ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Executive Summary Succession planning strategies have become very important in the current competitive market. There has been a shift of focus in succession planning strategies. Initially, it was a method meant to select the most appropriate chief executives. However, firms currently use it as an approach of selecting the most qualified candidates for various positions. At BP, the management has been keen on its selection of individuals to hold various posts within the firm. The focus has been to select candidates with appropriate skills to these positions. However, the current strategy has not been effective enough in identifying and nurturing talents among its employees. This has affected its efficiency. The management must therefore, consider refocusing its strategy to be comprehensive enough to capture special talents among its workforce, and determine the approach of using the talents in its management strategies. Introduction and Background of BP Company Introduction The current business world is becoming very competitive, especially due to the increasing number of firms competing for the same market. According to Rothwell (2010, p. 112), business units must find ways of managing this competition if they expect to succeed in protecting their market shares. In such a competitive environment, marketing plays an important role in enabling firms to understand the needs of their consumers, produce goods that meet their needs, and deliver this product in a way that would yield maximum value to them. This way, a firm would be able to attract and retain a large pool of loyal customers. According to Hawkey (2002, p. 35), marketing has gained a lot of relevance in the near past. There has been a shift of focus from the 19 th century’s emphasis on production strategy, to the 21 st century’s focus on social marketing. In those early years, competition was almost nonexistence. Firms’ main concern was to present their products to the market. Consumers lacked alternatives, and therefore, they would be forced to buy what was presented in the market. This changed as we approached the 20 th century. In the current market, the competition is so stiff that firms have to employ marketing strategies in order to remain competitive. For this to happen, Olsen (2013, p. 89), says that a firm must have a pool of talent among its employees at managerial levels. It must have the right people who are competent enough to take it to the next level in terms of creativity and innovativeness. Succession planning strategy has therefore, been considered very important in the current business environment as a way of identifying and nurturing talents. Succession planning in the current business environment goes beyond selection of top management officers. It also involves having the right workforce at various sensitive positions within the firm. According to Liteman (2003, p. 78), for a firm to be able to take maximum advantage in the marketing strategies,
Introduction Proctor and Gamble’s (P&G) Organization 2005 was envisaged in being a series of far reaching initiatives in order to achieve a faster growth for the company. The initiatives required wide ranging modifications in the work culture, processes, and organizational structure so as to enable employees to make further efforts in speeding up the process of innovations. Organization 2005 also aimed at leveraging the global presence of P&G as also to enhance profits and sales by launching a range of new products, by shutting down unviable manufacturing facilities and cutting down on jobs. Such initiatives were headed by Durk Jager, CEO of P&G who had assumed the office in 1999. Over a period of six years, these efforts were to cost Proctor and Gamble $1.9 billion. Jager was confident that fast track restructuring was imperative for the creation of innovative expansion opportunities for Proctor and Gamble, and while introducing the new programs he had conveyed his confidence to analysts in this regard. Jager’s new policy pertained to creating an environment which would produce plans and goals that were bolder in bringing about big innovations with better speed. He redesigned the system of rewards for employees in order to strengthen the connection between results and compensation. Main body The Organization 2005 program entailed the reorganization of the Global Business Units and establishing of eight regions for Marketing Development Organizations. The Global Business Services of P&G were consolidated in order to have functions such as HR, accounts, IT and order management directly under the corporate organization. Most of the corporate employees were shifted to the new units and the company redesigned its training programs to bring better results from employees. However despite his best efforts, Jager fumbled and was not able to carry forward the plan effectively and he resigned. The news sent the company’s stocks tumbling down to levels that were the lowest since the mid 1990s. He was succeeded by Lafley who seemed to be on the right track after taking over the mantle, but it still remains to see whether the moves made by him will pay off for Proctor and Gamble. The prime reason for Jager’s failure was that he exerted extra pressure on the P&G executives to quickly bring the company products into the market. Jager’s acquisition of American Home Products and Warner-Lambert proved to be failures and his plans proved to be very aggressive due to the reckless introduction of new products. Managers were not appreciative of his style of confrontation and there was increasing disenchantment amongst them. Organization 2005 was to be completed in June 2003, and after the removal of Jager, Lafley had changed the company’s focus towards en
