Economic Rehabilitation and Modernisation in China

Economic Rehabilitation and Modernisation in China ECONOMIC REHABILITATION AND MODERNISATION PROGRAMME 1.  Post Mao Interlude (a) Fall of the Gang of Four, leadership under Deng Xiaoping restated the modernization program. (b) They also set new policies for accomplishing the Four Modernizations which was to turn the nation into a relatively advanced industrialized nation by the year 2000. The modernizations was to be in the field of industry, agriculture, science and technology, and national defence. (c) The new policies reinforced the authority of economic decision makers and managers at the expense of party officials, and called for expansion of the research and education systems . (d) Foreign trade was intended to be increased, and exchanges of foreign experts and students with developed countries was encouraged. It called for high rates of growth in both agriculture and industry. (e) The economy was reformed to a market oriented economy. 2.  Reforms in Agriculture Sector. (a) Maos policy of self-reliance was relaxed, and his motto grow grain everywhere was abandoned. (b) Communities were restructured into the responsible system wherein farmers no longer devoted maximum of their efforts in collective production but farmers were allowed to decide for themselves how and what to produce. (c) The constraints on the movements of rural populations was relaxed. Towns, villages, and groups of families referred to as rural economic unions established factories, processing units, construction teams, catering services, and other nonagricultural concerns. (d) A system of specialized households’ was made wherein free farmers markets in the urban areas and in the countryside were established. (e) Rural cadres implemented an entirely new system to motivate farmers, called ‘Baogan’ system. (f) The rural banking system (Agricultural Bank and Rural Credit Cooperatives) was restored and extended[1]. (g) However, the major change was after 1978 farm families were permitted to invest funds, and their investments in small tractors, rural industries, and housing were substantial. (h) Rural marketing system improved significantly in the post Mao period. The policy of selling the farm to local state came to an end. People had several options of selling the surpluses to local market or to state or consumed on the farm. Rural markets which were disbanded during the Cultural Revolution were reopened. 3.  Reforms in Industrial Sector. (a) The impetus to reforms were based on the framework of ‘Four Modernizations and industrial policies outlined by Deng Xiaoping. These included strengthening management and managerial rules, restoring the status of engineers and technicians, providing clear directives for realizing the eight planning targets ( output volume , product type, quality , consumption of materials and fuel, labor productivity, costs, profits and use of liquid capital) , greater regional coordination, firmer central planning and tighter control of investment policy and increased import of foreign technology[2]. (b) Emphasis on rapid industrial development was given and a group of 120 key large scale projects was central to the plan which aimed at lifting the rate of growth to the value of industrial output to 10 percent a  year and at large increases in the areas of power, fuels, raw materials and transport and communications including doubling the output of steel[3]. (c) In 1978 policy of ‘Thirty points’ was envisaged which included rules for enterprise management and post responsibility , state plans was to be fulfilled based on ‘five sixes’ ( fixed nature and scale of production, fixed personnel and organization ,fixed consumption and supply quotas, fixed capital allocation and relation of cooperation with other enterprises)[4]. (d) In 80’s the growth of mixed economy with complementarity’s between the plan and market competition was promoted[5]. (e) Mandatory planning covered sixty products such as coal, crude oil, nonferrous metals, timber, cement, basic industrial chemicals, chemical fertilizers, machines and electrical equipment, fibers, newsprint, cigarettes, and defense products. (f) Under the reforms of Guidance planning, enterprises try to meet the states planned goals but also make their own arrangements for production and sales based on the orientation of the states plan, the availability of raw and unfinished materials and energy supplies, and the demands on the market. (g) Urban, collectively owned enterprises (owned by the workers) for the most part were small units equipped with relatively little machinery. Many of these units were engaged in handicraft production or other labor-intensive activities, such as manufacturing furniture or assembling simple electrical items. (h) Rural, collectively owned industrial enterprises commonly referred to as township enterprises were the most rapidly growing portion of the industrial sector in the mid-1980s. The government regarded them as a means of expanding industrialization[6]. 4.  Development of Infrastructure. (a) China had inadequate transportation systems which hindered the movement of coal from mine to user, the transportation of agricultural and light industrial products from rural to urban areas, and the delivery of imports and exports. As a result, the underdeveloped transportation  system constrained the pace of economic development throughout the country. From 1980s onwards the updating of transportation systems was given priority[7]. (b)  Development of Railroads. (i) Priority was given to link all provinces of the country, by railroads. Many double-track lines, electrified lines, special lines, and bridges were added to the system. (ii) National highways linked provincial-level capitals with Beijing and major ports. (iii) Roads were built between large, medium, and small towns as well as between towns and railroad connections. (iv) Contract system for the management of railroad lines was introduced in China. (c)  Development of Waterways. (i) The maritime fleet made hundreds of port calls in virtually all parts of the world, but the inadequate port and harbor facilities at home still caused major problems. (ii) Port construction also was listed as a priority project in the plan. The combined accommodation capacity of ports was to be increased by 200 million tons. (d)  Development of Airways. (i) Civil aviation underwent tremendous development during the 1980s. Domestic and international air service was greatly increased. (ii) The plan also called for updating passenger and freight transportation and improving railroad, waterways, and air transportation. To achieve these goals, the government planned to increase state and local investment as well as to use private funds. 5.  