Written Exercise 2 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Written Exercise 2 - Research Paper Example t argues that the government should provide more working opportunities for people, regulate businesses more aggressively, and prevent economic inequality in the society. In addition to this Occupy Wall Street Movement argues that the Capitalism employed in the market is not serving its purpose and therefore politicians should not control money. To distinguish the two we can say that Occupy Wall Street Movement is a global affair since its major influence comes from Canada and Middle East countries, which were demonstrating against world economic recession that occurred in 2011 (Reyes, 2011). Wall Street Movements are mainly organized via mails and social networks and it mainly targets the poor people in the society. The Wall Street Movement does not enjoy any support from any institution or media while the Tea party movement involves Republican politicians. The tea Party movement is about the rich people in the society such as the Koch Brothers and yet both groups still differ about the financial and economic system of American government. Tea Party involves middle age and older people while Occupy Wall Street enjoys the support of younger generation hence they use social sites as their major mean of communication. The two party movements have got two different cultural ideologies which is also another difference between the movement groups (Pfaff, 2011). The two groups differ from other political parties mainly in the way they are formed. Occupy Wall Street is not sure of its future leaders as compared to Tea Party which looks organized. Most of its members have also clinched seats in the government. The two parties also differ from other political parties in the past since they only advocate for economic changes in the government while the other political parties challenges for governance and control of power in US (Barrett, 2011). Despite the two parties looking cool and non-violent, it is important to take precautions especially due to the upcoming DRNC

Ethical Dilemmas Essay Example for Free

Ethical Dilemmas Essay There are three situations presented in the simulation which poses different ethical dilemmas on the part of the decision-maker. The symptoms of the respective dilemmas and their root causes shall be discussed individually because â€Å"analysis would be proper if they are able to locate the root cause of the conflict† (Lee). The Indiscreet Relationship The first situation presented was an indiscreet relationship between a boss and his secretary. The boss took the secretary along with him during business trips at the expense of the company. He even promoted the secretary to junior account executive. This problem created a stir within the company and corridor talks went around saying that the way to make it through the ladder of success in the company was through less than ethical means. This has caused an unrest among the employees of the organization that an ethical stand should be taken. However, the decision-maker had an ethical dilemma in making his decision. The boss, Patrick, is his former friend and colleague who was the one instrumental in landing him his job. Patrick also helped him during his early days with the company in getting hold of the ropes of the business of the company. On the other hand, company morale is going down because the employees think he is an unethical leader for allowing Patrick have his way in maintaining an indiscreet relations with his subordinate and in spending company resources in the process. This is what defines the ethical dilemma here. Sniffdog The second situation presented by the simulation which involved an ethical dilemma is the decision to represent SilverPill and their Sniffdog account. Sniffdog is a computer program which could sneak into the users hardware and retrieve many confidential data without the users knowledge. The ethical dilemma comes in when taking the account means allowance of the intrusion of privacy while not taking the account will make the company lose a lot of money by losing the account. The fact that compounds these all is that SilverPill informed the company that they will give all their accounts to McKinley should they choose to endorse Sniffdog. The ethics rulebook of McKinley states that the employees will maintain impeachable integrity in all its business dealings. Allowing Sniffdog to push through will not reflect well of this ethical rule. On its face, the business being dealt with here is plainly business and nothing will be objectionable about it. McKinley will just seek to endorse the Sniffdog program. However, when the program has capabilities of sneaking into private information, an ethical issue arises for McKinley will be signing itself to be part of such intrusion. Although SilverPill promised not to use any information that may be gathered for any illegal or extralegal use nor to sell it to a third party, the fact alone that there will be intrusion into the private lives of the users of the program will already present a grave ethical issue. Thus, the root cause of the problem here is whether or not to be a part of a project which can intrude into the private lives of clients by collecting confidential information from them without their knowledge. Think Eddie  And the third situation with an ethical dilemma presented by the simulation is whether or not to reveal certain information about the program Sniffdog to Think Eddie which is a competitor of SilverPill. At this point, SilverPill is no longer associated with McKinley and has moved on to another PR company. Think Eddie has entered the picture and wants McKinley to represent them for a computer program which has the same features as that of SilverPills Sniffdog. Think Eddie is a big client. And now it wants information about the Sniffdog program without, however, threats of any sanctions given to McKinley in case of non-compliance. The ethical dilemma here is whether to reveal the requested information to Think Eddie or not. Though Think Eddie did not give any threats for non-disclosure, surely there was an unwritten statement accompanying the request that non-disclosure might strain the relationship between the two companies. On the other hand, the ethics rule book of McKinley prescribes them not to hold conflicting interests. SilverPill, though a former client, still has the right that every information given by it to McKinley be kept confidential by the latter. Because of the mentioned rule, McKinley is duty-bound not to divulge confidential client information, especially in this case where the revelation will be made to a competitor. The root cause of the problem, therefore, is whether or not to reveal information obtained from a former engagement in order to establish a better business relationship with a new engagement even though the two have conflicting interests and the former engagement has already been severed. In all, the ethical dilemmas arise not because of the ethics rule books established by company but mostly because of moral grounds. â€Å"If doing what is right produces something bad, or if doing what is wrong produces something good, the force of moral obligation may seem balanced by the reality of the good end. We can have the satisfaction of being right, regardless of the damage done; or we can aim for what seems to be the best outcome, regardless of what wrongs must be committed† (Ross, 2007). Thus, the root of these dilemmas is simply because there are moral standards to which, companies as well as persons, must adhere.