The poetry surrounding femininity and womanhood is often a complex and divisive area of art. It presents diverse and frequently uncomfortable expectations between the beautiful imagery, the harsh historical reality and the coping mechanisms women develop throughout their lives of inequality. These mechanisms are particularly interesting to analyze through the prism of artistic self-expression and self-reflection. Often these works are an attempt at reclamation, with which an author is processing her experiences of belittlement within an uneven social order. Julia Alvarez’s poem “Woman’s Work” is an example of feminist poetry, both thematically and emotionally. Questions about familiar relationships with other women, housework and heredity are discussed with fascination and resentment. The poem is told from a woman’s perspective, realizing she has way more in common with
When entering into marriages, men and women have similar expectations: the prospect of establishing and bringing up a cohesive family. Marriage partners look forward to spending most of their time together and sharing domestic responsibilities. Nevertheless, as time goes on and domestic expenditures intensify, both parties look for ways to meet these costs, thus pushing one of the partners or both to spend more time at work than with the family. This paper will compare and contrast Terry Martin and Edelman’s opinions on satisfactions of being a housewife. Terry Martin expresses mixed attitudes about housework; at one point, she views housework as an obsolete and anachronous task (Behrens and Rosen 412). Terry goes to the extent of claiming that most of the housewives live under the provisions of their husbands until they die for ignoring the importance of getting a job and providing for themselves. In a way, she portrays such wives as failures. Terry laments that, housewives are seen as outcasts in the presence of career women. On the other hand, Terry expresses an optimistic attitude towards housework. She views it as one of the jobs that are gradually facing extinction. Hence, she believes that with time, she will be one of the most sought women, due to her experience in housework. This aspect makes her feel that, housework will be one of the most sought jobs in the world, in the fu
The current paper dwells on my purchasing behaviours and experiences and also features a thorough review of a video ad by ASOS posted on YouTube. A personal consumption journal includes five products that I have purchased during the last week. I briefly review the looks and value of each of the products and then discuss my customer profile in great detail. My personal purchasing habits are reviewed in addition to the most prevalent behaviours and areas of shopping. As it is stated further in the paper, I make the majority of purchases online because it is easier for me and brings more joy than physical shopping. The second part of the report features a detailed analysis of a YouTube ad uploaded by ASOS. I have found at least six consumer behaviour concepts included in a 2-minute spot, meaning that the company took a rather creative approach to showing off its new fashion collection. The market segment that ASOS mostly appeals to includes males and females aged from 20 to 30 who are willing to express themselves and embrace their exceptionality. Ultimately, I propose a revised approach to the existing ad that could help ASOS appeal to a completely different target population. Introduction The importance of advertising may never be underestimated because both existing and potential customers should always be aware of the latest offers. Regardless of whether it means to reach customers online or offline, companies strive to appeal to consumers and roll out personalised products and services that may be successfully translated into income, improved brand image, and an extended customer base (De Mooij, 2018). When a business develops advertising, it aims to create a competitive advantage for itself and establish its role in the market by ensuring that all critical aspects of the business were mentioned, as it would improve the turnaround. There are numerous ways to spread advertising messages, such as websites, mobile apps, TV spots, and magazines. Even though there are advantages and disadvantages to any advertising, the impact that they create cannot be ignored, especially when it touches upon the segments that are most prone to purchasing behaviours (Andrews and Shrimp, 2017). The ability to reach an extended number of customers might be essential to a business that is willing to move its operation to a different region or even country. Accordingly, product promotion is a serious marketing initiative that can be used to attract new customers and retain the existing ones. Consumption Journal Within the last week, I have ordered Hardee’s takeaway meals several times, as I genuinely enjoy how this company serves its clients and the food that they sell. My favourite items on the menu are the Superstar Burger with cheese and the Big Cheeseburger. Even though I do not visit the restaurant too often, its offerings always appeal to me. Another product that I have used recurrently during last week is the Global Keratin shampoo. It really helps me keep my hair naturally hydrated, and it regulates the pH level as well. The
Walmart is an international firm that has served customers in worldwide markets for a long time. The corporation has established over 15,000 retail outlets worldwide (Courtemanche et al., 2019). Nevertheless, as the firm’s retail shop number has grown, it has faced issues that have hampered its customer experience. The fundamental problem is that the corporation was not able to provide any assistance or incentive for outstanding performance by the workers in their everyday work routines. Companies that neglect to compensate their staff frequently experience a decrease in productivity as a result of the workers’ decreased work satisfaction. Consequently, job satisfaction was dismal in the absence of support from the company’s general management. Based on the aforementioned issue, the ideal answer is for the firm to compensate its workers for any improvements recognized at the workplace. This will aid in enhancing the team’s productivity. The company should also consider the personnel’s interests, such as their hopes, ideals, and concerns about their jobs. The firm should consider the benefits and strive to improve them in order to drive people to work to their maximum capacity. Nevertheless, it should be mentioned that most businesses function best when their people are motivated by positive ideas and attitudes.
