Textual analysis of the man in the gray flannel suit by sloan wilson Essay

Textual analysis of the man in the gray flannel suit by sloan wilson (american dream theme) - Essay Example The center of this novel revolves around the theme of an American Dream. The novel talks of every United States citizen’s need to win happiness by satisfying their material wants. This is despite the concept written by James Adams, America is the land in which life should be fuller and richer for everyone, depending on their ability and achievement (1931). The Rath family is very unsatisfied with their ordinary lives, referring to it as â€Å"a thousand petty shabinesses.† When Tom returns his wife Betsy wants a better life and future. She wants her husband to be the person he was before the war, a driven and ambitious individual. Her frustration in evident in her annoyance at mundane trivialities of life â€Å"Barbaras got the chicken pox and the washing machine broke down.† Despite serving his country, Tom Rath finds himself unsuccessful as far as the real world is concerned. His Harvard degree is of little consequence as his education is shunned. To keep his wife happy he applies for a job. Tom’s heart is not in what he does. He seems to have no drive to succeed in the material world. When applying for this new job the evident lack of desire is evident in his half-hearted â€Å"it certainly sounds interesting.† All of this changes once Tom works in his new company. The American dream forces him to become part of the rat-race that seeks satisfaction through money. The irony of this idea becomes evident when Tom Rath applies for his job for a public relations position. Rath admits that he knows nothing about the job but this idea is ignored by the employer who claims â€Å"Who does? Youve got a clean shirt and you bathe everyday. Thats all there is to it.† This shows how skills are of no consequence in this life. It is only about presentation and how quickly that helps achieve the material goal. Soon money seems to be the only thing on Tom’s mind. He keeps repeating it to himself â€Å"The important thing is to make money† and â€Å"Money, I need

Marketing Audit Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Marketing Audit - Essay Example This paper will look at three components of the marketing audit namely marketing environment, marketing strategy and SWOT analysis. The marketing environment of a business organization can be classified into the macroenvironment and task environment. While the macroenvironment deals with the larger external environment of the company, the task environment looks at the direct stakeholders. The company's macroenvironment is comprised of the demographic, economic, environmental, technological, political, and cultural factors which directly affects its operation. Business organizations need to know the major demographic trends and developments which pose threats and opportunities to them as well as their specific response to these factors. The effects of economic variables such as price, income, savings and credit in the operation of business organizations should also be ascertained. ... Lastly, cultural factors like lifestyle and values must be evaluated to create products and services which are more preferred by customers (Kotler 2003). The task environment is comprised of the companies' stakeholders like suppliers, distribution channels, customers, competitors, customers, facilitators and marketing firms, markets, and publics. An evaluation of the task environment gives the business organization an idea of its position in the market (Kotler 2003). Marketing Strategy The evaluation of the company's marketing strategy start with the identification of the broader business mission and marketing objectives and goals. The main focus of this analysis is to determine whether the strategy is in line with where the company wants to be and what it wants to achieve. In evaluating the company's business mission, managers ascertain whether their stated mission is market-oriented. Market orientation is now imperative due to the evolving hypercompetitive marketing environment which gives higher buying leverage to customers. Next, the company also needs to verify that the company's stated business mission is feasible, that is, the company has the adequate and appropriate resources to achieve this position (Kotler 2003). Next, the company reviews its specific marketing objectives and goals making sure that they are smart-specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely. Managers also ensure that the marketing objectives are appropriate given the company's position, resources, and opportunities. Lastly, the company turns to its marketing strategy taking note if it is really effective in achieving the stated goals and objectives. The company's marketing strategy is often relayed through its marketing

The huge volume of guidance for leaders

The huge volume of guidance for leaders Essay title: The huge volume of guidance for leaders is a clear indication of the desire of those who can’t lead, to lead. In place of becoming leaders they become obedient followers of the latest ‘leadership’ fashions and fads. There is no direct route for leadership. It requires so many years of hard work, time and lots of communication to high profile person in strategic positions. Leader is a person who finds out the right way for followers in which direction, they can get success. For example, teams in major league cricket matches won more games when players perceived the coach as an effective leader. In India, â€Å"Mahatma Gandhi† leads people together and got independence for country. According to Brigid Carroll and Lester Levy management and leadership can be differentiated by identity, to understand and define leadership, it can be taken as emergent and desirable which is intangible, unknowable and nebulous while management taken as default identity which is specific and pragmatic (Brigid Carroll and Lester Levy, 2008). About fads and fashions of leadership, it is a growing issue. Fashions are not remaining stable how to appear or ways of working that are popular during certain periods while fads are usually understood to be short-lived fashions. There are lots of management fads and fashion after Second World War such as, Acceptable Risk, Assessment Centers, Business Ethics, Centralization, Computerization, Distributed Intelligence, Job Enrichment, Job Sharing, Knowledge Management, Outsourcing, Privatization etc. and they all flourished to a varying extent (Carl V. Rabstejnek). â€Å"Some fads were short-lived and others have stood the test of time â€Å"(Carl V. Rabstejnek, pg. 1). GUIDANCE FOR BEING LEADER The leader leads his people towards the goal. He is the person who can get his people to follow him. He is the one who is looked up to, whose judgment is trusted, and who inspires the people working with him and for him. Good leader should be motivating, inspiring and able to manage people. Leader should be charismatic and being visionary and have ability to acting decisively. There is very complex opinion about leadership either can take it as based on personality and physical traits or based on prescribed behaviors. Leadership can define in terms of power relationship between leaders and followers. As good leaders, they must try to get employees to concentrate around common goal and should have creative vision and strategic plan for an organization. Decisiveness is very important characteristic because every leader has to be taking some difficult decision in job. They have to take decision that shows firmness and leads the team towards the desired goal. Great leader never take step back during the hard situation. They react according to the time and situation. Leader has to be aware about the surroundings, their people’s working style and nature, about their boss, about the company’s desired goal and strategy. So, leader can be preplanned what to do in future and in such type of situation. By understanding the problem and situation, leaders have to take wise decisions that lead team towards the goal. Attitude of leader is also an important factor in team work because it determines the action and affects the people’s working style. Leader has to be optimistic and should be become the source of positive energy that inspires the others. Great leaders are always aware of their people’s thinking, their problems and needs. Leaders have to try to solve their problems which improve the outcome of work. People inspired by this because when they get positive response from leader, they feel satisfaction. This helps to make effective and efficient work environment in which people work together willingly. To make leadership successful, engagement is necessary because by engaging the all team members together helping the team to share their ideas and contributions which lead the team towards the desired goal. Empowerment and collaborations are also needed because by this team members do not feel suppressed and ignored and feel the part of team which leads the team to work together. They will show willingness to work together with positive attitude which take them towards the team’s success. Rewarding is also considering an important factor in leadership because it motivates the team members. When team member has been rewarded for their good work, they feel satisfaction which built the positive response towards the work. Team work output increases with this. Self-assessment is also needed because by this, one can know his weakness and strength points. Leadership skills may be improved by concentrating on the weakness point. Knowing the organizational goals and purpose is also needed to lead the team towards the success. Communication between leader and their team members should be honest and open. Leader has to know the each team member members’ capacity, skill and working style so it will be more effective to distribute the work. Clear vision about goal and how to achieve it is necessary. Leader has to think analytically and leads the team with focused towards the main goal. Trust worthy, passion and dedication with maintaining the high standard are necessary to get success. Leader has to be calm, confident enough and should be enthusiastic about their work with great commitment towards the hard work for desired output. COMPARE AND CONTRAST LEADERS AND FOLLOWER To differentiate leader from follower is difficult; they have several similarities as well as also have some differences. In leadership, one should have to take risk and lead the team; have ability to see opportunity that other cannot see. Both should be able to learn from someone or something. Leaders must be independent and isolated and should not rely on anyone but himself and have to be entrepreneurial and make workplace culture better by working with generous purpose. Good leadership is needed to solve problems and to navigate unexpected circumstances Followers only need to be competent during the battle and must be able to carry out orders by their leader, with their own ability while at other times; they have no need to be that competent. They could ask for help from their friends but in contrast, Leader cannot ask for help from his followers or else his followers would consider him incompetent. Being a follower is easier than being a leader because leader has to be isolated a nd should have ability to solve his own problems. Leadership can be as successful or effective or both. Successful leadership but not effective- In this pattern, leader’s style may not compatible; but follower does the job because of leader’s power and position. They obey the command and follow his idea. Effective leadership- the followers may do the job willingly to cooperate because the leader’s request satisfies the follower’s needs or goal. Successful leadership-it emphasises upon position, power and close supervision. There are lots of different views about leadership, either it is a product of individual that assume one’s behavior, styles, traits or a behavior rational, it may be taken as a socially constructed phenomena elsewhere some thinks that leader as a power holder (Neil Sutherland, Christopher Land and Steffen Bohm, 2013). Leadership position not hold s permanent role in organization ,instead of this, it gives opportunity to others who can take this role and lead in future, Individual leader has a crucial role for formation, growth and success, in certain situation when individual can take more than one active leadership role in organization(Neil Sutherland, Christopher Land and Steffen Bohm, 2013) . GREAT FOLLOWERS As leader, it is very important to know about that how to follow and how to lead. Many people believe that if you want to become a good leader then you must be a good follower. Some characteristic about good follower: Well finisher- Good followers always concentrate on their task and complete their task according to preplanned. Clear vision-they understand their power and position and it is equally important to understand their role as a leader. Loyalty-Good followers always try to avoid telling bad things about their boss/leader in public. It does not means that they are completely agree with their boss/leader but only do not want to do things in public because to influence the public it is needed to become public loyal. Good followers are obedient enough and humble. Awareness of surrounding –Good follower is well aware of surrounding situations and people. They always try to learn about people behavior and their thinking and how they affect in his work and what is going wrong and then make changes according to demands. Own thinking-To becomes a good follower, you are able to think on your own and decide what is right and what is wrong. Good followers always take side to leader and support them when they are doing right. GREAT LEADER AS A GOOD FOLLOWER Many qualities are same between leaders and followers. A great leader follows the same trait as followers do but change their style and do some modification in it. Great leader knows their boundary and limitation very well. Good leadership is the golden key to get best performance. Need to imply your own clear sets of values and belief and also have to make clear vision for all. Develop some creative ideas for the organization to make changes and reach up to desire goal. From this perspective, leaders are always try that people follow the process and in this way leader always think themselves as a follower. There is very important reason to leaders that they have to follow because no one can do it alone and have to create and utilize the energy, ideas and full potential of everyone. Leadership requires a close study of human behavior. It is the people who are the factors of importance. There are many different points of view about leadership. One belief is that leadership has to be taught while some are of the view that leaders can’t be made by teaching or training. In this modern age, new leaders are coming but most of them fail to cultivate their inner strength, ability to guide the people, to lead the people. There are three basic steps which are followed mostly in the process of training. Information is the first step, gets from simple reading and continuous study which then converted into knowledge. Wisdom is the transformation of knowledge. Trained person has to be able to transfer the knowledge into the practice. As a result of training, one should become more self-confident. On receiving training, knowledgeable person becomes capable of taking his own decisions and at this stage; person visualizes the truth-real understanding. There are few requir ements to reach to the truth, in ascending direction that are desire to learn, listening to the teacher, learning, retention, understanding, reflection, rejection of false views and truth. Human relationship gains the most attraction for a leader for the obvious reasons that the leader leads people. For any business, workforce is the basic requirement and for accomplishment leader has to understand people. Common logic reason behind the successful leader is the development of proper appreciation human nature. For this, one should have enough confidence and has to explain to other members about task and targets and how that can be accomplished. Leader should also explain the subordinates about their position and also impact of success or failure on the ultimate goal. If the goal achieved, that is a success of team not a success of leader alone. The leader has to do the required morale boosting apart from handling the work and must to be in touch with his people. It is necessary to show adequate interest in their personal problems. It is better for his people must perceive as their leader becomes the real guardian of their interests. This is necessity to do this as it he lps to maintain respective distance from the people. This concept of distant has been mostly appreciated and understood by successful leader. Thus, taking an overall view, the leader has to be a dynamic person and should have capability to turn the adversity in his favors and to gain this. The leader must have the capacity to concentrate and focus attention on the goal with an aptitude to take timely decisions and have to be sincere in his dealing. He has to show his faithfulness and loyalty towards his mission and the people and should possess a fair knowledge of his job and profession. FADS AND FASHION This broad category can be described as a type of collective behavior that is followed by people for period of time. It follows particular pattern. First is developed and then grows slowly and one time it reaches up to its peak level and remains some time and then gradually decline and disappear. For example: In late 1950s, hula hoop craze occurred in United States. Fads and fashion in management is very confusing and ongoing debate to discuss in recent years because many rhetorical strategies affects them and shape the management and also have long lasting effect, while fashions are developed by the heterogeneous group of actors but doing this, some gaps and weakness may result (Sue Newell, Maxine Robertson and Jacky Swan, 2001). It is important to know the role of fads and fashions in innovations and its diffusion because these two perspectives may benefit organization and helps to evolve efficient innovation by process of adopting and rejecting multiple fads and fashions (Eric Abrahamson, 1991). It may harm the organization by facilitating the inefficient administrative technology and adversely affect the economic performance of organization by doing prompt rejection of administrative technologies like job enrichment, strategic planning units (Eric Abrahamson, 1991). According to Abrahamson, fashion perspective is important because it disseminates new goals as beliefs to the innovations and help to settle down new organizational goals and adoption of innovation (Eric Abrahamson, 1991). Fads and fashion has taken over many leadership positions like managers, board’s members, etc. in organization and they are changing with time (Carl V. Rabstejnek). Fashionable ideas are helpful to filter good thing which can be incorporated into healthy business practices. The bandwagon effect helps to understand why the fads so popular (Carl V. Rabstejnek). In current trade there are lots of things that helping in marketing like newspapers, magazines, journals as a mass media; television, social networking sites like face book, twitter (Carl V. Rabstejnek). Academic journals, business schools, organizations all follows the current trade in market (Carl V. Rabstejnek). CONCLUSION The foregoing discussion shows that training till today is one of the most important function as it is has potential for leading towards the excellence. Human resource development is directly affected by this. Characteristics like honesty, decisiveness, positive attitude, trustworthy, loyalty, clear vision, self-assessment, confidence etc. may be found naturally present in person but can also develop and strengthen it with time and training because these are the foundation of great leadership. To become a great leader they should possesses such characteristic but to become successful, they have to follow latest fashions and fads in market and take decision accordingly. REFERENCES Sue Newell, Maxine Robertson and Jacky Swan, 2001 ‘Management Fads and Fashions’ DOI: 10.1177/135050840181001 Eric Abrahamson, 1991â€Å"Managerial fads and fashions: The diffusion and rejection and innovations Voi. 16, No. 3, 586-612 Carl V. Rabstejnek, â€Å"Management fads and fashions: Leading and Directing Companies by Popular Codified Methods† Neil Sutherland, Christopher Land and Steffen Bohm, 2013 â€Å"Anti-leaders (hip) in Social Movement Organizations: The case of autonomous grassroots groups† DOI: 10.1177/1350508413480254 Brigid Carroll and Lester Levy, 2008 â€Å"Defaulting to Management: Leadership Defined By What It Is Not† Volume 15(1): 75–96