Character, Values and Morals in Huckleberry Finn Essay -- Adventures H

Character, Values and Morals in Huckleberry Finn      Ã‚  Ã‚   Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn is perhaps one of the most controversial novels the North American Continent has ever produced.   Since its publication more than a hundred years ago controversy has surrounded the book.   The most basic debate surrounding Twain's masterpiece is whether the book's language and the character of Jim are presented in a racist manner.   Many have called for the book to be banned from our nation's schools and libraries.   Mark Twain's novel is about a young boy who was raised in the south before slavery was abolished, a place where racism and bigotry were the fabric of every day life.   The novel is the account of how Huck Finn, who is a product of these times, transcended the morals and values of these times through his relationship with the escaped slave Jim.   Huckleberry Finn is a mixture of satire and adventure story.   It is a novel about growing up in a time and place that still haunts the living, the American past.   It is about a past, and the origins of that past, that still lie heavy on the American conscience.   This paper will examine the character, morals and values of Huckleberry Finn.   It will discuss his relationship to the values of his society and the conflict that is produced between those values and the relationship that grows between him and Jim during their adventure.       The character of Huck Finn has become a kind of an American folk hero.   He is a kid who knows how to live by his wits.   Perhaps he is a younger American version of the wily Odysseus.   He knows how and when to act and impersonate other people and perhaps most important for a boy in his situation, he knows how to lie.   One must never lose sight of the fact that... ...out a boy trying to find his own way in the days of the South before slavery had ended.   Huck Finn finds adventure and friendship with a runaway slave on a raft headed down the Mississippi River.   And like Odysseus on his adventures, Huck learns much about himself and subsequently we learn more about ourselves.   We learn that what an individual often believes to be right is not always in congruence with the official religion of the city or the values and mores of the times.   One must have the courage to stand up for what one believes in even if, as in the mind of Huck, it means suffering eternal damnation.    WORKS   CITED Beaver, H.   Huckleberry Finn.   London:   Allen & Unwin, 1987. Egan, M.   Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn:   Race, Class and Society.   Toronto:   Sussex UP, 1977. Twain, M.   The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.   New York:   Signet, 1959. Character, Values and Morals in Huckleberry Finn Essay -- Adventures H Character, Values and Morals in Huckleberry Finn      Ã‚  Ã‚   Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn is perhaps one of the most controversial novels the North American Continent has ever produced.   Since its publication more than a hundred years ago controversy has surrounded the book.   The most basic debate surrounding Twain's masterpiece is whether the book's language and the character of Jim are presented in a racist manner.   Many have called for the book to be banned from our nation's schools and libraries.   Mark Twain's novel is about a young boy who was raised in the south before slavery was abolished, a place where racism and bigotry were the fabric of every day life.   The novel is the account of how Huck Finn, who is a product of these times, transcended the morals and values of these times through his relationship with the escaped slave Jim.   Huckleberry Finn is a mixture of satire and adventure story.   It is a novel about growing up in a time and place that still haunts the living, the American past.   It is about a past, and the origins of that past, that still lie heavy on the American conscience.   This paper will examine the character, morals and values of Huckleberry Finn.   It will discuss his relationship to the values of his society and the conflict that is produced between those values and the relationship that grows between him and Jim during their adventure.       The character of Huck Finn has become a kind of an American folk hero.   He is a kid who knows how to live by his wits.   Perhaps he is a younger American version of the wily Odysseus.   He knows how and when to act and impersonate other people and perhaps most important for a boy in his situation, he knows how to lie.   One must never lose sight of the fact that... ...out a boy trying to find his own way in the days of the South before slavery had ended.   Huck Finn finds adventure and friendship with a runaway slave on a raft headed down the Mississippi River.   And like Odysseus on his adventures, Huck learns much about himself and subsequently we learn more about ourselves.   We learn that what an individual often believes to be right is not always in congruence with the official religion of the city or the values and mores of the times.   One must have the courage to stand up for what one believes in even if, as in the mind of Huck, it means suffering eternal damnation.    WORKS   CITED Beaver, H.   Huckleberry Finn.   London:   Allen & Unwin, 1987. Egan, M.   Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn:   Race, Class and Society.   Toronto:   Sussex UP, 1977. Twain, M.   The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.   New York:   Signet, 1959.

