ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
When an incident, for example, a terrorist act involving weapons of mass destruction (WMD), occurs, it can be handled only after the responsible organizations are notified of it. The process of notification involves fire brigades, police, medics, as well as governments and media. As soon as a WMD incident occurs, 911 center is notified of it with a phone call. The Emergency Communications Center informs first responders of the event. First responders assess the situation and share the information with additional responders, as well as rescue victims if possible (Federal Emergency Management Agency [FEMA], 2002). Incident Command is established, which notifies local organizations, such as medical facilities, and the FBI Field Office (FEMA, 2002). Then, the state of emergency is declared by local authorities, and the private sector becomes informed of the incident. The gap that needs to be identified in the preparation and response for the WMD incident is access to the required information. Emergency agencies often need to obtain certain information from other organizations. Therefore, the problem of sharing data should be solved beforehand. The gaps in the process of notification can be illustrated by the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2011. As soon as the incident occurred, many victims and witnesses began to call 911 (“The 9/11 Commission Report,” n.d.). At this initial stage of notification, the first gap was detected. The 911 system could not cope with a large number of calls due to the lack of powerful equipment; therefore, many people did not manage to connect with operators (“The 9/11 Commission Report,” n.d.). The gap in access to information also was the case in managing the incident. NYPD Aviation did not inform the 911 center that it was impossible to rescue people from the top of the roofs, so operators could not clearly instruct victims whether they should go up or down (“The 9/11 Commission Report,” n.d.). Thus, the gaps in notification may cause discrepancies in the actions of responsible organizations and hinder them from managing an incident in the most efficient way. The public is commonly notified of an incident by means of the media. However, events are sometimes misrepresented because the media attempt to attract more viewers rather than inform the population of the facts. Such a dramatic representation of terrorist acts involving WMD may encourage terrorists to repeat their attacks (Jetter, 2017). Furthermore, false news spread by the media distract the police from their urgent work, evoke fear in citizens, and may lead to invalid serious accusations (Marthoz, 2017). For example, right after the terrorist attack in Oklahoma City in 1995, the media stated that the suspects were two dark-haired and bearded Arabs, while the real offender was a white man belonging to the far right (Marthoz, 2017). It resulted in numerous threats toward people having Middle Eastern appearance and living in the U.S. (Marthoz, 2017). Therefore, the media should not spread panic and fake news. Instead, it has to take part in the notification of people by providing reliable facts and instructing the population about what th
In 2009, Toyota faced a problem of addressing the customers’ expectations and guaranteeing their safety through focusing on manufacturing the high-quality cars and following the ethical practices. The purpose of this report is to provide the critical analysis of the ethical situation and its consequences for Toyota. Much attention should be paid to the strategies used by the company to address the problem and to the critical discussion of these approaches in terms of their effectiveness. Toyota Company Background and Crisis Situation Toyota Company was founded as a manufacturer in the automotive industry in Japan in 1937. Today, Toyota remains to be one of the leaders in the global automotive market (Vartabedian & Bensinger, 2009). The company’s brand reputation and competitive advantage are traditionally based on the high quality, the excellence in the design and engineering, the focus on the innovation and constant improvement, and the customer loyalty. However, in 2009, Toyota faced a challenge of developing an unethical practice while responding to the safety issue (Gorman, 2010, para. 2). This situation needs to be analyzed in detail in order to discuss the variants of addressing the similar problems in the future. In autumn of 2009, the public and internal stakeholders were informed about the car accident involving a Toyota automobile in the United States that was caused by the car’s uncontrollable acceleration (Gorman, 2010, para. 3). In order to respond to the crisis, Toyota had to recall more than 3.5 million vehicles in the United States to investigate the accelerator problem (Vartabedian & Bensinger, 2009, para. 5). The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) also contributed to the analysis of the situation and held a series of investigations (Gorman, 2010). The reported findings indicated that the first accidents associated with the accelerator problem and other technical problems were fixed in 2001 (Gorman, 2010; Vartabedian & Bensinger, 2009). The company’s reputation based on the ideas of quality and safety was affected significantly leading to decreases in sales by more than 10% in 2010 (Toyota, 2015, para. 18). However, the problem is in the fact that the changes in the customers’ perceptions of the brand were most affected by the inadequate communication strategy chosen by Toyota rather than by the presence of technical faults in cars. Toyota Crisis and Key Issues The main issues that affected the brand reputation and customers’ reactions are the inadequate Toyota’s response to the problem in 2009 and 2010; the impossibility to accept the responsibility for accidents; and the concealment of the information on previous accidents. Toyota selected the ineffective strategy to respond to the car accident in 2009 and to the further public and officials’ accusations in 2010 (Gorman, 2010, p
