ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
PayPal, a company that specializes in online money transactions for the purchase of different goods, ranging from games to clothing articles, always looks good for potential investors and has a history of exceeding the expectations of Wall Street when it comes to pays per share and overall revenues. However, there is a reason why the company’s performance per quarter remains so impressive: when PayPal calculates its favored earnings measure: it does not consider the stock-based compensation to its employees as a cost (Morgenson). This means that favored earnings in PayPal are inherently higher than those of other companies. It is considered an unspoken rule in the business community to calculate the stock-based compensation as a cost when doing business, as it allows the revenues to be more accurate in the eyes of potential investors (Morgenson). However, it is not a rule that can be legally enforced. Some companies, like PayPal, use it to obscure the realities of their earnings from potential investors, who assume that the company calculates their favored earnings in the same way that others do. This allows PayPal to attract more investors, and with more investors, to increase its payments per share and satisfy everyone, thus creating an instance of a self-fulfilling prophecy. This issue is interesting from both accounting and commercial standpoint, as it shows how accounting manipulations can directly influence the flow of potential investors and improve the company’s overall public standing (Morgenson). To summarize, PayPal directly took a cost out of its income statement and placed it on a different line, effectively backing it out of the results. This maneuver, though considered shady by modern accounting practices, is helping them meet and exceed earnings expectations immensely. Work Cited Morgenson, Gretchen. “ The Accounting Tack That Makes PayPal’s Numbers Look So Good. ” The New York Times . 2017. Web.
Introduction One of the significant components of neuropsychological evaluation is memory assessment, though the tests administered have been observed to contain many flaws. This is because most procedures are chosen due to their ability to identify structural brain pathology as opposed to their capability to evaluate memory performance based on the factor operations that motivate it. The clinical and research functions of the clinical neuropsychologist have shifted towards integration of cognitive psychology and evaluation of cognitive components. During the assessment of cognitive functioning, the neuropsychologist needs to ensure that the tests carried out are specific to the cognitive operations of interest in order to arrive at the correct conclusions (Rourke, 1992). Cognitive skills Cognitive skills are the learning tools with which individuals approach a task. They determine the ease, speed and quality with which a person is able to learn and execute. Cognitive skills are important to children, and they form the basis for learning. They are different from the academic subjects in that they are mental tools necessary to process and learn material that is taught to them. Cognitive skills identify the effectiveness with which an individual processes the information received. These skills are used to focus to and retain information, process, assess and store facts and feelings, and create mental pictures and read words that help to understand concepts. Research conducted by the National Institute of Health has observed various factors contributing to the struggle to learn, though over 75% of the cases identified weak cognitive skills as the main cause (Levin, Davidson, Wolff, & Citron, 1973). Identifying the strength of cognitive skills This is possible by observing the student or individual during their daily activities. Each activity demands a certain degree of involvement or abilities. Through observation, it is possible to spot the things that are easy or hard to do. One can also identify things that the student is enthusiastic to do, and those that one is hesitant to, or tries to avoid them. A student with strong cognitive skills is able to perform most activities with ease, and finds them enjoyable. In the event that some of the skills are weak, the student experiences problems in talks that require that skill (Beverley & Lerner, 2008). There are a few limitations to determining the cognitive skills of a student based on performance. The process is time consuming and requires good knowledge of the association between fundamental skills and their roles in the student’s activities. Observation of performance can identify a difficulty, though it
Why do you think this advertisement is or is not effective in terms of Attention Advertisements are the soul of many business organizations. Without advertisement, most products and services would not be in circulation. The advert is effective because it is appealing to the audience. The most important principle employed in creating an advert is the message that such an advertisement produces. In terms of attention, this advertisement scores a plus, because it puts the audience in an emotional state. It creates a feeling of an abandoned personality, and may likely cause the audience to take a second look and possibly react towards it. Interest The advert scores an average in terms of interest; the images are catchy but also annoying. It can be a cause of pain to the audience and would not produce the desired goal. People are motivated by what they see, but such motivation can be a setback when it reminds the individual of the bitter taste of life and inequality. Desire The advert is effective in terms of desire because it would inspire the audience to think of a possible or immediate solution he or she can offer. The most effective tool for action is mind. A psychological advertisement creates a quick response from the audience. Action When the desire to act is there, it becomes easy to put it into action. This advertisement would likely cause the audience to act kindly thus; the message is an effective one. What are the main communication message and the arguments this advertisement implies to the audience? Is advertisement more rational, more emotional, or balanced? If it is balanced, indicate a way to make this advertisement more effective in the UAE context The advertisement
