ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Business leaders all over the world are increasingly using writing to communicate the agenda of the organization to stakeholders, demonstrating that written communication has a substantial significance in contemporary business world (Management Study Guide, 2013). There exist several reasons why writing is important in communicating across the organization and externally to customers, suppliers, distributors and other stakeholders. This section illuminates three such reasons, namely flexibility, power and clarity of thinking. Flexibility unlike verbal communication, writing allows readers some form of flexibility in that they decide when and how much they want to read. Not only do managers perform optimally when they are allowed to read at their own convenience, but they also become increasingly receptive to written communication due to the flexibility it provides. Such an orientation can only drive the company forward in achieving and maintaining competitive advantage. For example, a manager in a construction site may want to deal with written communication due to the unfavorable conditions for verbal communication in the project site. Power Written communication has a huge influence over individuals, groups and organizations. Writing has a staying power over people and the organization in that a proposal or policy document done several years ago can be retrieved from the filing system and used to deal with an emerging issue. This cannot be achieved in verbal communication as nothing is stored for future perusal. Equally, writing has a travelling power in that good proposals and reports done by junior staff often find their way to the upper echelons of management, leading to a speedier promotion for the writer. For example, it is common knowledge that junior employees of many companies have scaled their career ladder to become personal assistants of CEO’s and senior management due to their superior writing capabilities. Clarity of Thinking Writing encourages logical and coherent form of thinking, providing writers with the opportunity to clarify issues and arrange them accordingly. This means that writing provides fundamental assistance to thought processes. An accountant trying to explain to the management why sales volumes are plummeting may find refuge in trying to balance figures on paper. Occasions where Writing is the Best & Proper Communication Method There exist myriad instances where writing is thought to be the best and proper communication method in an organization. Writing is the preferred mode of communication when employees
In the essay “Shooting an Elephant”, Orwell tries to put across the dilemma of a white man in a position of power in the imperialistic Britain, who does not quite identify with the evils of imperialism. This often leads him in to uncomfortable situations requiring him to take actions against his will. Although it might seem that this means carrying out British orders even when he does not agree with them, “Shooting an Elephant” shows that it could also mean living up to the expectations placed on a white man by the locals, even though it may be against his conscious. In the essay, Orwell realizes that he must shoot the elephant because as a representative of the British imperialism in the small town, not doing so would have shown the British Empire to be a foreign oppressor that could not be trusted to protect the locals when needed. Orwell makes its very clear at the outset that even though he represented the British imperialism, he had already decided that “imperialism was an evil thing” (para 2) and secretly sided with the Burmese in their fight against the British oppression. So even though the Burmese saw him as an enemy and tried to harm him in inconspicuous ways, Orwell actually empathized with their cause. As such, his duties as police officer often meant that he had to carry out orders that at a personal level he found distasteful. It also meant that the locals, who had no way of knowing how he really felt, judged him based on the actions that he carried out as an instrument of the British rule. According to Bertonneau, “The “British Empire” is never present in and of itself, because it is an abstraction, a system; it only appears through its agents” (para 3), the agent in this case being Orwell. As a result, Orwell realizes that he must always act in way that is expected of a white man, even though he may not personally agree with those actions. This need to always behave in a way expected of him is not because of any pressure from the empire or his superiors but because as a representative of the British ruler, he must do everything he can to “impress the ‘natives’ and so in every crisis he has got to do what the ‘natives’ expect of him” (para 7). Killing the elephant was not only morally wrong since it was a source of income to its owner but even legally it bordered on the gray. Orwell was well aware of this even before he laid his eyes on the elephant. He never really intended to kill the elephant and when he borrowed the elephant rifle, it was more as an act of self defense than with any intention to shoot at the elephant. Yet, once he had got the gun, the natives expected him to kill the elephant and protect them from the “crazy” animal. As more and more natives gathered, the
