ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Introduction Mergers and acquisition is one the strategies that many companies are using to help in strengthening their position in the market. Globalization has facilitated this process where companies from any part of the world can easily come together to form a large global corporation. Companies are merging to benefit from capabilities and strengths of each other. This paper analyses a joint venture formed by coming together of Sony Corporation and Ericsson Telecommunication Company. Historical Background Sony Ericsson is a global company that was established in 2001 after the merger of Sony Corporation and Ericsson Telecommunication Company. Sony Corporation was a powerhouse for consumer electronics based in Japan and enjoyed a large market share in the global electronics’ market. On the other hand, Ericsson Telecommunication Company based in Sweden was the market leader in making mobile communications devices. The two corporations were performing well separately but they realized they could do better by coming together to form a merger. As noted by Gorton, Kahl, and Rosen, mergers will be more successful if the companies merging are well established in their industries (1291). Ericsson was a mobile company that dealt more with software while Sony Corporation mainly dealt with consumer electronics and by forming a joint venture, Sony Ericsson aimed to be the best mobile solution provider. The merger had great impact in the market and the coming together of the companies changed the market share in the mobile market (Chidambaran, John, Shangguan, and Vasudevan 327). The two companies had just finished making mobile phones on their own and after forming a joint venture, they can now make mobile phones together. The main aim of coming together was to combine the technological leadership of the Ericsson in communication sector with the global skills in marketing of the Sony Corporation. The global management of the company is now based in London though it has many research and development branches based in other regions. After the merger, Sony Ericsson continued to grow and at the end of 2009, it was ranked the fourth largest mobile phone company in the world behind Nokia, LG, and Samsung. Currently, the corporation employs about 2500 contractors and 9400 employees worldwide. It has six different mobile phone products in the market viz. the Walkman, the cyber-shot, Bravia, UIQ, XPERIA and the Greenheart. After the merger, Sony Ericsson started registering improved financial performance, which reached its peak in 2007 when the company registered a sale volume of 103.4 million units. However, the sale trend started to decline in the following years with a sale volume of 43.1 million units in 2010. Market definition The largest market share Sony Ericsson has achieved since 2001 was in 2009 when the company was placed fourth in the world rankings. Nokia dominates the mobile market with 37.8%, followed by Samsung with 21%, while LG comes third with 11%. However, Sony Ericsson is ranked position one in the Nordic countries where it is followed by Nokia. In the market, Sony Ericsson mainly
The strategic view of bargaining contends that one should look at bargaining as a strategic game of sequential and simultaneous moves. During strategic bargaining, one can gain an advantage by sticking to a committed strategy or taking a first-mover advantage (Froeb et al., 2018). The most pertinent aspect of strategic bargaining is the clarity of the rules of the game. This paper looks at strategic bargaining based on a numerical example and decision-making by each player. Under strategic bargaining, a player can achieve better outcomes than the other party by deploying a committed strategy. For instance, if a company’s negotiators are engaged in talks with a labor union over a fixed sum, only two strategies are available to them. Usually, each party can either accommodate or bargain hard to achieve better negotiation outcomes (Zhu, 2018). However, both parties cannot bargain hard because no middle ground will be found and no deal struck as a result. In the same way, both parties choosing to accommodate means that the gain from the negotiation will be split and a substantial amount of leverage and resources will be left at the table. Balatti & Lopez-Quiles (2020) explain that in “a game of chicken,” the party that commits to a strategy would achieve a 75% advantage. Therefore, the party with the most leverage has to commit to a strategy while the other party’s option is to be accommodative or bargain hard. To conclude, from a strategic perspective, bargaining is seen as a game of strategy charact
Introduction The purpose of this paper is to discuss the formulation and implementation of drug abuse policies in the US. Specifically, the paper will focus on the rules that regulate the use of perampanel in the US. The role of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in the formulation and implementation of laws that regulate the use of various drugs will also be discussed. In addition, the paper will highlight the role of the Congress, presidential transition, the courts, and the head of DEA in the process of making the rules that regulate the use of perampanel. Drug Policy and DEA The US drug policy focuses on reducing the abuse of various drugs and controlled substances. The policy is meant to address three issues namely, addiction, rehabilitation of addicts, and reducing the criminal activities associated with drug and substance abuse. Generally, the use of various drugs is controlled to