ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Introduction This report focuses on Marriot International, Inc. financial reports for the fiscal period between 2011 and 2013. Specifically, it covers the company, its current and future strategies and performances and comparative financial ratio analysis with regard to other players in the industry. Structure Presentation of Marriot, its current and future strategies Marriot International, Inc. operates in more than 72 countries with over 3,900 hotels worldwide as an operator, a franchisor and a licensor of hotels and timeshare resorts. It has nearly 325, 000 associates. The company also is involved in developing, operating and marketing residential property and offers home services to owners. Marriot simply manages or franchises and does not necessary own these hotels (Marriott International, Inc., 2012). Marriot International, Inc. is listed among the best hotel chains in the world (Vidyarthi, 2014). In the year 2013, the company was managing 42% of its hotels, 55% were franchised, 2% were leased or owned while the rest were classified under unconsolidated joint ventures (Marriott International, Inc., 2013). Marriot has classified its operations under North America Full Service, Limited-Service, International and Luxury. The company’s current strategy has been effective in delivering results. For instance, Marriot has grown its portfolio and increased the number of hotels significantly in the year 2013. The company’s leadership has focused on a global expansion, particularly in the US, Africa (Pretoria and Rwanda, Kigali), Asia, the Middle East, Brazil, India and other parts of Europe. These new developments would add 67,000 new rooms. Marriot recorded a management fee of $1.5 billion globally. It is now the largest hotel company in Africa. The company has also focused on growing its flagship brand through massive investments, particularly in London, New York, Miami, Abu Dhabi, Bangkok, Shanghai, and India among others. In t
The unique feeling of “home” is determined by numerous concurrent circumstances for me. It is not dependent on a specific location and people. I have been changing the houses and persons with whom I live frequently. Instead, the noises, the personal belongings, and the ability to be alone for a moment constitute the calm, relaxed sensation that provokes my returning to the residence. The period of living with the parents was anxious, disturbing, and entirely pessimistic, which continues to affect my visits to the place where I have spent most of my years. I could find consolation there previously as I had no other place to go. Yet, the communication attempts with the parents have consistently failed, resulting in conflicts because of our different mindsets. Night walks in the woods or riding a bicycle along the country road could deliver some comfort and relief. Nowadays, as I moved out, the place feels alien since I spend the whole time in the house during my visits to my parents. They treat me like a guest in their home—in a good sense; they try to be attentive to me and induce dialogue since I stay there for a short time, and they want to extract the maximum of their need for interaction with me. Consequently, I cannot leave the house and be unaccompanied. This inability is the cause of the disaffection I experience every time there. Although I moved out and changed the environment completely, I suffered no difficulty with adapting to the new estate. The reason for this is similar surroundings; not furniture in the house or landscape behind the widow but the noises. Since my childhood, my parents used to watch TV and discussed the shows passionately, without any consideration about their word choices or volumes of the speech. I did not have my own room where these sounds would be inaccessible so that silence rarely prevailed. I have accustomed to the constant background bustles, rushes, screams, and voices of the TV stars or politicians. I wanted to escape from this disturbance; nonetheless, the roommates have been the same. The content of the background talks and noises changed, but the absence of silence remained as always. It can be that I choose unconsciously loud persons that love to fill their room with music or video lectures. These conditions seem not comfortable, but I got used to them. Possibly, I do not want to feel alone sometimes, and these noises inform me of other people’s presence. However, the composition of what I feel to be my home is not complete without my personal belongings. Certain books and notes present anchors of convenience to me, being emotionally connected with various memories. For example, my old sketchbook with portraits of people I used to know somehow always occurs in the visible area of my residence. I rarely look through the pages and even touch them, but the presence of the sketchbook, a quick look on it, adds to the general comfort. Similarly, my children’s Bible reveals an extended range of remembrances. The book is amply illustr
