ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Introduction The Toyota Corporation case study report is based on the implementation of total quality management (TQM) meant to improve the overall performance and operations of this automobile company. TQM involves the application of quality management standards to all elements of the business. It requires that the quality management standards be applied in all branches and at all levels in the organization. Characteristic of Toyota Corporation going through the total quality process is an unambiguous and clear. Toyota has limited interdepartmental barriers, excellent customer and supplier relation, spares time to be spent on training and the recognition that quality is realized through offering excellent products as well as quality of the entire firm, including personnel, finance, sales, and other functions. The top management at Toyota Corporation has the responsibility for quality rather than the employees and it is their role to provide commitment, support, and leadership to the human and technical processes (Kanji & Asher, 1996). Whereas the TQM initiative is to succeed, the management has to foster the participation of Toyota Corporation workers in quality improvement and create quality culture by altering attitudes and perceptions towards quality. This research report assesses the implementation of TQM, how Toyota manages quality in all organization management systems while focusing on manufacturing quality. The report evaluates the organization management elements required when implementing TQM, identifies, and investigates the challenges facing Quality Managers or Executives in implementing Quality Management Systems. Implementation of TQM in Toyota In order to implement TQM, Toyota corporations focused on the following phases:   * The company extended the management responsibility past the instantaneous services and products   * Toyota examined how consumers applied the products gener
Introduction Communication is the act of passing messages from one person to another through a given medium. Communication in an organization is vital because it facilitates how decisions are passed from the top level management to the lowest level management. Communication is used to facilitate the delivery of guidelines and policies that necessitate the proper management of any given organization. Thus, communication is a crucial process in any organizational operation. In this case, it determines how guidelines are followed. It also establishes new ways to manage the resources and the human power in the organization (Murphy & Hildebrandt, 1988). This paper discusses communication and its impact on building relationships, professionalism, and motivating employees in an organization. Building relationships with employees For effective communication to be achieved in an organization, the management should create good relationships with the employees and clients. Good relationships create a clear environment to make appropriate decisions. An organization deserves an excellent leader so that the decisions made are accurate. Therefore, the qualities of a leader are important in encouraging employees to perform their tasks. Leadership also helps to execute a plan to make decisions and pass them to employees. Effective communication plays a major role in improving the performance and morale of employees in any given organization. A leader should possess effective communication skills that he or she uses to pass a message to the followers. Communication skills are a necessary tool for a leader because people are influenced by the ability of the leader to express himself or herself to the people. A leader should communicate about the issues arising in an organization effectively and give proper advice on how to meet the set goals and objectives (Roodman & Roodman, 1973). A leader should possess management skill in the sense that the leader can manage human skills and talent. The leaders should inspire the followers to work towards achieving the goals. A manager should possess a good attitude to facilitate a respectable leadership of people. A leader should possess business skills in the execution of duties because they set how each decision plan is applied in the organization. Business skills help in the management of finances and how to draw viable plans that are of great help to the whole team. Harnessing business skills help the leader to assign and delegate duties and responsibilities to the subordinates. An excellent manager should create a working relationship with people within and outside the organization. They should create friendship with all stakeholders so that people can approach the leaders for consultation (Adair, 2009). An example of a leader is Steve Jobs, the former CEO of the Apple Company. He built strong relationships with the employees. This empowered employees to develop innovative products. Creating a strong relationship with employees is of paramount importance as it he
