ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Today, more than ever before, questions are being raised about what type of healthcare reform will ensue in the US. Traditionally, the American political elite and policy makers has been known to muddle through the healthcare policy, hence the current state of affairs (Helms 5). While experts are of the opinion that the health sector is desirous of radical transformation, this has never been the case in recent American history. President Barrack Obama has been pushing for a bill that will radically transform the health sector ever since he ascended to the White House a year ago, but has met stiff resistance from conservative republicans who do not want to change the status quo. Indeed, the question on how to reform US healthcare has often been discussed with rage in Washington D.C, in the print and electronic media, and in different neighborhoods and communities across the country (Graves & Earl 10). But is the current US healthcare system economically viable? Does it exist to serve the public or the private good? Does it strive to offer efficiency or equity? This paper aims to critically discuss these questions with a view of discerning the economic prospects of the US healthcare system. On the question of economic viability, it is imperative to review comparative data of the US healthcare in contrast to other developed countries. It is also imperative to note that the ongoing healthcare debate boils down to issues of the right to healthcare, equality, sustainability, and access to quality healthcare services commensurate to the huge sums of taxpayers’ money spent (Luft 19). Currently, few Americans, if any, can inarguably agree to the proposition that the quality of healthcare offered is commensurate to the huge sums of money used to offer the services. Indeed, the US is in a class of its own as the only developed country in the world that does not make provisions for universal health care system to cater for the health needs of its citizens (Luft 18). In 2006, the number of its citizens lacking health insurance coverage stood at 16% of the total population, equivalent to an estimated 47 million citizens (Luft 19). From the above scenarios, it is safe to argue that the US healthcare system is currently economically unviable. Indeed, experts have warned that the long-term fiscal balance of the country could be predominantly decided by the rate of growth of costs directly related to healthcare. According to Orszag & Ellis, “if costs per enrollee in Medicare and Medicaid continues to grow at the same rate as they have over the past four decades, federal spending … would increase from about 5% of the gross domestic product today to about 20% by 2050 – roughly the share of the economy now accounted for by the entire federal budget” (para. 1). When costs accumulated by the government, citizens, and the private sector are taken into consideration, the US spends an estimated $1.9 trillion yearly on healthcare expenses. Consecutive studies have also revealed that the US spends in excess of “44 percent more per capita than Switzerla
UK is a competitive economy with several players from different countries. Therefore, Anthony will be investing in a competitive market with a large population. The targeted region, Greater London within the M25, has a large population given that it is bordered by some of the largest districts in the UK such as Kent, Surrey, Berkshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, and Buckinghamshire. Technically, the new product will have an extensive ready market. It would be advisable for Anthony to target women of between 10 and 45 years of age. This is because the target group is growing at a fast rate, not to mention that it appreciates shopping. Anthony can supply the new clothing line which includes shirts, skirts, pants, and dresses for ladies in small, medium and large sizes. Compared to men, women like shopping and appreciate shopping collective products under one roof. Therefore, as women go about their shopping, they will also be attracted to purchase products for their younger ones. This will effectively increase the target market. While designing the market segment, target and position of the new product, Cant, Strydom, and Jooste (2006) advise that the adopted marketing mix adopted should be aligned with the formulated objectives. The new products which are of different design will be adopted in order to strategically position the retail in the Greater London. According to Jackson (2006) the rationale behind positioning is with a view to creating an experience upon the purchase of a product. Therefore, the target market which comprise of ladies of different ages, offers a unique market and a strategy that would position the company in the market. This is because shopping under one roof offers consumers an unforgettable experience. Normally, product positioning is based on consumers’ beliefs about the benefits, features, and values of a product (Jackson 2006). With respect to this notion, the retail shop can benefit from the unoccupied niche in the mind of the consumers, thereby making a credible decision to shop under one roof. Location of the store The location of a retail store plays an integral role in the success of the store. Additionally, it necessitates proper implementation of retail strategy since the location of a store plays a major part in as far as branding and image of the store is concerned. Furthermore, location influences the adopted merchandising mix as well as the store’s layout. The anticipated retail shop should be located in such a way that it positively impacts consumers. The difference between a poorly located store and a well located store defines failure and success of a business. The location of the retail store should be strategically located in an area which is accessible and easily noticeable. Based on the geographical representation of the Greater London region, M25 is served well by the transport system which means that consumers from outside the area but who borders M25 will be