Essay on Romantics and Merchants in The Merchant of Venice :: Merchant Venice Essays

Romantics and Merchants in The Merchant of Venice  Ã‚   Shakespeare's comedies usually follow a clearly defined pattern. He presents a conflict, and the characters eventually resolve the conflict in a relatively happy ending, which involves marrying off the hero and his entourage to the heroine and her companions, leaving the villain outside the "magic circle" of protagonists. In The Merchant of Venice, Antonio is presented as the hero, and Shylock the villain, but neither is within the circle of marriages at the end of Act V. In fact, Antonio's depression exposed at the beginning of the play seems unresolved at the end, and he goes on his melancholy way, as he supposes he must. Can The Merchant of Venice, then, be considered a true comedy? The strongest argument discounting Merchant as a true comedy is that though Antonio appears to be the major protagonist in the story, he is also as far outside the magic circle as his villain, Shylock. While Bassanio, Portia, and their associated parties marry off at the end of Act V, Antonio is left to his ships and his money, still going about his depressed way. At the beginning of the play, Antonio expresses his dissatisfaction with his situation to his friends. "I hold the world but as the world, Gratiano, a stage where every man must play a part, and mine a sad one" (I.i.81-83). Throughout the play, and Shylock's relentless pursuit of his macabre repayment, Antonio remains in this dreary, defeated state. He seems almost too eager to end his suffering at the hands of his debtors and his apparently lost business. "Grieve not that I am fall'n to this for you," he tells Bassanio in court, "for herein Fortune shows herself more kind than is her custom: it is still her use to let the wretched man outlive his wealth, to view...an age of poverty, from which ling'ring penance of such misery doth she cut me off" (IV.i.278-284). He begs the court to make no more attempts to save his life, comparing such futile endeavors to abate the flood waters or question the wolf's killing of sheep (IV.i.71-84). Completely resigned to his grisly fate, he announces, "I am a tainted wether of the flock, meetest for death. The weakest kind of fruit drops earliest to the ground, and so let me" (IV.i.116-118). Even in Act V, after the dispute with Shylock is decided in Antonio's favor, the melancholy merchant plays no role in the resolution of the play.

Answer Key for Effective Writing Essay

School purchasers may make copies for use by their staff and students. Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University’s objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide in You must not circulate this book in any other binding or cover and you must impose this same condition on any acquirer. 1 198 Madison Avenue New York, NY 10016 USA Oxford New York Auckland Cape Town Dar es Salaam Hong Kong Karachi Kuala Lumpur Madrid Melbourne Mexico City Nairobi New Delhi Shanghai Taipei Toronto With offices in Any websites referred to in this publication are in the public domain and their addresses are provided by Oxford University Press for information only. Oxford University Press disclaims any responsibility for the content. oxford and o xford english are registered trademarks of Oxford University Press Executive Publisher: Janet Aitchison Senior Acquisitions Editor: Pietro Alongi Associate Editor: Scott Allan Wallick Art Director: Maj-Britt Hagsted Production Manager: Shanta Persaud Production Controller: Eve Wong  © Oxford University Press 2007 isbn: 978- 0-19-430884-7 Database right Oxford University Press (maker) Effective Academic Writing 3: Answer Key an engineer . Both my mother and father were born in different countries, so my relatives are scattered all over the world . I really like traveling and have been to Europe and Asia . Although we try to get together for important occasions, this was the first time everyone could attend . Most importantly, my good friends had never met my relatives . Developing good friendships takes a lot of work . Watching them all dancing, laughing, and having a wonderful time will stay in my memory forever . The band we hired played music that the guests loved and we danced for hours .

