ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Executive Summary This paper reveals the analysis of the Virgin Group and its operations. It identifies that a strong brand name and high quality of products and services provide the company with an opportunity to remain one of the international leaders. The corporate strategy and structure of the Virgin Group are discussed in detail. Strategic relationships among sub-companies and with other organizations are described. Various types of analyses are maintained in order to point out both positive and negative factors that affect the company. On the basis of the obtained information, recommendations for the future are made, and issues associated with the leader’s departure are considered. The Virgin Group A well-known entrepreneur Richard Branson opened his own company almost 40 years ago and made it one of the largest private organizations in the UK. It does not focus on a particular product but emphasizes diversity and can be found almost in every industry. Branson leads companies that work with communication technologies, transportation, entertainment, and publishing, etc. However, like all other organizations, it still has an opportunity to improve its performance. Moreover, the shareholders are highly concerned about the possibility of Branson leaving the company, as he is the one who turned it into a top company. As the company has existed for a long time already, it has followed several strategic development directions. For instance, it resorted to market penetration and diversification. A lot of attention was paid to the product and market development. The organization operates as a group of companies, which allows them to work separately, maintaining financial independence. Each of them focuses on a shared-alone basis but values commitment to the Virgin Group and shares its views. Even though sub-companies are led independently, their corporate parent makes them look more trustworthy due to its reputation, experience, and effective marketing skills. Thus, such an approach is relevant to different businesses, as it reduces risks, improves recognition, provides mutual ideas, and shares knowledge. With the course of time, it should focus on the creation of a corporate image that is not associated with Branson and avoid adverse cash flows, shutting down unprofitable sub-companies. Corporate Strategy The Virgin Group manages to reach outstanding achievements due to its leader. Branson is a person who attracts not only customers but also experienced personnel. His leadership style and charisma are aligned with the knowledge of business processes and turn out to be extremely beneficial for the company. In this way, the success of the Virgin Group can also be explained by its staff. Unique brand recognition makes the company difficult to replicate and allows it to win competitive advantage (Grant & Jo
Introduction Art is a not only a tool used to reflect the happenings in a society, but it also reflects the feelings of the artist towards the society and towards themselves. It is for this reason that art can be considered to be unlimited in terms of style because it reflects the feelings and perceptions of different people. Through the paintings of an artist one can discern the mood and the emotions of the artist. This assists an admirer of the painting to understand the painting and even discern and interpret some hidden meaning. Just like paintings poetry is also a form of art. However, poetry has the capacity to use words express emotions and feelings in much deeper and detailed manner. Through words, civilization has been spread through many parts of the world, ideas and philosophies have traversed oceans and people have learnt of cultures of different places without having to visit the places physically. Such is the strength of words. In poetry words are used artistically, sometimes even adopting unconventional styles, in an attempt to relay emotions, feelings and perceptions in the most unique ways. Poetry describes places, people and events in such a way that prose writing cannot. This is because even the basic arrangement of words has meaning in poetry. In poetry there are no mistakes. What might seem as grammatical error in poetry may have a hidden meaning that the poet wishes to express. E. E. Cummings is considered one of the greatest poets of his time due to his distinctive style of writing, the extent to which he boldly expressed emotions and his unique usage of lower case letters. Understanding Cumming’s poetry would require a combination of an analysis his poetry and his life in general. Background Most poets are always influenced in their writing by their surroundings. Cummings was no exception as a quick review of his background reveals. According to Famous Poets and Poems, Cummings whose full name was Edward Estlin Cummings was born in Massachusetts in the town of Cambridge in October 14 th 1984. Cummings’ father was an acknowledged sociologist and later a minister of a Unitarian Church. Cummings’ mother on the other hand is known to have been significant in introducing Cummings to poetry by reading him poetry when he was still a young boy. According to Famous Poets and Poems Cummings wrote his poem at a very young age and among his early poems is the poem “In Just” which was strongly influenced by the surroundings at Cambridge, a place that he had come to love so much. Later, Cummings had the privilege of studying at the prestigious Harvard where he studied English among other languages. During his years at Harvard Cummings was able to learn about the poetry and writing styles of other poets notably Ezra Pound. The other eventful period in Cummings life was when he was working as a volunteer at the Norton- Haries Ambulance. Due to his disagreements with the war and his apparent leniency towards the Germans, he found himself arrested by the French on suspicions that he was a spy. Cumming’s love life was also turbulent as he married
