ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Introduction When training expatriates to work in particular countries, special attention is paid to the development of cross-cultural skills. The most popular framework for exploring national differences is Hofstede’s cultural dimensions model, which provides a range of helpful insights to integrate into business practice (Taras et al., 2009). The purpose of this paper is to develop recommendations for training US expatriates to work in Italy and analyze these recommendations from the perspective of the limitations of Hofstede’s model. Cultural Differences and Training Recommendations Cultural Differences Between Italy and the United States Italy and the United States are located in different parts of the globe, and their language, culture, attitude to life, and business ethics vary in many ways. The first thing in which Italians and Americans are not alike is the manner of speech. Italians talk fast and loudly, using expressive gestures and the tone of voice to communicate their emotions. Americans are much more reserved when business etiquette is concerned and get more relaxed during informal conversations. Italians are tactile and tend to move close to the person they are talking to. Moving away or keeping one’s distance can be considered unfriendly and impolite (“Business communication,” n.d.). Americans, on the other hand, need more personal space, and the violation of personal boundaries is perceived as rudeness. The essence of Italian conversation is gestures, close contact, and expressiveness, which may seem unusual to Americans but needs to be respected. The second difference is connected with the subject matter of conversations. While Americans do not appreciate small talk and usually get straight to the point, Italians often talk about food and culture, regarding it as a natural part of business communication. Closing sales is never the main focus of interactions, and meetings with Italians often provide more opportunities for evaluating colleagues and establishing relationships than for making decisions. The third difference is in the attitude towards time, which is significantly more relaxed in Italy than in the United States. For Italians, punctuality is not a priority, and small delays are not considered a sign of disrespect (“Busines etiquette,” n.d.). While in American companies, meetings generally start on time, in Italy, it is not uncommon for a scheduled meeting to actually begin twenty to thirty minutes later than expected. During a meeting, it is important not to create a sense of urgency because it is considered impolite (“Business com
Accident prevention is an important part of the process for any industry. By now, a great number of theories and models have been developed to explain the causes and prevent accidents from happening in the future. There is still a debate, however, on how effectively can those theories be used in practice. While some believe that it is possible to establish the root cause of an accident, and, therefore, prevent it from happening again, others argue that the nature of an accident is too complex and that there are too many variables to consider. There are different analysis techniques that can be used to create accident causation models and theories. Technological advances and ubiquitous implementation of technology also lead to an ever-increasing amount of theories, as the nature of accident causation mechanisms becomes more and more complex (Larouzee and Guarnieri, 2015). Sequential techniques present an accident as a result of a chain of events that was triggered by a root cause. The implication of the sequential technique is that establishing the root cause of the accident will help prevent it from reoccurring. One of the most known examples of this technique is the Domino Theory, developed by Herbert Heinrich in 1931, which serves as a basis for many of the following theories (Griffin, Young & Stanton, 2015, p.31). However, some critics of the sequential technique consider it to be too simplistic and find that it does not account for organizational influences. Epidemiological techniques are based on the idea that accidents are a result of a combination of both active and latent factors. The latent factors can exist in a system undetected for a long time, as they create conditions for an accident to occur, but do not trigger it directly. The best example of the epidemiological technique is the Swiss Cheese Model, created by James Reason in the early 1990s. According to Li and Thimbleby (2014), the Swiss Cheese Model “visualises incidents as the result of the accumulation of multiple failures in defences (represented as the holes in slices of cheese)” (p. 116). This kind of technique accounts for more factors and provides a better understanding of the nature of an accident. Despite that, some people argue that because of the increasing technological advances and more complex socio-technical systems this technique has become obsolete. A more holistic approach is represented by the systemic techniques. It diverges from the cause-effect view of an accident and rather “describes losses as the unexpected behaviour of a system resulting from uncontrolled relationships between its constituent parts”, as noted by Underwood and Waterson (2013, p. 4). While the systemic techniques seem to allow for a deeper understanding of the nature of an accident, other techniques can be used depending on the type of system in which an accident occurs. However, the possibilities of all those techniques are still limited. For example, according to Shappell and Wiegmann (2012), “humans have played a progressively more important causal role in both civi
