ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
The internet revolution is changing many facets of human existence. It is one of the key enablers of globalization. The last decade saw the rise of eCommerce as an alternative to traditional brick-and-mortar businesses. The internet brought many advantages such as online marketing, online ordering and online tracking of cargo. These developments led to an increase in the demand for online payment solutions. In response, companies such as PayPal, and eBay came into being. The emergence of digital currencies is an extension of this phenomenon. The situation now is that vendors must support multiple payment platforms to participate effectively in eCommerce. As eCommerce goes into maturity, the electronic payments market will mature and one or two digital currencies will emerge as the standard for online transactions. This paper examines the issues surrounding the use of Bitcoin based on this context. Bitcoin is a digital currency not supported by a specific merchant, and it is not a money transfer system. The currency has several unique features, and is controversial in some cases. This paper explores the issues surrounding the use of Bitcoins in eCommerce. Evolution of Digital Currencies Digital currencies are a natural offshoot of the development of eCommerce. ECommerce is riding on the internet wave that has revolutionized how people buy and sell goods. The internet has made it very easy for traders and customers to meet and transact regardless of constraints associated with distance and time. As the internet platform for eCommerce came into being, the need for a money transfer system became arose. The history of the development of money can shed some light on the current state of development of digital currencies. Gold or some other form of valuable substances served as the measure of value before the development of paper and coin currencies. As time went on, it was not desirable to carry gold from place to place because of the obvious security risks. Therefore, traders opted to keep their gold in a bank reserve, and to use a note as a means of exchanging the gold. These notes are what evolved into the paper currency used all over the world today. In theory, all the paper money in circulation should be backed by gold. However, over time the notes became a measure of value. No one went to the bank to check whether the notes he held were backed by gold reserves. This made the gold standard redundant. When it comes to eCommerce, the first generation of digital currencies was cash transfer systems. These systems are what EBay, Amazon, and PayPal, among others use today. At one end, people use real currency to load their online account. These people then send the money to the intended recipients in any country in the world using the internet. The receivers on the other end go to a bank or a cash vendor and withdraw the money for use. However, once the money is online, it can be used for online transactions. Theoretically speaking, some of the money uploaded into the online cash transfer system will never leave the internet. Some of the value will remain online as long as the system exists. Money held by PayPal is backe
Frequent and systematic use of drugs causes drug addiction. This kind of addiction is more dangerous than any other because it is characterized by high possibility of relapse and destruction of the central nervous system. The consequences of the cocaine use mimic the effect of the heroine use, though the addiction from these two drugs differs in consequences. The disease of addiction from cocaine develops because the conscious brain area is affected; this area belongs to the limbic system that operates human memory and emotions (Starr and McMillan 255). The use of crack/cocaine or any other psychoactive substances affects brain in the first place. The matter is that, unlike the cases with alcohol addiction, most of the physical harm done by such drugs as cocaine is connected with the affection of the brain. This is why addiction is perceived as neurobiological disease that should be treated only under the specialists’ observation. The impact of the cocaine on the human brain can be explained by the chemical dopamine and its variations in the brain of the drug addict, as well as by three main areas of the cycle of addiction. Firstly, it is worth mentioning that concentration of the dopamine in the human brain is responsible for the state of the addict at the moment of drug-taking. Dopamine is one of the neurotransmitters present in the brain; it “plays a central role within the reward system” (Eysenck 57). Dopamine system is much responsible for the habit-forming effects of drugs because most of them (including cocaine) increase dopamine activity raising its concentration in the limbic regions of the brain. Dopamine is also largely responsible for the drug reinforcement (the necessity to take larger amount of a particular drug to achieve the desired state), though its contribution into addiction has not yet been proved. Its involvement in addiction is, however, evident; dopamine causes certain structural changes in the brain decreasing the volume of the frontal lobe. This largely affects the self-direction and willpower of the drug addict. As a result, a drug addict almost entirely loses inhibitory controls and becomes incapable of thinking consciously or making judgments or decisions. What else should be mentioned is that there exist three main stages of the cycle of addiction; each of them reflects the influence produced on the human brain by the consumption of such drugs as cocaine. The first stage is drug intoxication. At this stage, the concentration of dopamine in the frontal and limbic areas of the brain gets increased. The second stage is drug craving; in the case of cocaine addiction, cravings for the drug are the most intense. This is explained by the fact that protein stops being produced in the brain of the cocaine-addicted until they take this drug several times. When they take the drug and the buildup starts, drug craving takes place. This stage is characterized by the addict’s response to different environmental and social cues (memories that a person has about the drug experience activate certain areas in the brain a
