Ethics And Governance Essay

It raises the interelated notions of individual rights, fairness, equality and entitlement. The principles vary in numerous dimensions. These issues explore the appropriate distribution of social and economic benefits and related costs. There are five principles included an equal share for each individual, a share according to the needs of each individual, a share according to the efforts of each individual, a share according to the social contribution of each individual and a share according to the merits of each individual. There are three theories of distributive justice included Libertarianism, Utilitarian and Egalitarianism. Libertarianism approach It is a theory that defends unlimited laissez-faire capitalism as the only morally justified regime. Libertarian required for the maximization of freedom and liberty or the minimization of violations in these as long as the corporations don’t harm other’s freedom and not breaking the law. Following Locke, Nozick, the entitlement theory depends on the original acquisition of holding, the legitimate transfer of holdings to/ form others and the illegal acquisition of holdings. Libertarianism is doesn’t consider actual distributing in society. It means that the right of every individual to unlimited utilization of his own person (self-ownership); and the right to unrestricted, or relatively mildly limited, appropriation of external resources without suffering others and fraud from these transactions. In addition, an individual has exclusive right to all the goods that are product of use of his talents and efforts and he has either the right to appropriate all natural resources, which he finds and takes before others. Whether the distribution is just depends solely on how holdings were acquired. Property rights are derived from an individual’s basic moral rights, which take priority over all social or legislative arrangements imposed by society. This theory is interested only in this that the above procedures are satisfied and that nobody has used violence to take some goods from others. Forceful intervention of the state for the sake of helping the poor is not allowed. Therefore, any taxation involves violating of libertarianism and allowing some people to own other people. As my choosing company – PARKnSHOP Supermarket which organized by Hutchison Whampoa Limited, it is affecting environment that stop handing out plastic bags automatically for customers. For libertarian view, they have used the libertarian approach on their corporate actions and the legitimacy of their actions. The customers have their freedom and choice and right to buy something with plastic bag. Everyone kwon that the plastic bag offered by PARKnShop’s which is not good for the environment. However, most of people like to buy something with plastic bag because they have their freedom and self-ownership. For libertarian, it is ethic for PARKnSHOP’s can offer biodegradable bags and do the promotion on use biodegradable bags and involuntary levy on bags to the customers. It is because PARKnSHOP’s is rewarded so long as they are not breaking the law and don’t harm other’s freedom. However, it’s has some arguments against the libertarianism. It is because any taxation and helping environment involves violating of libertarianism. But, it always helping environment and do a lot of community activities such as involvement in the â€Å"Say No to Plastic Bags† campaign. Utilitarian approach Utilitarianism is the ethical doctrine that the moral worth of an action is solely determined by its contribution to overall utility. Following John Stuart Mill, utilitarian approach is a theory that takes as its primary aims the attainment and concern with maximum possible personal happiness of a society as a whole, which should ultimately determine what is just or unjust behavior. This goal is to be achieved in such a way that one first checks what makes every particular individual in a society happy, then sums up all these various wants and preferences, and finally finds out how to satisfy the greatest number of them. John Stuart Mill acknowledged that the society can receive more return from the more efficient laborer and it is just that talented workers can receive the greater remuneration. It is obtain efficient us of the resources if allow people to benefit from labor. A redistribution of resources increases general happiness of a society. However, the arbitrary and great disparity of distinctions and advocate strict equality may cause the unjust behavior and may cause social breakdown. It is because it would have an adverse influence on the working motivation of the able individuals, and thereby on the overall wealth of the society. Therefore, the utilitarian standard is essential for resolving any conflict between rival principles of justice and increases the allover happiness of a society. The main task is to find a balance between factors that point towards equality and those ones that go against it. It seems that the utilitarian view can be found in PARKnSHOP’s. For PARKnSHOP’s, it concerned with the maximization of happiness of society. It’s has providing a lot of jobs opportunity for the people. Also, PARKnSHOP’s are willing to do the supports community programs, which operate at the grassroots level, usually focused on local, global environment-related issues. It’s always giving back to society and help to create a better end and achieved to the utilitarian. However, it is not mean that can justify the ends. It is because the plastic bag of PARKnSHOP’s is a big problem. The research from the Friends of Earth (HK) shows shoppers want a bag whose need to pay 20 cents for each one. If the levy is constrained, they will initiative to reduce plastic use. One of the reasons of this research is because of they have already build up a habit of using plastic bags. They are driving a change with making profit and contributions. It is a big problem and not concerned with the maximization of personal happiness and argues to the Utilitarian View. Egalitarian approach John Rawls explores the egalitarian approach and tries to determine principles of just society with the help of hypothetical contract among members of a society. His hypothetical introduces the notion of an abstract social contract to establish principles of justice. It is supposed by John Rawls that individuals who make this contract primarily care for their self-interest, that they are rational, well informed about human nature and functioning of society, and that they are placed under so called veil of gnorance. They are also assumed to know nothing about those of their characteristics, individual situation and circumstances that might influence impartiality of the decision-making. In egalitarian, that all members of a society should have the equal social, political, and economic rights and opportunities. John Rawls addressed that each person h as equal right to the most extensive scheme same basic liberties and defends this notion that every individual would be assured justice as equal treatment for all once the veil of ignorance is removed. In addition, John Rawls addressed that social and economic inequalities are to meet two conditions. The two conditions are economic inequalities are allowed but only if they benefit even the least advantaged individuals and attached to offices and positions open to all under conditions of fair quality of opportunity. The basic social structure, not the transactions between individuals, should establish justice as a cooperative project for the mutual benefit of society, and minimize the socioeconomic consequences or random natural differences between people. For PARKnSHOP’s, the stakeholders of it is included employees, customers, suppliers materials, wholesales, creditors, government and the environment society. It seems that the equalitarianism can be maintained. It’s paid the high taxes. It’s has always been committed to serving the community through involvement in the territories many social services for all stakeholders as well as charity work such as World Wide Fund for Nature. In addition, they are care about the welfare of people and built up the Li Ka Shing Foundation for the people who in hospital, education, construction and support the community activities and benefit people worldwide. It’s help people in need around the world and gives the equal social, political, and economic rights and opportunities for the people. It is the mutual benefit of society, and minimizes the socioeconomic consequences or random natural differences between people. Moreover, It’s gives the equal job opportunity to the minority and women.