Reforms in Trade Policies, Foreign Trade and Emerging New Market. (a) Abandonment of policy of ‘ Self Reliance’. Between 1975-80 China got into new trade activities, seeking to import technology, borrow money, request aid and adopt fresh methods of earning foreign exchange. (b) Policies were framed to bring in foreign technology and capital with minimum expenditure[8]. (c) To earn more foreign currency and to conserve foreign exchange reserves, foreign capital was also used to expand production of export commodities, such as textiles, and of import substitutes, such as consumer goods. (d) China has adopted a variety of measures to promote its foreign economic relations, maximizing the role of imports, exports, and foreign capital in economic development. Foreign trade organizations were reorganized, and control of imports and exports was relaxed or strengthened depending on the balance of trade and the level of foreign exchange reserves. (e) China joined a number of economic organizations, becoming a member of the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, the Asian Development Bank, the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). (f) Most loans went into infrastructure projects, such as energy and transportation, and funded raw materials imports. (g) Legal and institutional frameworks to facilitate foreign investment and trade also were created. Laws on taxation, joint ventures, foreign investments, and related areas were promulgated to encourage foreign investment. (h) Special economic zones were created .The special economic zones essentially were export-processing zones designed to attract foreign investment, expand exports, and import technology and expertise. (j) China took steps to decentralize its foreign trading system and integrate itself into the world trading system. In November 1991, China joined the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) group, which promotes free trade and cooperation in the economic, trade, investment, and technology spheres. (k) China formally joined the WTO in December 2001.On joining China agreed to lower tariffs and abolish market impediments after it joins the WTO. (l) Chinas global trade totaled 1384 billion dollars in 2005; the trade surplus stood at 60 billion dollars. Chinas primary trading partners include Japan, the EU, the United States, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. According to U.S. statistics, China had a trade surplus with the U.S. of 150 billion dollars in 2005. 6.  Foreign Investment (a) Foreign investment was stalled in 1989 in the aftermath of Tiananmen. In response, the government introduced legislation and regulations designed to encourage foreigners to invest in high-priority sectors and regions. (b) In 1990, the government eliminated time restrictions on the establishment of joint ventures and allowed foreign partners to become chairman of joint venture boards. (c) In 1991, China granted more preferential tax treatment for wholly foreign-owned businesses and contractual ventures and for foreign companies which invest in selected economic zones or in projects encouraged by the state, such as energy, communications, and transportation. (d) China revised significantly its laws on Wholly Foreign-Owned Enterprises and China Foreign Equity Joint Ventures in 2000 and 2001, easing export performance and domestic content requirements. In 2005, China received nearly 53 billion dollars in foreign direct investment, making it the number one recipient of FDI in the world. 7. Energy and Mineral Resources. New energy policy was formalized which included development of indigenous oil and gas reserves, development of domestic oil and gas markets, diversification of energy sources, diversification of imported energy suppliers, encouragement of energy conservation and efficient energy use. (b) Reforms carried out to improve energy efficiency and promote the use of clean coal technology. Only one-fifth of the new coal power plant capacity installed from 1995 to 2000 included desulphurization equipment. (c) It has opened oil and gas industry. The offshore petroleum industry has also been developed with foreign investment. (d) Refining capacity is also being increased. Storage and pipeline facilities are being increased and new ones are being added. (e) China has developed a sound energy policy by diversifying its energy linkages and relationship through investment attraction , incentives for technology and dialogue with energy resource economy. 8.  Development of Science and Technology. (a) The Cultural Revolution had removed an entire generation from access to university and professional training, creating a gap in the age distribution of the scientific work force. (b) However since 1978 China encouraged experimentation in its science and technology system as a means of arriving at reforms. (c) In restructuring the science and technology system emphasis was placed on encouraging partnership between research, educational and designing institution on one hand and production units on the other and on strengthening the enterprises capability for technology absorption and  development .More power for decision making was granted to research institutes. (d) The long term policy of China’s science and technology development was to open to outside world and establish contact with other countries. [1] Agriculturereforms www.country-data.com [2] Jack gray and Gordon White op.cit p.91 [3] Jack gray and Gordon White op.cit p.92 [4] Jack gray and Gordon White op.cit p.95 [5] Jack gray and Gordon White op.cit p.98 [6]China’s economy www.country-data.com 1987 [7] ibid [8] Jack gray and Gordon White op.cit p.149

Country Music in O Brother, Where Art Thou? Essay -- White Trash Broth

Country Music in O Brother, Where Art Thou? Abstract: This essay explores the way white trash identity is performed through country music. In particular, the focus is on the way the film O Brother, Where Art Thou? (Joel Coen, 2001) uses a soundtrack of 'old-timey' country music from the 1920s and 30s to aurally assist the film's white trash aesthetic. Various cultural critics (Barbara Ching) and music historians (Richard Peterson) have already documented the way country music is white trash music. Such histories are drawn upon to demonstrate the way country music is used to authenticate white trash as rural, impoverished, simple-minded and sweet. The authenticity of white trash often depends on an authentic performance of country music; one that is dependent on staging a particularly commodifiable white trash image or ' look' . Does this mean the supposed authenticity of white trash is all performance? By locating the white trashness of country music within a broader historical and cultural context, this essay demonstrates the way O Brother, Where Art Thou? depicts white trash as an identity that is only authentic through a performance of authenticity. This essay explores the way white trash is often depicted on screen through the use of early 20th century country music. Whether it be through white trash country music narratives or the use of country music on film soundtracks to signify white trashness, it is undeniable that white trash has a special affinity with country music. For this reason my analysis of O Brother, Where Art Thou? (Joel and Ethan Coen, 2001) will demonstrate the way early forms of U.S. country music emphasise the white trashness of the film' s characters. What exactly is white trash? U.S. cultura... ...Bring Coen Brothers Film Soundtrack to Stage' . Rolling Stone 21 April. 2000. http://www.rollingstone.com/news/newsarticle.asp?nid=10660 Peterson, Richard A. Creating Country Music: Fabricating Authenticity. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1997. Scott, A.O. ' O Brother, Where Art Thou?: Hail, Ulysses, Escaped Convict' The New York Times 22 Dec. 2000. Singer, Ben. ' Modernity, Hyperstimulus, and the Rise of Popular Sensationalism' . In Cinema and the Invention of Modern Life. Eds. L. Charney and U. Schwartz. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1995. 72-99. Williamson, J. W. Hillbillyland: What the Movies Did to the Mountains and What the Mountains Did to the Movies. Chapel Hill, N.C. and London: University of North Carolina, 1995. Wray, Matt, and Annalee Newitz. White Trash: Race and Class in America. London and New York: Routledge, 1997.