Introduction The purpose of the survey was to acquire individuals’ responses who participated in the Customer Service Representative (CSR) training regarding their experiences and learning through such programs. The underlying aim of the survey was to determine the effectiveness of the training session held from November 1, 2012, to November 20, 2012, at Shelton Call Center. The expected outcome of the survey comprises of the strengths and weaknesses of the content of the training session and evaluation of instructors who lead this training session. Methodology The survey questionnaire is designed in a way that its results can be presented quantitatively and discussed to draw important conclusions regarding the effectiveness of the CSR training. The questionnaire contains three demographic questions and five statements addressing different aspects of evaluating the training session, which is based on a Likert Scale model allowing respondents to select their responses based on a ranking from 1 to 5 where 1 stand for Strongly Disagree and 5 stands for Strongly Agree (Proctor, 2003). The questionnaire is attached to this report as Appendix A. The purposive sample selected for this survey consists of 20 individuals who were part of the training program (Saunders, Lewis, & Thornhill, 2007). The approach adopted for the collection of data involved one-to-one interaction between the researcher and respondent, where the researcher was present at the time of completion of the form by respondents. All questionnaires were completed and received. The data collected from the survey was then analyzed using MS Excel to present them in tables along with their mean and standard deviation values. The mean values of responses are then examined to form a basis for the conclusions presented in this report. Results Demographics The results show that 17 individuals who underwent training sessions and also took part in the survey are female and 3 individuals are male. The age profile of respondents is summarized in the following table which indicates that the majority of respondents belong to the age group of 22-25 years. Age Group  Number of Respondents  Percentage 18-21      3                      15%        22-25      13                     65%        26-30      3                      15%        Above 30   1                      5%         Total      20                     100%        Assessment of Training Program In this section, five statements were included to address the assessment of different elements of training. The results from the survey are summarized and presented in the following. Statement                                                         Mean  Standard Deviation You feel that the training has improved your learning and skills  2.95  1.61               You feel that the duration of training was sufficient             3.00  1.
Introduction GCC countries are characterized by evident similarities in their cultural specifics, such as language, religion, and the general worldview, their economy, including the ownership and capital structures deployed, politics, and geography. Therefore, the decisions that the Gulf Cooperation Council makes are linked directly to the organization’s corporate governance system. When selecting candidates for the position of an independent director, the Council is guided by phenomena such as nepotism, favoritism, and tribalism (Falgi, 2009). Corporate Governance Practices in Saudi Arabia Corporate governance practices in Saudi Arabia are also worth exploring due to the unique environment of the corporate ownership in which they develop. The concept of ownership in the GCC environment is linked directly to family ties and the idea of a regulated market (Alghamdi, 2012; Attar, 2014). As a result, opportunities for exerting influence on managers and supervising their actions are opened. The following shift in the relationships between managers and stakeholders helps to prevent conflicts between them. It is believed that the higher the ownership concentration levels within a state, the fewer the agency problems are (Clark, 2004). Conclusion It is also typical for GCC states to use debt financing as opposed to the approach based on accumulating equity capital (Al-Hadi et al., 2017). GCC states owe their current debt rates to bank financing (Yahyaee, 2006; Chowdhury & Maung, 2013). Even though leveraging can be observed in GCC companies, the board of directors with their profound knowledge of financing has a tremendous role in managing financial processes. Furthermore, the religious factors defining the source of capital as Islamic or non-Islamic need to be taken into account. At present, 75% of Saudi organizations use the services of Islamic banks (Al-Ajmi et al., 2009).