Biological Theories Applied to the Etiology of Bipolar And Related Disorders Precise biological causes of bipolar and related disorders are still not known, but there are several biological theories applied to their etiology. The neural circuitry theory suggests that bipolar disorder (BD) is caused by structural and functional abnormalities in brain areas, such as grey matter reduction or overactivation of the thalamus and amygdala (Sigitova et al., 2017). Another theory suggests that BD is caused by genetic polymorphism of some candidate genes, such as 5-HTT, DAT, BDNF, TPH, and others, which makes some individuals be more susceptible to BD than others (Sigitova et al., 2017). According to the monoamine hypothesis, BD is associated with a lack of monoamine neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine (Sigitova et al., 2017). The inflammatory theory posits that in patients with BD, the immune system is constantly activated, which leads to producing inflammatory cytokines, changing the brain function, and causing mood disorders (Sigitova et al., 2017). These are some of the theories that try to explain the etiology of BD and related disorders. Summary of the Assigned Medications Lithium carbonate and carbamazepine are two medications used for treating patients with bipolar and related disorders. Lithium is used for treating BD during the maintenance phase; in the acute phase, lithium is more effective when combined with an antipsychotic or sodium valproate (Sani et al., 2017). Carbamazepine is prescribed for treating epilepsy but is also used as a second-line treatment for BD (Ayano, 2016). Both medications are used for the long-term treatment of BD. The Mechanism of Action The mechanism of action of lithium carbonate is based on its influence on transmitter receptors. Lithium affects adrenoceptors and serotonin, the phosphoinositide cycle, and the calcium-calmodulin systems, which has an impact on neurotransmission (Sani et al., 2017). As a result, it decreases apoptosis, i.e., the death of cells, thus increasing the cell viability (Sani et al., 2017). Carbamazepine also influences neurotransmission, namely, GABA neurotransmission, glutamate neurotransmission, and dopaminergic transmission (Ayano, 2016). As a consequence, it has antimanic and mood-stabilizing effects on patients with BD. Possible Side Effects and Their Presence in Behavioral Symptoms Both medications have such common side effects as nausea, diarrhea, and weight gain. The intake of lithium may lead patients to have subjective feelings of tremor, weight gain, or cognitive impairment (Sani et al., 2017). As a result, they can stop adhering to this medication. As for carbamazepine, patients have a good response to it, especially in the cases with various manias, history of alcoholism, and substance issues (Ayano, 2016). The presence of side effects of carbamazepine in behavioral symptoms is not reported in the literature. Possible Interactions and Contraindications Both medications should be admini
There is significant debate regarding the classification of works of art into two broad categories namely high and low culture. There are those who find it impractical to do so because they believe that diversity is a good thing (Applebombe, p.1). However, there are those who insist on clarifying the demarcation line to promote the creation of highly quality art forms. The boundary that separates high and low culture may have been weakened in the 21 st century especially when one considers the spectacular creations of the Disney brand. Nevertheless, it can be argued that in spite of its success Disney, specifically the products that are sold in Disneyland, this falls under the label of low culture. Before going any further it is imperative to define high culture versus low culture. According to one commentary, “High culture includes the fine arts, such as classical and contemporary visual arts, opera, classical music, and theater” (Hall, Grindstaff, & Lo, p.368). Numerous examples come to mind such as the celebrated paintings of Leonardo da Vinci, Van Gogh, and Raphael. This also includes sculptors done by Michelangelo and music composed by Mozart. Last but not the least this category covers the high culture films produced in Europe before Hollywood took over. The author clarified the meaning of high culture by saying that it is: “art forms traditionally associated with the upper social classes … stands in contrast to low or mass culture, which includes the popular arts produced by cultural industries and distributed to large audiences, and the folk arts, produced and consumed by people in local settings” (Hall, Grindstaff, & Lo, p.368). The key term mentioned here pertains to the masses including the working class and the uneducated. The conventional definition of culture covers the following: information; values; practices; goods; and ideas classified under the arts – including literature, music, architecture, design and products of print and electronic media (Gans, p.5). However, this definition must also include other products such as furnishings, clothes, appliances, automobiles, and boats (Gans, p.5). It has to be made clear that “Most appliances are today treated as necessities, but their forms, styles, materials, and so on are also a matter of culture” (Gans, p.5). Culture pervades society whether it is high or low culture. Going back to the definition of high culture one can say that this has something to do with class, income and education. The