Introduction The story “This is what it Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona” contains various symbolic elements and phrases representing the decline of the Native American culture and the gradual loss of traditions in favor of modernity. This can be seen in phrases such as “who does have money on a reservation except the cigarette and fireworks people” and the symbolism attached to the scene involving the utter desolation of life when traversing Nevada which used to be an area with a rich Native American tradition. In fact it can even be said that the story itself is seemingly trying to indicate that the latest generation of Native Americans are in fact distancing themselves from various aspects of their culture. This can be seen in the general treatment of Thomas Builds-the-Fire who is symbolic of the rich oral tradition that the Native Americans once possessed. The general teasing, cruelty, and even avoidance of Thomas due to his habit of telling stories is actually indicative of the current state of affairs of the Native American people who in successive generations have begun to embrace a more “modern” way of existence abandoning old traditions and cultural motifs in favor of embracing the American way of life. A detailed examination of the actions and behaviors of Thomas and Victor are indicative of the fact that both characters are actually methods of symbolism with Thomas symbolizing the past tradition and culture of the Native American people while Victor represents the current path that this race is now treading. What must be understood though is that while the story contains thematic elements of the decline of traditions and the embracing of modernity such concepts are not the true essence of the story. The title of the story itself hints at the fact that the journey undertaken by Victor and Thomas is not one that elaborates on the decline of the Native American culture but is rather indicative of a form of rebirth. Understanding the Symbolism in the Story There are 3 primary symbolic elements that should be taken into consideration in order to understand the rebirth analogy that is at the heart of the story, these elements are: the word Phoenix, heat and ashes. The use of the word “Phoenix” is important to take note o
Introduction Judaism is one of the ancient world religions. It originated 3500 years ago in the Middle East. Today, Judaism has approximately 13 million followers in various parts of the world (BBC, 2014). Judaism is a monotheistic religion that is rooted in the Torah. The Torah is one of the major sacred texts of Judaism. It refers to the first five books of the Hebrew Bible (Young, 2013). The Jews believe that God revealed the Torah to Moses on Mount Sinai. It also contains laws about how the Jews ought to worship God and relate with one another. Therefore, the daily practice of the laws in the Torah is crucial to the Jewish religion. This paper examines the history of Judaism, its important aspects and central beliefs as well as the pressing challenges facing Judaism. History of Judaism and its Sacred Texts The history of the Jewish people can be traced back to Abraham. He is considered as the first Hebrew; hence, the father of the Jewish people (BBC, 2014). Due to Abraham’s faith, God promised to give him a son whom he would call Isaac. God also promised to give Abraham many descendants through his son Isaac. “Later, the descendants of Isaac were enslaved in Egypt” (BBC, 2014). After several years of slavery in Egypt, God sent Moses to deliver the Israelites from the Egyptians. Moses was to guide the Israelites into the land that God had promised their father Abraham. During their journey to the Promised Land, God revealed Himself to Moses on Mount Sinai and gave him the Torah (BBC, 2014). According to God’s instructions to Moses on Mount Sinai, the Israelites were to obey all the laws contained in the Torah (BBC, 2014). Thus, the Torah has remained to be one of the major sacred texts in Judaism. Apart from the Torah, other sacred Jewish texts include the Tanak, the Oral Torah, and the Talmud. The Tanak refers to the Jewish sacred writings that consist of the Torah, prophetic messages and other sacred poetic writings (Young, 2013). The Oral Torah refers to the unwritten Jewish traditions, which God gave Moses on Mount Sinai. Later, the Oral Torah was recorded in a document called the Mishnah in order to preserve it from extinction. On the other hand, the Talmud is a compilation of the Mishnah and the Gemara (Young, 2013). The Gemara comprises the commentaries of the Jewish spiritual leaders known as Rabbis. The Gemara emerged in Palestine as well as Babylon, which were renowned centers for Jewish scholarship (Young, 2013). Consequently, this led to the development of Palestine and Babylon Talmud. The Central Beliefs of Judaism The Jews believe in one supreme God known as Yahweh. They believe tha
Introduction In the contemporary world, both teens and young adults tend to identify themselves with particular brand names in the clothing sector. This is basically because they believe that, it promotes a certain image to them as individuals. One of the most common brand names is “Gucci”. This company is often referred to as the House of Gucci or just Gucci. It is famous for its luxurious designs in both clothes and accessories that are coveted globally. The original designer of the Italian fashion house was Guccio Gucci and the company logo thus consists of the ‘G’ letter. Two ‘G’ letters face each other interlocked in such a way that, one ‘G’ is reversed. The teens and young adults today perceive attires from the Gucci Company, as the ‘main thing’ that makes them look classy and cool by virtue of the company’s good reputation and fame. This classy and cool image they acquire in wearing Gucci clothes can be said to have been created by both the company advertising, and the Gucci users themselves. The Connection between Advertising and Cultural Values Advertising and particular cultural values connect in such a way that, the way a product is advertised ought to be in line with cultural values for it to be accepted and sold easily. According to Hovland, advertising often impacts the choice of brand customers decide to utilize versus the advertisement’s capacity to add the product’s generic demand. The way a certain product is advertised plays a big role in fostering the standards of a certain product. However, it is still uncertain as to how much advertising remains