protect public health. Perampanel is a “new chemical entity with central nervous system depressant and hallucinogenic properties” (GPO, 2014). It was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2012 to be used in the US for treatment of partial-onset seizure in epileptic patients. However, uncontrolled use of perampanel can lead to negative health effects such as addiction (GPO, 2014). DEA enhances public health by ensuring that drugs that have abuse potential such as perampanel are used appropriately. To achieve this goal, DEA collaborates with FDA and the Human and Health Services (HHS) to analyze and classify drugs before approving their use (DEA, 2014). The Controlled Substances Act (CSA) The CSA was enacted to regulate the production and use of various substances and chemicals that have abuse potential. The aim of the CSA is to promote legitimate use of controlled substances and chemicals for medical, scientific, and industrial applications in the US. It provides a framework for classifying (listing) controlled substances into five different categories. The categories are referred to as schedules and are identified by roman numbers, which range from one to five. The classification takes into account, a substance’s “potential for abuse, currently accepted medical use, and the degree of dependency that it can cause” (DEA, 2014). The Attorney General has the power to classify various substances in the appropriate categories if he is sure that they can be abused. DEA has been granted the authority to list controlled chemicals on behalf of the Attorney General. The CSA allows any interested party to request DEA to classify or list various substances in the appropriate schedule. The Role of DEA in Implementation of the CSA DEA enforces the CSA by identifying the drugs and substances that must be controlled. After conducting preliminary investigations, DEA solicits advice from the HHS on whether the use of a given substance has to be controlled. The HHS, on the other hand, seeks advic
Summary Executive American reaction to the outcomes of World War II and the Vietnam War had a fundamental impact on the direction of US foreign policy in the decades that followed each war. Compare and contrast the differences in the way in which U.S. Foreign policy approached the Cold War in 1945-1968, and 1973-1993. In what ways do you think our current post-September 11 approach to foreign policy reflect these legacies? Introduction The consequences of the Second World War, affected in varying degrees all countries in the world. In order to minimize the adverse effects for the U.S. related to the loss of traditional economic partners, weakened military devastation, the basis for action plan Marshall Plan was adopted to support the European economies – participating in the Second World War, and has also aimed at strengthening of the U.S. position on the European continent and the establishment of world domination. Discussion The Marshall Plan and the Truman Doctrine were the main programs of the USA in order to prepare the establishment of the NATO bloc. At the suggestion of England and France the main provisions of the Marshall Plan were discussed in 1947 at the Paris meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the United States, England and France. In historiographies of many countries a great attention is paid to the problem of Cold War. A special attention is usually paid to the foreign policy of the USA and the USSR in post-war period. Many researches are dedicated to this issue. Nevertheless many aspects of this problem deserve further researching. One of these aspects is accounting for the rise and fall of Détente. Is should be noticed that the relationship between the USA and the USSR appeared at the centre of international policy in post-war period. The close cooperation of the USSR and the USA was changed into the hard confrontation that got the name ‘Cold War’. This term was firstly used in 1947 by the American economist B. Baruch. His speech determined the ideological and political ground of historical works, left an imprint at the methods of analysis and comparative methods, touched different aspects of American foreign policy in post-war period. The Cold War was a huge mistake, which caused a huge strain giant material and human losses during the period 1945-1991. As for the reasons of Cold War rise the Soviet scientists were unanimous. They saw the anticommunism character of Cold War. In the post-war period the USA turned into the most powerful country in the spheres of economy, army and policy. This gave a good base for global American hegemony. With the end of the war polarity of the world has changed dramatically – the old colonial countries in Europe and Japan lay in ruins, but moved forward the Soviet Union and the United States, only marginally involved in the global balance of power until then is now a unique and fill the vacuum after the collapse of the axis. And from that moment the interests of the two superpo
