ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
The issue of employee compensation has always occupied a central position in human resources management. Compensation refers to both financial returns and other (in)tangible benefits which include: paid vacations, sick-off days, insurance, pensions plans among others (Pegg, 2009). According to Cole and Flint (2004), compensation practices vary from one organization to another. Consequently, these practices impact differently on organization’s performance. This notion implies that, a comprehensive and strategic compensation benefits plan is an essential human resource tool. However, it is imperative to mention that, human resource managers are often faced with a huge task, while deciding whether to adopt either the flexible or standard compensation benefits plan (Anvari et al., 2011). As epitomized above, research has shown that employers’ utilize compensation benefits as a bait to attract and retain employees (Khera, 2011). However, human resource managers ought to be knowledgeable about the impact of flexible and standard on employee productivity. This will enable them to chose the plan that is likely to bring the most benefits to their organization. Against this backdrop, this study was carried out with an aim of reviewing documented literature concerning the impact of flexible/standard compensation and benefits plans on organization’s competitive advantage. This objective was formulated based on the notion that workforce composition is constantly changing, and that today’s workplace consists of diverse employees’ with distinct benefits requirement. Apparently, this variability calls for a flexible benefits plan in order to ensure that the needs of these different generations are met. For instance, while Generation X and Y may be concerned with flexible pension plan benefits, Baby Boomers may be interested in car insurance plans. Subsequently, in order to accomplish the above objective, four articles were selected from various peer reviewed journals. To begin with, Cole and Flint (2004) study adopted organizational justice model to explore the relationship between compensation benefits plan and employee perceptions. These authors considered both the flexible and standard plans to test their hypothesis. Cole and Flint (2004) study indicated that, flexible benefit plans were perceived positively by a great number of employees, and that human resource manager communication about benefits cultivated even more positivity among employees. Furthermore, employees under flexible benefits plan confessed that they considered their employer to be considerate about procedural justice. Cole and Flint (2004) concluded that, such employees were likely to experience high levels of job satisfaction. On the other hand, Pegg (2009) carried out an empirical study to investigate the impact of compensation benefits on emplo
The disaster took place on December, 1984, when a toxic cloud of chemicals in one of the Union Carbide Corporation’s plants was introduced into the atmosphere. The plant was situated near an impoverished district of Bhopal, India, where 800,000 people lived. Nearly 4 thousand people were killed immediately and 300,000 were injured (Höpfl & Matilal, 2005). More than 15,000 people have been affected by the toxic chemicals for more than two decades. There were several investigations and there were two major theories concerning the causes of the disaster. In the end, the company paid almost 500,000 million dollars of compensation. Legal Aspects of the Incident Initially, Indian officials carried out their investigation and they found that the disaster took place because of inappropriate safety and maintenance measures in the plant (Höpfl & Matilal, 2005). Several employees as well as top management were imprisoned. However, the second independent investigation was carried out by the American “engineering and consulting firm Arthur D. Little, Inc.” (Höpfl & Matilal, 2005, p. 66). According to the results of this investigation, the disaster was caused by “deliberate sabotage” (Höpfl & Matilal, 2005, p. 66). After the second investigation the plant’s employees were released. The company also paid a $470 million of compensation. Notably, the Supreme Court of India described the settlement as “just, equitable and reasonable” (Höpfl & Matilal, 2005, p. 67). Safety and Health Impact As has been mentioned above, the disaster resulted in numerous victims. 3,800 people died immediately and 300,000 were injured that night. More than 15,000 people have died or have been exposed to “chronic or deliberating illnesses . for which there is no cure” (Höpfl & Matilal, 2005, p. 66). Some money was paid, but thousands of people are still waiting for their compensation. More so, the aftermaths of the disaster are still unaddressed. For instance, the plant has not been cleaned up yet. People living in the area do not have safe drinking water and are exposed to harmful influence of toxic chemicals. Though, companies have to effect insurance, there are still a lot of violations in the region. A Project Manager Perspective One of the most serious mistakes made was neglect of safety issues. The company should also have paid more attention to the equipment used. Another mistake was inadequate use of re