a reflection of what already exists, or it actually sets standards that are followed by others. Even in the Gucci Company, it is paramount that its adverts utilize values as well as symbols relevant to teen’s culture. Despite the fact that advertising may reflect the already existing culture, the fact that it reflects can actually shape culture because there is no equal reflection for everything. It is therefore true to say that, as much as advertising reflects on certain cultural values, it is very selective on this because it echoes as well as reinforces certain behaviors, attitudes and values more frequently than others (Hovland 164). Impact of Advertising on Brands and young Adults The cultural values of teens or young adults ought to be in line with a particular urge to be cool and classy at the same time. This has largely been identified with the way the Gucci clothing is advertised to make the consumer feel that its products are classy and most cool in the fashion trends. It is thus very crucial that an advert attracts customers to buy its products, and also that these products also meet the standards claimed in the advertisement. As much as its adverts are good, the Gucci clothing can be said to have acquired merit in that, they have quality products that have over years gained much reputation. The young adults tend to have a culture
In the era of globalization, relations between nations and countries are of the utmost importance due to their influence on international cooperation, trade, and politics. In this context, the topic of soft power becomes critical since it involves the process of influencing other nations’ preferences and attitudes through the dissemination of various cultural values. The tools used in soft power strategies may include the popularization of traditional foods, customs, and pop culture. The topic chosen for the final research paper is Soft Power: Korean Pop Culture. The primary reason for choosing this topic is that K-pop and other aspects of Korean culture have become increasingly popular around the globe, which sparked people’s interest in other aspects of Korean culture. Therefore, it is assumed that Korean pop culture can be used to exemplify the concept of soft power and outline its function in the contemporary world. Asian countries play an important role in the contemporary political and economic environment. Nevertheless, until the 20th century, most Asian countries did not have well-established relationships with other nations. This enabled Asian nations, including Korean, to maintain a strong sense of national identity and preserve their authentic cultural values. Globalization made it more difficult for Korea to seclude its culture from the rest of the world and encouraged the country to build strong relations with other nations. Korean pop culture assisted the nation in earning a distinctive place on the global sociocultural stage due to its immense popularity in other countries (Iwabuchi 423). The final research paper will seek to examine the role of Korean pop culture as a soft power influencing global attitudes toward and perceptions of Korea. The research will provide a deeper understanding of the cultural processes involved in globalization and their effect on different nations of the world, including Asian countries. Work Cited Iwabuchi, Koichi. “Pop-Culture Diplomacy in Japan: Soft Power, Nation Branding and the Question of ‘International Cultural Exchange’.” International Journal of Cultural Policy , vol. 21, no. 4, 2015, pp. 419-432.
Executive Summary With new Apple laptops coming to the market every year and the old ones still being produced, there is a high need to repurpose the older versions and sell them to new audiences. This report will focus on giving recommendations about how to promote the previous version of the MacBook Pro to a new audience. The analytical process used during the report was associated with tying the features the MacBook Pro provides with a specific segment of customers. It was found that users with creative professions or hobbies tend to require reliable editing software and simple design, so it is recommended to market the older version of the MacBook Pro to architects, photographers, designers, bloggers, and film directors who all have a common interest in user-friendly editing software. Introduction Customers are always reaching for the “next new thing” that comes to the market of technologies. However, products that have already been introduced to the market can serve as efficiently as the new ones (Holland 2016). While there is a lot of information out there associated with MacBooks and the features in which they differ (Smith & Bourque 2015), there was a lack of information about consumers’ perceptions of the older and newer versions of the laptop. Therefore, to investigate how the product can be promoted, the following report comprises of three sections (Target Segment, Brand Positioning, and the Marketing Mix) to help overcome the challenges associated with the older MacBook Pro. Target Segment The target segment at which the MacBook Pro will be targeted will include customers whose hobbies or occupations directly relate to creativity and visual content (photography, filmmaking, etc.). These users have a need in acquiring specialized software programs to help them edit videos, photographs, and other pieces of visual art. This target segment is not of high income; however, since the MacBook Pro is on the maturity stage of the product lifecycle, it is likely that the reduced price will be attractive enough to capture the mentioned target segment. Targeting the marketing efforts at consumers with creative occupations can be very effective in the context of the boom of Youtube, blogging, and small independent businesses, all of which depend on visual presentation and require high-quality editing software that will be reliable. This target segment is the best opportunity to grow sales because the segment of customers of high income and an interest in technology has already moved to newer Apple gadgets and only customers of lower income with a need for reliable software will care to venture into the MacBook Pro territory. Brand Positioning Brand Positioning of the MacBook Pro involves issues such as unique and distinctive features that competitors do not have, the appropriateness to major markets, unique value proposition, sustainability, and the ability to support/boost customers’ needs. For this reason, the brand positioning statement for capturing the attention of the target segment is “Providing unique and reliable software incomparable to any other found on the market; the popul