Introduction Change and innovation are invaluable for a competitive organization. Action Research (AR) is an approach that appears to offer a consistent guideline for turning innovation into a continuous process that becomes naturally customized to the changing context in which a user company finds itself. In order to describe AR, a literature review on the matter is provided in this paper with regard to the impact that this approach may have on the activities of an organization. Literature Review In the first chapter of their work, “Introduction: Action Research, Diversity, and Democracy” Greenwood and Levin (2007) provide a quick overview of their view of AR. According to Greenwood and Levin (2007), action research (also called “participatory research”,” human inquiry”, and “action science”) is an approach to “social research carried out by a team that encompasses a professional action researcher and the members of an organization, community, or network (“stakeholders”) who are seeking to improve the participants’ situation” (p. 4). In turn, Coghlan and Brannick (2014) define AR as both the process of research and the approach to this process. For Coghlan (2011), however, AR is more than an approach: it is a worldview “that finds expression in collaborative inquiry and learning-in-action in order to generate actionable knowledge” (Coghlan, 2011, p. 79). All these definitions have a ground, and, to demonstrate it, the features of the phenomenon should be discussed. Features The article by Brydon-Miller, Greenwood, and Maguire (2003) introduces readers to the journal “Action Research” and its editorial board, the members of which were the question “Why AR?” With the help of their answers, the authors have managed to define the key features of AR that include participation and democracy as well as bringing together theory and practice, learning and action. The same features are emphasized by Brydon-Miller et al. (2003), Coghlan and Brannick (2014), Salehi and Yaghtin (2015). The very essence of AR, in the view of Greenwood and Levin (2007), lies in the ideas of democracy or liberalization. This liberalization appears to spread to every level of AR, not only the level of collaboration. It would be a bit of a caricature to use these words, but according to the authors, there should be no discrimination between methods: be they qualitative, quantitative, or mixed, they can be used in case they produce relevant knowledge. No discrimination is expected between practice and theory, action and thought: in fact, the authors suggest that drawing a harsh line between the two dimensions is harmful to research. Finally, Greenwood and Levin (2007), believe that no discrimination between disciplines is allowed: AR is an interdisciplinary approach. Similarly, according to Brydon-Miller et al. (2003), AR does not presuppose a value-free approach to knowledge instead suggesting an “explicitly political, socially engaged, and democratic practice” (p. 13) The promotion of social justice is central for AR, and the respect towards people and their ability to unders
Introduction Captivity narratives can exist anywhere and under different circumstances, as long as one party controls another in some way. Some of the early American stories are narrated by de Vaca, Mary Rowlandson and Fr. Jogues. The illustration of foreign captors suppressing good, heroic hostages is vivid in the narrations. There is a bit of reversed roles in the captivity narratives we read and the modern ones. The fact that the narratives rotate around two different cultures makes them captivating. They illustrate the inhumane nature of the people who keep the captives and the conflicting cultures of the two groups. The turn of effects and the life of the captives are unique. The narrators also present the argument in a very captivating nature. Discussion The stories of Jogues and Rowlandson unlike that of Nunez depict the theme of reliance on God. According to Rowlandson they believe they are being held by evil and godless culture. They put trust on a supreme being this is because they are being held as captive in a land unknown to them. The culture of captives is hard to grasp and peculiar from their own. The captives get their peace from reading the bible. The narration talks of the seven years spent by de vaca fighting in order to avoid this fate. Supposedly untamed native peoples are so powerful that it can almost completely erase every trace of personhood. It’s interesting that de Vaca doesn’t let himself be completely consumed by America and its native peoples. This is because he does not want to lose his individuality as Spanish and still wants to receive accolades from other captives. He totally depends on his country for deliverance (Brown & Shannon 26). The captives stories are the same in that they are all forced to adhere to a culture not known to them. They also get biased information from unreliable sources as well as the natives and the captives are in a foreign land with no possible way to contact their government and have to bear the oppression. The captives are hopeful of a supreme power to help them. The stories illustrate loss of freedom by the captives and unjustified suffering. The prisoners at Guantanamo have insight into the way in which the U.S. treats captives. It does everything to shelter its citizens from the treatment similar to that of its prisoners. Nevertheless when it’s an American held captive the government will show the captors evils. Disparity exists between this idea of the U.S. government using the journalist’s captivity and Father
