ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Both papers by Manuel Perez Garcia pose important questions for scholars as they mostly dwell on methods and approaches for relevant topics. Through studying the history of families and global history that seems to be well researched, Garcia still manages to take a look at these issues from a new, different perspective. The article “From Eurocentrism to Sinocentrism: The New Challenges in Global History” focuses on the topic of global history and how it is viewed and studied in China. From his experience as a professor in Chinese universities, he draws attention to the fact that the approach of Chinese scholars to global history is marked by national features and ideologies, which presents a challenge for making objective studies. Some scholars “observe global history as an ‘imported’ intellectual form from the West that contaminates China’s pure and unique history” (Garcia, From Eurocentrism to Sinocentrism 339). Thus, as a subject, global history is often reduced to the history of other countries not from the perspective of their interrelations but as separate narratives. An attempt to put Chinese history under the scrutiny of European scholars might give misleading results as well because most of the generally accepted European concepts like the industrial revolution and Renaissance cannot be applied to Eastern cultures. The main reason for such substantial differences lies in the ancient and authentic philosophy of China, its inherent influence on all the spheres of life, and national values. In the article “New Technologies Applied to Family History: A Particular Case of Southern Europe in the Eighteenth Century,” Garcia shows the benefits of using modern technologies and computer programs for social and historical research. He argues that a single researcher cannot handle big volumes of certain data, but special software and collaboration between groups of researchers and databases of archives can facilitate the process. In this case study, the author analyzes the history of the Crown of Castile, the certain part individuals played in the family history, and their social group. According to Garcia, “defining the type, size, and composition of noble families, their strategies and histories and their friendship patterns, their vicinity, and clientelism relations allows us to gain an insight into the behavior and social patterns of the group which belongs to the social elites” (New Technologies Applied to Family History 253). It is true that the variety of means available nowadays significantly simplifies and sometimes makes certain possible types of research. Nonetheless, historians’ objective should always lie with the results and not the process. Why will it be important for the Chinese to change the current state of affairs and establish a new approach to studying and researching global history? Though so far they have been taking their own approach and view on global history, they should only benefit from broadening their views on this subject. It will open for them a big layer of information and might give new perspectives for further research. Wo
The article “The Theory-practice divide: thoughts from the Editors and Senior Advisor Board of EJM” is written by a scholar, Nick Lee (2010). The basic purpose of this paper is to propose the inclusion of an excerpt in the selected article. One needs to understand that there is a thin line between theory and practice. Although most of the authors have conflicting views regarding the same, many researchers have complained that if practices of practitioners are not evidenced-based or extracted from theories then they are of no use. It is worth mentioning here that Parton had similar views on the subject. According to the scholar, it is essential to use universal and incontrovertible knowledge in the modern world that can explain different processes taking place through a progressive route. It could help researchers to reduce the gap between theory and business practice. However, Friedson had a view that most of the practitioners in different professions use their knowledge to disseminate information in the environment. Therefore, such information is commonly challenged in terms of its legitimacy. Such conflicting views show that there is a widening gap that exists between theory and practice (Fook, 2002). A researcher has to address many questions that could be related to the type of knowledge and theories to conclude any study. Any researcher needs to form a reasoning to reduce the gap between theory and actual practice. A researcher may identify main themes and theories that provide systematic explanations. The main ideas extracted from theories should be compared with practical experiences. The connection between behaviours and related ideas may provide answers to the underlying research questions (Fook, 2002). Straus and Corbin had a view that theories need to be relevant provided their general approach is broadly classified and applied. In this regard, there are two main general approaches. Firstly, it is “idiographic”, which refers to a theory that is modified or developed based on a specific condition, and this type of theory can be tested for its validity and relevance for any situation that the researcher is dealing with. The basic advantage of the idiographic theory is that it can be related to different situations and contexts. “Nomothetic” is the second type of general approach. It refers to basic general laws that are mostly abstracted from a location or situation. The advantage of the nomothetic theory is that its presence imposes guidelines or order in a particular situation (Fook, 2002). It is important to include these elements in Lee’s article as they provide answers to practitioners for understanding how idiographic or nomothetic theories can be used in practice. Moreover, they also provide reasoning for reducing the gap between theory and practice. Even though many scholars have conflicting views on the subject but this inclusion could provide an analytical view of scholars who are of the view that the integration of theory and practise is neces