Critically Compare the Concepts of Equal Opportunities and Sports Equity in British Sport

Critically compare the concepts of equal opportunities and sports equity in British sport This paper aims to compare the ideas of equal opportunities and sports equity with regard to sport in Britain. Within this structure, there will be particular emphasis on the theoretical approaches that are used to look at equality in British sport. A key part of this comparison is the study of (social) equality; this includes formal, radical and liberal interpretations of equality. The arguments and suggestions will be reinforced and supported by literature and other texts outside of just the sporting context.Many sports historians such as Holt (1989) say that sport, pre 20th Century, was almost private and restricted to the upper class minority. Recreational sports had a complex set of laws (i. e. tennis) this was to restrict participation from the lower classes. Another vestige of the times was the limitation of sport to women; this was not necessarily written law but was accepted none the le ss. Racism in sport was not tackled or even considered until well into the 20th century when the government introduced laws and legislation that banned prejudice based on race.As a consequence of these legalities, many recognised sporting institution in Great Britain have introduced policy and recommendations to deal with the problems of ‘inequality’ within their respective organisations. Nevertheless, as indicated by Guttman’s analysis (1978), continuous development in recent years has slowly begun to break down certain barriers to equality. Should someone wish to investigate further into actual modern equality work they can access a variety of net resources. A quick look at equality policies of the Football Association for example demonstrates that work is being done for the purpose of equality.Guttman (1978) even goes so far to say that in many sports worldwide, participants of any circumstance and environment are encouraged to participate. He also states howe ver that equality in sport and its aims is seen by some as a distant achievement, it remains unrealistic. Guttman’s (1978) study illustrates that as sport entered the 2nd half of the 20th century, systems that control other components of a balanced society would also affect modern sporting institutions in the same way In order to better understand the aim of this paper, a number of key terms need some more clarity. The first term that needs defining is ‘equality’ and more pecifically ‘basic equality’. According to Baker (2004) basic equality is the concept that people have the same worth and are consequently worthy of equal interest and value. Many would argue that certain individuals and groups have earned more respect than other people and therefore inequalities should exist. Maybe what we should be considering is a minimum level of equality, a fundamental idea of equality whereby people all exist at the same point of respect. This would mean putti ng a threshold on what it is to be human. As indicated by Craig and Beedie (2010) the study of equality is an area of fascination to many sporting sociologists.Coakley (2003, p326) states, that this curiosity is established because many believe that sport goes beyond monetary and economic inequalities. A common belief is that sport is available to all; irrelevant of which equality strand someone may fit into (age, race, ethnicity etc). According to Craig and Beedie (2010) some consider the sporting domain a discrimination free arena; where a result is contested on fair grounds and the result goes to those with the most aptitude or skill. Another key term is stratification. This is a way of breaking down the different levels of society based on their sociological group.This helps to highlight the in/equality that is present in sport. A number of actual examples have been highlighted by Craig and Beedie (2010). Examples of these stratification layers include; the system of class forma tion affects the poor, the working class, and the lower/ middle and upper classes, these structures all seem to be highly rigid. The concept of social class is best recognised by using Marxist ideas of capitalism, where the idea of equality is seen in financial terms. Feminism however opposes the theory that ‘class stratification’ is the most important foundation of social inequality.Justifications about the gender distinctions in a sporting context vary from those concentrated on a biological argument to the arguments that place more impetus on the social understanding of gender. There is a repeated and constant emphasis in sport and society on the power of patriarchal arrangements; this too is present in sport. Liberal equality can be a little difficult to decipher in that it accepts basic equality but denies some other aspects of equality. The main principle according to Baker (2005) is that inequality of income and power cannot be alleviated.Equality as a concept pl ays the part of controlling inequalities so that income and power are more fairly distributed. In a way it can be said that liberal equality requires supporting the bare minimum that people are allowed and have access to, whilst controlling the advantage experienced by those that have more. Baker (2005) further states that the main underlying belief of liberal egalitarianism is the upholding and support of the most basic rights that all should have access to. Equal opportunity of course plays a key part in this study. Liberal equality is often used in conjunction with equality of opportunity.This is where groups or individuals have equal access to the opportunity to gain higher representation within their respective circles. It is rooted in the idea that inequalities in power will be ever present. Baker (2004) summarises this sentiment, he claims that the point of equality of opportunity is for everyone to get a fair chance in the sociological struggle, within a society that is uneq ual. Baker (2004) describes equal opportunity as the belief that everyone in society deserves a fair chance to contest over the positions in society that carry the most power.This concept was first used officially in the French Declaration of human rights in 1789. It states that everyone can hold a position â€Å"within their abilities† (French Declaration of the rights of man 1789). These days institutions everywhere boast equality policies and equality laws that make the discrimination based on gender and race in social institutions against the law In support of this, equal opportunity claims that nobody ought to benefit or suffer from their social circumstances; any prosperity and expectation ought to come about due to personal skills and endeavours. Rawls (1971) labels this concept ‘fair equal opportunity’.He believes that education should be used as a vehicle by the lower classes to develop the skills that would put them into a more advantaged situation. Equ al opportunity is unachievable whilst those in positions of power use their influence to achieve hierarchy over others. Liberal equality approaches do not take into account the characteristics of structured inequality. Powerful social stigmas are not dealt with. We can therefore conclude that people’s opinions and beliefs (inequality) cannot change whilst such stigma still exist. Some would argue that this is good in theory but education doesn’t actually function in this way.A different aspect of equal opportunity includes establishing policies and legislation to assist people from minority groups in getting work and schooling/qualifications. Were people from minorities perhaps not supported properly in schools or education institutions then this could be down to them not having ‘equal opportunities’ to progress as the majority do. Baker (2004) appears to believe that the biggest sign of equal opportunity within an organisation is seen in the participation rates. A more comprehensive liberal equality view is that of Rawls (1971).This states that inequalities ought to favour those that need them the most. For those that believe in liberal equality this is not always the final solution however; improvements can be made to a number of factors contributing to equality, including: education, sport, the economy etc. A fine-tuning to these frameworks rather than completely overturning them is often the preferred way to achieve to equality. In order to understand liberal equality properly however, something to compare it to is required. Radical approaches to equality oppose the liberal view of equal opportunity.It maintains that in order to eradicate inequality much larger steps should be taken. Inequalities should not just simply be dealt with after recognition. â€Å"The key to this much more ambitious agenda is to recognise that inequality is rooted in changing and changeable social structures, and particularly in structures of dominatio n and oppression. These structures create, and continually reproduce, the inequalities which liberal egalitarianism sees as inevitable. † (Baker 2004, 18) This handsomely describes the way in which radical equality aims to eliminate equality compared to the liberal view.As oppose to the liberal view of concentrating on the power distribution allocated to individuals, the radical view allows for advantage to more than just individuals, but groups. On the contrary to liberal ideas of how power is allocated, the radical approach attempts find answers in the social connection between related parties. Another trend of the liberal approach is to reward individuals with their own triumphs and indeed failures. The radical approach on the other hand tends to attribute these triumphs and failures to larger social occurrences.As indicated by Baker (2004) many argue that the liberal approach to equality differs from that of equality of outcome. However, the radical approach, as does the l iberal approach encourages choice as the final outcome. There is no reason that both approaches to equality cannot allow for choice. In order to summarise the above comments â€Å"basic egalitarianism tends to concentrate on subsistence needs, liberal egalitarianism on the idea of a decent standard of living and radical egalitarianism on what people need for a full human life† (Baker 2004, 19) In order to fully understand this task, we must also look at the origins of sport in the UK.During the late 1800s (Victorian period) Great britain went through a major reform, this is commonly known as the ‘Industrial revolution’. It was driven by invention, engineering breakthroughs and class restructuring. A movement from farming and agriculture towards Industrial urban based work meant that labourers moved from the countryside to the city. This mass movement of workers into factories allowed the newly middle class employers considerate control over the workforce and the opportunity to influence the way workers should spend their leisure time.Throughout this era of reform, sport was still however considered an activity of the higher classes. The control exerted over the masses encouraged employees and workers into a different way to spend their leisure time. Structure in recreation became encouraged. According to Townson (1997) this became the norm as the middle classes had fears that the increasingly large urban population may become unruly. The idea of ‘rational recreation’ became the name of this notion. Over the years the bourgeoisie anticipated discomfort among the working class.Towards the end of the 19th century in Great Britain the concept of ‘Muscular Christianity’ (Holt 1989) was established in order to distract the masses from want to reform (Holt 1989) â€Å"The very idea of a play discipline would have seemed absurd, yet this is what a growing band of bourgeois idealists advocated during the second half of the century† (Townson 1997). Sport and recreation had been introduced by the bourgeoisie. This helped maintain a healthy labour force and diverted masses away from ‘urban radicalism’.It was during this time that the upper classes and more advantaged started to consider the importance of fairness through reform and education. While sport for the masses still took on a rational recreation edge, sport was undergoing a period of change. A combination of factors leading to this change included an emphasis on health through exercise (due in part to inferior performances from the British forces in South Africa) and an increasing emphasis on professionalism. Sports clubs and facilities were made available by middle class.Key factors that occurred during the Victorian period according to Davis (2000): †¢An ethical code produced by the bourgeoisie became associated with sport †¢Realisation of fair-play (introduction of rules and equal conditions) †¢Freedom at we ekends gave people more time for recreation. †¢Sport in education was limited to gym and discipline The second notable phase in british sport history swaying further towards equality was the establisment of the Wolfenden report of 1960. This was written for the Central Council of Physical Recreation by an autonomous group of individuals to determine the state of sport in the UK.According to Rous (1960) it was published to demonstrate the inequalities and problems that existed in UK sport in comparison with its peer countries. After the publication of the wolfenden report the government took yet a further step towards a more interventionist approach by establishing the GB sports council in 1972. Collins (2003) claims that this was an important step for the government, as it allowed authorities to make social and welfare provision for public sport After new labour came to power in 1997, sport was given a new social status.The organisation of UK sport structure at the time was con sidered an obstacle to governments recently set out aims: †¢Increased youth participation †¢Increased succes in elite sport This quote taken from Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) demonstrates the awareness that some had of the state of sport within the UK â€Å"There is a need for a radical rethink of the way we fund and organize sport, we offer a modernizing partnership with the governing bodies of sport† (DCMS 2000 p19).In the same review they also threaten Governing Bodies within sport with withdrawal of funding should they not meet required governmental targets. The 3rd and perhaps most important stage of movements towards equality came in the shape of sporting equity. Sport England (2000) very broadly defines sports equity as fairness in sport. According to Sport England (2000) sports equity is in place to make sport more accessible to everyone period. It is a concept larger than sports equality and all strands of equality are made irrelevant. Equi ty: In its simplest sense, ‘fairness’; the process of allocating (or reallocating) resources and entitlements, including power, fairly and without discrimination. It may also use positive action initiatives and measures to address existing inequities. † (Sport England 2000 p39) As already stated inequalities date back to the beginnings of sport, in some ways they were institutionalised (Sport England 2000). After all the development in sport however, cases of inequality do still exist. Even in todays modern society there are still only a handful of for example; ethnic minority ‘power’ in sport.Coaches seem to remain white, middle class. However, these inequalities are now recognised and agencies are putting in structures to improve the situation for these inequalities â€Å"Sport England is committed to supporting governing bodies in their quest to overcome inequality in sport† (Sport England 2000, p3). Equity in sport came around relatively la te. A number of thngs happened which really pushed the equity movement forward. Equity issues came under the spotlight during the Macpherson Report and the stephen Lawrence inquiry.Both of these highlighted the extent of discrimination still present in society. Sporting campaigns and government iniatives have pushed for further equity in sport and according to Sport England (2000) but have committed to further action in the future. â€Å"It cannot be assumed that any sport is open and accessible to all members of the community† (Sport England 2000, p4). Even the sport england equity page recognises that more needs to be done to secure access to sport for all. Further policy will be encouraged and implemented. Society is changing and the existence of organisations, societies or clubs that exclude large sectors of the population from their activities, whether directly or indirectly, is viewed as anachronistic and increasingly unacceptable†. (Sport England 2000, p3). This quote demonstrates that the government is aware of the mass change in stance towards inequality. Despite the emergence of sports equity policies and propositions; inequalities still exist in sport. This can be seen in the recent Luis Suarez racism case and the John Terry racism case. These examples demonstrate that equality exists at the highest level.Equality work needs further development, much in the same way sports equity has developed. References †¢Baker, J. ; Lynch, K. ; Cantillon, S. ; and Walsh, J. (2004) Equality: from Theory to Action London: Palgrave. †¢Coakley, J (2003) Sports in Society: Issues and controversies. New York: Mcgraw-Hill †¢Collins, M. F. with Kay, T. (2003). Sport and social exclusion. London: Routledge. †¢Craig P and Paul Beadie (2010) Sport Sociology. 2nd Edition. Active Learning in Sport †¢Davis, B. et al. (2000) Physical Education and the Study of Sport. UK: Harcourt Publishers Ltd †¢Department for Culture, Media and Sport . (2001a).Elite Sport Funding Review (chair, J. Cunningham). London: DCMS. †¢Guttman, A (1978) From ritual to record. New York. Columbia press †¢Holt R. (1989) Sport and the British: A Modern History. Oxford: Clarendon †¢Rawls, J. A. (1971) A Theory of Justice. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press †¢Sport and the community : the report of the Wolfenden Committee on Sport 1960 †¢Sport England, June (2000). Governing Body Resource Pack. Planning for sport. Factfiles: Sports equity †¢Stanley Rous. Chairman, Executive committee, C. C. P. R. 1960 †¢Nigel Townson 1997 The British at Play – a social history of British sport from 1600 to the present

