ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Introduction Burger King is a famous American fast food company that, in the past, competed with McDonald’s for the title of the most widespread and popular burger company in the USA and abroad. It distinguished itself from other fast-food companies by encouraging the customers to create their brands and recipes, thus allowing more room for alterations and modifications, which McDonald’s’ conveyer belt method of foodservice and production did not allow (Hunger & Wheelen, 2013). This innovative approach allowed Burger King to stay afloat and retain a loyal customer base even after the food chain fell into disarray after becoming a part of Diageo. Due to Diageo’s poor management practices, the brand lost franchising power. Burger King was later sold to TPG capital in 2002. Some of the company’s investors include Bain Capital and Goldman-Sachs, which currently control up to 25% each (Hunger & Wheelen, 2013). Since 2010, the number of customers served by Burger King has been growing steadily (Burger King, 2018). The company’s current employee count is over 40,000, and the number of individual customers served exceeds 12 million a day (Burger King, 2018). The purpose of this strategic audit report is to analyze the strengths and weaknesses, as well as the internal and external factors influencing the company and provide alternative strategic solutions to solidify its positions in the market. Vision and Mission Burger king’s vision statement is as follows: “We proudly serve the best burgers in the business, plus a variety of real, authentic foods all freshly prepared just the way you want it” (Burger King, 2018, para. 1). Burger King’s mission statement: “We will prepare and sell quick service food to fulfill our guest’s needs more accurately, quickly, courteously, and in a cleaner environment than our competitors. We will conduct all our business affairs ethically, and with the best employees in the world. We will continue to grow profitably and responsibly, and provide career advancement opportunities for every willing member of our organization.” (Burger King, 2018, para. 2) As it is possible to see from the company’s vision and mission statements, Burger King is a customer-oriented company that emphasizes the quality and uniqueness of every individual customer, as they seek to allow the customers to “have it their way” when it comes to deciding how their food is going to be served and prepared. The quality of their product plays a very important part in Burger King’s strategy, as the franchise cannot match McDonald’s and their conveyer belt method, meaning it has to offer the customers something in return for increased waiting times. Strategic Planning External Factor Analysi
On 13 July 2001, the International Olympic Committee chose Beijing over four other candidate cities: Toronto, Paris, Istanbul, and Osaka as the venue for the 2008 Olympic Games. Beijing had previously lost out to Sydney in the bid to stage the 2000 Olympic Games. Ever since the announcement of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, there has been a lot of debate as to whether China is the right venue at this point in time to host the prestigious sports event. Supporters of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games feel that the Olympics would help in bridging the gap between China and the rest of the world (Jarvie 366). Moreover, it is felt that the media coverage involved in this event would showcase China as a modern country. Youngsters in China as in any other country hope that hosting the Olympics would allow China to bring in new sports facilities and other public utilities through an investment of over $30 billion (Jarvie 366). However, China does have its drawbacks as a venue for Olympic Games. China should not have been given the opportunity to host the 2008 Beijing Olympics because of its history of human rights violations and other reasons. Though Beijing was backed by the IOC President, it was not opposed by the U.S. Congress. But the European Parliament did vote against giving the games to Beijing. Transnational groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch also questioned the rationality behind awarding the games to Beijing (Maguire 153). Their main arguments were that China did not have the financial resources needed for hosting the Olympics and it has a history of human rights violations. China does have a history of human rights violations compared to other contenders for hosting the Olympic Games. Examples of such violations include the massacre that took place in Tiananmen Square in 1989 (Pollack et al, 1997) and the aggressive attitude of the authorities to Falun Gong and Tibet religious institutions, and blocking of the BBC television coverage of events in China during the early part of the twenty-first century. According to the Human Rights Watch World Report 2007, there have been forced evictions in Beijing in order to clear entire neighborhoods to make room for Olympic sites and to beautify the city (HRW 267). Official sources say that about 300,000 people have been evicted to make place for Olympic beautification projects alone. China, with the view of expelling one million migrant laborers from Beijing, has shut down over 50 unregistered schools for children of migrant workers in mid-September. This has forced thousands of families to move away from Beijing (HRW 267). U.S. Congressman Tom Lantos has blasted China for “the imprisonment of thousands of political dissidents and the use of prison labor to manufacture products for export to this country” (Pollack et al 38). There are also other miscellane
