ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Workers have come a long way with Teleworking and that is why National Telework Week has been organized to recognize employee retention and financial benefits of remote working. Brian Christensen who is one of the employees Cisco System Inc, which is a computer networking firm, recalls how he was forced to move from his home in San Francisco to be near the company’s headquarters in California. This is because he was always late at work due to the long distance drive. Christensen used to take 90minutes driving to work which was 50 miles away from his home. Despite the harsh conditions, he was expected to work for 10-hour days. Christensen laughs when he looks at how things have changed as compared to the past 18years. Being the director of information systems at Cisco, Christensen now has more responsibilities to attend to. He is responsible for mobile and home service offering for 63,000 employees with $43 billion Company (Meg par. 1). Today, Christensen is able to work several days within a week from home and that is why he encourages other clients and co-workers to do the same too. According a survey report, roughly 90 percent of employees are working at least one day a week from home. Cisco has taken the mandate to promote employee empowerment to facilitate success in their jobs. Better results will be recorded if the employees work from home as compared to the hours they spend in the office. Being a networking company, Cisco has taken the forefront to facilitate a movement on the benefits of teleworking not only to the benefits of employees but also as a way of making business operations to be more global by attracting and retaining workers of highest quality that will boost the productivity of employees. Actually it is Cisco Company that has sponsored the National Telework Week which is to begin on Monday. Telework Exchange Company is responsible for organizing the event since the company also promotes teleworking particular in federal government. The two companies believe that employees can be able to save $ 60 averagely in a week and $ 3000 yearly if they work remotely. A good example is Trademark Office and U.S. Patent which documented savings worth $19million after moving its employees to work remotely. This was more than 14years ago. The large savings were as a result of reduced transport and real estate costs and a reduction in employee turnover. A total of $ 215 billion can be saved if full-time workers decide to work remotely. The environment will also be spared from tons of 143 million pollutants. The number of employees working from home has increased steadily since 2004. However, in 2010 the number declined as a result of r
The likelihood of an earthquake in Alaska can be termed as being moderate. However when it occurs, its impacts can be devastating. This is the main reason why preparing for such a disaster is essential. Like any other mitigations, earthquake mitigation must take place before any real disaster (FEMA, 2010). Because the effect of such a disaster can be devastating and far reaching, preventive strategies must include both structural and non structural mitigations. The structural mitigations require the use of engineered safety features that would provide protection from disaster impacts (FEMA, 2010). Particularly for earthquake mitigations, engineers are advised to have special building designs and construction materials that would increases the capability of the individual structural foundation and load bearing frameworks to resist the seismic waves and aftershocks (Perry, Prater & Lindell, 2006). These building and construction practices must be applied in residential, commercial and industrial structures as well as in infrastructural facilities such as pipelines for fuel, water and sewerage systems, roads, bridges, electric transmission lines and television, radio and cellular phone towers. Non-structural measures include establishing earthquake warning centers and educating the public on how they should behave and react during and after the disaster. The public must also be taught on how to deal with emergencies related to earthquake. The authorities, hospitals, organizations and all the agencies dealing with emergencies must also be educated on how best to deal with such a large scale emergencies (FEMA, 2010). Those who live near the sea must be warned to move to the higher grounds before the tsunami waves strike. Hazard adjustments for extreme winter conditions Alaska is highly prone to extreme winter conditions characterized by strong winds and heavy snow falls and extreme colds. In most cases, ice accumulates up to about three feet blocking roads, rail systems and airports. In preparation for such a disaster, both commercial and residential bu