Introduction Nations have experienced various transformations since the beginning of the industrial revolution. Even though, there are differences at in development rates nations are struggling to ensure they adopt modern technology and transform various production activities. There are many occasions where human progress is associated with technological advancement and these two cannot be separated (Puttergill 17). This essay explores the roles of employment and gender in post industrial and industrial societies and the relationship between people and social movements. Definition Even though, there are various definitions of gender this essay will base on the one that identifies the cultural and social beliefs attributed to the behaviour of men and women. Employment refers to all production activities that generate income through salaries, profits, wages, commissions or allowances. In addition, this paper will refer to both formal and informal employment as employment (Puttergill 23). Post-industrial society refers to the modern day community where people apply technology in various processes. This period is marked by high consumption rate, political and social revolutions and globalisation. On the other hand, industrial societies refer to communities marked by an introduction of technology in various processes. It is necessary to note that the difference between an industrial and a post-industrial society is based on the time when each started using technology. The former refers to a society that is in the process of embracing modernity and use of technology while the later is one that has already revolutionised its industrial processes. Social movements are groups established to advocate for the rights of marginalised people in the society. They are formed by people living similar lives and experiencing same challenges. The Role of Gender and Employment in Industrial and Post-Industrial Society Gender has always played a significant role in developing homes, societies and nations. This is attributed to the fact that human beings are controlled by what they see, hear or experience in the society. Socialisation processes are influenced by traditions, cultures and community preferences and this means that societies have different socialisation processes (Puttergill 57). Family ties and interactions between family members and other people in the society play important roles in educating young people about their traditions. The industrial society took a very long time before people accepted the need to use modern technology in their daily activities. Societies were structured in a very complicated way where roles were assigned based on the sex of people rather than their abilities to perform various tasks. Gender became a serio
Brazil is South American largest country. It borders all the other nations on the continent except Ecuador and Chile. The country may be divided into the plateau, Brazil highlands, and the northern Amazon Basin. The country is drained by the Amazon River and it has 40% of the population in the continent. The legislation in Brazil prohibits companies in the telecommunication sector from operating internet access businesses. In this perspective, therefore, a company like Telemar which is the biggest company that deals with phone business can only sell broadband access but in order for the client to get internet access, he/she has to contract with an internet service provider. The Brazilian umbrella body for the internet service providers is called Abranet. Most of the internet service providers offer their services in the Portuguese language. There are several internet service providers in Brazil and most of them are privately operated businesses. The first is the Universo On-Line (UOL) which is the largest Brazilian group that offers its services in the Portuguese language. Most of the magazines online are easily accessible from the Universo On-Line and most of the company’s subscribers enjoy unlimited access to the magazines around the clock. The second internet service provider in Brazil is the American On-Line which is a Brazilian Branch of America. In spite of its extensive and continuous marketing, the company commands a small section of the market in the country and as a result, it has very few subscribers as compared to any other company. The third internet service provider is Terra which is another portal that commands a large share of the market segment. The company belongs to the Telefonica group and due to this the company has faced a number of unfair competition accusations. The company boasts of a massive number of subscribers although not as numerous as those of Universo Online. There is stiff competition between the companies mentioned above and due to this a company like Universo On-Line has very low charges for its services, for example, it charges R$30 per month to any customer who would like to enjoy full access to content and an unlimited dial-up connection. Access to Broadband begins from the as low amount as R$80 per month. The prices are flexible as they vary depending on the connection speed and this is inclusive of the modem rent. The country’s most popular broadband provider is Velox Company. The network infrastructure in Brazil is still uneven in scope as well as in scale despite its rapid growth in recent years. In the1980s the country halted the spending in the expansion of the network infrastructure due to the debt crisis which saw the sector take a long time to regain its momentum. Deregulation policies as well privatization policies were used in the 1990s to reverse the under-investment trends that had crippled the sector and due to this rapid development of the ICT infrastructure has been witnessed. In spite of these developments, the network infrastructure was not advancing at the desired pace and due to this, Ehile, a Brazilian business triangle was formed. It covered areas such as Sao Pau
