Why did I closed down my business Personal Statement

For what reason did I shut down my business - Personal Statement Example In this way, absence of center prompted conclusion of the business. Second explanation for the shutting down of the business is absence of trust on the individual abilities which are required to maintain the business to more prominent statures. Fruitful business visionaries are objective situated and have inside enthusiasm towards the undertakings that they embrace (Nieuwenhuizen 2009, p. 9). Business has a fluctuating outcomes and it’s the order of the director to realize how to manage the circumstances when they emerge. Dread of disappointment is the purpose for the conclusion of the business as there was a mindset of individual disappointment later on. While dealing with a business that an individual doesn't claim a director is protected from misfortunes as they go to the investors as opposed to the administration (Nieuwenhuizen, 2009, p. 17). Business needs arranging and guaging for it to flourish. An individual business person who inadequately gets ready for his/her business is probably going to be pulled in to different open doors that cause him to lose center towards the fundamental objective of making progress in maintaining the business (Nieuwenhuizen, 2009, p. 9). This was the situation as there was lack of common sense for the future which made you to lose center whenever a tempting chance

Men vs women

Men versus.. Ladies Along the only remaining hundreds of years ladies have battled to be treated as equivalents to men. They have attempted to have similar chances, similar rights and to satisfy similar jobs. The fight between genders appears to have finished a few decades back. Thus, in present day times the lives of ladies and men are comparative as respects obligations and benefits. In any case, being brought into the world a lady I have consistently believed that the sole certainty of taking care of business could make my life simpler in various viewpoints. To begin with, men develop old with more respect than women.Wrinkles, silver hairs and lager stomaches are indications of maturing which men acknowledge and which look well on them while ladies, then again, will make everything conceivable to look more youthful since excellence, for a large portion of them, is identified with youth. For this, they will starve consistently to look slimmer; they will utilize any sort of cream th at guarantees compelling outcomes and they will even experience agonizing medical procedures to change their appearance. What ‘s more, to look great ladies need additional time than men. Picking the ideal outfit, wearing a characteristic make-up, hacking out their entire bodies and doing their hair requires a great deal of exertion and preparation.Men just need to snatch any spotless shirt close by, shave and wear a pleasant scent and they are all set out. However, the most significant favorable position of taking care of business, as respects physical contrasts, is none of the ones referenced as yet. Men needn't bother with a can when they want to pass water; any shrub, tree or corner is sufficient for them to do as such. At any second, they may alleviate themselves in the street while voyaging, In the road or at wherever they feel like. For ladies It Is not all that ass. Ladies need toilets. The principle issue Is that. At open spots. Staterooms are in every case full and do n't as a rule have bathroom tissue or clean seat covers. Other than this, men have more opportunity than ladies. They don't for the most part deal with the youngsters or change their calendars since one of them has a high temperature. They don't stress over their suppers, schoolwork or day by day exercises since they have a spouse that does as such. They simply go out with their couples or companions having their brains in harmony since another person has dealt with everything before they went out. What's more, they don't require organization to go to a bar to have a beverage or to some other social event.It is normal to see men alone getting a charge out of to be without anyone else. Interestingly, despite the fact that ladies mingle more than men since they are progressively chatty and open to meet new individuals, they for the most part don't go out alone to unwind or have a ton of fun. They attempt to design a social gathering with companions at whatever point their babysitters are accessible to watch out for their youngsters. Another purpose behind ladies to go out In bunches Is that there Is an Implicit information among our general public that ladies alone In get-togethers are getting a charge out existing apart from everything else as well as searching for something different, for instance men.Socially, men have been profited over ladies. At long last, much has been said about ladies s and men's knowledge. Men have basic mentalities and utilize better reasoning techniques. One away from of this is they have caused ladies to accept they are futile in errands identified with the house. Be that as it may, it isn't correct that men can't do the cleaning or the clothing similarly ladies do. Actuality, do things wrongly intentionally to abstain from offering assistance again later on. Besides, they can just deal with one errand at a time.So while they lay the table, with a fortunate turn of events, a lady is cooking with the four hobs turned on with a bubbli ng pot on every one of them and simultaneously viewing a TV appear and noting her kids s requests. For men being â€Å"useless† closes being an advantage. Another point to consider as respects people's knowledge is that the first for the most part talk utilizing short sentences to arrive at the point and keep away from subtleties. This has been end up being a viable procedure in numerous fields, with respect to giving directions, clarifying one's thoughts or reprimand the children.Women rather need the twofold of words to communicate the equivalent and end being censured or chuckle at. To summarize, life would be a lot simpler in the event that I were a man. I would not need to buckle down each day to look excellent, I would have a lot of leisure time to do whatever I like and I would not confuse my life attempting to clarify thoughts that could never be comprehended. This may not sound well to the ears of women's activists yet men are as yet getting a charge out of the advan tages of their sex and they will continue doing as such for a long time to come.