Brief Description of the Situation A woman from a Western culture is intended to work in a non-western, Arabian culture. It is important to consider the intercultural communication theory and understand how it contributes to the successful business running in strange environment. The difference in the Western and Arabian cultures is great, especially in the relation to women, so the manager is going to face numerous challenges while implementing the ideas she has. To avoid more conflicts which may appear because of the woman’s unawareness of the cultural peculiarities, a manager should consider the following pieces of advice. Introduction to the Arabian Culture Most of the Western business models are efficient and successful but their use in Arabian countries may be insufficient. Thus, contrary to the Western tradition, Arabian corporate culture is characterized by collectivism rather than by individualism. The organization structure in Arabian countries is different as the division of human resources is not like in the Western countries where the decisions are made by the top managers. The decision making in the Arabian countries may be made by the simple workers (Anwar & Chaker 2003). It is inadmissible to cause an Arab person lose face, as well as interfering into personal space if one does not desire it. At the same time, close communication is prominent in Arab life (Moran, Harris & Moran 2007). A woman has a lower position in the Arab society, and she is placed on a special position. Only 10% of the working force represents women, this shows the specific relation of Arab culture to them (Rice 2004). It is important to realize that those women who visit Arabian countries with business purposes should try to follow the cultural traditions of the country to be accepted there. Key Cultural Issues One of the key issues in the Arabian culture is religions. It should be mentioned that most of the cultural differences which appear and influence business running are considered from religion. Trust is one more cultural issue which should be taken into account. Arabian managers never start business if they do not trust a companion (Rice 2004). Family is central for Muslim religion which functions in the Arabian world, and this concept influences business relations (Jandt 2009). A specific place of a woman in the society may create a number of inconveniences for a Western female manager, but a close consideration of the law, polices and the traditions may be considered as a good start for running successful business. Brief Review of the Chosen Theory Intercultural communication theory is chosen as the central theory for dealing with the problem of making Arabian human resources agree to work with Western female manager. Being one of the most developed and successful theories in the modern world, it should be mentioned that Communication Accommodation Theory as a part of intercultural communication theory can explain the strategies used for interac
The causes of child poverty in the United States cannot be separated from the grounds of adult poverty. The costs associated with raising children are one of the many reasons families fall into poverty, along with the loss of jobs and reduced wages. Factors that make it difficult to meet people’s basic needs mean that their children also grow up in conditions of economic instability and deprivation (FRONTLINE PBS, 2017). The main reason children in the United States suffer from poverty is that the country’s financial systems are not designed to support all families. Also, economic inequality continues to persist in the United States, directly related to the chronic poverty faced by families across the country. Stagnant wages and discrimination in the labor market are also severe causes of child poverty. Since April 2020, the proportion of children who have at least one unemployed parent has consistently remained higher than stated during the peak of the Great Recession. More than 4 out of 10 children live in families that cannot cover basic expenses, and between 7 and 11 million children live in families where they cannot eat enough because of the high cost (Kim & Drake, 2018). Systemic inequality rooted in slavery and genocide contributes to a disproportionately high poverty level, particularly among children of color. In Ohio, the percentage of people below the poverty line does not exceed 13 percent (Talk poverty, n.d.). Although the percentage of poverty is higher in many other states, it is still a deplorable fact. However, this is a severe problem because of which children are forced to live in poverty. To cope with the current situation, it is necessary to take some serious measures. It is required to create temporary jobs for the unemployed and partially employed between 16 and 64 in families with children (Dickman et al., 2017). It will also be effective to increase the earned income tax deduction for families with low-income children. It is possible to make payments for a child with additional benefits for families with young children. Finally, it is necessary to provide subsidies for child care to all eligible families with a low level of poverty. Thus, it is essential to take care of the well-being of children living in poverty. The state should help disadvantaged families survive difficult times and fight against sexism and racism, which have led to significant economic inequality.
