ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Introduction Corporate reporting has increasingly become an important element in the operation of firms in different economic sectors. Everingham & Kana (2008, p.1) define corporate reporting as the process through which firms’ management teams provide information regarding the performance of their organization to various stakeholders. It is a statutory requirement for organizations to engage in corporate reporting. Everingham and Kana (2008, p.1) assert that there is a gap between the stakeholders’ need for information and the information provided by organization. One of the categories of information that organizations are required to provide relate to their organization’s financial performance. Additionally, corporate reporting should also include non-financial issues. This makes corporate reporting to be a vital ingredient in firms’ effort to motivate their stakeholders. In addition to ensuring effective corporate reporting practices, managers are also charged with the responsibility of maximizing the shareholders’ wealth. To attain this, various techniques such as earnings management are incorporated. This paper entails an analysis of two main issues which include the importance of reported earnings to users of accounting information and the concept of earnings management. Importance of reported earnings to users of accounting information Organizations are charged with the responsibility of communicating their financial information to various stakeholders for example by publishing their annual report. The annual report is composed of 3 main financial statements which include the income statement, the balance sheet and the cash flow statement (Nikolai, Bazley & Jones, 2010, p. 8). Accounting information is important to different users as discussed below. Some of the main users include lenders, investors, employees, suppliers, trade unions, creditors, financial analysts, customers, regulatory agencies and the general public (Narayanaswamy,n.d, p.9). Investors and shareholders Accounting information is beneficial to individual and institutional investors. Shareholders are mainly concerned with two main issues regarding their investment. These include the risk and return associated with their investment. Accounting information is also important to investors in the process of making decision regarding the investments to purchase, retain or dispose (Narayanswamy, n.d, p. 9). Additionally, accounting information is also important to investors when evaluating the probability of a particular investment paying dividends. Despite the fact that investors have a legal right to access accounting information periodically from the institutions in which they have invested in, potential investors are also interested in accounting information. Financial analysts When making financial decisions, investors and creditors usually seek assistance from financial specialists such as stock brokers in order to make effective decisions. Financial analysts provide these parties with specialized analysis and interpretation of various financial reports. One of the main concerns
Introduction Each piece of art contributes greatly to the understanding of human intentions and meanings that stand behind a picture or a symphony. Different authors have different background and different experience in life matters that can be interpreted with the help of objects of art. Mood and theme make pieces from different disciplines look and sound in a similar or the same way though it is up to the audience to decide on the similarities and differences of a painting, a poem, and a film. Pieces of Art for Analysis Literature   * Work of literature: “Power” – poem written by Adrienne Rich in 1974.   * This piece of art represents the discipline of literature created by a female American writer.   * Feminism can be called one of the prominent topics of her works as she was a feminist. Painting   * Piece of painting for analysis is The Marsh in a Forest created in 1665.   * The author is Jacob van Ruisdael, a Dutch painter of seventeenth century famous for his landscapes and portraits.   * The painting is currently displayed in the Gallery of The Hermitage in St. Petersburg, Russia. Movie   * Work of cinematography for analysis is the movie Pay It Forward filmed in 2000.   * The director of the movie is Mimi Leder; the movie is based on the novel Pay It Forward by Catherine Ryan Hyde.   * The movie is starring Kevin Spacey, Haley Joel Osment, and Helen Hunt. Themes and Mood Common For All Pieces The poem describes the power of a woman and her use of that power. Actually her main power is the knowledge obtained meaning that she knew what she was doing and that she could die; she got an element but had to give her life for that knowledge and fame. The painting is full of contrasts such as a young tree and an old dead tree, earthy colors of the ground and marsh and azure of the sky. It suggests the idea of replacement and that each concept has its beginning and should make room for something new when it is old. The movie is based on the concept of exchange while one has to do something good when he/she is treated nice by others. Thesis statement: Each concept has its value in this world; these three pieces of art have a similar mood and a theme of exchange when something is given in exchange. It is important for a teacher to know this rule and know how to explain it to students. For instance, these pieces of art can be used to evoke their thoughts concerning the world and its values. Objective Analysis Literature “Power” (1974) by Adrienne Rich is a blank verse created in the form of thinking aloud. The main subject matter of the poem is the power of Marie Curie, a famous chemist and physicist, who managed to discover radium and polonium and gave her life for this knowledge. Her power to operate in the fields closed for women was based on her moral strength so, “She died a famous woman denying her wounds” (Rich, 1993, p. 73). The author conveys the message with the help of different approaches such as the following ones:   * a blank verse;   * anadiplosis (repetition of “denying her wounds” (Rich, 1993, p. 73)) in the last stanza;   * comparison of a discovery with the backhoe that opened up somet