System Changes Introduction Organisational changes are normally instigated by opportunities or challenges in the manner in which an organisation conducts its business. However, other additional cause of change also exists. This includes instances of organisational management changes in which the incoming management team has new ideas that would enable any organisation to secure better success. Change may also emanate from replacement of a CEO of an organisation. Amid all these triggers of change, Burnes (2009) insists, “The main two are problems and opportunities – current or future – real or perceived” (p.23). One can distinguish and classify all organisational system changes into two broad categories- soft and hard changes. According to George, “hard’ concerns material assets (things) and ‘soft’ concerns people” (1982, p.91). In design, analysis and implementation of either change, conversation style coupled with the content of the conversation are essential in fostering cute success of various change processes. In many instances, hard change embraces change of organisational technological structures, which are easier to design and implement in comparison to soft changes. This is because “soft problems are hardest to manage” (Burnes 2009, p.27). This makes soft problems predominantly hard to handle and align with the changes to the organisational culture. The purpose of this paper is to discuss and apply hard and soft system changes in an example on Emirates Airlines. The paper approaches this challenge by discussing the stages or phases of both hard and soft changes, changes in Emirates Airlines, and then sums up by looking at how these changes may be implemented in Emirates Airlines. Hard system changes Hard system changes are accomplished by deploying a model of change referred to as “hard systems model of change” (Senior & Fleming 2005, p.312). This model entails a methodology for development and design coupled with management of change. Its origin is traceable from “methods of analysis and change associated with systems in engineering, operational research and project management; that is where there is emphasis on means and ends with which particular set goals are to be achieved” (Senior & Fleming 2005, p.312). This approach is critical in permitting systematic mechanisms of determining various organisational change objectives and or goals in a rigorous manner. This leads to the creation of various change options and appropriate actions necessary to facilitate the implementation of change. The process of hard systems change is covered in three main phases that are normally overlapping in nature. These phases or steps are- description, options phase, and the implementation phase. According to Senior and Fleming (2005), the description phases embrace “describing and diagnosing the situation, understanding what is involved and setting the objectives for change” (p.313). In the options phase, various options that are deemed vital in inducing change are generated, and most appropriate options selected coupled with conducting a thorough scrutiny of repe
Introduction Project management can be defined as discipline in which various activities such as “planning, organizing, managing, leading, securing, and controlling resources are carried out in order to achieve a specific goal” (Phillips, 2003, p. 5). In most cases, projects are short activities that have a clear start and finish, and are carried to facilitate some beneficial change (Pinto & kharbanda, 1996). Projects are often subject to time, deliverables and fundinglimitations. This paper seeks to conduct the following: make a brief overview of the Boeing Dreamliner project, identify the problems that were encountered during project implementation and relate them to theory, and give a recommendation on how the project could have been done to enhance success. The Dreamliner project, issues experienced and recommendations Late in 1990s, Boeing began to take measures to replace its aircraft programs amid dropping sales for some of its airliners, including the Boeing 767. The Company initiated work on a Sonic Cruiser that was expected to fly at 15% higher speed while consuming fuel at rates similar to the Boeing 767(Phillips, 2003). The September 11 terrorist attacks and increased petroleum prices pushed the interest for a more efficient aircraft. Thus Boeing discontinued the Sonic Cruiser project and instead began to work on an alternative project using Sonic Cruiser technology in a conventional way (Dinsmore, 2005). Based on the analysis of focus groups the Company began to work on the 7E7, a midsized twin jet, as opposed to the large Sonic Cruiser. The name Dreamliner was given to the jet following a public voting contest conducted over the internet. The development and production of the Dreamliner would involve collaboration with many companies around the globe. The design for the Dreamliner was commenced in 2004, a time when orders from customers had surpassed 200. The production and assembly of various parts of the aircraft were subcontracted to companies in close to eight countries around the world, with Japan playing the lead role. The final assembly was to be conducted at the company’s factory in Everett, Washington (Stekkman & Greene, 2010). This seemed to be a well calculated process. However, the supply chain was not clearly determined and, therefore, there was a chance that problems would arise (Pinto & kharbanda, 1996). Hitches began when the first six airplanes to be assembled were found to be overweight. Boeing initiated measures to work on the excess weight and this resulted into delays. The first Dreamliner had been planned to fly in Augus