Restrictions on Gun Ownership

Running Head: RESTRICTIONS ON GUN OWNERSHIP Are there any Legitimate Restrictions on Gun Ownership? Steve PHI103: Informal Logic The Second Amendment of the United States Constitution gives the citizens of America the right of the people to bear arms. This was adopted with the rest of the Bill of Rights. However, with this being said there are people that take this right to heart, and they feel they should be able to have any gun they want. There are guns that are specifically designed for military, some local or state law enforcement and are illegal for the average person to own. There are a lot of Federal and state laws that have to be met prior to anyone purchasing and therefore, owning a gun. There are safety laws that have been put in place to keep guns out of the hands of convicted felons, children, and the mentally handicapped as well as other irresponsible people that may have the ability to injure or kill another human being. There are also certain criteria a person will have to meet before the purchase of a gun will go through. A gun owner knows what it takes to kill and those individuals know there should be different forms of gun control measures to help prevent accidents from occurring. As the saying goes â€Å"Guns don’t kill people, people do. † The prevention of accidents is just one reason for supporting gun control. Another reason to support gun control is to prevent the people already mentioned from having the ability to get a gun that can be used to injure or intimidate people. Better enforcement of the many gun laws we have in place currently should be the priority of the state and local law enforcement agencies. Commandeering someone’s gun or extremely over-the-top gun laws are not the answers to fixing the gun problems we are faced with today. Strictly enforcing current laws, we have in place now is the answer. The U. S. Supreme Court in a 5-4 vote on Thursday June 26, 2008 declared for the first time that Second Amendment to the U. S. Constitution guaranteed the rights of individual Americans to bear and keep arms. They stated that the ownership of a gun is a right of the individual, not intertwined with military service, and that it can be regulated in some ways, (2008, June 26) Furthermore, this ruling came out of Washington D. C; case that had a security guard sued the district for prohibiting him from keeping his handgun at his home. In D. C. , it is a crime to carry an unregistered firearm, and registration of a handgun is prohibited. The rules for handguns are so strict that they regulate handguns out of existence. These rules are put in place to try and curb violence with handguns in the nation’s capital. This ruling furthermore struck down this ban on constitutional grounds, stating it flew in the face of our constitutional right to bear arms, (2008, June 26) The case in D. C. also It was also stated that the two sides in this case viewed the Founding Fathers intentions of the Amendment rights very different. For the most part the majority of the Supreme Court Justices said that this amendment protected the individual’s right to own a gun without connection with the service in a militia and to use this for a lawful purpose such as self-defense in the home. â€Å"Like most rights, the Second Amendment right is not unlimited. It is not a right to keep and carry any weapons whatsoever in any manner whatsoever and for whatever purpose,† Justice Antonin Scalia wrote for the majority. But it did allow for individuals to have guns for lawful purposes, such as hunting and defending themselves, he said. The majority clearly saw the individual right to own a gun, (2008, June 26) This ruling left in place many restrictions at both the federal and state levels, like the bans that were placed on felon’s right to have a gun, and the bans on sawed-off shotguns and assault weapons. Justice John Paul Stevens stated that this ruling would leave it up to future courts to really define the details of the right to bear arms. He also stated that this should be the business of state legislatures, and that the court should stay out of this. Lastly, he stated that the law-abiding citizen will be able to keep a gun at home, but that it doesn’t address how the different states legislatures will want to regulate gun ownership. In another statement by Justice Stephen Breyer he stated that in his view â€Å"there simply is no untouchable constitutional right guaranteed by the Second Amendment to keep loaded handguns in the house in crime-ridden urban areas, (2008, June 26) This was a topic for debate between the 2008 democratic and republican presidential office runners. Senator McCain stated â€Å"Today's ruling makes clear that other municipalities like Chicago that have banned handguns have infringed on the constitutional rights of Americans,† he said. He also took a thinly veiled shot at the presumptive Democratic nominee, Sen. Barack Obama by saying â€Å"Unlike the elitist view that believes Americans cling to guns out of bitterness, today's ruling recognizes that gun ownership is a fundamental right — sacred, just as the right to free speech and assembly. Presidential nominee Barack Obama responded to this ruling by stating that â€Å"Today's ruling, the first clear statement on this issue in 127 years, will provide much-needed guidance to local jurisdictions across the country,† he said, adding that â€Å"what works in Chicago may not work in Cheyenne,† but the decision reinforced that â€Å"if we act responsibly, we can both protect the constitutional right to bear arms and keep our communities and our children safe, (2008, June 26) It would only be fair to state that the crime rate has plummeted since the Supreme court made its decision on the Second Amendment. The table below shows just the Chicago data and as you can see there is a decline, (2011, Oct 4). When this was first looked at the thought was that if there were more guns out there that this would cause crime to increase, but this has been proven to be false. This stat bears the question of where there fewer crimes because the citizens are now gun owners, and the criminals are aware of this. Do you think it is because the criminals fear the laws? I do not think it is because they fear the laws. I truly believe that these criminals are thinking in the back of their mind that if they try to commit a crime against someone who could be armed, and they will retaliate by shooting them in self-defense. This may really make a criminal rethink this act before he/she commits the crime. Furthermore, I think the fact that the victim might be so scared and could shoot without thinking and possibly killing the perpetrator truly has the perpetrator thinking of this unknown factor, and that makes them more cautious about committing the crime in the first place. The following is a chart for the crime rates from 2009-2010, (2010, Dec. 20). As you can see that not only did the rates change in Chicago but the one below is for the United States as a whole. It was said that the â€Å"The Supreme Court breathed new life into the amendment when it struck down strict handgun bans in Washington and Chicago and spoke of the â€Å"inherent right of self-defense. † But to the dismay of gun rights advocates, judges in recent months have read those decisions narrowly and rejected claims from those who said they had a constitutional right to carry a loaded gun on their person or in their car. Instead, these judges from California to Maryland have said the â€Å"core right† to a gun is limited to the home. Now, the National Rifle Assn. is asking the high court to take up the issue this fall and â€Å"correct the widespread misapprehension that the 2nd Amendment's scope does not extend beyond the home. † Stephen Halbrook, an NRA lawyer, said â€Å"some judges have buried their heads in the sand and have refused to go one step further† than saying there is a right to have a gun at home. The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence hailed the trend and called the high court's rulings a â€Å"hollow victory† for gun enthusiasts. The gun lobby has tried to expand [the 2nd Amendment] into a broad right to carry any type of gun anywhere. And they have been almost unanimously rejected by the courts,† said Jonathan Lowy, director of legal action. He conceded, however, that â€Å"this battle is far from over. † The uncertainty began with the Supr eme Court itself. In 2008, Justice Antonin Scalia said the history of the 2nd Amendment shows it â€Å"guarantees the individual right to possess and carry weapons in case of confrontation. But other parts of his 5-4 opinion stressed there is no right to â€Å"carry any weapon in any manner,† and that bans on â€Å"carrying concealed weapons were lawful† in the 19th century† (Savage, D, 2011) The following stats provided by the FBI provide ammunition on the Supreme Court’s decision on the second Amendment. It stated that â€Å"Despite a grinding recession, reported crime in the United States continues to fall, the FBI said Monday. Violent crime was down 6 percent in 2010 — the fourth consecutive yearly decline, according to the FBI's Uniform Crime Report. Property crime dropped for the eighth year in a row, down 2. 7 percent in 2010. In Pennsylvania, violent crime fell 3 percent and property crime ticked down 0. 5 percent. New Jersey and Delaware reported small drops in violent crime, but increases in property crime,† (Moran, R. 2011). These stats show that right to bear arms did not have a negative effect on the recession. As I read all the articles and stories while doing my research for this paper, I find that the restrictions imposed on gun ownership appear to infringe on our Second Amendment rights provided to us by the U. S. Constitution. I also feel that there should definitely be some sort of control on guns, but we should not do this at the expense of what the Founding Fathers wrote in the U. S. Constitution. As what has been previously covered in this paper the mentally ill, convicted felons, or people that have been convicted of violent crimes should be the only ones that are exempt from owning a gun, and I truly feel that this is for the safety of our citizens here in the United States. Furthermore, I think that states should not impose such restrictions and deny all of that states people the right to own a gun. This is not only a direct violation of that persons Second Amendment rights but also a violation of a person’s right to due process under the 14th amendment. Lastly, I truly believe that the extreme laws or gun confiscations are illegal under the US Constitution and these do not work to stop crimes. Reference Anonymous,  . The FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Latest Stats Show a Continuing Decline in Crime Preliminary Semiannual Uniform Crime Report, January-June, 2010 (2010,  December , 20). Retrieved from http://www. bing. com/images/search? q=FBI+Crime+Rate+Reporting;view=detail;id=F22BCC735FB3184B04D1C2B36F350ED63CBD086F;first=0;FORM=IDFRIR Anonymous,  . SUPREME COURT ENDORSES NEW VIEW OF SECOND AMENDMENT Protection. (2008,  September). Criminal Justice Newsletter,3. Retrieved from http://proquest. umi. com/pqdweb? index=6;did=1646334181;SrchMode=1;sid=7;Fmt=2;VInst=PROD;VType=PQD;RQT=309;VName=PQD;TS=1322524094;clientId=74379 Lott, J. 2011, Oct 4) Chicago’s Violent Crime Rates Plummet After SCOTUS Removes Handgun Ban. Andrew Breitbart Presents BIG GOVERNMENT. Retrieved from http://biggovernment. com/jlott/2011/10/04/chicagos-violent-crime-rates-plummet-after-scotus-removes-handgun-ban/ Moran, R   (2011, September20). Crime rates continue to fall, FBI reports. McClatchy – Tribune Business News. Retrieved from http://proquest. umi. com/pqdweb? index=0;did=2460748471;SrchMode=1;sid=2;Fmt=3;VInst=PROD;VType=PQD;RQT=309;VName=PQD;TS=1324404944;clientId =74379

CanGo Corporation Essay

CanGo does not seem to have any legitimate process flow charts, especially for its operations facility. Two floor plan layouts were drawn up. One for the current operation processes and one which shows the operation facility if CanGo invests and implements an ASRS (automated storage and retrieval systems). These two floor plans were referred to as flow charts. Flow charts consist of shapes and connectors which are labeled stating the flow of the processes, the decisions that can be made at specific stages, and outcomes of those decisions. Accompanying a flow chart would be the floor plan and written documentation outlining and explaining the entire process. Recommendation Classes Consulting recommends that CanGo draws up an actual flow chart, as well as the floor plans and written documentation explaining the processes in their operations facility. In addition, costs, financial effects (both current and future), and other details should be included for both the current operations system and the proposed ASRS and barcoding system. Having all of this documentation will show where improvements can be made and where costs can be cut. It will show and explain in detail the actual processes used for receiving, picking, and shipping. A floor plan will not take into account the actual details such as how long it take to pick books, how crowded it is on the operations floor, nor how the employees feel about the possible change. If, after creating this documentation, CanGo decides to go ahead with the new barcode and ASRS the flowchart will help in the creation and setup of the new systems. In addition, if financing is needed to install the new systems, having this documentation will show the lenders that CanGo has thought it through and can give details.

Philosophy - Introduction to Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Philosophy - Introduction to Ethics - Essay Example her in prison for six years, the system hopes that it will teach a future generation that just because you commit a crime and then become a fugitive for twenty-three years, you still do not escape justice. This is a utilitarian view. On the other hand, the retributivist view is the one I favor. Susan Ann Power did not need to be locked up to prevent her from committing future crimes. She had become a law abiding citizen for twenty-three years. This still did not change the crimes she had helped commit. Most state and federal laws, certainly the ones where Powers and her accomplices committed their crimes, state accomplices are just as guilty as the actual participants. Under these laws, Powers and Saxe could have received life sentences for the death of the Boston police officer. The least that Powers could serve was six years for the participation in a man’s murder. While she was on the run, having a sun, getting married, and being a good citizen, this officer’s family was suffering from his death. Everyone who participated in this crime needed to pay for the price of this man’s life, not just the one who shot him. Susan Ann Power received a balanced sentence of eight to twelve years. She proved that she would not continue in criminal activity. Power proved that she could become a law abiding citizen. Although she deserved to pay for her crime, her up standing life should have been taken into account as well. People labeled Bentham’s theory of the good life as â€Å"the pig philosophy†, because Bentham’s felt there were only two true mediums; pleasure and pain. He felt that the good is whatever brings the greatest happiness. Although at first his theory was good is whatever brings the greatest happiness to the greatest number of people, he soon saw how the two parts contradicted each other. After that, Bentham only went with the greatest happiness theory. Bentham’s theory was considered â€Å"the pig philosophy†, because what can give

The Political Economy of European Integration Essay

The Political Economy of European Integration - Essay Example To start with, we must define the objective that has spurred the nature of economic integration. The primary objective of having or creating a (regional) economic integration is for the said union to form an agreement among its member countries to reduce and remove tariff and non-tariff trade barriers to the free flow of goods, services, and factors of production (i.e. labor, capital and entrepreneur); and also, to attempt to achieve economic gains from the free flow of trade and investment between its neighboring countries. The EU as an organization is comprised of independent European countries whose sole, main objectives are economic and social progress for the European region and its people. That is why they have long-planned on engineering an economic integration program in an attempt to converge all the European regions in order to meet and implement the objectives of the formed union so as to provide a much better living and working environment for its people - the Europeans (Going for Growth, 2003). Economic integration for Europe has definitely brought convergence to this continental region. Since its foundation, the EU had gone through three legal stages for it to achieve its economic objectives, these stages were: the creation of the customs union, 1958-1985, the single market 1985-1992, and the economic and monetary union 1992-present (Hitiris, 2003). Initially, as a customs union, it removed different barriers in trading between member countries of the EC and adopted a common external trade policy in which individual state governments no longer has to determine or make their own external trade policy anymore. Then the Single European Act or the single market implemented in 1987 allowed factors of production particularly labour, capital, and entrepreneurs to move freely from one member country to another. And after a few years, the EU started to launch its full economic objectives by implementing the economic and monetary union policy to its region; through this, it paved the way to the removal of the remaining obstacle to cross border investments. And also, one of the most highlighted criterions made in this final treaty was granting the citizenship of the union - everyone with a nationality of any member country becomes an automatic citizen of the union, giving its people all the rights to move and reside freely among the union' s member countries. With all of these mentioned and guided by the democratic principles of the union, the EU has definitely succeeded in converging its member countries into becoming a prosperous European economic region of the twenty-first century that is continuously grow year by year in terms of economic figures and admitting more and more European countries into the union; and currently, is even ranking second in the growth of world economies next to the United States and preceding Japan. However, it is also important to take stock of the fact that the success or failure of an economic integration depends primarily on its objectives. Therefore, a previously independent country participating in an economic union - converging its economy to other member countries by sacrificing a part of its national sovereignty can only be justified if the union is able to achieve its

The poem the moment by margaret atwood Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The poem the moment by margaret atwood - Essay Example The poem can be summed up thus: Whenever human beings start believing that they have mastered their environment and start believing in a misplaced sense of superiority over mother nature, then they are setting up their own doom. We as a species will always remain products of nature and to that extent subordinate to the wellbeing of our natural environment. Through the course of our planet’s history, we as a species are only recent arrivals. One day we will perish too, while Mother Nature with her mix of the animate and inanimate objects will continue to live and dictate terms. This poem assumes an added resonance, as it directly appeals to the environmental activism that is witnessed across the world today. Terms such as global warming and environmental degradation have started finding everyday reference in print and broadcast media, highlighting the critical juncture at which our planet is poised. The Moment is a valuable addition to the popular discourse on these subjects. The poem differs from others in the genre in that it easily lends itself to be paraphrased into expository prose. To the extent that this is true, the poem is not subject to various contrasting interpretations. In the poem, lines such as â€Å"house, half-acre, square mile, island, country† and words such as â€Å"trees†, â€Å"birds†, â€Å"cliffs†, â€Å"air†, â€Å"breathe†, etc make it adequately clear what the subject matter is, namely that of our natural environment. Treating these objects in nature as endowments of mother nature, one could propose a contrarian feminist interpretation of the poem. This would be to interpret planet earth and its resources as representing feminine qualities of creating and care-giving. And just as the subordination of women to men had held back human civilization for millennia, the subjugation of nature to our species is also a regressive idea. Hence, a careful reading of the poem reveals to the reader t he underlying didactic attitude of the

