ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Introduction Work-life conflict is experienced when people or employees feel that their expectations of one domain of their life (work or family responsibilities) overwhelm the other or are totally incompatible. Research has identified two aspects of work-family conflict and they include; the situation where the activities or demands associated with work conflict with the family responsibilities and when family issues interfere with a person job performance. The role theory explains that the expected relationship between work-family conflict and the feeling of job satisfaction should be in such a way that when there is so much work-family conflict, then the person going through this will experience very low job satisfaction. Career Satisfaction Factor Researchers purport that career satisfaction is just an attitude that is associated with the level to which people feel they can balance their work demands and family responsibilities. This is what makes them like or hate their jobs and in most cases, the dislike of one’s job translates into negative attitude at work and therefore this culminates into such behaviours like absenteeism, low job performance, and external turnover (Taylor, 2001, p. 63; Pitt-Catsouphes et al, 2006, p. 78). Considering the negative impact career dissatisfaction can have on the work performance, employers and managers have developed a keen interest in the factors that determining the level of job satisfaction (Clark, 2001, p. 351). These factors can be assessed and recommendations for improvements made so that the negative behaviour can be mitigated. There are several factors that have been found to cause a lot of uproar in the workplace not only because of job dissatisfaction but also due to increased prevalence of work-family issues (Ford et al, 2007, p. 63). This factor has drawn substantial interest than other factors like religion. Work-family conflict is becoming very prevalent in many organisations and employers have realised that this is a very undesirable situation because of the devastating negative impact it can have on their organisational performance (Premeaux et al, 2007, p. 707). Besides job dissatisfaction, work-life conflict results in poor health and decreased performance ( Clutterbuck, 2003, p, 67) . In extreme cases, it can be the cause of broken families, and generally poor marriage or family relationships. The causes of work-family conflicts include factors from the job and also from home especially time management problems (Kafetsios, 2007, p. 23). For instance, the work shifts could be very irregular hence affecting individual family duties, sudden job transfers can separate individual from their families abruptly, frequent need to work overtime could consume time that could otherwise ha
The Washington Times reported on Thursday, April 28, 1988, that employees of EPA had complained to the management about the agency’s lack of progress in fixing ventilation problems that caused headaches and dizziness. The article was written by Dan Vuleichs. The employees claimed that the re-carpeting program was the source of their health problems. Indeed, EPA’s Occupational Health and Safety staff confirmed they had received complaints of headaches, nausea, fatigue, sinus congestion and psychological signs of confusion and disorientation from the employees. According to the Federal Report, the major culprit was Shaw Industries that manufactured the carpets. The Times, further, reported that the EPA’s Environmental Response Team discovered significant amounts of benzene, toluene, formaldehyde and styrene in the workplace where observations were made. This prompted the employees to storm out of the meeting. Possibly this could be the chemicals responsible for the health complications of the EPA employees. The chemical most likely responsible for the adverse effects could be one of those chemicals that were discovered at the workplace. The fumes and glue that were used in the installation and the chemicals used in the manufacturing of the carpets were blamed on the symptoms exhibited by the employees. The chances of the chemicals aforementioned above being used in the manufacture of the carpets cannot be ruled out as the major health contaminants. However, the main source of the chemicals remains the industry (Shaw Industry) involved in carpet manufacturing. The numerous complaints launched by the 64 employees of EPA got the attention of many players including the representatives of the House of Congress. The member of Congress ordered laboratory investigations
The process of DNA replication has been studied extensively as the pathway to understanding the processes of inheritance and the possible platform for addressing a range of health issues occurring as a result of DNA mutations. However, the subject matter is still plagued by grey areas that require further analysis, the very properties of the process being one of the core issues of debating. Specifically, whether DNA replication can be deemed as semiconservative remains largely an unanswered question (Georgia Highlands College, n.d.). I believe that, despite the lack of certainty regarding the problem under analysis, it would be reasonable to believe that DNA replication is semiconservative since it is consistent with the fact that, during the reproduction process, DNS is separated into two bands. The statement concerning DNA replication being a semiconservative process that leads to the development of two separate strands of DNA material has been supported by a vast range of evidence. Recent experiments point to the correctness of the semiconservative framework as the most legitimate theory