Example Sentences of the English Verb To Keep

Example Sentences of the English Verb 'To Keep' This page provides example sentences of the English verb Keep in all tenses including active and passive forms, as well as conditional and modal forms. Base Form keep / Past Simple kept / Past Participle kept / Gerund keeping Present Simple She keeps all her birthday cards every year. Present Simple Passive The key is kept by the doorman. Present Continuous He is currently keeping up the house while his parents are away. Present Continuous Passive The house is being kept up by Jason while his parents are away. Present Perfect Im afraid I havent kept up with the news recently. Present Perfect Passive The information has been kept up to date by Alice. Present Perfect Continuous We have been keeping bees for the last few years. Past Simple She kept a diary while she was on holiday. Past Simple Passive A journal was kept by the teacher on each student. Past Continuous They were keeping watch over the house when it was broken into by thieves. Past Continuous Passive The house was being kept watch over by the Wilsons when it was broken into by thieves. Past Perfect The had kept an expense journal before they moved to New York. Past Perfect Passive An expense journal had been kept before they moved to New York. Past Perfect Continuous We had been keeping up with the Jones before they moved to Los Angeles. Future (Will) She will keep the children while we are away. Future (Will) Passive The children will be kept by Cheryl while we are away. Future (Going to) Cheryl is going to keep the children during the holidays. Future (Going to) Passive The children are going to be kept by Cheryl during the holidays. Future Continuous They will be keeping a record of the meeting tomorrow afternoon. Future Perfect Janice will have been kept up to date so you can ask her. Future Possibility She might keep that present. Real Conditional If she keeps up exercising, she will be in great shape. Unreal Conditional If she kept up exercising, she would be in great shape. Past Unreal Conditional If she had kept up exercising, she would have been in great shape. Present Modal She should keep up with the class. Past Modal Harry might have kept up with the developments. Quiz: Conjugate With Keep Use the verb to keep to conjugate the following sentences. Quiz answers are below. In some cases, more than one answer may be correct. She _____ the children while we are away.She _____ a diary while she was on holiday.The_____ an expense journal before they moved to New York.Janice _____ up to date so you can ask her.If she _____ up exercising, she would have been in great shape.The key _____ by the doorman.We _____ bees for the last few years.A journal _____ by the teacher on each student.Im afraid I _____ up with the news recently.Cheryl _____ the children during the holidays. Thats the plan. Quiz Answers will keepkepthad keptwill have been kepthad keptis kepthave been keepingwas kepthavent keptis going to keep

Figurative Language Versus Literal Language Essay Example

Figurative Language Versus Literal Language Essay Example Figurative Language Versus Literal Language Essay Figurative Language Versus Literal Language Essay Figurative Language versus Literal Language Critical Thinking – PHI 210 Figurative Language versus Literal Language Figurative language is a language that uses embellished words or expressions to convey a message different from the literal interpretation. They are not to be taken literally but instead are meant to be imaginative (creative, inventive, offbeat), vivid (intense, flamboyant, dramatic) and evocative (suggestive). Poets (and writers) frequently use figurative language as a way to make their words jump off the page. Case in point, â€Å"its raining hard† is literal; however, â€Å"its raining cats and dogs† is figurative – unless animals are literally falling from the sky. So in short, figurative language is used to add spice to text/words that would be uninteresting (dull, unexciting) otherwise. Executed (delivered) well, it can shrewdly (ingeniously) get a point across. However, an improper delivery can potentially lead to confusion. An idiom is a catchphrase (expression) that deviates from the usual meaning of the words used. Idioms would be nonsensical if taken in a literal context. For example, â€Å"don’t bring sand to the beach† is a clever way of telling someone not to take something that will already be supplied – such as taking alcohol to a bar. Using this idiom on someone not proficient in English would cause a delay in communication since the person would not understand the contextualization. They would be stumped and wonder why anyone would actually take sand to the beach in the first place. An analogy is a logical argument used to illustrate how two disconnected (disassociated, separate) things (concepts) share similar (certain) characteristics. : This form of figurative language is used with the intent of helping individuals grasp the concept of complex (ideas). For example, a teacher might instruct a confused student to think of pizza slices when trying to solve fractions; pizza slices are something the student can easily compare and relate to. There are two subcategories of analogies: metaphors and similes. A metaphor is a figure of speech that is phrased more like a direct statement than a comparison. For example, â€Å"life is a rollercoaster† is a phrase used to describe the ups and downs of life. If interpreted in the wrong context or used in the wrong situation, it might cause some confusion in communication. A simile is an expression that compares two things and explicitly contains either â€Å"like† or â€Å"as† to highlight the likeness. For example, â€Å"clean as a whistle† is used to describe someone that is flawless and free from guilt. However, interpreted literally, someone might question how exactly a whistle can be deemed clean seeing as how it is a mouth instrument. A cliche is a stale and overused statement that has consequently lost all sentiment. For example, â€Å"what goes around comes around†, â€Å"you get what you pay for† and â€Å"break a leg† are all examples of cliches. Cliches should be avoided as they demonstrate a lack of original thought and effort. And as with any figurative speech, a cliche can baffle anyone unfamiliar with the expression or oblivious to the context. An amphiboly is a sentence that, due to its structure, leaves room for more than one interpretation. For example, â€Å"the roads are dangerous†¦teenagers shouldn’t drive†. This sentence either implies that teenagers are the cause for the dangerous roads or the roads are too dangerous for them to be driving on. Sometimes amphibolies are done intentionally in an attempt at humor. Depending on the intended usage, amphibolies should be reworded to clear any confusion or ease an offended audience. A â€Å"flame word† is a term used to describe a word used to incite anger or argument. Confusion can occur because some â€Å"flame words† can also be used in sarcasm. For instance, depending circumstance, the word â€Å"loser† can be used as either an insult or a term of endearment. From a bully, the word is meant to be harsh. From a friend, the word is meant to be playful. A hyperbole uses exaggeration for emphasis or effect. For example, â€Å"I’m so hungry, I could eat a horse† or â€Å"this book weighs a ton†. Both examples are an exaggerated form of figure of speech used to prove a point. A euphemism is a less harsh, politically correct way of phrasing something. For instance, one might say they â€Å"lost their lunch† as opposed to â€Å"vomited† or â€Å"threw up†. Depending on the situation, someone might think they literally lost their lunch and offer to help them find it. A colloquialism is a grammatical expression that is only acceptable in casual conversation. It refers to language patterns or phrases that are indicative to a particular region or people. For instance, people in one region may associate â€Å"grub† with food while another region might associate that word with â€Å"dirty†. With all of the aforementioned types of figurative language, knowing your audience is essential in avoiding miscommunication. References Croce, R. , Horvat, M. , Zagrodnik, J. (2010, October 1). Utilization of Sensory Information in Intellectual Disabilities. Journal of Developmental Physical Disabilities. 22, 463-473, DOI 10. 1007/s10882-009-9182-4 Facione, P. (1998). Critical thinking: What it is and why it counts. Millbrae, CA: California Academic Press.