Introduction Education for Taensa group in north America has been complex this is because this education has been from another person perspective and this meant that the attempt to change Taensa has not been a easy thing, but ion a way it is simple in that the Taensa people were taught from an oral tradition history, culture and survival as a group and it is complex when a government system determines the curriculum and standards of learning. So that the Taensa children can see the important of the education the government in America should initiate change in that they should begin to work on the content of education and not on the techniques and procedures of education. In that they should initiate the study of tribal customs on a grand scale and they must be taught in school on equal basis with any other academic subject that is to be taught. At first the Taensa had their own education that consisted of the roles that where played by each member of the tribe and this, meant that they were able to survive as a group. The education was passed from elders to young, from men to boys and from women to girls that was in line with history, culture and religion and this was created as a curriculum that was documented in an oral tradition of communication. (Ballinger, 2003). Main Body The tradition education emphasized on application and imitation not by memorization of basic information and it had emphasis on sharing and cooperation as compared to the American education that emphasized on competition and hardy individualism. Therefore the Taensa with their education led to problems on how to involve the formal education to them and therefore they sort means on which they could include this information to them. This was through an American Indian policy which included the belief that a process of transmission of knowledge and a communication system always existed among many diverse communities that lived in North American continent from the beginning. The transmission of knowledge included and overcame language barriers of Taensa group, religious differences and adapted lifestyles for the surrounding environment and a social system that would benefit the majority. The American Indian and Alaskan native educational system was broken as a result of an intrusion process. The traditional oral modes of education consisted to training youth by prayer, story telling, memory skills and listening. This meant that changes had to take place in the Taensa group. Conflicts between Taensa tribe and white people continued so that government sort to sign treaties with the Taensa tribe and the treaties that were signed contained a provision that education would be provided to tribal members and they made an outline of specific actions for education such as hiring practices. The new promise would affirm the ancient inherent ri
Implications of poverty on global health Poverty has been identified to exist in most if not all countries around the world. Inequality between the poor and the wealthy has been growing and at an alarming rate and inadvertently putting a strain on global health issues. A report by Shah (2009) indicates that eighty percent of the world population is dependent on less than ten dollars a day (Par2). Infant mortality rates plague most nations. The fact that a pregnant mother cannot access the proper diet and viable health facilities makes many children end up not reaching the age of five. A study conducted by UNEP (2006) shows that twenty five thousand children die each day when they contract easily preventable diseases and complications. These deaths are mainly concentrated in the poorest regions mainly sub-Saharan Africa and south Asia accounting for approximately seven and a half million deaths in2006.Little progress has been shown to exist if one is to compare the late nineties and into the twenty first century but a lot still needs to be done to avert this catastrophe. Children need to be given the right type of healthcare and food security to diminish this trend. Malnutrition is another factor that has been attributed to poverty. With most people living below the poverty line (living below $1.25 a day) most families find it difficult if not impossible to meet their daily food requirements and in turn ill health is prevalent. This is another indicator that poverty eradication measures need to be effected .This has not taken place. Instead most poverty stricken countries opt for food aid a solution that is both temporal and ineffective. In the end starving citizenry end up thronging an already over extended health system that is not able to cater for their needs (Chan, 2003, par4). A viable health system with proper equipment and qualified personnel is difficult to set up for most countries. This has negatively impacted health globally. Viable systems are only available to the wealthy while the poor are forced to contend with scarce facilities and them being the majority end up not accessing the right quality of health care. 1.4 billion people live below the poverty line according to Shah (2009), with this in mind one can only realize the enormity of the situation if this people need to access the right kind of health care (par3). The poor bear the biggest burden when it comes to ignorance and inaccessibility of the right information. This in turn means they end up losing out on health issues that are pertinent in maintaining their health. In instances of tobacco use this has been on the rise with figures on the rise to about thirteen hundred million smokers presently. In cases of tobacco related complications most countries are forced to put up viable health systems that would be able to cater for this. With the poor not being able to access this health systems one would expect that they would be able easily acquire the right information be it the ingredien
