ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Introduction For the purposes of this assignment, the author will be reviewing the activities of a company they are familiar with, which will remain unnamed. It is an IT business that supplies software to other companies and provides long-term support for it. The company has been in the field for a substantial time and has seen it evolve, changing alongside it. As such, it presents an excellent opportunity for a case study of organizational change. From a surface-level assessment, it is not necessarily clear whether the path the company has chosen to follow has led it to maximize efficiency and productivity on the organizational level. By using Nadler and Tushman’s congruence model to evaluate the business’s change processes, this gap can be rectified. Hence, this paper will analyze the various aspects of the model as applied to the business and identify any issues with either its operations or the author’s understanding of them. Congruence Model Description Nadler and Tushman’s congruence model represents the transformation cycle in terms of specific and easily identifiable factors. As described by Burke, it consists of inputs (environment, resources, and history), which informs strategy (formal and informal organization, tasks, and individual action) that, in turn, leads to outputs (organizational, group, and individual). The feedback from the outputs is then reviewed and factored into the new inputs, restarting the cycle. The company’s environment is one of relatively low competition, as it has stable relationships with clients, but also of constantly changing demands as customers require modifications to their software. In terms of the resources available, it primarily relies on the competence of its workers as a company that does not produce physical products. Lastly, it has had a short history, as with most IT companies, but was overall focused on freedom as long as tasks were completed and attracted young software engineers. The company’s formal organization consists of several teams, each of which is responsible for working with a specific client, under a single top manager. Due to its small size, this arrangement is sufficient, and people regularly move between teams when necessary. As a result of this arrangement, informally, there is no rigid hierarchy at the company, as all workers know each other. As a result, they can go to each other or to the company’s senior manager to propose projects or voice their concerns. Individual initiative is encouraged and rewarded, which has been well-received by the staff and has become a part of the organizational culture. Lastly, as a result of this approach, tasks are typically assigned to people who have the competencies needed to accomplish them. With that said, there have been cases where people encountered issues but were too stubborn to ask for help. Strategy Analysis The company’s current strategy is to maintain its current relationships with its clients and gradually expand through signing deals with new businesses. The software it creates is mostly specialized, with
For a long period, the development of children has focused mainly on physical development while ignoring the behavioral and social development. However, in the 20th century, this has changed. People have given more attention to the cognitive, physical growth, and language usage. Theories of children’s development are essential since they give an insight that provides an ample understanding of the development of children from, not only cognitive and physical dimensions, but also their emotional and social perspectives. Among many theories of children development are the grand theories, which endeavor to provide a vivid explanation of the developmental aspects on stage-to-stage approach. On the other hand, mini theories concern themselves with limited development aspects among them being social and cognitive growth. Therefore, as a psychologist, I dwell on scrutinizing Damian’s behavioral and social development, as profiled by these theories, revealing his possible personality issues and briefly recommending on how one can handle them. Firstly, it is crucial to note that the development of children, right from birth, to the time at which he or she becomes an adult, is critical in defining what the child becomes in adulthood. Throughout all stages of development, the child’s behavioral and social development is immensely dependent on various interrelationships that the Child experiences. For Damian, his mother’s deployment was critical in constructing Damian’s wrong perception of who his true mummy was. Consequently, the much significant child maternal attachment is widely non-evident. More often than not, as a child develops his or her cognitive abilities, he/she attempts to strike more attachment to those people who are close to him or her by virtue of nurturing his or her development. It is not a wonder that Damian is more interested in helping out his father in his “manly” chores while neglecting his mummy partly perhaps because he had no experience of life with his mother. Arguably, during his cognitive development he never had his mother figure and personality. This perhaps explains way Damian refused to participate in a certain class activities. For example, he recently refused to make a mother’s day card for his mom. The teacher noticed that when he draws a picture of or tells a story about his family, his mother is never included. He could also go to the extent of throwing a tantrum unto his mother. His mother is, arguably, a stranger in his lif
