ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Pope Francis is one of the most influential people in the world whose words mean a lot for millions. This person is a spiritual guide for many people who often feel insecure in the modern world. The Pope provides his recommendations and tries to lead people to help them, which is especially relevant in turbulent times. It is but natural that Pope Francis reveals his views on environmental issues and has offered a number of strategies to approach the current environmental crisis. Lines of Action The first and most important line of action, as seen by the Pope, may seem ubiquitous to many. Pope Francis (2015) stresses that the close collaboration of states, international institutions, and organizations in the international arena can be instrumental in addressing the environmental crisis. The pope emphasizes the exclusive role the summit in Rio de Janeiro that took place in 1972. He states that it was a breakthrough as world leaders acknowledged the need to collaborate to address environmental issues since the planet is all people’s home. Importantly, the Pope names the primary obstacle to meeting the established goals, which is the lack of clear oversight mechanisms (Pope Francis, 2015). This shortcoming is typical of almost all further steps in this direction that have to be addressed. It is important to make sure that the set objectives are met, and non-compliant stakeholders are properly treated. Another line of action is related to local policies and projects aimed at addressing the issue. The Pope states that governments are responsible for implementing policies that lead to their countries’ sustainable growth, which is often declared but often ignored (Pope Francis, 2015). This attitude is especially common for developing countries that have to solve diverse economic, social, and political issues that require funds that are scarce. The recommendation associated with the one mentioned above is the unity of political and economic areas, which is quite difficult to achieve. The Pope notes that the two spheres are often in conflict as they have different goals and approaches while focusing on their gains. Politicians and business people tend to pay little attention to meaningful and effective environmental projects that need investment and will to be effective. Pope Francis admits that it can be hard to bring these two camps togethe
The coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak is a global crisis that has significantly changed several people’s day-to-day lives in many ways. For example, the pandemic has led to new regulations such as lockdowns, and social distancing generating severe consumer behavior disruptions. In the article featured in the New York Times , Leatherby and Geller (2020) state that the rate at which people spend their money has rapidly decreased due to the emergence of the virus in the United States. Most businesses have shut down due to COVID-19, rendered many people jobless, and resulted in limited spending of the less money saved as shown by a debit and credit card spending graph. This paper analyses the article “How the Virus Transformed Money Spending among the Americans” by Lauren Leatherby and David Geller. It will focus on the level of consumer spending in different sectors of the economy. The sales on household requirements to businesses dealing with online groceries and meal kits had risen by 7% (Leatherby & Geller, 2020). The restaurants delivering food at their customer’s premises have remained in business, although the sales have not changed. An increase in expenditure on groceries is due to the closure of restaurants. Some fewer people dine on fast foods at the eateries because they are now at home (Webster, 2020). Individuals working from home still have secure jobs which help them afford to buy groceries online compared to the majority, who are unemployed during the coronavirus pandemic. The U.S. recorded negative sales in the traveling sector. 90% of the consumers could not use airplanes to fly, 80% declined booking rooms and cruises, 75% of the sales on online travel agencies reduced, and 60% refrained from spending on traveling by cars (Leatherby & Geller, 2020). The people entirely refrain from traveling using planes, mainly to New York or other countries. Those who utilize alternative means of transport on the streets have rapidly decreased i
Geography is an important discipline owing to the fact that it provides us with maps that enable one to understand local and global events. In addition, maps do enhance our understanding of immediate surrounding by displaying significant land marks such as water bodies as well as illustrating national borders (Saunders 2010, p. 45). The above notion implies that maps enable us to form imaginary divisions of the world in our visual mind upon which we are able to understand the world beyond our borders. For instance, by studying the map of Central Asia shown below, one is able to see that Uzbekistan is a landlocked country sharing common border with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, and Turkmenistan. In addition, the map of Central Asia also aids in understanding the region’s physical features such as river-fed oasis, sweeping grasslands, deserts and high mountains (Hanks 2005, p. 85). Nonetheless, Lewis & Wigen (1997, p. 37) downplay this tendency of dividing regions solely on geographical borders because it undermines political, social, economic and cultural aspects that set out each nation from its neighbors. Most meto-geographers tend to assume that nations that border each other are homogenous. However, they definitely miss the mark because Central Asia nations despite sharing Soviet Union. It is imperative to note that they adopted independent development paths after independence in an attempt to establish their national identities in terms of economic, political, social