Platos book the Republic is now believed to be one of the most influential works in the history of Western philosophy and political science. This work focuses on a large number of questions; one of them is the definition of such notions as justice and injustice. In this book Plato intends to construct a model of an ideal or harmonious state, which would be governed by philosopher-kings, or those people who are best suited for the role of rulers. The author advocates the belief that “to be just is always better than to be unjust” (Plato, 39). The main message which this quote conveys is that justice is not only a moral obligation, but a necessity. It is not a burden which a person must bear just out of the fear of punishment. On the contrary, it is “the knowledge of the good” that helps people to co-exist with one another (Plato, 215). Therefore, the ignorance of an unjust man harms the others and himself. This is one of the core ideas in the Republic. This opinion is frequently challenged throughout the book. It should be borne in mind that Plato expresses his views through the key, protagonist, Socrates, one of the greatest Greek thinkers and the authors teacher. At the very beginning, Socrates, Thrasymachus and Glaucon try to present various interpretation of justice. Thrasymachus believes that justice is “the interest of the stronger” (Plato, 18). In his opinion, everything can be just if it is useful for those people who possess power. However, Socrates refutes this theory by saying that rulers do not always know what is in the best interest because every human being can make mistakes. Therefore, there should be some principle which they can follow in order to make the right decision. However, another interlocutor, Glaucon does not fully agree with Socrates. He thinks that people behave in a just manner mostly in fear of retribution (Plato, 43). In other words, justice can only be imposed from outside. Consequently, everyone may commit a crime or any other immoral act if he or she knows that it can be done it with impunity. This is Glaucons overarching thesis. In his turn, Socrates attempts to prove that this opinion is erroneous. First, he points out that justice is absolutely essential for the functioning of any community, city or state. Without it this city may simply collapse in chaos. Therefore, justice may be interpreted as the principles established within the state for the welfare of each citizen. They are intended to serve the best interests of an individual and society. This is the reason why justice should not viewed only as moral duty. This resembles the idea of social contract (Ferari, 353). To some extent, such approach reminds common law views on the concept of justice (Kelsen, 385; Lippens, 31). It should be born in mind that according to the principles of common law, the judge must rely not only on statutes and regulations but only on his own perceptions of justice (Sarat & Kearns, 7). So, to some degree, he may act like a philosopher-king. Nevertheless, Plato argues that this is the privilege of aristocracy this is why many of his views have been criticized (Ryan, 8). F
A decline in taxes is what is referred to as a tax cut. A tax cut automatically has an instantaneous effect on both the pertaining government and the taxpayers, which are usually a reduction in the government’s income and an increase in tax payer’s income. However, in the long term, a tax cut is speculated to have macro-economic benefits if the taxpayers use the supplementary income they get wisely, and at the same time, the governments adjust well to its reduced income. For instance, if the tax cuts are beneficial enough, they are likely to give an incentive to both individuals and corporations to invest hence stimulating economic activity and eventually, this generates more income which is taxable and as a result more revenue for the government. After the ‘Bush Tax Cuts’ of 2001 and 2003 signed by President George W. Bush, the US economy began ailing as it underwent the worst recession ever felt since the 1930s. The incoming President, Obama thus inherited a $1.3 trillion deficit, rising unemployment, and unparalleled crises in the US banking system (Larson 2003). As a result, he had the colossal duty of putting the economy back on its feet again and at the same time, set a strong foundation for future economic growth. At his inaugural address, President Obama stated that “Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age” (Singletary 2009). Before that, Obama had indicated that he had a robust plan oh how he would revive the economy in the shortest period possible rather than lay long term strategies that would take long to heal the economy. This short term plan consisted of a stimulus package which he guaranteed the American citizens that under the plan; he would inject billions of dollars into the economy through tax cuts and direct spending. “Obama’s tax cut plan would give $500 to individuals and $1,000 to couples per year and in the form of credit. It would be a payroll tax credit that would see employers reducing the amount of tax that is withdrawn from the paychecks of employees. This cut he estimated would cost $150 billion” (Singletary 2009). Budget deficit usually occurs when the income that is being spent by the government is more than the received tax income from taxpayers. Therefore due to demand in the economy, which increases during the recession, the government returns fall as expenses are raised. This is usually caused by unemployment benefits given out and a constant swell of people who have lost their jobs and need welfare. It also affects the economy in terms of investment spending, which decline steadily since people do not have the money to invest. Tax cuts in such a situation add even further to the economy demand. However, with the introduction of the stimulus package, President Obama also signed legislation known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment A