In the ordinary world, the words leader and manager are used synonymously to refer to the person taking charge of an organization. In the real sense however the two words are separate with different meanings. A manager’s primary task is limited with the 5 functions of planning, staffing, organizing, controlling and directing. On the other hand, a leader’s primary roles are to motivate and inspire his followers. For a leader to run an organization, he needs some managerial skills to be effective. Similarly, a manager needs some leadership skills to lead people. With this interdependency between the two terms, it is very difficult to exclusively categorize Richard Branson as either a manager or a leader. In my view, Richard Branson is both a leader and a manager. For this particular case, I will argue that Branson is more of a leader and less of a manager. Considering the successes, Richard Branson is no doubt a good manager—but he is however a better and an exemplary leader. There are several reasons to this conclusion. First, Branson has a rich history of entrepreneurship and success despite being young and in college when he founded his first business. In leadership theory, a leader originates and innovatively develops. A manager on the other hand, administers and maintains. We see a lot of originality and innovation in Branson when he launches the student magazine and later virgin brand and the vast business empire. The second reason why Branson is a leader is his focus and trust in people to drive innovation and success. He exemplifies tremendous trust and confidence in people’s abilities when he turns flight attendants wedding business idea into a viable venture. He demonstrates trust and faith in his employees to clad on a wedding dress during the launch. In contrast, a manager is very keen to show control and authority. Relationship between Branson and his followers Branson’s relationship with his followers depicts a perfect leader-follower kind of relationship. This is a relationship where the leader at any one moment can cede his role of a leader to assume of a follower and vice versa. It allows the leader to mentor his followers to be leaders in their own right. We see this when Branson takes the follower role in the wedding business idea and allows his flight attendant to assume leadership. By relegating himself to a follower, he is able to accord his employee the space to freely innovate. Leadership myths demystified by Branson Often, many people associate leadership with academic ability and performance. However, as proven by Branson this is just a myth. Academic achievements alone do not always translate to effective leadership. Similarly, lack of it does not imply ineffective leadership. Branson was on
Equal access to the energy infrastructure in Europe has had a wide array of effects on the promotion of competition. Vertical integration is the most common form of energy distribution that is dominant in most European countries. Consequently, the distribution of energy in Europe depends on a single outfit. Nowak notes that “while competition can be promoted in generation/production and supply side of the vertical integration, transmission and distribution segments remain natural monopolies that hinder market mechanisms” (2010, p. 3692). Therefore, the energy infrastructure in Europe has been detrimental in promoting healthy competition within the industry. The infrastructure that is dominant in Europe favours the dominant companies by allowing them to maintain the status quo whilst making it hard for new businesses to venture into the energy industry. To balance out the lack of competition in Europe’s energy market, there is a need to liberalize the energy industry in the region by ensuring equal access to the energy infrastructure. All these measures require goodwill on the side of the political stakeholders. On the other hand, lack of infrastructural access within the European energy market is also harmful to the infrastructure itself. The principle of the free market is responsible for various advancements in technology and the energy infrastructure. Market preconditions are also responsible for the high standards that drive the energy market within Europe. Consequently, there is a need to drive the competition within the energy sector in Europe in order to make the sector reflect the natural progress of the overall industry. For instance, one research notes that “if regulated prices are not in line with market prices, suppliers without significant low-cost generation capacities and infrastructural assets or equivalent long-term contracts will not be able to make competitive offers, which they need in order to cover their supply costs” (Alexander & Weeds 2006, p. 23). Governments can respond to the problems of poor infrastructure through a number of measures. Most of these measures are aimed at liberalizing the market by loosening the control of private entities on the energy infrastructur
Judging from this photograph 1 , one can identify at least two types of wastes that are inherent to this company; namely waiting and transportation. It is quite probable that the employees of this enterprise have to continuously wait for the delivery of materials. There is a very long lag between different production steps due to this disorderly storage of inventory. Furthermore, we can suppose that they have to move materials from one place to another when they search for specific component or tool. This can also be viewed as excessive transportation. It is possible to take several steps to address each of these problems. In particular, we will focus on the first three phases of 5S methodology. The first step that need to be taken is sorting; essentially, one has to remove those tools and materials which are not necessary for production process. The workers need to divide inventory into three groups:  1. tools and materials that are continuously used by manufactures;  2. tools that are not used at the given moment but can be used in the future;  3. either defective or unused material that should be eliminated (Hobbs, 2004, p 130). This will allow the management to reduce the time they spend on waiting, especially when they need to deliver materials and tools. Overall, the