Supply Chain Risk Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Supply Chain Risk Management - Essay Example Therefore, the significance of supply chain management theories and their usage in all industry types has increased greatly. Supply chains are evolved by companies for fulfilling business needs and functions. Supply chains help business to survive and grow. Each business is a part of the supply chain completing the assigned task. A multi-tier supply chain includes various flows i.e. financial flow, Information flow and material flow. Third party logistics (3PL) services providers who manage and perform specific logistic functions for other companies arrange the inbound and outbound logistic functions of the suppliers or owners (Khan et al., 2010). The term â€Å"supply chain management† came into usage in the 1990s for earlier used terms like â€Å"logistics† and â€Å"operations management†. â€Å"A supply chain is a network of facilities and distribution options that performs the functions of procurement of materials, transformation of these materials into int ermediate and finished products, and the distribution of these finished products to customers.†Ã¢â‚¬â€Ganeshan and Harrison (1995)). ... The first level is completed via internal supply chain management activities associated with logistics and procurement. Procurement for companies’ stock can stockpile high inventory levels and additional transport costs if the inventory is not consumed due to lack of demand (Kannegiesser et al., 2007). The second echelon can help companies in optimizing supply chain processes via integrated management of supply chains. The central focus of supply chain management is to manage the risk of overflowing inventories and inefficient handling of information not only within the company but among all supply chain members, which could be original equipment manufacturers (OEM), maintenance, repair and overhauling (MROs) or third-party logistics (3PL) partners to minimize stock levels and achieving optimization in resource usage (Kannegiesser et al., 2007). As such, the aim of supply chain management is to cover the cost risk, to offer the desired service level and fulfill customer expect ations. Production and distribution functions have to be integrated to achieve optimum performance volumes. As decisions on quantity and price of stock can not be taken beforehand, any drawback in integrated approach can reduce the profit margins although cost-cutting has been used as a tool in supply chain management (Kannegiesser et al., 2007). Research Background -- Theory Before discussing the study outcomes on total logistic costs based on general modeling approach, some theoretical background on current literature is necessary. There are two types of studies on logistic costs. One type deals with strategic parts of logistics and the other with optimal logistic decisions. This is the second type, which helps in mitigating risks, the leading purpose of which is finding system costs, which

Strategic marketing planning as an Essential Marketing Tool Essay

Strategic marketing planning as an Essential Marketing Tool - Essay Example Strategic Marketing Planning Strategic marketing plan is a â€Å"management process leading to a marketing plan† (McDonald, 2008, p.7). It is a systematic approach by managers that includes the written or detailed plan of the current status of the company, its goals, and how to attain it. The company obtains information about the mission statement and corporate objectives; analyses the financial performance of the company through the marketing audit; reviews the strength, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats; forecasts the marketing impact; sets marketing objectives and strategies; estimates the anticipated outcome; classifies alternative plans and mixes; and projects the budget needed. Marketing planning is essential for business establishments that aim to gain competitive advantage, which is limited to establish brand, build, defend, and maintain. To achieve competitiveness, firms must employ techniques or models such as Porter’s generic competitive strategies. Gene ric Competitive Strategies Porter’s Model was developed to encourage the firm to gain competitive advantage through following the suggested strategies. The famous hypothesis of Porter is â€Å"stuck in the middle† when firms failed to utilise one of the strategies such as differentiation, cost leadership, focus, or combination as illustrated in Figure 1 below. The model of Porter is determined by the forces in the environment that have a direct influence to the firm’s competitive position. These are â€Å"threat of new entry, intensity of rivalry among existing firms, pressure from substitute products, bargaining power of buyers, and suppliers† (Ormanidhi & Stringa, 2008, p.57). Porter argues that companies must examine its competitive position so that they will know their strength and weaknesses that would form into strategies for defensive or offensive actions. Figure 1 Porter’s Model * Grant 1998 cited in Kossowski, 2003, p.6 Differentiation Thi s is one of the business strategies that Porter identifies in the framework. Differentiation is the firm’s strategy to produce â€Å"unique products or services† (Allen, 2006, p.434). This strategy is essential when the companies’ objective is to build customer’s loyalty because it satisfies the customer’s needs and preferences. The product or service is designed based on the customers’ wants; hence, it produces satisfaction. The customers are concerned with the product quality, features, or after-sales support that increases their value. It results to the positive perception of customer regarding the quality of services the company rendered. Due to additional expenses caused by differentiating products, the company must charge a premium price to return its investment. Regardless of this, perceptive customers prefer quality in terms of delivery system, product, and services. Thus, this strategy is limited to customers who are willing to pay despite the higher price. However, product differentiation is relevant in establishing a brand name for its recall. The differentiated products influence the customers’ perception of the firms’ dissimilarity with their competitors. In addition, it eliminates price conscious consumers by focusing on unique products. The research literature is interested with the widely accepted and used model designed by Porter. Akan, et al. (2006, p.45) include the tactics that managers must utilise in applying this strategy that will

Social Classes Of The 19th Century Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Social Classes Of The 19th Century - Essay Example Social classes with more force generally subsidiary classes with less force. Social classes with a huge deal of power are mostly examined as elites, no less than inside their own communities. Throughout the 19th century, the middle class, too called the classes' bourgeoisie, cultivate from the groups of 18th century profitable and industrial entrepreneurs. At the similar time, many fresh occupations were formed which principally used mind skills somewhat than substantial labor; the amount of persons and families in these careers burst in number, generating a considerable, and ultimately prevailing, middle class. Marxism describes the bourgeoisie as the social class which attains revenues from ownership or business in capital benefit, or from profitable actions such as the purchasing and selling of goods, wares and services. Throughout the 19th century, the inferior, or working, class urbanized from the groups of 18th century customary rural farmers and laborers. At the similar time, some innovative professions were shaped which chiefly used material labor somewhat than mental skills; the number of individuals and families in these fields burst in number, creating an extensive lower class. The lower class was collected principally of workers in extractive, developing, and service industries, which were needy on wages and who chiefly, used physical abilities. The lower class was separated into professional sub-groupings of extremely skilled handcrafters, semi-skilled workforce, and unskillful laborers. Differences Between The Bourgeoisies And The Working Class Of The 19th Century According to 1Friedrich Engels (1820-1895) the configuration of class-awareness is by no means mechanical, as the alertness of social stratification might be only faintly formed or might be overshadowed by other fundamentals in social understanding. This means that we can locate out so far social stratification supported on economic relationships; the dissimilarities connecting class, status and command circumstances, and the method professions have been used to classify strata - the thoughts of individuality and measures. Geographical Mobility According to 2Weber two major social classes beneath capitalism are Class Who They Are And Their Property The petit bourgeoisie Those who own small businesses and are minor employers The manual working class Those who own nothing and have to sell their labour in order to live. Bourgeoisie and proletariat or the Working Class were 3Karl Marx's (1818-1883) own stipulations for the two classes he experimented in the industrialized society, which was all around him. 4"Our epoch, the epoch of the Bourgeoisie, possesses, however, this distinctive feature: it has simplified the class antagonisms. Society as a whole is more and more splitting into two great hostile camps, into two great classes directly facing each other: Bourgeoisie and Proletariat." Work Orientation Marx measured that the powerful disagreement among the bourgeoisie and the proletariat would explode into a growing by the proletariat alongside their opponents. This would, Marx measured, be the predictable outcome of the progress in society which he could see occurring. Temporary workers,

What Is Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

What Is Philosophy - Essay Example The actual meaning of the word 'philosophy', however, is such that neither interpretation can truly be said to be wrong. On the other hand, neither interpretation is truly correct on its own, either. This being the case, the question of what philosophy is should first be answered. The word 'philosophy' actually derives its origins from the Greek words 'philo' and 'sophos', which respectively mean 'love' and 'wisdom' - thus, the word can be translated as 'love of wisdom' (Online Etymology Dictionary, 2012). Philosophers tend to concern themselves with problems, especially those with concepts such as existence, knowledge and values (Teichmann and Evans, 1999). They then proceed to try and answer these questions as logically, rationally and systematically as possible. One of the more notable things said of the field of philosophy is that it revolves around the creation of concepts. This is actually a rather accurate description; for instance, the subcategory of metaphysics concerns itse lf with explaining the nature not only of the world, but of the human existence (Geisler, 1999). Those who specialize in this branch of philosophy search for knowledge with the aim of helping others attain greater understanding of the world, as defined by its fundamental notions such as existence, causality, ontology and possibility. ... This is not necessarily a bad thing, though - as the legendary Bruce Lee once put it, all knowledge ultimately leads to self-knowledge (Little, 1996). Interpreting any given subject will inevitably require the use of one's logic - of one's rational capabilities to try and make sense of the subject at hand. And as Popkin and Stroll (1993) explain, this in turn requires that one is capable of reasoning things out in a valid manner, based on the body of knowledge involved. For instance, one need not be a lawyer or a law student to know the law. However, the only way to truly understand the intricacies of the law is to unlearn everything one has been taught to think of it, and to try and understand the law as lawyers do. Joe Hyams (1982) quotes no less than Bruce Lee himself when he emphasizes the need to let go of one's preconceived expectations and notions. For one to properly study a subject requires that he be willing to let go of everything he has been taught to think about that sub ject, and to approach it with a clean slate, as if for the first time. In connection with this, it has often been said that lawyers are not truly after the truth, but what can be proven. As most lawyers and law students know, this can and often is a problem. For one thing, evidence can, in fact, be fabricated, and besides that, even the evidence at hand can be misinterpreted such that it heavily favors a particular interpretation of events. This can be very frustrating, especially to those who took to heart the lawyer's oath to uphold justice and truth seriously Furthermore, evidence can be admitted or dismissed depending on the methods used to obtain it,

After the Neolithic Revolution Essay Example for Free

After the Neolithic Revolution Essay After the Neolithic Revolution, civilizations began to form around art, religion, social structure, government, and writing. For example the earliest civilization was Samaria. Samaria helped us form a lot of the things we use today. The second civilization was the Indus River Valley. The Indus River Valley is now modern day Pakistan. The third and final civilization is the Israelites. The Israelites were different because their religion is the bases for all their laws and culture. There are many similarities and differences to these civilizations. First are the differences. One difference between these civilizations is the religion. The Israelites have a very unique religion. Their religion is monotheistic. This religion is when you believe only in one god. This is now known as Judaism. The rest of the civilizations had a polytheistic religion. Polytheistic religion is the belief of many gods. The second difference is the writing. The writing for the Indus River Valley was pictographs. Pictographs were very hard to make and look like they took a lot of skill. The writing for the Israelites was Hieroglyphics. These writings were very hard to read and have not yet been figured out. The third difference of these civilizations was the art. The art for the Indus River Valley was bronze weapons, artwork, and silk. Some of the similarities are the geography. All of these civilizations are located next to rivers. These rivers are common in every civilization. A lot of civilizations are located next to rivers for many reasons. When a river floods it brings fertilized soil to all there land which helps grow fresh fruits and veggies. Another reason is because of transportation and food. Another similarity is that they both have some kind of ruler. For The Indus River Valley, there ruler was an emperor handed down to their sons. For the Israelites, the ruler was a god or a priest. Even though all these civilizations are very different, they all use basic rules about art, religion, and much more. As I showed here, all these civilizations have many similarities and differences. All civilizations are different and similar in some ways.

