ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Foreign direct Investment (FDI) is the investment the company makes to acquire long term interest in a foreign country. If the US company builds a new plant in Egypt at a cost of $50 million, this would represent the US foreign direct investment to Egypt. Foreign direct investment would include acquisition in full or in part of a foreign enterprise, or when a company makes additional capital in the existing foreign subsidiary (Krugman, Obstfeld, & Melitz, 2010). Foreign direct investment is a strategy of foreign market entry, for instance, the Content Cow Dairy may decide to buy or enter into partnership with the already existing dairy company in Egypt, which provides an easy way of entering into the market. Direct investment enables the company to penetrate the market because of the already existing customers (Dixit, 2011). Cost reduction is the key benefit the company enjoys especially if the investment is in Least Developed countries (LDC), and this would represent the best return on investment. Cheap raw materials would be readily available, further reducing operational costs and enhancing profits. Foreign direct investment allows better strategic control where intellectual property rights and technological knowledge can be kept within the company (Krugman, et al., 2010). The company is able to enjoy economies of scale because of the reduced costs, and ea
Introduction Motivation in the workplace is a big impediment to achieving maximum productivity from workers. At the onset of any worker’s career, the motivation to prove oneself can contribute to their performance. However, a new employee faces several hurdles when trying to settle in a new environment regardless of whether they are already highly experienced in the profession not. For the manager, this factor presents a challenge in helping them transition into their desired level of productivity. Scope of the Problem Stella had been habitually skipping workdays with the excuse that she was sick. Her claims of sickness later turned out to be false. Jim’s used a universal approach instead of a focused one in tackling the crisis (James, 2008, p.25). He called her for an informal talk and advised Stella to use the company’s counseling services. Unfortunately, this did not work and hence worsened the problem since she continued her absence from work. Additionally, she had begun misusing company resources by using too much time on her office phone; the time she could have spent handling her assigned duties. Consequently, she failed to complete her books for the previous month’s accounts and this meant that Jim’s reputation was going to be in trouble. Major Issues Some major issues about Stella’s character come up. In the face of personal predicaments, she can clearly be said to be unstable. She lacked several values including trustworthiness, accountability, responsibility, and resilience. Given that Stella’s behavior was directly affecting the performance of Jim’s department, he would have to also explain why he had not checked up on the progress of the monthly books given the prevailing circumstances with his subordinate. The other issue that would arise is the fact that Jim had not consulted with his superiors or other managers upon realizing that the situation was not improving. This would imply that he had the means to avoid the current situation but opted not to use them. Alternatives Jim would need to choose as to how to deal with Stella. Given her poor performance, it would be easy to draw the line and dismiss her from her role. Unfortunately, it would be a cost to the company to fire her, and, given her short period of service, hiring her would account for a loss to the firm. Again, by firing her, the firm’s ethics will come into question because her problems did not come as a result of her own mistakes. To avoid such a future turnout of similar events, Jim could choose to intervene by directly monitoring her progress with her counselor and making sure that she is at per with her therapy program. Ultimately, when Stella does recover from her breakdown she may owe it to the company and thus become more loyal and dedicated to it. She will also have learned how to deal with such personal challenges and to build on her character by exercising resilience. This will improve the quality of employees in the company. Measuring success/failure Stella
Robert Behn’s (1998) article “What Right Do Public Managers Have to Lead?” made an attempt to explore the subject of leadership with regards to correcting the organizational, political, analytical, executive, and judicial failures that exist in the American system of governance. The author was effective in providing an explanation why markets and systems of governance do not work perfectly. Human behaviors, judgment, and strict competition limit markets from operating flawlessly, which, in turn, puts dents in how organizations are being governed. Exercising Initiative The idea that leaders should exercise initiative in any aspect of societal or organizational life is very empowering particularly for public managers that are afraid of converting their knowledge into wisdom in order to benefit their companies. To mobilize the available resources and to motivate employees, public managers should gather all information about how change can be implemented in a way that will not harm the present system of governance. Behn (1998) differentiated between the initiatives undertaken by public managers and the efforts of legislative or governmental bodies, suggesting that leaders make clear statements of targets and purposes through education and motivation while bureaucrats “exercise their initiative by claiming they have no ability to exercise it” (p. 211). Therefore, it can be asserted that the author made a strong argument in favor of leaders that have a potential to implement actual organizational changes through