Visiting the website of J.Crew and Banana republic, it seems that both of the companies are offering direct competition to Abercrombie & Fitch but there are yet significant differences that are visible. It seems that Abercrombie & Fitch and J.Crew are positioning themselves according to the weather conditions whereas Banana republic is targeting and positioning regardless of weather conditions, anyone who thinks that the clothes are suitable can walk in and buy them. A common strategy used by all three companies is providing the internet surfers an opportunity to order online via websites, while there is another apparent difference between the J.Crew and Abercrombie & Fitch accompanied by Banana republic, the difference is regarding the jewelry being offered by Banana republic and Abercrombie & Fitch which is not available at J.Crew. Also, a major difference is that J.Crew and Banana republic are not specifically targeting the kids which could make the huge difference as it made in the case of Abercrombie & Fitch. Nevertheless, all three are direct competitors to each other especially if they are tested through their online service which sidelines the number of stores they have, the revenue they are generating, and many small issues. Although the stores are doing fine with the current strategy it seems that yet something could be done to have improved sales and an enhanced target audience. The two stores namely J.Crew and the Banana republic could target kids while keep on targeting their parents as in this case the initial buyer would be the parents but in very few cases it could be kids directly. They could further segment the market into under 12, under 15, and under 18 in this category. It is all about providing the kids with the motivation that the stores are specifically serving them apart from others, while it may have few problems that we’
Both the new and old versions represent different aspects of their societies and times, and there are certain similarities and differences in the ways they do that. To begin with, both Emma and Clueless depict a young adventurous girl who considers herself a matchmaker and, to some extent, denies the possibility of meeting a worthy groom herself but ultimately finds love. In both movies, the girls consider themselves to have unique matchmaking abilities, but it all leads to troubles and chaos. As for the differences, the society represented in Emma does not admit the equality of women and men but focuses on social status and allows it to play a significant role in gentlemen’s choices of who they may court (Movieclips Classic Trailers, 2014). On the contrary, people in Clueless are more open-minded towards the equal positions of males and females but still have some biases, though not as strong, against dating poorer persons (Movieclips Classic Trailers, 2017). Characters’ language, clothing, and dancing, as well as set design, are used to reflect the culture and time period in which each version exists. The similarity is that both young ladies’ clothes, though completely different, demonstrate their wealth and high social statuses. The differences include varying garments and more candid dancing styles appearing in Clueless . While the film Emma follows Austen’s novel closely, in Clueless , modern technologies, transportation, and slang phrases appear and reflect the current culture and time period. What is more, since marrying was the core purpose of young ladies of the nineteenth century, Emma’s matchmaking aim is precisely marriage, while Cher from Clueless thinks about dating. The flag of Haiti, among other symbols, depicts a royal palm – a representation of independence. It may also be seen in flags of some other towns, states, and countries. How exactly the relationship between human culture and expression resulted in a royal palm becoming the symbol of freedom and independence? An approach that may help answer this question is studying some other flags and finding similarities between their histories and legends.
Definition and role of capital budgeting Implementation of a new project is a major capital decision. Therefore, it is important to evaluate such projects before capital is committed. Capital budgeting is a multi-dimensional process with distinctive stages. A commonly used capital budgeting model comprises of strategic planning, making accept or reject decisions, project implementation and monitoring, and project implementation audit. The essence of capital budgeting is to ensure that only viable projects are selected for investment. This is necessary because capital investments require a large amount of initial capital outlay. Thus, companies need to come up with an arrangement on how to raise the capital. Secondly, the streams of benefits received from such investments flow for a long period. Thirdly, capital investment decisions in most cases deal with an organization’s optimal capital structure because the capital needed will be raised through either debt or equity. Also, they are irreversible. Finally, capital is a limited resource. Organizations and even nations lack adequate resources to invest in all viable projects. Thus, it is necessary to appraise all feasible projects and resources should be dedicated to only viable projects (Seitz & Ellison, 2004). Comparison of articles Sartoris and Paul (1973) used capital budgeting techniques to evaluate the impact of a lease on the value of a firm (Sartoris & Paul, 1973). In the paper, the authors used net present value criterion to compare the outcome of evaluating lease-or-borrow and lease-or-buy decision. The value of the lease is considered as initial investment. The principal payment of lease is equivalent to depreciation. The authors established that the decision model they used to evaluate the lease were consistent with capital budgeting. In a separate paper done by Cooper, Morgan and Smith (2001), the authors carried out a survey to establish the most commonly used capital budgeting technique (Cooper, Morgan & Smith, 2001). The research was based on fact the use of capital budgeting techniques was gaining popularity at a high rate. In their research, they established that the internal rate of return was the most popular technique. Despite having a number of shortcomings, the payback period was the second most popular technique. The net present value came in third. In a separate research conducted by Brijlal & Quesada (2009), the authors established that payback period was the most
