ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Introduction For a long time, policymakers have been considering that governments have overall responsibility of managing natural resources. However, with the advent of ardent environmentalists, governments have realized that community participation is central to the management of natural resources because community members form an integral part of natural resources. According to Mutamba (2004), since communities benefit from natural resources, community participations enable community members to take responsibility and manage natural resources. In most developing countries, case studies of community participation in the administration of natural resources have shown that community participation promotes governance and enhances effective management of natural resources. For a community to participate effectively in the management of natural resources, the government needs to provide appropriate policies and framework, which offer a favorable and legitimate platform where a community can use in the management of natural resources that are within their jurisdiction. In this view, this report examines community participation in the management of natural resources by studying a case study of community forestry in Nepal. Case Study Decentralization of forestry management in Nepal is a product of political discourses. Given that decentralization of forest management empowers local communities, political leaders enacted legislation and policies that strengthened and streamlined the process of devolution. In 1982, political leaders passed the Decentralization Act, which gives ward committees and village leaders ( Panchayats ) the mandate to formulate local institutions that link-local and national governments. Forest Regulation of 1995 and the Forest Act of 1993 do provide new legislations that allow the local communities to participate in the management of forests in Nepal. Since the Act of 1982 led to minimal decentralization, in 1998, political leaders further enacted Master Plan for Forestry Sector. The plan “aims to mobilize, conserve, and sustainably manage forest resources, and thereby maintain a balance in the demand for and supply of forest products, create income and employment opportunities for the poor and marginalized households” (Dabal & Chapagain 2010, p. 66). The plan enhanced participation of the local people in the management of forests in Nepal. Hence, political issues surround Acts, regulations, and implementation of the community forestry is facing decentralization of forest management in Nepal. The presence of the caste system among
Socrates believed that philosophy had a critical role in the lives of each individual. Philosophy was the driving factor behind how each person lived and their soul. One of his famous words was, “the unexamined life is not worth living” (Burnet 153). The philosopher greatly argued for self-awareness and knowing oneself, and in the process of self-knowledge, discovering the true nature of who one is and one’s identity, “once we know ourselves, we may learn how to care for ourselves” (Burnet 158). Socrates was known to question much of everything, especially the beliefs and principles of Athenian society at the time. He believed that one true self is the soul, not associated with social status, body, and riches. The soul, before Christianity, was seen as an inner being that defined each human being. Socrates believed that self-knowledge is recognizing the soul and learning to cultivate good in it while eliminating evil. In the end, happiness was the natural and desired end to life, and to achieve it, a person must attain the wisdom of what is good and what is evil and live their life accordingly “to care for one’s soul” (Burnet 146). Eventually, the government of Athens was dissatisfied with Socrates’ teachings and growing following and put him on trial for asebeia against the pantheon of Athens and corruption of Athenian youth. Socrates presents his view of wisdom and the virtual as elements of moral truths, which defied the Athenian multi-god religion and social order, placing priests and judges at the top of the ladder. Socrates argued that he does in the will of the one god and to “either acquit me or not; but whatever you do, know that I shall never alter my ways, not even if I have to die many times” (Burnet 224). As for corrupting the youth, Socrates argued that many supposedly corrupted have reached maturity and were present at the trial, testifying that no such thing occurred, and they became loyal friends and supporters. Eventually, Socrates was found guilty and chose to drink poison surrounded by supporters than face the same public punishment. Work Cited Burnet, John (editor). Plato’s Euthphro, Apology of Socrates and Cryto . Oxford at the Clarendon Press, 1977.
