ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Introduction Among the varieties of phases in art development, it is not always easy to pick out one period and prove that it is the most outstanding and captivating issue to deal with. Each period of art has its own peculiarities, characteristics, social conditions, and impacts on people. For this paper, two different periods from different epochs are chosen for the analysis and evaluation: the classical art period and the middle age art period. The peculiar feature of these two periods is the purpose to teach and to help people comprehend this life, its rules, and orders. However, the classical period of art introduced lessons about gods and goddesses, leaders and ordinary people, and the medieval period, in its turn, focused on religion and its significance for people. Classical and medieval periods of art demonstrate the power of the idea to continue traditions such as teach people and share the basics of life on the one hand, and the necessity to react to the previous periods like the change of the main themes in order to prove the possibility to develop, be improved, and become deeply aware about nature on the other hand. Classicism in art as a powerful example of form and order The first recognized period of art was dated from 480 B.C. to 500 A.D. and called as Classical Art. This period of art was usually attributed to the Greeks with their magnificent skills to introduce their interests and beliefs by means of sculptures, paintings, and other types of art works. Beard and Henderson (2001) admit that this period “has made itself the crucial episode in the story of ancient art: it saw the first attempts to produce a critical analysis of painting and sculpture, and the invention of the ‘artist’ as a figure of fame” (p.3). As any type of art period, classical art has a number of characteristics that attract people’s attention, prove the significance of this time, and introduce clear ideas according to which people become able to evaluate artworks and contribution of ancient people to the sphere of art. First, artists focused on the idea of harmony: they tried to delete all extra issues, things, and details in order to represent the essence. Second, the vast majority of works is devoted to human nudity (Figure 1) and the beauty of the body. To underline this beauty and idealize the world, artists could use robes or other type of clothes that demonstrated
Introduction Business ethics can also be referred to as corporate ethics. They are a form of applied ethics that focuses on moral behaviors in the business environment. The study of business ethics focuses on business policies, as well as business practices that guide or help in defining issues that could be regarded as controversial. These could be issues like bribery, poor governance, discrimination within an organization, failure of the organization to embrace corporate social responsibility acts, as well as fiduciary responsibilities, among others (Timmons 148). There are behaviors that may be regarded as acceptable in the business environment, depending on the society in which the business organization is situated. However, the same behaviors may not be acceptable in a different society. It should be noted that moral behaviors differ depending on the location of the business organization. In other words, good behavior in one location may be viewed as bad behavior in another location. This may depend on the cultural beliefs and norms of society. Business ethics apply to all aspects of the business. They are also applicable to the people in the organization, as well as the various departments within the organization (Adams 53). Business ethics can be discussed in two dimensions; namely, normative dimension and descriptive dimension. Film directorship is one position where one has to work with different races of people. The film directors are required to make decisions on the races they wish to cast their movies on, as well as the gender to cast their movies on. This is a difficult decision because the choice one makes as a director will have consequences that may affect the business in one way or the other (Kowalski 35). The consequences could be positive or negative, based on the choice made. The choices can be guided by deontology theory or by consequentialist theory. This essay will use the evaluative consequentialist theory to help guide the dilemma film directors are faced and the ultimate decisions they choose. It will also give a brief highlight of the deontology theory. Deontology Theory This is a moral theory that was developed by a man known as Immanuel Kant. The theory is also referred to as the Kantian theory. Under this theory, the right actor a wrong act is chosen by rationality. The course of action to be chosen has to be in line with the given universal laws. The action of an individual should be good, according to the moral principles (Waluchow 173). However, this is not enough for moral law. A t should be by the universal laws for it to conform to the laws of morality. Deontology theory can be classified as a normative ethical principle, judging actions according to the rules. It can also be defined as the obligation or the duty that one is responsible for fulfilling. Rules usually oblige and bid one perform certain duties. Deontology ethics is a contrast of consequentialism. Evaluative consequentialist theory