Paulson Still a Bull After His Bare Year. Authors: Gregory Zuckerman and Steve Eder Date of Article: September 19, 2011 Specific chapter topic to which the article relates: (Leadership and Entrepreneurship) Key Points:   * Value-based leadership and strategic focus; Despite the volatility of the US securities market, the founder and fund manager of the famous hedge-fund organization Paulson & Company is optimistic that the firm will recover from the losses it has undergone over the recent past. Paulson acknowledged the firm’s leadership failure and assured investors that the firm is making the necessary adjustments.   * Creativity, innovation and dynamic change; In the recent past, the US market has become very dynamic leading into loses in different economic sectors. One such sector is the housing industry. Paulson has been very creative and innovative which has enabled it to exploit these market changes.   * Entrepreneurship in action; In order to succeed in the dynamic business environment, it is critical for firms to diversify their business operations. This plays a critical role in minimizing the potential of loss. Analysis A firm’s leader should be a role model. This means that he or she should not only speak but should act in order to sustain an organization’s growth. Over the recent past, Paulson & Company has experienced an increment in the level of criticism over its recent failure in its fund management and the resulting loss. In 2011, the value of the firm’s two main funds declined with a margin of 23 % and 33% respectively. The firm was also criticized over the recent loss of $500 million in its Chinese Company. Paulson assured the investors that he would enhance its market research team in Asia in order to identify market changes and act appropriately. Paulson’s effectiveness in being a role model in his leadership is evidenced by the decisions that he made in 2008 and 2009 that made the organization increase on its profitability despite the prevailing economic recession. Following the loss, that the firm has experienced, the firm has made adjustments by reducing the size of its holding within Bank of America. Additionally, the firm also reduced its holding in gold companies such as Kinross Gold Corporation and AngloGold Ashanti. Paulson has incorporated the concept of teamwork in his leadership which enables him to make effective decisions. Additionally, Paulson also acts strategically by exploiting the market opportunities presented. For example, in 2006, he forecasted the eminent failure in the housing industry and engaged his team in making a decision to invest in inexpensive derivatives which saved the company from losing. In 2009, the firm forecasted a decline in the value of major currencies and a rise in the rate of inflation. To safeguard against possible loss, the firm acted strategically and invested in gold. Over the recent past, the value of gold has increased significantly. In making their decisions, firm’s management teams take into consideration the changes within the market. Depending on the nature of th
Introduction According to the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030, it is critical to develop and build a world-class public transportation system that will not only reach the expected levels of economic growth but also encourage stockholders to take benefits of the Emirate’s excellent access to utilities, transport networks and ICT (The Government of Abu Dhabi, 2008). Therefore, the Department of Municipality Affairs, which is known as The Western Region Municipality, signed an agreement with the Engineering Consultancy Firm (AECOM). It aims to “provide internal roads and infrastructure facilities at a new residential area in Ghayathi, Western Region of Emirate of Abu Dhabi”, aligning with the objective 22 in Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030, which deals with the provision of the efficient and safe transport infrastructure (Department of Municipal Affairs & Western Region Municipality, 2015, p. 17). The project maintained under this agreement should be decent for the Government of Abu Dhabi in economic perspective and be consistent with the Government’s strategy. Currently, the UAE requires an efficient public transport system to meet expanding tourist, business, and residential needs. Brief Description The project was initiated to improve the transportation system in Ghayathi, including but not limited to the liaisons with various organizations for acquiring approvals, the conduct of Traffic Impact Study, implementation of decent signage and traffic calming system, identification of service reservation corridors, improvement of the water drainage network, landscaping, street lighting, topographic and geotechnical evaluation, and design of simple structures. It also deals with a roadway, irrigation network, pedestrian realm, sewer network, Etisalat network, and electricity. The total investment was AED 2,449,102.00. Initiation AECOM is a major consulting firm that operates in this area and can improve the transportation system in the UAE, which is needed because of the streamlined development of the country. New internal roads and infrastructure facilities are intended to be designed according to the requirements of the Services Department and Authorities, which follow the Traffic Impact Study and Parking Requirement Guidelines Manual. Special Features The project has all peculiarities needed to bring management attention, including:   * Constraints – both time and resources needed for the project are limited but a huge amount of work should be done.   * Complexity – the project can be influenced by a number of different factors (peculiarities of the area, documents) and includes various services (traffic control devices, water network).   * Dynamic response – the time given for the implementation is lim