Hypothesis    Null hypothesis                                                                                                                                                                                           Test                                     Sig.  Decision                    1  The distribution of I feel satisfied when I help someone or a community which needed my help in any way. Is the same across categories of age?                                                            Independent samples Mann-Whitney U Test  923   Retain the null hypothesis. 2  The distribution of Do you feel that being able to help someone boosts your self-esteem and morale? Is the same across categories of age?                                                                 Independent samples Mann-Whitney U Test  769   Retain the null hypothesis. 3  The distribution of Do you feel that being involved in charitable initiative has a direct effect on your well being vis-à-vis your academic performance in school? Is the same across categories of age?  Independent samples Mann-Whitney U Test  308   Retain the null hypothesis.  The study was conducted amongst 30 participants. The number of males included in this participation was equal to the number of females. This is an implication that the two genders shared an equal percentage of 50% participation in the study. Those included in the participation belonged to the ages between 15 years and 35 years. Amongst the 30 participants used in this survey, a good percentage of them were between the ages of 25 and 30. This category amounted to an overwhelming 83.33% of the total participants. The rest of the 16.67% were of the ages between 31 years and 35 years. Discussion This study was intended to identify the effects of making donations or any other form of assistance to those who offer the help. Additionally, it was also aimed at studying a sample of the population to establish whether people are always willing to offer their assistance to the needy; especially to those who can find their help worthwhile. From the data collected, we shall be able to point out the willingness of people to make generous donations and the satisfaction they get from making the donations ((Sen et al. , 2004) and (Kumar et al. , 2011)). In the first hypothesis, (I feel contented when I offer assistance to a person or community whenever they require my assistance in any way) the responses portrayed a big disagreement with the statement. An overwhelming 46.67% of the total people interviewed disagreed, 20% of them strongly disagreed, 6.67% of them agreed, 16.67% of them strongly agreed while 10% were neutral (Pattanaik et al. , 2008). This was an implication that a majority of the population surveyed do not feel utterly satisfied when they offer assistance either to individual people or communities that need their help in whichever way (Creswell et al. , 2003). This may have been brought about by the fact that in as many people as many would be willing to offer their undivided assistance to the needy, whatever they do is presumably considered inadequate depending on the magnitude of the help neede
Introduction “The Great Game” refers to how world politics have shaped the economic and political way of life of the people in Central Asia and the Far East. It’s also used to illustrate how the relationship between US, China, and Russia and their influence on these regions which are not politically unstable but have a lot of the most valued resource in the world-oil. It started in the 19th century with imperial animosities between Russia and The Great Britain (Thomas 34). China, believed to be the centre of world civilization because of its long unrivaled history in the world, has mainly been characterized by the rule of dynasties. China has always since time immemorial wanted to expand and have control over its neighbors. Nevertheless this was in most cases hindered by its long history of civil wars that led to changes in the respective dynasties. The study, therefore, is designed to give a brief history of the Great Game, and the importance of China in modern international politics. China and the Western Powers One cannot talk about politics of China without mentioning the Qing dynasty or dynasties in general. Trade between China and the Roman Empire was symbiotic in nature almost throughout Roman rule before the emergency of the British Empire (Xinru 67). China traded with the western powers as early as in the11th century. For instance in 1271, Pope Gregory X after his election, sent missionaries and some Jerusalem oil to the Chinese emperor (Hopkirk 102). Trade between the European countries and China expanded before the imperialistic feelings emerged between the trading partners. Although China was involved in imperialistic expansion in other parts of Asia, especially Central Asia, opted to adopt a defensive stance towards European imperialistic expansion into its territory. The Chinese culture of violence had always acted as a stumbling block to the Western powers, who wanted to have total control of their natural resources (Boulnois 112). When China opened up for trade in the 19 th century, Britain forced opium into their markets. There was a conflict between the British East India and China after which two wars erupted that