Chapter 54 Essay Example for Free

Chapter 54 Essay Chapter 54: Community Ecology Concept 54.1 Community interactions are classified by whether they help, harm, or have no effect on the species involved. 1.What is a community? List six organisms that would be found in your schoolyard community. 2.This section will look at interspecific interactions. Be clear on the meaning of the prefix! To begin, distinguish between intraspecific competition and interspecific competition. Give an example of each. Type of Competition Explanation Example Intraspecific competition Interspecific competition 3.What is G. F. Gause’s competitive exclusion principle? Give one example. 4.Define ecological niche. 5.Several species of Anolis lizards live in the same types of trees and have a similar diet. Discuss resource partitioning to explain how interspecific competition is reduced. (Study Figure 54.2.) 6.What is the difference between the fundamental niche and the realized niche? 7. Study Figure 54.5, and then explain what is meant by character displacement. (To do this, you will have to learn or review the difference between sympatric populations and allopatric populations. You will find this information in Chapter 24.) 8.Predation is a term that you probably already know. Can you give examples of some predator-prey combinations as listed below? Predator Prey Animal Animal Animal Plant Fungus Animal Bacteria Animal Fungus Example Plant 9.List three special adaptations that predator species possess for obtaining food. 10.List three ways prey species elude predators. 11.Compare the two types of mimicry. Type of Mimicry Batesian MÃ ¼llerian Description Example 12.What is herbivory? 13.Did you list any special herbivore adaptations for predation in your response to question 9? Or plant adaptations to avoid herbivory? List two adaptations for each category here. 14.Describe and give an example of each of the following interactions: Type of Interaction Description Example symbiosis parasitism commensalism mutualism 15.Which category above includes the other three? Note that other texts may define this term more narrowly. 16.Your text uses +/– symbols to indicate how interspecific interactions affect survival and reproduction of the two species. Use this notation for each of these interactions. Type of Interaction predation commensalism mutualism parasitism interspecific competition herbivory +/+, +/–, –/–, +/0 17.What is species diversity? What are its two components? Why is it important? 18.What does an ecologist summarize in a food web? 19.Know the levels of trophic structure in food chains. Give a food chain here, including four links that might be found in a prairie community, and tell the level for each organism. 20.Name every organism in the pictured food chain, and give the trophic level in the box. 21.According to the energetic hypothesis, why are food chains limited in length? How much energy is typically transferred to each higher level? 22.What is a dominant species? For the area where you live, what would be considered a dominant tree species? 24.Name one keystone species, and explain the effect its removal has on the ecosystem. 25.Explain facilitator or foundation species and give an example. You may omit bottom-up and top-down controls. Concept 54.3- Disturbance influences species diversity and composition 26. What is the intermediate disturbance hypothesis? Give an example of a disturbance event, and explain the effect it has on the community. 27.Ecological succession is the changes in species that occupy an area after a disturbance. What is the difference between primary succession and secondary succession? Concept 54.4 Biogeographic factors affect community biodiversity 28. Explain latitudinal gradients in terms of species richness. Where is species richness greatest? 29.There are probably two key factors in latitudinal gradients. List and explain both here, and put a star next to the one that is probably the primary cause of the latitudinal difference in biodiversity. 30.Explain what is demonstrated by a species-area curve. 31.Renowned American ecologists Robert MacArthur and E. O. Wilson developed a model of island biogeography. While the model can be demonstrated with islands, any isolated habitat represents an island. What are the two factors that determine the number of species on the island? 32.What two physical features of the island affect immigration and extinction rates? 33.Why do small islands have lower immigration rates? Higher extinction rates? 34.Closer islands have 35.What is the island equilibrium model? 36.Use this model to describe how an island’s size and distance from the mainland affect the island’s species richness. extinction rates and immigration rates. Concept 54.4 Community ecology is useful for understanding pathogen life cycles and controlling human disease 37.Let’s pull a couple of ideas from this section: What is a pathogen? 38.What is a zoonotic pathogen? List three examples. 39.What is a vector? List three examples.

Politics Essays Fundamental Principles Of Legitimate Power

Politics Essays Fundamental Principles Of Legitimate Power There are various theories about what can make power legitimate. Doyou think that one theory is more convincing than others? To understand thefundamental principles of legitimate power and governance one must look at theperiod surrounding the Enlightenment because this is the time when theindividual became an important entity, no longer was the individual part of aclass on a hierarchical structure, with power relating to that class. Thenatural rights theorists aim was to show that man was born in a state ofnature, and given the right to do as he/she wished, but this was sacrificed tothe governance of the land, i.e. that the rational man would give up thestate of freedom, for the security and safety of law, governance andsovereignty. Locke, said instead of giving up the right to do absolutely anythingto the sovereign entity, the rational man would put these rights in the handsof a government that holds the good of the people as supreme. Locke did notbelieve that man gives up all these natural rights, but each person retainedrights that were regulated by a political government, to ensure a person wouldnot use their rights in a way that would harm the rights of others. Lockesversion of rights was one of the first models of inherent rightsto life, liberty, freedom and property, where the king was there at the will ofthe people and benevolent in nature. Theinfluence of John-Jacques Rousseau is also important, although not strictlyspeaking a natural law theorist, in the sense of earlier theorists. The mostimportant difference that Rousseau discussed in his works was that governmentand reason has not protected man but enslaved man, whereas in thestate of nature these rights were upheld in a paradisiacal state. One ofRousseaus most interesting critiques of government and law was in the SocialContract where man was originally free but in society everywhere inchains. Therefore he believed instead of giving up ones freedom to agoverning body, it needs to be reclaimed by man but this did not meanreclaiming the paradise of Rousseaus state of nature. Instead these rightsshould be inherent to each man and that the government created is not only forthe good of the people but should be determined by the will of the people.Rousseau believed people should bepart of the regulation of the government and law; otherwise the government thatis essentia lly corrupt will take away these rights. Popular involvement makesit impossible for these rights to be taken away by the government. There wasan assumption of equality between men and basis rights to life, liberty,freedom, and protection from the corruption of absolute government (i.e. rightsto freedom of speech and assembly) and the right to a fair trial and independentCourt of law. This argument stems from the authors of the AmericanConstitution where the rights embodied in the text were self-evident becauseall men were created equal and given certain inalienable rights, which areafforded to all persons of the globe, state borders have no impact on theserights. The writers claimed these rights came from God. Other theorists haveargued we have these rights merely because we are human. This argument is stillone used in the 20th/21st Century as it is the easiest topass off, however there is no real moral justification for upholding theserights, therefore how can one say we must keeps these rights in the face of abreach or dissolution of them. Hobbes state of nature sets up that; Men by nature [are]equal: Nature hath made men so equal, in faculties of the body, and mind Foras to the strength of body, the weakest has strength enough to kill thestrongest, either by secret, machination, or by confederacy with others, thatare in the same danger with himself; henceall are equal in fear of death. Therefore if this fear was set forth by themonarch then this first law of nature legitimizes the citizens to revolt andset up a form of governance that ensures this equality and that their basicrights are upheld. Therefore if the citizens of Hobbes state are able to gettogether to give the power of law and governance to a single individual theybelieve will uphold the common good; then in the same coalition they can deposethis individual if in fact their powers of governance and over the law aremisused. This state of nature is hypothetical in order to provide a theoryjustify the fair governance of a small section of society, or as Hobbes prefersa monarch. It is the equality of fear, the individuals right to everything inaddition to subsequent laws of nature which provides the conditions for asocial contract to ensure security and equality of mankind. There are some problemswith Hobbes social contract which is giving the power of rule and governanceto a single individual; this is arguably giving this individual uncheckedpower. Therefore if every man has the right to everything and then ifthe state of natures equality is no longer the case because the power of lawlays in an individuals hands where this individual has the wants and desiresto obtain everything. Hence there will be a tyrannical government, rather thana government for the common good. Utilitarianismis not a theory of individual rights, instead it views that the good of thecommunity was a more important aim for the law and government ruled by thepeople. Theorists such as Edmund Burke believed that rights werenatural, including life, liberty and freedom but this theory was in theabstract, therefore they should be given by society for the good of its people,because these rights cannot be universal otherwise there is no place forcultural diversity. Burke is one of the first theorists with the culturalrelativism argument; the critics of universaljustice have further advanced this in the 20th and 21stcenturies. Burkes move to reject universalism was the first chip in theseinherent rights that ensured legitimate power; how canrights be inherent if they not available for everyone, because a culture deniesthem. Jeremy Bentham advanced this. His theory held that were no naturalrights the government for the good of society a form of utilitarianism,afforded rights. Therefor e Benthamsrights were legal rights where one can do whatever one wants as long as the lawdoes not prohibit it i.e., rights are not stemming from the individual but thestates and the powers of governance (Positivism). The problem with positivismor this early form of rights from utility is that the law/governance are thebasis of rights and because there is no greater principle of just andlegitimate governance. Themodel of Marxism states that it does not regard the individual as having anyhuman rights, instead it is for the state to set theneeds of the individuals, i.e., it is not the good of the individual that thestate upholds but the good and the needs of the state. Marx considered law,justice, freedom and democracy as ideas and concepts that are determined byhistorical and sociological circumstances and irrelevant. Instead a personsessence was the potential to use ones ability to the fullest and satisfy onesneeds, thereforepromoting fundamental rights as rights of well-being and satisfaction of theindividual. These rights would involve social and economic rights, which isthe only way to ensure legitimate power and justice. Marxs vision turned outto be idealistic and failed in reality. Themost legitimate version of power and governance seems to be a mixture oftraditional utilitarianism that affords a method of human rights. Modern utilitarian theorists have extended the theory of Bentham,but have put it in more modern terms. Instead of maximising the pleasuresand desires of the individual the government would be maximising thegeneral welfare of individuals therefore minimising frustration of wantsand preferences. Therefore what one cansee is that the governing bodies must put the general welfare first, yetminimise the individuals needs therefore causing a conflict of rightsbetween what is in the name of the society and what the individual wants. Theproblems with this theory is it is socially constructed, there is no autonomyof being and no argument for universal rights that transcend all cultures andreligions, therefore falling short of what is needed for an all-encompassinghuman rights theory, as the general welfare can be different fordiffering cultures. Rawls i n his thesis for engendering human rights statesthat justice is the prime basis ofall government and to ensure justice human rights are the obvious means and endto ensure justice is fulfilled. Rawls theory is based on a few key ideas,which are the rights and duties of government/institution of society andthe burdens and benefits of citizens co-operating. Rawls bases histheory that each individual has an inherent and inviolable being set in justice- this being cannot be overridden for the welfare of the society. This theorydoes not fall foul to the arguments against modern utilitarianism. Rawls doesuse the social contract fiction of Hobbes and Locke, however the basis ofmoving from ignorance (state of nature) is reason and this reason set up onprinciples of justice that his social contract is based upon. These principlesare; 1) that each person has basic rights and liberties in accordance withfreedom; and 2) there is distributive justice, where inequalities arerestrained by the great est benefit of least advantaged and each personhas the condition of fair equality of opportunity. These principlescannot be derogated for the public good and liberty is the supreme principle.Rawls theory is very important when looking at human rights theories becauseit begins to tackle the universality of human rights based on justice, as wellas the inequalities apparent in society. The theory does have flaws but it oneof the more comprehensive theories setting up basis rights and freedoms andensuring legitimate power because it protects the individuals democraticrights, because it is a more complex analysis of the nation-state and asAndrews and Sayward argue: The modern Western approach to political legitimacy links it withthe opportunities for democratic participation, so that democracy is now seenas a necessary condition of political legitimacy In theories of politicallegitimacy a stereotype of a domestic state with its own domestic populationcan easily emerge. Yet the actual histories of state are much more complicatedthan that. Bibliography: Andrews Saward, 2005, LivingPolitical Ideas, Edinburgh University Press Edmund Burke, Reflections onthe Revolution in France, (Hackett,Indianapolis, 1987) ed. J.G.A. Pocock Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan, Ofthe First and Second Natural Laws, and of Contracts excerpts from Ed.Joseph Losco Leonard Williams, Political Theory: Classical Writings,Contemporary Views, (St. Martins Press, New York, 1992) Peter Jones, Rights: Issues inPolitical Theory, (Palgrave, Basingstoke, 1994) John Locke, The Second Treatise ofGovernment , excerpts from Ed. Joseph Losco Leonard Williams, PoliticalTheory: Classical Writings, Contemporary Views, (St. Martins Press, NewYork, 1992) Ed. Joseph Losco Leonard Williams,Political Theory: Classical Writings, Contemporary Views, (St. MartinsPress, New York, 1992) Marx Engels, 1952 edition, TheCommunist Manifesto, Moscow, Progress Publishers John-Jacques Rousseau, SocialContract, Discourse on the Origins and Foundations of Inequality AmongMen excerpts from Ed. Joseph Losco Leonard Williams, PoliticalTheory: Classical Writings, Contemporary Views, (St. Martins Press, NewYork, 1992) Shestack, The PhilosophicalFoundations of Human Rights from Ed. Janusz Symonides, Human Rights:Concepts and Standards, (UNESCO Publishing, Aldershot, 2000) John Rawls, The Theory of Justice (OxfordUniversity Press, Oxford, 1971)