Finding Your Writing Voice

Finding Your Writing Voice Some rules are not meant to be broken. Some are. Many rules are pliable: they can be bent and manipulated and shaped to produce a desired outcome. The beautiful and terrifying job for the writer is he or she must determine which rules to bend, which rules to break, and which rules to adhere to. Sentence-ending prepositions. Split infinitives.  Double negatives. Sentence-beginning conjunctions.  Oxford commas. Sentence fragments. Compound conjunctions. One-sentence paragraphs. Run-on sentences. Compound contractions. Passive voice. Sentence adverbs. These are just a few of the many so-called rules Ive brokenâ€"and continue to breakâ€"over the years. (Hell, I break nearly all of them in this essay alone.) But the shattered rules lying on my cuttingroom floor have shaped my writing voice more than anything else. There are two ways to break a rule: knowingly and unknowingly. Its the latter that gets people into trouble. You see, ignorance of a rule is not an adequate excuse for breaking it. Thus, when we dont know the rules, we break them haphazardly, without cause, just because we dont know no better. When we do this, we usually look like fools. Good writers opt to mangle the rules all the time, though. Thats because good writing is fun and enjoyable, communicative and expressive, and it is  not meant to be read like a  freshman college assignment. (Can you think of a time when you looked forward to reading a fun and enjoyable freshman paper?) In my case, as auditory learner, Im a fairly auditory writer, which means that much of the syntax in my work takes on the brain-voice as you get closer to the consciousness of the author or a particular character because I want to preserve an oralish, tumbling-words, out-loud feel to the work. Hence, you might find omitted commas, run-on sentences, extreme use of polysyndeton, passive construction, progressive tenses, unconventional compound contractions (wouldntve, Idve, and yallrent), compound words that aren’t real words (“livingroom,” “coffeetable,” skinnydipping, “bumpersticker,” and the above-used cuttingroom), paragraphs beginning with compound conjunctions (“And but so”), and other intentional grammatical faux-pas in my writing. These stylistic devices are used to advance the narrative in a meaningful, more realistic way. That is, they are used for the readers benefit, not mine; they also help sculpt a unique writing voice. Stated in plain English: I basical ly pretty much write how I talk, and because I know which rules to bend, I can make it work well in prose. And but so the keyword here is intentional. If you know which rules to break, you can shape your own distinct writing voice and style.  If you know what youre doing, then its okay to employ a certain amount of grammatical prestidigitation. This is how a writer forms his or her voice. If you dont know what youre doing, though, youll likely do what I did for the better part of a decade: stumble over your keyboard each time you attempt to cobble together an arrogant, clever sentence. Ergo, my challenge to you: learn the rules, and then lets have fun breaking them together. You dont need my help to learn how to be a better writer, but if youd like my direction, I teach an online writing class: How to Write Better.

Comparison and Contrast of the Education Systems in the...

Comparison and contrast of the education systems in the United Kingdom and the United States of America Table of Contents Page No. Introduction 1 Section 1. Similarities and differences between the UK and the USA regarding types of schools 2 Section 2. Similarities and differences between the UK and the USA regarding university entrance procedure 5 Conclusion 7 References Introduction Education is widely accepted to be an essential part of peoples lives. It is generally agreed that education helps people to develop their own personalities, by acquiring new knowledge, using different sources. An American philosopher John Dewey (n.d) claimed: â€Å"Education is a social process. Education†¦show more content†¦Students in the USA are dissimilar to students of the UK that they start high school right away after middle school, when they reach 14 years. American high school consists of 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th grades, which are also known as freshman, sophomore, junior and senior. In the USA there are also Honours, Advanced Placement, and International Baccalaureate classes that are more rigid and the load of homework is much greater (USA Study Guide, 2007). The transition from middle to high school is challenging indeed because the type of education that is used in each institution is very different. At high school students not only acquire knowledge, but als o get some experience, which is very useful for them in future. Secondly, the UK and the USA have totally different examinations for the students. GCSE and A-level are the main exams in the UK, whereas the USA has its own method of assessment, which is called GPA. GCSE is the General Certificate of Secondary Education. It is a two-year study course for 15-16 years students. Usually British students pass GSCE exam when they reach the age of 16. GCSE is essential for students who want to take further examinations, such as AS/A-levels and enter the university or a college of higher education (Kozma, 2010). Besides, GCSE gives you a chance to assess your knowledge and skills and help you to define your weak points and how you canShow MoreRelatedInternational Perspectives on Early Childhood Education1070 Words   |  4 Pagesimplications of quality experiences in the early years has resulted in a growing interest in early childhood education. Subsequently, this has generated an interest in differing examples of early childhood curriculums. The following essay will critique the international approach, Te Whà £riki and compare the New Zealand educational system to the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum of the United Kingdom. The essay will include reflection upon the similarities and differences of these approaches uponRead MoreEssay on Federalism1371 Words   |  6 PagesFederalism Federalism is a widely accepted system of government in North American cultures. To many North Americans it seems to be the obvious choice for all world governments, but this is not the case. In all honesty, federalism is a fairly unique form of government. Out of approximately two hundred nations on the earth one hundred and eighty states practice unitary forms of government, leaving only twenty or so as federal nations (Winchester, 1999). Unitary forms of government consistRead Moreâ€Å"Implicit† and â€Å"Explicit† Csr: a Conceptual Framework for a Comparative Understanding of Corporate Social Responsibility13330 Words   |  54 Pagesdifferences between CSR in the United States and Europe and, second, the recent rise of CSR in Europe. We also delineate the potential of our framework for application to other parts of the global economy. In this paper we address the question of why forms of business responsibility for society both differ among countries and change within them. We do so by comparative investigation of corporate social responsibility (CSR), historically and contemporarily, in the United States and in Europe.1 The paperRead MoreSupermarket Retailing in Brazil and India3706 Words   |  15 PagesSupermarket Retailing in Brazil and India Introduction Major grocery retailers in the United Kingdom such as Tesco and Sainburys are faced with a number of challenges and opportunities in their commercial operations at home and abroad. Indeed, grocery retailers such as Tesco are pursuing innovative home