and cultural criterion (Hanks 2005, p. 85). For instance, the reason why Iran and Pakistan are not part of Central Asia is because they do not have any shared or common history with the rest (Lewis & Wigen 1997, p. 37). Most importantly, to show their homogeneous history, the central Asian states names end with the ‘stan’ suffix which means ‘land of’. For example, Uzbekistan means land of Uzbeks.This exemption concur with Lewis & Wigen (1997, p. 142) suggestion that regional grouping should be based on socio-spatial elements rather than geographical borders. What is wrong with metageographical classification of Central Asian Region? As the name suggests, Central Asia is located right in the middle of what is geographically mapped as Asian continent. The Turkic ancestry consisted of four major groups namely; Kazakhs, the Kirghiz, the Uzbeks and the Turkmen. Moreover, due to this historical background, Turkic language is still widely spoken in Soviet Central Asia although dialects vary from one state to another. Apparently, the region exhibited a homogeneity status in terms of religious, cultural and linguistics before the issue of geopolitical borders came into existence and classified Russia, China and Afghan Turkestan as independent nations (Saunders 2010, p. 45). Before this advent, the Muslim religion played the most significant role in unifying these regions (Hanks 2005, p. 85). However, although this geopolitics succeeded to set these regions apart, they were u
Introduction Leadership is critical in almost every aspect of life, ranging from family relationships to work performance. Therefore, it is essential to learn how to be a better leader and invest time and effort to achieve it. There are numerous leadership models, though they do not offer one practical way to manage people successfully. However, if they are combined with some life experiences, it is possible to reach the best results. Therefore, I want to analyze how my supervisor influenced me and the work environment, as I consider him a prominent leader. Concrete Experience When people talk about powerful and effective leaders, I always recall one person. I was starting my career in active duty at the time I met him. He was my supervisor, who was extremely responsible, self-aware, resilient, and influential. He did not let me take on any project where I could make a mistake leading to significant damage until he ensured that I could deal with it successfully. The supervisor wanted to guarantee that I was properly trained at first. Therefore, I learned and practiced much, experiencing countless appraisals and counseling at the same time. He clearly stated that I needed to improve my knowledge by studying and practicing before getting down to the tasks, which might affect others. Undoubtedly, it hugely helped me at my next duty station, where I performed well. The supervisor taught me to be decisive, curious, and active. Hence, I succeeded in fulfilling demanding tasks without doubts but with confidence. Reflective Observation I remember my thoughts and feelings back then when I was starting my career. Indeed, I was incredibly nervous and unconfident and often questioned my ability to do everything in the right way, as I thought that simple mistakes could lead to adverse consequences. Honestly, I was only hoping to have great mentorship, and, fortunately, I was lucky to have one. The supervisor always said that he was glad to pass his knowledge to anyone who would listen because he was on his way to retirement. Therefore, I tried to be his active listener and enthusiastic learner, believing that he knew what was best for me. I suppose the supervisor was proud to watch me putting all the knowledge to good use. He was satisfied when I began to share the same information with newcomers. I felt determined to work diligently when I occasionally noticed his appreciation. Nevertheless, I clearly understand that other individuals involved definitely experienced different thoughts and emotions due to our varying backgrounds. On the one hand, I think that there were those who felt that they needed to withstand some pressure generated by the supervisor. He was evi
Abstract Organizations with impeccable performance and perfect coordination between its every element are very few, yet extremely successful and, therefore, known all over the world. The famous SAS Institute is one of them; with the help of a unique approach towards its members, knowledge management, and production process, the SAS Institute has become a staple of a stable and successful organization. The organization seems to owe a huge chunk of its triumph to the specific organizational management strategy. Analyzing the latter will help not only define the further course of actions for the SAS Institute but also specify the pattern of development that other organizations can use to succeed. Introduction: Something to Be Learned about the SAS Institute There are very few institutions providing impeccable clockwork, and the famous SAS institute is one of them. Although it is generally considered impossible to convince employees to work for their company providing services of such quality as if they were working for themselves, the SAS Institute managed to reach this Zen of corporate management. Taking a closer look at the way in which the company is functioning now will help define the key patterns that allow the SAS Institute to stand out so much. Sinking into the Atmosphere: The SAS Institute and its Current Working Environment When speaking about the SAS Institute, one must mention its incredible environment, which must spur its employees’ enthusiasm greatly. One of the things about the Institute that one usually has hard times believing in is that the famous SAS Institute is not actually as family-friendly as one might think it is. The given aspect of the Institute strategy is rather easy to understand; once having its employees are focused on the task, one will find it extremely undesirable to make them switch to a completely different concept. Instead, the SAS members try to build a family atmosphere within the Institute by establishing trustworthy and equal relationships between its members (Gillard, 2010). Therefore, the University aims at creating an atmosphere that will help its members and employees feel at home, thus, creating the environment that is most suitable for these people to work and create efficiencies. Although the given technique might seem somewhat costly and rather redundant, it plays a very important role in the corporate mechanism, allowing the members of the organization to feel an integrated part of it and, which is even more important, the people whose needs are respected ad whose demands are met. Looking for More Revenues to Come: The