Today the statistics that characterize Americans’ intensity of work and proportion between work and leisure have made researchers to talk about the phenomenon of “workaholism”; the title of this notion is so similar to those given to dramatic diseases that one has opportunity to imagine how serious it is. In his Are Americans Workaholics – Or Just Passionate Workers?, Tibor Machin opposes to this widespread opinion stating that the American traditional “workaholism” is nothing else but “love of their work”, inspiration and enthusiasm in their profession. Machin explains that since the early years, an American child has opportunity to develop his/her talents and come up with his/her future professional interests, which gives him/her opportunity to choose a job that he/she really enjoys. As a result, an average adult American has a 10-day vacation during a year while Europeans have rest about 25 days annually. In other words, according to Machin, Americans are 2.5 times luckier in finding working places that they enjoy and 2.5 times happier at work. This statement sounds very optimistic and promising, and probably the whole society would like it to be true; however, there are several arguments that do not give me opportunity to agree with it. In my opinion, Machin’s “love for work” is a kind of obsession that is performed and perceived as the aspiration for self-realization and success. First, let me touch the question that seems to be crucial in this discussion: do the Americans have opportunity to choose a job that they dream of and that satisfies their needs, interests and talents? “After all, many who work, say, in the sciences, the arts, entertainment, even farming see themselves as doing what they want to do”, says Machin (Machin) emphasizing that any person has a chance to find such a job and enjoy it. Sam Keen, the author of The Rite of Work: The Economic Man (Keen), calls these artists and other professionals “a fortunate minority” and says that the rest of the people in our society are in the position of serfs in the medieval feudal system (258). Indeed, are there many artists in our society so that we can state that Machin’s statement is true? However, even if we allude to the world of art, we may see that quite a little part of people who get the education of an artist are satisfied with their jobs: instead of working on paintings that express their world-view and their soul, they work on labels for consumer goods or businessmen’s and lawyers’ business cards. At the same time, if the opportunity to choose is at least to some extent peculiar to the artistic professions, the situation is much worse with a farmer or a blue-collar. Keen formulates the unwritten rule that prevails in corporate the today’s society, “Sweat is lower class, lower status… As a nation we are proud that only three percent of
Introduction The question about the interconnection between technology development and progress has been a matter of discussion since the Enlightenment era. The idea about technological improvement as a base for social development and the level of human well-being and personal happiness has been prevailing in the United States since the late eighteenth century. However, after the 1960s, this belief has been widely discredited, and at present, the idea of the power of technology is often approached with skepticism. In light of this, the meaning of the very term “progress” needs to be clarified. It might be interpreted in several ways: as a growth of economic wealth, improvement of the social system, personal development, and an increase in the level of happiness. As it has been proved over centuries, all these factors are not always coinciding; moreover, sometimes they may contradict each other. Current global environmental problems, social conflicts, and unjust regimes of the past century, such as Nazi holocaust, the Stalinist terror, and the arms race with nuclear danger, are a few of the examples. In this essay, it will be argued that technological development does not necessarily ensure “progress” in the sense of improvement of the social aspect of life, as well as increase the level of “happiness,” a specific characteristic of human well-being. Development of Technology: historical background The Roots The roots of the idea of the power of science and technology lie in the philosophy of the Enlightenment in the era of the First Industrial Revolution. It was the late eighteen century when the implementation of considerably improved machinery in the factory system caused the significant rise of the economy, accompanied by the belief in technology as a means of social improvement. The philosophy of Rene Descartes, the base of the modern European way of thinking, presents nature as a “great engine,” a metasystem consisting of sub-systems, among which are human bodies as well (Marx 38). Later, similar ideas of Newton and other natural scientists were defined as “the Mechanical Philosophy.” Such power would be ensured by science and technology, and its application would improve all aspects of life – economic, social, political, and moral. Technological Progress as a Means of Social Improvement In the Enlightenment era, the idea of social improvement as an outcome of technological development became the leading concept. The French philosopher Marquis de Condorce
The Victorian age is at once identified generally as a time of nostalgic perfection and severe oppression. It is the age of change and social advances and the age of the strict social structure and an extreme regard for the customs of the past. Under the reign of Queen Victoria, the Industrial Revolution came of age, blossomed and brought sweeping change across the country and the world. Coming out of this period, women in Europe and America were beginning to question their allotted place in society as more and more opportunities opened for them in the urban centers of the country, providing them with a means of supporting themselves and freeing themselves from the yoke of male domination. However, at the same time, these positions were not the equal rights positions of modern times, so it was often difficult to determine whether one wanted to sacrifice freedom for comfort or comfort for freedom. Rarely was it possible to attain both. All of these social and economical concerns can be found in the novels written during and following this time period. Capturing the