ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Introduction Over the last few years, China’s reputation as a global business hotspot has greatly increased. Large and medium businesses have expanded their capital involvement in China to have a share of its lucrative market. This rush for China’s market can be attributed to steady economic growth, favorable business environment, relatively low production costs, and sound economic policies. What exactly are businesses operating in China faced with legally, economically, politically, and culturally? What are the requirements for investing in China? Economic aspects of doing business in china The Chinese government embarked on economic reform program in 1978. This program was to ease years of state control of major productive assets. The program aimed at liberalizing foreign trade activities and investment, relaxing of price control on products, encouraging and facilitating education of its work force, and investment on industrial production (Bramall 364). This strategy seems to have worked considering China’s current economic growth. After the launch of the ambitious program, China’s real economic growth shot to an average of 9 percent as compared to the 6 percent before 1978. In most of the peak years after 1978, the growth actually reached 13 percent (Bramall 366). It is not only China’s economy that has greatly improved, but also her capita income, which has almost quadrupled. The growth has thus seen improvements in infrastructure development and provision of social amenities, which has attracted many investors in the region. However, operations of many business establishments in the region face many economic challenges, which if not considered may throw them out of business. The economic factors that influence business operations are Foreign Direct Investment, Inflation Rates, Infrastructure, and Currency & Exchange Rate. Foreign Direct Investment China’s economic reform process has concentrated on promotio
Introduction American reality television shows have captivated audiences for more than a decade. Particularly, this is true for reality music shows. For example, Moss (1) says the American Idol attracts about 30 million people, weekly. Such numbers highlight the power that such shows have in attracting huge audiences. However, based on the purpose of such shows, there are debates about whether they meet their intended goals. Moreover, since these shows are part of popular culture, there is even a greater concern about how televised music contests fit within the model of the “American dream.” This paper explores these issues by investigating how such talent shows affect the lives of the contestants. It also explores how they fit within the wider model of the “American dream” and why they attract many viewers. Definition of the “American Dream” The “American dream” has inspired different facets of the American society. Hobby (52) says it embodies different virtues, ethos, and values that characterize the US society. To explain this view, he says, “The historical dream is the promise of a land of freedom with opportunity and equality for all” (Hobby 52). This definition outlines my understanding of the “American dream” because I also believe that, in America, hard work can make people become what they want. Particularly, this is true for the music industry and the entertainment world where people believe that everybody’s dream to “make it” is valid. This principle exists in music talent shows, such as the American Idol and The Voice, because they give “ordinary” people an opportunity to become successful musicians. What is the Appeal of Talent Search Shows like American Idol? Talent search shows have captivated peoples’ attention for a long time. Many people have often wondered the formula for the success of such shows because every season attracts more audiences. Moss (4) believes the turnover of prospective artists who characterize the show explains this success. Comparatively, television shows that quickly lose their ratings often depend on a set of characters that continuously dominate the show. However, music talent shows thrive on the changing sets of talents. Relative to this assertion, Moss (4) explains the design of talent search shows by saying, “It is several people entering a talent competition and whittling them down. You cannot get tired of this format. You can get tired of it if we continually have the same people” (Moss 4). Therefore, so long as talent shows have new and interesting contestants, they are bound to attract more viewers. Transformation is another reason that explains the huge liking of music talent search shows (Moss 4). Stated differently, such shows give audiences an opportunity to see an artist’s transition. Therefore, they can relate to a musician’s success. Coupled with the opportunity to involve audiences in the shows (through voting), talent search shows are even more popular today than they were in the past. Why do People Criticize Talent Search Sho