that allows describing the process of DNA replication in the greatest detail possible (Georgia Highlands College, n.d.). In order to concede that the process of DNA replication is semiconservative, one should take a closer look at the outcomes of the experiment performed. Since the test performed by Meselson and Stahl showed that the amount of the DNA material was equal in two daughter cells, yet the density thereof was different, the presence of semiconservative properties in DNA replication can be regarded as proven. By asserting that the observed tendency could be found in not only the strands of E.coli but also in other species, Meselson and Stahl made it evident that the DNA replication did, in fact, show semiconservative properties (Georgia Highlands College, n.d.). Thus, I insist that the existing evidence points to the DNA replication process being semiconservative. The described outcomes of the experiment also lead to a vast range of conclusions concerning the
Introduction The processor of a computer is a device whose clock speed is very high. Therefore, the processing of data by the processor is by far faster than all the other peripheral devices that are connected to it (Tanenbaum, 2008). The effectiveness of any processor is achieved by ensuring that the processor’s idle time is minimized. This is made possible by ensuring that a queuing mechanism is established in case the computer is connected to slower peripheral devices. This is normally represented by the term SPOOL which denotes simultaneous peripheral output online. This technique ensures that the tasks that a peripheral device sends to the processor are arranged in the form of a queue waiting for processing. This will ensure that the processor is able to perform other tasks and the requests it receives from other peripheral devices as it awaits more instructions from the slower peripheral devices. Main Body The design of these peripheral devices has resulted in exposing the data that is being sent or received to more vulnerability to attacks. This is because the hardware and software designers of these devices focus more on increasing the access points of the peripheral devices as opposed to their security (Hruska & Keith, 1992). This increases the user-friendliness of the devices but at the same time exposes them to more security attacks. The attacks mainly occur when these peripheral devices are placed on a network. The sent data in this case can be accessed by a remote computer that is able to access the network. If a printer is used to print sensitive information and then access another website that is accessed by the public, an attacker can be able to obtain the data that the printer had processed by accessing the printer through this website. The vulnerabilities that the peripheral devices may be exposed to are explained below. Assuming that the printers are connected to a network through a network port, they may be exposed to security attacks. These printers have an IP address that is able to identify them on the network (Roger, 2002). An attack may be performed physically where the attacker removes the network cable from the printer and connects another device such as a laptop to it. This means that he/she will be able to interrupt and access all the data that is being sent to the printer by configuring his/her laptop to act as a printer server. The connection to the port of the printer may also give the person access to data that was printed earlier by this printer. It can, therefore, be concluded that removing the printer cable or that of any other peripheral device that handles sensitive data from a network can result in a security threat. The keyboard is mainly used as an input device for most of the computer systems. Assuming tha
When do you Dream during the Sleep Cycle? Dreams occur in any of the phases of sleep, nonetheless, the most concise, clear, vivid and memorable dreams are observed in the last phase of sleep (known as the rapid eye movement – REM sleep. Sleep Cycle and the corresponding influence of each cycle to dreams. Stage 1 (Transition to sleep) This stage is short lived lasting for about 5 minutes, it is a non-REM sleep in which eyes move slowly, muscle activity diminishes and one can be easily awakened (Smith, 2010, p. 1). Dreams at this stage are phenomenological to falling into a trance. Stage 2 (Light sleep) This is the very initial stage of real sleep, lasting for about 20 minutes. It is marked by reduced body temperatures, slow heart rate and the stopping of the eye movement (Stibich, 2009, p. 1). The light sleep stage is also a non-REM sleep, in which one can be awakened without much effort since the body at this stage prepares itself to enter into deep sleep. Dreams at this stage take the same form of falling into a trance as in the first stage of sleep, though there is an increased tendency of falling into the trance at this stage. Stage 3 (Deep sleep) This marks the initial phase of deep sleep, in which it is difficult to awaken someone. If one is awakened at this phase he/she would feel mixed up for several minutes. Deep sleep is marked by relaxed muscles, reducing body temperature and the repairing of the cognitive domain by the immune system (Smith, 2010, p. 1). This also is a non-REM sleep and dreams at this stage begin to take a concise and clear shape before the eyes of the dreamer. Stage 4 (More intense deep sleep) This is the deepest phase of one’s sleep. Brain activity is greatly reduced and much of the blood flow is directed towards restoring physical strength in the muscles, rather than the brain. It is very difficult to awaken someone at this stage of sleep, deep sleep is responsible for refreshing one after