Profitability Ratios Gross profit margin is a ratio that shows how much a company makes out of its total revenue. In 2010, out of the total revenue realized by Premier Investments Ltd, 59.09% were profits. This has increased to 59.51% in 2011, which makes it interesting to invest as compared to David Jones Ltd, which shows a diminishing margin from 39.73% to 39.11% in 2010 and 2011 respectively. Based on this, it is therefore prudent to invest in Premier Investments Ltd because it is profitable now and promises more profitability in future. Net Profit Margin shows how much a company can keep as reserves out of its total Revenue. If a company makes $100 worth of sales and retains $20 then its Net profit margin is 20/100=20%. This means that for every sales amounting to $100, Premier Investments makes $16.11 and $5.94 in 2010 and 2011 respectively (Das, Markowitz & Scheid 2010, p. 320). David Jones keeps $16.97 in 2010 and $12.62 in 2011.Both companies show a downward trend with Premier Investment showing a decline of 10.17% and a 4.35% for David Jones. In this case, David Jones is worth investing in since it gives an investor some hope for wealth optimization. Though it has low gross profit margins, it takes more than expected for Premier Investment Ltd to retained earnings. Based on the profitability, the investor would be advised to invest in David Jones Ltd since it portrays a company whose overheads are properly controlled. Efficiency Ratios The operations of a company can be used to assess whether it’s worth investing in or not. Efficiency ratios will always measure how well a company manages its assets, both fixed and current, as well as its short term liabilities. These ratios show how well debtors, creditors and the inventory of the company are managed. Asset Turnover ratio shows how the company has used its assets to generate revenue. This is expressed as the Total revenue divided by the total assets. Premier Investment shows that for every $1 of its assets, it generates $0.61 and $0.60 in 2010 and 2011 respectively. The decrease would be being $0.01 from 2010 to 2011. David Jones Ltd made $1.72 and $1.62 in 2010 and 2011 respectively. This is a decrease of $0.10 in 2011. Based on this, David Jones Ltd looks risky. Return on Assets is the relationship between the company’s profits and its average total assets. It is usually expressed as a percentage. The higher the percentage the more efficient is the management of that company in employing its assets in profit making. Both companies show a reduction in return on assets by 6.25% and 8.77%. David Jones Ltd looks a bit risky compared to premier Investment Ltd. Inventory Turnover shows the number of times a company takes to replenish its inventory. Premier Investment Ltd had 73 and 75 days respectively in 2010 an
Prostitution has been dubbed as the oldest profession on earth and it is alleged to have existed for as long as man has. While the truth of this assertion remains unverifiable, it is a fact that prostitution was rife in the American Islands of Hawaii during the Second World War. The steady stream of soldiers and sailors provided a huge demand for the trade which was met by the various brothels in operation. The article by Beth Bailey and David Farber articulates the role that prostitutes played in Hawaii in the cause of World War II. This paper shall analyze the major arguments that the authors present in their article on the strike by the prostitutes in Hawaii. One of the major arguments advanced by Bailey and Farber is that the society was willing to tolerate prostitution since it deemed the trade to be a necessary evil in the war period. As a result of the war, Hawaii experienced an influx of lower class males who were mostly soldiers and sailors. The authorities thus conceded that the existence of prostitutes was necessary to provide for the sexual needs of the male population. Well regulated brothels would help avoid spread of venereal diseases and incidents of rape or seduction of the Hawaii’s young girls and women. This argument holds true since as the authors note, as a result of the brothels, peace was maintained in Hawaii and the rate of venereal diseases amongst the military units in Hawaii was lower than any other military unit in the country. The authors also propose that in as much as segregation was practiced in most of the brothels, this segregation was only aimed at conforming to the racist beliefs of most of the clients who were of Southern origin. It is therefore implied that segregation in the brothels did not spring from hatred of any race or person but rather it was motivated by the prostitutes desire to appease their majority clients. This argument is not fully convincing since the Hawaiian society was already split along racial lines and as such, one can assume that the segregation practices exhibited in the brothels were merely a reflection of what was going on in the society. According to the article, the prostitutes were out to exploit the boom experienced in the trade as a result of the war and they reaped handsome rewards for their efforts. The authors demonstrate that the operations at Hotel Street were run by women and that the system was streamlined for efficiency and to ensure all control was by the women. These assert