weakened the ruling Qing Dynasty. The Second Opium War ended up in the signing of many treaties after several ratifications which followed as a result of China’s failed attempts to control its ports. All the Chinese dynasties wanted or tried to control all of the central Asian resources through their expansionist strategies. They successfully took control of Mongolia, Manchuria and the Koreas (Morris 39). This can be seen on the influence the Chinese have on cultures of the countries of the Central Asia and the Far East. Despite of civil wars that the government of China experienced, it still managed to stage a strong defense to external aggressions. The Chinese established their control over Xinjiang during the 18 th century. Russia extended its control in Central Asia in the 19 th century. The two countries engaged in a boarder conflict that ended up in the signing of the Treaty of Kulja in 1851. The treaty allowed trade to be free between the two countries China, Japan and India in the 18 th an
Introduction In the contemporary world, the word technology is perhaps one of the widely used terms. It refers to the application of science or innovative non-human energy to perform work. Technological advancement has been praised as one of the factors that drive the economies of most nations and emerging markets. The application of new technology is very profound in almost all sectors of the economy, including medicine, health, transport, communication, entertainment, and manufacturing. Effect of technological advancement on employment One of the major issues associated with the technology is employed. New technology has created employment opportunities for many workers in different capacities. For instance, a technology company like Apple has necessitated the creation of job capacities such as the CEO, managers of the various product lines, marketing staff, and workers in the factories. In total, the company has employed over 98,000 people (Apple Inc.). All the other factors held constant. It is needless to state that technology is a driver of economic development through job creation. However, technology is also one of the contemporary agents of job losses. For instance, the case of Apple discussed above has displaced hundreds of thousands of workers who previously worked for postal corporations and other landline companies across the world. Many former secretaries of companies have lost their jobs as there is no need for staff to answer calls since bosses can now communicate directly with their clients using mobile devices. The overall effect of the new technology is an increase in the productivity of businesses by saving costs related to labor (Arvanitis). The savings in labor costs can be directly translated to mean unemployment for workers who are displaced as a result of the application of new technology in businesses. The worst part of such displacement is that the displaced workers might find it hard to find new jobs as their skills are deemed outdated (Freeman). Most of the technological advancements originate from developed nations that have the necessary resources and institutions that promote and fund such developments (Arvanitis). The living standards of people in these developed countries are far much better than those in the developing nations. Technological advancements in these nations have the effect of creating more jobs for the people. The developing nations import the goods and services from the developed nations. This importation results in the loss of jobs as the technological goods and services make the earlier technologies in the developing countries obsolete. The net effect of this phenomenon is the creation of jobs in developed countries and the loss of jobs in developing nations. The inevitable end result is that the developed nations (haves) tend to expand as the developing nations (have-nots) shrink, further widening the gap between them. Another negative effect of technological advancement relating to income distribution is that the high technology companies in the developed nations tend to relocate their manufacturing divisions to the developi
Learning from crisis is the final component in crisis management. Once an organization’s goal is achieved, the crisis team ought to analyze how the organization performed in a crisis. The management team attempts to learn from what worked and what never worked in managing crisis. What worked in crisis management is retained while what failed is replaced with other effective strategies (James, 2011). This helps leaders in future preparedness. Crisis analysis helps the management team in determining whether there are any loopholes in crisis management plan. They are also able to evaluate how employees perform their respective roles. The following section will use hospital and military examples of how leaders can learn from crisis. The hospital is one of the key organizations where learning from crisis is very imperative. Hospital administrators should identify signals and respond to the impending events precisely. Ignoring the signals may lead to future hospital crisis and extension of the influence to the entire system. In order for hospitals to thrive in times of crisis, their leaders should develop effective environmental scanning skills and methodologies to identify the signals. A leader’s ability to predict and anticipate potential crisis in hospitals requires having critical skills in strategic planning. Hospitals and health systems have an excellent way of developing crisis plans. These plans have proven to be significant prototypes in managing hospital crisis. Some hospitals even have crisis preparedness strategies that are nurtured to help them respond to crisis. I