Abstract The report gives an analysis on the role of marketing information and research in analyzing Caffe Nero’s status within the market. The paper starts by introduction followed by the analysis of qualitative research and how it could be utilized for the benefit of the business; the focus is on the use of focus groups as well as in-depth interviews. Then there’s SWOT analysis for Café Nero followed by conclusion then finally recommendation with justification on the appropriate strategies which should be adopted by Caffe Nero to ensure sustainability and growth. Introduction Caffe Nero’s intention within the food industry looks very attractive for competitive purposes. This is because they face low pressure from suppliers and moderate pressure from buyers. The food industry is highly competitive with many substitutes available, this makes it essential for Caffe Nero to develop business and marketing strategies which will help them do well against pressures from the global forces and ultimately attract and retain consumers. Research undertaken using qualitative method has great influence on decision-making and designing of strategies. The level of competition within the market determines the development of products and services which would grant them competitive advantage. The high purchasing power of buyers determines the level of sales and ultimately the profits. It is essential for Caffe Nero to focus on consumer tastes and demands (Kotler et al, 2005). Qualitative Research Focus Groups Focus groups comprises of carefully selected group of individuals having relevant experience in a particular field. The experienced individuals are required to perform studies through their personal input and issues common to all. Focus groups are preferred in qualitative studies because of the in-depth values they add to research processes. Interactions amongst participants, shar
Introduction The main challenge of Sony’s senior management is to increase net profits of its products especially in the electronics industry. The case study shows that Sony’s market share had dropped because of the entrance of competitors. The reason for Sony’s unpopularity today is because the prices of its products are too high compared to products of its arch rivals like Panasonic and Samsung. Matsushita and Panasonic also offer the same quality products and are marketing them using cost –efficient plant production technology 1 . Body Question 1 One of the main challenges of Sony’s senior management is to increase net profits. Increasing profits could be brought about by increasing sales. Also, the process of decreasing expenses would increase net profits. One way to increase sales is to produce high quality products. Another way to increase sales is to advertise in the newspapers, radio and television. One of the challenges for Sony is to produce a product that retains the high quality known as Sony at a lower price. The products have to be sold at a lower price in order to increase its sales figures. The decreased market price would be reasonable enough even to the point of selling the new products at the same or similar market price as its competitors, Samsung and Panasonic 2 . Another challenge would be to create synergy in the organization. All the departments must meet in one big room. They have to discuss the procedures and policies so that the goals and responsibilities of one department could be reached with the help of the other departments within the Sony business organization. Also, each of the departments must have bond with the other departments in the organization. One department must reach to the other departments to ask how they can help their next door business neighbor. These will surely help the employees of the organization achieve their goals in lesser time. For, synergy meant that one department plus one department is equal to more than two departments in an organization 3 . Further, another c
Operations Management (OM) is a critical field in every business organization. This area “is aimed at designing, redesigning, and overseeing every production process for different services or goods” (Wright and Mechling 78). The article “The Importance of Operations Management Problems in Service Organizations” explains why some operations management problems (OMP) are critical in many service organizations. According to Wright and Mechling (77), service organizations encounter various challenges and problems. Managers should consider every good practice in order to deal with such challenges. The article explains why most of the challenges encountered in service organizations are relevant towards improving service delivery. The authors analyze the major problems encountered by service organizations. The article goes further to examine the best operations management (OP) methods that can address these problems. The first issue is how service organizations can utilize their resources in a better manner. The second problem identified by the authors is the ability to measure and monitor the quality of services delivered to different consumers. The third problem encountered in many service organizations is “the inability to predict different operational conditions such as customer demands, future events, and cost levels” (Wright and Mechling 85). The “minor challenges experienced in these organizations are related to distribution requirements and facility layout” (Wright and Mechling 85). The study explains why these problems are critical towards improving the level of performance. The “biggest challenge is the failure to use the best quantitative methods or techniques in order to address most of these problems” (Wright and Mechling 85). Business organizations should use new ideas and information to improve productivity. Some of the best methods include “quality measurement, forecasting, and use of mathematical programming” (Wright and Mechling 85). Learners can use these methods to deal with most of the challenges affecting