spirit and the restlessness of this movement, Kate Chopin’s novel Awakening tells the story of a woman awakening from the stupor of Victorian values in order to more fully experience herself as she first frees herself from her husband’s definitions, then frees herself from her duties as a mother and finally learns to enjoy simply being herself. The opening of Chopin’s story continues to illustrate how Edna Pontellier is little more than the property of her husband until the night she finally decides to free herself of his rules by taking a night-time swim. Her status is introduced on her first appearance at the beginning of the story as Leonce Pontellier addresses Edna on her return from a swim. “’You are burnt beyond recognition,’ he added, looking at his wife as one looks at a valuable piece of personal property which has suffered some damage” (Ch. 1, p. 13). Vague ideas of independence and self-awar
Background Also known as forest day mosquito, the Asia tiger mosquito ( Aedes albopictus ) is a kind of mosquito species, which has led to various detrimental effects on human beings, particularly in the United States of America, since its introduction in 1985. The mosquito is considered a bothersome pest in human communities, as it associates closely with human beings. Its physical characteristics are white and black striped body and legs, with relatively a small body (a quarter-inch long) compared with other mosquito species. This mosquito species is native to the tropical areas of Asia, particularly in the southeastern parts. According to Toliver (2003), the mosquitoes in their natural niche the food chains were naturally controlled, which in turn held their population growth in control, as opposed to their new environment where there are no predators, leading to uncontrolled population growth. Secondly, this massive population has led to limitations in terms of habitats (limited shelter). This is opposed to their natural environment whereby population growth is controlled. Thirdly the new environment specifically in the USA varies to freezing winter in
Introduction Despite the fact that food is a commodity consumed by all people in the world, different countries and people are associated with a specific type of food which is native to them. The native food types of any country or ethnic group make the larger part of their cuisine as part of cultural representations. The specific food types therefore contribute to their culture and values in the society. However, there are regions that hold more to their cultures as compared to others. For example, most of the Asian nations still hold their cultural roots unlike their counterparts in Europe and America. This paper is therefore about the representative food(s) of an Asian nation known as Thailand. The Country’s food item Thailand is a country located in the south east of Asia. The common language spoken in Thailand is Thai hence making the Thai people. The country is endowed with many natural resources as well as agricultural products such as rice in which Thailand is the largest world exporter of rice (Cummings, 2000, p.211). Thus, rice is the staple food of the Thai people and especially the jasmine variety of rice which makes up the largest portion of the Thai cuisine. The Thai cuisine is known internationally because of the seasoning combination used. As a matter of fact, it is a blend of all the five key tastes namely spicy, sour, bitter, salty and sweet. The Thai cuisine is made up rice (Known as Khao in Thailand) that is served with other accompanying dishes made of sauces, salads and curries among others (Kahrs, 2000, p. 76). Its role, image and use Social occasions in Thailand are not complete without the Thai cuisine. As a matter of fact, food in Thailand can be a reason to hold celebrations, something that is very unusual in other nations. Apart from rice forming part of every meal in Thailand, it plays a great role in earning foreign income to the country. This is because, it exports rice to the world market and because of its high quality it has high demand in the market thus fetching much income (Schmidt, 2005, p.1). Rice has on the other hand created an image of Thailand globally. Thailand is among the first nations that people think of when you mention rice. History of rice in Thailand For a long period of time rice has formed the heart of every meal in Thailand. Rice is said to have its origin in the Asian arc, from where it spread to other continents. However, the Thailand people have their own history with regard to the origin of rice. They claim that Lord Vishnu is the one who gave birth to rice thereafter the people were taught how to raise the rice by a God called Indra (Huke and Huke, 1990, p.1). It is because of this that the growth of rice in Thailand is considered as a holistic activity despite its economic and health benefits. Social and cultural roles of the Rice
The National Software Reference Library (NSRL) The National Software Reference Library (NSRL) is a project at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the primary goals of which are to store all existing software, file profiles, and file signatures and to provide guidelines for their efficient usage by various organizations that deal with forensic investigations. The library consists of three main sections:   * a physical repository of application packages that are available for purchase;   * a comprehensive database providing descriptions of every file that the packages contain; and   * a small database of the most popular information, which is updated once every three months (Hayes, 2015). At present, the library disposes of more than 7000 software packages with more than 35 million files—many of which are duplicates used in several programs simultaneously—and over 11 million unique files (Altheide & Carvey, 2011) This database is very useful in the