The Cold War involved the United States and the Soviet Union due to their different ideologies on ways of managing the economy of a country. Lenin created communism ideology after the Russian revolution, which brought tension to the U.S. due to ideological differences. The Cold War began before World War II ended since each country saw the military power that the U.S. had in the war. Russia resolved to increase its military power by building nuclear power, which created tension between the U.S. and Russia. The two sides had different foreign policies and world political leaders who they supported. For instance, in 1950, Russia supported the military invasion of South Korea by North Korea. However, America supported South Korea by providing military aid to suppress the North Korean military threat. The beginning of the Cold War was marked by the formation of NATO and the Soviet Union. Each side wanted to be the world superpower by controlling the economy and world politics. The tension between the two blocs was due to the type of military technology used, specifically nuclear weapons. After the U.S. had bombed Japan to suppress its resistance in World War II, Russia realized that it did not have the military strength to be the superpower. The Soviet Union resolved to increase its military technology by investing more in its nuclear weaponry. This action created tension between policymakers in Moscow and those in Washington. The U.S. reacted by increasing its military strength by building more weapons hence creating tension. The other issues that created tension between the two blocs were Berlin, Proxy Wars, and the Cuban Missile crisis. The two blocs did not fight directly. However, they fought through proxy wars. For instance, America attacked Vietnam in 1960 to stop communism spread by the Soviet Union. Each side was determined to increase the number of countries supporting their ideology. The communist ideology was aimed at enhancing social welfare by restricting ownership of the limited resource. The capitalist ideology proposed for individual ownership of factors of labor and control of the economy. Both the Soviet and U.S. used funding and military support to encourage countries to support them. In Vietnam, the Russian used the North Vietnamese to contain the U.S. attack by providing military support such as weapons. America tried to restrict the spread of communism outside the country through military intervention and financial support to attract countries to support capitalism. America also resolved to contain the export of communist ideology to other countries by developing foreign policies aimed at fighting its spread. They ensured that few countries in Europe and Asia followed this ideology by making it clear through the foreign policies that they would stop any bilateral trade if a country supported the Soviet Union. President Truman started the Marshall Plan with the aim of enhancing the economic stability of European countries to encourage the European countries to adopt capitalism. The media also played a key role in containing the spread of communism in and outside America. During the
Introduction The play “Sure Thing” written by David Ives has become, since the mid- 1990s, a sure thing. In SAE (Standard American English), the expression sure thing means success. It is a favorite with readers and playgoers. “Sure thing is also the most performed contemporary play in the nation. If one is to hazard a guess, perhaps it was because it came out at a time Americans needed it most – when America entered into a war. The country confronted with a life-and-death situation needed good old wholesome American humor to preserve their sanity and this short play has enough of that humor to spare. With much of the male population away from home, it is interesting to observe how the women took things in stride and also how the Americans, in general, preserved their humor as well as their courage and individuality. Main body The setting takes place in the Denver Metro area. The script is written to use one couple, but for our interpretation of the script, three couples were used. Doing this showed how various couples were used. Doing this showed how various couples can interact in one world and come together with similar tactics, yet get varying results. Utilizing multiple couples made the script more playable and much more enjoyable to watch and the audience is kept guessing as to what is going to happen. The play presents several possibilities that exist when two people (strangers to each other) try to have a cup of coffee together. It starts with the question “Is that seat is taken?” with responses starting with “Yes, I’m waiting for someone” to “No, have a seat.” It takes a short time to relax with the switching of scenes, but it is eerie to watch the scene unfold and realize that you could have been in the same situation. The play includes a cast of two characters. Bill and Betty. Betty is a woman in her late twenties. She is reading at a café table with an empty chair opposite her. Bill who is of the same age approaches her. In the first five encounters, the conversations start with the question “Is this seat taken?” and in four of them, it ends with “sure thing”, indicating acceptance of the situation. In the third encounter, the wom