Introduction An operational plan is a laid down strategy that defines how a business will operate in order to implement actions and monitoring plans, i.e. how resources will be engaged, how to deal with risks and how to ensure that achievements of its project are sustained. Strategic managers use an operational plan to request for funding so as to achieve a proposed expansion of business or an organisation. It is necessary to have cross-departmental communication since an increase in one department will inevitably affect other departments. Operational plans differ from one project to another depending on the size and complexity of projects. An operational plan helps an organisation to plan on how to get funding for projects and how to allocate resources effectively. It helps to plan in advance in case of any risks and also helps prepare a contingency plan to mitigate those risks. Objectives The Office Assistant’s major objective is to have the services component of the business grow in the next twelve months. The services sales are to be increased by 10% within the next year. Services are also to be expanded so as to include graphic design services. Objectives may not be attained if necessary measures are not taken. Additional resources are vital; both human and physical resources, e.g. an additional printer, photocopier and a delivery van among others to help increase the sales. The acquisition of the new equipment will necessitate additional space; hence the office will need to be partitioned to accommodate new staff. The sales personnel may also be motivated through reward schemes so that they may double their efforts and be more aggressive in selling the organisation’s products. Staff should be trained in effective sales methods and new product knowledge which is vital in boosting sales of the organisation. Resource requirements Expansion of any business needs critical assessment of its budget to ascertain whether it is able to withstand any proposed expansion. The organisation should look for other ways of raising the additional funds if the budget is not flexible to accommodate the expansion. This may be through borrowing, injection of more capital by key shareholders or even disposing of old equipment. The organisation will need additional resources over and above the ones operating beforehand to cater to the set objectives. These resources may either be a physical or human resource. Physical resources refer to the equipment needed to help increase the projected increase in sales, whereas human resource means additional staff to help distribute the additional products. Additional staff will cause an additional cost of advertising the vacancies created by the need for expansion. Moreover, the wages and workplace for new staff must also be put into consideration. Staff will also need insurance in the workplace in case of any accidents. The delivery van will need people to load it and unload it after it delivers the products to clients. Key Performance Indicators There have to be measures that can tell whether the management is on track to a
CREDE standards are the standards usually applied by teachers in order to make their pedagogy more effective. These standards are the rules that were established after a careful research of teaching practices and methods. The rules determined by the researchers are directed at the improvement of educative literature and techniques of teaching. The standards are designed to help maintain the agreement between the literature and teaching materials and the cultural diversity in the classroom (The CREDE Five Standards for Effective Pedagogy n. d.). The need for standards appeared with the development of globalization in the world and with the occurrence of high level of cultural diversity in the schools of the United States of America. This diversity required the teachers to demonstrate individual approach in order to improve the productivity and effectiveness of their teaching techniques. The researchers focused on the determination of clear norms that would work and bring positive outcome to any classroom and help any teacher. Another technique directed at helping a teacher and a class was created by Dr. Garcia. The strategies of Dr. Garcia are called “five R’s and one T”. These strategies recommend the teacher to be Respectful towards the students, another important aspect is the Responsiveness in the classroom, and the teacher must engage the students in conversations and maintain a dialogue between them. The students and the teacher are Responsible for their own active participation in the process of learning. Resourcefulness is the teacher’s capacity to stimulate the students’ desire to learn. Reasonable teacher will control the amount of work and the level of challenges they employ. Finally, the T is for theory. This means that the theory the lessons are based on must be correct and reliable (Redding 2010). When I teach I try to apply the five CREDE standards and follow Dr. Garcia’s strategies for better pedagogy. Evaluating my own teaching, I can say that I employ most of the standards and techniques. I try to make lessons collaborative, engage the students into dialogues and discussions that include the use of the thematic vocabulary, share own experiences related to the topic of the lesson, engage the students into group work. I also use tasks of various complexities to challenge the students, I provide my students with proper and clear feedback about their performance, I guide and direct the interaction between students, stimulate learning through the conversation. For example, during the class that included reading about environmental protection, I encouraged my students to have dialogues with each other, talking about their own experiences with protection and pollution of the environment, and using the new vocabulary. I believe that during my work with the students in the classroom I