Imagery Used in Keats Poems Essay example -- John Keats Ode to a Grec

Imagery Used in Keats' Poems Strong imagery is the basis of structure in many poems. Literal and metaphorical imagery words aid the reader with interpreting the main ideal of the poem. Ode to a Grecian Urn, Ode to a Nightingale and On First Looking into Chapman’s Homer are three of John Keats’ poems which contain this descriptive imagery to give structure and meaning. Keats makes the decorative language as the medium for the passion that he holds for his subject. Ode to a Grecian Urn is a poem in which Keats makes imagery explain the physical aspects of an urn as well as the message behind its appearance. When explaining the physical attributes of the urn Keats describes its beauty by comparing the urn to places such asâ€Å"†¦Temp† and â€Å"†¦the dales of Arcady† in line seven. Imagery such as lines nineteen and twenty state â€Å"She cannot fade, through thou hast not thy bliss, / For ever wilt though love, and she be fair†. These lines colorfully relay the message that the urn is infinite and the image of life that is presented on it will never commence. This urn is presented...

Marketing and Zara Essay

1. Background According to BusinessWeek, â€Å"Zara was a fashion imitator. It focused its attention on understanding the fashion items that its customers wanted and then delivering them, rather than on promoting predicted season’s trends via fashion shows and similar channels of influence, which the fashion industry traditionally used.† 5 Zara, the fashion retail chain, is a subsidiary of Inditex Group owned and managed by Spanish tycoon Amancio Ortega. Inditex includes several major brands, namely, Zara, Massimo Dutti, Pull and Bear, Oysho, Bershka, and Stradivarius. The group headquarters is located in La Coruna, Spain. It was here where the first Zara store was launched in 1975. Presently, there are about 1,500 Zara stores around the world. Zara employs around 80,000 people. The group recorded revenues of â‚ ¬ 9,434.7 million (approximately $13,068.8 million) during FY2008, an increase of 15.1% over 2007. The operating profit increased by 20.1% to â‚ ¬ 2,148.8 million in FY2008. The net profit, during FY2008, increased by 24.5% to over FY2007 toâ‚ ¬ 1,257.8 million (approximately $1,742.2 million).7 Zara’s claim to fame surfaces from the fact that it needs, on an average, two (2) weeks to develop and market a new fashion product compared to the industry average of six (6) month cycle. In addition to this, Zara is committed to showcasing around 10,000 new designs annually, in a fast and scarce manner, which gives it a constant new look and brings back customers to the stores. Owing to its unique supply chain management, use of information technologies and innovative management strategies, which is a must to survive the highly competitive fashion industry it has managed to come out on top year after year. The major competitors include H&M, GAP and Benetton. Some of the efficient strategies adopted by Zara are broadly the policies of zero inventories, Just in Time systems, contract manufacturing for small orders, decentralizing warehouses to deliver p roducts and above all close monitoring of the fashion trends. Above all, they had few unique strategies, mainly, zero advertising, where in Zara chose to open new stores rather than advertise and, the concept of shunning outsourcing to low cost development centers as it would result in dilution of the high quality fashion that Zara represents. Initial success for Zara is mainly attributed to featuring low priced lookalike products of more popular, high end fashion brand. Following  this success, they adopted new design and distribution method. Since the fashion industry product has long lead times, to the tune of six months, Zara aimed to reduce this and also minimize the uncertainties associated with fashion retail. Zara developed the concept of â€Å"Instant Fashion† that allowed them to respond more quickly to consumer tastes and emerging trends. The strategy helped them to bring in new products to the shelves quickly, in small quantity and produce more if demand occurred. This enabled them to minimize inventory, gauge demand and re move uncertainties. Later on, they brought in information technologies to further revolutionize the distribution processes. These helped Zara to developed fashion lines based on market trends and also, produce its own designs through a team of 200 in house designers. The introduction of information technologies helped them increase the efficiency of state of the art production system and warehousing mechanisms. The stores and warehouses were linked electronically, which facilitated the exchange of real time information thereby allowing them to minimize risk and capital outlays by reducing inventories. This leaner and responsive system helped rotate the stock quickly and also, improved sales as the customers would return to stores every two weeks to check out new designs and purchase as the design would not be available after the time frame. International expansion of Zara started with Portugal in 1988, and since then they have opened more than 1,000 stores globally. This has been done through company owned showrooms, joint ventures and franchisee models. Zara’s Products Currently, Zara caters to men’s clothing and women’s clothing. Each of these sections has 5 subsections, which include lower garment, upper garment, shoes, cosmetics and complementary products. The 50-60% of the demand is produced at the beginning of the season and the remaining is manufactured in season. This sometimes results in either stock outs or markdowns but compared to the competition the number of times the service failure happens is quite low for markdowns. Hence, if the design does not suit the customers’ tastes then it is taken off the shelves and further orders are cancelled. This leads to new designs and above all, no designs stay on the  store floor for more than four weeks, which encourages consumers to make purchases. When compared to the competitors, average number of times a customer visits Zara is 18 times a year compared to 3-4 times for the competition. 2. Mission, Vision, Values and Goals Zara’s Mission Statement is as follows,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"ZARA walks at the pace of society, dressing ideas, trends and tastes that society itself has matured.† Zara through its unique business models and stores has proved business can be successful with little or no advertising. This business is possible only through superior customer service helped by continued ability to restock and respond to customer needs within days. This gives Zara the competitive edge. Hence, keeping in mind the mission, they always innovate their products to enhance shopping experience and provide new designs at affordable costs made from quality materials which follow latest trends. 3. Zara’s Strategy for Growth and Positioning Zara believes in Zero advertising. It would rather spend on store expansion than to advertise. However, the minimally advertise in fashion magazines. The rationale behind this is the quick turnaround of store display, which is around 4 weeks, which renders advertising an unnecessary cost. Also, Zara concentrates on efficient design to market cycle and focus on showcasing large number of designs annually. The workforce in Zara is essential to its success right from the production to the store level as the feedback generated about fashion performance at store is percolated to the designer and production and supply chain helps to put the latest styles in 2 weeks time. We need to take a look at the factors that determine these strategies and also the shortcomings associated with these strategies 4. External Analysis The external environment characteristics can be stated as below 1. Demographic segment   Zara is targeting young consumers with disposable income. This will be primarily in developing countries and developed countries. This presents  them with a sizeable population. As shown by market research, the customers in these countries are willing to try new brands but at the same time are price and quality conscious. The ability to replicate the model and achieve the desired results can significantly enhance Zara’s brand in these market. 