The exhibition by Domingo Milella comprises a collection of photographs that the artist took in different countries and at different periods of time. The photographs depict ancient places of attraction that serve as reminders of the faraway part of the human history and mesmerizing natural rock formations. The objects of Milella’s photographs are portrayed within their natural environments and are intended to unify the nature, humans, and the man-made objects in the context of time. The collection contains a wide range of very different images, but it definitely has a unique and homogenous mood within it. The exhibition by Diana Thater presents a video installation that features the footage the artist made in an ancient Hindu pilgrimage site – Galtaji Temple, situated in Jaipur, India. This is an immersive exhibition that includes a collection of images from the 18 th -century architecture of the Temple with its pillars, pavilions, and multiple monkeys freely inhabiting the site. The images are projected on the walls of the gallery in order to transform the original area into the immersive space. The photographs unite the architecture, the visitors of the Temple, and monkeys living there on a regular basis. The main focus of the exhibition by Milella is time. The photographs of his collection depict man-made monuments, locations, and sites that date thousands of years back. Many of these sites are photographed in a way that the time period when the photographs were taken is impossible to guess. The ancient monuments look eternal in the works of Milella. At times, the artist adds contemporary people to the photographs, this provides contrast between the ancient works, their magnificence, and the transient life of a human being. The monuments are the mediators of time, they look like parts of ancient mythology depicted in the period before it manifested itself (Steidl, 2014). The exhibition of Thater is a video installation, and its main focus is to create a sense of alternative space by means of projecting a video illusion on the walls of the gallery. The images included into the installation demonstrate contrast between humans and animals living in Galtaji Temple, their different attitudes towards the site because while the monkeys climb the walls and wandering around as if they were home, humans come to the Temple for pilgrimage, they visit to worship (Brady, 2015). The artist attempts to create a feeling of virtual presence and alternative reality during the exhibition. In her review, Brady (2015) notes that some of the walls of the gallery are often not included in the installation, and the lack of images projected on them creates the feeling of “wasted canvas.” For his exhibition, Milella chooses rather classical approach, he creates a collection of photographs. The artist’s approach allows distinct contrast between the time periods in hi
Introduction Organizations are systematically structured bodies of individuals or groups. They are neither the functional, unified entities celebrated in administrative theory nor the spheres of calamitous class encounter predicted by the proponents of Marxism. Instead, it might be contended, a more reasonable thought lies someplace between the two, an idea of organizations as politically arranged orders (Omisore & Nweke 2014). The continued existence of any organization is an act of politics. Therefore, organizational existence is subjugated by political relations. Organizational politics entail strategic utilization of power to maintain or get hold of typical resources (Barcharach & Lawler 1980). Organizational structures are new entities, which are as a result of sentient political decisions of specific players and vested parties. The studies on organizations by sociologists in the past forty years have, in general, embraced a political perspective of organizations. This perspective might be ascribed to a limited translation of earlier approaches to organizations. Sociologists have invested a substantial amount of time and energy attempting to demonstrate or discredit the credibility of the earlier concept of organizations, for instance, Max Weber’s theory of bureaucracy (Omisore & Nweke 2014). According to Donaldson and Preston 1995, there are three important groups that are crucial to the development of organizational politics. These groups are workgroups, interest groups, and coalition. The workgroups may be classified based on departmental differences, work differences, or as prescribed by the chain of command. On the other hand, interest groups are players who are conscious of the shared goals and shared characteristics of their destiny past their interdependence as regards the nature of work. Last but not least, coalitions are alignments of interest groups that are dedicated to the achievement of shared goals. They are pegged on mutual activities of two or more interest groups against other vested parties (Donaldson & Preston 1995). Organizational politics is concerned for the most part with the