‘The Road’ is a book by Cormac McCarthy that focuses on a post-apocalyptic event involving a nuclear war. Evil is prevalent and man seems to have lost any sense of morality. Theft, murder, cannibalism and all forms of brutality seem to be the order of the day. This quote from the book is a clear indication of how worse things had become: People sitting on the sidewalk in the dawn half immolate smoking in their clothes, like failed sectarian suicides. Others would come to help them. Within a year there were fires on the ridges and deranged chanting. The screams of the murdered, by day the dead impaled on spikes along the road. What had they done? He thought that in the history of the world it might even be that there was more punishment than crime but he took small comfort from it (McCarthy 53). The story is centered on a post apocalyptic event that causes the suffering of humanity. People lack the most basic necessities and live under extreme cruelty. An unnamed man and his small boy are exposed to the brutality. There are incidences of rape, theft and cannibalism all over. When they try to escape from the brutality, they come across one of the ‘bad guys’ who intends to kidnap and kill the boy. The man shoots him and they escape but they are disturbed by the incidence. When the man and the boy run out of food, they go to a place where they come across some scary scenes. Humans are held captive by some gang, and are kept like livestock to be feasted upon. Such was the intensity of human cruelty. In one of the passages the writer says; “The frailty of everything revealed at last. Old and troubling issues resolved into nothingness and night (McCarthy 24).” People are prone to hunger and starvation, the man and the boy, for instance, are at the verge of starvation when they come across an apple orchard and a well. This cushions them against starvation. When they run out of their food reserves again, they came across canned food at some bomb shelters but they do not take the same with ease as they fear for their security. The theme of violence is also brought out when the boy’s mother clearly expresses her fears that they might soon be found, raped and killed, as such had become normal in the society. She even states that in the past they would talk about death but they no longer did as it was being witnessed everywhere. This is evident in her statement: No, I’m speaking the truth. Sooner or later they will catch us and they will kill us. They will rape me. They’ll rape him. They are going to rape us and kill us and eat us and you won’t face it… We used to talk about death,” she said, “We don’t anymore. Why is that?… It’s because it’s here. There’s nothing left to talk about (McCarthy 93). All these point to the absence of law and order. The scarcity of resources drives people to steal, kill and even become cannibals. Those who attempt decency try to avoid the vices and are only driven to the extremes out of necessity. This is evident in the passage, “The man had already drop
Introduction Obesity is a global epidemic. It affects the developed and developing economies of the world. The World Health Organization (Obesity, 2000) confirmed the global epidemic nature of the disease when reports indicated that its effects were seen not only in Europe and America but also in underdeveloped countries such as China, Thailand, and Mexico. The disease has alarmingly affected all strata of society, rich and poor. Industrialization is believed to be a major cause of the growth of obesity. The highest impact of industrialization can be seen in the globalization and marketing of food production (Caballero, 2007). Fast food and beverage formulas such as cokes and sodas can now be created in one part of the world and sold in any country at cheap prices. In her report, Wade accounts for the high rate of deaths due to the intake of sweet beverages. She states that more than half of the deaths related to the intake of sodas and beverages are in the underdeveloped and developing nations of the world ( CNN , March 19, para. 12). Defining Obesity Obesity is defined as excess body weight due to the accumulation of fat or adipose tissue (Caballero, 2007). Obesity occurs due to extra gain in body mass from the intake of unhealthy foods and lack of exercise. When the ratio of the dietary energy intake is greater than the energy spent, the body begins to gain weight. With the consumption and storage of high-energy foods, the body accumulates energy in the form of fats or adipose tissue. This increases weight, causing individuals to be overweight or obese. This condition is called obesity. Obesity causes disease of the heart, eyes, and teeth, diabetes, and cancer (Wilkinson & Marmot, 2003, p. 26). Sweetened Drinks and Obesity: Statistics Obesity is a primary cause of major body illnesses. The side effects of consuming sweetened beverages are common knowledge. With fast foods and beverages becoming a rage, the average calorie intake has drastically increased. According to Wade, ( CNN , March 19, para. 3) America is the third-highest nation in the world for deaths related to obesity caused due to sugary drinks. Wade points out that nations with a higher percentage intake of sweetened beverages have higher death rates related to diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Refined sugar is among the major contributors to the total calorie intake (Caballero, 2007). These are easily available in the form of soda drinks and beverages. These beverages and sweetened sodas are loaded with artificial sweeteners which are extremely harmful to health. A regular 12-ounce soda bottle supplies as much as 10 teaspoons of sugar, equivalent to one hundred and forty calories. Chronic Diseases resulting from Obesity: Research Sweetened beverages are known to cause several harmful health issues, primary among them being obesity, a major cause of several dis