2. Economic segment Due to weak currencies, low labor costs and opportunity to be closer to customers, Zara need to think about strategies to take benefits from other location. Since the competition has already entered the newer market and is constantly trying to leverage the benefits associated with these markets. This has a big impact on the profits of the organization. 3. Legal segment Owing to increasing labor costs and stringent labor laws, the production processes in the present countries do not seem favorable as they will increase the production costs. In addition to that, concentration of designers in Spain/Europe can be handled as the labor laws permit that. In case, Zara does not want to decentralize these functions, there are no laws governing their decisions as fashion industry is not under regulations. 4. Technological Segment Zara presently uses IT efficiently in managing their supply chain which leads to lower operating costs. However, the use of IT can be extended to expand their procurement and manufacturing activities outside Spain. 5. Global Segment Owing to globalization and rapid advancement in technologies, several low cost production centers have come up. In order to reduce the costs even further and maintain quality, Zara can have offshore production facilities to low cost location in order to lower the costs. This will enable them to localize Zara and cater to local preference. The critical market for Zara in the coming future would be the Asian nations of India, China, Malaysia, Indonesia and Taiwan. The relaxation of trade norms would help reduce transaction costs, if, Zara plans to expand their activities outside Spain. The environmental characteristics changes very fast in fashion, especially  in terms of demographic and global segments. Zara being in core fashion industry with fast cycles have a unique strategy where in it caters only on the leading edge of the product cycle which enables it to deliver the promise of â€Å"Instant Fashion†. 5. SWOT Strategic Choice We will discuss each of the external and internal variables in details which will give us a better picture as to why Zara needs to act in a certain manner. Strengths * Strong product diversity As a group Inditex is a leading fashion distributor and has ore than 100 associate companies across the world. In addition to this, the stores are located in more than 400 cities across the world. In case of Zara, the international fashion retailing segment, this presents a new opportunity to foray into foreign markets. The group brands can be displayed as well when considering international expansion. This is what Inditex can look forward to offering the wide assortment of goods, replenished quickly to carve a niche for itself. * Strong revenue growth The group company of Zara, Inditex has registered a robust financial performance Y-o-Y. The revenues increased at a CAGR of 18% annually. The operating profit represents a CAGR of 21%. In the meantime, the profits also increase at CAGR of 25% annually. The strong performance of the group, Inditex and various brands leads to increased investor confidence about the company . * Strong distribution network The group, Inditex has a strong distribution network. The presence of an efficient supply chain management in Inditex assures that the goods are delivered within 24 hours of the receipt of the order in Europe and about 40 hours at its overseas outlets. The majority of the supply is handled through its centralized warehouses in each of the European, Asian and American markets. The company’s logistics department has more than 4,000 people  delivering 627 million garments in financial year 2008. * Zero advertising Zara follows the policy of zero advertising to decrease expenses. Hence, in newer markets, it can focus its capital on expansion. The strong brand name, store ambience and product quality will compensate for the lack of advertising. Weaknesses * Overdependence on the European market Zara has a significant market presence in Spain and other European countries. Around 50% of the stores are located in Spain and surrounding countries. However, the revenues contributed by Spain accounts to only 40% of the group revenues whereas 60% of the revenues comes from its international operations with 43% coming from European operations and the rest 17% from outside Europe. The group as a whole is highly dependent on the Spanish and European market to sustain its revenues, making it highly vulnerable to the economic, political and social changes taking place in these markets, especially in Spain. Also, the fashion tastes might reflect heavily the European perspective, even though during international expansion Zara needs to cater to the international customers. * Reliance on local designers Even though local designers are preferred for designing new range of garments for Zara, almost all the designers are from Spain. This leads to a situation where the design might be too localized. Considering the fact that Zara intends to have a global presence, localization of the core designing and manufacturing processes might not be a feasible option. With respect to catering to local tastes and fashion, the designers should be located more closely to the markets. Opportunities * * Expansion plans The group has invested more than â‚ ¬ 2.8 billion to open new stores internationally, in countries where it already has a presence and few new  markets as well. The rate of growth of stores has been as high as 640 stores per year. Zara fashion will be made available in Korea, Ukraine, Egypt and Montenegro. A well defined expansion plan is critical to the corporate objective of international expansion with sustained and robust revenue growth in the future. * Growing apparel retail market in Asia (China, India, Malaysia, Taiwan and Indonesia) The Asian apparel market is growing at a high rate. Owing to the growing population of affluent household, higher disposable incomes, consumers knowledge of international brands, it presents an opportunity for Zara to enter and expand its operations in Asian market. Accelerated development in these markets will help shift the burden of growth and diversification from mature and intensively competitive European and American markets to the building Asian markets. * Growing online sales Online retailing has been growing at a scorching pace in the last decade and considering UK market, more than  £14 billion has been spent on online shopping. Zara should try to open online retail shops to cater to the audience who need to shop for standardized version of Zara’s products. This also presents an opportunity to display the entire product lines from Zara and can be easily searched. It will enable strong growth in online and well as, offline retail sales. Threats * New avenues being utilized by competitors The competition is always on the lookout for cheaper manufacturing location such as China, India and Eastern Europe. The benefit of lower costs of procurement can be passed on to the customers through low prices. The main advantage of Zara’s vertical integration is the frequent replenishments of its stores and also, feedback from store staff to design. If this feedback works out as expected, then Zara will be able to sustain higher manufacturing costs than its competition in future. The competition is also working on reducing the lead times, which if successfully implemented could lead to erosion in market share and reduction in revenues. * Counterfeit goods The counterfeit goods in the new markets and existing ones adversely affect sales of branded accessories. Widespread counterfeiting reduces the brand value and exclusivity, especially in cases of high end fashion products, through customer dissatisfaction. * Rising Labor cost in European region Since Inditex focuses most of Zara’s designing and manufacturing activities in the European region, the increasing labor costs drive down the profits as it increases the operating expenses. This results in adverse impact on the group’s margin. 