Barbara Mor is known for her work with Sjöö on their book The Great Cosmic Mother . Her other works include The Blue Rental and Oliver Arts and Open Press . She has also contributed to other important writings. Little is known about this powerful writer since the media has greatly neglected her. A closer look at her work will help in learning more about this author. In The Great Cosmic Mother we get to learn more about the author and her perspectives. She believes in the earth Goddess as the mother of earth and creator of everything alive. Such believe comes with a characteristic respect for nature and also for what the environment holds, which does not come from a simple belief, but a spiritual truth. This is seen in The Great Cosmic Book where political, psychological and sociological roles of the Goddess or the Divine Mother are described. This book also looks at the spiritual role of this Divine Mother (Sjöö & Mor, 1987). People are used to the God learned about from the Bible and the Abrahamic religions like Christianity, Islam and Judaism. The texts that are associated with these major religions are viewed by many as the only source of the Word of God. However, Mor adds to this as she looks into the God who is related to nature. Because of this, Mor’s work contributed to religion, especially the Goddess religion that draws its ideas from cultural religion plus archeological sources. This is solely meant to express the view that the Goddess is the original religion that the humanity had. Mor’s views in this book help in enlightening others about this issue that is rarely discussed by many people. Various people who share the same religious beliefs gain their inspirations from this book since they get some recognition of their views that are not well consistent with the ones voiced by Mor. However some people are infuriated by the beliefs presented in this book, some see this as blasphemy. They do not understand how the mother Goddess gave birth to various things in the world. For example, Mor’s views on this issue are supported by Sjöö, with whom they have coauthored the Great Cosmic Mother by coming up with various artworks that supported those views. However, what she received was a harsh treatment from those who oppose her work since she was almost prosecuted for blasphemy. Because of this, Mor have contributed to a controversial subject that
Literacy poses a continuous challenge to educators and scholars. Dozens of theories and propositions were developed, to support learners in their way to developing effective literacy skills. In this context, Paulo Freire’s philosophy of education is one of the popular topics of discussion. Freire was able to conceptualize the idea of learning through dialogue and experience. He suggested that traditional education could not be effective, as long as it imposed dry rules and empty conventions on the learners. This paper will examine different propositions about the ways to teach adult literacy. This paper seeks to prove the thesis that literacy education is about creating a dialogue between educators and adult learners and maintaining a reasonable balance between rules of language and learners’ knowledge and experiences about the world. How to teach adult literacy has long been debated by scholars. Paulo Freire’s philosophy of education remains one of the most frequently discussed topics in adult learning. Freire (1988) wrote that educational practice, including adult literacy solutions, required the development of some theoretical stance. Simultaneously, theory alone would never guarantee successful learning. Objectively, it is through the interpretation of the world and people in it that theories can help to enhance adult learning outcomes. The process of human development and orientation is not limited to the association of senses and images but necessarily involves thought-language (Freire, 1988). Therefore, teaching adult literacy is impossible without engaging adults in a continuous dialogue and discussion of their learning and life experiences. Darville (2009) is correct in that teaching literacy is essentially about aligning learners’ experiences and perceptions with their needs for better literacy. Learners must (a) understand what literacy holds for them and (b) have a clear vision of what it takes to be literate (Darville, 2009). In this sense, Kate Boudin’s teaching example is very demonstrative. Literacy needs to be embedded into a meaningful context of ideas and experiences, married to the learners’ intellectual capacities and lives (Boudin, 1993). However, not everyone agrees with this point of view. The validity of “teaching as experience” ideas is constantly debated (Torres, 1997). Even if Freire’s ideas about literacy and learning “leave us
Introduction Distinguished pastors and writers have preached and written respectively that human beings are equal before the eyes of God. They have put emphasis on how human beings have taken too much of the world things and forgotten the principles that connect them with God. However, it is surprising to find that the same pastors live luxuriously. Their subjects are not even able to sustain their daily meals. We find pastors driving modern cars worthily millions of money. Some even have private jets. It is inconceivable that pastors preach the word of God with respect to the life of Jesus Christ. Right from the Holy Bible, Jesus was never rich. He lived and preached the agreeable news to people. He is said to have eaten with sinners and the exact humble men (Mark 2:13, Coogan, 2011). This is what should be happening in today’s world. This is the genesis of global inequality, which is addressed in this paper. People believe in the Christian life, so if the injustice begins there, then it becomes even serious when we talk about it. Religion should be the uniting factor. It should bring equity among the people of all categories. This I believe is true to all the religions in the world. Global Injustice Global injustice is as old as