Television has been a revelation in America’s history. Irrespective of their ages, class, sex, or location, American lives seem to be influenced by the screen. Music and movie producers get huge profits in return and this clearly explains why the artists and the actors live lavish lives. Their lives seem to be the most decorated in the world thanks to their huge followers who do not mind buying the new release. No wonder television appears to play a great role in shaping American culture. This paper will attempt to discuss how Americans pick their TV show, the elements they look for when choosing a show, and how it reflects on sex and age groups (its influence on American culture). The United States of America plays a major role in building its entertainment industry. The heavy investment in the industry has brought about a resounding response from the citizens; it has even reached a point of addiction. Statistics show that over 99% aged 8-18 years have televisions and 77% of them have them in their Bedrooms (Kaiser Family Foundation 15). With the improvement of technology, some people watch television online. Integration of technology has also made it easies to watch television on phones and I-pods. This has generally retained the overall population that watches television. Among the series mainly watched is The O.C. which is the top show for 12-17-year-olds (parentstv 1), Desperate Housewives and Friends mainly watched by adults. Due to their unique appeal to various age- groups, they have great followings. One of the Series frequently watched by teens in the United States is the O.C (Orange County), a drama, comedy show aired on Fox Network. The show portrays the general high school students’ and college students’ life on West Coast. The name (O.C.) Orange County comes from the filming location. The main characters include Sandy Cohen, Kristen Cohen, Ryan Atwood, Seth Cohen, Julie Cooper, and Summer Roberts. Sandy Cohen is a lawyer and former social defender who brings Ryan home; Kristen Cohen is Sandy’s and a daughter to Jimmy Cooper, who heads a real estate company. Cooper’s husband, Ryan Atwood is a troubled outsider from Chino. After Sandy rescues him from the court, Ryan lives at Sandy’s house and becomes friends with Seth. He later gets into a relationship with Marissa. Seth Cohen is a son to Sandy and Kristen and later becomes Summer’s boyfriend; Julie Cooper divorces Marissa’s dad and marries Kristen’s Father, Jimmy Cooper. Summer is one of the four main teen characters and loves Seth. Her best friend is Marissa. Most of the audiences of this show are teenagers because the content is based on high school life. Also, it has plenty of teenagers’ language and slang which most teenagers understand and love to use. This show therefore uniquely appeals to the teenager, and influence their behaviors since most of the events revolve around their lives. Ch
What Is Religion? Corduan defines religion as a system of beliefs and practices that provides values to give life meaning and coherence by directing a person towards transcendence’ (p.21). Religion may be approached as a compulsory inner belief or experience which may be visible by the external behavior in the form of rituals, rites, or regulations giving it essentialist status or contrastingly as a function of human behavior irrespective of whether or not the fundamental doctrines are real or not. Corduan also mentions two other alternative approaches the subjective versus the historical where the former serves a psychological need and the latter evolves as the culture of humans develops. (P.21-40) Religion is the result of an evolutionary process in human culture.   * The first or the primary stage of religious evolution is the Mana or Fetishism which is the most prehistoric stage of not only religion but the entire human race. The humans confirm a belief toward the fact that the physical world transmits a sacred or holy force called the ‘Mana’ (derived from the name given to it by the inhabitants of Melanesia), which may prove positive when there is life, good health, and good crops. Conversely, the negativity of Mana can be judged by a bad or spoilt life. The goal is to manipulate this force so that one may attain the desired outcome and the human beings desire to have a positive relation with mana with the help of special objects or fetishes like bones, dolls, or special sticks (incense sticks), thereby displaying fetishism. In some cases, the use of magic is applied to achieve the desired results, and the belief that special benefits can be attained by influencing spiritual forces with the help of accurate rites and ceremonies in order to get certain benefits also exists.   * The second stage of religious Evolution termed Animism like Mana involves the manipulation of spiritual forces involving fetishism but in opposition to Mana, the spiritual force here is visualized as the “soul” (anima) which is personal. Animism basically involves the occurrence of ancestral spirits which are the spirits of the ancestors that have departed this world and nature spirits and have a typical form in the natural objects such as plants, rocks, or lakes thereby providing a holy presence to the places. These ancestral spirits are the family members who have passed away but stay connected with the living family, relations, or the clan for the assistance or benefits of the same. Animism in a way provides a beneficial function like the re-instating of justice and maintaining communal harmony by means of worship of places or objects attached to the ancestors thereby giving animism a finite manifestation. The spirits are supposed to provide desired information with the aid of prediction. The control of these animistic spirits is in the hands of a witch doctor, a medicine man, or a spiritualist. Both types of spirits are incomplete in knowledg