International franchising is the merging of assets and skills to achieve worldwide marketing, distribution, and sales objective. It is structured with a centralized franchisor as well as franchisees in various regions of the world. By paying the management fee and an agreed-upon percentage of total sales, the franchisor provides the franchisees the right to utilize the business’s intellectual property, name, and brand. This is a profitable business since it enables a firm to capitalize on the possibilities of the international market while also allowing individuals to be their own bosses. Starting a new franchise necessitates a significant investment; nevertheless, the rewards outweigh the initial outlay. America has one of the most franchise brands in the world. McDonald’s, Subway, Baskin-Robbins, and Domino’s Pizza are among these companies (Daszkowski, 2019). The majority of these franchises are in the food industry. The organizations have stringent standards that must be fulfilled in order to join them. To be incorporated in the franchise, a Macdonald’s shareholder must have a net value of at least $1.5 million, whereas Subway requires a capital value ranging from $116,600 to $263,150. (Daszkowski, 2019). In addition, some other brands require a royalty charge, that is always a percentage of overall revenues, and Subway Franchise demands 8%. (Daszkowski, 2019). Despite these hefty start-up fees, franchising is lucrative. Most people mind where a product is made while buying them. American brands’ power index made America be number four of 70 countries assed in 2017 (Daszkowski, 2019). This is a positive sign showing that around the world, products from America were considered highly. Moreover, it is a boost to American brands as this gives them a high chance of their products and services being considered by consumers around the world. Domino’s Pizza Franchise brand is very friendly to new investors compared to other brands. They require a license fee of $25,000 to start up a new investment (Daszkowski, 2019). This fee can be lowered up to as low as $0, depending on the social segment. It can also be reduced if the investor works with the franchise as a general manager (Daszkowski, 2019). Furthermore, the company offers a complete training program that covers retail operations, promotion, financing, and human resources. Daszkowski (2019). T
Introduction Different cultures tend to have dissimilar habits and customs. This matter has a direct impact on their verbal and non-verbal communication. In the context of this paper, it will be essential to determine the differences and similarities between Chinese and Spanish cultures. This aspect will help understand the approaches of organizing business operations and the ways to motivate these employees. In the first place, Chinese and Spanish employees have entirely different perceptions, as Spanish ones are extroverts while Chinese ones rely on indirect communication (Newman, 2015). It tends to occur because Spanish workers underline the importance of personal relationships while Chinese employees view business as a well-organized set of activities. In this case, differences in these cultures could be discovered as the major barriers to communication. For example, Spanish expressive non-verbal expression and a high level of emotionality may lead to conflicts and misunderstandings (Newman, 2015). Meanwhile, Chinese employees are not as expressive as Spanish businessmen, but their habit of counting from one to ten with one hand may be confusing (Newman, 2015). Barriers to intercultural communication: language as a barrier and business communications As for language, Spanish is the official language of communication in Spain, but English can also be used in some international companies. It is widely known that Chinese culture is characterized by a plethora of dialects. In this case, for both China and Spain, language can become a barrier. Speaking of the ways of organizing business meetings, apart from a high level of emotionality, Spanish companies may have different approaches to negotiating such as using professional style or bargaining (Newman, 2015). In the case of Chinese business, this matter is mostly referred to as the differences in organizing meetings while drinking tea or alcohol in different parts of the country. Despite the dissimilarities in conducting business in China and Spain, it remains apparent that both countries face intercultural business challenges. Transacting business between the cultures When establishing a business relationship within a culture, it is essential to take into account the matters mentioned above. In the first place, one of the similarities in the fact that the companies operating in China and Spain should agree on using a particular language of negotiation when being engaged in intercultural communication. This practice is actively employed in international business operations, but it can be helpful in the context of these countries (Hill, Hult, & Wickkramasekera, 2016). At the same time, to avoid negative consequences and misunderstandings, it will be critical to conduct a meeting in advance, as it will ensure that negotiation and agenda are organized in a neutral tone concerning intercultural differences (Hill et al., 2016). Taking advantage of a combination of these methods will be beneficial to t