Functional Team Framework Great Cup of Coffee Company E-marketing involves building friendly partnership and working relationship with a market segment without necessarily having physical contact with it. In fact, the main source of exchanging information and advertising products is through written words in a social media such as company website. Reflectively, success of e-marketing is deeply entrenched in the principle of keeping reliable and professional reputation in exchanging ideas and convincing customers in online selling. Thus, the key conceptual idea of this reflective treatise is an in-depth and explicit analysis of recommendations for an e-Marketing plan on the periphery of functional team orientation for Great Cup of Coffee Company. Besides, the paper is specific on values surrounding e-marketing and checkpoints that translate into sustainable, profitable, and relevant business engagement. In the contemporary society, over fifty percent of companies use internet in research and promoting their services and products. Besides, the same percentage of people has access to internet and other social media. Therefore, e-marketing is the ‘next big thing’. In order to have a successful e-Marketing plan in Great Cup of Coffee Company, structural planning is essential especially in locating target market and actualizing through execution of preset plans. With proper planning, messaging, and market objectivity, comprehensive implementation is achievable at optimal level. In order to achieve structural planning, the same should labor to build a visible campaign for brand awareness which dictates the magnitude of acceptance and time frame for the same. Besides, the campaign should include strategies meant to expand and gain audience in the target market. Another key recommendation in e-Marketing plan for Great Cup of Coffee Company envisions creation of a simultaneous but independently functioning cost balancing matrix that keep the firm in the competitive edge. However, before implementing this recommendation, market research should expand into the territory of acquiring knowledge on prevailing market price especially when dealing with a product that is already in the market. Price research creates conducive environment for functionality and sustainability despite market swings (Kalb, 2002). Essentially, success of e-Marketing plan depends on proper alignment of a functional team who is responsible for creation of flexible but quantifiable measurement tracking tools for reviewing results periodically. Reflectively, this team should have essential knowledge in social media and tools used in marketing via the internet. Besides quality in service delivery and customer satisfaction depend on the support team. Therefore, customer retention is
Introduction Lanis Hicks is the author of Economics of Health and Medical Care , the book about economics, various economic tools and methods that can be used in health care, and health policies that have to be taken into consideration. The book is divided into several parts with a number of chapters in each section. In this project, Chapter 14, titled “Financing Health Care” will be summarized and analyzed. At the beginning of the chapter, there are six main objectives set. One of the tasks the author of the chapter offers is the identification and description of basic insurance terminology. In other words, it is necessary to clarify the main terms in order to use them properly. In health care, there are three main methods of financing that are “out-of-pocket payments by consumers, insurance premiums, and taxation” (Hicks 385). Each method has its own characteristics, types, impacts on different groups of people, and various costs. It is not enough to know the existence of such methods. It is more important to comprehend how to use the offered methods and what benefits or challenges to expect. Importance of Financing Characteristics The main characteristics of financing health care methods vary considerably including the sources of payment, the reasons for payment, etc. For example, such financing category as consumers’ out-of-pocket payments may contain plenty of techniques and approaches such as deductibles that may influence certain administrative costs, copayments that are applicable when certain health care services have fixed prices, and coinsurance that is used to pay the difference, full consumer payments, etc. The impact of each financing method varies because of the different characteristics of people, who are involved in financing operations. Much attention is paid to income levels or family sizes. It is important to evaluate patients’ abilities to pay for health care services and establish the most appropriate for their opportunities. For example, taxes depend on people’s incomes and the choice of products. People with different incomes cannot allow themselves to have the same level of taxes. Besides, people can analyze their working conditions to make sure who should pay for health care services. In some situations, the same financing methods may be paid in a variety of ways. For example, it is possible that patients themselves or their organizations could pay a patient’s insurance premiums any time they find it necessary. Hicks also underlines that some financing methods may be interrelated. So that insurance premiums may be partially excluded from taxation (Hicks 385). Key Terms of the Chapter under Analysis In this chapter, the author focuses on the terms that have to be properly understood by the reader. There are many insurance concepts that should be clarified before the evaluation of health care financing and health care costs occurs. The description of each term has its reason and an overall impact on the financing process. The following definitions are given: A deductible Is a fixed amount that should be paid by a person before a company starts paying for their health care services.