sleep (Stibich, 2009, p. 1). This is also a non-REM sleep and at this stage dreams are clear and vivid. REM sleep – Rapid eye movement At this stage many vivid and memorable dreams take place. REM sleep is characterized by fast, shallow and irregular breathing, immobility of muscles and rapid eye movement. Heart activity and blood pressure consequently heighten. REM sleep begins approximately 80 minutes after one falls asleep. With the repetition of the sleep cycles, so easy does it become for the sleeper to get to the REM sleep, thus the prevalence of dreams during the wee hours of the night (Smith, 2010, p. 1). Stages 2 to REM sleep recur/repeat themselves throughout the night. Sleep cycles repeats itself several times per night, this explain why people have more than one dream in their sleep. The first sleep cycle is characterized by a very short REM sleep, but toward morning, REM sleep is prolonged explaining the reason as to why most people claim to ha
What is money? Modern culture is gradually changing, and the demand for money continues to transform. Money seems to control all aspects of life, ranging from food to health. It was developed due to the transferability and divisibility issues associated with the traditional barter trade and other outdated currency systems. It is difficult to live without money today as it has become an integral part of the daily lives of humans. It has the ability to simplify all aspects of commercial trade as it acts as a unit through which commodities are bought and sold. In the absence of money, it would be impossible to carry out trading activities. Thus, the impact of the absence of money in the economy would be catastrophic. The period during the Great Depression in the 1930’s is a good example of how money was important in the economy. The era was characterized by the disappearance of money, leaving very little of it to circulate among people and businesses. Although there were goods and services waiting to be purchased, there was no money to do so, and the world came to a standstill. Developed countries such as America were the most affected, and most citizens were robbed of their earnings and savings. This is an indication that money is important, and life would be meaningless without it. However, it is important to note that money in itself is not everything as historical communities survived without paper or coin money. What is important is the value that people place on whatever unit they refer to as ‘money.’ Money acts as a medium of exchange and an element of measurement of the value of goods and services. This means that it allows individuals to understand how much items cost and promotes saving. Once an individual understands the cost of a commodity, it becomes easier to plan and save money to buy that commodity. In addition, the valuable nature of money is based on the fact that it is a universally accepted form of payment. In this regard, it promotes international trade as the dollar, for example, can be
Reflecting about negotiation processes The negotiation party involved five agents representing the interest of the five employees of Enterprise Corporation as the Salary Committee. I represented the interests of Max Eberly, who is the only design engineer for the company and has two years of work experience. The negotiation team had a difference in allocation of increment to the five employees because of differences in salary scale and number of experiences within the company. There need to negotiate for a fair settlement for the five employees, since each had a critical role within the Enterprise Corporation. To settle for an amicable allocation, we, as members of the salary committee negotiated by allowing each agent to present his or her case for why the employee being represented should have a salary increment. Each negotiator was given two minutes to present his or her case. The negotiators then highlighted years of experience and responsibility at the company as the primary factors that will influence the amount of salary increment to be added to each employee. This decision was arrived at following a unanimous agreement that more experienced employees should get higher salary increments as a reward for loyalty and steadfast commitment to company production culture. However, there
Introduction Managing employees in the retail business take time and resources. By nature business, retail has its own challenges as compared to other normal offices. One can save himself and his business a lot of trouble and effort by having clear policies on issues relating to the management. What should employees do to be properly articulated? This can be in relation to the security of the business, operations within the business, delegation, teamwork, disciplinary actions, remuneration, and promotions. Operations Retail, like many businesses, requires proper rules on operations. The rules should include conduct. The conduct of employees is very important as it portrays the image of the business. The manager should be able to discourage antisocial behaviors like persistent rudeness and lewdness. The manager should encourage all employees to maintain a high standard of cleanliness and smartness. The importance of cleanliness should explain to all employees. The expected code of dressing that is appropriate to the retail business-working environments should be detailed and non –discriminatory. The retail business manager should also detail a policy on theft, fraud, violence, and the possession or use of drugs in the working environment. The policy should clear on the actions that should take in case of violating them. Another issue in the area of operations that needs to be articulated is the