Introduction Professionals in the finance sector should undergo intensive training regarding ethical issues in finance to enable them to perform their duties with a high level of integrity. According to Angle (2004), ethics is the study of how individuals must behave in a given society. Some scholars regard it as the amount of respect a person gives others in his or her community (Boatright, 2010). It is also a study of moral standards used to determine the morality of an individual’s actions. This paper looks at ethical behaviors, the importance of ethics in finance, and ethical issues in the financial sector. The conclusion gives a summary of the key points, as discussed in the paper. Ethical Behaviors I was employed as a financial accountant for a manufacturing firm. The managing director expected me to participate in a plot to make stakeholders believe that the business was doing well. For this to happen, the managing director wanted me to give a false account of stock goods to portray a rosy picture of the company’s operations. The greatest challenge was to ensure that I stand my ground and act in an unbiased manner. Although it was such a delicate matter, I did everything possible to make decisions based on the required financial reporting standards. In another incident, the production department head approached me with an already signed cheque for me to countersign. The amount raised was to be used to purchase raw materials. Although he tried so hard to explain, I could not understand why he wanted me to sign a cheque that had been raised without following the correct procedure. My efforts to get the right facts about the transaction failed to bear fruit, and I declined to sign the cheque. In a third incident, the company needed to process a customer’s refund. The managing director presented me with a request for a refund and insisted that the customer be paid cash right-away. When I sought to find out why the payment had to be in cash, the managing director refused to provide a sufficient explanation. According to him, it was none of my business to question his motives or reasons for any of his actions. Further probing revealed an anomaly, and based on my understanding of financial reporting standards, I refused to do as he wanted. In a fourth incident, I was required to prepare accounting records that were to be used during a cost-cutting strategy. Apparently, the company was not performing well, and several people had to be retrenched. Given the good relationship I had with my colleagues, I was afraid that their jobs were at stake, and I was responsible for preparing a document to be used in determining their fate. I wondered whether it was possible for me to remain unbiased. Nevertheless, I had to do my part and finally presented the management team with the requested information. Importance of Ethics in Finance Generally, the growth of a business is related to effective financial management (Brigham & Houston, 2009). To win the confidence of empl
To my mind, the political situation in Belarus vastly depends on the interplay of various actors, such as the EU, neighboring states, mass media, and citizens. From my point of view, sanctions against Belarus are not really effective and can even be harmful to the Belarus population. They only act as a trigger for Lukashenko to make his policy even tougher, which reflects on the people’s lives. I agree with the Director of the Eastern Europe Studies Center, Linas Kojala, who said that the balance when expanding the sanctions should be kept and they should not affect ordinary people. (Poland In, 2021). However, I think that it is impossible because political leaders have a lot of power and finance to get everything they need, while the people suffer. Thus, the role of the neighboring states in this situation is controversial. On the one hand, they demonstrate their position on the issues of legitimacy of Lukashenko’s power, at the same time trying to “make the regime pay for its defiance of international and human rights law” (DW News, 2021, 2:53), but it does not really help the people of Belarus. However, the sanctions can force people to go to the streets and protest against their leader. Mass media and the Internet play a big role in this conflict, as they, on the one hand, become the instruments of propaganda, and on the other hand, they help the citizens to unite against their president. Thus, this is an information war, which seems to be lost by Lukashenko, as people are getting very frustrated and are ready to fight for their freedom. I hope that they succeed, and Belarus will become a peaceful country again.