Introduction Knowledge refers to the acquisition of skills, information, consent and awareness of given happenings in the society. It entails apprehending truth, facts, being learned and familiarisation of oneself with situations through a process of logical reasoning and assessment of circumstances. Whether or not a single perfect process of acquisition of knowledge can be determined is a debatable issue as it remains a mystery as to how exactly people possess knowledge (Raffoul 27-34). According to Raffoul (165-167) and Rest (5-14), acquisition of knowledge involves easily and effectively embracing reality through experience or in thought as it is based on the proven scientific evidence, acquaintance, perception and experience. Different fields of knowledge such as mathematics, science, geography, science, psychology, religion and engineering do exist. Value judgment among people depends on the knowledge they possess. On the other hand, like morality, ethical responsibility demands that a person fulfils certain obligations in the best possible way and for the common good of all concerned (Lucas 36-45). At times, ethical dilemma can compel an individual to choose from a number of ethical principles that adhere to the moral law of doing right. Possession of knowledge and ethical responsibility Whether voluntary or unintentional, existence of praise and blame are major aspects of ethical responsibility for people with a certain level of knowledge. As dictated by normative ethics, application of conduct and acquired knowledge demands that existence of information and its application to decision making and other human practices be effectively employed in making rational decisions. Majority of people use applied ethics and the common societal laws and principles which guide people’s lives to judge human behaviour (Lucas 41-78). Ethics and morality entail doing what is right and avoiding evil. Knowledge of ethics and morality should be focused on enhancing maturity, benevolence, prudence and rational reasoning in undertaking critical decisions. In view of the fact that acquisition of knowledge has “nothing” to do with being certain of the prevailing or possible circumstances, moral law dictates that all human acts should be perceived in an objective, realistic, rational, and focused manner with the interest of the majority at heart (Rest 78-112). Withholding knowledge and refusing to act is definitely not a moral act and as it contradicts the concept of undertaking ethical responsibility based on one’s acquired knowledge. For instance, scientists who have the expertise to develop nuclear bombs should often be aware of the possible dangers that could emanate from such “wonderful” initiati
Introduction Shakespeare’s works had a massive impact on the development of modern English language. From his plays and poems, Shakespeare heavily impacted on the English language from various fronts. According to Adamson (98), English language was gaining a lot of popularity during Shakespeare’s time. According to this scholar, Shakespeare is remembered for the impact he had on the Early Modern English. Shakespeare used his power in literature to develop English language in a way that the society then did not realize. In the early 18 th century, Shakespeare contributed greatly to the standardization of this language through introduction of many new phrases and words. Shakespeare also brought about new ways of constructing language during this time. As Jackson (29) puts in, Shakespeare was a talented play writer who knew how to develop his words in a way that would satisfy the listener. Shakespeare and the Old English English language has developed from the early days, through early modern English, to what it currently is in the modern society. This development of English is partly attributed to the works of Shakespeare. According to Dobson (57), Shakespeare had a way of making his message reach the heart of the target audience. He was best known for his romantic and tragic plays presented in a way that brought a lot of intrigues. Shakespeare influenced the popularity of English in this century. People developed interest of learning the language because of the need to understand the message that was in the plays. Shakespeare plays became very popular in theatres and this made them develop interest in knowing the language. This was his first positive impact in the development of this language. As time went by, the language was getting transformed. New items were coming into existence and an English name had to be found. New processes were developed and their names or expression to their effect had to be developed. The world was increasingly being globalized, and with this became the need to improve the language. In his plays, there was need to develop new expressions as he tried to explain what happens in other worlds other than England. Given the fact that British were a world power that colonized various nations around the world, it became easier to spread this language to various other nations. Adamson (113) says that one of the most important contributions of Shakespeare in the development of this language during these early times was the fact that he made Britons proud of the language. Others living in England who did not know this language during these early times developed strong urge to understand the language. William Shakespeare and the Modern English William Shakespeare had a massive influence in the development of the modern English. As Jackson (97) says, during his times, Shakespeare had become known widely for his prowess in play and poem writing. He would perform before the queen and other state officials. As was stated early, during his times, the British emperor was at its best. The British Empire was expanding, and through this exp