Learn How to Make a Suggestion in English

Learn How to Make a Suggestion in English When you make a suggestion, youre putting forward a plan or an idea for another person to consider. People make suggestions when theyre deciding what to do, offering advice, or helping a visitor. Learning how to make a suggestion is a good way to improve your English conversational skills. If you already know how to tell time, ask for directions, and hold a basic conversation, youre ready to learn how to make a suggestion! Try out this role-play exercise with a friend or classmate to practice. What Shall We Do? In this exercise, two friends are trying to decide what to do for the weekend. By making suggestions, Jean and Chris make a decision that theyre both happy with. See if you can identify where the suggestion is. Jean: Hi Chris, would you like to do something with me this weekend? Chris: Sure. What shall we do? Jean:Â  I dont know. Do you have any ideas? Chris:Â  Why dont we see a film? Jean:Â  Thats sounds good to me. Which film shall we see? Chris:Â  Lets see Action Man 4. Jean:Â  Id rather not. I dont like violent films. How about going to Mad Doctor Brown? I hear its quite a funny film. Chris:Â  OK. Lets go see that. When is it on? Jean:Â  Its on at 8 p.m. at the Rex. Shall we have a bite to eat before the film? Chris:Â  Sure, that sounds great. What about going to that new Italian restaurant Michettis? Jean:Â  Great idea! Lets meet there at 6. Chris:Â  OK. Ill see you at Michettis at 6. Bye. Jean:Â  Bye. Chris: See you later! When Jean says, Id rather not. I dont like violent films. How about going to Mad Doctor Brown? I hear its quite a funny film, he is making a suggestion. More Practice Once youve mastered the dialogue above, challenge yourself with some additional role-playing exercises. What suggestions would you make if a friend said to you: Why dont you/we go to the movies tonight?You/we could visit New York while youre/were there.Lets go to the travel agents this afternoon to book our ticket.What about asking your brother for help?How about going to Hawaii for your vacation?I suggest you/we take all the factors into consideration before we decide. Before answering, think about your response. What will you suggest? What related information should you tell your friend? Think about the necessary details, such as time or location. Key Vocabulary If youre being asked to make a decision, that suggestion usually comes in the form of a question. For example: Would you like to...?(What) shall we go...? If someone else has made a decision and they want your opinion, it may be made as a statement instead. For example:Â   Lets go...Why dont we go...How about going...What about going...

Beloved by Toni Morrison Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Beloved by Toni Morrison - Essay Example Years later, Beloved, literally believed to be Sethe’s daughter returns to haunt her home in Cincinnati. One major theme of the novel is the mother-daughter relationships. Sethe and her children share strong maternal bonds that prevent her development by inhibiting her individuation. This strong bond is the one that pushes her to kill her own daughter rather than let her go into slavery (Bloom 58). Sethe and Beloved are both emotionally impaired due to Sethe’s enslavement that separates them and makes Sethe not to provide maternal care for her, thus loses her sense as a mother, while Beloved lacks familial identity. The other theme is the impact of slavery, which is mainly psychological. The experiences of slaves cause them to repress the bad memories in trying to forget the past, a repression that causes a fragmentation of their personalities thus loss of their real identities. This is the case with Denver, Paul D, and Sethe, who experience the loss of identities but B eloved makes them accept their past memories and helps them reintegrate their original selves. The relationship between the slaves and white people in the Beloved is not one that augurs too well. This is because the whites use the black people as slaves, and make them feel inferior to them. For instance, Sethe’s memories of her oppression by the whites are what make her prefer to see her children dead rather than go to suffer at the brutal hands of the masters. The white looks down on the slaves, and treat them inhumanely without minding their lives. This reveals when Seethe’s breast milk is stolen from her, denying her child her right. However, some whites treat their slaves better such as Mr. and Mrs. Garner, and do not oppress them at all. This results in some slaves hating and rebelling against the whites while those treated well love their masters. From the moment Beloved re-appears in Sethe’s life, her life begins to change. She first looks at her daughter as just that; her long dead daughter who has come back, but she later comes to realize that she is more than that. One, her coming back arouses painful memories such as her milk being taken away from her, plus when Nan nursed her daughter together with white babies. Second, she comes to realize that Beloved represents her African mother, and is a reminder of what a mother should be. This is because she realizes that her mother was hanged because she could not run away without her (Grade Saver). Denver easily recognizes her sister because they had an intimate oneness, and Denver had even drank her blood, making them one flesh. The Beloved has a structure that is largely loose in that it does not proceed continuously in one line but employs the use of much storytelling and flashbacks. Paul D is the one who introduces most of the flashbacks such as his life in Kentucky, Delaware, and the Ohio River. When it is not flashbacks, the author uses different characters to narrate stories and keep the plot going. There are narrations by Paul D, Denver, Sethe, Beloved, and other characters. Morrison assumingly employs the variation in structure to accommodate various characters to capture more experiences so the learner is exposed to more of what slaves endure. Memory has two functions in the Beloved novel. One, the author uses re-memory, which is

Globalization Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Globalization - Research Paper Example It would be useful to try and analyze the problem of globalization from the viewpoint of different scientific currents that may enable us to better understand the thing. In this essay, three theoretical approaches will be used and compared: Symbolic Interaction theory, functionalism, and conflict theory. The preference should be given to the one of them which may allow better grasp of the problems of globalization. A Symbolic Interaction theory is a sociological approach based on the principle of the primacy of semiotic interactions between individuals and their groups in an analysis of social relations. Symbolic interactionists usually claim that it is semiotics (i.e. the ability to form symbolic images of surrounding reality) that really distinguishes human beings from other animals, and that it is the specific ways of creating such symbolic meanings that define both human conscience and social order at large (Plummer 195). That said, symbolic interactionists aim to use as much emp irical data for their scholarly arguments as possible, because the supporters of this approach believe that an analysis of social life should be grounded in strong empirical foundations (Blumer 47). With respect to globalization, the symbolic interactionist approach to this phenomenon rests on the assumption that globalization is the direct result of growing rates of social interaction across cultures. The globalized world is held together by the natural tendency of humans to communicate and share information with each other, so that the results of these interactions gradually come to shape their participants’ cultural conventions themselves (Dolgon and Baker 376). Thus globalization is a final result of the millennia-old process of growth in inter-community ties that led firstly to the emergence of different nations, and then to the gradual blurring of most important distinctions among them. The symbolic interactionist perspective allows for deeper understanding of socio-psy chological aspects of globalization and their consequences. If one takes into account the impact globalization had on collective action networks and symbolic structures in general, one may observe that a globalizing world enabled the emergence of vastly different networks of meaning and action – from the development of a type of a ‘globalized’ consumer as a new point of reference to the steady growth of movements and attitudes that proceed from typically ‘global’ point of view. It does not matter whether such movements are pro- or anti-globalization and which symbolic structures they use to refer to themselves – all of them operate within the structure of meanings that was formed in the course of globalization processes. A functionalist approach to globalization is fundamentally political, in a sense that its supporters pay the closest attention to the functional aspects of interactions between different political actors that comprise an inter national political scene. The core idea beyond functionalist framework is that a growth in complexity of various functions executed by the state gradually gives rise to a need to cooperate with the other similar states, so that the execution of these functions may be more effective. The spheres of cooperation need not be ‘political’ in the narrow sense of the term; they might include purely technical or cultural interaction.

Impact of IT Outsourcing in the Tertiary Sector Essay

Impact of IT Outsourcing in the Tertiary Sector - Essay Example This paper has chosen McDonald's in the United Kingdom as the case study, in order to understand the consequences and impact of IT outsourcing in the tertiary sector, and particularly, McDonald's. The literature review has indicated that McDonald's has also turned to outsource its IT processes for maintenance of quality service at lower costs. Studies have noted that a seven-year IT outsourcing deal has recently been signed by the fast-food giant, McDonald's. (Morales, pp. 24-25, 2006) The role of a third party is played by Affiliated Computer Services, which will be providing the IT services to McDonald's worth millions of dollars. In specific, IT infrastructure needs and requirements of McDonald's will be fulfilled by the above-mentioned third-party firm by the provision of back-end support, as well as, help desk assistance to McDonald's, particularly, in its operations in the UK region. (Morales, pp. 26-28, 2006) Moreover, a centralized office will be established by the Affiliated Computer Services for the provision of IT support to McDonald's according to the agreement. In the result, work of more than eighty-five percent of IT workers of McDonald's will be absorbed by this office, which will result in the lowering of maintenance and administrative costs. McDonald's is also involved in outsourcing its IT requirements for its farms, in order to fulfill the needs of its millions of customers around the globe. For instance, phone-ordering operations of a local franchise of McDonald's in the United Kingdom has been outsourced to a local call center, which has resulted in costs lowering, as well as, quality maintenance of the tasks.

Capital Mortgage Insurance Corporation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Capital Mortgage Insurance Corporation - Essay Example Corporate Transfer Services (CTS) is an organization dedicated to the relocation of corporate employees and the real estate functions that are associated with said transfers. The acquisition of this firm would represent a diversification of CMI into a field that would make them a more integrated real estate services company. Discussion Question #1: Prepare a negotiation strategy that can be utilized by Randall and Dolan. What is important for this section is that both Randall and Dolan have found sufficient background information on CTS. Whilst it may be the case that the employee relocation market is big (Estimated at 500,000 relocations annually) What is important to remember is that the company according to the case has â€Å"Barely even reached a break-even point† and that it is only through years of additional work of building up the business can CMI or CTS really recognize a profitable enterprise. Given the stature and experience of the CTS Board, it would seem foolish to take a ‘Hard’ or ‘Soft’ Stance on negotiation as these men (Specifically Elliott Burr) would probably not respond favorably to these strategies. As it is the case that CMI Does not want to pay the $600,000 over the book value of the business and a $400,000 over the book value was offered it is a case of trying to persuade the four CTS executives to meet CMI at a middle ground. As such a â€Å"Principled negotiation strategy† should be employed in which the four stages should be focused on identifying exactly the book value of the firm is, focus on how much CMI wants to build on CTS’ business model, identify that no matter what CTS will be getting a premium on their business and always focus the criteria on objective measures.

