ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Abstract This paper reviewed the legal issues that may arise when a company fires an employee for refusing to take a lie detection and drug test. The analysis was based on employee rights and drug laws. The analysis shows that the California based private company acted illegally in firing 98 of its workers for declining to take the lie detection test. Introduction It is important for business organizations to understand the ethical issues that may arise when they infringe on employee rights. This paper analyzes the legal issues associated with a California based private company’s decision to fire an employee for refusing to take a drug-use related lie detection test. The Employee Polygraph Protection Act disallows the use of lie detector tests in most private organizations either before or during employment. The paper analyzes the legal issues in the current case by considering drug laws in private organizations. The U.S. Department of Labor prohibits private employers from penalizing employees that refuse to take the lie detector tests. Legal Issues in the Case Study The current legal situation with respect to workplace drug-tests is still changing, and labor unions continue to mount pressure on the issue of compulsory drug test programs. The major issue raised by these protests is that random drug tests infringe on the Fourth Amendment privileges of employees. These issues were effective in the federal courts until 1989 after The Supreme Court passed two judgments (Miller, Giannini, Gold and Philomena, 1990). Some states, including The State of California, have passed the law banning randomized employee drug tests in the workplace. The decision of the Supreme Court in 1989 was due to The Federal Railway’s decision to test 20 train crew members, and the Customs Service’s decision to test workers (Crown and Rosse, 1988). Although the actual conditions of the decisions were concise, the court essentially approved random tests for government employees. Although the court concluded that it was necessary for urine tests to conform to sensibleness requirements, most of the tests in both cases did not follow this standard. The court concluded that the government had the right to perform subject government employees to unannounced drug tests. Owing to the broad nature of these laws, most government workers are subject to different drug tests. In his opposition to this judgment during the Von Raab verdict, Justice Scalia complained about the wide nature of this law, emphasizing that most workers will face pointless humiliation. He explained that the need to ensure community safety might lead to random tests for vehicl
Introduction The purpose of the research paper will be to investigate the different theoretical frameworks and research that exists on guided reading programs and how this new practice of learning is important in early education. The research paper will also focus on the different levels of instruction that were used before guided reading programs were introduced as well as research evidence on whether these programs have been effective in implementing classroom strategies. Guided reading programs are defined as the structured and practical reading approaches that are used to match the diverse needs of the individual readers within a classroom setting. The purpose of guided reading is to ensure that each child’s reading needs are met according to their different levels of intellectual development. Guided reading programs are usually used in small group settings to provide the instructor with an opportunity to tailor direct reading instructions that will meet each student’s specific needs. The main techniques used in guided reading include modeling course material to suit individual needs as well as the use of voice and visual prompts to coach the students on how they can be able to think about the reading process and what strategies best suit them when they are reading. The goal of guided reading is to help students become independent readers who can make sense of vocabularies and texts by themselves without any assistance or help from instructors or teachers (Schulman & Payne, 2000). Guided reading in early education programs has been viewed to be important as it helps children to learn how to read during their formative childhood years. Guided reading ensures that children in the early education programs are able to read whole texts on their own without any assistance from their teachers. Students in the early development programs are also taught on how to solve complex vocabularies and texts by using strategies they have learnt. The small group setting that is used in guided reading programs is important in early childhood programs as it ensures that the individual needs of the student have been met based on the pace of their reading ability. The small group settings also allow for some flexibility in terms of ongoing assessment of the student’s skills and strategies (Schulman & Payne, 2000). The Process of Guided Reading The process of guided reading involves first identifying and assessing the child’s reading abilities. This is seen as an important step as it will enable the instructor to determine the child’s reading abilities and strategies. Once the level of reading has been determined the next step will be to form guided reading groups where children with the same reading abilities are placed in a similar group. These groups however change throughout the school year as the children acquire new approaches and strategies that are meant to enable them achieve reading success. Once the groups have been selected, the t
