ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Introduction Although most corporations are aware of the need to trim their workforces, political expediencies and inflexible executives lead to much procrastination as top management strive to guard their positions to the detriment of the firm. The inflated personnel leads to unnecessary bureaucracy and inefficiencies thus termed as bloated management structures, which inevitably lead to poor returns and market decline. Disadvantages of a Bloated Management Structure The efficiency of organizations is invariably linked to the type of management structure they employ. Bloated management systems that contain many interlocking hierarchical layers of administration often lead to poor communication, numerous managers, poor client service, lack of creativity, and general lack of coordination (ehow.com). At Cisco a Silicon Valley firm, restructuring resulted in the company dismissing 550 of its bloated workforce after registering poor results, including a 20 percent share drop within three quarters as further poor results loomed (Finkle). In the UK, premier broadcaster BBC finally has decided to trim its overly bloated workforce that has nearly 2,000 managerial positions and 4,500 job titles plus 191 positions reserved for “advisors” (Revoir). During the 1990s, the Royal Dutch/Shell Group of Companies (Shell), a joint British/Dutch conglomerate faced threats from newly created nationalized firms. This was due to the firm’s dependence on a decentralized management structure that had a committee of managing directors from both countries running the over 250 subsidiaries thus creating an unsustainable bloated administrative structure. To enhance efficiency, the corporation eliminated over 1,000 management positions and sold off its administrative offices in London. Nevertheless, the firm retained a bloated workforce compared to the other oil majors who had leaner management structures (Grant). Shortcomings of Staff Lay-offs However, organizations should guard against senseless job cuts as fewer workers might lead to poorer client service, compromised quality and output. At 3M, the extensive staff dismissals and introduction of Six Sigma program led to disquiet, and despite greater production efficiency, the firm was lagging in creativity (Hindo). Companies laying emphasis on crosscutting management techniques inexorably muting the inventiveness inherit within individuals. Nonetheless, shareholders are more interested in the “bottom line” as enhanced efficiency and reduced wage bills increase the revenue base. Incompetence can still be apparent within all sectors as depicted by IBM, which despite infusing many funds to research
Empirical Study Critique The selected article for this critique is “Social Influence Interpretation of Interpersonal Processes and Team Performance over Time Using Bayesian Model Selection” by Alan Johnson, Rens Schoot, Frederic Delmar, and William Crano. What was the design of the study? The authors of the article “Social Influence Interpretation of Interpersonal Processes and Team Performance over Time Using Bayesian Model Selection” used a co-relational study design in order to get the best results. The authors determined the relationships between different interpersonal processes and team performance. The targeted interpersonal processes included “task debate and task conflict” (Johnson, Schoot, Delmar, & Crano, 2015, p. 574). The researchers observed that the interpersonal processes of the targeted teams resulted in improved performance. What were the independent, dependent, and control variables assessed? More often than not, co-relational designs explore the relationships between two or more study variables. That being the case, the independent variables included the targeted interpersonal processes. Such variables determined the nature of the targeted performance. This fact explains why team performance was the dependent variable. Such interpersonal processes will eventually determine the performance and success of the targeted team (Johnson et al., 2015). What kind of data was used to assess these three variables? The above variables forced the researchers to gather the best data for the study. The researchers presented ordinal scales. Such scales made it easier for the authors to provide the best information about “the level of task conflicts and achievement of the targeted goals” (Johnson et al., 2015, p. 575). This knowledge explains how task conflict has the potential to increase the relationship between the targeted learners. The practice will eventually improve the level of team performance (Lim & Tai, 2014). Evaluating the study The above article presents useful ideas to the reader. The authors used the Bayesian estimation technique to support the above theory. The study observed that members’ interpersonal processes will always determine the performance of the teams within a specified period. Such interpersonal processes usually unfold within a specified period of time. This development encourages targeted individuals to focus on the best outcomes (Curran & Walsworth, 2014). The above study approach made it easier for researchers to come up with the best discussions. This knowledge is also applicable in different organizational settings. For instance, employees should use their interpersonal processes in order to become more innovative. Such individuals will “also focus on the best practices and eventually improve the level of participation” (Becker & Cropanzano, 2015, p. 236). The concept of teamwork will also emerge and eventually produce the best outcomes (Kraimer, Tukeuchi, & Frese, 2014). Reference List Becker, W., & Cropanzano, R. (2015). Good acting requires a good cast: A meso-level model of deep acting in work teams. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 36 (2