Raise the Red Lantern is inspired by Su Tong’s novel, Wives and Concubines . The film, which released in 1991, was directed by Zhang Yimou and starred Gong Li as the main actress mirroring Ni Zhen’s character in the original novel. The movie is set in the early 20 th -century China, during the warlord period, and just before the commencement of the Chinese Civil War. The film explores the story of a teenage lady by the name of Songlian who is forced into a marriage with a wealthy man. The movie is shot close to the traditional city of Pingyao and in the Qiao Family residence, during the winter season. At the age of 19, Songlian loses her father and her life becomes unbearable due to family bankruptcy. Although she is educated she is married into the Chen family against her will becoming the fourth mistress or the third concubine since the Chinese culture only recognizes one wife. All the women live in separate houses in the same compound but are expected to compete among themselves to get their master’s attention (World Films, 2015). Every night, Chen selects the house where he will sleep, and a lit red lantern is placed in front of the home to signify his presence. In the process of seeking attention, Songlian is caught faking pregnancy, is punished by Chen, and becomes enemies with her co-wives. Songlian becomes traumatized and contemplates suicide even as the movie culminates. Character Analysis of the Four Concubines Yuru Yuru is Chen’s first wife, almost the same age as her husband, and also has a child. Since she is the oldest, she spends most of her time alone in the courtyard and appears to be entirely alienated. She is rarely seen in the movie and does very little to compete for her master’s attention (World Films, 2015). Yuru finds peace in distancing herself from people and the events in the compound and does her best to avoid all the chaos in Chen’s home. Zhuoyun Zhuoyun is the second mistress and younger than the first. She also has a child who is age mates with the third wife’s son. At first, she appears to be kind and supportive by offering to comfort Songlian and show her the courtyard. However, her attitude of kindness is only an instrument to attract Chen’s attention, and does not care about Songlian. She is cunning and pretends to show concern about Songlian’s pregnancy and in the long run, secretly reveals the youngest mistress’ fake pregnancy secret. Meishan Meishan is the third mistress and has a musical background of being an opera singer. She is the most hostile and arrogant of the four women and also has a son. Throughout the film, she is portrayed as an immoral and spoiled woman, having been caught committing adultery with the doctor. However, her behavior is rather linked to the difficult experiences in the shut courtyard and im
Introduction Beyond any doubts, social media is a powerful unit that has much influence when it comes to business. It used to be a mere tool of communication between individuals; now, it facilitates communication of groups and circles, and a contemporary business establishment considers it useful to have a social network account or two. The undoubtable influence of the social media has started to encompass every area of business. Private and non-profit organizations have long been enjoying the opportunities it offers. One of the reasons for it is that registering and using social media does not require extra expenditures; also, social media has an immense scale of operation and unites audiences in masses. The membership of Facebook, for instance, amounts up to more than a billion. Also, the users of Twitter are able to follow business organizations’ accounts – and are, in fact, more willing to buy from the organizations that they follow (Roberts, 2013). Considering all the online shops and delivery services present on the Web, it is a small wonder that the deployment of social media should become so popular in businesses of both global and small-scale scope. Although medical establishments have only recently begun making the most of their web audience, some of them might already be considered bonzes of social media interaction. Albeit the plethora of decisions and profound challenges that a newly online-registered hospital comes to face, social media can prove a valuable asset for them, just as for any other establishment. Such was the situation with Mayo Clinic, with brand recognition that it has gained and the p