Introduction Generations come and go and each generation exhibits distinct characteristics. However, several generations overlap at any given time, as there are no distinct borders between the generations. Differences that arise between such generations are either positive or negative depending on the level of tolerance and understanding among members of different generations. Such differences lead to tension and animosity if not handled well at home as well as at the workplace. The current generation goes by different names and exhibits distinct characteristics, which put them on a collision course with members of the other generations. This essay looks at the characteristics of the current generation and how the environment has affected their lives. Further, the essay will discuss the effects of social networks on the individual as well as relationships. Generation Me Generation Me manifests several characteristics. Generation Me disregards formality and instead prefers informal settings and mannerisms. For instance, they prefer casual wears to formal wears and are not comfortable with rules and regulations that exist in almost every setting. Twenge says that Generation Me cherishes the idea that, “we are a much more informal and accepting society than we once were” (Twenge p. 19). They believe that rules that used to govern the society do not matter anymore and concepts like politeness and universal ethics no longer exist. Generation Me easily agrees with the statement “there is no single right way to live” (Twenge p.19). What the individual believes in matters most. As such, commonly cherished tenets of the past generations give way to individual decisions and outlook of life. Generation Me does not give a thought to how other people in society perceive their actions. The individual holds that “As long as I believe in myself, I really do not care what others think” (Twenge p. 19). In other words, to Generation Me, morality and ethics are relative and the individual is the measure of morality and ethics. What the individual believes in is indisputable. There are no universal ethics, rules do not exist anymore, and where rules exist, they are not as strict as they used to be. According to Generation Me, rules should be flexible and accommodate their views and not the other way round. Twenge cites several illustrations to prove that Generation Me no longer holds universal principles of life as true but instead leave it to individual judgment. According to Twenge, such movies as the Majestic, Pleasantville among others mark “two interlocking changes: the fall of social rules and the rise of the individual” (Twenge p. 22). Further, current dancing styles, which change within short periods, are a pointer to the change that Generation Me believ
Introduction African Americans applied a broad variety of strategies and tactics in the move towards the realization of their freedom from enslavement. From escaping away from the plantations of their masters to filing lawsuits in the corridors of justice in the 19 th Century, Black abolitionists in the US employed a collection of tools to fight for equality by challenging slavery. Non-violent approaches that entailed petitions, antislavery speeches, literary protests, and freedom suits ensured that the Black American abolitionists demanded a moral high ground that manifested in both words and deeds. Such tactics allowed the African American slaves to influence the course of the Revolution War and the Cold War as stakeholders whose interests required consideration. The failure of the peaceful tactics to grant African Americans liberation from slavery prompted them to engage their masters in violence between the 1780s and 1830s. Considerably, the slave masters gave in to the mounting pressure leading to the success of the Black abolitionists in fostering equality in the US irrespective of one’s race, ethnicity, or social class. In this light, this paper identifies the strategies applied by the Black Americans coupled with how they integrated them into the fight against slavery. Furthermore, this paper will show the response of the masters to the antislavery protest tactics utilized by the Black Americans. Background The push towards the abolition of slavery emerged in the first half of the 19 th Century when Black Americans waged an assault against their exploitative masters who jeopardized the realization of a society characterized by equality. During that period, the Black Americans joined hands with white abolitionists to stage resistance against the discriminative practices by the authoritative parties in the society, who enslaved the poor and marginalized groups. The biracial efforts geared towards the abolition of slavery broadened the rift between the masters and the exploited parties, thereby, threatening the unity of the American society as experienced in the Constitution Convention period. However, towards the second half of the 19 th Century, Black Americans concentrated on agitating for their freedom against slavery as racism heightened. Since then, Black Americans employed several approaches and techniques that sought to break the slavery shackles that barred them from enjoying their freedom. The initial strategies entailed the use of religious organizations to agitate for the rights of the enslaved African Americans. Primarily, church organi
Systems analysis refers to a precise official inquiry, which is performed by a decision maker to help him or her identify a superior course of action that could help him make an informed decision. System analysis was in the past associated with the development of projects applications to produce information systems that is fed in computer applications. However, today the mode of doing systems analysis assumes a structured approach. The London Olympic Games Organizing Committee (LOGOC) will apply a model driven development in its systems analysis. It will use models such as the screen to convey its information to the participants and followers. How to Gather the Requirements for the System from the LOGOC The London Olympic Games Organising Committee requires the conduction of several procedures and studies aimed at gaining the necessary groundwork information. To begin with, it is important to first perform a feasibility analysis. This is where a study is conducted to establish if an intended course of action could violate any of the constraints that are available. Another important study is that of the cost effective analysis. In this case, all the available alternatives are ranked in accordance with their effectiveness (Shelly & Rosenblatt 2011, p. 492). Meanwhile, the cost benefit analysis involves the discounting of all the alternatives. Such discounting is done with the sensitivity of the time consumed and amount of money needed to carry out the procedure. In addition, the risk benefit analysis requires the assigning of monetary units against each risk identified to compare the costs and the benefits that are associated with it, and to ensure effective decision making (Marwedel 2010, p. 294). Benefits of using Systems Analysis Systems analysis is associated with several benefits in its usage. It ensures the results that are produced are more successful in addition to reducing the risks that arise from time and budget constraints. The use of systems analysis also ensures the project is properly managed and also produces good quality results (Wasson 2005, p. 628). Other benefits include the identification of strengths and weaknesses of an organization and their subsequent evaluation. This customized approach focuses on the strengths of the organization and the areas of weaknesses that it needs to improve on. The successful organization of the 2012 London Olympics will enhance competition amongst the would-be hosts for a similar event, through systems analysis. In this regard, systems analysis has the potential integrating the required multinational information system. It will also be used in handling receipt accounts, preparation and implementation of a budget and the scheduling of regular or non regular projects. Systems analysis works by streamlining the processing and production of data. This ensures that higher quality control levels are attained through lower costs of production. Limitations of using Systems Analy