use of retail business assets. The manager should be able to come up with policies on how the phone facility is made use of. Try as much as possible to discourage or limit personal calls policy on receiving personal phone calls. This will be possible if designated employees manage phone facilities in the retail business. Other assets like the use of computers in the office should also be limited to retail-related activities, in case of things like delivery van and other assets that can be misused. Employees should also de discouraged from using their private cars for office purposes, especially when delivering or going to meet customers. In case there is a policy in place for such a somewhat arrange, there should be compensation that is not arbitrary. Encourage all use of assets, either business or personal, to prior arranged. On issues of lateness, absenteeism, leaves, holidays, and other related issues that consume retail business time should be discouraged. The decision should be made on how leave dates are to be allocated among the employees, how to treat lateness, absenteeism. If you keep standardized working hours, make it plain that persistent lateness is a disciplinary issue. Do not stipulate that employees must let you know if they are going to be late and must report to their managers on arrival. Make it clear that employees need permission to take any unpaid leave. To sum up issues of operation, I quote an article from the Retail merchants association (2007); “One of the primary skills for any worker is communication. Whether you are managing a team of accountants, working directly with customers, or supervis
Introduction A performance-related pay system is a remuneration method in which pay progression is based on individual performance (Schuler & Jackson 2008, p. 5). In this system, pay increments and bonuses are normally awarded to employees who are able to meet or exceed pre-agreed objectives or targets. Thus, it depends on appraisal systems, which help the management to measure employees’ performance. Some of the common performance-related pay schemes include piecework, payment by results, merit pay, and commissions among others. The idea behind performance-related pay systems is that increased pay can encourage high performance in situations whereby employees can vary their output according to effort (Armstrong 2008, p. 21). Performance-related pay systems were widely used in the 1980s because they were viewed as the best way to motivate employees and to increase performance. However, the popularity of these systems has significantly reduced in the last decade due to their inability to facilitate high performance and motivation. It is against this backdrop that this paper discusses the premise that the disadvantages of performance-related pay system exceed its advantages. Advantages and Disadvantages of Performance-Related Pay Systems There is little variation in the advantages and disadvantages associated with the various forms or types of performance-related pay systems. Consequently, the merits and demerits of this pay system can be discussed in a general manner. Advantages First, performance-related pay systems enable employees to identify a direct link between remuneration and effort (Mathis & Jackson 2011, p. 47). This encourages them to put more effort in th
The gentleman, according to Confucius is simply a man of virtue. Confucius teachings explained the characteristics of a gentleman as a superior man, a man at his best, and a portrayer of authentic manhood. Meaning is added to the relationship between human beings referred to as Jen by Confucius by incorporating the idealness of the terms of human relationships (Chun-Tzu). Confucius states that there are five major characteristics that make up a true gentleman which are humility, sincerity, graciousness, magnanimity, and diligence. According to him, an individual who can practice all five of them can be considered as a superior man/ a portrayer of true manhood or put a gentleman. From the teachings of Confucius, there is no indication that a gentleman looks upon his endeavors and looks down upon those below him; but rather a gentleman’s endeavors pull others towards him (Damrosch et al. 600). Confucius says that humility and sincerity make others put their trust in a person. He states further that humbleness comes with respect; being magnanimous attracts many to one’s side and getting along with one’s subordinates you need to be gracious. Confucius’ understanding of his relationship to others whether above or below him is pegged on the characteristics that refer to a person as a gentleman, a man of virtue. According to him, a man of this nature that encompasses all these characteristics is a force that can bring change to society and turn it into a peaceful environment, the state it was and is meant to be. Another understanding of his relationship with others is found in his belief that each person within the society should act his/her proper part so that society would be better organized. He believes and states that the ruler of an empire should be a ruler while the subject a subject; the father should be a father while the son a son. This shows that he believes in everyone having a specific role to play and should not take up another’s role (Damrosch et al. 602). Reading Journal Prompt for the Quran: Experience reading the Quran The reading in the Quran that touches on Heaven, Hell, and Death is a complex through a straightforward recitation to understand the passage of reading. After the reading, one is left wondering whether the characters and events mentioned and referred to extensively in the text are realistic. There are character and events that