Hundreds of Nude Photos Jolt Colorado School Summary The first article was published in The New York Times on November 6, 2015 (Cloos and Turkewitz 1). This article highlighted a concern in a Colorado school where many underage students were involved in sexting. Nude photos of the students had been circulating within the student community with some phone applications being used to hide them. The students developed methods of encouraging their colleagues to take naked photos of themselves while others collected them on their phones. The practice had been going on for many years. Local authorities and parents were surprised by the scandal that had engulfed the school because most of the individuals involved were minors. Community Psychology Concept The community psychology concept relevant in this case is that of social change. Sharing of new photos among the students is a relatively new trend that is catching up among the teenage population. In the social change theory, community psychologists target individuals or systems to achieve positive change (Moritsugu 16). In first-order change, the psychologists target individuals. Conversely, the second-order change involves changing the systems and structures to attain desirable goals (Moritsugu 49). The story highlighted in the article is related to the community psychology concept of social change in several ways. First, the author states that parents should consider educating their children on the issue instead of just telling them to stop engaging in the act. This change is an example of a first-order change (Moritsugu 15). The article also highlights some of the areas that the student body needs to change including the student attitudes. Additionally, the author attempts to accomplish change in the institution by highlighting the problem and providing possible solutions. In the community psychology concept of social change, change is achieved through individual and systems (Moritsugu 48). The issue highlighted in the article can also be understood differently using the community psychology concept. The students in this institution are under pressure from society and are influenced by the current trends (Cloos and Turkewitz 1). Additionally, the issue can be considered a community problem since many people are involved. A solution can only be found through engaging the different components of this community including the local authorities, the teachers, school directors, parents, and the students. A multi-sectored approach to the issue is also necessary, as sexting is likely to present in other institutions in the country (Cloos and Turkewitz 1). A critique of the article using community psychology concepts shows the different factors of social change. First, the article focuses on a concept that was unimaginable a few decades ago. However, this society has adjusted slowly to nud
Freedom of speech is an important element of the democratic system of every country in the world since it guarantees people the right to express themselves openly without fearing facing consequences. Nevertheless, freedom of speech does not imply that an individual or a media outlet can say anything they want and, more importantly, convey knowingly false information to the public and claim it to be true. Essentially, every person who is subject to the laws of a country that upholds the rule of law must be protected from unsubstantiated claims which impose damage on their reputation and good name. Defamation laws are designed to address the conflicting areas of freedom of speech and one’s right to reputation and function as an important tool for ensuring the balance between these two fields. The essay will defend the notion that courts must recognize freedom of speech as a priority, even when it means harming a plaintiff’s reputation. The body of the essay will involve providing information on the nature of defamation laws in the USA and the UK, the implementation of such laws in the two countries, and the
Introduction The operation for open removal of appendicitis requires at least two people to complete it – a surgeon and his technical assistant. The surgeon’s responsibility lies in good command and leadership. The surgical technician is busy checking all equipment to ensure they are functioning properly to avoid technical problems during the operation. The technologist is also responsible for the cleanliness of all instruments and their complete sterility. In parallel with this, they can play the role of a medical assistant, that is, contribute to the correct course of the operation (Vallbohmer et al., 2020). It is important that the surgical technician is subordinate to the surgeon and must follow their instructions unquestioningly (Goras et al., 2020). Reaction speed and professional knowledge of the equipment are the foundation of this profession. The surgeon must rely on the absolute sterility of the room and instruments, ideal lighting for the operation, and complete reliability of all technical equipment. The Procedure of an Operation Open appendectomy is performed in case of urgent and direct surgical intervention and takes place in several stages. First, the external space is disinfected. Wipe the skin with an alcohol-iodine solution. Next, anesthesia is introduced, which can be private and administered subcutaneously, affecting all the necessary tissues in the operation area. In more severe cases, general anesthesia is given through a breathing tube (Rajbhandari et al., 2020). At the end of anesthesia, the abdominal cavity is opened with a 10 cm oblique incision in the right iliac part. Throughout the incision, the aponeurosis is exfoliated from the external oblique muscle of the abdomen with Cooper scissors. The fibers of the oblique and transverse muscles of the anterior abdominal wall are moved apart and fixed. The edges of the wound are parted with hooks, then the surgeon opens the peritoneum with anatomical forceps. Then the surgeon’s task is to locate the cecum, grab its dome and pull the wound outward along with the appendix. A hemostatic clamp is applied to the mesentery of the appendix and novocaine is injected into it. The task of the surgeon is to tighten with a clamp and remove the painful process, after which the abdominal cavity is checked for problems. Periodically, the doctor needs the assistance of another surgeon or nurse. The surgeon needs a second hand to expand the abdominal cavity when opening it, holding the cecum while extracting it, and removing the inflamed process. Also, the help of a nurse is needed when cutting off the ligature tissue in the process of suturing the wound. At the very end of the operation, a bandage or adhesive is applied to the patient. After this, the assistant must pass the removed process for histological analysis