Site Overview The derelict site was hitherto used by two industries, which have remained nonfunctional for the past sixty years. There are 100 drums buried underground and, unfortunately, their contents are not indicated. The drums show a sign of cracking and a, strong pungent, smell is felt in the air at the site. This must be a clear indication that they contain Toluene diisocyanate (TDI) and other unsafe chemicals. The two companies are known for producing wastes rich in Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), which are dangerous organic compounds. PCBs are banned by Stockholm Convention because they are persistent organic pollutants (Lu & Kacew, 2009). Other wastes generated by the company include chromium, Toluene diisocyanate (TDI) and Acryl amide. All these compounds have adverse effects on human health and the general environment. Fishing activities takes place in a stream which flows through the polluted and contaminated site. There is a residential area about a mile downstream of the site and the residents draw their domestic water from that place. The same water from the stream is used for irrigation downstream, which is a serious health hazard to the crops, and consequently human health. Waste Analysis The following is an analysis of the polluted site with PCBs, chromium wastes, Acrylamide and TDI. It describes the four contaminants covering their routes of exposure, mechanisms of toxicity and the
The Midwest flood of April to October 1993 is arguably the greatest flood to have hit the United States in terms of coverage and duration. It occurred in the Midwest region where there is a confluence of Mississippi, Illinois and Missouri rivers. It covered “400,000 square miles affecting states like Missouri, Illinois, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, and South Dakota… The total damages amounted to $15 billion, 50 people lost their lives, thousands were evacuated, and hundreds of levees were broken” (Leavesley 13). The fact that measures had been taken to mitigate effects of flooding (like building of levees and reservoirs) caused uproar over disaster preparedness. This led to a lot of research and data collection, which should have led to better preparedness for an even greater flooding disaster, but has it? A quick search in the internet reveals a lot of information present about this disaster ranging from photo’s of submerged houses (mainly from the press) to publications of the event. Further, data and maps are available which were compiled by the scientific assessment and strategy team (SAST) put in place by the then president Clinton that underline the progress made in flood mitigation. The media played an important role in keeping all people informed on the developments taking place in the flooded region. However, media may be accused of being interested more in generating controversy other than just reporting. For instance, they frequently quoted Mark Twain to stress their point. Twain had said that, “man’s work on the Mississippi river meant to control it was in vain then and in future” (263). The media may have been trying to call attention to the situation but it ended up stifling the morale of those who hoped to overcome the problem. The flood was caused by increased wetness in the whole region that can be traced back to 1992 when there was an increase in the snowfall during winter. The thawing of the ice coupled with enhanced rainfall over the area set the stage for a flood of major proportions. The floods began in spring 1993 and continued through summer and fall. At least “10,000 homes, 75 towns, and 15 million acres of farmland were inundated” (Leavesley 13). The effect on the infrastructure was greater with the state highway department, state, local and city government requesting Federal Emergency Management Administration over $258 million for highway repairs (Parola, Hagerty, and Kamojjala 3). However, the flood favored the ecosystem as more aquatic species thrived. Even the species affected at first did well in the long term (Sparks 34). Unfortunately, the thriving of some species like the mosquito, which are vectors of human diseases, made the situation worse. Although human intervention was critical (like the response of the Federal Emergency Management Administration), it also had its bad side. According to Sparks, the harm was caused more by human factors than by the flood itself; “catastrophic failure of the
Introduction The minimum wage is the most common example of the price floor. The term refers to a legal floor of the price of labor, which governments of different countries set to make sure that workers get decent salaries. The concept of minimum wage raises many controversial questions since in addition to the obvious advantages, which Mike Konczal argues about in his Economists agree: Raising the minimum wage reduces poverty , the minimum wage policy has several considerable drawbacks, such as higher unemployment rates, an increase in the black labor, and so on. Key Concepts of Mike Konczal’s Article Mike Konczal focuses on the fact that the minimum wage can reduce poverty. After examining many studies on this topic, he has concluded that while the authors of those studies argue if the higher minimum wage causes the loss of jobs, almost all of them agree on the point that the minimum wage helps to decrease poverty. He states that Arin Dube, an economist, concluded that 10% increase in the minimum wage would reduce the number of poor households by 2.4% (Konczal par. 3). Moreover, the rise of the minimum wage boosts the economy of the whole country and increases the quality of life. It has its greatest effects on lives of those the poorest ones, significantly reducing the poverty gap. In addition, the policy is self-enforcing and does not require the government to