Introduction A financial plan can be viewed as an evaluation of an individual’s current and future financial status. The assessment is carried out using different variables like assets, cash flows, and withdrawal plans. The variables are used to predict the future (Schlosser, White and Lloyd 135). The firm “We Guessed and You’re Wrong” (WG & YW) is a consulting partnership owned and operated by four friends. The business uses computing technology and data mining software to help people predict the future of their ventures. In this paper, the author will conduct a financial analysis of the firm to determine its net worth and economic value. The financial evaluation will provide a five-year planning horizon for WG & YW. A Five-Year Financial Plan for WG & YW A good financial plan must take into consideration a number of important factors. Some of them include set-up costs, forecast income statement, expected future cash flow, and potential statement of financial position (Min and Galle 1232). WG & YW will use the forecast income statements given the nature of the items provided. Forecasts provide information regarding the financial health of a firm. It can be good or bad. Investors rely on the information in the statements to decide whether to fund or buy a firm. Revenue Plan for Year 1 The above income statement shows that the firm is making profits. It is clear that the business can finance its obligations as and when they are due. The total annual income for year 1 will be carried forward to year 2. It will add to the operating income of the consulting firm. Statistics for year 2 are not provided in this case study. As such, revenues and expenses are expected to be the same as those in year 1. Additional information also states that inflation and interest rates should be ignored. Consequently, the revenue plan for year 2 is as provided below: Revenue Plan for Year 2 The income for year 2 al
Interviewer: Today, I am going to interview Julie, the sales manager of The Coca-Cola Company, to figure out the main problems that she faces in such a position. Good afternoon, Julie. Julie: Good afternoon. Interviewer: The Coca-Cola Company is the biggest provider of various drinks in the world now. Recently, the product sales of the company have gone up considerably, which indicates that the business remains sustainable and successful ( coca-colacompany.com , no date). Is it true that the appropriate sales management contributes to such a state of the art of firm to a great extent? Julie: Yes, it plays a significant role, and it should be noticed that a profitable and remarkable enterprise always makes “the management function a key driver to change” (Traù, 2017, p. 749). Interviewer: I would say that you might be one of the most noticeable sales managers as you would not have been working for the transnational company for such a long period in the other case. My question is: what primary issues should a sales manager deal with to make his or her firm remain prosperous? Julie: Thank you for the compliment; I am pleased to hear that. Regarding the question, a sales manager has to overcome a high number of obstacles. The first issue that comes into mind is the organization of the internal business environment. It is essential to make sales managers work as a whole and productively. The leader should develop and conduct a coherent and consistent strategy of interaction and cooperation. Then, a sales manager is to analyze sales planning, development strategy, the policy of production, and the firm’s infrastructure (Rustenburg and Steenbeek, 2015), as well as come up with timely and rational proposals. Furthermore, the external business environment may give many issues that have to be solved by a sales manager. Thus, it is vital to monitor the sales strategies of rivals, predict the shifts of competition, oversee consumers’ demand, and have an in-depth understanding of distributions chains (Rustenburg and Steenbeek, 2015). Acute political and economic conditions dictated by governments have to be monitored too. Then, if to consider an international firm like The Coca-Cola Company, it should be noticed that sales management is more complicated here in comparison with a completely domestic enterprise (Schrock et al ., 2018). For instance, the highest board of my company never make a critical decision regarding some local sales strategy without considering the opinion of managers who work in specific cultural dimension such as in Arabian countries. Especially after the advertisement fail in Saudi Arabia as the company did not take into account that people read right to left there. Hence, a sales manager also should learn the peculiarities of the country in which he or she works. Interviewer: Thank you for such a consistent answer that might clarify a lot regarding the activity of sales managers. One more question: how does a sales manager can deal with the listed issues and targets; is there any unified solution? Juli
Claim The managing director (MD) of Catering WA Ltd, Jasmine Trendy, attended a cookery fair in Tasmania and introduced herself to Adam who was from Tassie Foods Pty Ltd. Upon invitation by Adam to taste some products from Tassie and being moved by the excellence of the cheeses, salmon, and yogurts, Jasmine made orders for goods worth 40,000 US dollars on behalf of Catering WA Limited. Catering WA Ltd, based in Western Australia, has a constitution that comprises a clause that affirms that it can only buy food and ingredients produced in Western Australia; in addition, all purchases above $20,000 have to be endorsed by the board of directors. In this regard, the board of directors found that products from Tasmania could harm the reputation of the company and hence refused to allow delivery of the products ordered by Jasmine. The part of the law applicable to this question is advising Tassie Foods Pty Ltd if the contract can be enforced concerning the aforementioned set of facts as well as the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth). 1 Evaluation Jasmine decided to order the purchase of products from Tassie on behalf of Catering WA Ltd as the MD. Even though the constitution of Catering WA Ltd does not permit products that are produced outside Western Australia and allows purchases of above $40,000 only under the agreement of the board of directors, the Corporation Act 2001 allows room for compromise 2 . Jasmine acted with good intentions of the company and without knowing or suspecting that the making of the contract was incorrect. Additionally, products ordered by Jasmine on behalf of Catering WA Ltd were in the company’s name. While making use of a company’s power to create, vary, ratify, or discharge a contract Jasmine exercised the powers with the company’s implied ability and on its behalf while employing a common seal. In the making of this contract Jasmine, Adam and Tassie Foods Pty Ltd for that matter assumed that the constitutions of the respective companies and provisions of the Corporations Act 2001 that are relevant to the companies had complied within the process. 