communication and persuasion. Organizational Failures Because the author expressed the idea that the job of a manager is making sure that employees in organizations should operate smoothly, he differentiated between organizational failures to provide a better explanation of how they could be eliminated. Executive, legislative, political, civil, and judicial failures were outlined as results of inadequate behaviors of managers and governors with regards to their abuse of power or the lack of leadership skills that limit an organization from becoming successful and reaching its goals. As effective leaders, public managers should play a key role in advocating for the interests of the group that works towards the accomplishment of the set objectives; thus, there is a need in maintaining balance within the powers of the group that works towards a goal. Managers are Not Perfect The key theme that Behn (1998) effectively conveyed to the reader was that public managers are not perfect, the same way as organizations are not perfect. What is important is not to expect that people will act as “angels” within the system of governance. They should rather engage others in cooperation, promote the democratic system within organizations, and be prepared to find alternative solutions to the arising issues to ensure compliance of others. The principles outlined by Be
Introduction The perception of one culture is a reflection of reality through the prism of different concepts which were formed based on individual and collective experiences. Accordingly, communication styles can be seen as an important aspect of cultural heritage, which distinguishes different nations and cultures. It should be noted that some aspects can be unchanged and will always be associated with a particular society, while others are gradually replaced, leaving the old perceptions as stereotypes. In the context of cross-cultural perspective, this paper analyzes Spain in terms of their communication styles and the perceptions of the Spanish society toward work and play. Style of communication Contrasting defined communication styles, Spain and accordingly much of Latin America, prefer an attached style of communication with a strong, relational engagement, while also being direct, linear, and abstract in their approach. (“Communication Styles,” 2009) Explaining these characteristic, the attached styles implies that in Spain issues are discussed with feelings and emotions, showing the passion of the speaker, and while the communications can be established in a direct linear way, the emphasis is rather on the general rather than on specifics. Such characteristics can be seen through the various forms of communication. For example, their passion in their communications can be seen through the differences between Americans and Spaniards in conversations, where the latter are typically loud while talking. (Wattley Ames, 1999, p. 76). The abstractness in communications in Spain can be apparent through their long-windedness, where it takes a lot of time and a lot of words to state their ideas, covering all possible bases and following up on every idea. (Wattley Ames, 1999, p. 77). Additionally, despite their emotional attachment, Spaniards are less likely to engage in a confrontation, where they generally consider “confrontation impolite.” (Wattley Ames, 1999, p. 78) Finally, a specific aspect of communication in Spain can be related to their forms of greetings, in which they can be considered punctilious in that matter, where Spaniards feel obligated to at least murmur a greeting “whenever entering a space where there are other people.” (Wattley Ames, 1999, p. 76). Work and play Regarding work and play, two common words can be associated with Spain, i.e. siesta and fiesta. Nevertheless, the latter can be considered more of a stereotype, in which it is believed that in Spain, people always have a midday pause to rest, and party at night. This is no longer true, or at
Executive Summary Venture Capital is a type of financial capital given to early stages of growth for start-up companies. It is always a high-risk fund with a high-risk potential. The fund owns equity in the company with a business model. The stages of the fund are normally six. Seed money is the first stage and entails low-level financing required for proving new ideas. Crowd funding was developed as an alternative to seed money. Start-up funding is another stage of funding and goes to marketing and product development needed by early stage firms. Growth funds are for early sales and manufacturing. In the next stage, funds are given to companies that are already making sales but have not experienced the returns on profits. This is the working capital. The last stage is the exit venture. This fund goes to the firm that wants to go public. Jade’s Toy Box (JTB) is the company of interest in this investment. This is a New York City based company.It specializes in the manufacture and sell of educational theme based children toys and books that are Eco-friendly. They design their products to assure parents of the safety of their children. JTB aims to offer parents with the tools and resources they need to spark a lifetime love of learning in their children. In an effort to align the company goals with the market dynamics, the company relies heavily on the experience and ability of the faces behind it. Angela Ledoux for instance worked as a picture editor for TIME, a kid’s magazine before starting this company. Her knowledge ranges from having a master degree in art along other children related careers. Robby Ledoux has however, learned child entertainment, worked for the creative talented idea company, and is involved in picture animation apart from being a music composer. Market opportunity Jade’s ToyBox is based in New York City. However, it has spread its wings and now works in major cities. The cities include Boston, and Chicago. The company