Introduction Ever since explorers discovered that the world was round and that there is a route that allows for the circumnavigation of the globe, international trade and international finance became an important part of the history of mankind. But since the Middle Ages, modes of transportation and communication evolved to such a degree that it is now easy not only to travel around the world but to move goods, information, people, and money so much quickly from point A to point B. As a result a new global economy was created wherein there is a constant exchange of goods and services from one country to the next. By simply focusing on two major components of international finance – exchange rates and cross-border financial flows – one can have a basic idea as to how international finance is affecting the global economy. The Global Economy Beginning in the 20 th century and intensifying in the 21 st century the whole planet is moving towards globalization. This simply means that nations are now interdependent on each other and that there can be no single nation that can even pretend to be an island – isolated and self-sufficient. U.S. companies are building factories in China while emerging markets in Asia are very much dependent on foreign investments. It is also common knowledge that multinational companies are more than willing to tap different suppliers all over the world rather than to depend on one partner to supply their needs. It is much cheaper and much more efficient to breakdown a project into smaller pieces and subcontract it to various companies able to focus on one aspect of the job rather than to give the bulk of the project to one group. The link between international finance and the global economy can be studied independent of other factors. But in order to have an accurate description of how international finance affects the global economy it is imperative to at least have an overview of a related concept – globalization. This term is not new, it has been around since the 1990s and according to one economist, globalization is the “…declining significance of national b
Introduction Speaking about policies and regulations related to healthcare in the United States, it is important to pay attention to special programs that are targeted at low-income citizens who cannot afford expensive treatment due to their limited financial opportunities. The purpose of the paper is to analyze programs that are supposed to reduce healthcare inequality. To better understand the extent to which they meet people’s expectations and solve healthcare problems of economically disadvantaged individuals, it can be important to make a comparison, outlining advantages and things to be improved. The targeted level of policy is the healthcare system. As for the significance of the chosen policy issue (the access of low-income citizens to healthcare service), it can be listed among the key problems of the United States as income inequality in the country has significantly increased since the end of the twentieth century. Accessibility of health services remains one of the factors that impact the happiness of an entire nation, and this is why the issue needs to be discussed. The questions to be addressed relate to the present state of knowledge, stakeholders, and shortcomings of decisions. Background The importance of affordable healthcare services is acknowledged by representatives of different social groups due to the detrimental impact of income inequality on the health of the nation. For instance, some researchers prove that growing income inequality is strictly interconnected with worse health, and this is why providing low-income and hardcore poor individuals with healthcare benefits are among the key tasks of any government (Pickett & Wilkinson, 2015). Modern researchers argue that low-income citizens have special healthcare needs and, according to their analysis, healthcare inequality in the United States is still widening. According to Dickman, Himmelstein, and Woolhandler (2017), the average life expectancy of high-income citizens of the United States exceeds that of economically disadvantaged people at least by ten years. The problem of income-related inequality is addressed with varying success; more than years ago, the level of inequality in healthcare decreased. In the context of the levels of poverty, the problem is especially significant because many healthcare programs are only aimed at people on the breadline whereas low-income citizens are considered to be able to pay for healthcare themselves. Medicaid is a program that was established more than fifty years ago to bridge the gap between low and high-income people in the United States in terms of healthcare and nursing services. The program under consideration is not necessarily aimed at ethnic minorities or other specific groups as the key factor that impacts the decisions is the inability of a person to pay for nursing and healthcare services. Within the frame of the program, the state administers aid to individuals from different age and ethnic groups. Among the key advantages of the discussed program that are often paid at
Assessing Financial Performance in a Merging Acquisition Mergers are a common occurrence in the corporate world. A merger between two companies usually means one of two things – one company consumes another by adding its brand, production facilities, assets, potential markets, and employees to their own, or the companies merge as equals to create a completely new entity. The purpose of any merger is to maximize profits, secure new markets, acquire selling power, and increase the strength and profitability of the dominant company. However, in some cases, a merger is organized with the intent to monopolize the market, escape a stockholder reform initiative, or protect the existing board of directors from any potential risks to their jobs associated with other mergers. The three main reasons for a merging acquisition are as follow (Harris & Johnson, 2016):   * Product diversification. A large corporation that is looking to expand its portfolio of products may be looking to merge with a company that has a name to itself and offers a different set of services to the market.   * Expansion towards a new market. Instead of starting anew in a completely different environment, a company may choose to merge with a local enterprise that could be refitted to produce similar products or services.   * Financial positions improvement. One company may choose to merge with another in order to have access to better sources of financing, as well as to improve debt and equity ratios. Merging is not uncommon in healthcare. In the USA alone, a total of 98 hospitals had merged by the end of 2013. The number of merges registered in 2014 stands at 94 (Harris & Johnson, 2016). The reasons for merging in healthcare are somewhat different from merges between corporations. In the hospital industry, merging is conducted with the purpose of improving the quality and efficiency of healthcare while simultaneously decreasing costs and making healthcare more accessible to patients. Nevertheless, financial drivers remain an important part of merging acquisitions in healthcare. The purpose of this paper is to assess the financial performance in a hypothetical merger between Jackson Memorial Hospital and its potential competitor in Miami-Dade, which is the University of Miami Hospital. Ratio Analysis In order to assess the profitability trends of both hospitals prior to merging, several key ratios need to be evaluated. These ratios are the Current Ratio, Net Patient Revenue, and Net Income. It is also important to analyze investments, as they can serve as a primary motivator for merging. The Current Ratio represents the organization’s ability to pay off its short-term debts. Net Patient Revenue represents the average revenue the hospital receives from a patient. Net Income represents how profitable the organization is. According to the financial statement of Jackson Memorial Hospital, its ratios are as followed (“Public health trust,” 2014):   * Current
Introduction American Express (Amex) is an American company headquartered in New York and listed in Fortune 500 as the provider of multinational financial services since its inception in 1850. The company offers global services in payment, expense, and travel management solutions with a wide range of products subdivided into three major categories, namely, charge cards, credit cards, and traveler’s related businesses (American Express, 2017). In its market expansion, Amex established joint ventures with steamships, railroads, and air transport. The company has expanded its product line to include marketing and point-of-sale and information products and services. Amex sells its products to diverse customers, including small businesses and large corporations, through mailing, third party, and online applications (American Express, 2017). Although product-line expansion and joint ventures promote continuous growth and sustainable business development, the company faces diverse challenges in its investment strategies. In this view, this research paper discusses different economic hedging techniques utilized by American Express, currencies borrowed besides U.S dollars, the foreign currency offset of economic exposures that curb fluctuation risks and stabilize business activities, and the various hedging techniques adopted by other companies. Hedging Techniques Forward Contracts Currency fluctuations negatively affect global business and reduce the profitability of global firms. Forward contracts provide flexible exchange engagements that effectively protect businesses from the risk posed by forex uncertainty and market volatility. In striking its foreign business agreements and travel businesses, Amex utilizes forward contracts to set exchange rates and establish invoiced payments. The period of the forward contract has a limit maximum of a year from the day of the agreement. The approach stabilizes business operations and provides market certainty over the value of a foreign invoice, resulting in the effective management of currency risk. The hedging technique allows Amex to plan its pricing strategy and business diversification within the known margins of sales with predictable financial gains. Add
Introduction A hotel reservation system is an online method of booking hotel rooms; the people booking the rooms, who in most cases are travelers and tourists, normally do so by means of an online security system to protect their financial information and other private details. Online reservations have a number of benefits: they save travellers time and resources, and they can book from anywhere and at any time, provided they can have access to the Internet (Nyheim, McFadden, Connolly, & Paiva, 2005). Although a hotel reservation system is quite beneficial, it can be affected by internal and external security issues. The scope of this paper is to examine the security issues affecting the hotel reservation system at the Holiday Inn. The paper also outlines the strategies, which Holiday Inn can use to manage its security issues. Privacy Issues at Holiday Inn’s There are a number of privacy issues, both internal and external, which users of the application system can experience as they book for hotel reservations. The reservation system used at the Holiday Inn is based on hotel management software, which is prone to a number of privacy issues due to the fact that it uses the internet. The internal issues comprise threats propagated by malicious users, who mostly come from within the organization, while the external ones comprise threats such as viruses,which are initiated by outsiders. Such serious internal and external privacy issues can make the organization lose most of its customers; consequently, it is important to set up all the necessary security measures to avert any privacy issues (Nyheim, McFadden, Connolly, & Paiva, 2005). The possible internal privacy threats that may occur to customers who make their bookings using the online reservation system at the Holiday Inn include: malicious users and fraudsters. Malicious users refer to individuals who break into the organization’s computers without due permission from its administration department. Malicious users are mainly insiders who can manage to get access to the organization’s IT system as a result of the internet, which offers a broad connectivity of the hotel’s booking system. Malicious users attempt to break into the information system of the organization almost on a daily basis. The damages caused by such users, when they manage to break into the hotel’s system, are consequential to the organization as well as to its customers (Nyheim, McFadden, Connolly, & Paiva, 2005). Fraud or theft is another internal threat to the privacy of the customers who apply for reservations at the hotel using its online application system. Holiday Inn’s computer systems are at times exploit