Introduction Durable Vinyl Siding Corporation (DVS) is a leading manufacturer of vinyl siding products for home and commercial buildings. The company experiences high record sales year on year, topping $250 million in 2006, which was 15% higher than in 2005. Although this is the case, it is facing increasing operating profits which is eating into net profits of the company, originating operations in the company that the management is seeking to put under control. In our case, we will consider procurement department operations and point out what the company can address to arrest the rising costs. Organizational changes Organizations come with changes, and it is important that these changes are well articulated. Organizational changes are bound to happen. The changes should be taken well so that the overall structure comes out well. The company added staff almost every year and who have proved from the analysis that they are a burden to the payroll. The staff has over the past been assigned as buyers of products of the specific group but this has to change with an immediate effect. The company can do restructuring by doing a critical job evaluation to see what job skills are needed and keep them and those who are found to be redundant have to be let go immediately to reduce the wage bill. Having a lean workforce that can multitask and be able to deliver more efficiently is important. The remaining staff to be trained on how to use the computer system in inventory control. Apart from restructuring, the stocked raw materials that are in the warehouse can be enough for the number of months mentioned. No new raw materials should then be ordered until about the time needed to free up warehouse space. Computerization changes The procurement computer system can be upgraded to serve more roles in controlling the procurement of all raw materials and keeping sales records. Currently, the warehouse is full to capacity, forcing the company to procure storage services elsewhere. Procurement can be systemized to be notifying management about the need for raw materials as, and when it is needed to reduce over-procuring to ease space at the warehouse eventually reducing costs of hiring more capacity for storage. Benefits of e-commerce to DVS E-commerce can benefit the company in three ways majorly. The company can be able to shop online by comparing prices of raw materials in the market from various sellers before making a buy decision. On making the decision the company will pay for the goods online. The system can also link with a logistics company that can be procured online free and tendered to deliver the goods to the company when needed. This will eliminate staff members who have employed specifically to procure a transporter. The company can also advertise the product on the company’s website and enable shoppers to place orders. After placing orders deliveries are made. This can also mean minimizing the over-dependence sales staff, therefore might mean no hirin
Purpose of a survey Different life situations give rise to circumstances that calls for more explanation to be well understood. In research studies, survey is used to collect data, so that detailed and quantified description of certain issues in the society can be availed. It takes an approach where the researcher asks, in written, electronic or verbal form, questions to the respondents and the information gotten is analysed for making inferences that can be generalised. Surveys can be used to collect first hand information regarding an issue, or can be used to test certain believes in a society. It does so through certain topic related questions to people who are known to have information (Allan & Skinner, 1991). Examples of survey There are different types of surveys; they are classified as written surveys, oral surveys, and electronic survey. Examples include consumer satisfaction survey; these are surveys aimed at collecting information on the level of satisfaction that customers are deriving from a company’s goods and probably take recommendations from consumers on how they can improve their services and products. Pre-election surveys, they are common before elections were questions to determine the most favoured candidate in a forthcoming election are sort. They can also be used to gauge the prevailing political condition in a country. Employees satisfaction surveys; this is mostly conducted by human resources department in a company with the aim of determining the effectiveness of their human resource management systems. Guidelines to ensure that participants of a survey will have their responses kept private When structuring the survey structure to use, the researcher should ensure that he/she does not call for any information that might lead to recognition of the respondent. The researcher should ensure that private information to relate to the survey is not collected for example name and identification of the respondent. The respondent should be informed of his rights; for example, the right to leave some questions unanswered or leave an interview/questionnaire process. When analysing data, the data collected should be generalised and report made should have no information that may lead to the recognition of the respondent. It is the role of the researcher to keep information collected confidential and private. He should guard the information from people who are not a party to the survey (Babbie,1995). Guidelines to ensure that information gained from a survey is unbiased Biasness results when participants give information that is not objective, they may favour one side for various reasons. To avoid biasness, a researcher should educate his participants on the need for the survey as well as the need to be unbiased. The structure of questionnaires should not be seen to take sides on a certain topic but should be open-ended. At analysis level, data collected need to be sorted and that data to the extreme of a certain issue should be disregarded (Fowler , 2002). The importance of planning in regards to privacy and buisness After making a decision to conduct a survey on a certain issue, plann