has expanded its marketing capacity by introducing free shipping to customer destinations irrespective of where the customer lives. JTB uses the US postal services to ship its products. This idea has helped the company to increase its customer base broadly. With increased technology, the company engages in online marketing and sales. Clients from across the world can get access to a range of products available. The company understands that some parents are very busy. Following on the same, working mums can give their needs and the firm delivers the right products to them. Toys of high quality for parents in class are availed to them at the right prices. The response from the customers over a long period has been overwhelming. This has been the key behind JTB’s expansion. Customers whose responses have been received are positive with all of them indicating satisfaction. Working mums now agree that JTB is the link they were missing. The management has really perfected delivery of goods. Customer satisfaction tops the priority li
In criminal justice, the instrumental theory is based on the idea that criminal justice and criminology is one of the main tools which help to control the poor. If this is true, socio-technical transformation cannot be conceived in terms of instrumental categories because the very act of using criminal justice reproduces what is supposed to be transformed. Instrumentalist theory shares the common-sense assumption that the subject of action can be defined independently of its means. Following Siegel (2007), “offenses designed to improve the financial or social position of the criminal” (p. 54). In contrast, the instrumental role of the criminal justice system is to control and prevent crimes. In this case, “the state is a tool of capitalists” (p. 58). Siegel underlines that most Americans believe that criminals commit their predatory and violent acts for what they get out of them, the advantages they receive. Often those benefits are obvious, as in the case of most property crimes. A person who breaks into a house and steals a television set does so because he wants either the television or the money that can be obtained from selling it. Even in the case of violent personal crimes, the criminal can gain something, whether it is perverse pleasure from inflicting pain, the satisfaction of having control over another human being, or the resolution of a problem by eliminating a person causing that vexation. Hale et al (2005) share the same opinion stating that “Much of preoccupation reflects a particular, instrumental way of viewing these figures; that is, as an index of a real phenomenon (crime) calling for specific control measures” (p. 52). With practically every crime committed, the offender benefits in some way, typically at the expense of the victim. In its turn, the instrumental task of the criminal justice system is to control the population and prevent crimes. The main difference between Siegel and Hale et al is that Siegel concentrates on the poor and low social classes while Hale et al involves all classes and social strata in its definition. Hale et al underline that factors related to the individual’s socialization and environmental circumstances are also thought to contribute to the decision. But in each case the offender is perceived as having some choice; alternatives may be limited, and in some cases, a decision to commit a crime may be the easier decision to make, but almost never are life’s decisions cast for an individual so that no choice can be exercised. Similar to Siegel and Hale et al , Magnire et al ( 2007) state that the role of criminal justice is merely instrumental based on prevention and control functions. Thus, Maguire et al broaden this definition and apply instrumental theory to juvenile offenders. Similar to other authors, Maguire et al state that “offenses (it is alleged’) are strictly instrumental and offenders have much to lose from prosecution; prison” (488). Such thinking is consistent with criminological theory in general. Criminal justice is an achievement-oriented field that expects its citizens to act purposefully and
Introduction Sunrice is a rice processing and manufacturing company. The company was created in 1950 by rice growers who concentrated funds with an aim of establishing their own cooperative and a rice mill. The rice mill was built at Leeton in Riverina. By 1955, the newly formed corporative had began packing rice which was branded as Sunwhite rice. At this time nutritional content and quality of rice were put into consideration in the Australian rice market. From this time, the company adopted new technology as well as research and development which subsequently led to innovation of new products ranging from rice to rice products. Sunrice Company got its first great opportunity in 1970s after its migration from Asia which was an important move that led to changes in the Australian cities overnight. Most of the restaurants in the cities adopted rice as their main carbohydrate (Sunrice 2011). As Australia increasingly became cosmopolitan, its citizens became more interested in Asian food which subsequently led to a new rice market. In its marketing campaign, the company adopted a rice sculpture which got an international award. The sculpture was made with a lot of creativity and thus it helped in increasing consumption of rice in Australia. Due to stakeholders’ cooperation and the growth of the company, Sunrice became one of the major rice manufacturing companies globally. About 70 percent of rice harvested in Australia is distributed to approximately 40 million consumers around the world (Sunrice 2011). For over 80 years the rice manufacturing industry has faced challenges related to the environment. Sunrice Company consists of several integrated companies with consolidated financial statements. Business process and value chain analysis Microwave rice is packed rice embraced by customers due to its diverse formats that are unique to the company’s brand. A value chain analysis is used by many organizations in determining the type of competitive advantage to adopt. A value chain can be categorized into an industry’s value chain and an internal value chain in a firm. The value chain within an industry comprises of activities that create value in the industry. This begins with the firm obtaining the raw materials, followed by processing/manufacturing and ending with an end product reaching the consumer. A basic value chain model comprises of two groups of activities: primary activities and supportive activities. The primary activities help the company create and deliver