sorting of materials is essential effective time management in an organization. The second way of minimizing these wastes is to set these materials and tools in order. It is necessary to designate location for every piece of inventory and make it easily identifiable (Ortiz, 2008, p 72). The main objective of this step is to make inventory more accessible to the workers, so that they did not have to look for them for a long time, since this may lead to the stoppages of the production process and unnecessary movement of inventory. These action steps can eliminate each of the two wastes that we have identified in the introduction. The third step of 5S methodology is to keep the place tidy and well organized (Hobbs, 2004, p 130). The thing is that a clean workplace allows the management to see defects in the production or inventory. An untidy workplace can conceal lack of quality or rejected components. The strategy is more applicable to such waste as transportation since the employees, who are working in untidy conditions often misplace components and spare parts; subsequently, they have to look for them for a very long time. In this case, cleanliness can reduce unnecessary movement of workers and materials. This is why one should not suppose that systemic cleaning of the workplace cannot contribute to the effectiveness of an
Introduction The bible is the principal reference point of Christianity. Written in different genres, the gospel books form the central point in Christian teachings. The use of parables by Jesus in his teaching has sparked diverse views from Catholics and other protestant groups. The reversal parables are tricky in both understanding and abiding by the message purported by Jesus. Catholicism doctrines teach that Jesus is both human and God, while the Gospels offer the description of Jesus in relation to his achievements. Jesus often used reversal parables to pass a message to his audience/gathering. However, the parables always challenged the audience. For instance, in the parable of Lazarus and the rich man, Jesus compared the lives of poor Lazarus and the rich man in the world and heaven. Interpretation of the parable shows that only the meek or humble people are eligible to inherit God’s kingdom. A second reversal parable with a similar interpretation occurs when Jesus drives away businessperson from the temple. The New Testament clarifies Jesus as the son of God who came into the world in human form (incarnation). The Catholics believe Jesus is in both human and God’s form. Incarnation of Jesus Christ is still paradoxical in the contemporary world; however, the Catholics refer to the word as the divinity, humanity, and combination of the two factors in a holy form (Albl 40). On the other hand, the catholic catechism contradicts with the protestant churches and the scientific world on the issue of Jesus as of God or God-like. According to the Catholics, only God has the power to save human from sins, which is the prime attribute of Jesus (Albl 60). The Catholics have firm doctrines on Jesus as a son of God, and His incarnation, while the other churches still debate on the issues (Lee and Sanders 662). Therefore, it is through the incarnation of Jesus that the world achieved salvation, an activity, not within the reach of human beings. According to Imperato, Jesus is beyond human description, and Christians have to be hinged on his deeds to support their faith in God (80). Consequently, the mystery about Jesus identity has led divided ideologies among the Christian communities (Lienhard 90). Therefore, the Gospels only give the unique character of Jesus leaving his identity as a paradox. Although Jesus appeared in the world about two thousand years ago, he is still famous especially among Christians. The message on the coming of Jesus dates back to the Old Testament when the early prophets like Isaiah about him as a messiah. Through preaching’s and recording of crucial events, the bible and other books give a vivid description of Jesus. The scientists describe Jesus ability in maneuvering the geographical or environment as errant or hoax while the historian asserts that Jesus was a normal person during his contemporary times (Grudem 27). Christians relate Jesus’ actions/miracles and parables or words to his divinity. Thus, with his miracles, teachings, and death the Christians know Jesus as the son of God. Only Catholicism has self-affirmati
Microsystems are called “the most immediate level” for a developing child (Garbarino 22). They may be defined as the combination of the environment in which children dwell, the persons living with them, and the activities they undertake. Initially, the microsystem is simple. However, it is emphasized that, in the course of time, the level of complexity increases. The author draws readers’ attention to the fact that the development implies the transition from the relationships that are based on dyads to multi-dimensional interactions. The social achievements may be assessed by means of “enduring, reciprocal, multifaceted relationship,” and playing, working, and loving are the key indexes (Garbarino 22). As for mesosystems, they are called the relationships among various contexts or microsystems (Garbarino 23). It is stated that the number and the quality of different connections play the significant role and determine children’s success or failure, and contradictions between two systems are likely to confuse a child. It is explained that strong and diverse links among varied contexts make the mesosystem particularly important to the development of the child (Garbarino 23). This idea is exemplified by the correlation between the home environment and school: the similarity between two microsystems adds up to the better academic performance. Thus, numerous links give the opportunity to form future connections. Further, exosystems are described. According to the author, children are not involved in this context directly, but the impact is mediated by those who have power over their life – again, parents and schools, particularly, the school boards and planning commissions, are mentioned (Garbarino 23). Two risks associated with exosystems are singled out. The first one is that adults may have to face difficulties in their live