delivery schemes whereby consumers can complete all of their otherwise onerous grocery shopping chores online. Likewise, many of these major grocery retailers are expanding their operationsRead MoreThe Differences Between Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Organisms Essay1696 Words   |  7 Pagesplasma membrane and cell wall, containing within it the cytosol and a structure known as the nucleoid. This is a single piece of circular or linear DNA that floats freely in the cytosol of the cell (Thanbichler and Wang et al., 2005, pp. 507). In contrast, eukaryotic organisms typically include (but are not limited to) membrane-bound organelles such as the nucleus, mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum (E.R.), golgi body, lysosome and peroxisome. The mai n defining difference between a eukaryote andRead MoreThe Development Of Libya During The World War II2225 Words   |  9 PagesLibya started its modern history with Italian conquest and industrialization as an Italian colony, but they soon became independent after involvement in world conflict. The 1912 Treaty of Lausanne officially granted the Italian Kingdom power over Tripoli and Cyrenaica in Libya. This treaty resulted from the Italo-Turkish war fought over North Africa; this marked the beginning of Italian Imperialism in Libya. Italian rule in Libya played a pivotal role in the industrialization of Libya. Italy builtRead MoreChapter 2 Worldwide Accounting Diversity18181 Words   |  73 Pagesthe diversity that exists in accounting internationally. †¢ Explain the problems caused by accounting diversity. †¢ Describe the major environmental factors that influence national accounting systems and lead to accounting diversity. †¢ Describe a judgmental classification of countries by financial reporting system. †¢ Discuss the influence that culture is thought to have on financial reporting. †¢ Describe a simplified model of the reasons for international differences in financial reporting. †¢ CategorizeRead MoreGlobal Business Cultural Analysis Essay4618 Words   |  19 Pagesplace locally and internationally. There will be constant comparisons and contrasts between France and the United States of America taking place throughout this entire research article. I will focus on how the elements and dimensions of the culture separately are adapted by the locals and integrated into everyday life and business. I will also give insight on how to conduct business in France for other countries, mainly the United States, by talking about the countries imports and exports and certainRead MoreThe French Revolution And The Civil War2964 Words   |  12 Pagesof law based on experience and comparison. What that mean is people have to consider t he law differently by each country’s legal system or form. Under the influence of Locke, he criticized vigorously the absolute monarchy. He claimed that country have to separate their power into administration, legislation, and jurisdiction, and these must be on a balance to each other. The core value of separation of powers theory is to defend the freedom of the people from the state power. His idea contributed toRead MoreNew Developments in Technology Management7684 Words   |  31 PagesAcademy of Management Learning Education, 2009, Vol. 8, No. 3, 324 –336. ........................................................................................................................................................................ New Developments in Technology Management Education: Background Issues, Program Initiatives, and a Research Agenda PHILLIP H. PHAN The Johns Hopkins University DONALD S. SIEGEL University at Albany, SUNY MIKE WRIGHT Nottingham University Business School

Economics Defined Essay - 619 Words

It seems as though no one has ever succeeded in neatly defining the scope of economics. Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines economics as a social science concerned chiefly with description and analysis the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services (merriam-webster.com, 2015). Roger Arnold, states in his book â€Å"Economics,† writes â€Å"Economics is about the choices people and societies have to make. He further states more succinctly, that economics is the science of scarcity. More completely, economics is the science of how individuals and societies deal with the fact that wants are greater than the limited resources available to satisfy those wants (Arnold, 2012).† The economist Alfred Marshall, used to say that†¦show more content†¦Among other things, they seek to analyze the forces determining prices—not only the prices of goods and services, but the prices of the resources used to produce them. This means discovering what the specific thing is that governs the way in which men, machines, and land are combined in production and that determines how buyers and sellers are brought together in a functioning market (Wikipedia, 2015). Prices of various things must be interrelated; how does such a â€Å"price system† or â€Å"market mechanism† hang together, and what are the conditions necessary for its survival? These are questions in what is called â€Å"microeconomics,† the part of economics that deals with the behavior of such individuals as consumers, business firms, traders, and farmers. The other major branch of economics is â€Å"macroeconomics,† in which the focus of attention is on aggregates. In macroeconomics, the attention is focused on the level of income in the whole economy, the volume of total employment, the flow of total investment, and so forth. Here the economist is concerned with the forces determining the income of a nation or the level of total investment. The economist seeks to learn why full employment is so rarely attained and what public policies should be followed to achieve higher employment or more stability. However, these still do not exhaust the range of problemsShow MoreRelatedEconomic Development For A Defined Area908 Words   |  4 PagesEconomic development for a defined area has three primary goals—foster employment opportunities for the area’s current residents, diversify the area’s economic and employment base, and stabilize the local economy (Blakely Leigh, 2013). By providing quality jobs for an area’s residents, versus the more costly alternative of bringing new firms to the area (which could also require a different skill set in their labor force than what the city currently has--rendering the city’s effort somewhat fruitless)Read MoreEconomic Integration Is Defined As An Economic Adjustment1650 Words   |  7 Pages Economic integration is defined as an economic disposition between different divisions that are associated together through the synchronisation of fiscal and monetary policies as well as the reduction or elimination of barri ers to entry for trading. The sole aims of economic integration are to succour both consumers and producers, by minimising costs, and also to maximise trade between the countries which are involved. In total, there are 8 stages in the economic integration operation, startingRead MoreFeminism Is Defined As The Theory Of Political, Economic,1011 Words   |  5 PagesFeminism is defined as the theory of political, economic, and social equality of the sexes. (Definition of Feminism) and also as the organized activity on behalf of women s rights and interests. (Definition of Feminism). If one would look in-depth into Feminism they would see that there are three waves of Feminism. Now not all types or waves of feminism is wrong, but third wave, or the most recent, should not be supported, because they often tell myths that are just not true or usually use aRead MoreTourism Is Defined As A Social, Cultural