ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
What is your opinion of Gerry’s approach to evaluating the output of the new product development group? I support Gerry’s approach to evaluating the output of the new product development group. Apart from changing new ideas into tangible products, developing new products comes with several other challenges. Wheelwright (2010) contends that insufficient funding is one of the crucial challenges that hamper the development of new products. In most cases, people charged with the development of new products fail due to a lack of sufficient funds to support market research among other procedures that should be followed prior to developing and introducing new products in the market. Furthermore, new products need further funding in a bid to remain in the market prior to generating sufficient finances to support production and marketing (Wheelwright, 2010). With reference to Gerry’s approach, he offered Maria as much budget as she and her group needed to facilitate the development of successful products. With such a provision, it is evident that Gerry had provided sufficient funds for the project. Furthermore, the significance of the project to the organization could be gauged from Gerry’s move to choose the most creative person within the company to head the new project. However, the idea was not clear as characterized by Garth’s move to seek clarification. Do you think that Maria is getting too sensitive to criticism? Maria is getting too sensitive to criticism. In my opinion, Maria should accept Gerry’s criticisms concerning the new product ideas. Constructive criticism is good for any form of development (DuBrin, 2012). First, Gerry has invested a significant proportion of the company’s revenues to enhance the development of successful products. In most cases, managers fail to venture into the production of new products for fear of failure. However, Gerry decided to take the risk as characterized by investing in new ideas. Furthermore, Gerry believed in Maria’s success by dismissing Garth’s remarks, which highlighted the possibilities of Maria’s failure in developing new products. According to research, creativity and innovativeness form a significant part of maintaining an organization in the market (Tillman & Cassone, 2013). With the prevailing competition in the market, organizations need to engage in innovativeness and create new products in a bid to gain a competitive advantage. Such an argument is evident in Gerry’s comment as he recognizes the possibility of Manchester Foods’ stagnation if the company fails to venture into the development of new products. With the dire need for new products, it is crucial for Maria to accept Gerry’s criticisms as a way of saving Manchester Foods from stagnation or collapsing. Furthermore, Gerry’s criticisms are positive and they are aimed at improving Maria’s ideas. For every idea that Maria gives, Gerry gives a reason to reject it, which underscores constructive criticism. How do constraints on creativity enter this case? According to Kau
Executive Summary The current information age dictates that organizations that are willing to succeed should have a strong presence on the internet. One such company that has developed the objective of increasing its visibility is Footsteps Historical Tours. It has contracted Inter-Net Ltd, which is an IT consultancy business, to provide it with a strategy to be followed while updating its IT structure to boost its trade on the internet. This report provides the strategy that Footsteps Historical Tours should follow to ensure that it is marketable on the internet in an effort to increase its revenue. The report proposes that Footsteps Historical Tours should buy the necessary computers and equipment. It also suggests that the company should install a working intranet while also contracting a web designer to equip it with a working website. The report also proposes that the company should contract an Internet Service Provider and another company to host its website. The investment appraisal, timescale for the operations, and the appropriate recommendations are provided in the report. Report: Footsteps Historical Tours Strategic Analysis of Footsteps Historical Tours Footsteps Historical Tours is a travel company that majors on local and international travel. It has been in existence for five years. Established as a tour company, Footsteps Historical Tours initially owned several transport vehicles, which were used for tours around the country. The company later engaged in international travel, with its customers mainly consisting of business people, families, and individuals traveling internationally and locally. The company’s size has been increasing over the last few years. It is ranked highly in the travel and tours industry in the country. Other companies operating smaller travel and tours programs for organizations together with small businesses provide competition. Footsteps Historical Tours is in the process of opening offices in many parts of the world. Currently, it has operations in three countries, employing 170 people in the process. The annual performance as indicated by the revenue returns are in the range of millions of dollars. The management structure consists of the CEO, the board, and the departmental heads. Marketing Plan Footsteps Historical Tours has had a successful marketing plan in place. This plan has enabled it to be the market leader in the region in the travel and tours industry. Despite this success, the organization has no working online marketing strategy. The management has not put the same in place to ensure adequate competition along this front. The company aims to be the leading tours and travel company in the country and the region at large. The management and the marketing department also have the objectives of increasing the firm’s visibility on various platforms, with this activity being projected to increase the returns. However, the main objective for approaching Inter-Net Ltd is to enable the company to trade as a successful on-line travel business. By engaging in e-commerce, Footsteps Historical Tours wi