Introduction The reading of James Baldwin’s short story Sonny’s Blues leaves few doubts as to the fact that one of story’s foremost motifs is light vs. darkness. In its turn, this can be explained by the particulars of author’s biography as someone who was brought up in the religious family, sublimated in Baldwin’s strive to provide a symbolical meaning to story’s semantic content. Apparently, the references to darkness in Sonny’s Blues are meant to symbolize the essence of Sonny’s drug addiction; whereas, the references to light are meant to prompt readers to think of Sonny’s story of reconciliation with his brother in terms of Christian ‘redemption’. Nevertheless, there is also another aspect to Baldwin’s utilization of earlier mentioned motif – author’s realization of the sheer unnaturalness of African-Americans’ low social status through fifties and sixties. By making continuous references to this particular motif, author wanted to expose the actual reason why these people often end up being underachievers. In my paper, I will aim to explore the soundness of this thesis at length. Analytical part Baldwin’s utilization of light vs. darkness motif starts at the very beginning of the story: “I stared… in the swinging lights of the subway car… and in my own face, trapped in the darkness which roared outside” (1). By saying that, narrator reflects upon his own deep-seated anxieties of someone who was born and raised in the ‘ghetto’. Apparently, even though he was able to gain social prominence as a teacher, narrator never forgot its own humble origins. This is exactly the reason why, while watching Harlem’s Black boys in the midst of socializing with each other, narrator never ceases being aware of the nature of intellectual oppression, they have to deal with on daily basis: “These boys, now, were living as we’d been living then… All they really knew were two darknesses, the darkness of their lives… and the darkness of the movies, which had blinded them to that other darkness” (Baldwin 1). The context of this particular referral to darkness, on the part of narrator, reveals the nature of African-Americans’ oppression as such that is not only being concerned with these people suffering from poverty but also from the fact that American mainstream Medias of the time used to portray such state of affairs as perfectly natural. Hence, the symbolic sounding of narrator’s following remark, in regards to Sonny friend’s physical appearance: “The bright sun deadened his damp dark brown skin and it made his
What are the roles of a manager as a leader in his/her ability to provide motivation and leadership across cultural borders? Cross-cultural leadership demands that leaders motivate and influence individuals from diverse groups to attain a valued result by appealing to the meaning systems and shared knowledge of such individuals. Adair (2006) argues that the modern day transcultural manager differs from the traditional international manager with respect to the cross-border nature of the skills and tasks that he/she is required to perform. As good team leaders, managers should also be in a position to motivate their subordinates. This is important so that they can expand their horizons of vision, goals and acceptance. However, the incorporation of cross-cultural considerations complicates the definition and role of a leader. For example, some things might be acceptable in one culture but totally unacceptable in yet another culture. These variations compel managers to adapt various solutions to the challenges and dilemmas that they could be faced with in the various countries. Research studies on expatriate managers reveal that factors like openness and flexibility go a long way in enabling managers to institute such solutions. These research findings are in line with the concept of universal practices or cultures that are often adapted by effective leaders across the globe (Adair, 2006). They include being decisive, motivational, and honest. Leaders should also endevours to impact the same practices to their subordinates. At the same time, we need to be aware of the fact that such universal practices are also indicative of cultural specifics. What this means is that whereas some leadership practices like instating on subordinates being team oriented or taking part in decision making can be readily implemented in certain cultures, this is not the case with other cultures. Leadership might also call for ambiguity management and polarity leadership. A manager operating across cultural borders might at times be faced with a hard time in identifying the aforementioned choice. For this reason, different leadership traits work for different cultural settings. For example, in the market-pricing and developed countries, the key focus is on transformational as well as visionary leadership that can help organizations reach new levels of success (Adair, 2006). In this case, transformational leadership underlies the ability of a leader to change the culture of an organization and its profitability as well. On the other hand, a market-pricing culture requires an instrumental type of leadership in which the leader motivates his/her subordinates by rewarding them for having achieved the set goals. Conclusion Global managers have to contend with a multitude of challenges in trying to execute their duties. For example, they need to ensure that resources have been allocated uniformly, employees have been selected using the due process and that potential mergers are scrutinized adequately. They also need to consider cultural influences of the decisions that they make. Bounded rationality concepts indicate that global