And Economic Phenomenon1688 Words   |  7 PagesCHAPTER 2 2.1 LITERATURE REVIEW Tourism is defined as a social, cultural and economic phenomenon, which entails the movement of people to countries or places outside their usual environment for personal, business, and leisure or professional purposes. These people are called visitors (which are tourists, excursionists, residents, and nonresidents) and tourism has to do with their activities some of which implies their expenditure. Tourism is concerned with relationships arising from the travel andRead MoreIn Class, We Defined Class Identity As The Socio-Economic,1739 Words   |  7 PagesIn class, we defined class identity as the socio-economic, political grouping of people who occupy similar positions based on a type of work/job vs. profession, income wealth, ownership, authority, status, education, skills, and values. We also defined classism as the systemic oppression that categorizes and ranks people into dominant or subordinate groups based on economic status, family lineage, type of job and level of educati on. Classism tends to provide advantages for the dominant group whichRead MoreSustainable Consumption And Production Is Defined By The United Nations Department Of Economic And Social Affairs2480 Words   |  10 PagesIntroduction Sustainable consumption and production is defined by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (2014) as the use of services and related products, which respond to basic needs and bring a better quality of life while minimising the use of natural resources as well as the emissions of waste and pollutants so as not to jeopardise the needs of further generations. Over the last 25 years many policies, strategies and programmes that support the food and agricultural sectorRead MoreComparative Study on Consumption Patterns of Soft Drinks and Fruit Juices846 Words   |  4 PagesTrends in Consumption Patterns This article is designed to: 1. define economics, 2. define microeconomics, 3. define law of supply, 4. define the law of demand, and 5. to identify the factors that lead to a change in supply and a change in demand. Economics is defined as: The social science that deals with the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services and with the theory and management of economies or economic systems (www.answers .com accessed 02Oct07). Basically I believe thatRead MoreMarket Structure and Analysis 996 Words   |  4 Pagesmarket† is defined as â€Å"a market with many buyers and sellers trading identical products so that each buyer and seller is a price taker† (Pg. 290). In this market structure there are two characteristics: there are many buyers and many sellers in the market and the goods offered by the various sellers are largely the same. Maximizing profits in a competitive market is the difference between total revenue and total cost. There is a distinction between accounting and economic profits: economic profits equals’Read MoreThe Key Concepts in Economics851 Words   |  4 PagesConcepts in Economics Markisha Dill William Creamer Principle Of Economics May 31, 2015 Before sitting down to complete this assignment, I thought thoroughly about economics as a whole. My interest was whether economics was considered an exact since, i.e. Mathematics. Economics has been described as a science, numerous times. So in my search to find out whether economics was a science, I looked at an online dictionary to see how these words were defined. First I looked at economics. The definitionRead MoreRelationship Between Economic Growth And Happiness1466 Words   |  6 PagesJane Austen once said, â€Å"A large income is the best recipe for happiness I ever heard of† (1894). Even nowadays, it is still generally believed that happiness is related to economic growth and prosperity, although this manner of thinking was attacked by the economist Robert Skidelsky in 2012, quoting a famous paper â€Å"Does Economic Growth Improve the Human Lot?† published earlier by another economist, Richard Easterlin (1974), to support his stance. Skidelsky stated tha t although there was a continuous

Strategic Analysis of Zara Free Essays

string(302) " now being experienced within the fashion industry and when combined with greater legal protection, particularly where the protection of intellectual property is concerned, the individual designers are becoming very protective of their own ideas from the threat that the competition will seek to copy\." Executive Summary Zara is an international fashion retailer which has gained considerable acclaim, being one of the leaders of the high-street fashion industry, and regularly producing new products for the market, at a rate that is quicker than its competitors can achieve, due to the strong supply chain in place. Despite this, the organisation is facing continual challenges, both in terms of consumer demand and costs; therefore, a detailed strategic analysis needs to be undertaken, to look at broader forces that are upon the industry and identifying ways in which the company can then use its own strengths and opportunity to establish an even stronger position within the high street fashion industry. By focusing on what it does best, namely using an efficient supply chain, this will enable it to beat its competitors to the market and to produce new products, on a regular basis, thus allowing the company to gain a competitive advantage in the war which is emerging among these high-street brands. We will write a custom essay sample on Strategic Analysis of Zara or any similar topic only for you Order Now Introduction The purpose of this report is to undertake a strategic review of Zara, based on the current position within the company. Over the years, Zara has become one of the largest and best known retail brands, on a global scale. Originating in Spain, back in 1963, the company has since become internationally recognised, with more than 2000 stores worldwide. In order to create a presence within the fashion industry, Zara has managed to create a high level of differentiation and is seen as being a unique organisation which is able to provide customers with products that competitors cannot readily imitate. This has been achieved with full recognition of the external environment and competitive pressures being faced by organisations of this nature, something that is particularly relevant during the difficult economic times, when consumers have less disposable income available in order to purchase fashion clothing items. One of the key ways in which Zara has achieved a competitive advantage in the market is to bring the lead-time of new products down from approximately six months to just two months, which means customers are able to obtain the very best fashion designs at high street prices. This also works to the advantage of the company as it is able to continuously turn over new products and this places a sense of urgency on customers to purchase items, immediately, when they see them, for fear that they will not be available next week. This is reflected in the fact that the global average of visits per year per customer is 17 in Zara, as opposed to a general average of three, across other similar organisations (Bigelow, 1980). This report will go on to analyse the external and internal environment within which the organisation operates, before going on to look at crises that have been faced by the company, and to produce a strategic analysis of the company, drawing on all of the above information. The report will also include suggestions for future strategy. Analysis of the External Environment Looking specifically at the way in which Zara has managed itself into such a strong position within