The Affordable Care Act was an attempt to expand coverage of healthcare insurance to include the families and individuals with low income. While conceived initially as a mandatory regulation, the 2012 Supreme Court Ruling created an opportunity for states to opt out of the expansion. While some concerns were voiced regarding the possible adverse effects of adopting the expanded policies, currently the data shows that the states which chose not to participate in the expansion are at a serious economic disadvantage, not to mention the persistent gap in insurance coverage. Because of these, some of the states which chose not to opt in are considering a number of alternative decisions aimed at mitigating the negative impact. Analysis of Implication on Citizens As of today, nineteen states have not adopted the expansion of Medicaid, with Texas being one of them. Following the 2012 ruling, Texas was among the first states to opt out. Rick Perry, then-governor of Texas, made it clear in his speech that the suggested scheme was inherently faulty and its adoption was unacceptable (Goodwyn, 2015). One of the central premises behind such view is the percentage of federal coverage of expenses, or, to be more exact, its planned reduction rate. Nevertheless, the aftermath of such decision is visibly negative. First of all, a large percentage of low-income adults, the primary audience of the Affordable Care Act and its expansion, remain uninsured in Texas in 2016. It should be mentioned that the rate has dropped in the last few years, but the speed of decrease was far lower in Texas than in states with similar conditions which adopted the expansion. For instance, in both Arkansas and Kentucky, the rate dropped from 40% to below 20% (12% in the case of Kentucky, an almost threefold improvement). At the same time, the same rate dropped from 39 to only 27 percent in Texas – a far slower progression (Sommers, 2016). The same populace also reported an ability to pay for the received care. While the amount of people who skip the intake of prescribed medication is traditionally lower in Texas than in the compared states, the latter demonstrated significant improvement of these metrics (roughly a one-fourth decrease), while Texas only managed to cut the rate by one percent (Sommers, 2016). Finally, the quality of hospital care visibly suffers from opting out of the expansion. In accordance with federal law, hospitals are forbidden to turn down sick patients who are incapable of paying for health services. Such setup inevitably leads to the growth of “uncompensated care” – the expense resulting from treating uninsured patients. While the federal government provides compensation for the phenomenon, its amount was significantly decreased with the introduction of expansion. In other words, Texas suffers from drawbacks of ACA expansion without using its benefits. Potential Opportunities and Challenges of Opting in the Expansion Currently, there is no deadline for opting in, which means that the state can change its decision at any time. In fact, such decision presents several lucrative opportunities
The Sony Group of companies is mainly involved in the electronics, entertainment, and game sectors. Sony represents various businesses but has still managed to remain globally unique. Besides the need to make profits, the company is also involved in a wide range of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives. The reason why I admire Sony’s Corporate Social Responsibility agenda is because it encompasses the entire operations of the company. The company has divided its CSR initiative into 7 categories that involves the environment, management, responsible sourcing of raw materials, responsible manufacturing of products, responsible training and development of its workforce, engaging the community in a responsible manner, and innovation (Sony Corporation para. 2). Sony’s management has demonstrated its commitment to sound corporate governance by embracing corporate governance systems. The company also complies with its own requirements in a bid to enhance transparency. In addition, Sony abides by the established business ethics. It also complies with the relevant laws and regulations. The company’s Global Compliance Network enables it to reinforce its commitment to integrity. In addition, employees have access to the necessary resources to address any emerging ethical and legal issues (Sony Corporation para. 3). Sony is also committed to maintaining a sustainable environment for future generations. Sony manufactures a wide range of eco-friendly products that have been designed to ensure better environmental performance (Sony Corporation para. 4). Sony’s Blu-ray disc player is an example of an eco-conscious product that maintains high performance and saves resources, energy, and space. The company is also involved in a project dubbed SORPlas that entails recycling of plastics in a bid to minimize oil consumption. In 2011, Sony managed to reduce its global CO2 emissions by 30% (Sony Corporation para. 5). As a committed global citizen, Sony ensures that its supply chain is managed in a responsible manner. The company is also committed to producing reliable, high-quality products. For example, Sony creates and upholds sound partnerships with suppliers of raw materials in line with its internal policies and the relevant laws and regulations in the procurement of raw materials (Sony Corporation para. 5). In addition, Sony’s employees involved in the production process are normally given the necessary support to enable the company achieve CSR with regard to human rights, labor, and environmental conditions. Sony runs various businesses globally as part of its product responsibility initiative. Sony is committed to creating a positive working environment. In addition, the company endeavors to recruiting employees from diverse backgrounds. Sony is also committed to meeting the needs of the community as a part of its global citizenship. In addition, the innovation of