Causality and Timeliness Essay

Timeliness is important in all aspects of life. In the army they say â€Å"10 minutes prior is on time, and being on time is late†, that is the standard set forth and expected to be accomplished by the armed forces. By oversleeping I not only failed to meet the standard, I also failed my squad and my platoon because they did not have accountability of everyone, another main standard of the army. I also took the time of my team leader, who had to sit and wait for me while everyone else did PT. Missing movement not only cost me more time in the end, it cost the whole rest of the unit in one way or another. Timeliness is also the first step in a soldiers’ task to keep accountability at all times. Accountability is defined by Webster’s Dictionary as being required to explain actions or decisions to someone. Another definition is being required to be responsible for something. As soldiers, we are always expected to be able to explain our actions to our chain of comman d, and to take responsibility for them. Inability to do so can lead to loss of time and resources, adverse action, UCMJ action, or even separation from the armed forces. In a strategic environment, timeliness is important in everything we do. Everyday soldiers in the unit work in fast-paced intelligence environments and being even a few minutes late in a mission situation could cost valuable intelligence or even lives. Even routine reports must be sent out on a strict timeframe, and failure to meet that standard could cause it to lose value, or cause a setback in a mission elsewhere. Being military intelligence soldiers, we are also required to attend training; whether it be language, technical, or unit trainings. Failing to report to classes on time could not only cause a soldier to miss important coursework, but could potentially result in the soldier getting dropped from the class. This not only hurts the soldiers’ advancement as an intelligence professional, it causes degradation of the mission. Not having all the required training to accomplish the mission causes everyone around the soldier to pick up the slack. By not being able to do something as simple as 10 minutes prior, the soldier can potentially affect the work of an entire office full of people. Most important information pertaining to the unit is put out at morning formations, STTs, and Commanders’ Calls. Being late to any of these events can not only bring  adverse action against a soldier for that event, it could also cause the soldier to miss pertinent information about upcoming events; potentially causing more corrective training or even UCMJ action. Article 87 of the Code of Military Justice â€Å"Missing Movement† states â€Å"any member of the armed forces who neglect or design to miss the movement of a ship, aircraft, or unit with which they are required in the course of duty to move can be punished as a court martial may direct†. Untimliness is not only a detriment to the strategic environment; it can be life altering in the tactical environment. Failure to maintain proper timelines and accountability of soldiers and equipment during field exercises can result in accidents and loss of government property. The army has another saying â€Å"train how you fight†, meaning to treat every exercise just as if it were a real-life combat situation so that a soldier would know exactly what they needed to do if that situation actually came to be. Inability to be on time for training events hit times, etc; shows that a soldier could potentially not be reliable in a more serious situation. This causes breakdown of unit cohesiveness and esprit de’ corps. In a theater of war, failure to meet a deadline or miss movement can lead to the capture of strategic assets or intelligence, giving the enemy an advantage. It could also potentially lead to injuries, fatalities, or even the capture of United States or ally service members. When a service member is deployed to a combat zone, being late could not only cause the failure of the mission, it could potentially be the difference between life and death. A soldier’s untimeliness may not only result in their death, but could cost the lives of others. For example, if a soldier assigned to a route clearance platoon is late for movement and causes their convoy to waste time looking for them instead of making their route before the movement of another unit, it could cost the lives of many others without them realizing. Timeliness is also important in the civilian world. In order to consistently hold down a job in the civilian sector, a person must make sure that they are on time for work or they could potentially lose their job. Being late to an interview is practically a guarantee that a person would not be hired for employment with a company, even though that person may have the skills and qualifications necessary for the position. Arriving late to medical appointments can potentially result in your appointment being canceled, causing degradation to ones’ health and  missing out on treatment that could prevent something more serious in the long run. Timeliness shows discipline, and without discipline the armed forces would not be able to accomplish the mission. Without discipline, the entire command structure would degrade and the enemy would be given a huge advantage, causing loss of life, equipment, or strategic advantage.