Summary The film, Young and Restless in China, is a documentary directed by Sue Williams that follows the lives of nine young Chinese women and men in their struggle with ambitions in a society that is changing swiftly. The nine characters face different opportunities and challenges in similar magnitude in their quest amidst capricious forces of economic reforms. The characters called Ben Wu and Lu Dong migrated from China in search of greener pastures, and they both return to benefit from the economic boom. Despite the success of their ventures, the toe characters find it very difficult to cope up with fast-paced Chinese society. The other character, called Xu Weimin, becomes a successful hotelier after abandoning the political ambitions he had as an activist. Zhang Jingjing also abandons activism and becomes an advocate representing thousands of homeless Chinese. The other character is Zhang Yao is a doctor with a big heart as he provides care to Chinese who cannot afford health insurance. The last character is the multitalented youthful hip-hop artist called Wang Xiaolei, who is a critic of capitalism in the new Chinese society (Williams, 2008). Divergent experiences of young Chinese people due to varied status The experiences of the nine young Chinese people before becoming economically successful and after experiencing different breakthroughs are contrasting. For instance, Xiaolei, the aspiring rapper, was raised in an abandoned warehouse in abject poverty after the divorce of his parents. The migrant worker called Wei Zhanyan is struggling with underemployment, and taking care of the mentally ill mother is a rural region where the poverty level is very high (PBS, 2015). Since she comes from the peasant families and has a mentally ill parent to take care of, Zhanyan faces social stigma each day and has an unquenchable thirst for a parental relationship with her mother (Williams, 2008). The abject poverty in her village makes it a burden to care for the ill mother to the whole family. The rural housewife called Yang Haiyan was forced to drop out of school for lack of school fees. She is forced to look for odd jobs and makes the painful decision of leaving her family in sea
Identify the type of retailer that Nordstrom’s is classified as. Describe the characteristics it shares with other retailers of this type. Nordstrom is a department store chain selling shoes, clothing, accessories, handbags, jewelry, cosmetics, fragrances, and home furnishings (Surhone, Timpledon, & Marsekan, 2010). Retailers are classified by forms such as ownership, independence, part of a chain, or a franchisee outlet. Nordstrom is a chain store owned and operated by a single organization. The home office of the chain is in charge of administrative tasks and procurement of merchandise sold in the stores (Lamb, Hair, & McDaniel, 2011). Department store of this type is generally characterized by moderately high to the high, broad assortment of products, moderate to high prices, and moderate to high gross margin (p 434). However, the company claims in its Annual report for 2010 that theirs is a specialty retail store which is generally characterized by a high level of service, narrow product assortment, moderate to high price, and high gross margin. The latter may be more appropriate as their assortment of products is limited to shoes, clothing, accessories, handbags, jewelry, cosmetics, fragrances, and home furnishings. But for this feature of a narrow assortment of products, there are no many differences in other characteristics. It may be relevant to state that the Annual Report states that out of their 207 stores located in 28 states as of March 18, 2011, 115 are full-line stores, 89 are off-price Nordstrom Rack stores, 2 boutiques, and 1 last-chance clearance stores. Hence classification of their business as either Department Stores or Specialty retail stores may not be entirely correct as per the textbook characteristics of a particular type of retail stores. However, as per the company’s annual report, Nordstrom can be classified as specialty retail stores since more than 50 % of their outlets are full-line stores (NordstromInc, 2010). Describe Nordstrom’s level of service on the continuum from full service to self-service. Give an example of a store that would be on the opposite end of the continuum and explain their differences. Full-service stores are the ones that carry specialty goods where our customers expect to be “waited-on”. As these types of stores render more service, they incur more operational costs. As such, the costs are passed on to customers resulting in higher prices to customers. On the other hand, self-service signifies customers’ locating, comparing, and selecting goods on their own when they visit to purchase. (Armstrong & Gary, 2007). Nordstrom started as an upscale retailer and the history of the company suggests that the founder of the company aimed at the highest possible service for a hundred percent customer satisfaction as he did not hesitate to sell a single shoe instead of a pair of shoes when customer revealed she had only one leg. In another instance,