William Faulkner is certainly one of the best American writers of the 20 th century. His ability to capture the zeitgeist of the American South contributes substantially to the cultural understanding of that specific time and place. However, his narrative style has always been characterized as notoriously difficult, and for that reason, most readers can enjoy his splendid language and cultural imagery but remain unable to grasp the key messages of his texts. In this paper, I will try to present Sartre’s view that Faulkner’s narrative technique illustrates his idea about time and Doreen Fowler’s Lacanian interpretation of the character of Caddy in Sound and Fury . To grasp the significance of Faulkner’s work for the 20 th -century literature, one only needs to consider the fact that one of the best-known philosophers of that century, Jean-Paul Sartre, was profoundly interested in the novel Sound and Fury and wrote a very influential piece of criticism on it. Sartre’s thesis is in that essay is that the non-chronological narrative in the Sound and Fury is not merely a matter of style or aesthetic preferences but the fundamental elements of the novel’s content (Sartre 229). The broken chronology is not how Faulkner delivers his vision of the world – it is his vision of the world. In other words, according to Sartre, Faulkner is trying to break out of the artificially created the illusion of linearity of time (Sartre 229). The existence of clocks and other forms of measuring time perpetuate this illusion. The following quote from the novel illustrates this quite well, “time is dead as long as it is being clicked off by little wheels, only when the clock stops does time come to life” (Faulkner 104). Faulkner tries to dismantle the distinction between the past, the present, and the future. He disturbs this temporal structure by removing the future completely and blurring the boundary between the past and the present. The events of the future fly into the characters in a completely deterministic fashion. Even events like suicide that often seem well-contemplated are completely fixed. Sartre (230) writes, “all Faulkner’s art aims to suggest to us that Quentin’s soliloquy and his last walk are already his suicide” (Sartre 230). By removing the possibility of the future from the novel, the present itself becomes completely confusing as the events of the present keep the protagonist in a state of surprise. Ironically, the past is the only domain in which the character has any freedom as he or she can recreate it and reinterpret it. A person only lives in their memory. Sartre’s view of the novel is very profound and useful as a tool for interpreting, sometimes very confusing, narrative in the text. For instance, the first part in which the reader is presented with the thoughts of Benji becomes truly clear and effective once one takes this perspective advocated by Sartre. In this part of the book, the events from the present are
Introduction One of the millennium development goals (MDGs) is to have lower than 102 maternal deaths for each 100,000 live births in every nation across the globe by 2015. In 1991, Indonesia recorded 390 maternal deaths in every 100,000 live births, 228 deaths in 2007, and 220 fatalities in 2010 (Belton, Myers & Ngana, 2014). By 2012, Indonesia had a risk of one maternal death in every 150 women. This figure was the highest in Southeast Asia compared to one risk in every 4000 women in developed countries (Webster, 2012). Informed by these statistical observations, this paper claims that Indonesia lags in terms of attaining the MDGs on maternal health. This situation requires urgent government intervention that addresses economic constraints and cultural beliefs that limit accessibility to quality maternal healthcare. The Millennium Development Goals In 2000, the UN member states ratified the millennium development goals (MDGs). The deadline for achieving the eight MDGs was set as 2015. The deliverables include suppression of famine and scarcity of resources, achievement of worldwide O-level schooling, recognition and upgrading of feminine positions, and encouragement of gender parity. They also include a decrease of babyhood death, improving motherly wellbeing, addressing the issue of sicknesses such as HIV/AIDS and malaria, augmentation of ecological sustainability, and the enlargement of comprehensive network to advance shared expansion of nations (United Nations, 2014). With only one year remaining to the 2015 deadline, the United Nations (2014) reports that many of the goals have been met. However, others such as maternal health are yet to be realised, especially in low-income and developing nations such as Indonesia. In 1990, about half of people living in developing nations earned less than $1.25 every day. However, the United Nations (2014) confirms that a significant reduction of extreme poverty has been achieved. By 2010, the number of people earning less than $1.25 reduced by 22%, which is equivalent to 700 million people. The target of the MDGs was to reduce extreme poverty by half. Between 2011 and 2013, 173 million lesser people suffered chronic hunger compared to the situation during 1990 and 1992 (The United Nations, 2014). Indeed, the very primary goal for MDGs was met in 2010. Goal number 2, which enhances access and completion of primary schooling for all children, faces challenges since some children live in war torn areas. Indeed, not even one nation has reached a 100% mark, although North Africa recorded 99% enrolment by 2012 (The United Nations, 2014). Although goal three was to eliminate disparities in terms of access to secondary and primary level education by 2005, and at all educational levels by 2015, the United Nations (2014) reports that there are still high disparities in higher institutions of learning. Women are generally underrepresented not only in the labour markets but also in political participation. However, significant progress continues to be achieved (The United Nations, 2014). The target for a reduction of infant mortality by more than two-thirds has not