nature of power crosswise over interest groups or coalitions in the organizations and the description of strategies and counterstrategies that they use. The actions of these groups are capable of influencing organizational structure and operations (Donaldson & Preston 1995). This essay presents a well-researched paper on the relationship between politics, power, and stakeholder management. This will be achieved through the exploration of different theories and concepts and key arguments between theorists and different theoretical positions. Politics and power Organizational politics identifies with conducts that are outside those in which the organization has taken a particular stance in support or against. The conducts are intended to acquire self-centered and personal ends that are against the ends of other individuals in the organization (Ford, Ford & D’Amelio 2008). Organizational politics may concentrate on the objectives of individuals, as well as groups and they may well include practices that are
The protocol can be successfully applied to modern-day diplomacy because it determines and stipulates norms and procedures important for the profession. The protocol is used by a diplomat as a basis for determining what decision to make. These rules are a fundamental orientation toward life, what a diplomat sees as right and wrong, and his/her obligations towards others. The protocol is also closely connected with ethical responsibilities which means how its decisions and actions show con­cern for what the com­munity considers fair and just. The main discipline policies proposed by Protocol include improved atmosphere, a personal example, strict code of ethics, dress code, and cultural values. The protocol can be seen as a way of diplomatic life because the qualities of conduct performed by diplomats depend as much on the durable values of their cultures as they once depended on the values of other people they deal with. To some extent, to improve behavior patterns and everyday conduct, the example should be based on the ‘act’. This challenge is especially difficult because standards for what consti­tutes right or wrong are not clearly defined where clear-cut right-or-wrong answers may not always exist. To make the correct choices, a diplomat simply has to understand what his duties are and what correct rules exist which regulate those duties. When a diplomat follows his responsibilities, he is behaving morally. When she fails to follow his duty, he is immoral. It has also been acknowl­edged that diplomats have important obligations to a variety of other people, and this is reflected in Protocol (Watson, p. 35). A successful diplomat is a person who respects human rights and creates an atmosphere of mutual respect and compassion. The protocol can be seen as an agreement between professionals. The main problem is that culture and traditions include both conscious and unconscious values, ideas, attitudes, and symbols that shape the behavior of people. Because of differences in traditions, customs, religions, and related cultural features of a society, extreme care should be taken in selecting gestures and behavior that can convey the intended message and offend the sensibilities of other people. From my own experience, I know that protocol allows diplomats to avoid unpleasant situations and embarrassment that can be interpreted as ill manners and ill-breeding. The protocol is very important because it stipulates how to deal with different people from different countries and cultures. For instance, handshaking is the usual form of greeting for Chinese businessmen, but in contrast to European and American traditions, they prefer to s
Introduction The modern day business organizations are faced with numerous challenges as well as opportunities that compel them to constantly adjust to the environment and respond to the challenges presented. In effect, the size and structure of the firms have constantly undergone changes. This has caused the businesses to find themselves in new markets, producing new products, operating in with new structures and so on. This has mainly been catapulted by the firms’ need to keep up with the new market challenges such as competition without which they would inevitably face the natural selection fate. In order for a firm to survive this turbulent business environment, it is necessary for the firm to constantly evaluate and if need be change its operational processes. This, more often than not leads to a business restructuring with the aim of economic and technical efficiency (Franklin, 2009). In order to remain afloat in the long-term, the businesses will need to either restructure their operations to produce at economies or diseconomies of scale. This paper critically analyses both the economies and diseconomies of scale with a review of four authors’ views on the same topic. Economies of scale This simply means the ability of a firm to produce its output at a minimal unit cost. This in effect, reduces the cost of production and the benefits from producing more units to ensure that it reaches the set target. According to Celli (2013), economies of scale are often associated with a reduction in the average unit production cost and hence, higher productivity levels. In most cases firms strategically plan to achieve economies of scale in order to have a competitive advantage over those which are not able to achieve that. As a result a firm is able to sell at a lower cost per unit (Staffan , Phillip, & David, 2006). This arises from the fact that while the company’s variable cost increases with an increase in the number of units produced, the fixed cost remain unchanged and in effect, spreading the fixed cost over more units reduces the eventual total production cost per unit. The following table justifies the economies of scale. Products A                                                       Fixed Cost   Variable cost  No. of Units  Total Cost   Unit cost $ 10,000.00  $ 50.00        100           $ 15,000.00  $ 150.00  $ 10,000.00  $ 50.00        150           $ 17,500.00  $ 116.67  $ 10,000.00  $ 50.00        200           $ 20,000.00  $ 100.00  $ 10,000.00  $ 50.00        250           $ 22,500.00  $ 90.00   $ 10,000.00  $ 50.00        300           $ 25,000.00  $ 83.33   $ 10,000.00  $ 50.00        350           $ 27,500.00  $ 78.57   $ 1