Psoriasis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Psoriasis - Research Paper Example During this era psoriasis denomination was still to be standardized and its translation from one language to another faced a huge discrepancy. Such is the case that different authors termed the ailment differently, while diverse ailments had the same names. Confusion in description and terminology of psoriasis went on for centuries. Considered the ugliest disease of the olden days, psoriasis became synonymous with all kind of people, whether a king, member of the kingly family, politician, business person or ordinary person. According early scholars, psoriasis is much similar to the tzaraat disease cited in the Bible. Psoriasis was first mentioned by a Greek physician called Hippocrates (460-377 BC). However, this did not offer formal introduction until a roman author called Cornelius Celsus described it in the first century. According to his description Psoriasis is a condition caused by staphylococcus pyogenes characterized by red patches and watery blisters on the skin. Having been kept unattended for thousands of years, this condition is became a real concern following the exhumation of the Egyptian mummies. The Greeks termed it â€Å"psora†, meaning â€Å"to itch† a reason that makes it to be considered an understatement of the centuries! During this period, majority of the medical minds found it hard to isolate the symptoms and only remained baffled with the condition. Throughout this period, people remain superstitious over the causes and development of psoriasis until Hippocrates (Father of Medicine 460-377 B.C.) replaced the superstitious mind with knowledge in curing skin ailments. Using this knowledge, Hippocrates introduced the treatment of skin ailments using tar that was added to the superstitious mix and also prescribed topical arsenic (Langley, pg34). This condition presented great problem typified with confusion with other related skin conditions believed to be contagious. Psoriasis was commonly

Human Factors Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Human Factors - Essay Example External environment plays a very significant role in the success of the business. The analysis method that will be most appropriate in evaluating the operations of the external environment is the Porter’s Five Force Model, while the PEST analysis would be used in investigating and evaluating the macro environment. Porter’s Five Force Model examines very sensitive and significant areas of the business organization (Porter, 2004). The next aspect of consideration is the internal analysis of the business in distributing the target tape to hospitals that would be very important in understanding and evaluating the operations of the business. This kind of analysis will be very important in determining whether the company will be successful or will collapse along the way. The internal analysis under consideration would include the primary activities like human resource management, finance, customer service, and marketing (Chaffey, 2009). It is however, of great importance for the business to possess unique capabilities and characteristics in order to enable the management develop a strategy that would assist in distributing quality target tapes to hospitals and health care institutions. Another important aspect to note in the implementation is the generic competitive strategies that would enable the firm fit in the competitive nature of the market. Some of the challenges experienced in a competitive environment ar e the increased demand for high quality target tapes and the growing need to adopt new technology in order to serve the diverse needs of the patients. These are the business organizations that would have the ability and the will to join the existing business environment and hence make the competition be tenser. The planners need to understand that profit levels of the business will tend to depreciate because as other organizations strive to join the product market, there will be increased rivalry (Porter, 2004). Therefore, it is

Psoriasis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Psoriasis - Research Paper Example During this era psoriasis denomination was still to be standardized and its translation from one language to another faced a huge discrepancy. Such is the case that different authors termed the ailment differently, while diverse ailments had the same names. Confusion in description and terminology of psoriasis went on for centuries. Considered the ugliest disease of the olden days, psoriasis became synonymous with all kind of people, whether a king, member of the kingly family, politician, business person or ordinary person. According early scholars, psoriasis is much similar to the tzaraat disease cited in the Bible. Psoriasis was first mentioned by a Greek physician called Hippocrates (460-377 BC). However, this did not offer formal introduction until a roman author called Cornelius Celsus described it in the first century. According to his description Psoriasis is a condition caused by staphylococcus pyogenes characterized by red patches and watery blisters on the skin. Having been kept unattended for thousands of years, this condition is became a real concern following the exhumation of the Egyptian mummies. The Greeks termed it â€Å"psora†, meaning â€Å"to itch† a reason that makes it to be considered an understatement of the centuries! During this period, majority of the medical minds found it hard to isolate the symptoms and only remained baffled with the condition. Throughout this period, people remain superstitious over the causes and development of psoriasis until Hippocrates (Father of Medicine 460-377 B.C.) replaced the superstitious mind with knowledge in curing skin ailments. Using this knowledge, Hippocrates introduced the treatment of skin ailments using tar that was added to the superstitious mix and also prescribed topical arsenic (Langley, pg34). This condition presented great problem typified with confusion with other related skin conditions believed to be contagious. Psoriasis was commonly

Library system Essay Example for Free

Library system Essay Most of the references used nowadays and never fades are books. People who need it purchase this reference material while some borrow from a public or private library. In a library where many transactions are being process, there are methods that the LIBRARY ADMINISTRATION used to make things work faster and easier. One of the methods used by the librarians and book keepers is the LIBRARY SYSTEM. It is an arrangement used to coordinate and manage library books, borrowers and users in the easiest way There were several libraries inquired and research by the researchers used a different kind of library system. In Toronto Public Library, the largest public library in Toronto, Canada, uses mechanics in the library system to track transactions (Toronto Public Library). While on the National Library, Philippines uses an on-line access for their transactions, (National Library). Some LIBRARY SYSTEM examples researched by the researchers is the LIBRARY CLASSIFICATION wherein it uses call numbers base on the books that they are classified (Wikipedia, 2014). Another example is the Dewey Decimal System founded by Mr. Dewey where it uses numbers and codes in book numbering for it to be easily found (Wikipedia, 2014). In lieu with the information given above, the researchers want to establish a new and systematic of a library system. This study aims to detailed and illustrate a way of putting up a computerized LIBRARY SYSTEM with the use of a simple programming language, VISUAL BASIC. AKNOWLEDGEMENT We would like to express our special thanks of gratitude to Saint Justine College of Asia and Fortunato F. Halili National Agricultural School as well as to Mr. Roger Ilejay, Mr. Emmanuel Valdez, Mr. Angelo Romulo Cruz, Mrs. Ma. Luz Bayani, Mrs. April Co, and also to our instructor Mrs. Jocelyn Gamo who gave us the opportunity to do this system and action Research entitled â€Å"Library System† which also helped us in doing a lot of research. We came to know about so many things that is why we are really thankful to them. DEDICATION This library System is made and develops for the School of Fortunato F. Halili National Agricultural School. This system helps to facilitate or to search the book easier and faster. We are committed to providing the library users with a positive experience that starts with a successful implementation. This system helps to facilitate or to search easier because it is a computerized, organize and moderate. It easy to provide step by step assistance export data from your existing system and upload your data. it easy to process and transferring data. Definition of Terms Computerized To equips with or automates by computers. Library system A computerized library system for a university keeps track of all books and periodicals in the library and their check-out status. Checkout and return are automated through a bar code reader (an external device). The library system also interfaces with an external relational database which stores information about the library users (students, faculty, and staff), including whether they have any library items checked out. . Library users can access the catalog and recall books and periodicals. Library employees have the same access as well as additional capabilities (e. g. , listing the status of an item). Data Factual information or information for computer processing, distinct pieces of information usually formatted in a special way. All software is divided into two general categories: data and programs. Programs are collections of instructions for manipulating data. Data can exist in a variety of forms as numbers or text on pieces of paper, as bits and by test stored in electronic memory, or as facts stored in a persons mind. Database A set of data that has a regular structure and that is organized in such a way that a computer can easily find the desired information.. LAN (Local Area Network ). This serves a local area (typically the area of a floor of a building, but in some cases spanning a distance of several kilometers). Records Data, details , documents, file, information, or reports. In the structure of a database, the part consisting of several uniquely named components called data fields. Several data records make up a data file, and several data files make up a database. Share Distributing or giving files, or a resource such as a file, folder or printer, that has been made sharable with other users on the network. Visual Basic – is a third – generation event – driven programming language and intergrated development environment (IDE) from Microsoft for its combasic to be relatively easy to learn and use. Command Button – A graphical button that appears in a computer user interface , allowing a user to trigger an event. Microsoft Access – Also known as Microsoft office access , is a database management system from Microsoft that combines the relational Microsoft database engine with a graphical user interface and software development tools. Related Literature Foreign  According to Robson (2001), usability is a key requirement for users, says Elisabeth Robson, Product manager for Online Computer Library Center. The catalogue has become a way to pull together disparate resources, including commercial resources and web links. management systems also allow circulation, including check in/check out and enable libraries to purchase materials and track where they are. According to Chad (2009), consulting is at a major point of change in the wider information economy within which library systems form part of a larger whole. He was writing in a briefing paper about the study in library management systems. This study examined the systems used in higher-education libraries across the UK and came up with some significant observations and recommendations. It noted that the LMS market in UK higher education is already mature and that four main vendors (Ex Libris, Innovative, Sirsi Dynix and Talis) have almost 90 per cent of the market. This market maturity means, according to the study authors, that the benefits to libraries of changing LMS provider are limited. Library users expect to find everything together says Stephen Abram, vice president for innovation at Sirsi Dynix, the leading provider of software solutions and associated services for libraries. According to her traditionally, the library management system or integrated library system (ILS) was responsible for running libraries efficiently and effectively. Over the last few years, the role of the ILS has been expanding from meeting library needs to delivering user experience. Botolan Community College http://www. scribd.com/doc/99431218/Computerized-Library-System Local According to Eden (2011), views that most libraries are forced to work with fewer staff because of the having a more improved and modernized system for their library . According also to the study, the library administration need to emphasize to their staff that the organization has a vested interest in providing them with the tools and training they need to assist the organization in the new information marketplace. These may include search engines, circulation systems, and the online public access catalog. According to Lopez (2002) , University of the Philippines Mindanao when UP in Mindanao accepted its first batch of students in 1996, the Main Library collection was integrated with the core collection of the School of Management (SOM) Library at the Stanfilco Bldg. , Ladislawa Avenue, Buhangin, Davao City. The Filipiniana and General References were housed together with the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) collection in Room 2 of the Philippine Coconut Authority. In the Second Semester AY 1996-1997,the CAS Library moved to its main campus in Bago Oshiro. Upon the recognition of UP in Mindanao by the Board of Regents (BOR) as a constituent unit (CU) of the UP System, the CAS was split into two (2), namely: College of Humanities and Social Botolan Community College http://www. scribd. com/doc/99431218/Computerized-Library-System Related Hypotesis Researcher’s hypothesize that their study on coming up of a library system will be helpful both the book keepers and to the students . Book keepers will already be having a stress free and convenient way of logging transactions in the library. Also, they will be able to help students to search book in a matter of second. The researcher hope that all of the possibilities and hypothesis they mentioned would be integrate in their mentioned study. Statement of the importance of the study This study will help the faculty staff and students of Fortunato F. Halili National Agricultural School to make Book Information easy thought in searching a book that they help of the library system made by the researcher for a hassle free transactions. 1. Helps in searching the book systematically and in a computerizes way? This objectives includes the researches of all kinds of the library system that will be applicable to the sponsored school. This will be the â€Å"trial and error† process of the researchers. 2. How to establish a library system using visual basic? With the use of the program language, visual basic and the back – ground of the researchers in programming, the researchers will set – up a library system using visual basic 3. To make a library system for Fortunato F. Halili National Agricultural School? The main goal is to set – up a library system that will fit for the Fortunato F. Halili National Agricultural School.

