ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Identifying Issues and Formulating Questions for Program Evaluation Appropriate question formulation is the most important aspect in program evaluation as the question states the measures according to which the program should be assessed. Rossi et al (2004) assure that decision makers and stakeholders should take the main role in formulating questions. They are also sure that program evaluation should not depend precisely on the point of view of stakeholders due to their prejudiced opinion. The format of the evaluation question should depend on the specific functions the question is aimed at performing. Therefore, the general logic of evaluation covers the following aspects, criteria of merit establishment, standards construction, performance measurement and its comparison with accepted standards. Formulating a question for evaluation program, it should correspond to the following characteristic features, reasonableness, appropriateness, it should be answerable and convey the performance criteria (Rossi et al, 2004). Therefore, there are many other issues and techniques for formulating questions for evaluation programs. Alvesson and Sandberg (2011) offer the problematization technique which is aimed at coming up “with novel research questions through a dialectical interrogation of one’s own familiar position, other stances, and the domain of literature targeted for assumption challenging” (Alvesson and Sandberg, 2011, p. 252). Problematization technique for formulating question for evaluation program is one of the best means in a number of reasons. First of all, it corresponds to the principles discussed by Rossi et al (2004). Additionally, it identifies a domain literature, considers the assumptions within identifies domain, evaluates those assumptions, develops alternative assumptions, relates those assumptions to the audience and finally evaluates assumptions with the purpose to meet the requirements of the evaluation program (Alvesson and Sandberg, 2011). Key Concepts in Evaluation Research Considering the key concepts in evaluation research, Berk and Rossi (1999) point at the following aspects, policy concerns, stakeholders, validity, effectiveness, and theories. The consideration of each of these concepts may help us understand the nature of the evaluation research better. Policy concerns are based on the information policymak
It is evidenced that in earlier on, the organization taken over was seen as a rival business, or a competitor, but now, it has become part of this very organization. Naturally, the change in stance could affect future performance of business, especially now that new warring forces has combined together to form one composite whole. The impacts could be both positive and negative. As is seen, the positives could be seen in terms of better cash inflows, larger quantum of revenue, and better overall performance, in terms of lowered operating costs and higher revenues through improved sales. This is not to suggest that there should be absence of healthy clashed between the firms in merger or acquisitions. It is believed that “the best mergers occur when a fair amount of culture differentiation prompts debate about what is best for the combined organization” (Impact of Culture on mergers and acquisitions, n.d., para.8). It is seen that the major aspect of culture during mergers or takeovers is that both the firms in question lose their individual culture characteristics, and are blended into one integrated, composite whole. Thus a new organizational culture takes over, perhaps a blend of both cultures, and a brand new cultural value established by the new management of the joint firm. There are certain aspects to be considered with regard to mergers and they are as follows:  1. It Is necessary to make necessary preparations for changes and its implications even before these changes actually take place.  2. There is need for transparency and openness in communication systems  3. It is also necessary that co-operation and willingness of staff members to co-operate in the new scheme are sought and received.  4. “Address cultural differences directly” (In mergers and marriages, communication is Key: LIMRA international reports on the human factor, 2001, para.9).  5. It is important that human resources aspects are well attended to and resolved  6. The perspectives towards customers should not change as result of Merger  7. The combined brand identity should add greater value than each individually, and this needs to be sustained for future. Thus it is seen that with the sale of the competitive business into the existing business, synergistic culture could be established, that could have overall beneficial effect on the business. The cultural deficits in one unit could be compensated by the other unit, and similarly the combined strengths and benefits could far overweight individual challenges and issues, especially ones that threaten to undermine the value of the firm and its competitive advantages through business endeavors. The overwhelming cultural strains could predomin