Summary of the Author’s Point of View The authors of this book provide very comprehensive sections on various events. These sections can be used in setting up an event because every detail is attached, and thus it may act as a complete guideline. In addition, the authors give comprehensive pieces of press releases and their benefits to the readers. The book recommends the use of focus target in the social media as a way that individuals and businesses can boost their online presence such as the number of post on social media like Facebook, Twitter, Vines, and Instagram. This book has a great appeal to the audience as ideas are presented logically and systematically. The book is focused on a wide range of readers including journalists, bloggers, and researchers who need information on the space exploration, individuals running small businesses, and people interested in using various social mediums for their personal branding. Regardless of all these aspects, a major constraint is that this book needs to be backed with more information, which can be used for medium-sized businesses that do not benefit from the majority of the highlighted approaches. Kawasaki and Fitzpatrick (2014) do not provide broad and detailed information on how to get more followers from a given social media platform. The book lacks detailed information on the desires of the readers of the specified information and it is hard to recommend the tools that the authors use even though they give alternatives. In some sections of the book where the readers want to gain more information about an attached article, the authors do not point out to other sources that can be used to provide the background information on the scope. Kawasaki and Fitzpatric (2014) only provide guidance and approach on certain issues. Analysis and Evaluation The information presented in this book supports the assertion that the art of social media is helpful in proving strong guidelines to individuals and small upcoming businesses. The use of social media by small businesses is not fully exploited due to the huge costs involved and the corresponding small share of return on investment. For one to benefit from social media, thus leading to huge returns from a small-scale business, the following strategies have to be put in place. Targeting the techniques to use From the current statistics – the social mediums that provide maximum customer contacts through sharing of information coupled with availing the best exposure of newly available commodities are Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. These platforms can be used to come up with a master plan in the business sector. Other mediums include YouTube and Pinte
Lenovo dominated the Asia-Pacific markets by crafting distribution agreements. Lenovo acquired the PC division of IBM. This assisted it in market intelligence, management, and technology. The IBM-Lenovo brand was acceded by Lenovo. The latter also obtained the right to operate the Thinkpad trademark. Businesses that operate in the international business domain can hardly miss facing a liability of foreignness. This implies that both social and economic related expenses are faced by firms that have established their operations in overseas or foreign markets (Qian, Li, & Rugman, 2013). Although firms such as Lenovo and Huawei can overcome the liability of foreignness in regions they are operating in, this type of liability can vary for different firms that operate at the same geographical location. Liability of emergingness can be defined as social and economic costs that business organizations incur at the infancy stage when they begin to emerge in the mainstream marketing platform. When a multinational like Lenovo expands to foreign markets, additional costs incurred are referred to as liability of emergingness. At this point, it is crucial to mention that Lenovo is a multinational firm that has already experienced or undergone massive expansion into other geographical regions (Chen, Hong, Jiang, & Kubik, 2013). Assets of emergingness are the social and economic resources accumulated from the operations of firms in emerging or new marketing platforms. In the case of business organizations that operate in foreign locations, both the liabilities of foreignness and emergingness can be transformed into assets of emergingness by lowering the cost of operation and expanding production. Market expansion in the right direction will lead to profit optimization in any foreign market. In other words, firms operating in foreign locations should strive to overcome both of the above liabilities (Khanna & Palepu, 2010). The organizational-related costs, customer-related costs, and government-related costs should be overcome by business organizations to boost the asset base. First, multinationals such as Lenovo and Huawei should meaningfully embrace technology. Firms that utilize the latest technological platforms are in a better position to compete favorably with other market players. As can be seen in the chart below, Lenovo has been shipping the highest quantity of PCs since 2014 compared to other market competitors (Zheng, Wei, Zhang, & Yang, 2016). As can be seen in the figure below, IBM was the top three more successful PC sellers across the globe. It is crucial to mention that in 2004 when Lenovo was acquiring IBM, it was not very robust in terms of performance. It was number 9 among the top ten PC sellers across the globe. Organizations and corporates have a great opportunity to experience growth in markets that emerge alongside what might be referred to as institutional voids. In particular, firms that are keen on seeking exit strategies from poorly performing markets may find institutional voids and emerging markets to be very fruitful. Khanna came up