza