ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Introduction Intergovernmental relations are defined as an interacting network of institutions at local, provincial, and national levels. It has been refined and created to articulate different levels of government in a manner more or less appropriate to the institutional arrangements (Phillimore, 2013). The three tiers’ structure of a government includes local government, state government, and the federal government. It is argued that all three of them collectively work to deliver the dividends of democracy to the population. The study is aimed at exploring inter-governmental relations between the various levels of government particularly financial relations of the federal system among the three levels of government and further determines the use of technology to improve its efficiency. Intergovernmental Relations between Three Tiers of Government The three levels of government include the local government, which is responsible for making sure that the community runs smoothly and efficiently. The state government is in charge of maintaining control of the state, and the Federal government regulates all the national as well as international affairs and creates laws for the whole country (Phillimore, 2013). In other words, ways in which different levels of government interact with one another under the same political system are known as Intergovernmental relations. The basic parameters of this phenomena are determined by the official organizational structure of governmental units. The interaction between different levels of government is also impacted by particular policy issues and funding mechanisms. The political responsibility and authority in the federal system are categorized into one central government and a series of regional governments. The regional governments are further broken down into smaller governmental entities such as villages, parishes, cities, townships, and countries (Bowman & Kearney, 2016). In federal political systems, the issues that affect the whole country are controlled by the central government. On the other hand, regional units only focus on matters that are particularly relevant within their jurisdictions. The federal political system is practiced by only twenty nations including some of the biggest and most popular countries such as Nigeria, India, Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Germany, Canada, and the United States. Moreover, there are numerous ways through which the interaction between governmental units takes place in both federal and unitary political systems (Bowman & Kearney, 2016). It is argued that intergovernmental relationships are not only determined by the organizational structure of a political system. Inter-Governmental Relations and Federal System Intergovernmental relationships are affected by several factors including financial influences, which play a key role in shaping up these relationships. Many intergovernmental relationships include the exchange of financial resources for delivering public goods (von Daniels, 2016). However, numerous methods have been used to identify the number of intergovernmental transfers, for example, formulas including demographic and econom
Introduction Australia is a big country populated with diverse ethnic groups. Sports are major events in Australia. There are many sports practiced in this country, and this essay will briefly discuss the main sports practiced. The sports discussed in this essay are rugby, cricket, rowing, cycling and swimming. In addition, the paper provides the analysis of the reasons behind the popularity of these kinds of sports. Main Sports Rugby: this is one of the most popular sports in Australia, and it has been practiced since the 1850s. Rugby in Australia is divided into three different kinds with each division ascribing to different rules. Rugby is a kind of a religion for Australians. The Australian rugby players have not let their countrymen and fans down and have continuously rewarded them with beautiful games and offer tough competition to other worldwide contenders in the sport. Cricket: cricket is a big sport in Australia as well. It is probably the most popular sport in Australia as it is played by people of all the ages and gender. Cricket has deep historical roots, and has been played by the Australians for several the decades since it was first introduced by the British settlers. The huge popularity of cricket is probably due to a number of reasons, which include its deep roots in Australia. It should be noted that the simplicity of the sport makes it a popular family sport as it is played by all family members irrespective of age and gender. Rowing: Rowing is another kind of sport that gained a great popularity in the country. Technological advancement in the manufacture of the boats has led to the increased number of boats available, and the sport is generally practiced by both genders and people of all ages. Australia has vast resources where rowing can be carried out including the Gold Coast canals among others. The fact that any age and gender can participate in the sport has probably made a significant contribution to its popularity. Rowing is very popular in Australia and therefore, very close to the hearts of the Australians. Cycling: this is yet another popular sport that is dear to the Australians. Cycling is mostly carried out in the city streets. A good portion of the Australians often engages in cycling. Cycling is carried out by both gender and people of all ages, including children. Australians like cycling in the morning, and it is a common way for people to ride bikes alone, or in groups. The ability of people of different ages ,as well as both genders getting engaged in cycling is probably the main reason why this kind of sport has become so popular among Australians. In addition, one should not forget about benefits of cycling to health, good mood and general well being. Swimming: this is another very popular sport in Australia. There exist numerous swimming clubs, which make this sport easily available to people living in different parts of the country. The government and local authorities are very supportive of this sport. For instance, many cities, in their city halls, maintain public swimming pools. For the colder cities, the pools are heated. This clearly encourages swimming and has made it v
A brief summary of the presented facts Graham Inc.’s case study provides critical facts in regard to business and accounting principles. One needs to note that the new president of the company (Tom Graham) expected a considerable increment in the company’s profits for August. However, this was not the case since there was a massive drop in profits (by $22928) for the month that was not expected by the new president. The financial statement prepared by Andy Derrow contained significant entries that explained th
Three theoretical perspectives may be applied to discussing social factors: functionalist, conflict, and symbolic interactionist theories. It seems reasonable to analyze the problem of inequality and factors perpetuating it from the point of the symbolic interactionist perspective. According to this outlook, society is regarded as an entity created by interactions between people. Hence, it is viable to investigate how these interactions, or the lack of them, can contribute to the problem of inequality. Symbolic interactionism is the perspective used to study people’s ways of communicating. The adherents of this approach think that “face-to-face, repeated, meaningful interactions” among people form and maintain societies (Carter and Fuller 931). The trend appeared as opposing to the earlier established top-down view on society, which presupposed that macro-level structures affected individuals. Contrary to this perspective, symbolic interactionism supporters argued that society operated by the bottom-up approach, meaning that micro-level processes among individuals shaped major societal relations (Carter and Fuller 932). According to Blumer, there are four main premises of symbolic interactionism:  1. individuals’ actions are governed by the meanings they give to objects;  2. communication happens within concrete cultural or social contexts, where all people and objects are categorized “based on individual meanings”;  3. meanings appear from cooperation with other humans or society;  4. meanings are constantly formed and reshaped through understanding processes during communication with others (qtd. in Carter and Fuller 932). The foundational principles of symbolic interactionism allow singling out several factors that are responsible for allowing inequality to persist in society. First of all, the problem is people’s tendency to assign meanings to objects. Such meanings can be highly subjective, based on o
Zara is one of the leading fashion brands that compete with other major fashion retail brands such as H&M, Benetton, etc. It is one of the largest holdings and revenue earners of Inditex. In 1963, Inditex started its operations in La Coruna as garment wholesalers (McAfee, Dessain, & Sjoman, 2007). However, it was not until 1975, when a German customer cancelled a sizable order, that Inditex opened its own retail store and named it Zara (Berfield & Baigorri, 2013). Initially, the aim of the company was to have a retail outlet for their cancelled shipments but soon they realized the importance of the alliance between retail and manufacturing. This initial experience brought forth the philosophy on which the whole business model of Zara is based on – customer base and manufacturing base should be closely mixed in order to achieve optimal success. The brand enjoys international presence and is the largest selling brand in Spain. The business model of Zara is different from most of its competitors and its strategic decisions and competitive advantages have been a question of curiosity for academicians. This essay is an exploration of the business model, strategy, and competitive advantages of Zara. Most importantly, the paper strives to answer the question, what is the business model of Zara? Business Model of Zara Zara caters to an extensively competitive fashion retail industry where consumer demand and preference fluctuate considerably. The main aim of Zara is to control the tastes and preferences of the customers and change their styles before their taste and preferences change (Hansen, 2012). In order to achieve this, Zara ensures that its stores are up to date in their clothes selection and they have to order at least twice a week to revamp their stock. The case study on Zara shows that the company has almost no promotion and advertisement cost as opposed to other retail chains like Gap or Benetton who spend heavily on advertising their products and they believe in owning the best retail space (McAfee, Dessain, & Sjoman, 2007). Retail location is an important element of Zara’s business model as it allows the company to reach its target market more easily (McAfee, Dessain, & Sjoman, 2007). Instead of advertising its products, Zara conducts market research to identify the right locality where they may find the largest pool of their target market in the market segment (Hansen, 2012; McAfee, Dessain, & Sjoman, 2007). This strategy makes opening a store in a new location financially viable. The business mode followed by Zara is essentially called the disruptive innovation model, which is unlike the traditional business model followed by the traditional retail companies. Therefore, before studying the business mode of Zara, the paper discusses the traditional business model of the fashion industry. Fashion Industry Traditional Business Model The business mode of the tra
Executive Summary There are two or more alternatives that managers normally confront in various organizations. It is better to pursue an alternative that maximizes value and profit of the organization. This paper is set to discuss a problem that CEO and President of Swisher Mower and Machine Company face. The company is being approached by a major national retail merchandise chain with a proposal that mentions various terms and conditions for a business deal that targets the purchase of 8,200 units of private-label riding mowers on an annual basis. This paper will show why the acceptance of the new proposal may lead to a loss in the organization. Through extensive analysis, the researcher found out that SMC should be able to meet a break-even point of 12,822 units if the new proposal is accepted. Given that the sales of the company as regards to private-labeled riding mowers amount to 40%, it would be risky to accept the proposal since SMC is likely to lose sales via other channels such as wholesale distribution and direct-to-dealer sales. However, if the chains were to accept negotiation over the previous terms in order to reach the break-even point, it would be worth considering the proposal. Nevertheless, it is quite difficult for the chain to accept negotiation given that there are other competitive manufacturers in the industry. Given the current terms, which interfere with the SMC advertisement and promotion, the management of SMC will not consider the proposal. Therefore, SMC should continue advertising and promoting in order to recruit new dealers. This would expand its market share. Problem Statement Swisher Mower and Machine Company began its operations in 1950s. The company deals with a number of products that are concerned with agricultural production and environmental cleaning. Manufacturing of the best mowers in the lawn and garden equipments industry helped the company gain popularity in the US and in other foreign countries. Max Swisher had been the company’s President Chief Executive Officer for over thirty years. However, after growing old, Mr. Max stepped down to allow his son Mr. Wayne Swisher to manage the company as the CEO and the President. With three years experience in the sales and marketing department, Mr. Wayne was expected to utilize the MBA skills to manage the company in the most effective way. In early 1996, Mr. Wayne recei
Much of what has sparked various debates about human nature in society is based on images, symbols, and narratives from the media, advertising, film, television, music, and other media. To some extent, how people build their social relationships depends on what they use as access to information. Thus, the media play a central role in what ultimately becomes representative, which is built on the perturbations of existing social realities. Many questions about humanity, such as how social identity is formed, how people come to understand who they are, and what this means for them, also depend on the media. What it means to be a man or a woman, the differences between Hispanic and Native American are primarily influenced by the media. Even rural or urban definitions are increasingly determined by the social understandings of race and gender reported in the press. Taken together, this has an impact on society as a whole. At the same time, it is fair to say that the content of advertisements, television series, and other things is essentially interdependent on the society in which they are produced. Almost everywhere, the media is trying to support and promote change at the social and cultural levels. For example, with the development of tolerance and feminism in society, advertisements, as well as other social media, have begun to emphasize public unrest more often. Issues covered in ads, films, and TV programs have influenced their perception by society. It has greatly expanded knowledge about gender, race, and sexuality and has also stimulated the fight against gender inequality. Thus, the relationship between humanity and the media and their influence on each other is directly reflected in society.
Introduction Freedom and equality are commonly considered foundation principles of contemporary society. However, from the historical perspective, this idea is relatively novel. The following essay presents an oratorical analysis of Frederic Douglass’ speech on the abolition of slavery by providing a description, analyzing the audience, and evaluating the success of the presentation. Description The event analyzed in the report is a speech delivered by Frederick Douglass, one of the most widely recognized representatives of the abolitionist movement in the United States. At the time, the slave-related debate has reached its peak in the country, resulting in numerous activist movements. The period is also associated with some of the most prominent works dealing with the subject, such as Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin (Streitmatter 19). At the same time, some of the most controversial legal documents originate from this era, such as The Fugitive Slave Act passed two years before the event. Simply put, the speech was delivered at the peak of interest in the topic of slavery. Frederick Douglass gave the speech on July 5th, 1852, the next day after the national celebration. At the time, the author had been living in Rochester, New York, and had been working as an editor in an abolitionist publication (Streitmatter 20). A number of significant abolition-related events were hosted in Rochester at the time, making it one of the centers of the movement. The speech was originally presented to the local Ladies’ Anti-Slavery Society. Thus, the primary audience consists of the members of the anti-slavery society who were known to attend the event. The secondary audience includes potential readers of the printed version of the speech and historians dealing with the