Zara: Business Expansion Strategies

Zara: Business Expansion Strategies Executive summary This article examines the case of the Spanish clothing retailer Zara’s experience of and plans for further expansion into Southern and Northern American markets. It argues that given the unique distribution and production functions of the retailer that possible problems exist for continued expansion in the US market. The problems associated with this given the characteristics of local markets and pressures from rival operators’ means that a recommendation is made for an adjusted international strategy for the company despite its broad successes elsewhere globally. Introduction Globalisation has become an essential element of international marketing principles and it has been argued that one of the keys to success in global markets is the effective development and marketing of standardised products and brands (Douglas Wind, 1987). Jay (2000) suggests that the development of international enterprises is as a consequence of reduced barriers for trading due to developments in information technology. Jones (2002) argues that successful international operations are those which integrate and cooperate in business activities across national boundaries. It is clear that the clothing industry is a significant part of the internationalisation process in terms of the critical growth of the clothing retailing sector in global markets and attendant activities such as global sourcing. The international expansion of Zara is led by its parent company Grupo Inditex which is based in Spain and Zara has achieved an impressive annual growth of 26% over the last five years (D’Andrea Arnold, 2002). Based in Spain Zara has grown from 180 stores to 1.080 stores in 33 countries and in 2002 150 stores were added in 9 countries and further expansion has been planned and expected. As the biggest economy in the world the American market is an attractive one for Zara and stores located in New York were announced as being successful indicators towards future market penetration. The huge American market and especially the North American marketplace was highlighted as the next move for the company’s expansion plan yet the diversity in this market and high level of competition creates challenges for continued Zara’s success. Environmental Analysis A clear understanding of the business environment is essential for companies in competing in the global economy. This is particularly important in relation to international strategy. Environmental analysis can be made from both a macro and micro perspective and both the PESTEL and Porter’s industrial analysis are useful instruments of analyses (Johnson Scholes, 2002). PESTEL analyses the political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal events that have impacts on a business. Of interest in this case is the signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) which helped regional economic growth among member countries through eliminating tariffs and government encouragement of foreign direct investment. This creates threats to Zara in terms of an entry model as well as marketing strategy. The American market is highly attractive for multinational companies such as Zara. The US is the number one economy in the world although since the terrorist attacks in 2001 the American economy slowed down accompanied with a reduction in consumer confidence. According to Jobber (2001) where national economic performance and customer confidence is poor consumers will reduce consumption of non essential products. This poses problems for Zara in competing in a highly competitive marketplace where demanding for clothing has decreased. Zara however provides luxury clothing products at a reasonable price which provides the company with competitive advantages in terms of price, quality and brand name. The success of Zara depends on an effective logistics system and it is one of the few companies with in-house design and production enabling them to provide new clothing lines within 15 days instead of the 9 months average lead-in time of the textile and clothing industry. It is fair to say that this logistics system based on information technology and computerized design and production programs enables Zara to maintain competitive advantages over other international competitors. However previous experiences in operating in South America where a complex and large distribution centre was established in order to supply the southern region saw challenges in the integrated supply chain being created. Language as one of the most important elements of culture plays a vital role in shaping international marketing strategy simply because people under different social and cultural environments share different value systems and display varied consumer behaviour (Bradley, 2005). Additionally it is useful to be aware of the new form of political economy which suggests that economic phenomena are highly linked with political issues in that governments seek to use political power to achieve economic benefits (Rugman Hodgetts, 2003). Examples of this can be seen in the increasing role of developing countries in the world economy. In the case of the textile and clothing industry more and more retailers and manufacturers source from lower labour cost developing countries res ulting in significant competitive pressures on Zara which insists on sourcing mainly from Europe and relying on its in-house design and production. Porter (1980) provides a useful framework in understanding the industrial environment in which companies are involved in. The competitive level in an industry shapes a firm’s strategy in competing in its marketplace and in turn this is shaped by the performance of operators within the industry. It is obvious that competition levels are high in both the North and South American marketplace. Zara entered the South American market where American brands such as GAP and the Swedish brand HM were major competitors within the middle clothing market. Similarly buyer power has increased in the modern business environment and Zara needs to effectively satisfy customers globally from different nations and cultural backgrounds. Improvement in US consumer confidence demonstrated in the research creates opportunities for Zara in expanding its market from south to the north (BBC News, 2005). Nevertheless the issue of different supply systems needs to be resolved utilising Zara’s integ rated global supply and logistics chain. The strategic plan to establish a specific supply and distribution centre for the North America market aims to control cost and maintain competitive capabilities in competing with companies from member countries of NAFTA such as Canada and Mexico as well as local players who source from cheaper overseas suppliers. Due to the nature of the clothing retailing industry the diversity of retailing forms in the US is complex including both large numbers as well as different formats for retailers including large retailers, department stores, merchandise shops, small specialty operators and discount stores. There are potential new entrants into this marketplace and hence it is critical for Zara to be aware of the high competition level in the US clothing retailing industry at all levels of the market. Market Segmentation Market segmentation aims to provide relevant information for a basis for the selection of target markets (Bradley, 2005). Zara’s targeted customers are people who seek for higher quality clothing products at reasonable prices. In this case targeted American customers were those who expressed interest in European branded clothes. First of all Zara’s women collection is divided into three categories: Zara Women, Zara Basic and the sporty Trafaluc representing market segments for women who look for a more formal style, younger women for a more informal style and younger women and teenagers while menswear included Men’s Line at Zara, Zara Basics, its club-wear brand 100Zara and Zara Sport (D’Andrea Arnold, 2002). In this sense the general public from all age groups can be seen as potential customers targeted by specific sub-brands of Zara. A second important variable in defining segmentation is based on psychographic characteristics such as lifestyle which wi ll be discussed in detail in the next section (Jobber, 2001). As one of the most famous and successful European brands Zara in its existing south American market targeted people who were especially interested in European styles at affordable price levels. This targeting strategy remained the same for Zara in expanding in the North American marketplace. One definition of consumers suggests that it can be seen as individuals as well as groups of people purchase products or services for personal use, household or gifts. In other words they can be classified as end users of particular products (Solomon et al, 2002). Retailers are situated in the final steps of the distribution chain and are closely linked with end users or customers. Therefore it is useful to look at the concept of consumer behaviour in relation to clothing buying in light of target segmentation strategies pursued by Zara. Blackwell, Miniard and Engel (2000) define the initial step of consumption processes as the recognition of needs which can be influenced by various factors such as reference group values, self esteem and external cultural and social value systems. Particularly modern customers have become more sophisticated and learn more from their purchasing experiences with price often deployed as a key indicator as to the quality of goods (Jobber, 2001). This is arguably the case for buying activity in the clothing sector with brand name, price, style as well as quality tending to have important effects on the decision making processes leading to purchasing. According to Entwistle (2000) clothing is not simply about physical garments but takes on a multi-faceted significance where people use fashion to define and negotiate their identity in wider social contexts. Increasing power for consumers enables them to bargain for lower priced clothing yet it remains the case that pure discount on price is not necessarily important for them in make purchasing decisions. This aspect of consumer behaviour offers a useful insight for Zara in establishing its competitive advantages based on an effective logistics and supply chain through ensuring quality with reduced costs matched to a strong brand name. Foxall, Goldsmith and Brown (1998) argue that there are several stages after need recognition leading to final buying activity and as such the co mmunication strategy used to build up effective customer relationships and brand image by clothing retailers is most useful at the early stage in order to have a lasting impact on purchasing decisions. In this retail context women are suggested to constitute a major proportion of consumers (Domosh, 1996). Particularly women are more involved in both social and economic life functions which results in increasing demands on fashion in terms of style and self identity. Additionally a determinant of the degree to which customers evaluate a brand is the level of involvement with high involvement meaning extensive evaluation of the product and/or alternatives (Hawkins, Best and Coney, 1989). For clothing products the degree of involvement is suggested as being typically medium to high (Breward, 2000). Bearing in mind the concept of involvement and the role of women in purchasing Zara used a suite of effective marketing tools in maintaining customer loyalty through providing value added clothing relevant to identified market preferences. This is because in terms of fashion a stylish and sophisticated brand image in terms of trends, styles and tastes is a key success factor in building a b rand name for a retailer such as Zara. Similarly effectively maintaining customer loyalty in terms of repeat buying is a major contributor to successfully expanding its market share in the US market. Marketing Strategy Analysis and Evaluation Based on its successful experience in operating in New York Zara pursued a strategic market expansion strategy in order to maintain organisational growth in terms of market share and the accruement of financial benefits. The establishment of a distribution centre in the outskirts of Buenos Aires enabled Zara supply the southern region as well as played a strategic role in supplying the new northern market (D’Andrea Arnold, 2002). With Zara being one of the few companies utilising in-house design and production meant sourcing locally was its main strategy rather than switching to overseas suppliers. This strategic choice did enhance the competitive capabilities of Zara in terms of short lead time and effective logistics control but added to pressure from competitors who sourced abroad resulting in competitive pricing in the middle market by rivals such as HM and GAP. In addition in considering an integrated supply chain the distribution centre to some extent caused inefficiencies in the overall system in that decisions on the choice of local manufacturers had been made difficult due to the closure of American textile and clothing manufacturers who moved production lines to Asia. As such the market expansions strategy remains unclear in terms of it achieving growth based on effective franchises rather than through adding new stores and entering new