Executive summary Nike Hong Kong is a private limited company that operates as a subsidiary of Nike Incorporation. The firm is located in Kwun Tong, KLN Hong Kong and specializes in different business activities. Some of the firm’s core business activities include importing, wholesaling and retailing various sports apparels, footwear and accessories. Since its inception, the firm has managed to develop sufficient competitive advantage to enable it survive in an environment that is very dynamic. Some of the factors that have contributed to the firm’s competitiveness include adherence to quality and innovativeness in its production process. Moreover, the firm has integrated product differentiation as its business level strategy. One of the ways through which the firm achieves this is by producing high quality products. This has enabled the firm to effectively position its products in the market. The marketing plan entails a comprehensive evaluation of the firm’s external and internal business environment. The plan details the prevailing market trends, intensity of competition, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. The objective of the plan is to suggest how Nike Hong Kong can maximize its sales revenue by improving its marketing strategies. Additionally, the control and evaluation mechanisms that the firm will adopt in assessing its performance have been discussed. Situation analysis Baron (2005) asserts that ‘organizations do not exist in a vacuum but rather exist, co-exist and compete in an environment characterized by a high level of complexity’ (p. 1). Consequently, marketers must develop a comprehensive understanding of their current and potential business environments in which they operate (Lamb, Hair & McDaniel 2008). Brooks, Weatherston and Wilkinson (2004) further asserts that understanding the current and future business environment is fundamental in business strategy formulation, strategic planning and decision making processes. External and internal business analysis enables firms’ management teams to determine their organizations’ direction and how to accomplish the set mission. Market trends Nike Hong Kong is likely to benefit from changes occurring in the sporting goods industry. One of these changes has arisen from growth in internet technology that has made consumers to be more knowledgeable in their consumption patterns. According to Hong Kong Trade Development Council (2013), most customers in Hong Kong have become more knowledgeable about health and beauty. This has in turn led to the growth in popularity of various indoor and outdoor sporting activities such as Yoga, aqua fitness and rock climbing in an effort to keep fit. This trend has led to growth in demand for various sports accessories, apparels and footwear. In Hong Kong, the trend is mainly evident amongst the youth who are increasingly taking sport classes. Additionally, more women are participating in sports. In an effort to maximise its profitability, Nike Hong Kong will focus on increasing its clientele base by developing products that meet diverse customer needs. The market for sporting goods such as footwear, sports equipments, apparels a
Introduction Most industries and companies change pricing strategies in a volatile manner depending on various marketing environmental factors. Ideally, companies’ pricing strategies are much influenced by the desire to increase corporate profits and cover operating and other costs (Thomas & Maurice, 2010). One of the commonest pricing strategies is the differential pricing strategy or the tiered pricing approach. Pharmaceutical and airline firms are examples of industries that adopt tiered pricing techniques to share costs among their customers. These firms can drastically change prices in a span of days, moments through differential price sharing methods. According to Thomas & Maurice (2010) the strategy is based on the notion that customers must not be treated equally, and that firms need to put some efforts on products. Rather than selling products to all customers in similar approaches, a firm tries to classify and categorize its customer in groups and charge different prices to different groups. Tiered pricing behavior of pharmaceutical and airline firms Today’s marketing research has primarily focused on the pricing policies and strategies by the organizations. Most researches indicate that organization pricing policies are set based on; existence of price tiers, face value pricing, and discount/ premium variation pricing policy. Pharmaceutical and airline firms’ products are good examples where this strategy is prevalent and as a profit maximizing technique (Moe & fader, 2008). According to Moe and fader, 2008, tiered pricing is mostly influenced by the ideology of advance purchasing of products by the customers. They added that, firms in pharmaceutical and airline industries customers provide advance information pertaining to the overall demand, diffusion across consumers and the demand elasticity of their products forcing a more elaborated marketing