human kind. It has alarmingly been on the increase with the advent of technology and the demographic changes. It is an aspect of social, economic and political unevenness. It extends to the point of people starving to death while others dying of health related diseases. It is that simple. Thousands of people are dying of obesity due to eating too much junk food. The global injustice could be prevented but due to the greediness of human, it has existed in the negative state. I strongly side with Pogge’s argument that the world poor is because of the double standard that people keep on playing. People have the means of production and, they hold them to enrich themselves. They have it in mind that giving something will lead to a suffering at a letter date on their side. Singer, P. (1972), talks of the world contribution to save life. He describes the deal governments and their contributions toward fighting hunger. This should be something jointly done. It should not be left to the government. It should be common knowledge that there are people out there languishing. People should be magnanimous enough to see in to it. They should not play games and blames on who should contribute. It is a dirty for everyone to save life or prolong it. Singer P gives an example of pulling a child from a state of danger. The other thing would be saving a drowning man. These two examples demonstrate the need to do selfless things where possible. Beitz, R. (2001) accounts that giving some amount f
The Cash for Clunkers program was one of the most popular governmental initiatives aimed at solving the economic and financial issues that Americans faced during the world economic recession. The essence of the program was in the governmental help, up to $4,500, for those willing to trade their used vehicles in and buy new or more fuel-efficient used ones. After the end of this program, the government could pay more attention to the issues of increased unemployment that emerged during the above-mentioned recession. To fight unemployment and growing poverty, the government could resort to creating new working places by solving another issue, i. e. fuel deficiency. Thus, new working places can be created by introducing the biological fuel production sites that would employ the currently unemployed people and provide cheaper alternatives for gas and oil that report an increase in prices over recent months. Life Insurance Basically, in considering the amount of life insurance necessary for any person or family, the seven points should be considered. They include the calculation of after-tax income, adding of outstanding debts, consulting the reputable insurance company, inclusion of potential medical costs and funeral expenses, adding of possible social security or pension, consideration of earning potential of all family members and paying attention to special needs of disabled family members. In Greenwoods’ situation, Nicole’s study will increase the deficiency of the life insurance budget of the family. The sums of $40,000 and $50,000 that both spouses have for life insurance are already deficient, and adding another expenses point will only facilitate deficiency progress in the life insurance budget of the Greenwoods. Drawing from this, the amount of life insurance provided by the Greenwoods’ respective employers cannot be considered adequate under the condition that Nicole restarts her study for the Master’s degree. After the consideration of all the insurance forming factors, the amount of the Greenwoods’ insurance is already deficient, and adding another expense point cannot improve it to the state of the adequate insurance amount. Given that the family experience no increase in its income and obtains no additional social security payments, the additional spending will definitely damage the budget of the Greenwoods’ which was admitted to be unbalanced from the start. The possibility that the Master’s degree obtained by Nicole after her study will provide wider employment opportunities for the family and will increase its income levels is only a possibility, and at the given moment when the decision is to be made this hypothetical idea cannot serve a
Henry Clay was the secretary of state during president John Quincy Adams’ tenure in the late 1820s and is applauded for creating a revolutionary development plan for the United States of America (Ricci, 2020). During this time, most Americans were moving from the east to seek better opportunities in the west. The transportation of people and goods had proven tedious and challenging, and investors were eager to solve the problem (Ricci, 2020). Clay’s master plan was meant to see the technological development and advancement of the US, which the development of railroads would accompany. It would also include the development of mechanical systems, steam-driven trains, and industries across the country. In Clay’s vision, the nation’s transportation capabilities would be expanded to facilitate industrial development and advancement. As a result, the movement of people and goods across the country improved, and merchants immersed much wealth. After developing a robust transport system linking the east and the west, towns and cities would thrive, creating more and better opportunities for the elite and unskilled Americans. Industrialization would see an increased production of goods and services for the domestic and foreign markets. As a result, the nation would not rely heavily on foreign goods, as it happened during the colonial period (Wallis & Weingast, 2018). The proliferation of industrial development resulted in social segregation caused by the capitalist culture adopted by the Americans. The government did not anticipate the impact of its development and modernization plan. The abolishment of stave trade and liberalization led to the convergence of masses in the five-point district in New York. As a result, it turned into a slum characterized by crime, diseases, and poverty (Corbett et al., 2017).