the industry, it is helpful to identify the external environment within which the company operates. This information can then be used alongside the internal narratives to create the appropriate business strategy for the organisation, going forward. In order to do this, the PESTEL analysis will be used, which looks at the Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental and Legal factors, as well as looking at Porter’s Five Forces (Carter, 1999). PESTLE Analysis Politically, there has been a general opening of the market, with textiles now being readily available and not subject to quotas. This has made the market, in general, much more competitive and has encouraged all organisations within the industry to look towards reducing costs and attracting a broader customer base. This deregulation of the textile industry, from a quota point of view, has encouraged greater price competition which has, to a large extent, permeated through the large organisations such as Zara, which are able to enjoy economies of scale, when it comes to large-scale production (Lopez and Fan, 2009). Furthermore, there has been the legal removal of import quotas, which has enabled the Spanish retailer to gain greater access to international markets and can therefore generate more sales and enjoy even greater economies of scale (Acur and Bititci 2004). Economically, there are huge impacts on the fashion industry, as the world is currently facing a global recession and, as such, consumers are facing difficult choices in terms of how they spend their disposable income. In this context, consumers are reducing the amount of expenditure on items such as clothing and, in particular, fashion items, thus putting pressure on retailers to provide cutting edge fashion at a budget price, something which Zara has become particularly good at and is using this to gain success during difficult economic times. There is no denying that when it comes to fashion and choices regarding fashion purchases, social factors play a huge role. Typically, individuals will prefer specific clothes that have a distinct image, when choosing fashion items. Having a strong brand identity that is widely recognised has enabled Zara to retain social popularity; therefore, while looking at economic drivers, it is also important to ensure that social acceptance of the brand is high and that the brand is seen as a desirable option (De Toni and Tonchia 2003). Improvements in technology have also had an impact on the fashion industry, particularly during the difficult economic times where consumers are looking for the latest technologies for design. Furthermore, and of particular relevance to Zara, is the use of new technologies, in order to produce a more efficient supply chain and to ensure that products can be in the high street, at a much quicker rate than where technology is not being fully embraced. Given the higher level of competition that is now being experienced within the fashion industry and when combined with greater legal protection, particularly where the protection of intellectual property is concerned, the individual designers are becoming very protective of their own ideas from the threat that the competition will seek to copy. You read "Strategic Analysis of Zara" in category "Essay examples" Zara has overcome this threat by reducing the time frame within its supply chain. This means that it will always have a first mover advantage, where there are two or more designers looking to create a similar product. Any additional legal requirements, in terms of intellectual property protection, will not only be beneficial to the original design protection but may have the opposite effect and may limit opportunities for new product developments, as imitation and development is often an inherent part of fashion design. Finally, environmental factors are also relevant to anyone looking towards transporting textiles across the globe and the amount of energy that is likely to be consumed in doing so. This new approach to fast fashion also creates environmental concerns as cheap items are often viewed as disposable by the consumer and simply thrown away, rather than recycled or treated in an environmentally friendly manner. This places an additional burden on companies such as Zara which are looking towards making themselves more environmentally friendly, while still retaining the basic position within the market. Porter’s Five Forces Another approach to identifying the external factors which are relevant to the development of Zara is that of Porter’s Five Forces, which argues that there are five forces all acting together to create a particular environment within a particular industry or market. The fashion industry in its entirety is highly competitive, with extensive sales, on an international basis, thus making Porter’s Five Forces particularly relevant to the analysis, when identifying how companies such as Zara can set themselves apart and what types of forces the company can use to achieve a differentiation (Porter, 1979). Firstly, when looking at the threat of entry, it can be seen that there are relatively no entry barriers for those looking to enter the industry. However, although it is not necessary, at a low level, to invest large amounts of capital, the issue of economies of scale is playing an increasingly important role, with consumers constantly demanding cheaper prices. This makes it hard for the smaller new entrant to compete, from a price point of view, but still allows them to offer unique designs, which may then give them access to a market that which would otherwise be closed. Substitution across the whole industry is extremely high, as individual consumers can choose alternative providers for their fashion needs. When looking at taking the mass-market competitive approach, substitution may simply be down to price issues, whereas designer boutiques may be able to offer a different type of product, which again will offer a competitive substitution for the consumer (Moran and Riesenberger 1994). Linked to this point of substitution is the large power that buyers have within this industry. Customers now have wide access to a broad range of retailers, with internet purchases extending this even further. The recent price war has also increased availability of fashion items to the general public and this allows buyers to have a huge influence on the market, by selecting new products, on a regular basis. Buyers demand continuous change, particularly within the fashion industry; therefore, it is necessary to continuously provide new and innovative fashions, on an on-going basis. Failure to do so is likely to result in customers turning away from a particular brand, until they renew their product ranges. At the other end of the scale is the fact that the power of the suppliers within the fashion industry is low, with many organisations outsourcing their production to developing countries, in order to keep costs at a critically low level. Organisations such as Zara have a substantial opportunity, when it comes to changing suppliers, and this enables the company to drive down costs. Although this offers opportunities for reducing costs, it can also potentially create difficulties where there are concerns over the ethical behaviours of these third party providers. Drawing on the four forces above, it can be argued that, finally, there is a large amount of competitive rivalry within the industry (the fifth and final force). This suggests that the competitive rivalry is increasing rapidly within an organisation such as Zara need to look towards establishing themselves with a competitive advantage during these difficult times, with