Introduction The relationships between the EU and Central and Eastern Europe propose great opportunities and benefits for both sides. Support for economic cooperation is based on the realization that it enables nations, governments, societies, enterprises, and individuals to create more wealth and generate more income through more efficient modes of production, consumption, and exchange. Increases in wealth and income give rise to higher standards of living and improved quality of life in Central and Eastern Europe. Without a growing productive sector of the economy, it is not possible to sustain higher levels of wealth creation or income generation in the EU. The main benefits for both parties involve economic, political and socio-cultural areas which have a great impact on all spheres of life and performance. Main Text The relationships between the EU and Central and Eastern Europe help the latter to overcome negative outcomes of the market-centered economy and improve their economic systems. Without cooperation and support of the EU, these countries would be unable to restructure their markets and compete on the global scale. Cooperation allows export development corporations make it possible for the high-risk countries to import capital goods and attract private investment from producers and investors who would otherwise shy away (Nugent, 2004). Second, the services of export development corporations make it possible for small- and medium-size firms in Central and Eastern Europe to establish business relationships and partnerships with counterparts in the advanced countries so that together they can advance the interests of international trade, investment, and globalization. Over time, these business strategic alliances can help Central and Eastern Europe to improve the volume and quality of their export trade and foreign investment. These alliances also provide excellent channels of communication for technology transfer relationship building and for the entrepreneurial firms of Central and Eastern Europe to acquire technical, operational, and managerial know-how from the advanced countries. “Gorbachev, however, saw the normalization of economic relations with western Europe as an important part of his economic reform strategy” (Henderson 1999, p. 4). Trade and investment are at the heart of these relations. The countries in Central and eastern Europe most active and benefiting most from globalization are the same ones with the largest share of global trade and foreign investment. Countries lacking the institutional capacity for global trade and investment cannot gainfully participate in economic globalization (Henderson, 1999). These countries must be able and willing to open up their foreign markets in goods, services, and investments. For most of these countries, trade and investments provide the best and most sustaining opportunity to alleviate poverty among their citizens and to catch up to the developed countries in terms of wealth creation, income generation, and rising standards
Introduction Background The world has seen great technological growth recently. The 20th and 21st centuries are marked by a vast and rapid development in technology and communication (Neelankavil 2015). Innovations in information technology (IT) have affected many areas, one of which is international business (IB). IT tools have offered extra opportunities for improving communication in business. As a result, companies can expand their business to other states. Moreover, organisations can create ties with foreign partners. However, IT also has a range of advantages that are yet to be discovered. In addition, using IT may cause challenges to companies in certain cases. Staff members may lack the necessary knowledge or show resistance. Moreover, technology has affected the state economic growth (EG), in general. Thus, the issue needs to be studied in depth. In general, IT has affected IB on three key levels. These include communication, quality management (QM) and resource management (RM) (Casillas, Barbero & Sapienza 2015). Changes in communication are the most important ones since they define successful QM and RM (Neelankavil 2015). In addition, the use of IT has helped companies to move to the digital market setting (Casillas, Barbero & Sapienza 2015). As a result, firms have started attracting a wider range of customers. However, the observed trends are not the only changes in IB. With IT, the social dimension was finally introduced to IB (Neelankavil 2015). Thus, firms gained a chance to have a better understanding of their target audiences. Rationale The effects of technological innovations on IB have not been studied fully yet. There are numerous advantages to explore. However, one may also face great difficulties when using technology in IB setting. Therefore, it is critical to analyse the effects that IT has on IB. Moreover, one has to outline key trends in the impact of IT on IB. As a result, one will be able to forecast future changes and adjust to them. The need to analyse the effects of IT on IB is also justified by the links between culture and IT. Innovative technologies have introduced the social dimension to IB. Thus, global companies can analyse their target audiences better. As a result, companies will understand the demands of buyers and meet these demands effectively. The analysis of the effects that IT has had on IB will inform the further decisions of organisations. Once the impact of IT on IB is located, companies will be able to improve their strategies. Firms will learn the links between cultural, economic, technological and financial factors within a business setting. Thus, innovative approaches for handling common problems will be created. Objectives The goal of the paper is to define the effects of IT and innovative technology, in general, on BI. Both positive and negative outcomes of technology that emerged over the past 20 years have to be examined. It is important to define the opportunities that IT have opened for IB in the global economy. However, it is also important to find the limitations of IT. Thus, an in-depth analysis of the key challe
