ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
In today’s fast-thriving economic environment, annual reports and accounts constitute some of the most important factors for assessing the success of a company. However, the importance of this annual ritual has been widely debated. Annual reports can be used for understanding a company’s market, productive, and financial performance. Annual reports must be perfectly designed with an ideally selected content, focused on the right audience and add value to the company performance (Casteel 2002). Annual report and accounts of BAE Systems plc are used as an extended example for discussion. BAE Systems is a global defence and security company headquartered in the UK. The company’s range of activities includes design, development, and manufacturing of some specific products connected with defence. The company deals with equipment preparation and support aimed at border and transport security, cyber security, and high technology electronic systems. Market Performance Annual reports include a strategy section that provides a detailed analysis of the environment to help consumers understand the markets. BAE Systems’ annual report contains a forecast of defence budgets for its customers and it can also be used as a vital prediction for market size. Figure 1. Market environment: BAE Systems’ global market position (BAE System 2010). This chart from BAE Systems’ annual report shows the relative position of BAE among its competitors at the global markets, including Australia, India, Saudi Arabia, the UK, and the US. The market concentration, the function of the number of firms, and their respective shares of the total production in the market, can also be judged and analysed for a better understanding of the company’s overall performance and the degree of competition at the market. As Figure 1 shows, BAE Systems is positioned at the market as the second largest global defence supplier. Figure 2. Analysis of sales and revenue by geographical location and by category (BAE System 2010). The strategy section of the accounts provides a breakdown of regional market conditions. For example, the annual report also shows that the US dominates global defence expenditure. Such information provides potential investors with a comprehensive understanding of the company with regard to global market share (see Figure 3). Figure 3. Acc
Baroque period commenced immediately after renaissance from 1600 till 1750. During this period music composers decided to eliminate polyphony and brought back an ancient Greek style known as monody. This style comprised of one melody coupled by necessary compliments. Harmony was thought to be quite relevant and this is why it was developed. Harmony involves combining all the different voices into one common voice. According to Wakefield music styles were limited to specific geographical locations because traveling and communication was not efficient compared to later days. Italy was the hub of music due to many performances that were held there at the request of pope (200). The Opera which entails integrating written words with dances and other artistic gestures was developed in this period in Italy. There were artists who were dedicated to composing sacred music for the Roman Catholic Church. However, there are others who specialized in secular music which used to be performed in palaces of the wealthy people. Claudio Monteverdi was one the composers who brought new trends into the opera. Most of the styles were featured in his performances. One of his styles included idiomatic writing which was still present even after this period. Some of the genres that came into being in this era include chorale and sonata among many others. The classical period begun in 1750 and ended in 1830. The composers avoided the use of various musical instruments in one tone. The music was therefore clearer because the clash of instruments had been eliminated. The composers of this period wrote music that was not complex and heavy like in the baroque period. The music consisted of different keys and melodies which were not lengthy. The piano was used instead of the harpsichord. This period is accredited to C.E.P. Bach and Gulk because they are the ones who were behind the emergence of this era. The ensemble was also developed in this era. Joseph Haydne was among the renowned composers whose music stood out from the rest. This was because of his creativity in how he developed new styles from existing ones. To Joseph composing music was a calling and may be this is why the prince was attracted to his works. In this period the composers performed in many places and the compositions were based on piano rather than vocals. In most performances the composers were absent. Estrella explains that music performances became affordable to low income earners unlike before when it was reserved for the rich. This led to the increase in demand for pianos (1). The Romantic period begun in 1800 and lasted until 1910. In this era, composers integrated early styles into present compositions. The composers experienced a major boost to their role in music due to technological developments which led to the development of an electric keyboard which was easier to use compared to the mechanical one. Lombardi argues that the developments in industrialization led to the introduction of better instruments. In addition, more people begun to appreciate music and due to this there were many performances