spend any money from the national budget. It can also complement a series of policies that the government already uses, such as Medicaid, food stamps, etc. (Konczal par. 4). The Graph from the Textbook The textbook, in its turn, is focused on adverse effects of the high minimum wage. First of all, it proves that an increase in the minimum wage causes higher unemployment rates. As in the case of any other price floor, if the equilibrium price is less than the price floor, that leads to an unwanted surplus: the minimum price is higher, so producers want to supply more, but consumers want to buy less. Consequently, when the equilibrium wage rate (E on the graph below) is less than the minimum wage, it increases the number of unemployed (the distance between points A and B). The Differences between Mike Konczal’s Article and the Textbook So, while Mike Konczal asserts that the higher minimum wage has a huge positive effect, that is reduces poverty, the textbook tells about its negative consequences as well. Among those are an unwanted surplus, deadweight loss, wasted resources, inefficient distribution of sales between sellers, too high level of quality and an increase in the black labor. Konczal denies the main of those – an unwanted surplus; he states that if an increase in the minimum wage is not too big, no adverse employment effects will follow (par. 1). However, he does not focus on it and moves to the topic of the levels of poverty. The Concept of Elasticity Mike Konczal mentions the concept of elasticity several times. He says that if the 10% increase in the minimum wage reduces the number of poor individuals by 2.4% the elasticity is -0.24 in this case (Konczal par. 3). Indeed, elasticity is calculated as the ratio of the change in the first value (i
Introduction The determination of the Employment Equity Act was generated to guarantee that there are one and the same chances for all people that exist in Canada. The Employment Equity Act primarily aims four assemblies of the population that involve females of the country, aboriginal peoples, individuals with disabilities, and observable subgroups of the population. Furthermore, the Employment Equity Act assists as a significant part of the employees because it traces any discernment and eliminates it efficiently. If the Employment Equity Act is applied appropriately, the Act will guarantee that people in the labour force are given the opportunity of the equivalent admission to job openings along with identical management in the place of work. A lot of entities accept as true that managers are not very expected to encounter the conditions of discernment as they go through the acquisition procedure, along with correctly applying the Act in a specific labour force. As a result, the complication of the Employment Equity Act is reasonable; though it is not obligatory to ensure the Act is applied in countless places of work in Canada. The following report aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the Employment Equity Act, especially focusing on the section written for Aboriginal Peoples and Person with Disabilities. In order to do so, several features should be included in the paper. First of all, the history of the legislation will be discussed in order to begin to assess the law from the moment of its implementation. Furthermore, various articles of legislation and their applicability to human resources will be considered. Moreover, challenges that the Employment Equity Act has posed will be observed along with the recent changes that have been made to the legislation and their effectiveness. The last section of the report will provide several recommendations to advance the Employment Equity Act. History of the Employment Equity Act The Employment Equity Act of Canada was first conceived in 1986 by Judge Rosalie Silberman Abella, Commissioner of the Royal Commission (SOURCE
Introduction Human sexuality appears to be a rather simple concept. However, this would be the case if sex was solely linked to reproductivity. Thus, it would make sense if people engaged in such activities for the purpose of fulfilling biological needs such as creating offspring. In reality, sex is much more than that, and besides having a biological objective, it correlates with multiple social, emotional, and psychological factors. Since it is not solely a physical process, what is sex? It is a complicated question since it takes many forms and changes based on the circumstances. Humans often explain sex to children by suggesting it is something that happens when mommy and daddy love each other. While this still refers to the physical connotation of creating new life, sex is explained through the word “love” in this particular situation. This makes the subject even vaguer since love is an even more confusing term. Suppose romantic love is when two people are attracted to each other and feel the need to externalize their emotions through sex. However, humans do not always have sex with those they truly love, further expanding the dilemma. Maybe sex is a psychological need to connect with another person. In this case, all the pathologies and sexual crimes would be referred to as non-consensual emotional communication rather than abuse. The complexity of explaining human sexuality refers to the complexity of the concept itself. The truth is that sex, just like most human activities, has multiple layers. Each person views it differently, and the notion itself changes as time goes by. However, it is certain that humans are only beginning to understand themselves, their bodies, and their minds, and sex may become something entirely different as people evolve and start asking even more questions. The Morality of Sex Sex is not necessarily tied to any of the notions of reproductivity, emotional involvement, love, and other terms that are usually linked to human sexuality. However, i