issue of slavery from a historical perspective. The first part of the speech uses chronological structure. Douglass starts by recounting the events behind the celebration of the fourth of July and highlighting some of the key historical events associated with it. However, he then uses this information as a starting point to put the issue of slavery into perspective. The remainder of the speech is built around a specific topic and covers its ethical and moral aspects. Thus, the overall structure of the speech is topical. Analysis The audience at the event was formed predominantly of active participants of the emancipation movement. In addition, the individuals in question were likely passionate about the issue of slavery, abolition, and human rights in general. Next, it would be reasonable to assume that the majority of the listeners were educated and highly knowledgeable on the subject. Finally, it is necessary to acknowledge the timing of the delivery. The event was organized one day after t
The organization’s learning and development practices Business in the contemporary times is characterized by stiff competition as each firm seeks to acquire a considerable market share in the local and the international market. Various factors have contributed to the stiffening competition including the desire to increase profitability and the evolution of the global market (Owoyemi et al. 2011). In that regard, firms have embarked in recruiting and retaining the best workers to achieve competitive advantage through increased quality of products or services produced by a competent workforce. Firms are today recruiting the best-qualified workers and paying them competitive salaries to retain them. Some business analysts have however argued that hiring qualified employees and paying them competitive salaries is not the only way to motivate them. Employees need to be trained to handle new challenges in the changing business environment (Batool & Batool 2012). In that regard, most companies have introduced a set of training programs that aim at imparting skills to the workforce to enable them to handle their responsibilities more efficiently. The training programs so far adopted by major businesses target new employees through orientation programs. Most organizations tend to overlook the need to ensure continuous training of the workforce in their respective companies. Most managers are of the view that training should only apply to new staffs as opposed to the existing employees. The view is misguided since the current employees also need to be trained continuously if a firm is to achieve efficiency. The orientation is important since it equips employees with the relevant information before the commencement of the work. Training of new employees in 5Ways Foodservices is poorly administered since it involves manual orientation from the experienced workers. New employees are assigned to experienced workers who take them through the orientation process. The employees are not advised of their roles in the organization before assignment of tasks. The orientation process takes long due to lack of a well
Introduction In any nation, music is a paramount parameter of entertaining, education and disseminating people. Although the contemporary music appears different from traditional music, it is certain the roles of music remain unchanged. Like any other music, the Chinese music dates back to the era of Chinese civilization. During the Shang Dynasty, the Chinese people developed different types of equipment. Among the equipments developed, include musical instruments like sheng, bronze bells, stone chimes and panpipes. Coincidentally, in Europe, European music was also developing. Like in Europe, classy melodic devices and an inclusive musical theory arrangement were before now emerging in China. There are four different types of Chinese music, which the paper will explore. Traditional Chinese Music In traditional Chinese societies, many people believed that music purifies one’s thoughts and not necessarily amusing. As a result, Confucius, who strongly believed that music provides a mechanism of calming the passions and dispersing strife and antagonism, decided to advance ritual Chinese music. Later on, the Hans Dynasty funded the setting up of a Music Bureau, which will assemble and edit all antique melodies and folk songs. Nevertheless, as time went by, foreign music appeared in China due to the buying and selling of commodities down the Silk Road in Central Asia, bringing changes to the traditional Chinese music. The imperial court established by the Hans Dynasty controlled all affairs taking place in the Music Bureau. The imperial court organized song and dance troupes, which sired numerous musicians and established a dense foundation for what many people refer today as traditional Chinese music. In general, Chinese music characterizes with two important features, melody and tone quality. In addition, the composers of Chinese music highlight proper articulation and inflection as the main factors of building a music tone. Notably, many Chinese composers employ the five-tone scale to compose their pieces although in some cases, some of them employ the heptatonic scale but not often. Unlike European music, traditional Chinese music exhibit variations of tone quality, beat, tempo, and superfluities thus, making it exceedingly idiosyncratic. This is because of the various Chinese musical instruments that produce different sounds resulting into a melodious and gorgeous acoustic ambiance. Classical Instrumental Music For along time now, instrumental performance, has dominated Chinese art music. In most cases, many composers of Chinese music like solo performance. Perhaps this is the reason why solo instrumental performance is the solemn musical genre in Chinese music. When doing a classical instrumental music performance, the per