Overview The research was done to assess the impacts of edge effects, forest age, and invertebrate exclusion on decomposition rates in a newly planted forest. The study found out that there were no correlations and interactions amongst the parameters that the research undertook to establish. The parameters used in the research were mean mass remaining, edge of the forest, age of the forest, and the abundance of the invertebrate organisms. The research method involved the use of three transects which each had six notches marked at 10 meters intervals and acted as data collection points. The data collected on various parameters were analyzed and results generated. Introduction To better understand the rate of decomposition, it is important to understand what decomposition generally means. When organisms such as animals, vegetations, insects, and other living organisms die, their bodies get broken down into several tiny pieces. The process by which the dead organisms are broken down into pieces either through mechanical or chemical means is referred to as decomposition (Swift, 1979, p.1). The process involves the activities of bacteria, certain kinds of worms and this may also involve some chemicals. The organisms involved in the process of decomposition are known as decomposers (Bharatdwaj, 2006, p. 43). The decomposers do not perform the task of decomposing the dead organisms as their primary goal, but the process is a way of their ingestion of food. The process of them ingesting dead bodies is what is referred to as decomposition (The University of Michigan, 1971, 72). The decomposers depend on the dead organisms to develop, grow and have life sustenance (JSTOR 1956, p. 25). It is important to note that even the decomposers die and also eaten by other living organisms like bacteria (Limnological Society of Southern Africa, 1986, p.96). This means that the decomposers also get decomposed after they die. The implication is that decomposition is a cycle that will never end; when the decomposers breed they bring to existence new decomposers. After a complete decomposition, the remaining particles of the dead organism integrate into the ground and become
Nursing Practice Identification Charting by exception, the record-keeping or paper documentation method we use currently in my clinical setting (Intensive Care Unit) to keep key patient clinical information based on predetermined standards of practice requires change for improved patient outcomes. Nursing Practice Description Clear and elaborate nursing communication contributes to better patient outcomes. In the charting by exception method, the nurse records key information about the patient’s progress on a chart (Syed et al., 2013). The chart usually captures the patient’s medical history, assessment outcomes, lab results, and the medication received, among others. It is designed to reduce clerical work through the documentation of findings that deviate from the baseline data. Therefore, the method is quicker as data thought to be unfavorable or already recorded are not documented. In addition, the abatement or aggravation of the patient’s condition is easily identifiable through a shorthand notation made on the chart. Why Nursing Practice Needs to Change Although charting by exception usually gives a complete patient record, the shorthand notation implemented without appropriate flow sheets creates information deficits, increasing the medication error risk. Patient records with little explanations or health checks lacking pertinent information could amount to negligence on the part of the nurse. Moreover, providing an incomplete picture of the patient’s condition affects patient safety. A complete patient record contains current information about his/her condition as well as indicators of future health changes to inform subsequent interventions. A secondary reason for adopting an Electronic Health Record (EHR) to replace the current paper documentation is to enhance the timely retrieval of patient records to support care coordination and efficiency. This paper addresses the following PICOT question to support a practice change: in ensuring a timely retrieval of patient records, does electronic documentation, compared to paper documentation, enhance quick access to patient data for coordinated and efficient care? Key Stakeholders The implementation of the charting by exception, including the flow sheets, at the unit, involved a multidisciplinary team. Its key stakeholders include physicians, ICU nurses, administrative staff, and laboratory staff. Stakeholders’ Roles Representatives from each of the stakeholder groups will play a role in the successful EHR adoption. A physician champion or representative will serve as a link between clinicians and the EHR implementation team. He or she will give input to the developers from a clinical perspective to ensure a physician-friendly EHR program, promote physician buy-in, and keep the physicians abreast of the project’s progress. The physician champion will also support meaningful use practices for the EHR program. The nurse lead will be a leader respected by fellow ICU nursing staff. The individual will help the developer integrate clinical workflows into the EHR program. As a