Introduction Crime investigation relies on the collection and analysis of many types of evidence. Some of the most important forms of physical proof are fingerprints, footprints, and paint, among others. On the other hand, biological facts come from bloodstains as well as DNA. The relevance of proof implies that it should approve or disprove some facts in a legal proceeding (Mueller, Kirkpatrick, & Richter, 2018). That notwithstanding, facts cannot be admissible if they are outweighed by their tendencies to cause finders to disapprove of the parties they are introduced against for unrelated reasons. In addition, for proof to be admissive in a court of law, an individual presenting it must demonstrate that its source links it to a crime (Granja & Rafael, 2017). This assessment states and explains why evidence must be relevant to a case before a court and gives two items that would be irrelevant as proof. In addition, it provides three forensic databases in the United States as well as describes two different indices on the platform of the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS). Relevance of Evidence One of the most basic rules of evidence is its relevance to a case. If a judge determines that some facts are irrelevant, he or she must exclude them. In a case, for example, that concerns a bank robbery, witnesses should discuss the crime and not if banks are making unusual profits. If proof is relevant, it means that it has tendencies to make the existence of facts that are of consequence to the determination of actions more or less probable than it would be without the evidence (Mueller et al., 2018). This statement incorporates two important requirements, which are material and probable value. The material necessity is associated with the consequence of finding out an action, while the probable value is linked to the chances of establishing the existence of facts. However, Rule 401 separates the previously utilized concepts in the relevance of proof in cases. Currently, the two requirements are stated independently (Mueller et al., 2018). Regardless of how the relevance of evidence is defined, it should always be understood that facts are not inherent features of items, but they show relations between materials of proof and matters that can be proved in a case. Rules of evidence aim at regulating facts that a jury can utilize to make a verdict. However, although relevant evidence has relatively high chances of being allowed, not all applicable pieces of facts are admissible. Judges can exclude any pertinent evidence due to other rules of the justice system. For instance, if applicable proof is found to arouse judges’ emotions unfairly, then it may be determined to be inadmissible. In such a legal situation, a jury is required to establish a balance between the significance of the facts and the risks of unfair appeals to feelings (Mueller et al., 2018). If judges establish that the consequences of unfair emotional appeals are mo
Introduction This paper is based on a branch of normative ethics called deontology. In deontological ethics, employees are required to perform their duties according to the given instructions. They are supposed to perform their duties as instructed because doing otherwise amounts to an unethical practice (Seven oaks school, 2013). As an engineer, I would recommend that the company scraps the bad units and take the loss. In his second formulation, Kant argued that we should treat humanity not only as an end in itself but also as a means to some end (Chadwick, 1993). Based on Kant’s argument, the thesis of this case study is “We should act based only on those maxims for which we would be happy if the actions were to become universal laws” Reasons for the Recommendation The first reason for the recommendation to scrap the bad units and take the loss is that I would be acting morally by doing so. As per deontological ethics, doing otherwise would be unethical. Following the laid down procedure for the organization and sticking to what I’m supposed to do as an engineer would be the guiding principle in making this kind of recommendation. Since the company would not have given me the role of deciding how to reduce losses, I would not be under any obligation to explore other options which may prevent the company from incurring losses. The second reason is that according to Kant’s s
The communication gap is an essential issue that every organization can meet in its way. In this assignment, Drexel University will be assessed from the perspective of provider gap four. As all the Universities, Drexel sells a custom-oriented education, and the promotion strategies it uses slogans attract potential clients to get education services. Drexel offers a high level of education, employment at well-known corporations soon after receiving the diploma. However, such overpromising leads to a higher level of mistrust from the potential clients and doubts on the way of decision-making. The major issue of Drexel University is the mismatching performance and promises. To achieve high levels of customer trust, it is significant to develop a strategy representing customer-driven service design and standards correlating with the actual service delivery. The latter impacts on perceived and expected service quality by a customer and leads to the outcome of decision-making. The possible solutions to the issue must be promising to a purchaser something possible to create a clear perspective of future outcomes. Judging all the aspects on the shore, the customer will be more positive and rational when buying the service. Offering choices is another possible solution as showing flexibility and a wide scale of customs creates a perception of sustainability and trustworthiness. Lack of integrated services marketing communications includes the lack of interactive marketing in communication plans and the absence of a strong internal marketing program. Creating an attractive advertisement can interest more customers to the product and initiate the demand on the custom proposed. Moreover, an internal marketing program should be well-thought and client-oriented to propose to a potential customer a product of a clear benefit. The customer should also be smartly manipulated and educated by a company. Drexel University should identify its strongest sides and present them to a customer finding strong counterarguments on the weak sides of the company. Managing the proper communications can create firmer bonds between the departments of the university: sales department, advertisement department, educational units, and operations departments. Inadequate horizontal communications between employees can lead to the disunion of the organization and lower interest of the workers to stand for the product they create and sell. Prices are another issue leading to high customers’ expectations, especially if they do not corres