Introduction General Motors is one of the most successful automobile firms in the global market. According to Bolman and Deal (1), the management of General Motors has exhibited unique capacity to penetrate the global market despite the hostile environmental conditions. The scholar notes that at a time when American firms were winding their operations in the Arab world due to the growing anti-American sentiments in the region, the General Motors was able to withstand the storm and even expand its operations. Egypt was one of the most attractive markets, and the firm established its production plant in the city of Cairo to serve the local population. The plant served the regional market of North Africa and Middle East. The Arab revolution that was forced by Hosni Mubarak, the long serving Egyptian strongman, led to instability in the country. The political turmoil in the neighboring markets of Tunisia, Libya, South Sudan and part of the Middle East worsened the situation. In this paper, the researcher will analyze the role of the leadership of this firm in managing this geo-political turmoil in the region. Geo-Political Events in the Arab World The Arab Spring started in Tunisia and forced the President Ben Ali to run out of the country to Saudi Arabia. This event inspired the Egyptians that were uncomfortable with the leadership of Hosni Mubarak. The unrest started in various cities in the country following the massive civilian protest. Business operations were brought to a standstill as the rowdy youth pelted cars and business premises with stones. The situation went on for 18 days. This forced the President Hosni Mubarak to resign his post. The military took over the leadership, but it did not stop the unrest. In Libya, another attractive market for General Motors, a new revolution started. The city of Tripoli became a battle field as the government forces clashed with the rebel fighters. The events in Libya were worse than what was taking place in Egypt. Unlike Egypt, where the civilians engaging the government forces were unarmed, in Libya the rebel forces had effective arsenal to engage the government military forces. The rebels managed to take over power after gunning down the then President Muhamar Gaddafi. In Egypt, things were not getting better even after the democratic election that saw Mohammed Mursi come to power as a new Egyptian president. He was accused of high-handedness. He was soon sent out of power and the military took over the leadership of the country once again. The Impact on Business These events had devastating impacts on the business community in Egypt. For four years, there was no political stability in a country that had been seen as an oasis of peace in a troubled
Introduction This paper will present an appraisal of Undercover Economist written by Tim Harford and first published in 2005 by Random House. The analysis of Harford’s work has shown that there five different topics that should be discussed in better detail since they directly relate to the nature of modern economics and provide readers with an understanding of economics as a discipline. Scarcity and Its Effect on Prices The first topic of discussion is associated with the idea that scarcity has a direct influence on the way prices on the market are shaped. This can be explained by the fact that market forces that rely on resources, both natural and human-made, change prices on the market on the basis of unavailability or availability of those resources. Furthermore, there is an idea that people have the freedom to establish specific prices on resources they own. If to provide an example, rent can explain this concept. On the one hand, a property owner will only set prices that possible tenants will be willing to pay. On the other hand, these prices are directly linked to the level of availability of houses or apartments for rent. This means that the scarcer the resources for rent are, the lesser the bargaining power of potential tenants is. Moreover, if the resources are scarce, owners of the property will set much higher prices on rent because they have a reason to believe that resources in their possession are valuable. If to reverse the example of rent and suggest that the resources are abundant, it is essential to understand that the owner could not have the liberty of putting high prices on rent. Potential tenants will not pay high prices for rent when the resource is abundant and thus does not require the same amount of effort put into its search and selection. As mentioned by Conrad in Resource Economics , modern economists see scarcity as a dynamic condition that constantly changes, in which the adaptive behavior of the society helps people eliminate the scarcity of one resource, “only to face it in another” (154). Therefore, demand can shift depending on the scarcity of resources given that other characteristics of the market remain unchanged. Harford used the Ricardian model of bargaining power to explain the concepts of demand and scarcity in the market. The model emphasized resource conversion for addressing their scarcity (Barnett and Morse 127). When discussing Harford’s argument on resource scarcity, he suggested that it could be created either naturally (as in the example of a landowner and rent) and artificially. The artificially created scarcity of resources relates to the scenario, in which owners of property joined forces for establishing higher prices on their land. As mentioned by Harford, artificial resource scarcity is an issue that can be avoided if there is a desire to so, which i