Films as any pieces of art always require their proper evaluation and interpretation according to definite principles of the critical analysis of works. To cope with the task effectively, it is necessary to concentrate on the difference between the main peculiarities of evaluation and interpretation. Moreover, it is also significant to determine the elements which can be discussed in relation to this or that aspects. The factors which can influence the result of the evaluation and interpretation of the film and their specific features can be examined with the help of the study of American History X of 1998. Evaluation of the work of art in general and of the film in particular is the determination of its special significance and worth. Thus, any piece of art can be considered as meaningful and important for the public. To determine this significance, it is necessary to pay attention to the main idea of the film, to its purpose and conclusions. In its turn, interpretation is the explanation of the meaning of the work of art. Thus, to evaluate the film, it is significant to understand or to interpret the main elements and scenes of the film which can help to assess its worth and the aesthetic significance. That is why the difference between evaluation and interpretation is in the quality of the analysis which a critic provides in connection with a definite film. Interpretation as an explanation only focuses on the plot meaning of certain elements of the film contributing to its right analysis. While evaluating the work, critics concentrate on the deep meaning of this piece of art which was provided as the artist’s main idea. Any film should be discussed from the points of interpretation and evaluation. It is important to accentuate the elements which are required to be interpreted and evaluated in American History X. The evaluation as an approach is necessary for the analysis of the general worth of the film and its significance. The main director’s idea was the discussion of
Introduction The US has experienced attacks on various institutions in the past. They have caused a number of deaths and several people being injured in the process. The paper will compare the Columbine and Virginia Tech incidents. In addition, the paper will evaluate the lessons learned from the Columbine incident and the differences between the two. The incidents involved the attack of learning institutions by school students. Comparisons and Contrasts of the Incidents Lessons from the Columbine high school incident There were numerous lessons learned from the Columbine incident. One of the most valuable lessons learnt from the tragedy is the importance of working together as a team. Teamwork would enable people to meet the needs of families, students and communities (Austin, 2003). In other words, the quality of relationships among counselors, community partners, and students is very important for the healing and recovery of injured after an incident (Austin, 2003). Another lesson was the moving of students to safe areas after an attack. Additionally, the councilors understood the importance of implementation of lock down systems (Austin, 2003). Moreover, protocols for responding to active shooters were established. Other lessons learned from the incident was that teachers should be trained on controlled evacuation, searching and assembling of victims in secure areas. Additionally, most schools have now established reunification centers for parents and students to prevent instances in which parents go to the site and obstruct the work of law enforcers (Austin, 2003). The members of staff, who did not receive counseling after the attack, later suffered mental health problems. Thus, it was necessary for staff members to access therapy after such incidents (Austin, 2003). Differences between the Two Incidents While the Virginia incident resulted in the death of 32 individuals and twenty-five others injured, the Columbine incident led to the death of thirteen persons and 24 others injured (Bowen & Brown n.d.). Additionally, the Columbine incident involved two students who were armed and ready to kill while only one student Seung-Cho procured the Virginia incident. While the Columbine incident took place on 20 April, 1999, the Virginia incident occurred on 16 April 2007 (Bowen & Brown, n.d.). Moreover, during the Columbine shooting, most of the students did not have cell phones to take footage of the incident. Lack of footage made it difficult for reporters to get the true picture of the accident (Bowen & Brown, n.d.). In contrast, during the Virginia incident, most students had cell phones equipped with technology that made it possible for them to take footage of the happenings. This technology helped the students to give real-life footage to the media reporters (Bowen & Brown, n.d.). Additionally, while the incident at Virginia Tech occurred in an institution of higher education, that of the Columbine School did not take place in a higher learning institution. Again, the shooters in the Columbine incident used bombs with the intention of killing people