The Wave :: essays research papers

Nazism The wave is about a history teacher whose name is Ben Ross. His class was starting to study the time that Hitler began making all the Jewish people stay in camps. Ben Ross could not find a way to get his class interested into this time period, so he decided to try to make a group, He would play like a Hitler type scenario and his class would be the Jewish people. He would make this group open to the whole school. Ben Ross told his idea to his class. He announced the group, and he had a pretty good turnout. They called the group that wave and they made a handshake, and a symbol. Laurie a girl in Ben Ross's class joined the wave at first and was in it for a while, but she saw that it was becoming way too serious. She decided to drop out of the wave. The wave became so popular that almost all the school was in the group. Ben Ross started to dress in suits, instead of his usual jeans and a nice shirt. He started to dress like a dictator. Ben Ross had the kids in his group sit with very good posture, and if they wanted to talk they had to address him as sir and they Stood up and talked very crisp and clear. When they were through talking they had to sit back down the proper position. Ben Ross thought that his experiment was going really good. All the kids were really taking it serious and he was enjoying it too. Laurie who quit the group saw that everyone was in the wave and she was on the staff of the Gordon Grapevine the school newspaper she decide to write and article about how everyone was taking this wave thing way to serious. Her article in the paper was published and everyone saw what she wrote. This made all of the group members very upset, they started to threaten her, and make her feel left out because she had quit the wave. Laurie had a boyfriend David who was in the wave, kept telling her that she should join the wave again, he didn't realize that why she didn't want to be in the group. This was splitting them apart. Laurie and David were talking one night and David brought up that she still was not in the wave, and she needed to join the wave. Laurie told him that she did not want to be involved in it, it was getting way to serious. People were getting hurt. David got really mad and The Wave :: essays research papers Nazism The wave is about a history teacher whose name is Ben Ross. His class was starting to study the time that Hitler began making all the Jewish people stay in camps. Ben Ross could not find a way to get his class interested into this time period, so he decided to try to make a group, He would play like a Hitler type scenario and his class would be the Jewish people. He would make this group open to the whole school. Ben Ross told his idea to his class. He announced the group, and he had a pretty good turnout. They called the group that wave and they made a handshake, and a symbol. Laurie a girl in Ben Ross's class joined the wave at first and was in it for a while, but she saw that it was becoming way too serious. She decided to drop out of the wave. The wave became so popular that almost all the school was in the group. Ben Ross started to dress in suits, instead of his usual jeans and a nice shirt. He started to dress like a dictator. Ben Ross had the kids in his group sit with very good posture, and if they wanted to talk they had to address him as sir and they Stood up and talked very crisp and clear. When they were through talking they had to sit back down the proper position. Ben Ross thought that his experiment was going really good. All the kids were really taking it serious and he was enjoying it too. Laurie who quit the group saw that everyone was in the wave and she was on the staff of the Gordon Grapevine the school newspaper she decide to write and article about how everyone was taking this wave thing way to serious. Her article in the paper was published and everyone saw what she wrote. This made all of the group members very upset, they started to threaten her, and make her feel left out because she had quit the wave. Laurie had a boyfriend David who was in the wave, kept telling her that she should join the wave again, he didn't realize that why she didn't want to be in the group. This was splitting them apart. Laurie and David were talking one night and David brought up that she still was not in the wave, and she needed to join the wave. Laurie told him that she did not want to be involved in it, it was getting way to serious. People were getting hurt. David got really mad and

Reality and Illusion in Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman Essay

Reality and Illusion in Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman In Arthur Miller’s play, Death of a Salesman, a major theme and source of conflict is the Loman family’s inability to distinguish between reality and illusion.   This is particularly evident in the father, Willy Loman.   Willy has created a fantasy world of himself and his family.   In this world, he and his sons are men of greatness that â€Å"have what it takes† to make it in the business environment.   In reality, none of them can achieve this greatness until they confront and deal with this illusion.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Willy is convinced that being well liked is the key to success, exclaiming â€Å"Be liked and you will never want...†Ã‚   (Klotz, A 1998).   It is unclear whether Willy’s â€Å"flashbacks† of past business relationships are remembering when he was once well liked or simply imagining he was.   However, simply the fact that it is no longer true reflects upon his inability to distinguish between reality and fantasy.   This eventually brings about Willy’s death.   He has imagined that he is worth more dead than alive and the insurance money from his death will be the catalyst for Biff’s success.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Willy has also blinded himself regarding the success, or lack of success, of his sons.   He believes Hap to be an â€Å"assistant to the director† at his job, but Hap’s position is barely influential, if at all.   He has elevated Biff’s past employment experience with Oliver to that of a leading salesman, when in reality he was simply a shipping clerk.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another significant theme that occurs throughout the play is that it is ok to be dishonest when it suits their purposes.   Willy continues to send his sons mixed signals on this issue.   This began with Willy finding ... ...he old stockings.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The woods and jungle constantly referred to by Willy and Ben seem to represent the struggle of life.   The â€Å"diamond† in the jungle is the reward at the end of the struggle, which would be the materialistic success for which Willy is constantly striving.   However, Linda makes the last house payment on the day Willy’s funeral, which represents the futility of that struggle.   Willy’s final act of suicide is symbolic as well but it is not known whether his suicide is an act of cowardice or a last sacrifice on the altar of the American dream. References Klotz, A. , with Richardson.  Ã‚   Arthur Miller â€Å"Death of a Salesman†.   Literature, seventh.   St. Martin’s Press.   (1998).   pp. 746 - 822. Klotz, A. , with Richardson.   (1998).   W. H. Auden â€Å"The Unknown Citizen†.   Literature, seventh.   St. Martin’s Press.   pp. 448 - 449.      

Legal and Ethical Responsibilities. Essay -- Business and Management S

Legal and Ethical Responsibilities. Direct Discrimination :- something like putting in the job advertisement â€Å"women need not apply†. Indirect Discrimination :- saying there’s a height limit such as a 6’4†. This will limit who can apply for the job. Sex Discrimination Act 1975 The Sex Discrimination Act 1975 makes sex discrimination unlawful in employment, vocational training, education, the provision and sale of goods, facilities and services and premises. In employment and vocational training, it is also unlawful to discriminate against someone on the grounds that a person is married or, from December 2005, a civil partner, or on the grounds of gender reassignment. The Sex Discrimination Act prohibits direct and indirect discrimination and victimisation. Although not yet mentioned in the Act, case law has established that harassment/sexual harassment and discrimination because a woman is pregnant or on maternity leave are unlawful. Equal Pay Act 1970 The Equal Pay Act 1970 makes it unlawful for employers to discriminate between men and women where they are doing the same or similar work; work rated as equivalent; or work which is of equal value though different in nature. It covers both pay and other terms and conditions such as output and bonus payments, holidays and sick leave. European law has confirmed that the concept of equal pay prevents discrimination in relation to redundancy payments, travel concessions, employers’ pension contributions and occupational pension benefits. The Equal Pay Act applies to pay or benefits provided by the contract of employment. The Sex Discrimination Act covers non-contractual arrangements including benefits such as discretionary access to a workplace nursery or travel concessions. The Act does not give anyone the right to claim equal pay with a person of the same sex. In other words, any comparison must be with a person of the opposite sex. Racial Discrimination Race discrimination occurs when a person is treated less favourably on the grounds of race, colour, and nationality, ethnic or national origin. It is unlawful to discriminate against any worker on racial grounds. The Race Relations Act 1976 makes it unlawful to discriminate in:  · recruitment  · pay (including bonuses and shift premiums)  · other terms and conditions (e.g. holidays)  · ac... ...use she works part-time and he works full-time is unlikely to be a good defence to an equal pay claim. Parental Leave You have the right to take 13 weeks’ leave in respect of every child born after 15 December 1999. You must take the leave either before the child reaches his fifth birthday or five years have elapsed following his placement for adoption (or before his eighteenth birthday if earlier) or, in the case of a disabled child, before the child’s eighteenth birthday. Your employment continues during your leave. You have the right to return to your old job if your leave period lasted 4 weeks or less. If you took longer leave and it is not possible for you to return to your old job, you have the right to return to a similar job which has the same or better status, terms and conditions as your previous job. If you took parental leave immediately after an ordinary maternity leave, you are entitled to return to your old job. If the parental leave followed an additional maternity and it is not reasonably possible for you then to return to your old job, you have the right to return to a job with similar or better status, terms and conditions as your old post.