6. Internal Analysis We undertake the resource based view and study the internal analysis. Zara’s main assets are the designers, the logistics process, in store sales people and the store ambience. The designers are in charge of churning out new designs in a short span of time. After receiving the feedback, they have approximately 2 weeks to deliver the garment to the store. Each of the designers is a valuable and costly resource and this quick turnaround time is not imitable and therefore exploited by Zara to the fullest. The competitors have not been able to turn around designs as quickly as Zara. Hence, they give Zara a competitive advantage. Since Zara follows zero advertising policy, the word of mouth medium is heavily dependent on how much a customer is satisfied. New designs which satisfy customers go a long way in making Zara an important brand. The logistics process is also a source of competitive advantage. It is because of logistical capabilities that Zara can display 12,000 new designs annually. Assisted by IT and workforce, it forms a competitive advantage but this can be imitated by competition and hence does not present a sustainable competitive advantage. However, along with new designs it plays significant roles in preventing stock outs and piling inventories to help reduce unwanted costs. The sales people, staff and store ambience, although valuable but are easily imitable and hence are at comparative parity Capabilities: Sourcing Materials Inbound logistics Flexible manufacturing / Outsourcing outbound logistics in-store sales. Market research Product design Procurement Outsourcing Distribution Centralized planning Corporate vision and mission Brand Image 7. Competitor Analysis The main competitors are H&M, a Swedish brand and GAP Inc., an American brands. Now, GAP Inc. boasts of large network of stores and has a strong financial leverage as it aims to tap into growing online retail segment and into franchising to expand into new market. GAP Inc. is also targeting growing global footwear market. Some of its shortcomings are geographic concentration and weak performance of comparable stores. It also suffers from low customer loyalty and rising labor wages. On the other hand, H&M are matching Zara in terms of designing and also have strong procurement practices. Unlike Zara, they collaborate with designers and have much wider presence as compared to Zara. They are at present looking to target new niche. However, they are also plagued by issues of customer loyalty and product recall. Currently, all of them are focusing the same segment and added to it the high entry barriers and high profit potential makes it an attractive industry. From the above graphs and the financial data available (refer to Appendix), we can see that although sales revenues of H&M are better than Inditex, operating expenses as a percentage of sales are lower for Inditex mostly due to their operational and marketing strategies which lowers the inventory and due to instant fashion generates more sales. 8. Corporate Level Strategies The Corporate level strategies of Zara can be said to be similar to that of its parent, Inditex Group. Its strategies can be classified based on three frameworks – Ansoff Matrix, BCG Matrix and GE-Directional Policy Matrix. Based on the Ansoff Matrix, Zara follows the following Strategic Directions: * Market Consolidation and Product Development by bringing in the latest fashionable designs from the design stage to distribution within 2-3 weeks, much shorter than the industry average. * Market Development by introducing products to new markets by opening up stores in new locations and countries. It had around 1500 stores in 78 countries, in December 2008,around the globe and is expanding. Zara is operating in an Industry of high growth of about 40% while having a high market share in most of the  countries. This puts Zara as a Star for Inditex Group in the Growth-Share BCG Matrix. Also the strength of its business is high, thus putting it in the Investment and Growth direction of theDirectional Policy Matrix. Thus Zara is one of the main Business lines for Inditex Group garnering about 67% of the revenue for the parent organization. 9. Business Level Strategies Zara defines its target markets as â€Å"Young, educated one that likes fashion and is sensitive to fashion†. This target market is very broad because it is not segmented by ages and lifestyles. Thus the scope of Zara’s business is broad. Zara also follows both the Cost leadership and Differentiation strategies. Thus Integrated Cost Leadership/ Differentiation Strategy are followed by Zara by the following approaches: * Cost Leadership 1. It achieves low cost by lowering lead times which in turn leads to lesser inventories, thus reducing the cost of the supply chain. * Differentiation 2. It differentiates itself from its competitors by providing lead times which are far lower than the industry standards. 3. Zara produces about 11000 designs every year as compared to about 4000 by competitors. 4. Replenishes stores twice a week as compared to once by major competitors. 5. Produces in small batches and takes advantage of shortages in stores by replacing them with new designs. Thus customers who find that a particular design is out of stock may buy a new design in fear of losing the opportunity to but it. Thus it guarantees that customers visit Zara’s stores around 17 times per year on an average as opposed to 3 times for competitors. 6. The designs remain in the stores for only about 4 months when they are taken out. Only about 10% of designs are taken off stores by Zara as compared to 17% of competitors. 7. Takes the feedback of customers in determining the needs of the customers. 8. Takes advantage of IT in vertical integration of the supply chain by maintaining a smooth flow of information through the chain. According to Mile’s and Snow’s Adaptive Strategies, Zara can be classified as a Prospector because of the following characteristics: * Zara has built its entire business on innovation in the supply of fashion apparels to customers. * Zara continually modifies its existing designs to match the  latest fashion trends and needs of the customers. * The competitors have not been able to copy their supply chain strategy. 10. Functional Level Strategies The designs at Zara change every week and this result in manufacturing systems that have to be flexible to cope up with these changes. Thus Zara uses Flexible Manufacturing Technology or Lean Production which reduces setup time for equipments, increases utilization of machines through better scheduling and improves quality control at all stages of manufacturing. The various functional strategies for Zara have been laid down below. * Marketing Strategy * Only one item of each size in each color option was placed on the stock floor requiring stores to maintain a considerable restocking policy. * Customer feedback was taken by all the sales personnel at the stores to gauge the needs of the customers. * New product introductions were planned twice a week to maintain fashion freshness. * Zara stores were located in prime retail locations, thus avoiding the need for advertising to attract customers. Marketing expenses were0.3% on sales as compared to 3.5% of competitors. * Materials Management Strategy * The raw material was stocked in advance according to forecasts. They were sourced from countries like Spain, the far east, India and Morocco. * Due to low lead times, very less inventory needed to be maintained. * Inventory turnover is high leading to lesser capital needs. * Zara outsources its sewing activities to contractors, thus lowering cost. * R&D Strategy * Design team consisting of young individuals in their 20’s who are more conversant with latest fashion. * Around 40000 designs were done throughout the year out of which around 11000 were selected for manufacture. * * Human Resource Strategy * Zara emphasized learning from mistakes and accepting criticism. * Everyone was encouraged to express their opinion. * No performance appraisal system in place but a system of immediate feedback from colleagues at all levels. * Personal empathy given more importance than formal qualifications in recruitment. * A significant portion of salaries varied according to performance. * Information Systems