Introduction The hospitality industry uses large amounts of natural resources and also releases wastes that degrade the natural environment. In order to minimize the negative effects on the environment, hotels and tourism resorts are adopting environmental sustainability in facilities management. Environmental sustainability refers to the responsible management of natural resources in order to preserve the lives of human beings and other organisms in the ecosystem. Human beings impact on the environment through releasing toxic chemicals in the atmosphere that deplete the ozone layer. Human economic activities also use up natural resources as a source of energy. Economic activities also produce wastes that pollute the environment. All these factors have led to serious degradation of the natural environment. There are devastating consequences of environmental degradation such as global warming. Failure to adopt sustainable practices will lead to the depletion of natural resources and pollution of the environment and consequently, the earth will not be able to support any form of life (Blackman and Carter, 2009). People are getting more informed about the effects of business activities on the environment. The hotel industry uses a lot of energy and water due to the nature of its operations. Many hotels are embracing environmental sustainability in hospitality facilities management. They achieve this through using sustainable building materials, furniture, lighting, and cleaning supplies in the facility in order to cut costs, save energy, and improve the guest experience. Many hotels are also pursuing environmental sustainability certifications such as the ENERGY STAR and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certifications. Hotels also participate in the various green lodging state programs. For a hotel to achieve a LEED certification, it must attain several sustainable requirements in indoor environmental quality, energy use, materials and resources, water efficiency, design process and innovation (Steiner, 2012). This paper explores the concept of environmental sustainability and its impact on facilities management and the hospitality industry. The drivers of change towards sustainability in the hospitality industry are also discussed. In addition, the importance of knowledge in environmental sustainability to future tourism managers is discussed. Background Facility management refers to processes that are required to maintain and operate businesses to support its principal goals. Developing facilities management programs enables managers to achieve several goals. It facilitates the preparation of future capital budgets that are more accurate. They are also able to reduce expenditure by developing m
In his book “How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character,” Tough (2013) brings out another explanation as to why children succeed. Tough believes that skills, intelligence, readiness, and wit do not lead to success. According to him, a character, which is integrity, self-control, curiosity, and confidence, determines the success of a child. Tough goes on to explain that character is gotten from life’s experiences and challenges. The ability of a person to stand beyond their failures and challenges generates character, which in turn leads to success. I have learned from this book that hurtful experiences during childhood can alter the development of character in a child but attentive and nurturing parents or guardians can help children overcome everyday challenges, and in turn, children develop a strong character that leads to success in all aspects in life (Tough, 2013). Situations such as poverty or loss of parents in childhood may affect the development of character in a child, though, in some situations, children may be forced to stand up beyond their challenges and obstacles and hence the development of character. On the other hand, children born to very rich families may also have a problem developing character as they are spoilt, and they believe that they can easily inherit success from their parents without having to work hard. I also learned that nurturance in older adults doesn’t necessarily lead to a growth in character. Older adults should be allowed to explore and handle situations on their own in order to build character. Parents need to only guide them and act as role models but should not make decisions on their behalf (Tough, 2013). When young adults are given time to explore and learn on their own, they fail, they make mistakes, and they face obstacles that lead them to seek ways that help solve all these issues. By so doing, they build character traits such as persistence, self-concept, integrity, confidence, perseverance, hard work, and problem- solving skills. These modules will assist me in various ways as I become an excellent teacher of common core standards. First, they will help me learn various ways of creating a positive learning environment (“CCSS Professional Learning Modules for Educators – Common Core State Standards (CA Dept of Education),” n.d.). A learning environment should be conducive and positive for all learners, irrespective of their individual differences. A positive learning environment will ensure comfort, safety, participation, and motivation in my class; hence students are bound to gain and retain knowledge from the lesson. Second, they will help me improvise and utilize instructional resources. Instructional resources are materials that teachers use to assist learning and also to increase learners’ interest in learning. The m