Introduction Feminism has evolved from being a popular movement into a field of academic studies. Major feminist theorists examine the questions of epistemology, cognition, inequality, and other prominent questions of science. In light of the paramount nature of reassessment of academic doctrine conducted in feminist research, this paper undertakes the examination of core notions and concepts in this field, such as situated knowledge, truth, objectivity, bias, and self. Situated Knowledge Situated knowledge is perceived as data processed through the realm of imagination and projection influenced heavily by social standing. Such knowledge is connected to forming the reality that is beyond subjectivity and which reflects the views of privileged groups (Haraway 575, 576). It is also an ideology of sharing individual knowledge regardless of social positioning based on common values and relief of barriers. Thus, feminist research argues for the “communitization” of knowledge while being personally accountable for the learning outcomes and aware of negative factors. Truth Stoetzler and Yuval-Davis (315, 316) argue that the concept of truth has strong underpinnings in the realm of social science. In particular, the scholars note that the social experience and perception greatly influence the content and context of truth, which forms sufficient bias depending on the social agent’s gender, class, ethnicity, and culture. The context created through dominance in the political sphere creates the expectations, projections, or “imaginings” of truth. Imagination is claimed to be socially positioned, which is the source of bias in perceiving and utilizing this concept. Stoetzler and Yuval-Davis (325) suggest that in any research, there is a necessity to acknowledge the mechanisms by which “sensual data are transformed into conscious knowledge” and factors that influence the creation of truth. Therefore, feminist researchers understand Truth as unbiased knowledge free of social positioning and subjectivity. Self, Objectivity, and Bias In her work, Haraway (575) provides an outlook on the contemporary scientific debate concerning objectivity that has been increasingly polarized and set in the dichotomy of two sexes. Feminists, as she argues, have encircled themselves in defense against masculine science, trying to create their own body of knowledge and juxtapose female objectivity to male objectivity. The mission of feminist research, as she claims, is to establish collaboration free of either extreme with a healthy recognition of differences and similarities but without constructing new doctrines. Each feminist, in her
Business ethics is a comprehensive concept which delineates the organizations’ relationships with their customers. What is more important, corporate ethics deals with the environment within the company. The more attention the management team pays to the organizing and sustaining positive working conditions for its employees, the higher their job satisfaction and dedication levels are. While it is understood that instances of bullying and discrimination have an adverse impact on the people working in an organization, the cases of such deviant behaviors are still frequent in modern business firms. The significance of researching work discrimination is justified by the seriousness of this phenomenon and its dramatic impact on people’s work performance and their wellbeing (Pager & Western, 2012). Productivity levels fall when companies do not care about sustaining a healthy atmosphere among the employees. To protect those who have suffered from unfair treatment due to their religion, gender, race, or some other issue, the anti-discrimination law was implemented (Pager & Western, 2012). However, to be able to use the law’s protection, a person needs to have proof of maltreatment expressed towards him/her. The case of Hunter Panels’ Smithfield plant is a sad but bright example of how a job discrimination issue can hurt a single employee and impact the whole organization (Silver, 2015). The ex-employee, Sandra S. Robertson, filed a court case against the company in which she had worked for six years. During that period, Robertson was constantly suffering from her colleagues’ harassment and job discrimination attempts (Silver, 2015). The woman was offended because of her gender and her stature, and another kind of injustice was in the manager’s refusal to consider her complaints. Robertson reported that she had endured “harassment, venom, and gender-based discrimination” from her male co-workers when she had occupied the position of a shipping supervisor at Hunter Panels’ Smithfield plant (Silver, 2015). More than that, she received much smaller wages than her predecessor, who was male. That was another bias since the woman had a lot of experience in the Air Force as a supply specialist (Silver, 2015). As Robertson said in the court, her colleagues’ conduct changed from jokes into brutal offenses, and the authorities did not want to hear about that. Luckily, the federal jury took another side, and after thorough consideration, considered that Hunter Panels expressed prejudice against Mrs. Robertson, “subjected her to a hostile work environment and retaliated against her by firing her” (Silver, 2015). The woman’s lawyer said that the sum awarded as compensation – over $13 million – was the largest for such a case in the Western District of Pennsylvania (Silver, 2015). One of the reasons for such decisions was that the jury realized the seriousness of the case. Gender discrimination is