Challenges Facing Fashion Industry in Ghana

CHAPTER ONE BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY The environment in which the fashion industry operates the world over has become turbulent, unpredictable and therefore, difficult to exert managerial control. Cultures around the world are constantly influencing each other; hence, the world’s cultures are changing fashion constantly. Also, social, economic, political and legal factors keep changing than before. Competition in the fashion industry is so rife such that the survival of fashion organizations cannot be guaranteed (Stuart, 1995). During the last decade, the developments of new technologies all over the world and growing globalization of countries economies have produced the fastest changes ever. The fashion industry in Ghana, especially, the clothing sub sector (which is the focus of this study) has not been without the effect of economic, political, social, cultural and legal pressures brought to bear on all organizations. In recent years, protectionism has given way to globalization. With that change, Ghanaian clothing sector of the fashion industry has had to compete with imports from low wage countries. Retailers, unencumbered by protectionism, have also seized on the opportunity, often choosing to go directly to offshore manufacturers. As retailers become larger and more globally connected, they continue to build global brands marketed around the world. In doing so, they eliminate many Ghanaian clothing companies from their supply chain. The result has been major market share declines and job losses in the industry. Aug The Ghanaian clothing sector of the fashion industry faces many challenges. he rise of low-cost goods from Asia, a slowdown in consumer spending, difficulty in accessing capital, lack of innovation from entrepreneurs, relatively high prices of products due to high unit cost, poor distribution channels and inability to promote local brands. It is without doubt that low-cost Chinese imports have increasingly dominated the local fashion scene. As a result some local manufacturers, in an attempt to remain competitive, have subcontracted their production processes offsho re. The issue of access to capital for the industry is not new. For years, industry players have indicated that they feel there is a lack of support for their industry from the banking community. Under these circumstances, it is not a surprise that many companies cannot secure financing. as a result of banking formula-based lending practices, financing remains a challenge to many well-run clothing companies and small businesses in general. Brand DEVELOPMENT HAS BEEN A MJOR ISSUE IN THE clothing sub sector in the fashion industry in Ghana. Many Designers have not been able to design unique Ghanaian designs that would bear their own brand name in order to project their business. However, a few creative ones have had their product design copied wrongly and produced cheaply from China, thereby destroying the brands they have developed. These and other factors have created serious marketing challenges for the clothing sub sector of the fashion industry in Ghana. This study would go into detail to look at the nature of the marketing challenges facing the industry in Ghana. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM There are growing signs Ghanaian garment and fashion industry is approaching a serious crossroad. Increasing numbers of mainland Chinese manufacturers are taking Ghana’s role of mass-producing quality fashion items at reasonable cost. Industry players, also have difficulty securing financing from other lenders. For example, asset based lenders often require substantial premium interest rates. Other larger non-traditional lending institutions and professionals that can assist prefer working with larger companies where greater fees and returns can be earned. The traditional financing problems will likely become further exacerbated as companies implement new models that do not generate assets that can be collateralized. The problems enumerated above, as well as western cultures, globalization have created internal marketing challenges for the clothing industry in the area of promotion, pricing and distribution of products. The study seeks to unravel the challenges and make recommendations to solve the problems. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY The objectives of the study were: 1. To investigate how foreign cultures have influenced the Ghanaian brands in the clothing industry. 2. To assess the challenges associated with clothing design ( product development) 3. To investigate the challenges industry players face in their pricing of products . To assess how they promote their products. RELEVANCE OF THE STUDY It is hoped that the study would benefit clothing sub sector of the fashion industry in Ghana. Also, it will serve as a pedestal upon which future researches in the area would be based. CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW Eusebio (2007) carried out a research on the topic â€Å"Internal key factors in export pe rformance: A comparative analysis in the Italian and Spanish textile-clothing sector† The purpose of this paper is to analyze the key factors in the international performance of textile manufacturing companies. The study provided a comparative study of the main factors that have affected the export performance of the Spanish and Italian clothing sub sector of the fashion businesses. A wide range of factors has been studied, such as size, dispersion of sales and export experience. In order to compare Spanish and Italian cases, the empirical study used a standardized questionnaire for collecting data. The cases analyzed were respective geographical zones with a great tradition in textile-clothing industry in their country, Catalonian (in the Spanish case) and Lombardian business (in the Italian case). It was found that international experience was the main factor in the export performance for both cases but the investment in R&D and the export experience have been the keys for explaining the major export performance of the Italian businesses. The paper explained why the Lambardian textile-clothing companies exported more, in relation to total sales, than the Catalan companies in the same sector. . Research limitations – The sample was formed basically for small textile-clothing businesses (with less than five employees). Eusebio (2007) STUDIED Top of Form Management perception and marketing strategy in export performance: A comparative analysis in Italian and Spanish textile-clothing sector The purpose of the study was to focus on the key factors in the international performance of textile manufacturing companies. In order to compare Spanish and Italian cases, the empirical study used a standardized questionnaire for collecting data. The cases analysed were respectively geographical zones with a great tradition in textile-clothing industry in their country, Catalonian (in the Spanish case) and Lombardian business (in the Italian case). Research limitations/implications – The sample was basically from small textile-clothing business (with less than 500 employees). It was found that international experience was the main factor in the export performance for both cases but investments in R&D and export experience have been the keys for explaining the major export performance of the Italian businesses. The study was of value in that it provides a comparative study of the main factors that have affected the export performance of the Spanish and Italian businesses. A wide range of factors has been studied, including characteristics of the business, such as size, dispersion of sales and export experience. Freeman (2007) carried out a survey on the topic â€Å"Fashion marketing to women in Kazakhstan†The purpose study was to explore consumer behavior regarding women's decisions concerning fashion in the emerging marketing of Kazakhstan. Literature review formed the basis of the questions asked to several focus groups and in-depth interviews of 48 Kazakhs representing the average age of Kazakhstan. The approach of the paper was exploratory as there was not a lot of research concerning the Kazakhstani marketplace. The work revealed that Kazakhstani women were becoming aware of their rights to choose clothing and location of purchase. They expected to be treated with respect. The women were value conscious, thinking brand names enhanced the value of clothing and will shop sales regardless of the actual discount. Kazakhstani women we extremely fashion conscious and looked to the media current fashions. They were wary ything coming out of China. There were five market segments into which these women can be divided. Practical implications – Kazakhstan is opening as a marketplace. In order to understand how to market in Kazakhstan, firms must understand what is wanted and this paper begins this exploration. This market is unexplored both academically and by many clothing manufacturers. This market is opening and thus information concerning the marketplace is necessary. Chong (2007) carried out a survey on the topic â€Å"Central and Eastern European countries and North Africa: The emerging clothing supplying countries to the EU†. The purpose of this study was to examine the delocalization trend of the EU's clothing production to Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs) and North Africa, focusing on the geographical shift of outsourced clothing production pattern within the two developing regions. In total, 14 CEECs and North African countries were selected and classified into 1st-tier and 2nd-tier regions according to their GDP/capita values. Clothing trade statistics were obtained from the Eurostat database, and the clothing trade pattern was examined during 1995 to 2004. Trade Specialization Coefficient (TSC) was employed to measure the international competitiveness of clothing exports of the selected CEECs and North African countries. Results concluded that the EU's clothing production had significantly delocalized to the proximate CEECs and North African regions, with further geographical shift to less-developing 2nd-tier clothing supplying countries in recent years. The TSC analysis reflected that the competitiveness of clothing industry in 2nd-tiers had outperformed the 1st-tier economies, indicating Western European firms had shifted their sourcing practices to those lower-waged countries. Koksal (2007) studied on the topic† references regarding children's clothing in Turkey† The aim of this study was to determine the factors affecting the consumer preferences and behavior in the children's clothing market in Turkey, a country where the majority of the population is under 18 years old. Whilst the study investigated the purchasing preferences and behaviour of parents, such as shopping frequency and period, type of retailer and the effect of reference groups in the children's clothing market, it also explored some children's purchasing characteristics, like shopping decision age. This study offered some academic results on consumer behaviour and preferences in the children's clothing market: There is no set shopping period; consumers prefer shopping from independent shops; in the selection of retailers, consumers consider payment conditions, pricing, and range of merchandise; in the family the parents mostly make the buying decisions for their children's clothes; the age of children making their own clothing decisions varies between six and ten; the most important factors affecting consumers' decisions towards shopping for children's clothing are the price, quality, convenience, payment conditions, and size of the clothing. Kilduff (2007) carried out a research on the topic â€Å"Analysis of comparative advantage in the textile complex: A study of Eastern European and former Soviet Union nations† This research aimed to present an exploratory investigation into ten-year (1995-2004) patterns of trade specialization among Eastern European and former Sovie t Union Nations, assessing patterns of comparative advantage across the textile machinery, man-made fiber, textile, and apparel sectors of the textile complex to determine whether these conform with both trade specialization and industry evolution theories. A revealed symmetric comparative advantage index was employed to evaluate international competitiveness for 27 Eastern European and former Soviet Union Nations over a ten-year period. A repeated measure ANOVA was used to determine the significance of the observed patterns across four income-defined groups of nations. Overall, the pattern of export development and RSCA generally reflected expectations regarding factor proportions theory and industry evolution models. The RMANOVA partially confirmed the observations. The analysis indicated that income group did not independently affect comparative advantage; however, the nature of products was the significant factor influencing national comparative advantage. According to the researchers, the established models may be better at understanding those nations which have established relatively stable political and economic environment, and been experiencing earlier stages of industry development, but appear less useful in predicting development patterns for those nations experiencing dramatic transitions from regulated to de-regulated markets. The patterns of national comparative advantage in a vertical textile complex are identified for Eastern European and former Soviet Union Nations. The dynamics of change over a ten-year period following economic reforms are revealed. Karpova et al (2007) looked at the topic â€Å"Making sense of the market: An exploration of apparel consumption practices of the Russian consumer†. The purpose of this study was to examine and interpret post-socialist consumer xperiences in relation to clothing consumption practices when consumers shop, acquire, and wear clothing and other fashion-related products. Th e in-depth interview was the primary data collection tool. Data collection was conducted during summer 2004 in St Petersburg, Russia. College students formed the sample for the study. In total, 17 students (four males and 13 females) were interviewed. The hermeneutic approach was used to interpret the meanings of the participant life experiences. In comparison to consumers in an established market-based economy, consumers in this post-socialist market have unique perceptions of clothing attributes (quality, brand name, country of origin, retail channel) critical for buying decisions. Overall, appearance and clothing play a special role in the emerging Russian market as they help construct and communicate new identities more than any other product category. Identified challenges of the Russian apparel market indicate opportunities for domestic and foreign apparel businesses. The meanings Russian consumers attach to clothing attributes can be used to develop product positioning and promotional strategies. Discussed implications of the research findings can be extended