Strategy * IT was used to integrate the chain vertically and horizontally, for smooth flow of information up the chain and across the various functions, respectively. * Infrastructure * Zara had a relatively flat structure in comparison to other firms in the same industry. Cross-Functional Integration existed between the various functions to ensure that: * New designs are developed according to customer needs. * Information flow is quick. * Time to manufacture the new designs and their presentation to the customers reduces. * The costs of development are low. 11. Global Level Strategy Zara had opened up around 1500 stores in around 78 countries in December 2008, and it is still expanding by looking for opportunities. The main factors that helped Zara achieve Global competitiveness are: * Fast growth in the Spanish market * High demand for exports from Spain * Rivalry with other firms like H&M and Gap. The main reasons for Zara to expand globally were: * Expansion of its market by taking advantage of its â€Å"instant fashion† concept, so that it could increase its market share and bring in more revenue. * Since Zara believed in providing the customers with the latest fashion at lowest cost, it supplied the stores with low quantities. So to lower the costs it expanded globally so that it could take advantage of some sort of Economies of Scale. Global Strategy Zara did not follow any localization in the countries where it was present and provided only standardized products. Also it believed in providing the latest fashion at the low costs. Thus from the Global Strategy Grid it can be seen that Zara Followed a Global Standardization Strategy. By doing so it hoped to increase its profitability by reducing costs and achieving economies of scale. Zara chose to enter the different markets using various entry strategies. The strategies are outlined below. * Exporting: Zara exported its products to a few markets where opening up a manufacturing facility would not have been profitable like Monaco, Oman, etc. * Franchising: Zara also opens up stores in various locations through franchised deals avoiding development costs and risks of opening up a foreign market on its own. Examples of such locations are Cyprus, Venezuela, etc. * Joint Ventures: Over a period of time Zara entered various markets by forming Joint Ventures to take advantage of the partner’s knowledge of the foreign country. It entered the Italian Market in 1996 by forming a JV with Benetton. Then in 1998 it entered the German market by forming a JV with Otto Versand, the country’s largest catalogue retailer. It also entered the Japanese market by forming a JV with Japan’s BIGI Group, forming Zara Japan. * Wholly Owned Subsidiaries: Zara entered most of the markets by opening up wholly owned subsidiaries, to take advantage of the controls that it could exercise in those countries. Examples of such locations are US, UK

An essay about a social world

An essay about a social network Faceable is one of the most important social network today, and one of the most popular sites from the internet. Social network sites (Sons) were always popular and people seemed to be attracted by the idea of creating a profile where they can put information about them and keep in contact with their friends, or even look for dates, jobs and many others. But with Faceable, the idea of a social network site became much more important, because it grew so big that it became a link that people accessed every day, and in a way or another, it is an important thing in many people lives.It all started with the young Mark Seersucker and his college roommates. In the beginning it was called Faces, which was comparable to Hot or Not, a website where Harvard's students could vote between two pictures Of girls from college, deciding which one was hotter. The site was created with the help of hacking, and this was the reason why it was shut down. After this failure, Mark tried a new site that was called tablecloth. Mom, but he was caused of stealing the idea from three Harvard seniors, Cameron Winkles, Divvy Narrated and Tyler Winkles, who asked him to help them create Harmoniousness's com that was based on a similar idea as Faceable. This led to a lawsuit that became huge and created a lot of problems with time. But still, nothing stopped the growing of Faceable. Soon, it was opened to other big colleges and even then it was easily noticeable that the site had something extremely addictive. In 2005, Mark launched a high-school version of Faceable and soon after that the membership was expanded to employees of several companies.Faceable was officially opened to everyone of age 13 and older with a valid email address. The value of the site constantly grew and most of the important companies wanted a share of it. The number of people that had a Faceable profile increased shockingly. If in august 2008 there were 100 million users, and this year i n September there were 800 million, a number that is actually almost unbelievable. It even seems that this website can easily become the most important â€Å"list' of people in the world, a huge contact book of almost everybody that lives in civilization.One of the most important things that Faceable did, was the fact that they asked their users to use their real name, and for the internet that was a big deal. Before Faceable, most people that accessed the World Wide Web were anonymous, and many of them enjoyed it. People could say anything and be anyone on the internet, and even if it was fun and interesting to be whoever you wanted online, in many ways it was dangerous. It is not healthy, especially for children to be able to be and say anything on the internet, because in a way or another it can bring out the worst in them and not only.Faceable changed that, not completely but it made a pretty big impact. The fact that it expanded all over the internet at the point that you can connect to Faceable from most besides, made the internet a little more real, the anonymity not being such a big problem anymore. One of the questions that is on everybody mind is why and how is Faceable so popular and successful? When there were many other Sons that had almost the same idea before it and weren't as close as huge. Sons are popular for a number of reasons and one of the most important one and actually the main one is the human need to socialize. people love to know things about each other, love to â€Å"stalk† their acquaintances, to look at pictures with them, to see what they like, where hey were what they did and in the same time they love to show other people things about themselves. People are so addicted to watching other people that they wake up looking at profiles of persons that they don't even know. They actually tend to use social networks to show who they are, but mostly the social profiles cannot really be trusted, because they don't usually define a person.People put on their profiles what they want others to think about them, they choose the pictures that they want to show and so and, in the end, creating maybe a different virtual person. O, we can Say that Sons are popular because Of the need Of humans to gossip about relationships and the need to know everything about everybody. But why Faceable is so popular? Probably because it's very easy to use, it's accessible to everybody and it's very simple. Everything is clear and it has all the necessary things that a Sons has, and even more.After it became popular, the reason why everybody created a profile was because all of their friends had one too. Faceable without people you know on it would be very boring, because that's the main reason why we use it. Its not a dating site, ND it's not a site where you go to meet new people, its a site were you go see your existing ones and connect with them. It's very useful because it's a great way to always keep in contact with people you know, even from the past. Another thing about Faceable†¦ Well, Faceable took stalking to a completely another lever.If you don't have good intentions and you are searching on Faceable†¦ For example rapist or thieves, they are in the perfect place, just like a little kid in a pool of candy. If you are a regular F-casebook user or