Today international companies aim at expansion to new markets, looking for ways to increase their profit and to become global leaders. In order to accomplish world’s leadership marketing departments should conduct very careful and accurate process of planning, forecasting possible threats and new opportunities. One of the main instruments of planning process is marketing plan, which helps define the goals and objectives of international company, research the situation in the current environment and ensure that company will succeed in the market. One of such ambitious companies aiming to become global leader is Coffee Buddy. Coffee Buddy is USA company, a well-known producer of coffee-making machines. This product has already gained its popularity, significant market share and stable profit in the country of its production- the USA. So, Chief Executive Officers took a decision to look for new potential markets and it was ascertained that Russia is one of the most attractive markets for this company. Situation Analysis Coffee Buddy is company which primary focus is the production of coffee-making machines, with four plants in the USA. The level of demand for this product in the USA is growing due to its convenience of usage. Coffee Buddy is the third largest company in the USA according to its share of market. The short term goals of Coffee Buddy are to expand its goods to an attractive market of Russia and gain leadership position there. Meanwhile, long-term goal is to find other potentially attractive markets in other countries, in particular in Eastern Europe. The reason why this market was chosen as a future global target market lies in the similarities between Russian environment and its neighbors in Eastern Europe. This region has experienced similar problems of recovering from the crises after USSR collapse, the same issues of building effective market environment and democratic values’ adoption. So, it can be forecast that if Coffee Buddy enjoys success in this country, it will be able to position itself successfully in former Soviet –Union countries too, and operate there profitably. Markets presence of this company is rather stable in the USA, where Coffee Buddy enjoys economies of scale and accumulated production. However, in new market of Russia this company might face certain obstacles on the way of gaining significant amount of market share. Product and Industry Analysis Describing Coffee Buddy’ product, it is important to highlight that it possesses a number of benefits for its potential consumers. The main advantage of coffee-making machine is its small size, light plastic container, so it can be easily carried; and one more advantage is the fact that it is non-electric kitchenware, so it can be used during picnics, or outside the building. This machine can be used for making other substances and its convenience lies in the freshness of final substance, which is reached by special filter inside of machine. And one more undeniable advantage is a reasonable usage of the coffee, because it requires only one teaspoon of substance in order to produce one cup of coffee. So, the described inn
Introduction Modern human resource management has come to recognize the value of leadership in management. Leadership has been adopted in the modern organizational and business management to the level that it is replacing the word management. In the modern business world, there is need for business leadership more than we need business managers; because of the complexity of business environment. The modern business environment is characterized by stiff competition, tough rules of taxation, changing forms of management that is moving away from personnel management and adopting human resource management as a form of managing employees, increasing logistics and costs of operating businesses among other challenges. All these aspects call for a lot of resilience in successful management of businesses. Thus, this calls stronger leadership which goes well beyond what management can offer. Leadership can be defined as the progressive creativity; the ability to foresee the future basing on the present while at the same time putting in mind the past. It is the major component of vision. In business, effective leadership is defined in terms of the corporate culture. This leadership propels the business to maximize profits which is the major goal of all businesses (Scheer, 2009). In the world today, there are a number of businesses that have achieved tremendous growth. These businesses have grown from scratch to become among the top leading businesses in the world. Most of the success in these businesses is associated with the leaders of the business. The leaders of those businesses have been argued to poses creativeness and excellent leadership skills that they have development with time (Cohen & Rath, 2007). One of the leaders who are known to have leadership qualities that have helped the business they lead to grow to greater heights is Steve Jobs; who was the Chief Executive Officer of Apple. Jobs was the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Apple Incorporated which is an information technology firm that deals in the production of computers and other information technology goods and services. The company is worldly known for the invention of the iPo