to other post-socialist emerging markets. This study explored how Russian consumers have adjusted to the new economic reality after almost fifteen years of transition from a socialist to a capitalist society from the perspective of the consumer. Whereas previous research findings were confirmed, the present study provides rationale for perceived importance of quality and unimportance of brand name in the Russian apparel market. Curran (2007) studied the topic â€Å"clothing's big bang: the impact of the end of the ATC on developing country clothing suppliers†. Prior to the liberalization of the clothing and textiles sector under the Agreement on Textiles and Clothing (ATC) fears had been expressed about the potential impact on developing country suppliers. This study sought to establish the actual impact of the liberalization of the EU and US clothing markets. Comparison of trade figures pre and post liberalization. Was the basis for the research design The research revealed that, as forecast, significant changes occurred in sourcing patterns in the EU almost overnight. The big winners were India and China. Almost all other developing countries lost market share, although often not as much as had been feared. The impact of the liberalization was mitigated somewhat by the new quantitative restrictions negotiated with China half way through the year, which resulted in a redistribution of market share to other developing countries. Comparisons with the USA indicated that trends are rather similar, although on that market more developing countries saw increases in their exports, partly canceling out losses in the EU. Johnson (2007) carried out a survey on â€Å"The role of focal suppliers in strategic networks for internationalization: Perspectives from small and medium-sized Italian and Thai silk suppliers† The purpose of this research was to examine the role of focal suppliers in strategic networks for internationalization from the perspectives of small and medium-sized Italian and Thai silk suppliers. Multiple case studies of small and medium-sized suppliers within the silk industries of Italy and Thailand were undertaken. In total, seventeen interviews and three observations were conducted with directors or managers of silk suppliers and a range of government agencies, associations and institutes involved with the silk industry, to identify significant current issues within the sector. Conceptually clustered and role ordered matrices were used as coding frameworks to reduce, structure and analyze the data. The research showed that Silk suppliers' networks may be co-ordinated by a focal supplier that assumes the role of strategic leader. The involvement of a focal and strategically-focused supplier may strengthen and integrate the resources and capabilities of silk suppliers in their networks and enable them to improve their international network development and position. Further investigation is needed on the details of specific roles of focal suppliers in strategic networks. In the view of the researchers, Silk suppliers, their customers and government agencies involved with silk suppliers should: advocate and actively support the development of focal suppliers in their networks to enhance the effectiveness of their internationalization process and strategy. The researchers also indicated that there tends to be a consensus in the literature about the influence of focal customers and larger organizations in strategic networks. This study highlighted how small and medium-sized silk suppliers adopt the roles attributed to focal firms and gain positioning advantages for themselves and other suppliers in their network. Karmenidou (2007) carried out an exploratory study on the reasons for purchasing imported high fashion apparels: The case of Greece. The purpose of the study was to examine the reasons that Greek consumers purchase imported high fashion apparel over Greek designers high fashion apparel. The specific objective of the research was to detect the underlying factors that affect their purchasing behaviour. Qualitative research was conducted through discussions with consumer focus groups, all purchasers of imported high fashion apparel. Quantitative research was undertaken by means of a questionnaire with 28 items referring to the reasons for purchasing imported high fashion apparel. The sample consisted of 200 high fashion consumers from the city of Larissa, Greece. Data analysis includes descriptive statistics, reliability, as well as factor analysis by principal component analysis with Varimax rotation. This research was exploratory in nature and employed a non-probability sampling method. Results indicated that the consumers perceive that the imported high fashion apparel have better aesthetics, a better line and are produced from quality textiles, compared to the domestic high fashion apparel. Four factors derived underpinned the purchasing reasons of imported high fashion apparel: â€Å"status and image†, â€Å"quality of the product†, â€Å"marketing reasons† and â€Å"in fashion†. This study provided a useful source of information, which can be used by Greek high fashion apparel designers regarding the reasons why Greek customers of high fashion apparel purchase imported over domestic ones. The study suggests which elements Greek designers of high fashion apparel should focus upon in order to gain a larger market share. This study was important in terms that it was the first one to explore the reasons for purchasing imported high fashion apparel over domestic ones in Greece. It highlighted 28 reasons (items) derived from qualitative research. In addition it suggested appropriate quality and marketing actions to be undertaken by Greek high fashion apparel designers. Baker (2006) looked at the topic â€Å"Fashion industry facing challenges†. According to him, the Australia’s fashion industry faces many challenges including the rise of low-cost goods from Asia, a slowdown in consumer spending and the need to respond quickly to changes in trends. crippling household debt and low-cost Chinese imports increasingly will dominate the local fashion scene. â€Å"With house prices stagnant and the ongoing threat of an interest rate rise, people are readjusting their spending habits. Having spent beyond their means for many years, the debt to income gaps need to diminish, which means shrinking the value of goods bought on credit. According to him, the clothing industry is set to bear the brunt of a consumer slowdown in spending which would spell disaster for some local manufacturers. The ability of local production to respond quickly to changes in fashion trends is also crucial for survival. In his view, manufacturers will need to build closer relationships with retailers to help them respond more appropriately to consumer demand. Another challenge came from rapidly rising imports, particularly from China which accounts for 59 per cent of industry imports. Smaller, independent operators should always be on the lookout to increase efficiencies, develop effective branding and market strategies and attack key niche segments to make financial gains. One growth area for smaller players was on line selling, or e-tail, with its low set-up costs. Online sales currently account for just two to five per cent of retail sales in Australia but predicted that figure will increase with rising levels of broadband penetration. Revenue is leaking from our fashion industry as retailers who have been slow to catch on to building an online presence are losing out to overseas labels that are selling direct to the Australian public online. A survey undertaken by logistics group DHL found that the trend for local designers to go offshore could have a negative effect on the Australian fashion industry. The Business of Fashion survey showed that 90 per cent of respondents, which included designers and manufacturers, believe more garment manufacturing is headed offshore. The survey found that the industry needs better business training and more help to export if it is to remain competitive. Kalman (1999) wrote an article on how globalization has affected the fashion industry in the West Coast. While the West Coast sewn products industry is not exempt from downward domestic production trends faced by the rest of the United States, the region continues to stay one step ahead of the game thanks to its strengths in quick-turn fashion and flexible production. Suppliers to the market are focusing on these strengths as well as the challenges facing West Coast producers – namely the lure of low-cost sourcing south of the border – as they prepare to participate in the 1999 Sewn Products Expo – Los Angeles, which takes place April 22-24 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Looking at the factors that have driven the West Coast industry's growth, Lectra Systems Inc. vice president of marketing Rick Ludolph observes, â€Å"As West Coast firms have always been more fashion-driven, they have adapted better than more traditional manufacturing regions of the country to the need for fast, flexible production. †¦ Southern California, in particular, maintains a favorable value proposition with good labor availability at relatively low labor costs when compared to other U. S. regions. † Likewise, Mike Grogan, vice president of Apparel Machinery & Supply Co. notes that despite the migration of production offshore, the We st Coast apparel industry â€Å"still [has] a good core of smaller manufacturers, particularly in the Asian community, which can offer quick response to sudden fashion trends and short production runs. † The source of most West Coast production is California, which continues to lead U. S. apparel industry employment with a 1998 work force of approximately 168,700. The state is home to some 7,400 fashion-related companies that account for $47. 7 billion in annual wholesale sales, the California Fashion Association reports. Yet the growth of manufacturing activity in Mexico has had deleterious effects on apparel jobs, even in California. â€Å"This is particularly true in the most basic product line. People on the lower-priced budget end are almost completely forced out of the U. S. It's very difficult for them to make the high-volume, low-cost products here anymore. Moreover, From anywhere in Mexico you can be anywhere in the United States on the ground in four days, so transportation issues aren't really a problem anymore either. † Tight retail margins also are driving more production to Mexico. As Byte Systems director of sales and marketing Brad Mikes asserts: Retail price points are still the defining issue. Sewn products will continue to move to Mexico because of its proximity to the U. S. , the industry growth in Mexico, and because of the labor cost reduction [associated with] manufacturing there. Still, California has assets, such as its highly skilled work force and quick-turn manufacturing capacity that Mexico has yet to match. With regard to the state's growing apparel work force, Ludolph emphasizes: â€Å"This is a result of the strong demand for skilled labor, which is required to produce much of the women's wear and sportswear that is dominant in the region. †¦ [Subsequently] the availability of skilled, efficient labor is key to maintaining the apparel industry on the West Coast. † As the region's labor pool is fueled by an influx of Latin American immigrants, it promises to have a positive impact on maintaining jobs that might have otherwise moved to Mexico. With regard to flexible manufacturing, Robison-Anton Textile Co. president Bruce Anton notes that streamlined logistics and just-in-time production are playing an increasingly important role in the success of California's apparel industry, whereas â€Å"Mexican manufacturers have not adjusted to this yet. † Isenberg adds that with fashion-oriented orders, California contractors can maintain an edge over those of Mexico, which has very few â€Å"fashion factories,† as well as Asia, which requires long lead times. While â€Å"the days of having big runs come into domestic factories are all but over,† he says, California firms can still win if they are willing to run many different styles and small cuts. Indeed, without the security of big runs, many West Coast companies have had to become more acutely attuned to the caprices of the marketplace. As Joe Hollander, president of AC/Automated Components observes: â€Å"We have noticed that some factories are downsizing their operations and gearing themselves toward smaller production runs with an emphasis on quality and quick turnaround. We also see an emphasis on the ability to make subtle changes in the product to customize it for specific stores, chains, etc. † From a financial perspective, JBA International's Joe Facenda, senior consultant for apparel and footwear, concludes: â€Å"Our region is more influenced [than others] by the constant flow of new companies. Our designers and supplier network make us the Silicon Valley of the apparel industry,† he emphasizes, and this status breeds â€Å"a great need for more capitalization† so that start-ups and established companies alike don't â€Å"stay behind the capit al curve. † AHRC (2007) IN THE STUD OF Key Challenges in Adapting to New Models in the fashion industry ASSERTED THAT While companies are managing to adapt to offshore sourcing, they are slow to become world class in other parts of the value chain. Challenges are both company specific and general to the industry. The Study indicated that most participants had â€Å"operating basics† right, including being able to produce a value for money product that meets the end consumer needs at the right quality level, delivered on-time, with the proper service that retailers demand. However, the same study noted several weaknesses. A startling 58 percent of companies did not have the financial acumen, information or general expertise to identify the true profit drivers in their company. Without this information, these companies have been unable to distinguish profitable versus unprofitable segments of their business, and thus often unable to identify the most profitable niches to grow;58 percent of companies did not have a strong management team, implying that their own internal management competencies may be preventing them from reinventing themselves;While 67 percent of apparel companies operate within a niche, 62 percent do not offer the customer anything that differentiates them from the competition. Contractors were specifically noted to have even greater internal challenges, including:Extremely weak sales and marketing capabilities: Many companies tend to be dependent on relatively few longterm customers; These companies do not have an owner or key employees with significant sales capabilities;Weak financial and costing which impede their abilities to determine profitable contracts from unprofitable ones;Poor workforce cross-training capabilities / flexibility. A World-Class Focus of Excellence Key challenges per company will also vary based on the model being pursued. In