Introduction In the mid-1970s, a defining fashion style known as punk emerged in the fashion industry. Fashion is known to begin with various ways in a particular section of the larger society. Punk started through a genre of British music known as Punk rock. In this case, fans of rock music began to develop their own style of dressing, promoted by new designers of particular types of clothes to define their identity. On many occasions, the styles were influenced by so many factors related to the politics of the day or particular socio-economic events. The popularity of Punk is attributed to the Rockers of the 1960s, who aspired to develop their own identity and a means in which they would form their own sub-culture and alienate themselves from mainstream society (Hart 2008). Considered to have a diverse origin, the general agreement is that Punk emanated from a wave of new sub-culture of British society in the mid-1970s. Many entrepreneurs cum artists such as Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren operated a series of shops selling punk-designed clothes. These were years of social dissatisfaction defined by the people’s somewhat bleak future (Hart 2008). In fact, there was a lot of social dissatisfaction and the state was not able to control the emerging social pressure despite facing the threat of collapse. According to O’Byrne (2009, p.27), punk was the most extreme and nihilistic expression of aggressiveness against the state machinery, although it may have had just a few hardcore supporters. This paper discusses the origin of the Punk style with particular reference to the designs of Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood between (1974- 79). Malcolm McLaren’s Early Life and Journey towards Punk Style Malcolm McLaren’s life began one year after the end of World War II, 1946. Born to a Scot engineer father Peter McLaren and an Anglo-Jewish mother, Emily Isaacs, Malcolm experienced years of political and social tension in his life (Hawkins 2009, p.176). This is due to the political unrest perpetuated by disjointed political systems. Again, his parent’s separation when he was barely 5-years of age in 1948 worsened the situation and probably shaped his lifestyle and future career as would be shown in the emergence of punk style. When the parents separated, Malcolm found himself in the custody of his mother and a stepfather, a Jew by the name of Martin Levi (Hawkins 2009, p.176). Under the pressure from the English society that assimilated and ensured non-English people became invisible, Levi adopted the name, Edwards. His wife Emily had adopted the name, Eve Edwards. This is when he opened a clothing factory and named it Eve Edwards (Savage 1997, p.91). Interestingly, in 1971, McLaren dropped th
What role does kinship play in Aboriginal life? Anthropologists of Australia have been interested in the way of Aboriginal life for generations. They spent decades researching the way their tribes are built, the hierarchy, typical food and occupations, leadership and spiritual beliefs, customs and traditions. Social structure of the groups of Aborigines is very special. To understand it the scientists had to research multiple small habits and behavioural patterns typical for certain situations. The meaning of a group, a family, the importance of partnership and the way these people percept co-existence – all of these aspects are included into the studies of kinship. According to Sahlins (2011), kinship is determined by the mutuality of existence, which means that it unites people that are naturally present in each other’s lives (para. 2). It is worth mentioning that kinship does not only mean family ties and people related by blood. This concept also spreads towards other kinds of partners, for example, members of a group united by decision making or the same occupation and due to that spending a lot of time together. Besides, Barbara McMahon (2007) in her article called “Scientist Debunks Nomadic Aborigine Myth” mentions that the settlements of Australian indigenous people had quite extended architecture (para. 2). The members of communities were arranging their houses according to the climate. For example, for the period of wet season, when people had to spend a lot of time inside, the Aborigines invented interconnected houses so that they could interact with each other without leaving their homes (McMahon 2007, para. 2). This proves the importance of partnership for these people. Besides, the term of kinship had an even wider meaning; the Aborigines had a tendency to relate to creatures and objects of non-human world such as trees or birds. This phenomenon is called “sex totemism” (Stanner 1953, p. 66). Moreover, the Aboriginal society is based on the relationship of kinship. The special feature of this kind of society is that its people feel relatedness towards everyone they meet in their life. To my mind, this approach contains some primordial wisdom. The connectedness of all people, the relationships within this collective mutual being resemble the philosophy of Buddhism, where the whole Universe is considered as a whole and people are parts of the whole, so basically, it seems that the Aborigines share the idea of global connections between all beings in the world. What are some of the sources of Aboriginal i