particular reference to the fact that the buyers have a large amount of power, yet costs are critical to the situation, as there are economic pressures on the industry, as a whole, in the wake of the global international crisis. Internal Analysis of Zara Having identified the key issues which are impacting on the external fashion industry, the next step is to consider how these issues are impacting on the internal operations of the company. In order to do this, a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis will be undertaken, before going on to look at the value chain and the resource based view which has emerged within the company (Porter, 1980). SWOT Analysis One of the key strengths that Zara has as an organisation is its highly developed supply chain, which enables it to get new products to the market, at a very rapid rate. It also has a large international presence, with more than 2000 stores across the globe, allowing it to build a very strongly recognised brand. Furthermore, it has been identified that the ability to bring new products to the market, on a regular basis, encourages greater consumer acceptance and willingness to purchase cutting-edge fashion design. Therefore, this reduced timeframe for bringing new designs onto the market is a real strength of the organisation and keeps the ideas fresh in its stores, to such an extent that consumers will be regularly revisiting and restocking their fashion items. However, there are weaknesses associated with the internal operations of the company. Having established itself as a large international fashion company, Zara is now required to produce a large amount of products, on a regular basis, which has somewhat removed the opportunities for producing new and innovative design, at the top end of the market. Zara has become recognised as a high-street fashion brand; therefore, any items which are believed to be at the luxury end of the pricing range are unlikely to be accepted by the customer base. Moreover, with increasing competition emerging throughout the industry, buyers are looking for cheaper prices, continuously, and any attempt at raising the price is simply unlikely to retain the favour of the existing customer base. As a result, the organisation has to produce a relatively large number of products, in order to enjoy economies of scale and therefore it simply cannot produce bespoke or unique items which would allow for a higher price tag (Kumar and Linguri, 2005). Opportunities are continuously presenting themselves within the fashion industry. Consumers require regular updates, particularly at the high street end of fashion, where items are perceived to be somewhat disposable, in order to keep up with the latest trends. This means that an organisation such as Zara can retain a large customer base, by continuously improving its range and developing new products, on an ongoing basis. As noted in the case study, customers will tend to visit Zara stores considerably more frequently than competitor stores, due to the fact that new products are continuously being launched. This is a strong strategy and needs to be developed, as it offers substantial opportunities to gather greater customer support, on a regular basis (Mittal, 1988). There are two particular threats being faced by organisations within the fashion industry, most notably from other large competitors that are able to reduce prices, such as Primark and HM, as well as from unique fashion houses that are able to charge a higher price for producing new and bespoke products, at the high end of fashion. The other threats are the larger organisations and those that are able to reduce their prices below those which Zara can achieve. Resource Based View and Value Chain Applying this in the context of the resource based view and the value chain, which Zara has established, it can be seen that the main reasons for this are its supply chain and ability to bring new products to market, on a regular basis, with the product then being made available, on an international basis, at a very rapid rate. Zara not only has access to product designers that enable it to produce desirable high-street fashion, at low prices, but it also has a strong supply chain in place which enables it to bring new products to the shop floor, within a time frame which is four months quicker than its competitors can achieve. Analysis of PR Crises Environmental Concerns Although Zara has managed to retain itself is a well recognised, well-respected brand within the fashion industry, it has also suffered from PR difficulties, over the years. The most notable of these was the Expose undertaken by Greenpeace, which listed Zara as being one of the worst companies, in terms of the level of toxins which were found within their clothes. Concerns were also raised that the efficient supply chain which it had established was having a dramatically negative impact on the environment. As a result of this report, the organisation has had to review its supply chain and look at methods of reducing the amount of toxins that are seen to be contained in its clothes. Manufacturing processes will also need to be reviewed, in order to gain the support of those who were lost, when this expose happened. Human Rights’ Concerns Another area of growing concern within the fashion industry, with Zara not escaping media attention in this respect, was that of human rights’ concerns, such as the new staff sweatshops in developing countries used to produce products at a cheaper rate than would be possible within the more developed regions. Back in August 2011 a television programme in Brazil accused the organisation of using sweatshops in order to produce its products through outsourced services. Following this statement, Zara acted quickly to mitigate the damage that had been done in the public face, by stating that it viewed the use of sweatshops by its outsourced suppliers as being entirely unacceptable and put in place a variety of different procedures, to ensure that production was monitored much more carefully. Zara also works with various different government agencies, in order to ensure that this is happening. Further difficulties emerged, in early 2012, when a journalist published a report looking at the treatment of shop staff, across the company, and found several instances of abuse. Again, Zara acted quickly to put in place an internal investigation and stated that abuse of this nature would not be tolerated. Although the company seems to be working with unions, in order to improve the position, the report clearly had an impact on the way in which the company was viewed, with concerns now being shown over the treatment of staff, as well as the treatment of individuals in developing countries who are producing the products, in the first place (Balchin 1994). It is, however, noted that other organisations operating in a similar way to Zara have also suffered similar problems, with Primark being the main example of concerns over conditions for suppliers and the workers in the developing countries. Strategic Analysis Pulling together both the external and internal factors impacting on Zara as an organisation, it is then possible to establish a strategic plan for the future, in order to ensure the ongoing success of this substantial fashion retailer. Corporate Strategy The overall strategy for the company, referred to as the corporate strategy, looks at the general approach which the company should take, before going on to consider, in more detail, the business level strategy that can be used to achieve ongoing success (Doherty, 2004). The corporate level strategies which Zara needs to focus on are doing what it does best, and