In the modern world, much attention is paid to the problem of abortion, which causes not only medical but also social, juridical, and ethical concerns. Some people are critically sensitive to abortion, associating it with immorality and selfishness. Others consider it justifiable and complementary with the modern state of science and morality. Both negative and positive attitudes to abortion may have hidden pitfalls. Political laws on abortion forbiddance may result in the act of civil disobedience – illegal abortion. Some positive or neutral attitudes may ignore different sides of the problem and could be just giving the moralists a dig for their disapprobatory public mood. Therefore, the issue should be considered about ethical and social frameworks helping elaborate the proper approach. One possible philosophical approach to the problem of choice in such sensitive issues as abortion is the theory of Utilitarianism measuring the moral value of the action. The theory, usually associated with the works of Bentham and Mill, is a reaction to the fragmentary nature of our knowledge and beliefs. Utilitarianism is closely connected to the idea of equality and welfare. As Hayry (2013) states, “general well-being and equality among individuals have been focal to social and legal reforms since the rise of classical utilitarianism in Britain” (p. 1). However, the political systems opposing each other started applying the theory and that caused the challenging mess-up of values and approaches. Political and philosophical conflicts of collectivism and individualism began distorting the theory. Although, the initial theory is much about the happiness and well-being of each individual and the totalitarian-based understanding of public good seems hostile to the interests of individuals (Hayrey, 2013, p. 2). There is no use in savoring the principles of abstract common good while concerning the utilitarian ideas of modern society as much attention is paid nowadays to the rights of individuals and minorities. This tendency is particularly true for the Western world. According to Hayrey (2013), “the American pioneers of applied ethics especially believed that it is more effective to challenge … racial, ethnic or gender-related discriminat
Internet of Things (IoT) is revolutionizing numerous domains, including healthcare, transportation, smart homes, banking, and finance. IoT devices are designed to generate, process, and transmit data on a massive scale, making them an attractive target for cyber-attacks. Because the systems have been widely adopted, privacy and data breaches have become a significant concern for most businesses. Cyber-attacks or data breaches may interrupt network services, the normal flow of business activities and might even harm or disrupt people’s lives. Professionals must address these threats and develop security measures to ensure business continuity, foster trust, and protect business or people’s assets. Typically, IoT systems have three architecture layers, with each layer presenting its security challenges. The systems’ security can be strengthened by enforcing security principles at each layer (Mahmoud et al., 2015). Encryption, authentication, and access control measures can minimize attacks, resolve confidentiality issues, and promote trust between devices. A mutual authentication scheme co
Introduction Developing efficient marketing strategies is vital for a company’s success. Airbnb is a vivid example of a company that required reconsideration of its strategic marketing in order to revitalize the brand. This paper will present a brief summary of the essential marketing strategy issues of the Airbnb case, which are relevant to this day, as well as some contemporary issues. What is more, three recommendations concerning solving these issues will be provided. Main body One of the first and most significant issues concerning Airbnb marketing strategies has always been intense competition. The rival companies are widespread not only in Spain but all over the world, ranging from international giants like Booking.com to private local rental properties. Overcoming such active competition presents an important challenge in the hospitality and tourism industry. Therefore, this area should be taken into consideration while developing a marketing strategy. Another issue relating to Airbnb marketing strategies nowadays is attracting new categories of customers, apart from tourists. It is noted that Airbnb has been putting significant efforts to increase the appeal of the platform for those traveling on business (Carson, 2018). The focus of the company is on attracting high numbers of corporate travelers rather than some employees on occasional business trips. Finally, one of the recent challenges Airbnb has to address is effectively dealing with negative publicity. This publicity mostly stems from the various safety issues encountered by the customers. The most frequent examples of safety violations that affect the Airbnb brand include the uncontrolled possibility of