Referring to the experience described in the previous reflection in participation of planning a large event, there was a situation which strongly emphasized the importance of teamwork. Most of the volunteer workers were put into teams overseen by a supervisor that were responsible for a specific aspect of the event planning. Upon formation my team was tense, and we were struggling in many elements of work including communication, creative and practical collaboration, and organizational capacities. However, our supervisor was very experienced in the industry, having worked with multiple teams over the years. He quickly recognized the situation which was inhibiting our work. The team was gathered, and he facilitated a discussion to determine our comfortable areas, strengths, and skills, with each individual being given assignments that they worked best in. Performance and teamwork quickly improved and we were able to successfully execute our given part. In the context of this situation, once again it became clear that theoretical applications of team management and collaboration are critical. The approaches that were implemented by my supervisor had their basis in management theory as well as his experienced of understanding the psychology of teams in complex work environments. One of the most foundational theories of teamwork is Bruce Tuckman’s Model of Team Stages. It suggests that teams develop over time, undergoing particular stages (not linear), each serving a purpose in the team’s growth and development as it eventually reaches peak performance and effectiveness (Black et al., 2019). In their research Bell et al. (2018) describe the importance of team composition, as the configuration team attributes ultimately influences the so-called ABCs of teamwork which are affective states, behavioral processes, and cognitive states. There is also the Belbin’s Theory of Team Roles which has seen success in modern management as well, attributing a well-functioning and optimized teamwork due to individuals being given the role where they best excel out of the seven possible which are: idea creator, information gatherer, decision-maker, implementer, influencer, energizer, and relationship manager (Ruch et al., 2016). These theories all took place in the situation. Our team underwent a developmental trajectory where we worked together, figured out differences, and eventually adapted to ensure that our performance was at the highest level. The importance of team composition was critical as well in the ABCs, as it affected our emotional state, behavior, and cognitive perspectives. Initially, it was challenging and debilitating because the team composition was made of relatively inexperienced workers that were strongly disorganized. However, once our supervisor applied the theory of team roles to an extent, assigning roles and appropriate tasks for that role in the team to individuals which were more comfortable, the team composition improved as well. Going forward, the theories enrich my understanding of team management and teamwork in th
How was the need for this product identified? The two products that are going to be described are bottled water and a piece of jewelry (a Cartier bracelet). The need in Chapter 6 includes both needs and wants. The need for the first one is identified spontaneously when the internal stimulus of thirst rises. With jewelry, in this case, if there was an external stimulus, I did not realize my reaction to it. I think the only stimulus was my desire to get a bracelet. Who else was involved in the process and what roles did they take on? Personal sources are the people we trust to advise us concerning a purchase. I don’t involve anyone in the process of buying drinking water, but I involved my mother as a personal source of information in the process of buying the bracelet. Apart from that, her attitude had some influence on me. In particular, she had excellent experiences connected to Cartier. How important was it to make the right choice? What affected your level of involvement? The level of involvement shows how actively a customer participates in the purchasing process. The “rightness” of the choice depends on risks involved. I did not actively seek the best water brand; I think they are replaceable. The only risk I recognize in this respect is the functional risk (bad quality for the money), but even that one is very slight. For jewelry, financial risk (not worth the money) is the one that makes me take precautions. Explain how you went about the search for information to make the purchase decision. Did you have enough information from your internal search or did you have to collect information from external sources? List the external sources of information and decide which source was most reliable and most valuable to you in the decision process. The second stage of buying process is the “search for information” one. It can be done on one’s own or with the help of various external sources. For water, no additional sources are needed. For jewelry, the process of making the decision was three weeks; the stages of searching for information, evaluation, and deciding were repeated several times. The experiences of my family defined the consideration set of brands; together, we visited the official sites of Cartier (2015) and Van Cleef & Arpels (2015) brands and evaluated the options according to my criteria; the commercial sources provided all the reliable information I needed. Public sources were irrelevant in this case since jewelry is a rather personal purchase. What criteria did you