an addicted one which is worse, they know were you are, where you are going to events for example), what places do you like, who are your friends, when you are out of country and many more. All of this makes it easier for thieves, who can rob your home because they now you are not there and for creeps and rapist that can find you easily.No more old school stalking behind a wheel, now it's behind a monitor. Faceable changes the way we socialize in a radical way. Before, when you met somebody you had to talk with that person for hours to know things about him/her, like what kind of movies does that person like, what sports he/her practice, who ar e their friends, ex legislations and so on, but now, they are at a click away, all this information. Now, most people when they meet somebody new, go after and check their profile and in a way or another think that they already know that person.I think this is not a good think, it influences alarm it makes face to face communication not so important anymore and supports the concerning problem of young people that have a problem of communicating â€Å"live?', as in they are so used to typing and not talking that they find the second one as natural as the first. Yes, it's the need to socialize, to communicate, to show strictures of us, to see pictures of others, to let everybody know what are you listening to, what are you doing at the moment, the need to see how many people like that you are in a certain place, or that you are eating soup.Like most things in life, it's good, but not in a excessive way. As anything that people like, at some point it creates addiction. The question is , is Faceable a real addiction danger? A lot of people check their Faceable dozens of times a day and stay for hours and hours just checking profiles, posting things on their wall, looking at pictures and so on. I don't say that having a Faceable ND spending some time on it it's bad, but losing hours and hours of your life just studying what other people do its actually bad. But honestly, I don't think it's actually dangerous.In life, anything can be addictive, and accusing something Of being entertaining enough to become addictive its stupid and unnecessary. It's the people who are the problem, when they feel the need to spend so much time on Faceable, not Passbook's. As a conclusion, we can ask many questions. Why is Faceable so popular after all? Is Faceable a good thing? Does the internet becoming a concerning important part in our life? There are a lot of answers, but we have to admit that today, we can't imagine a life without the internet and without social networks and this is a reality we have to accept.It's an amazing thing what we can do today with all the technology and with everything that we can do online, the thing is that we don't have to let it lose control. I think that with us spending so much time on the internet, we leave a lot of information about us there that can be easily traceable. Is that dangerous? It could be, but after all, how much is safe to share on Faceable? There are a lot of questions that we want to find answers o, and with time, we will find them. Faceable, from my point of view, it's a good thing.

Psychology of Sex and Gender Essay

Discuss the claim there is a lot to gain from studying a topic in psychology from more than one perspective. Drawing on our understanding of language and meaning as well as the psychology of sex and gender. Different psychological perspectives lead to different theories providing diverse insights into the same issue i.e. language and meaning. They focus their enquiry in different ways and consequently have dissimilar objects of knowledge. Each perspective asks different questions, use different methods and data and produce therefore different theories. These perspectives can be complementary, conflicting and/or coexisting, whereby each perspective and theory provides a variety of ways of applying their findings to everyday psychological problems. By focusing on the social psychological perspective, this essay will evaluate the contribution of two central issues in psychology: language and meaning as well as the psychology of sex and gender. Social psychological perspectives emphasise the importance of investigating cognition by studying how meaning is created through participation and cultural practices and through language. The evolvement, acquisition and application of language used by humans, to express meaning and pursue goals, have been a topic of study amongst the various perspectives in psychology most notably evolutionary, cognitive and social perspectives. In researching language and the development of subsequent theories, language itself is used as a medium to investigate language. This methodological reflexivity is the source of conflict between social and cognitive perspectives on language when trying to determine to what extent, if any, the necessity of responding in language predetermines what is said. Social psychologists, more specifically discourse psychologists (i.e. Parker, 1992, as cited in: Cooper & Kay, 2007, p. 105), claims that in using language individuals do so in a social and historic context, with an audience and for a purpose. Individuals therefore will make assumptions about the knowledge, understanding and requirements of their interlocutors in an experimental setting which is a primary method used by cognitive psychologists to study the separate cognitive and underlying thought processes language represents in communication with others or dialog with the self. The social constructionist perspective, on the other hand, uses evidence from actual language used in day-to-day communication and therefore appears to have more ecological validity. With the use of discourse analysis, they manage to describe how individuals organise their talk and use particular strategies such as the creation of subject positions or constructions of the world, to achieve particular ends. Wieder (1974 as cited in: Cooper & Kay, 2007, pp. 104-105) illustrated the use of language to determine behaviour amongst newly released prisoners living in a hostel by employing a method called ethnomethodology (the study of how people do things) devised by Garfinkel (1967 as cited in: Cooper & Kay, 2007, p.103). Wieder found that the language used amongst the individuals ‘The Code’ does not explain their behaviour but rather was used by them to actively construct their social world and take appropriate action within it. Social constructionists therefore base their un derstanding of language on the concept that language can be seen as a vehicle for the socially formed and the sustained meaning that operates between individuals, in groups and societies (Cooper & Kay, 2007, p. 113). Although it provides a viable explanation for the use of language, it does not explain how language evolved over time or how it is being processed individually. Evolutionary psychologists (Lorenz, 1952 as cited in: Cooper & Kay, 2007, p. 78) offer an explanation about the evolution of language in claiming that language is an adaptive trait that has been acquired through the natural and sexual selection as well as being characterised by the ability of humans to create meanings through different ways of communication than that of other species. The complex interactive activation with competition (IAC) model devised by McClelland and Rummelhart (1981, as cited in: Cooper & Kay, 2007, pp. 91-94) and other studies (i.e. Moss and Gaskell, 1998, as cited in: Cooper & Kay, 2007, p. 93) is used by cognitive psychologists in formulating their perceptive that language is part of an information processing system that resides in the brain of an individual who creates meaning when hearing others s peak or when speaking themselves. The above three perspectives therefore provide an understandings of language based on their individual analysis being evolution, individual processing or social construction. Parker (1992, as cited in: Cooper & Kay, 2007, p. 105) described discourse as a set of symbolic meanings created through the use of language to construct an event or object in a particular way. This is apparent in the claim by social psychologists that individuals see