general, the following table illustrates the key challenges depending on whether a company intends to maintain an element of the value chain in-house and make it a core focus or whether it intends to outsource it: Beyond specific business model challenges as noted above, certain general challenges will impact industry players as well:Decreasing Domestic Supply Chain As manufacturing continues to move offshore, domestic apparel manufacturer suppliers (textile companies, label producers, thread companies, etc. ) will face greater challenges; In all likelihood, these suppliers will continue to face consolidation and closures; As the supply chain erodes, it will become increasingly difficult for those apparel companies wishing to manufacture domestically to do so. The 2003 AHRC LMU noted that while most industry executives were aware of the coming industry restructuring, 87 percent did not have a strategic plan to deal with the issues. The 2007 AHRC Study confirmed this still to be the cases at the onset of the program, some three years later. While the 2007 AHRC Study provided assistance to 130 apparel companies, presumably there continues to be many apparel companies without well-rounded management teams. Beyond specific value chain shortcomings, key weaknesses tend to be in the areas of strategic and financial management. Of all participants in the 2007 AHRC Study, 27 percent will face a succession issue within the next 5 years; 42 percent within the next 10 years:Most of these companies do not have succession plans;There is a strong correlation between companies that have succession plans and strategic plans; i. e. , if a company does not have a winning strategy in place, it likely does not have a succession plan;Without succession plans, many of these companies will face business continuity issues in the short to mid-term. The issue of access to capital for the apparel industry is not new. For years, apparel companies have indicated that they feel there is a lack of support for their industry from the banking community. While there may be some truth to this, it may be for good reason. As previously noted, consider that of the 2007 AHRC Study participants: 56 percent did not have a strong management team in place; 58 percent were not able to determine the true profit drivers of their business; 87 percent did not have a strategic plan that could be acted upon; 61 percent were not willing to reinvest in their businesses. Under these circumstances, it is not a surprise that many companies could not / cannot secure financing. Nevertheless as a result of banking formula-based lending practices, we believe that financing remains a challenge to many well-run apparel companies and small businesses in general. SMEs at times, also have difficulty securing financing from other lenders. For example, asset based lenders often require substantial premium interest rates. Other larger non-traditional lending institutions and professionals that can assist prefer working with larger companies where greater fees and returns can be earned. The traditional financing problems will likely become further exacerbated as companies implement new models that do not generate assets that can be collateralized. Consider: Soft cost expenditures are often required to implement new models (i. e. esigners, marketers, sales and service personnel, increased travel, training and marketing costs, These expenditures offer no collateral security to lending institutions and as a result, are difficult to finance; Inventory financing costs are increasing, often as a result of shifts to imports; Requirements to fund export receivables are increasing. To further exacerbate the issues, many executives appear to often strip equity from their companies as opposed to maintaining this capital for future reinvestment. Employment will shift from predominantly production jobs to balanced or predominantly white collar positions. New models will require companies to hire world-class talents in areas such as design, marketing and logistics. According to the 2007 AHRC Study, positions to be most in demand include: Sales professionals (sales managers, brand managers, sales representatives); Marketing professionals (marketing managers, marketing analysts, merchandising technicians); Designers (product developers and design technicians); Import / export specialists; This talent appears to be in short supply and in demand by other industries as well. Apparel companies will be challenged to recruit, train and retain these key personnel. Financing such salaries will also be a challenge to companies. According to the 2003 AHRC LMU, 87 percent of Canadian apparel companies had less than 50 employees. Less than 7 percent of companies employed more than 100 personnel. This SME industry structure partly explains the lack of management sophistication in the industry. In order to reinvent themselves, many companies will need to increase their size in order to support greater white collar needs. We believe that this will lead to: Further industry consolidation; Continued merger and acquisition activity (for companies that have established a niche but need greater volume to expand and operate on a larger scale); Partnering / allying / creating joint ventures with world class specialists in order to remain competitive. Such partnerships are likely across the entire value chain in the areas of design, marketing, manufacturing, sales, logistics and distribution. As in the banking sector, much of the professional expertise in this area (business brokers for example) may be out of reach to many SMEs. Professionals in these areas prefer to work with large organizations whereby they can generate substantial fees as opposed to the SME marketplace. There are relatively few barriers to entry in launching an apparel company. As a result, the industry is constantly regenerating. Consider that nearly one third of all participating companies in the 2007 AHRC Study were established within the last ten years. Many of these companies are being founded by new designers graduating from colleges or individuals who have identified an underserved niche. Unhindered with the baggage of yesteryear, many of these companies have viable new business models. In these cases, the challenge is often to secure adequate industry specific managerial talent and financial resources to grow the company. CHAPTER THREE METHODOLOGY 3. 1 RESEARCH DESIGN The research used the survey design. Independent variables which were assessed cultural, globalization, pricing, product design and promotion challenges in the clothing sub sector of the fashion industry. Assessment was made to see their effect on the industry. Both qualitative and quantitative tools were used for the research. The design factored in large scale fashion designers, medium scale designers and tailors/seamstresses. The stratified and simple random sampling methods were used. 3. 2 POPULATION AND SAMPLING 3. 21 Population and Sample The research targeted large scale cloth designers, medium scale designers and tailors/seamstresses in Accra. The large scale designers are those who produce on large scale for the Ghanaian market and still export some. The medium scale are those who produce for the Accra market and a few for other regions. The tailors selected were those imitate and create designs based on the specifications of others. A sample of 120 was chosen. It was made of 10 large scale, 50 medium scale and 60 tailors/seamstresses. 3. 22 Sampling Strategy The research stratified the population into 3: large scale designers, medium scale designers and tailors/seamstresses. Simple random sampling was then used to select the sample in each stratum. A List was obtained from the Association of Fashion Designer and the Association of Tailors and Seamstresses. They then given codes and put in a basket. The sample was then selected randomly through the lottery approach. 3. 3 RESEARCH PROCEDURE A letter of introduction was taken from the Methodist University College. Copies were made and addressed to the leaders of Associations to seek approval for preliminary interview to have insight into the challenges of the industry. The leaders of the associations gave out the list of members, location and telephone numbers. With the help of the leaders, 120 respondents were selected. The researcher upon meeting the respondents explained the topic under study, stated the purposes, relevance and benefits of the research. Upon the approval of the Heads, the respondents were given the questionnaires. The researcher and his research assistants used a period of four (4) weeks to collect the questionnaires from the respondents. Out of the 120 individuals identified and given the questionnaires, 108 responded to the questionnaires, representing a response rate of 90%. 3. 4 RESEARCH INSRUMENT The primary data was collected through the administration of questionnaires based on our aims and research questions The questions were in †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. The questions used in this research were two types: open-ended and closed-ended questions. The reason for the open-ended questions was to allow respondents to express their views in the way they desired. The closed-ended ones were used to ascertain specific answers. 3. 5 STATISTICAL ANALYSIS Qualitative and quantitative methods were used in this research. These two methods complement each other. Qualitative research can be used in all disciplines and subject matters and its main aim is to gather an in-depth understanding of reasons and human behaviour. It investigates the why, what, how, where and when of decisions making and human behaviour. The research used bar graphs and frequency tables to analyse the data. The researchers also used the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) for the analysis. REFERENCES APPENDIX 1 METHODIST UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DEPARTMENT OF MARKETING QUESTIONNAIRE INTRODUCTION I am a student of the Methodist University College, Department of Marketing, pursuing Bachelor of Business Administration. I am carrying out a research on the topic â€Å"Marketing challenges of fashion industry in Ghana: perspectives of clothing sector. in partial fulfillment for the award of the degree. It is the aim of this research to find out the challenges of the fashion industry in relation to globalization, cultural influence, product development, pricing, distribution and promotion. The information you provide would be treated with the confidentiality and anonymity it deserves. You are assured that the information would be used for purely academic purposes and nothing else. I would be grateful if you respond to this questionnaire as objectively and honestly as possible. SECTION A : Demographic Data 1. Age†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 2. Gender: Male†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Female†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 3. Educational background: Basic Education†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Secondary education†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Tertiary education†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 4. How long have you been in the fashion industry†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 5. Industry classification: Seamstresses/Tailors†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Medium scale†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Large scale†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ SECTION B: Cultural Challenges 1. Clients like European designs Yes†¦.. No†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 2. American designs have adulterated indigenous Ghanaian designs Yes†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. No†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 3. Women mostly like western clothes that expose their bodies Yes†¦. No†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 4. Cheap foreign clothes are collapsing the Ghanian fashion industry. Yes†¦ No†¦.. SECTION C: Challenges of Globalization 5 Unfair global trade affects the fashion industry in Ghana. Yes†¦ No†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 6. The fasion inudtry in Ghana uses very little IT in its operation. Yes†¦.. No†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 7. Designs on the net has a lot of influence in the choice of clothes. Yes†¦.. No†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 8. Globalisation has changed the taste and preferences of consumers in the fshion industry in Ghana. Yes†¦.. No SECTION D: Product development Challenges 9. the industry has innovative designers with a sense of originality. Yes†¦. No†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 10. The clothes designed are of high quality. Yes†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. No†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 11. Clothing brands do not have trademarks. Yes†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. No†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 12. Designs and clothes are durable. Yes†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. No†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. SECTION E: Pricing Challenges 13. Consumers compain about the prices of clothes. Yes†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. No†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 14. Prices of Ghanaian clothing designs are higher than that from the west. Yes†¦. No†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 15. Chinese clothes of the same quality are less expensive than Ghanaian clothes. Yes†¦. No†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 16. Designs do not have standard prices. Yes†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. No†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ SECTION F: Promotion Challenges 17. Industry players cannot afford to advertise clothes on TV. Yes†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. No†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 18. Medium scale clothing producers do not take part in trade exhibition. Yes†¦.. No†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 19. Most clothing designers are not known. Yes†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ No†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 20. Stakeholders do radio advert to advertise new designs. Yes†¦.. No†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. SECTION G: Distribution Challenges 21. Cloth designer do not have many sales outlet. Yes†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. No†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 22. There are not many retailers who deal in made Ghana clothes. Yes†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ No†¦. 23. Made in Ghana clothing designs are not easily accessible on the local market. Yes†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ No†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.