their organizations. Many companies in the service sector do not implement most of these methods. This malpractice explains why such organizations have failed to achieve their potentials According to Schmenner, organizational and managerial problems are common in every industry. The challenges experienced in the service sector “depend on the level of interaction, labor intensity, and customization of activities” (Wright and Mechling 85). Managers should also use these problems to develop better operational strategies. Managers should not deal with such challenges from an operational perspective. According to the authors, new studies are necessary towards promoting the level of performance in service organizations. Such studies will identify the best approaches towards dealing with the above challenges. The approach will also create the best strategies in order to achieve every targeted business objective. These results explain why “quality management and resource utilization are critical operations problems in every service organization” (Wright and Mechling 78). Operations managers should use such
Introduction Neo-conservatism is a relatively recent categorization of a political ideology that infiltrated the culture and was embraced by the former Bush administration. Commonly thought to be synonymous with the far right-wing of the Republican Party or ultra-conservatism, the expression neo-conservatism, or ‘neo-cons,’ describes a new type of conservatism, one whose roots are actually embedded in the philosophy of the left-wing. Conservatives and neo-cons are generally affiliated with the Republican Party but are often on opposing sides of an issue, the most significant example being the invasion and occupation of Iraq. This discussion examines the concept of neo-conservatism, its history, and the foreign and domestic policies of a U.S. government operated by this ideology. What is a Neo-Con? Neo-conservatives have been described as inherently evil, protectionists and self-absorbed capitalists but also by a now weakening minority as the protectors of the American way of life. With regards to foreign policy, neo-cons advocate a strike-first mentality while conservatives promote a ‘hands-off’ policy. The ‘neo’ or ‘new’ is attached to conservatism for two primary reasons. “Most of its architects were new to any kind of right-of-center orientation, having previously identified with the political left; and second, because the formulation of ‘conservatism’ that they produced was noticeably different in content and style from the mainstream American Conservatism that had prevailed since the New Deal-World War II eras” (Atkins & Tartakovsky, 2003). Vietnam Beginnings The Domino Excuse Neo-conservatism originated in the 1930s when East coast socialists rejected the totalitarian views of Stalinism. The term became publicly acknowledged during the 1970s. It described liberals who were dissatisfied with the left-wing agenda, particularly in foreign affairs. It has since been used to define those considered ‘hawkish’ regarding foreign military involvement. During the Vietnam era, the neo-conservatism movement expanded due to the political polarization occurring in the country between the anti-war, anti-American sentiments of the counterculture and neo-cons who championed blind patriotism. Neoconservatives were not collected for the expansion or continuance of the war, but they were united in their fear that communism would spread. The term ‘domino theory’ was used quite often by the neo-cons to justify America’s military involvement in Southeast Asia. If Vietnam fell to the communists, they reasoned, the remainder of the region would be systematically consumed by the ‘Red Menace.’ “Informed by their faith in American power as a force for change, neo-cons are willing to use American military power for more than vital or strategic interests. This is what separates
Introduction Government institutions prepare their statement following the direction provided by the Government Accounting Standard Board (GASB) and not the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. This work reviews the financial statements of the University of Alabama System. The paper discusses the employee pension disclosures in the financial statement of the institution. It also discusses the impact of the recent changes on the financial reporting of liabilities on the profitability of the institution. Further, it highlights some of the social and economic factors that may hinder the future success of the University. Employee pension plan disclosures Employees of the University of Alabama System take part in the Teachers Retirement System of Alabama. Covered employees contribute 5% of their earned compensation to the pension plan. The University also contributes to the plan (The University of Alabama, 2012). The total contribution to the plan for the past three years is summarized in the table below. Year                     2009         2009         2009                                 $ ‘million’  $ ‘million’  $ ‘million’ University contribution  29.7         32.1         34.6        Employees’ contribution  12.8         12.8         13.9        Total Contribution       42.5         44.9         48.5         Source of data – The University of Alabama, 2012 From the table, it is evident that there was an increase in total contribution to the fund. For the three years, the employer’s contribution was greater than employees’ contribution for the three years. Apart from the Teachers Retirement system, some employees take part in the TIAA-CREF and VALIC programs. These are optional contributions. In these programs, the employer also contributes up to 5%. The trend of the contributions is shown in the graph below. Teachers Retirement System of Alabama does not make separate measurements of assets and the actuarial accrued liabilities for individua