“Improving clinicians’ understanding of effects nutrition can have on maternal health and fetal and neonatal development can have a considerable impact on achieving a healthy pregnancy and reducing childhood morbidity” (Symonds and Ramsay 3). It is the statement from the book Maternal-Fetal Nutrition During Pregnancy and Lactation by Symonds and Ramsay that reflects the authors’ main idea. This book is very useful for people who are somehow connected with pregnancy such as mothers, doctors, nurses, and others. In the book, the authors are concentrated on demonstrating that nutrition during pregnancy and lactation is extremely important with the focus on nutritional requirements, the physiology and phycology of pregnancy, and factors that affect the nutrition during pregnancy and lactation. The book is divided into three sections. The first section refers to nutritional regulation and requirements for pregnancy and fetal growth. The second section is aimed at describing nutritional requirements for lactation and infant growth. The third section is called Specialized requirements, and it is devoted to such topics as teenage pregnancies, vegetarianism during pregnancy and lactation, and multiple pregnancies. It can be said that the authors present the essence of main topics. For instance, Symonds and Ramsay state that nutrition is important even in the early stages of pregnancy, and they support this idea describing the process of the placenta formation and emphasizing the key role of nutrition during this process (4). In their book, Davies and Deery pay a lot of attention to micronutrients and macronutrients (33). Symonds and Ramsay also investigate this topic and underline that micronutrients and macronutrients contribute to supporting mother’s vital activity and the development and growth of her baby (48). As it is described by the Healthline, “micronutrients are dietary components, such as vitamins and minerals, which are o
The standards in hotel management that could be established include the standards related to house-keeping of the hotel. “The main responsibilities of the house-keeping department lie in the need to ‘provide clean and serviced bedrooms on a daily basis to the agreed standards’,” as indicated in the study by Rawstron (1999, p. 114 cited in Frapin-Beauge, Verginis & Wood, 2008, p. 394). This means that clean rooms are must for the hotel and managers should establish standards for personnel involved into cleaning rooms in accordance with which they would have to do their job. In accordance with the information introduced in the report by United Nations Environment Programme (2009), the following standards can be established and further assessed in hotel management practices: “documentation, internal audits, employee training, and continuous improvement” (p. 32). As reported by Boella and Goss-Turner (2005), the customer satisfaction standards are based on the following cycle suggested by Sheraton: the company hires personnel that meets its basic requirements, the employees undergo training to meet all standards of the company, the customers are satisfied with the work of personnel, the customers/manager rate the work of employees, and recognition of employee’s meeting standards (p. 39). This means that the training can be another way for reaching the standards established because the employees that undergo training are more capable of performing the requirements more accurately and in accordance with the established standards. The management itself can be considered another standard to be established and measured. Quality management is the best standard which demonstrates performance (Olsen & Zhao, 2008, p. 551). As indicated in the study by Jones and Lockwood (2002), business should fulfil “statutory obligations including rates, taxation, health and safety standards, employment standards” (p. 7), and a number of other standards that may influence the quality of services provided. Yo (1999) reports about the importance of selecting managers for overseas representation because the process of managing a hotel should be performed in accordance with the common standards for the domestic and foreign allocations (p. 276). In this respect, the taxation and safety of employees and customers as well as management performance are viewed as important ways to see if the management is effective. According to the study by Mullins (2001), the assessment of hotel keeping standards and their carrying out are performed using the five-star system of evaluation (p. 457). To sum up, the standards that can be established include the following tools:  1. housekeeping – clean rooms;  2. taxation – appropriate tax statement;  3. safety and health – insurance and security systems;  4. food and beverages – quality and cost ratio;  5. quality management – timely and adequate decision-making;  6. customer satisfaction – rating by customers. To control the purchasing, the manager should take into account the standards and variances with regard to possible backup plans. “The control