Labrague, L. J., McEnroe-Petitte, D. M., Papathanasiou, I. V., Edet, O. B., Tsaras, K., Christos, K. F., Fradelos, E. C., Rosales, R. A., Cruz, J. P., Leocadio, M., & Lucas, K. (2018). A cross-country comparative study on stress and quality of life in nursing students. Perspectives in Psychiatric Care, 54 (4). The group of authors conducted this study to compare cross-countries diversity and differences in perceptions of stress and quality of life among nurses. The countries involved include the Philippines, Greece, and Nigeria. A cross-sectional research design was applied in this study. The research led to obtaining valuable data, significant both for further studies in the field and for the practice of health care facilities and educational institutions providing training of nurses. In particular, the results showed that higher stress perceptions are related to carrying out care for patients, as well as the clinical environment. Psychological characteristics accompanying the manifestations of occupational stress in nurses are a high level of anxiety and pessimism, low frustration tolerance, and excessive control over the manifestation of negative reactions. The level of professional burnout of nurses is in direct proportion to the level of neuropsychic instability, personality-adaptive potential, and the severity of accentuated character traits. The development of occupational stress in nurses is influenced by cultural socio-demographic characteristics such as age, educational level, job title, and length of service, with a strong influence on country specifics. The research described in this article emphasizes the need for empirical testing and cultural tailoring interventions in the efforts of effective reduction of stress and enhancing the quality of life in nursing students. The scientific novelty of the work lies in the conduct of a complex systemic multilevel study of the psychological characteristics of nurses in conditions of professional stress based on cross-country and, to some extent, cross-cultural approaches. The theoretical significance lies in studying the psychological characteristics of nurses exposed to occupational stress, determining the effectiveness of the psychological adaptation system and the severity of burnout, depending on the specifics of the activity. The results of the study represent a significant contribution to the development of ideas about the impact of occupational stress on the psychological status of nurses. It was revealed that the psychological resources of the nurses’ personalities that influence the level of their adaptive potential are the formed value-semantic structure, the adequate self-concept, and the internal locus of control and empathy. The practical significance lies in the possibility of using the obtained data in improving the diagnosis and prediction of occupational stress and its negative consequences in
Religious extremism cropped up from diverse Islam’s Jihad teachings. The research focuses on the reasons for the religious extremism. The research centers on the different interpretations of the Koran’s Jihad verses. Religious extremism precipitated from some Muslim religion devotees’ diverse interpretation of Koran’s Jihad verses. Initially, Paul Heck 1 stated Islamic extremism centers on two aspects of the issue. The first aspect is extremism. One group of non-Muslim people may classify the Islamic attacks on innocent civilians as extremism. On the other hand, the Islamic perpetrators of the suicide bombings do not classify themselves as extremists. Paul Heck 2 mentioned the second aspect is on the Islam religion. Some Islamic fundamentalism groups do not accept violence as a last resort. However, all Islam devotees affirm that Jihad is part of their duties. Some groups of Islam devotees prefer to use extreme means to perpetuate their goals for spread Islam. Islam accepts assassinations and bombings, specifically suicide bombings, as the duty of every serious Islam devotee. Likewise, Shireen Burki 3 emphasized Islamic terrorism or Jihad is part of the duties of Muslims to achieve their political and religious goals. Islamic terrorism cropped up in many strategic locations around the world. The Islamic extremist attacks occurred in Africa, Middle East, Southeast Asia, Europe, and the United States starting in the early 1970s. The most recently devastating Islamic extremist attack occurred in New York on September 11, 2001. Al-Qaeda’s leader, Osama Bin Laden authorized the Islamic extremist attacks. The plane attacks focused on stopping the United States’ political and military presence in the Middle East as well as in the Arabian states. The extremist attacks also focused on the removing the corrupt and inefficient leaders of the Arab states. Another very loud reason for the extremist religious attacks is to put a stop to the United States’ military, financial, and other aids to Israel. In addition, the extremist attacks focus on returning East Timor and Kashmir under Muslim authority. The extremist members are very active convincing people to join their religious extremist acts. The terrorist attacks include kidnappings for ransom, hijackings, and suicide attacks. Shireen Burki 4 opined religious extremism is an offshoot of Islamic teachings. Alia Brahimi reiterated the Islam religion teaches violence as part of the necessary acts of their religion. Religious extremism is the ideology or political act that violates the norms of society. Society norms consider killing a crime. Consequently, an extremist is any person who uses religion as a basis for killing another person. Demetrios Caraley 5 shows a vivid example is the unforgettable horrors of the September 11, 2001tragedy that hit New York and the Whitehouse. The incident is a direct act on the United States’ democratic ideology. The incident shows that Muslim religion devotees’ religious beliefs may translate to the loss of innocent lives. Osama Bin Laden was instrumental in the attack of United S