Introduction Property right is a term commonly used in economics to refer to the authority accorded to an individual or the government, giving the power to determine the use of certain resources. The person(s) accorded this right have the power to use the resource, transfer the resources to other people, and earn income from it. The issue of property rights comes in handy in organizations where there are many resources and each individual wants the rights to theses resources. As such, the resources are allocated to the individuals after following the rules of allocating resources under the property rights Act. This paper will be an exploration of the issue of property rights with much concentration on the possible use of common property to address the commons problem. Discussion To discuss effectively the issue of property rights with regard to the possible use of common property to solve the problem of the commons, some case studies on the same will be analyzed. In an article by Joshua Cinner, research was done on the socioeconomic factors that influenced customary marine tenure in the Indo-Pacific. In the article, it is noted that the communities living close to the Western Pacific tried to come up with ways in which they could limit the use of the marine resources. It is true to say that most people have for a long time held the assumption that resources that are found close to the naturally existing sceneries such as mountains, rivers and oceans among others, belong to every individual in the community around. However, this has changed in the recent past after the development of the property rights Act. In the article by Cinner, it is clearly noted that the communities have put in place, resource management techniques, which limit the use of marine resources next to the pacific. As such, they developed what was referred to as the Customary Marine Tenure (CMT). The CMT regulates any access to the resources of the marine through social units. This tenure is noted to go further to limit the access to the outsiders. The writer of the article emphasizes that despite having spread globally, the CMT has found much use and application in the Western Pacific. In fact, the issue of the rights to marine resources has attracted a lot of controversy from the legal institutions in most nations. The writer of this article indicates that in some regions such as the PNG, ownership of marine resources through customary basis is legalized by the constitution. Nevertheless, the writer notes that in other regions such as Indonesia, access to marine resources is governed by the marine tenure systems. Given the controversy of ownership of the marine resources and the fact that these resources are degrading, the governments of the Pacific nations have intervened to try to modernize the CMT regimes. Actually, the CMT is to be integrated to the modern techniques of resources allocation in order to improve its efficacy. Just as it happens in other systems upgrade, it is expected that the integration and modernization of the CMT will come with its hardships. There are several lessons to be learnt from this
Introduction Currently, the development of market relations implies a free and equal coexistence of various forms of entrepreneurship and sectors within each type of ownership. A special place in the international economy at this stage belongs to start-up businesses. These are small enterprises that do not require large initial investments and guarantee a high rate of turnover of resources that can quickly and economically solve the problems of economic restructuring. The formation and saturation of the consumer markets are the key elements in the current destabilization of the economy. It should be noted that for a highly monopolized economy, the small business acquires paramount importance since it makes a significant contribution to the development of a competitive environment. However, there are both rewarding advantages and serious disadvantages of starting a business, which need consideration. Discussion Overview If a person plans to open a business, it is important to consider the upcoming possible gains and losses. People who have already passed this way advise to divide the estimated income by two and the cost multiplied by the same amount. After all, one can never foresee all the risks that await any entrepreneur. An important factor is the personal qualities necessary for starting and running a business. If positive prospects do not seem attractive compared with the possible difficulties, it is likely that it is better to concentrate on employment. In addition, in the case of successful career advancement, an individual is able to also achieve a high professional and financial level. Starting a business is always accompanied by risk factors; therefore, a starting entrepreneur will need a lot of enthusiasm, the ability to make non-standard decisions, and the willingness to take responsibility. However, the possible rewards for hard work can be significant. Any business requires constant attention and development; otherwise, it will not be victorious in the competitive market. Advantages By analyzing international and domestic experience in the development of entrepreneurship, the following benefits of starting a business can be pointed out: faster adaptation to local business conditions, greater independence of actions, and flexibility in decision making. In addition, it allows people to have relatively low costs in the implementation of activities, especially management cost, and a great opportunity for an individual to realize his/her ideas (Jackson, 2015). Starting a business enables one to show one’s abilities with lower initial capital requirements and the capability to quickly introduce changes in the product. The entrepreneurs are more inclined to savings and investment, which has a beneficial effect on the whole enterprise. New businesses are more informed and adapted to the level of demand in local markets, often produce goods by order of specific consumers, and provide a livelihood to a substantial number of employees (Amankwah-Amoah, Boso, & Antwi-Agyei, 2018). In addition, small start-up businesses contribute to greater growth in employment compared w