This paper provides a critical analysis of the article by Reeves and Deimler (2011). The article is a helpful piece for managers who can find many tips to develop efficient strategies for their companies. Reeves and Deimler (2011) note that organizations, irrespective of their size, should remain adaptive and flexible. The authors also name major abilities every successful company should have: the ability to see the change, the ability to experiment, the ability to manage complex systems, and the ability to motivate people. Notably, the authors do not mention the ability to manage complex information systems, which is also crucial. The article in question dwells upon the adaptability of companies in the modern world that is highly competitive. Daft (2015) notes that the culture of adaptability has been adopted by many companies that are leaders in their markets. Reeves and Deimler (2011) stress that adaptability is crucial for all companies irrespective of their size or history. More so, the authors note that big companies may be more vulnerable as they are often less flexible. Nita and Dura (2011) also argue that multinationals have to develop numerous strategies to remain flexible and be able to adapt quickly. At the same time, Reeves and Deimler (2011) provide a number of examples that suggest that many big companies and multinationals are quite successful as they manage to remain adaptive and flexible. Such companies are Procter & Gamble, Tesco as well as many others. It is clear that these companies come up with efficient strategies to cope with arising issues. It is noteworthy that Reeves and Deimler (2011) do not simply name a problem. The authors also reveal major abilities a company should have to remain competitive in the modern business environment. Thus, a successful company should be able to “read and act on signals of change,” it should be able to experiment rapidly, it should be capable of managing complex systems, and it should also be able to motivate its employees as well as partners (Reeves and Deimler, 2011, p. 137). It is necessary to add that these abilities are very important, and the researchers identify the most significant ones. However, they also miss one important ability. This is the ability to manage IT systems. The era of information requires companies to employ information systems effectively. Interestingly, the authors mention this ability when providing the example of Procter & Gamble. Reeves and Deimler (2011) touch upon the company’s use of technology, which is associated with the ability to manage complex systems (in this case, information systems). Hitt, Ireland, and Hoskisson (2014) also stress that it is
War is harmful not just to the civilians but the soldiers as well. The effects range from physical, environmental, economic, psychological and even mental effects. All these effects depend on the magnitude of the war. War has enormous civil, political and moral consequences. A society’s happiness is usually diminished due to diminished morality. War leads to loss of life and property. It harms people’s morals as well as their sensitivity to moral issues. Economic effects of war War has usually proved to be costly to the countries involved. There is increased military expenditure hence hampering the economic growth as most of the country’s money is channeled towards the purchase of weaponry and improving the defense. In the 1990s Russian for instance spend about three times of the Gross Domestic Product on its defense and after that it was in a serious economic chaos. War in most of the cases usually drives a country into debt and the creditor nations take advantage of this. Wars usually reduce the long-run productive capabilities of any nation as the population’s growth is reduced and there is reduced inflow of immigrants. The economic burden of any war is usually placed on the working class as well as those who have modest education while benefiting a few for instance the war veterans. Such veterans in the United States for instance have enormous benefits. The veterans of the World War II for instance have benefits that amount to more than three hundred billion dollars, which is very expensive and unsustainable. War is a major hindrance to globalization as it reduces the global economic output. It leads to a decline in global investment and trade. Terrorism and war bring doubts which baffle the usual estimation and discourage foreign investors since business flourish in a nation that is stable politically. Commerce only flourishes where there is political stability and economic confidence. During the period of war scarcities generally make lavishness impossible and not conducive. There is increased inflation with commodity prices being higher than normal hence reducing the purchasing power of the civilians. War leads to unrest, strikes and loss of lives as well. Property is destroyed and the livelihood of many people is significantly tampered with. It leads to people losing their homes and becoming refugees who need economic help. It cripples the economies and destroys industrial infrastructure. Social Effect War has the ability to reshape and change society. It has for instance led to an increased participation of the womenfolk in workforces. It leads to the women assuming the roles that were initially meant for men. War also leaves a trail of