Introduction Leadership is crucial for the success of any organisation (Atchison, 2003). Leadership functions to inspire followers to work collectively in a bid to achieve specific goals within an organisation. Leadership is an organisational practice that not only influences the followers (employees), but also the leaders in a manner that ensures that organisational objectives are achieved through change. It integrates and intertwines followers and leaders coupled with influencing organisational objectives and missions and other organisational stakeholders (Lussier & Achua, 2004). While leading, followers should be involved, which perhaps explains why there has been an immense scholarly interest in how leaders should relate with followers to ensure organisational success. Carlos Ghosn, the leader of the Nissan Company, exemplifies how leadership can help to yield success for manufacturing companies across the globe. In search of an effective leadership theory to increase productivity levels of manufacturing organisations, leadership has undergone magnificent changes from bureaucratic leadership, transformational, and participatory leadership to leadership through followership. These changes have also occurred in the quest to address emerging problems in the field of leadership. The purpose of this paper is to present a discussion of theories and concepts of leadership in current multinational businesses using the leadership style of Carlos Ghosn (CEO for the Nissan Company) as a benchmark for effective leadership in the modern dynamic business environment. External Environment and Strategic challenge Leadership comprises key aspects for enhancing performance of an organisation. In the 1990s, the Nissan Company experienced various challenges, which pushed the company to the brink of bankruptcy. Faced with this challenge, Carlos Ghosn encountered a major challenge of ensuring that he turned around the fortunes of the company. He joined the Nissan Company in 1999 in the capacity of Chief Operating Officer (COO) and later he was confirmed as the company’s CEO in 2000. According to the Global CEO (2005), Ghosn joined the company at a time it has accrued a debt of 20 billion US dollars. At this time, out of the 48 models of vehicles made by Nissan, only three models returned profits. On joining the company, Ghosn promised to consider resignation if he failed to ensure that
RightFoods, Inc. is a large corporation that has recently purchased a problematic but still large-scale and competitive franchise, Arnie’s. Unfortunately, the latter company’s sales at the time of the purchase were dwindling as many customers abandoned Arnie’s for their competitors. Understandably, the new owners want to give Arnie’s new life and return their investments. The first option to do that is to offer discounts, update its menu, and pricing options along with offering smartphone apps for better customer convenience. The second variant presupposes full scale rebranding into a combination of a gastropub and fast-casual restaurants. The first plan appears to better serve the goals of RightFoods Inc. and can restore Arnie’s profitability more effectively. According to the case, problems of Arnie’s chain and their competitors began largely due to a shift of public interest towards cheaper meals and eating at home. The first resurrection plan makes the food and alcohol visually cheaper and more attractive. With free appetizers during sporting events, the offers would look more substantial while the price would stay reasonable. Since the restaurants profit the best from selling alcohol, it is only logical to enhance this part of the menu by making it more attractive. The usage of smartphone apps and virtually free delivery will also be a competitive advantage that will increase user convenience, and hence, improve customer retention. This part of the plan would succeed because app-based delivery services gained in popularity and it follows the trend of eating at home. In addition, two major competitors still do not offer such an option, and Arnie’s would look more innovative in comparison to them, which addresses the issue of distinguishing the chain from Bartleby’s and Blue Crab. The second plan has vague potential due to multiple factors. Firstly, an eight-month period of no profit for each of the locations is a rather substantial loss. Closing all locations at once or doing it proportionately is a huge risk because the plan does not offer a valid strategy for keeping the remaining 20% of the customers in the dying franchise for eight more months. Additionally, a rebranding plan does not address a trend for eating at home, as it does not offer a delivery service that has become popular. Housing not too many people as the seating becomes more scarce will unlikely contribute to the fast return on investments. Moreover, food and drinks will not become cheaper. Instead, the goal is to attract high-end clients while the general trend is to eat and drink cheaper. Arnie’s restaurants are most popular in suburban areas while from the case information, it is evident that gastropubs are booming mostly in urban zones. No statistics are offered in that regard for suburbs, which makes a plan to establish a network of gastropubs at the old locations a risky venture. Above that, becoming a gastropub and continuing to be a fast casual restaurant would mean that along with retaining old competitors, Arnie’s would face new rivals on the market. This scenario does not inspire optimism because except for the