where it has achieved the greatest efficiency, in recent years. One of the key reasons that Zara has managed to achieve this success is down to its efficient supply chain, which is critical to the current demands of the fashion industry at to meet consumers demand regular updates of products and new and innovative fashion, on a regular basis. Zara has managed to ensure that it has a first mover advantage by being able to bring the product to the market, within two months, and this unique selling point needs to be exploited further, if consumers are going to be prepared to pay slightly more, in order to gain access to new products before others (Coyne and Sujit Balakrishnan 1996). It is suggested that Zara needs to retain a cost base element, in terms of strategy, as it has gained a large amount of support from high street customers who are looking for fast fashion, at a disposable level. By maintaining this price position, the company can then encourage consumers to renew their fashion products, regularly, thus offering continuous revenue for the company. Business Level Looking more specifically at the business level strategy, it is suggested that certain product lines need to be focused on, in order to keep the look within the high street stores fresh, as well as looking towards new opportunities for improving the supply chain, particularly given the recent PR crisis associated with its supply chain choices. It has been identified that one of the major advantages and strengths of the company is the fact that it can achieve a very rapid link to the market. Whilst it is currently the case that Zara has an unrivalled supply chain, it should not be accepted as the forever position and continuous efforts need to be made to improve the supply chain and to form alliances with appropriate third parties. Technology plays a huge role in this, and therefore having a strategic business unit which is entirely focused on technology and the use of technologies to create internal efficiencies, needs to be one of the primary business level strategies (Murphy, 1990) . A greater focus also needs to be placed on the team that is responsible for producing the designs which will ultimately make it onto the high street. Zara has achieved a position within the market that encourages individuals to look towards the brand as a means of gaining cutting-edge fashion, at a low cost, and the design of these products is therefore critical, if this position is to be maintained. Continuous evolution within this area is a necessary part of retaining the position and also looking towards cutting costs, by altering product designs to take into account the cost of production (Finch 2004). Future Strategies Several future strategies are now suggested for Zara, moving forwards. Economic pressures are likely to remain substantial, across the whole industry. Therefore, cost reduction needs to be critical and continuous, without potentially putting the company in a position where it may face questioning in relation to the ethics of third party suppliers, particularly when it looks towards outsourcing into the developing regions. Several other competitors within the market have suffered negative press, due to the use of suppliers associated with unethical practices. This presents Zara with a real opportunity to set itself apart from other low-cost retailers, by developing a specific ethical strategy that will enable it to retain a relatively low cost, but also allow it to sell itself as an ethical producer (Okumus 2003). The company, therefore, needs to look towards other opportunities, for example, by changing the design of the product to reduce production costs, or looking at creating efficiencies in the supply chain, by transporting goods to a central warehouse that can then reduce the cots of transportation, overall. A substantial focus needs to be placed on the design team and ensuring that it is continuously developing new products which are able to be produced at a relatively low cost. This will enable the company to retain its position for supplying fast fashion within the high street and continuing to attract customers into the store, on a regular basis. Implementation and Evaluation Throughout the implementation of the business strategies, it is necessary to continuously evaluate whether or not certain avenues of activities are successful and whether alterations are necessary, in order to establish greater efficiencies. For example, the supply chain needs to be monitored, on an ongoing basis, in order to identify any losses, either in time or money, so that these can then be reduced or even removed (Grundy, 1993). The decision in relation to which products to design and produce is very much customer driven; therefore, it is suggested that customer reviews are obtained, on a regular basis, so that, where the customer is not being provided with a product that they choose, or are unmotivated to revisit the store, these instances are captured and dealt with, in the future. Finally, evaluation needs to look at the ethical issues which Zara is now tackling, in order to set itself apart from other low-cost fashion producers, with regular reviews and reports being undertaken, not only to ensure that ethical practices are being followed, but also to allow the public to see that Zara is taking its ethical responsibilities seriously (Johnson Scholes, 2002). Conclusions Zara is in a particularly strong position within the fashion market, having established itself as a brand name that produces cutting-edge fashion ahead of its rivals, and at a low-cost. Despite this, it is important that the organisation recognises the forces that are impacting on the external market and uses its own internal strengths to ensure that it retains a competitive advantage, thus enabling it to maintain its position within the market, as one of the brand leaders. A particular emphasis should be placed on the strengths within the supply chain, as this enables the organisation to bring products to the market, at a particularly rapid rate. Furthermore, cost pressures are also being placed on the organisation, which requires the design team to become more efficient when creating designs that can be turned into garments, at the lowest possible cost, without sacrificing ethical standings. Simply put, it is argued that Zara needs to continue to do what it is doing, currently; however, it needs to do it better, with greater emphasis being placed on ethical behaviour, meeting customer demands for new and innovative fashion, while at the same time retaining low-costs, across every aspect of its operation. References Acur N. and Bititci U. (2004) A balanced approach to strategy process, International Journal of Operations Production Management, Vol. 24 issue 4, pp.388-408; Balchin A. (1994) Part-time workers in the multiple retail sector: small change from employment protection legislation?, Employee Relations, Vol. 16 Issue 7, pp.43-57; Bigelow, J. (1980) Strategies of Evolutionary and Revolutionary Organizational Change, Academy of Management Proceedings, Carter, D. E. (1999), Branding: The Power of Market Identity, Watson-Guptill, New York. Coyne, K.P. and Sujit Balakrishnan (1996),Bringing discipline to strategy, The McKinsey Quarterly, No.4 De Toni A. and Tonchia S. (2003) Strategic planning and firms’ competencies: Traditional approaches and new perspectives, International Journal of Operations Production Management, Vol. 23 Issue 9, pp.947-97 Doherty, A. M. (Editor) (2004). Fashion Marketing: Building the Research Agenda. UK: Emerald Group Publishing Limited. Finch P. (2004) Supply chain risk management, Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Vol. 