Introduction to iPhone Operating System The smartphone industry is very competitive and the only competitive software that is appealing to the users gets an edge over other system software in the market. Apple exploited the available market for mobile applications to develop an operating system for its hardware (Mark, 50). The iPhone operating system, commonly known as iOS, is a mobile operating system developed by Apple Inc. that was originally developed to run on iPhone. Recent developments in the operating system made it also run on other Apple devices such as Apple TV, iPod touch, and iPad. Apple Inc. boasts of more than 300000 iOS applications, with the highest download rate of any other mobile application present in the market (Mark, 50). By May 2010, Apple owned approximately 15.4 % market share of the mobile smartphone operating system, being third behind Symbian and RIM’s BlackBerry (Sibsankar & Aravind, 56). User interface The user interface of the iPhone Operating System is characterized by direct manipulation of the interface items and a multi-touch approach which involves the use of screen synaptic to control the components of the iPhone(Mark,45). The interface controls used in iOS include switches, buttons, and sliders which are used to either select, scroll or toggle between different applications that are currently in use. An important feature of iOS is the response time to user input is fast. The basic system interaction operations that are deployed in iOS include tapping, swiping, and other gestures such as pinching (Mark, 45). Recent developments in iOS include automatic switching depending on the orientation of the handheld device, for instance, portrait and landscape mode. The iOS is derived from the Macintosh OS X, implying that it draws its features from Unix Operating Systems (Mark, 45). Process Management in Ios Process management is an important aspect of any operating system in order to ensure effective execution of the necessary system processes and other application software. The process management in iOS is basically aimed at achieving a balance between the system processes and the application processes. The approach to managing processes in iOS is through the use of system calls (Sibsankar & Aravind,198). The various elements that are involved in the process management in iOS are outlined below. Process scheduler Process scheduling is a major concept of iOS that facilitates the multitasking and multiprocessing abilities of iOS. The scheduling concept is used to determine the way processes are assigned to the available CPU time. The task of the process scheduler/dispatcher is to select a task from spooled tasks and sequentially load it into the memory. For fast user response, iOS uses the short-term process scheduler. The short-term scheduler is primarily responsible for choosing which of the processes that have been already loaded into the memory are to be executed next depending on a CPU clock interrupt, an IO device interrupt, or a system call (Stallings, 256). The short-term scheduler is ideal for iOS due to its ability to execute processes
Introduction The British company ASOS is an example of a company that has very successfully adapted to the new age of the Internet. The brand launched its online store in 2006 and began selling its clothes and shoes. The new generation of millennials was the company’s target audience. Now the total revenue of ASOS is growing very fast. ASOS demonstrates how online commerce can allow the company to become an international market leader. The promotional events held by ASOS and the wide range of products help the economic growth. However, the current measures are not enough to ensure such intensive growth. The Context of the Problem The emergence of online commerce has opened up new opportunities for both manufacturers and consumers. The world economy has evolved significantly with the advent of the Internet. A powerful logistics system made it possible to deliver goods worldwide and provide services remotely. Large firms managed to create a particular model of doing business on the Internet. Its features include incentives, a focus on the global marketplace, and the integration of new technologies to drive growth. All of this saves customers time and, during discount periods, saves them money. The Asian, U.S., and European sales market has moved almost entirely online, and major local and international leaders are emerging. The sharp decline in ASOS quotations at the end of 2018 led the media to believe that the end of the era of online shopping was near. Sales are no longer as intense as they used to be, and therefore profits are down. The reason for this is the fact that traditional online retailers cannot keep up with a market ruled by infrastructure companies. Shoppers are no longer satisfied with waiting weeks for an order and demand next-day delivery. However, due to logistical difficulties, not every company can meet this demand. This level of q