Introduction A city refers to a big and densely populated urban area which may include several other independent administrative districts. The size of a city serves as a measure of economic performance and it also focuses on the existence and development of a positive feedback of a given city. This analysis will primarily focus on the factors that lead to the development and fall of cities in general. In particular, the analysis will look into the rise and fall of Dubai. This country is well known as a global city and business hub whose economy was built on the oil industry and then shifted to invest in tourism, real estates and financial services. The city is currently experiencing a very tough economic crisis. Therefore, this essay will endeavour to find out the factors that steered the development and fall of Dubai. Factors that enhance the development of cities The movement of people from rural to urban areas like the cities leads to urban areas proliferation. This is referred to as urbanization and it is normally associated with modernization and industrialization. For over a long period of time, cities in growing and already developed nations have cropped up as the main way of human being settlement. As a result, cities have become an instrument of progress for human beings. This is due to the concentration of trade and industry, communal, opinionated and governmental organs in cities that make them a conducive place for the rich and the poor people. Examples of cities that have grown in this manner include Chicago and Mumbai. The idea of living in the cities allows individuals to make use of opportunities of proximity and market place competition (UNDP, 2002). Factors that cause the fall of cities The following are some of the factors that lead to the fall of most cities. First, urban violence is a major factor that leads to the fall of a city and it’s a result of development dynamics which may differ depending on the country facing the problem. According to literature, the effects of violence and instability may influence the economic activities of a city. Political instability is also not an exceptional factor to the falloff cities. Researc
Effective education is one of the most important social issues because educated youth is an engine that drives humanity forward. Unfortunately, for a long time, the organization of the educational process was considered an exclusively pedagogical problem, and the psychological peculiarities of the students were rarely taken into account. The main purpose of education was simply to convey information from teacher to students, which resulted in its remoteness from reality. However, nowadays, pedagogy is increasingly collaborating with psychological disciplines in order to better explore the nuances of the students’ psychology. One such discipline is the Environmental Psychology, which reveals an entirely new dimension of the educational process. Environmental Psychology is a field that studies the psychological aspects of the interaction between people and their environment. The term “environment” is widely interpreted and includes both natural objects and embodied social formations, such as material constructions, educational and working conditions, and sources of information. Environmental Psychology is based on the idea that the environment influences human behavior and attitude in different circumstances, and that in the long run it inevitably shapes their personality. Since human environment includes other people as well, the interaction between individuals in different social situations is also a subject of interest in this field. One of the crucial issues of the Environmental Psychology is the organization of an educational environment. Since education performs a personality-forming role, the atmosphere of an educational institution should inspire curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking in students. In order to use the physical environment to enhance the educational process, the following ideas of Environmental Psychology are considered: 1) symbolism, which consists in the sociocultural meaning of objects; 2) territoriality, which is, occupying a peculiar space; 3) nonverbal communication through facial expressions, gestures, and body movements; 4) individual and cultural peculiarities in the perception of one’s environment. In order to create an effective educational atmosphere, all these factors should be taken into account while organizing the educational process. The quality of education also depends on the manner of the interaction between teacher and students. The traditional approach to education, which mainly consists in the one-way transfer of dry facts and ready-made truths, has proven to be ineffective. As Freire claims, the task of the traditional teacher is “to fill the students with the contents of his narration — contents which are detached from reality” (71). However, even though nowadays there are many innovative methods of education, the traditional approach still prevails. The environment of “desks and blackboards” does not require much effort and there is “no demand th