9 Issue 2, pp.183-196; Grundy, T. (1993) Managing Strategic Change, Kogan Page, London UK. Johnson, G. Scholes, K. (2002) Exploring Corporate Strategy: Text and Cases 6th edition, FT Prentice Hall, UK Kumar and Linguri, (2005), Zara: Responsive, High-Speed, Affordable Fashion, the European Case Clearing House. Lopez, C and Fan, Y (2009) â€Å"Internationalisation of the Spanish fashion brand Zara†, Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, Vol. 13 Iss: 2, pp.279 – 296 Mittal, B. (1988), The role of affective choice mode in the consumer purchase of expressive products, Journal of Economic Psychology, 9, pp. 65 499-524. Moran, R. T. and Riesenberger, J. R. (1994), The Global Challenge: Building the New World-wide Enterprise, McGraw-Hill, London. Murphy, J. M. (1990), Brand Strategy, Director Books, Cambridge. Okumus F. (2003) A framework to implement strategies in organizations, Journal of Management Decision, Vol. 41 Issue 9, pp.871-882; Porter, M.E. (1979) How Competitive Forces Shape Strategy, Harvard Business Review, March/April 1979. Porter, M.E. (1980) Competitive Strategy, Free Press, New York, 1980. How to cite Strategic Analysis of Zara, Essay examples

Bloody Sky Essay Research Paper Extreme circumstances free essay sample

Bloody Sky Essay, Research Paper Extreme fortunes bring about significant alterations in people. At least that is what Paul Bowles and Cormac McCarthy seem to be stating in the authorship of their several books, The Sheltering Sky and Blood Meridian. Both writers place their characters in hard locations, covering with hard people and anticipate them to emerge changed, for better or for worse. In The Sheltering Sky, Bowles takes his American three and topographic points them in the desert lands of the African continent where the broad, dry impossibly desolate terrain takes its toll on their heads and organic structures. Likewise, McCarthy takes his ragged clump of predators, most conspicuously the Kid, and has them rolling the monolithic sweep of the wild West. This convention of forced growing is changeless throughout both books, and the reader gets the alone chance to detect those alterations from an nonsubjective point of position. In The Sheltering Sky, we meet Port, Kit and Tunner ab initio as Continental Americans on a kind of circuit for spoilt exiles. We will write a custom essay sample on Bloody Sky Essay Research Paper Extreme circumstances or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page They seem unmindful to the fact that the country and the people who inhabit it are late war-worn and decimated. The countryside has been ravaged by the war but the three of them seem to disregard that fact and continue through it in a kind of dazed, self indulged coma. The same, or a similar, state of affairs is present in McCarthy # 8217 ; s Blood Meridian, his characters, chiefly the Kid, are doing their manner across the Old West, looking for money an escapade. They venture into Mexico, meeting peasant villagers, both hostile and peaceable, every bit good as legion folks of Native Americans. Both parties opportunity upon characters, both bizarre and unsafe, and all involved seem to acquire themselves into the most impossible state of affairss conceivable. Apparently the point Bowles and McCarthy are seeking to convey to the reader is that great alteration and significant interior growing can merely come about through intense emotional emphasis and physical challenge. Kit, in The Sheltering Sky, learns some really interesting things about herself through the class of our travels with her. She starts out as Port # 8217 ; s married woman, a secondary character of kinds, afraid to voice her sentiments on virtually everything. We have the inside path on her idea s and feelings though, and are privy to the fact that she is unhappy non merely with her state of affairs and current location, but besides with her matrimony and individuality. We get our first glance of her realisation of these jobs on her train drive with Tunner, as Port is going with the Lyles. Her self-generated matter with Tunner is a symptom of her sadness and is the beginning of a downward spiral that takes her to the threshold of insanity and far beyond. We see the beginning of her growing in her brush in the Fourth Class cabin of the train when see comes in close contact with the suffering provincial common people and she realizes that aside from their cultural differences she is no better than these simple fol K and in some ways she is far worse. As her narrative progresses we, the reader, acquire to see the advancement of her ruin due to the unbelievable adversities she meets such as the loss of Port due to illness. This is important for her because she becomes nurse and caretaker to Port in unusual and secluded town where she is under intuition by the local Gallic Legion commanding officer, who places the ill Americans in isolation, doing Kit to travel stir loony watching her hubby wither off in a turn with decease and insanity. The Kid in Cormac McCarthy # 8217 ; s Blood Meridian or The Evening Redness In The Occident goes through similar experiences of terrible adversity throughout his journey in the West. Kid is thrust into legion state of affairss where he apparently has no thought what precisely he is acquiring into, and most of the clip he does it with a na ve blind aspiration. When he joins the Captain # 8217 ; s party, Kid is unprepared for the surplus of force and corruption he encounters from both his ain crew and the hostile Indians. After fall ining the Judge and Glanton, Kid experiences improbably hard state of affairss for a male child his age, ( 14 old ages old ) such as the clip he spent in the snow covered mountains, losing his Equus caballus and holding to walk a good part of the manner. Kid comes up against some genuinely unbelievable odds, lasting the most impossible injury in sketch character manner. These state of affairss like the 1s Kit, Port, and Tunner came up against in The Shelt ering Sky, are designed to advance some sort of growing in the Kid. This makes the narrative of Blood Meridian into some sort of distorted coming-of-age narrative wherein the supporter battles his devils and emerges a adult male the reader can non merely place with but wants to be more like. The similarities between these two novels run much deeper than I # 8217 ; ve had clip to clarify here, but the chief point I was seeking to convey is that both writers used a comparable convention to make a similar consequence in the characters. Port and Tunner, for their portion, both change vastly in the novel ( non defying Port # 8217 ; s decease ) and # 8220 ; emerge # 8221 ; rather different from the people we ab initio run into in the caf. Tunner realizes his infirmities and becomes a # 8220 ; tougher # 8221 ; adult male more tuned in to what is go oning around him, and Port comes to confront what he was running from all along, recognizing he was flying his ain defects, and eventually holding to confront his fright of himself in the concluding throes of decease. Kit becomes her ain individual merely to finally travel insane through heartache and torment, her colza and subsequent loss of her individuality in the Arab community directing her winging back to the province we foremost encountered her. Kid, in McCarthy # 8217 ; s novel, grows to manhood in a short span of clip due to the huge sum of heartache and adversity he meets with along his travels. I enjoyed this device and believe that puting mundane characters in bizarre milieus truly forces them to go # 8220 ; existent # 8221 ; , coercing them to truly look at themselves as their true colourss eventually begin to demo.