Airport operations encompass all the processes that are part of an airport’s service. These processes include governance, licensing, and resolving legal issues, air and ground traffic control, maintenance, ground handling, and security. As an airport is a complex system of multiple interdependent elements, managing all of these elements is a challenging task. Although multiple standards and regulations exist that govern various aspects of an airport’s function, each facility is designed independently, causing different approaches to meeting these standards. Furthermore, airports remain in function for decades, often being designed before new standards are enacted and receiving modifications for which they were not originally designed. Because of this, each airport is a unique system, the operation of which requires specialized knowledge and understanding of not only the general standards but the particular airport’s specifics. As entities that operate in a tightly regulated international space, airports are subject to heavy standardization. Furthermore, operation processes are usually carried out by several independent entities. Thus, the organization and licensing of these groups encompass a significant portion of an airport’s operation. Air traffic control is necessary to ensure that aircraft movement is safe and quick; ground traffic follows the same goals for landed aircraft and ground vehicles. Ground handling encompasses towing, maintaining, refueling, loading and unloading, transporting passengers and luggage to and from the terminal, and other services necessary for the operation of an aircraft. Finally, due to the potentially disastrous consequences of an emergency situation at an airport or in-flight aircraft, maintaining safety and security at every part of the airport operation is crucial. As each of these parts can be performed by a different entity or entities, managing their cooperation and interaction is a complex, but necessary task. Ground handling — challenges facing fa
The Opportunity An opportunity of interest exists in the techfin sector. It involves the use of technology to disrupt the traditional banking model, specifically to enhance lending and create value for consumers (Ries 1). The model represents banks of the future in which not so much attention would dwell on the credit history but rather on customer behaviors, analyzed from data obtained from various sources, both online and offline. The model is predictive and not definitive, but every piece of information shows the willingness of the customer to repay the loan borrowed. The basic principle is based on ‘know your customer’ applied in a digital era. The idea represents the new lending model and consumer bank of the future. The Competencies and Skills The venture requires competencies and skills in finance, microfinancing and data mining and development of complex algorithms to make reliable lending decisions. The team possesses abilities to analyze thousands of digital data about a potential customer’s behaviors and attributes. Data crunching skills developed over time will ensure that the team can analyze thousands of variables to develop a reliable risk profile for every potential customer. The outcome exceeds by far the traditional credit score system. Once the team has determined the risks of default more accurately, the company can then price its loan appropriately. The model will eliminate the use of traditional income minus expense approach to determine and predict possibilities of loan repayment, but rely on a more accurate evaluation of creditworthiness and reduce cost of lending. Important Stakeholders Internal stakeholders, who are also employees, are important stakeholders because they will be required to drive the business. Employees are expected to execute the strategy and develop long-term vision, identify early adopters and continue to improv
Children are usually considered blessings from God. The birth of a child is usually celebrated by the whole family and community. The saying “It takes a village to raise a child” is true in most situations. A child can be viewed as a symbol of a new chance at having to mold another human being into someone whose potentials are optimally realized. This paper will explore how society, in general, view children, and how this view affects government policies regarding children. Many theorists have presented their views on children. Behaviorists led by the prominent B.F. Skinner, John B. Watson, Edward Thondike, etc., see children as organisms that learn by reinforcement. The Maturationists, led by Jean-Jacques Rosseau, Maria Montessori, Friedrich Froebel, etc. see the child as like a seed that contains all the elements to produce fruit if given the proper amounts of nutrients from the soil and water along with sunshine and an ideal climate (Brewer, 2001). The Constructivists, founded on the works of Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky, believe that children are not passive recipients of knowledge, rather, they actively work at organizing their experience into constructing their learning. Berry Mayall has studied the way society views children. According to her, children are not considered as part of society, but only inhabit a preparatory stage before they are considered contributing members, as adults. “During childhood, they move through a series of stages that gradually equip them for life as mature, reasoning adults. Society functions smoothly—because these methods generally produce conformists.” (Mayall, 2006) Such a view places children as an inferior place, ruled by adults who “know what’s best” for them. Mayall argues that it is about time society shift this traditional belief into thinking of children as capable human beings. However, the long history of this sociological view makes it difficult to do. Mayall says, “Perhaps the greatest barrier to re-thinking childhood is the set of labels we are taught to associate with the idea of childhood. To take a few terms applied to them: children are term