3 Adam and Tassie Foods Pty Ltd assumed that Jasmine, the MD of Catering WA Ltd as per the information given by the company, has been accordingly appointed; in addition to having authority to apply the powers and carry out the duties usually exercised or carried out by directors of similar companies. Outcome For the purpose of Jasmine taking accountability on behalf of Catering WA Ltd in ordering the products and for a fastidious step in compromising, the two companies should make concessions and the board of directors for Catering WA Ltd should accept the contract. 4 The contract made by Jasmine on behalf of Catering WA Ltd is not enforceable as per the common law; however, it is enforceable under section 131(part 1) of the Corporations Act 2001 on condition that the company approves the contract within a
Organizations use a number of indexes to evaluate their annual financial performance. One of the most commonly used measures is the operating leverage that helps explain the responsiveness of operating income to change in sales. The best way to understand the concept is by looking at a real example. In the fiscal year ended on Sep. 27, 2014, for instance, Apple Inc. recorded an operating leverage of 1.1 times (calculations shown in excel). The implication of the index is that a 10% rise in sale during the next time period is likely to increase the operating income by 1.1%. Conversely, a 10% sales decrease in the next fiscal year will lead to a reduction in operating income by 1.1%. On the other hand, the return on investment (ROI), also referred to as rate of return, is a popular performance evaluation metric that helps assess an organization’s success in terms of the earnings generated in a particular time period relative to the initial investment. Apple Inc.’s ROI for the period ended on Sep. 27, 2014 was approximately 8.8%. The implication is that the investors expect to earn a rate of 8.8% from their investment in the company. This is a high rate considering that it is above the free interest rate. However, there is a need to evaluate whether there exist other investment opportunities that promise a superior rate. An investor intending to commit his/her funds in the company will need to explore other available growth opportunities in the market. If there are such investment opportunities, it is prudent to choose the ones that promise the highest returns. The economic value added (EVA) is also an ideal performance evaluation metric that can help estimate Apple Inc.’s investment for the period ended on Sep. 27, 2014. It is a useful tool that tells us the amount generated by an organization above the actual cost of equity. Its key purpose is to measure whether the management is creating value beyond the expected rate (Daft 2010). In case of Apple Inc., the company recorded an estimated EVA of $38,418,000 in its last reporting period. It is a positive figure implying that the firm’s management generated a higher return on invested capital than the cost of capital. In addition, the market value added (MVA) is also a vital financial measure that is basically the spread between an organization’s fair value and the capital invested. In particular, the index denotes the excess value created by an organization beyond the actual resources committed in form of capital. In the fiscal year ended on Sep. 27, 2014, Apple Inc. recorded MVA of approximately $474,614,000. This implies that the organization’s market value was very high compared to the invested capital. It is a good i
The global financial crisis that began in late 2007 but erupted in 2008 was considered one of the worst threats to the global economy. The global financial crisis was characterized by credit crunch and the collapse of stock markets. The results of the crisis were massive since it led to the evaporation of investment decisions by firms, loss of jobs and loss of income. There was generally an economic recession in majority of the developed world and hence it slowed economy in the developing world. It is true that globalization is linked to the global financial crises. I agree that globalization is the main culprit of the financial crises; this is largely because the agents of globalization are largely associated with the emergence of global financial crises as will be explained below: Main Analysis Globalization can be defined as the intensification of trade and other economic activities between countries of the globe in terms goods, services and also investment. After the cold war, majority of the countries embraced the basic principles of globalization like free trade. The plain understanding of globalization is in the perspective of free trade, the function of foreign company and trade. Globalization as a phenomenon is often linked with financial de regulation and the neo liberal economic revolution; but the Asian financial crisis, the Enron scandal and the growing inequalities together with the financial crisis have lead to more concerns on the neo-liberal strategy. The negative effects of globalization on a national economy can be so disastrous according to the works of Joseph Stiglitz. There has been a lot of opposition to globalization since it is associated with the volatility of commodity prices and its impact on the distant economies. The ever spiraling increase in the global prices of food and fuel is considered a result of globalization. In the 2008, for example, the surge in the prices of fuel and food commodities which are the fundamental commodities in the global market negatively impacted on the world economy. The main reason why there was an increased volatility in the global market during the 2008 financial crisis as opposed to other crisis is due to the globalized economy (Turner and Khondkar 42). Globalization has eroded the powers and the sovereignty of the state, the role of the state to regulate and to steer forward the economy has been largely ignored at the expense of the market, these are the problems and the vulnerabilities that often emerge as a result of the globalization of the world economy. Financial liberalization involves the elimination of tariffs, and duties have resulted in an unrestricted cross border transaction. The 2008 economic crisis was largely associated to the