Executive Summary Recent technological developments have continued to take the world by storm since the invention of the computer and its follow-ups. In the world of technology, however, technological innovations and changing consumer demands in various markets are responsible for keeping marketers on their toes as competition is cutthroat. One of the companies that have dominated the field of electronics and technological innovations is Sony. This is more of a reflection of a savvy marketing and strategic marketing position via vertical integration rather than a significant technical advantage. The dominance has had its low moments with the electronics powerhouse opting out of some fields due to the high levels of competition evident in this field as demonstrated by the emergence of very many companies especially in the Asian ”tiger” economies whose economic and technological advancements is supersonic. This company was recently embroiled in a marketing war with Nintendo Wii in the marketing of their computer games Play Station 3 and the ”Wii” which went as far as to the courts. Again the corporation was caught in another battle with their other rivals Toshiba in the marketing of their high definition technologies, a war that Sony won. In light of this matter, the corporation has sought the services of a consultancy firm to analyze its competitiveness with their major rivals Panasonic Electronics on the marketing of their LCD plasma television sets. Introduction Company history Sony is a Japanese-based multinational conglomerate corporation one of the largest in the media conglomerates of the world with total revenue of over $82 billion as per the close of their 2007 financial year report. The corporation started in 1945 after the 2 nd World War as a radio repair shop operated by one Masru Imuka. After a year he was joined by a partner Akio Morita hence a change of name to Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo K. K. which translate to Tokyo Engineering Telecommunications Engineering Corporation and changed its name to Sony Corporation in 1958. As of today, the company is better known as Sony. Currently, the corporation has opened up many branches across the world under CEO Sir Howard Stringer, a British businessman. The corporation’s portfolio is diverse through its five operating segments – electronics (65% of revenues), games (19 %), entertainment (motion pictures and music) (8%), financial services (5%), and other electronic segments (3%). These make Sony one of the most comprehensive and relevant entertainment companies in the world. The introduction of the LCD technology in the world of entertainment has raised the standards of screen viewership with high color quality and definition expected with the coming of this product. The corporation is now faced with the increased market share of Panasonic in the plasma TV segment at its expense. Apart from being low priced the company is looking at other ways through which Panasonic is using to attract the market share that it has in such a short while obtained such a significant share. A new approach to the market is required hence the need to carry
Background Literature Review While having a strong economy and stable support from the European Union for political decisions made, Belgium has the status of one of the calmest and safest countries for life. In 2020, in the ranking made by the Institute of Economics and Peace (2020), the country was in 17th place among the states in which the level of security is assessed as very high. In this regard, terrorist attacks in Belgium have always been extremely rare, and the most notorious terrorist crime was the attack on a synagogue in Antwerp in 1981 when three people were killed, and more than 100 were injured (United Nations Human Rights, no date). Nevertheless, when studying the world experience of countries facing the threat of high extremist activity and falling victim to attacks by militant fanatics at the beginning of the 21st century, the Belgian government has strengthened its anti-terrorist measures by increasing the number of police patrols and ensuring increased surveillance on the streets of cities. However, by 2015, the situation had worsened significantly. As a result, a series of terrorist attacks in the country forced the government to take tougher measures and tighten control. The Belgian government stepped up its counterterrorism measures by following the events in Paris in January and November 2015. At that time, according to Vasilopoulos and Brouard (2019), more than 140 people were killed at the hands of Islamists. In January, as Bureš (2016) states, Europol warned of possible new terrorist attacks in several European countries. Among the most likely targets, the board identified Belgium, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom (Bureš, 2016). Since that time, the Belgian special services have been carrying out operations to capture terrorists. Devroe and Ponsaers (2018) note that, on January 15, 2015, the criminal network that existed in Brussels and Verviers was liquidated. According to Belgian media reports, in 2015 alone, over 270 criminal cases were initiated in Belgium against terrorist suspects (Devroe and Ponsaers, 2018). Thus, more active work started to counter threats from radical extremists. The religious context, in turn, was dominant and determined the direction of work to identify criminals. After the terrorist attacks in Paris, the question arose of creating the necessary conditions to protect Belgium from the real threat of extremists. In this regard, the 2005 anti-radicalization plan was updated (Kingdom of Belgium, 2016). In particular, efforts were made to counteract the spread of the ideas of Salafism in mosques in Belgium, which was seen as one of the reasons for the emergence of extremist sentiments among young people. According to Monaghan and Molnar (2016, p. 393), the theory of radicalization “has become the dominant trope for Western discussions of counterterrorism policing.” This concept includes findings from vario