The world has developed from the old age to the new technological and civilized advancements. Several things have developed in governance and leadership. There is more of liberation, democracy, and freedom both socially and in the political arena (Cartel, 2007). There are still many people in our communities who are still keeping the old methods of dealing with situations and issues. These are conservatives who are still holding on their traditions, cultures, leadership and religion (Cartel, 2007). Human beings have evolved from various aspects of living both politically and socially. They have freedom to do anything at their will or according to the guidelines they have set which is liberty (Cartel, 2007). In politics, people have the right to elect whoever they feel like electing without any bias. They do it in their own will and decide on whom to support in his or her candidacy. In some cases, people hold on to their political parties and support the members fully without any external force compelling them to do it (Cartel, 2007). Some people will vote for a person in order to protect their interests while another group will elect someone in order to fill the vacant position and have no good reason as to why they chose one for the other. In general this is termed as political liberalism where a lot of freedom is noticed in the political arena (Rawls, 2005). In our sociology and philosophy, we will realize two aspects of liberty; the positive and negative liberty. Positive liberty allows a person to perform whatever he or she feels like doing without being inhibited by any external forces from the society as a result of racism, sexuality, religion background, gender, social class or political grounds (Cartel, 2007). Every human being has the freedom to carry out his or her activities without any interference from any other person or authority due to his belief or political opinion in relation to positive liberty. People have the capacity, ability and opportunity to do what they want to do despite the obstacles ahead of them. In negative liberty, a person has the freedom to carry out activities to the extent that no person or authority that interferes with whatever he or she does (Cartel, 2007). The negative concept tries to define what extent is a person or crowd can exercise their freedom without external interference (Cartel, 2007). An example of positive and negative liberty is considering a person who is driving a car and on his way meets a junction where he might either turn right or left, the driver might decide to turn either side without any force compelling him (Cartel, 2007). In the second case take a driver who gets to the junction and decides to turn right in order to pick a bottle of wine despite the meeting he as on the other left turn he has left. one driver deicide to take a turn out of his free will while the ot
The prompt analyses one of the leadership styles, which dominates in Asian countries. It is crucial to understand paternalistic leadership since such understanding will promote the development of positive cross-cultural relations. Paternalistic leadership originated in China, and it is closely related to the country’s cultural traditions (Wu, Huang, & Chan, 2014). Namely, it presupposes a hierarchical connection between the leader and subordinates in which the former plays the role of a parent who directs employees’ professional and private lives. The paternalistic leadership model involves several dimensions, such as morality, authoritarianism, and benevolence (Chan, 2014). Wu et al. (2014) note that benevolence and moral leadership have a positive relation to trust-in-supervisor whereas authoritarian leadership has a negative association. Therefore, scholars suggest that leaders who desire to gain employees’ trust and increase their motivation should give up authoritarian style and use moral and benevolent approaches instead. When analysing paternalistic leadership, much attention is paid to employee voice. Scholars remark that under different perspectives, employee voice can be encouraged or discouraged. Zhang, Huai, and Xie (2015) note that authoritarian leaders tend to decrease the significance of employee voice by eliminating their status judgment. Benevolent leaders stimulate employee voice by increasing status judgment and leader-member exchange (Zhang et al., 2015). Finally, moral paternalistic leaders make a highly beneficial impact on employee voice, largely by using a variety of leader-member exchange (Zhang et al., 2015). Since the suggestions and opinions expressed by people working in an organisation perform a vital function in firms’ success, leaders should pay much attention to employee voice. While the success of applying authoritarian paternalistic leadership methods is considered to be low, research indicates that many firms prefer this style, whether in its pure form or in combination with others. Having analysed leadership profiles in the Taiwanese military, Chou, Sibley, Liu, Lin, and Cheng (2015) found that as many as 60.1% of leadership profiles were moral authoritarian. Moral-benevolent leadership was preferred by 29.1% of companies, and authoritarian leadership low on morality and benevolence prevailed in 10.8% of organisations (Chou et al., 2015). Scholars remark that a leadership style high in morality and authoritarianism is the reflection of the traditional view on a Chinese leader who is expected to be uncompromising, strict, and trustworthy. The second place in employees’ rating goes to a leader high in benevolence and morality. This approach is associated with Confucianism, which presupposes the leader to have high moral values and demonstrate compassion toward workers (Chou et al., 2015). Since paternalistic leadership is based on