markets. This can be said to be especially the case for the North American market. Although the market size is large and entry barriers are low due to the cultural differences between south and north US regions means significant attention must be paid to the marketing mix in order to achieve synergy from integration. Life styles are different in North and South America hence the branding strategy used by Zara is essential in differentiating itself with both from existing rivals and attracting new custom ers within each of the respective markets. Evaluation of marketing mix In the context of international market and keeping in mind different macro and micro environmental conditions an international marketing mix needs to be varied from one context to another (Keegan Green, 2003). Based on the branding marketing mix strategies it is of importance to look at international marketing models in the North American market considering different operational environments and different consumer behaviour in southern and northern markets. Product and brand The term product not only refers to tangible goods but also entails intangible attributes such as customer service and brand name (Keegan Green, 2003). As a retailer Zara provides a similar range of products in both the southern and northern markets in the US as those provided in its domestic market. However the intangible resource which Zara as a strong brand in New York occupying the middle fashion market appears to be less visible more broadly in the North American markets in comparison with the national brand image of GAP. Traditionally the brand image of Zara as a retailer is one targeted on middle income consumers seeking high fashion styles at reasonable prices. As a result of successful operation in the EU market as well as Asian and South American markets Zara was able to create a strong brand image in the middle fashion market in order to compete with GAP and HM who are also two major operators in the wider global market. Price Price is argued as being an important indicator for customers in evaluating the quality of products and within the clothing sector this also holds true (Easey, 2002). The price mix deployed in the US market is double that found in its domestic region in Spain due to higher operational cost and higher labour costs. It has been suggested that the clothing industry is labour intensive and that effective human resource management strategy contributes in a key manner to effective cost control and in turn allow for competitive pricing in the market (Jones, 2002). As a result the operational strategy employed by Zara has been consistently challenged by competitive pricing from competitors who source from cheaper developing countries. As a result the efficacy of an integrated logistics and supply chain can be questioned along with the ability of maintaining this over the long term given the diversity and complexity of the clothing manufacturing industry in the US. In sum Zara’s operat ion in international markets appears to be experiencing rapid growth in terms of new branches and improving sales and profit but longer term challenges need to be addressed as a priority. Easey (2002) argues that pricing regimes for clothing products may need to change depending on different characteristics in each national market but that communication and management of these changes need to be directed from a strategic level. Communication An integrated communication strategy is an important part of the marketing mix within a branding strategy framework. This seems to be even more essential in the clothing retailing industrial context involving the use of celebrities as a critical communication tool in communicating with customers. For Blythe (2000) marketing communications objectives are created in order to develop a customer base and improve sales through increasing both new and existing customers’ expenditure on a brand’s products. However Zara has rarely exploited advertising campaigns except in the case of its launch of two main product ranges occurring seasonally each year. This can help explain its low brand awareness in the North American market which is a threat to successful entry into this marketplace. Additionally visual merchandising such as store design and layout has become widely regarded as important communication tools with consumers (Lea-Greenwood, 2002). In the case of Zara store design such as clear lighting, white walls and ceiling and style-related decorations such as photographs were deployed in order to create an elegant atmosphere emphasising a brand image reflecting European trends. Likewise employee uniforms helped Zara maintain a visual and physical presence of the brand image and helped in communicating with customers and needed only minor adjustments between southern and northern stores. It is believed that the format and experience of a trading environment particularly in clothing retailing interacts closely with merchandise, customer service and the success of communications strategies (Walters Hanrahan, 2000). It can be argued that the communication strategy used by Zara is effective in terms of communicative effects and of a lower cost than its competitors. On the other hand establishing a significant nationwide presence in North America may require either a large expenditure on a celebrity endorsed campaign or the ef fective use of novel techniques such as viral marketing. Distribution The distribution channel is the network which links producers with users yet international distribution strategies are difficult to manage since distribution structures differ from one country to the next (Keegan Green, 2003). For Zara the US market presents unique challenges. As mentioned earlier the closure of US local manufacturers and moves to Asian manufacturing operations poses major threats to Zara which traditionally exploits local sources in supporting its in house design and production. Due to the highly fragmented nature of fashion retailing it is vital for Zara to differentiate itself from other competitors during its entry stage into the North American market. In considering these difficulties in enter this market and the different cultural backgrounds involved Zara pursued an organic growth in terms of opening stores in its expansion. This is because a strong financial background based on its successful operation both in New York and support from its parent company Grupo Inditex allowed for a longer term fiscal view to be taken. However the use of English in the US market is likely to present challenges for the Spanish company but successful international human resource management should counter this and lead to successful implementation of its strategic expansion plans. Figure 1: Global Retailing Market Entry Strategy Framework Source: Horovitz, J. Kumar, N. (1998) Strategies for Retail Globalization, London UK, Financial Times. Conclusion In order to maintain organizational growth Zara employed an aggressive expansion strategy in responding to internationalisation and globalisation. Research demonstrates that a strong global brand name is one of the most vital elements contributing to the success of international operations (Wigley et al, 2005). However a key consideration is cultural influences which have shaped international marketing strategies for Zara in the US market. An international marketing strategy to some degree remains the same as strategies used in other markets satisfy targeted customer groups effectively. However because of local differences and consumer complexity in the American market adjustments were used such as the establishment of a dedicated distribution centre for the American market. Recommendations The marketing mix used by Zara in the US market has been more effective in New York than in other locations. Brand name is a significant part of product concept hence it is useful for Zara to cooperate with local fashion magazines in conducting magazine campaigns in order to improve brand awareness at the market entry stage. Lea-Greenwood’s (2002) suggestion that the communication process involves three key participants namely sender, message and receiver must be added to in the sense that practical contexts of business operations in the clothing retailing sector makes this model more complex due to changing forces in the external environment such as developments in media technology and changing characteristics/preferences of consumers. This is also of particular importance in international markets as different cultural and social backgrounds have substantial impacts on consumer behaviour as well as effective communication models. Secondly higher costs resulted in higher prices for Zara in these locations. This phenomenon is able to generate potential risks to its brand image of quality clothing products at reasonable prices. It is undoubted that in house design and local sourcing provides Zara with competitive advantages such as short lead times and high response rates to clothing trends but an awareness of local characteristics in the marketplace is essential. In the case of international expansion currency rates have a major impact on operational and labour costs. In turn competitiveness on price might be eliminated because of pressures from competitors who are able to provide even cheaper but goods which are of high quality. As Jones (2002) highlights global sourcing is a key trend and will continue to be so due to globalisation. Although sourcing abroad raises concerns on supply chain related risks which are often called the Iceberg theory it is imperative that Zara be aware of the significant advantages of sourcing from countries with lower labour costs especially given that quality levels have improved (Jackson Shaw, 2001). With the North American market there were difficulties for Zara in maintaining its famous on an in house production model simply because of a lack of local suppliers and manufacturers. Additionally labour costs in America are considerably higher compared to its operation in Europe. It is hard for Zara then to enjoy cost advantages offered by Eastern European countries as well as cheap domestic cost in Spain (Jones, 2002). The suggestion here is to consider expanding operations to Mexico which is comparably cheaper than the US yet offers a distribution channel to the North American market. The establishment of a distribution centre in Mexico is more likely to be cost effective rather th an building specific manufacturing factories in order to supply the North American market. References BBC News (2005) US Consumer Confidence on the Up, BBC News, December 28th, available from:Â  http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4564766.stm> Blackwell, R.D., Miniard, P.W. Engel, J.F. (2000) Consumer Behaviour, USA, Dryden. Bradley, F. (2005) International Marketing Strategy 5th edition, Harlow UK, FT Prentice Hall. Breward, C. (2000) Cultures, Identities, Histories: Fashioning a Cultural Approach to Dress, in White, N. Griffiths, I. (eds) The Fashion Business: Theory, Practice, Image, Oxford New York, Berg. D’Andrea, G. Arnold, D. (2002) Zara, Harvard Business School, January 30. Domosh, M. (1996) The Feminized Retail Landscape: Gender, Ideology and Consumer Culture in 19th Century New York City, in Lowe, M. and Wrigley, N. (eds) Retailing, Consumption and Capital, UK, Longman Group Limited. Douglas, S.P. Wind, Y. (1987) The Myth of Globalisation, Columbia Journal of World Business, Vol. 22. Easey, M. (2002) Fashion Marketing 2nd edition, Oxford UK, Blackwell Publishing. Entwistle, J. (2000) The Fashioned Body, Cambridge UK, Polity Press. Foxall, G.R., Goldsmith, R.E. Brown, S. (1998) Consumer Psychology for marketing 2nd edition, London UK, Thomson Business Press. Hawkins, D.I., Best, R.J. Coney, K.A. (1989) Consumer Behaviour: Implications for Marketing Strategy, Boston USA, Mass. Hesmondhalgh, D. (2002) The Cultural Industries, London UK, Sage. Horovitz, J. Kumar, N. (1998) Strategies for Retail Globalization, London UK, Financial Times. Jay, P. (2000) The Road to Riches, London, Weidenfield and Nicholson. Jackson, T. Shaw, D. (2001) Mastering Fashion Buying Merchandising Management, Basingstoke, Palgrave Jobber, D. (2001) Principles Practice of Marketing 3rd edition, London UK, McGraw-Hill. Johnson, G. Scholes, K. (2002) Exploring Corporate Strategy: Text and Cases 6th edition, London UK, FT Prentice Hall. Jones, R.M. (2002) The Apparel Industry, Oxford UK, Blackwell Publishing. Keegan, W.J. Green M.C. (2003) Global Marketing 3rd edition, New Jersey, Prentice Hall. Lea-Greenwood, G. (2002) Fashion Marketing Communication, in Easey , M. (ed) Fashion Marketing 2nd edition, Oxford UK, Blackwell Publishing. Porter, M.E. (1980) Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors, New York USA, The Free Press. Rugman, A.M. Hodgetts, R.M. (2003) International Business 3rd edition, Harlow UK, FT Prentice Hall. Singleton, J. (1997) The World Textile Industry, London UK, Routledge. Solomon, M., Bamossy, G. Askegaard, S. (2002) Consumer Behaviour: A European Perspective, Harlow England, FT Prentice Hall. Walters, D. Hanrahan J. (2000) Retail Strategy: Planning and Control, London UK, MacMillan Business. Wigley, S.M., Moore, C.M. Birtwistle, G. (2005) Product and Brand: Critical Success Factors in the Internationalisation of a Fashion Retailer, Journal of Retail Distribution Management, Vol. 33 No. 7.