Within the semester, our team has been proactive in tackling several assignments within the goal of scoring optimal points. Group assignments are often complex because each member of the group has a different writing style and flow of ideas. Despite these differences, sharing a common goal makes the group experience interesting. In the group assignment, I was tasked with the responsibility of doing research on the aspect of Organization Culture in designing the research poster. In order to draw a narrow and convincing content, I had to do a lot of secondary research on the organization culture to the general perception in the practical work environment. I then proceeded to review the common perceptions on the culture within the dynamic information technology career. I then narrowed down my research to four steps that every manager needs to follow in managing organization culture in order to make the presentation more focused and constructive. The four steps I discussed were Teach It, Live It, Measure It, and Reward It (Rosso, Dekas, & Wrzesniewski, 2010). In discussing these steps, I discovered that the core values of organization culture in information technology career are reliability, professionalism, confidentiality, and team work. This assignment required explanation of an issue through an evidence based research. Before commencing this report, I had to draw a research timeline and literature review. I divided the research paper into four parts to cover each step. I had to define these steps in a rough draft and review the chronological pattern of how each step works for my paper to make sense and embrace the basics of a well written paper. Upon finishing the rough draft which consisted of over eight paragraphs, I decided to narrow down these steps in a second draft and introduce the aspect of flow and sentence connectivity. The second draft was fair enough, but had several sections which did not flow with my initial writing style. I had to edit the second draft to match my skills with the effort-performance (E-P) expectancy theoretical model (Rosso et al., 2010). Since a properly written paper requires creative ingenuity, I had to write the final copy which was better arranged and nicely presented. Despite the constraint of time, I was in a position to create a good paper as was confirmed by other members of the group. I realized that the main challenge towards writing a quality paper on ordinary topic is conflicting thoughts since the entire information is out of personal creation. I was very confident and interested since the sub topic on organization culture was related to my career interests. Since I had done a comprehensive research before the group presentation, I was very certain in the responses to different questions raised by the team. The certainty was also as a result of past training in the art of public speak
Politics, Development and Globalization Nowadays, it became a commonplace assumption in the West that democratization is the crucial precondition for developing countries to be able to attain economic prosperity. It is also commonly suggested that the process of Globalization has several positive effects on the economy of these countries because it helps (due the ‘outsourcing’) to create new jobs in the world’s regions where the cost of labor is much lower, as compared to what it is the case in Western countries (Micklethwait & Wooldridge, 2014, p. 14). Nevertheless, a closer analysis of both suggestions will reveal that they are conceptually fallacious. After all, it is quite clear for those capable of critical thinking that, as of today, the notion of ‘democratization’ became synonymous with the notions of ‘chaos’ and ‘civil war’, and that the term Globalization began to signify the process of a few hundred privately owned transnational corporations trying to take over the world. In fact, ‘democratization’ appears to be the actual tool, with which Western countries can ensure that the developing countries continue to remain underdeveloped (Sen, 2014, p. 19). This helps to explain why, as Green and Luehrmann (2007) have noted, “Many of the (developing) countries are simply not developing. They are underdeveloping – losing ground, becoming worse off” (p. 5). The concerning trend is what enables Western countries to maintain the world’s highest standards of living. In my paper, I will explore the validity of this suggestion at length, i
The credibility and accuracy of any historically account depends on the type of approach that the historians use in the course of their work. Historians must be conversant with available methodologies and approaches in order for them to handle evidence collection and interpretation in the best way possible (Green, 1999). Historical research and analysis is not an easy task as it seems due to the technicalities involved. Historical methodologies and approaches consist of concepts and techniques used by historians to explore and highlight different types of historical events (Green, 1999). Each historical approach tends to challenge previous approaches as it attempts to improve historical research and analysis. This paper will discuss different types of types of historical approaches used by historians and the contribution that each approach makes to the general field of historical studies. Empiricism is a historical methodology that is based on the theory that human knowledge is gained through knowledge and experience. This approach refutes the argument that human beings possess some innate ideas that can not be imparted through experience (Green, 1999). According to the empiricism approach, history can only be retrieved through sensory perception and scientific experiments. The empiricism historical approach emphasizes the fact that historians must test their theories and hypotheses through physical observation of events and other natural phenomena rather than mere intuition. The empiricism approach is widely used in philosophy and history when conducting a theoretical inquiry. The hypotheses used in this approach must be testab