efforts to differentiate prices accordingly. For example, airline firms adopt a multi pricing discrimination practice which essentially involves variation of prices dramatically based on timing or hours of purchases. Airlines purchasing in advance by customers also perfect airline price tiers. Pharmaceutical firms’ price tiers are based on medicine quality and better services depending on the income levels or the individual status in an economy. Yadav, 2010 argue that, price tiers in the medicine and health fraternity is faced with challenging factors on offering quality health provision in most developing countries. In fact, the industry is much cautions in differentiating its prices. In addition, price differentiation in pharmaceutical firms adds another advantage in maximizing profits. For example, variation on pharmaceutical products depends on incomes of the customer group. Yadav, 2010, further states that, pricing strategies in pharmaceutical companies its challenging firm’s growth and the success in improving access in low and middle earners. Essentially, recent trends shows that firms in pharmaceutical and airline industries pay much attention to price tiers since its differential is based on economic and demographic characteristics of the ta
Introduction Objective of the Report The aim of this report is to present strategic human resource development plan about a lack of understanding of performance management in the franchise, and create a SHRD plan in an attempt to eliminate issues identified. Research Methodology The report relied on existing data from the company reports and assessment of existing studies on SHRD approaches in the industry. Thus, the report presents recommendations based on the franchise issues as well as the industry perspectives. Specifically, the report looks at human resource (HR) activities on training and development, performance management, and rewards and recognition practices in the franchise. Limitations This report is specific to a given franchise. Thus, it cannot apply to other franchises in different locations, which may have different issues. The report relied on past data, which may not give the current situation and emerging situations. Understanding Performance Management of the Franchise This section looks at the main issues in the franchise and recommendations based on SHRD theories on how to handle such issues. Activity                  Objectives                                                                                                          Target participants                              * Change behaviour (salespersons complains, managers attitude to salespersons, and managers training approaches)                                                   * Increase performance                                                                                            Salespersons         Training and Development    * Align LJ Hooker competitive strategies, value proposition to the franchise approach                             Managers                                         * Create awareness about the value of performance management                                                                                                       * Equip employees with the right skills, knowledge, and attitude in the industry                                                                                   * Foster teamwork                                                                                                                                                  * Define the role of the manager in leading the team
Introduction Nowadays, it became a common practice in commercial colleges to teach students that the notion of ethics somehow applies to business practices. However, the objective reality points out these types of suggestions as utterly fallacious, simply because commercial activities, concerned with generating a monetary profit, are being unethical by definition. As Aviva Geva had put it in her article “Myth and Ethics in Business”: “Business is expected to do whatever is necessary to succeed, and is not expected to be concerned with abstract morality. Business is a one-dimensional, purely profit-seeking enterprise. Profit is not just prioritized; it is elevated to the exclusion of all other interests” (2001, p. 585). The watching of the 1992 movie “Glendarry Glen Ross” and the reading of Sam Foster’s novel “Alpha Male: A Tale of the Battle of Commerce” had once again confirmed the full validity of earlier suggestions, as both: movie and the novel, promote the idea that it is only individuals fully focused on pursuing their corporate agenda that has a chance of succeeding in today’s highly dynamic business environment. In this paper, we will aim to substantiate this thesis even further by comparing three characters from Foster’s novel (Harkness, Liz Peterson, Jack Kendrick) to three characters from the movie (John Williamson, Blake, Shelley Levene). Liz Peterson and Blake As it appears from Foster’s novel’s initial chapters, the foremost reason why Liz Peterson was able to succeed spectacularly in the field of selling real estate, is that she did not have any illusions as to the fact that considerations of conventional morality may somehow apply to business. She was well aware of the fact that, when it comes to dealing with clients, it is the matter of foremost importance to ensure that these clients would be playing by agent’s rules of a game, and not the vice versa: “Negotiation was a man’s game, and being able to go toe-to-toe with them and give as good as she got was the first rule she’d learned” (2002, 18). Moreover, she was also aware of the fact that, for a particular real estate broker to be able to stay afloat, in the professional sense of this word, he or she would have to be willing to take advantage of his colleagues’ weaknesses, if such an opportunity presents itself. Th