Introduction The most important event of the fifteenth century was the discovery of the New World by the Europeans. This discovery ushered in an era of large-scale immigration from Europe to America and the establishment of permanent settlements there. There were major consequences of the interaction between European settlers and the Natives of America. One native tribe that was affected by the appearance of Europeans in North America was the Mi’kmaq people. Scholars agree that the history of the Mi’kmaq did not begin with the arrival of the Europeans to North America. However, their encounter with the Europeans became a defining moment in the history of the Mi’kmaq. The discovery of the existence of the Americas by explorers such as Columbus and the subsequent interactions between the Natives and the Europeans transformed the lives of the indigenous populations. This paper set out to discuss the discovery of America by the renowned Spanish Explorer, Christopher Columbus, and the consequences of these findings to the Mi’kmaq people. How Columbus discovered the Natives in Canada Christopher Columbus is arguably the most renowned explorer in the world. This Spanish maritime explorer set on a number of important voyages aimed at discovering new lands across the ocean. His most important achievement was the discovery of America in the Western Hemisphere following his voyage across the Atlantic Ocean. This monumental discovery occurred by accident. When Columbus made his first voyage across the Atlantic in 1492, his intended destination was Asia. By the fifteenth century, Europe enjoyed lucrative trade relations with Asia. The Asian continent was rich in goods such as silk, jewelry, and spices. However, the trade flow was restricted since the goods had to travel over a long and dangerous land route from Asia to Europe. Europeans were eager to expand their trade relations with the continent but the lack of a cheap trade route made trading difficult. The limitations to trade imposed by the land route led to the desire for a sea route to be discovered. Such a route would open up trade with Asia since ships could travel faster and carry more cargo. Christopher Columbus believed that he could reach the Asian continent by sailing West across the Atlantic. However, his voyage led him to a previously unknown land as he docked on an island in America. This 1492 landing was a historical event since it led to the opening up of the new world for further exploration by Europeans. The significance of Columbus’ voyages is that they led to the establishment of permanent European settlements in the Americas. Over the next ten years after the first voyage, Columbus made three other voyages to the New World where he ventured deeper into the discovered continent. The contact between the Mi’kmaq and the Europeans was a direct result of Columbus’ discovery. Because of his discovery, the Europeans becam
British Petroleum (BP) is among the world’s leading gas and oil companies that operate in seventy countries worldwide. With headquarters in London, Great Britain, it produces and sources oil and gas both offshore and on land, which makes it possible for the company to have a wide scope of operations. The manufactured and marketed fuel and raw materials provided by BP are used in multiple products of everyday use. Founded in 1909 by William Knox D’Arcy, BP is a public limited company that made it to the list of the world’s oil and gas giants. Corporate governance plays an exceptionally large role in the operations of such companies as BP because it represents a system of rules and guidelines by which a company is controlled and managed. In cases of a corporate governance failure, the trust of the public and stakeholders decreases, leading to potentially harmful consequences for the overall success of an organization. BP had an issue with its lack of corporate governance in 2010 when an explosion and fire took place in the oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico and killed eleven workers as well as set off one of the largest oil spills in the history of US operations (“The Oil Spill by the Numbers”). According to the estimates, the Deepwater Horizon incident resulted in “about 4.9 million barrels of oil gushed into the Gulf waters, destroying hundreds of miles of fragile coastline and threatening the livelihood of the local population” (“The High Cost of BP’s Lack of Corporate Governance”). The impact of such a disaster on the company was vast. The company pleaded guilty to eleven counts of felony manslaughter and agreed to pay a pre-tax toll of $40.9 billion to cover the consequences of the spill (“The High Cost of BP’s Lack of Corporate Governance”). To this day, the deal is considered one of the largest resolutions in the history of the United States court system. In addition to this, three dividend payments to the company’s shareholders were canceled while BP also initiated some significant shifts in the board of members. The main contributing factors to the failure in corporate governance referred to BP’s inability to ensure the appropriate safety of its workers and prevent environmental disasters that are a risk during oil and gas-related operations. The company’s board put the lives of employees in danger by not giving safety the required level of rigor in terms of planning and implementation. During the investigation, it was revealed that the BP oil well was sealed after eighty-seven days of leakage, which also points to the lack of consideration of the corporation for environmental issues and the well-being of residents affected by the disaster. From the described case of British Petroleum failing to estab