The challenges in the contemporary environment and the various situations that individuals have to encounter push people to think about how it is better and more effective to handle them. While some people believe that solving problems individually is always the best idea, others highlight the importance of teams and collaboration. For instance, the chapter from the textbook states that many professionals point out that the small group is the most essential social formation due to the fact that. from early childhood, people are surrounded and influenced by them. Therefore, the following paper will examine the strengths and weaknesses of teams in various situations. As was already mentioned, teams play a critical role in the lives of every individual. In all the different contexts, such as business, society, and personal lives, teams are a crucial component that impacts individuals’ development, the way we see the world and communicate with others. In addition, small groups give people an opportunity to look at specific issues from a different perspective and change their attitudes based on careful evaluation and argumentation. Thus, it can be stated that in all the identified contexts teams play a role in advancing people’s knowledge and making them think. One situation that comes to mind when teamwork would be beneficial is when an organization or a company is presented with a number of choices. In this case, there is no one right decision but rather a number of different ones that can bring different benefits and drawbacks. As a result, through discussion, collaboration, and even misunderstandings, a group can find the most appropriate option and bring positive change or improvement to its organization (Tripathy, 2018). Hence, the situation with a number of possible outcomes is a great example of a case when a team is a benefit. However, as with everything in this world, problem-solving by teams has both its strengths and weaknesses. Based on the information mentioned above, the main strength of teams in the context of problem-solving is the ability to look at the issue from different perspectives and analyze it objectively. Additionally, teams contribute to personal development because processes that happen within them enrich individual knowledge and understanding of certain things. Talking about the weaknesses, one that is obvious is a huge risk of conflicts due to differences in opinions and perceptions of problems. This weakness also leads to another one – teamwork, especially in problematic situations, is time-consuming. Individuals have to consider the opinions of everyone which takes a lot of time and consumes the energy of all members. Oftentimes, teams that operate in different environments decide to have a participant-observer. As explained by Crossman (2019), a participant-observer is the person who becomes a part of the small group for the purpose of co
Back in 1997, Hollywood envisioned a world where “designer babies” would proliferate the world in the movie Gattaca. The so-called perfect babies are the product of what was then an imaginary genetic testing method. during that time, genetic testing was not even a real word yet. Who would have known that a decade later, Hollywood’s imagination would be turned into reality by fertility specialists? Originally envisioned to aid parents in discovering what genetic illnesses they may have passed on to the unborn child, these days, the original goal of the project, which is to help parents to make informed decisions about pregnancy has taken a negative trend. Due to the technical advancements in the area, the possibility to choose the sex of a child, choosing the most healthy embryos, using donated sperms and eggs, has given man an almost godlike quality to create a life or prevent life from coming to be. This quest to have the most perfect child is something that I totally disagree with. Diseases or imperfections in a people’s genetic makeup are what make us human beings. If God had meant us to be perfect, he would have created us that way. But the reality is that mankind will always have imperfections and there is nothing science can do to prevent it or lessen its occurrences. Every embryo has a right to become a fetus and then eventually a human being. Nobody has the right to dictate which fetuses pass or fail via genetic testing. A disease most often stems from a genetic or development malfunction on the part of the parent’s DNA. It is this imperfection that makes one a biological child of a parent. Without the hereditary imperfection, a parent cannot call a child his for they no longer share common traits. Due to the newness of the field of genetic testing, there is no uniform governing policies to be followed by the agencies that implement them. Consider it a wild frontier where anything a potential parent wants to do can happen and nobody can stop them from doing it. However, I believe that it is not the right of anybody to dictate what traits they wish to see in their potential child. Even if it were true that genetic manipulation became a reality and we can kill off the disease gene or the criminal gene, the reality is that we will only open the door to another genetic evolution that future human beings will be prone to and have to deal with. Should it become important and relevant to choose the characteristics of a potential child though, The characteristics that are chosen should be based upon moral and social concepts, as well as parental choices. Perhaps the most important characteristic would pertain to the genetic variations and mutations that cause severe physical and mental disabilities in children. To be specific, I would concentrate on the genes that cause DNA mutations that are harmful and could prevent the normal functions of a specific DNA base sequence. Perhaps even eliminate the single-gene diseases that produce autosomal diseases, autosomal recessive diseases, and X-linked diseases. Aside from these aforementioned DNA base sequence mutations, everyth