Definition Globalization refers to a process where different parts of the world use almost similar methods of social, political, and economic interactions. This term is very ambiguous but can be classified into the above three broad categories. Socially it involves the systems of human interactions that consist of the transfer of cultures and development of subcultures. In this case, social media and networking sites play a very important role in fostering this concept in various communities. Politically it refers to the exchange of policies and rules that govern national borders and the way they relate with each other in terms of sovereignty and diplomacy. Economically it refers to the smooth flow of imports and exports among countries with minimal trade barriers and restrictions (Lechner 2009). This means that most of the rules that govern this trade are used by all states to ensure there is a similarity in all the trade activities. Over the past thirty years, the world has undergone great change in all the aspects that touch on human interactions with their environment. Change is one of the main reasons why the process of globalization has become a continuous process since the beginning of life on earth. The modern society has seen great stages of globalization in trade, communication, technology, social trends, and politics. The economy has seen a great expansion of trade from just across a country’s boundary to other countries in the world due to the standardization of international trade rules and regulations. Initially, trade was bilateral, but due to globalization, it has been expanded to multinational trade that involves more than two countries. The volume of imports and exports has also increased remarkably, and each day millions of tones of goods are exchanged among nations of the world (Robertson 2000). There is a great transfer of human labor and technology from one country to another. Many international trading blocks have been formed to necessitate the easy flow of goods among countries through the standardization of trade rules that reduce the restrictions witnessed earlier. The growth of imports and exports over the years has led to countries specializing in the production and supply of specific commodities. Most western countries deal with commodities that involve high technology, while the developing countries participate greatly in the supply of raw materials and agricultural products. This international trade has led to the establishment of modern seaports and airports that handle imports and exports and, in the process, help in developing infrastructure (Eriksen 2007). Due to the need to have goods delivered quickly, specialized aircraft have been built to ease the delivery of perishable and urgent goods like flowers and drugs, respectively. Most transactions are done online, and the use of paper documentation is disappearing. Due to globalization, many toy manufacturers in the United States have incorporated the use of modern technology in their products to ensure that their products tally with the development and changes in technology (Lechner
Introduction Workplace Violence is a rarely mentioned, yet very widespread job hazard. Almost everyone has been in a conflict situation while at work, at least once or twice. Most jobs suggest a working group comprised of individuals with different backgrounds, habits, behaviors, and personalities. Conflicts are natural occurrences. However, if they are not taken care of, there is a potential to scale into outright violence. Snell, Morris, and Bohlander (2017) report that in 2011 in the USA alone there were over 3 million reported workplace violence incidents. These incidents include beatings, stabbings, assaults, robberies, theft, threats, bullying, rape, and other forms of violence. The case study presented in this paper projects a situation, where long-term managerial neglect leads to violence between two workers, namely Thomas Waycross and Mark Lomas, which ended in the death of the latter. What are Some Violence Indicators an Employee might Display? Employee violence is rarely a sudden occurrence. Most of the time it is generated from negative feelings bottling up and brewing overtime only to be released through violence. In the case study, the potential for conflict was obvious – the perpetrator and the victim were often at odds and bickered with one another over various matters. Common indicators of employee violence include (Snell et al., 2017):   * Direct or veiled threats – have the potential of becoming realities.   * Insubordination – conflicts generated over matters of discipline and chain of command.   * Severe reactions to criticism – may provoke conflict.   * Frequent mood and behavior changes – an indication of underlying mental instabilities.   * Interest in weapons – indicates an interest in violence.   * Sabotage – in protest, or as a form of disobedience   * Perception of injustice – many perpetrators, see their actions as a response to the injustice of some kind.   * Antisocial or aggressive behavior – may be a prelude to employee violence.   * Stress and financial instability – may affect sound judgment and the ability to adequately respond to conflicts.   * Substance abuse – inhibits rational thought. Of course, there are many other indicators, but these are the most common ones. Had the company management paid proper attention to the warning signs displayed by Thomas Waycross and Mark Lomas in their continuously straining working relationship, the situation could have been defused and avoided in a calm and peaceful manner. What are Some Actions Management can take to Help Prevent Workplace Violence? Practice shows that a competent HR strategy and an active interception from the junior managerial staff are the most effective methods for preventing workpla