process of forensic investigation, as it saves the investigator a considerable amount of time that he or she would otherwise waste examining files. In fact, when possible, the database excludes known files that cannot provide any evidence from the automatic search. Moreover, the library can identify what programs were used in the system, which helps the investigator infer where he or she should examine for further evidence. This information can be particularly helpful when dealing with intellectual property issues, as it may show whether the user had a license for certain applications. Computer Forensic Tool Testing Computer Forensic Tool Testing (CFTT) is another project at NIST, which was created to check forensic tools (including both hardware and software) that are used in the process of investigation. The CFTT project was launched in 2000 and has proven to be quite successful in developing methodologies for forensic tools assessment. It offers a unique set of criteria and specifications that make it possible to estimate whether the tools are able to perform the functions that are required from them (Guttman, Lyle, & Ayers, 2014). So far, no critical errors have been found in the performance of CFTT. CFTT results can be used not only by software producers who want to improve their tools but also by a wide range of specialists, including investigators. The project allows them to decide whether given tools meet all requirements and can be used for the specific purposes of a particular investigation. Evidence collected and verified with the help of CFTT is admissible in legal proceedings (Peterson & Shenoi, 2014). Computer Forensic Reference Data Sets (CFReDS) The Computer Forensic Reference Data Sets (CFReDS) represent a small but valuable body of data created by NIST, which provides simulated evidence for exa
In the business world it’s normal for various enterprises to compete against each other. Only the strongest are able to survive in business world because if you can’t keep up with the pace you won’t catch up with the rest. Success in business comes after having endured so many barriers and holding on to your position even when others have let go. In business, you have to be ahead of your competitors. Competition on the other hand benefits the customers because they get goods and services at very low prices. This paper focuses on the BOS and five forces model, as strategies that have been put in place regarding competition. One of the strategies employed by business executives is the Blue Ocean Strategy. This model is based on enterprises that have not yet been ventured into. In this strategy there are two important terminologies and they are namely red ocean and the blue ocean. The red ocean means the ventures that already there. Gingerella (2010) argues that the blue ocean strategy is not developed due to love of exploring but because of the decline in present business ventures. The above scenario happens when there are so many people in the same industry which causes them to flood the market and in return the cost of commodities and services declines and thus they can’t reap from their businesses. The next option is the blue ocean strategy which means that
Introduction Nowadays, innovation can be discovered as a critical attribute that defines company’s success in the market while having not only a positive impact on its financial performance but also leading to continuous development and growth (Bessant & Tidd 2015; Dubina & Carayannis 2016; Tohidi & Jabbari 2012). It assists the companies in surviving in the intense market competition and offering unique products to cater constantly rising needs of the customers. Its beneficial characteristics underline the need to include its features in the strategy of the company, and it could be said that Next Plc can be viewed as one of the firms that attempt to redesign its strategy to regain its market shares. Next Plc specialises in the apparel industry, and its first store was established in 1982 in the UK ( Next Plc: at a glance 2017). Pursuing a path of continuous innovation and providing customers with stylish and exclusive clothing and accessories helped the firm become one of the recognisable brands worldwide. Today, Next Plc has 400 stores in the UK solely while 200 locations are also open globally with its total sales of £4.1 billion ( Next Plc: at a glance 2017). Consequently, the primary goal of the paper is to evaluate Next Plc innovation initiatives and market potential. In the first place, innovation theory will be discussed by relying on the BVS model. After that, the acquired knowledge will be implemented into practice by assessing internal and external environment of Next Plc. Based on this analysis, the recommendations will be presented, and conclusions will summarise the main findings of the paper while offering new insights concerning the approaches to enhance Next Plc’s innovation processes. Innovation Theory To establish a foundation for discussion, it is crucial to refer to the ideas of innovation models in detail. One of the most commonly used ones is the BvS innovation framework, and its concepts are presented in Figure 1. The image clearly displays that the core of company’s innovation pertains to vision, strategy, leadership, and organisation of processes. In this instance, to support innovation and aim at effective integration, the firm has to have a concise and shared vision and a well-established leadership style that complies with corporate needs and fosters innovation while it is essential to cover a diverse range of processes including Human Resource Management (HRM), market research, and information technology (IT) (Stamm 2008). The second layer refers to corporate culture and working environment, as they show whether the company is able to implement its principle values in practice. A combination of these factor