the world as consisting of two basic types of people – women and men. This is partly accomplished through the social identity processes as theorised in the Social Identity Theory Tajfel (1919-82, as cited in Phoenix & Thomas, 2007, p. 62) whereby individuals develop descriptions which draw from the social group they see themselves belonging to, e.g. male or female. Individuals, according to SIT, then tend to make the most of the similarities to others in the same group (in-group) whilst minimising it with those outside the group (out-group) e.g. the notion of â€Å"opposite sex† (Hollway, Cooper, Johnston and Stevens, 2007, p. 151). Therefore Gender is one of the most important and powerful social categories by which individuals define themselves by. Bem (1981 as cited in: Hollway et al, 2007, p. 153) proposed in the Gender Schema Theory (GST) that femininity and masculinity are socially and culturally constructed dimensions absorbed by individuals to produce an understanding of gender to make sense of themselves and their behaviour. Social constructionists however, argue that gender is not a set of characteristics or properties acquired by an individual but rather that gender identity is constantly established and re-established by experiences, behaviours including actions on both an individual and group level resulting in ongoing throu ghout the lifespan of an individual. The study of sex and gender is therefore concerned with the complex interaction of nature and nurture in shaping similarities and differences between men and women. In studying sex and gender as a psychological fact (e.g. Clark and Hatfield, 1989, as cited in: Hollway et al, 2007) and biological (e.g. Fitch and Denenberg, 1998 as cited in: Hollway et al, 2007, p. 138) perspectives, give emphasis to the contribution of nature to the experiences of individuals by examining the biological and genetic structures relating to sex. Social constructionists acknowledge these influences but look at the importance of context and culture in constructing an understanding about gender whilst the psychoanalytic perspective incorporates biological differences as well as the social and cultural meanings. The difference between these approaches is demonstrated through conflict between them in relation to the social roles of men and woman and their personal relationships and behaviour. Biological and social explanations ‘nature’ and ‘nurture’ expose a fundamental conflict whereby social perspectives echo the underlying principal of psychoanalysts questioning individual group in claiming that biological explanations, and most recently evolutionary explanations (e.g. Hilary and Rose, 2000, as cited in: Hollway et al, 2007, p. 172), are extremely deterministic (Hollway et al, 2007, p. 171). Social constructionists explained that historical research underlines the fact that values inevitably underpin all knowledge; however, allowance should be made for new ideas incorporating change and cultural settings such as the role of women in society. Such methods used by various psychological perspectives in studying a specific psychological issue are often complimentary a s opposed to contrasting. In explaining gender social constructionists take historical and cultural situations of human beings into account focusing on the meaning-making activities of humans. In studying differences in the approach of sexual behaviour between men and woman at an American college, Clark and Hatfield (1989 as cited in: Hollway et al, 2007, p. 146) concluded that women who accepted dating invitations were less prone to accept invitations for private meetings, at the house of a strange in addition to the majority of women refusing such invitations for sexual intercourse. The results were the same when women were first guaranteed of the trustworthiness of the stranger thus accounting for fear of potential danger as a confounding variable (Clark, 1990, as cited in: Hollway et al, 2007, p. 146). Clark and Hatfield claimed from an evolutionary perspective that the results are consistent with the arguments of evolutionary psychologists about evolved optimal reproductive style through natural and sexual selection processes. The findings of Clark and Hatfield underline from a social constructionist point of view, the notion that sexual behaviour of men and women is filtered through their own individual cultural lenses. Psychoanalytical psychologists (e.g. Benjamin, 1990, 1995, 1998 as cited in: Hollway et al, 2007, p.164) argue that these external influences (e.g. through discourse and discursive practices) are over emphasised by social constructionists and therefore does not explain the capacity for resistance and change by individuals. Each perspective provides a valuable point of view however none is able to give a complete explanation of the findings of the study as each perspective is concentrating on its own theoretical ground when analysing the findings of a study. In conclusion the social perspective has provided a rich understanding of language and meaning and sex and gender. Nevertheless, the focus is only on social influences such as other people and discourses. It therefore lacks a general understanding of a whole topic. In every case other perspectives are needed to see the full picture of both, sex and gender and language and meaning. In addition of the methodology the experimental approach could be helpful to support or disprove the results which are gained from the hermeneutic approach. Overall, in terms of social influences and discourses, the social perspective has contributed to a great body of knowledge which is very important to understand all aspects of any topic. The other side of the coin is that the focus is only on social influences, the social environment and social constructions which limit a full understanding of different processes involved in the same topic, such as meaning-making of language. References Cooper, T, & Kaye, H. (2007a). Language and meaning. In T. Cooper & I. Roth (Eds.), Challenging Psychological Issues (2nd ed). Milton Keynes: The Open University Buchanan, K., Anand, P., Joffe, H. & Thomas, K. (2007). Perceiving and understanding the social world. In D. Miell, A. Phoenix & K. Thomas (Eds.), Mapping Psychology (2nd ed). Milton Keynes: The Open University Hollway, W., Cooper, T., Johnston, A. & Stevens, R., (2007a). The psychology of sex and gender. In T. Cooper & I. Roth (Eds.), Challenging Psychological Issues (2nd ed). Milton Keynes: The Open University

Good Documentation is Good Communication Nursing Care Plans Essay

Good Documentation is Good Communication Nursing Care Plans - Essay Example This essay approves that despite so many potential beneficial aspects covered in the nursing care plan, it continues to be regarded as a mere additional burden to work or just a waste of time. It is a sorrow to see this reflection of some experts in the healthcare system. A document as an additional attempt to make more scientific and applicable the care system is the nursing care document. Its preparation, maintenance, usage, application, and respect can certainly add to the good documentation practice. And good documentation practice has always been a preferable and better means of good communication. In an attempt to explain the crucial points for patient’s care, a nurse may be required to depart from much of her on-duty time. This loss of time can also become a cause of less potential care imparted to the patient in the span of specific time. A plan, its document can ease the need of explanation and ensure more specificity and knowledge to the learner. This report makes a conclusion that it is thus essential to maintain twenty-four hour outcome summaries in documented form. The document should be updated daily in the progress notes by the responsible registered nurse. This nursing care plan document should include any difficulties observed during the process of achieving the set goal. It should also include any changes and or/ deviations that were made in the care plan and family’s contribution in an attempt to achieve the document specified goal. The plans that are required to address an incurable but manageable ailment or symptom should be addressed.