Fashion Opinion Leadership Essay

1. Introduction Consumers influence each other in several ways: they exchange information through communication, seek or give opinions and copy each other’s behaviour. Researchers recognise the giving and seeking of opinions as one of the most important word-of-mouth influences on brand and product choice (Bristor, 1990 and Weimann, 1994). Especially in fashion, social groups and opinion leaders influence product and brand evaluations (Amaldoss and Jain 2008). Fashion consumers often refer to fashion opinion leaders who they desire to be alike. The Internet and social media speeded up the way of communication within reference groups and made it possible to share interests without physical interaction. The following essay will outline an overview of fashion opinion leaders and reference groups before giving a better understanding of how fashion retailers make use of fashion opinion leaders in order to influence customers. 2. Reference groups and reference group influences Consumers use several sources when they seek information or opinions on decisions; informal and social (Goldsmith and Clark 2008). This aspect of consumer behaviour is described as opinion-leadership-opinion-seeking, word-of-mouth, buzz or social communication (Goldsmith and Clark 2008). This means that consumers refer to something or someone when they seek information and clears the way for the term referential or reference group. Solomon and Rabolt (2009) define Humans as social animals that try to fit into certain groups, please others and take â€Å"cues about how to behave by observing the actions of those around† (p. 422) them. A group can simply be defined as two or more people sharing common goals and interests. All members of a group interact by certain patterns, frameworks and networks. A group member must therefore be perceptible to belonging to this group. Groups can be primary (family), secondary (professions), formal (churches), or informal (certain group of frie nds). Belonging to a herd or group, makes consumers want to identify themselves psychologically and physically with desirable individuals of this group. Thus, an individual or group conceived of having significant relevance upon an individual’s sociological attributes, such as evaluations, characteristics, aspirations, or behaviour is defined as reference group (Park et al, 1977). As stated by Holton (2004), Merton hypothesized that individuals compare themselves with reference groups of people who occupy the social role to which the individual aspires. Hence, the group becomes the individual’s frame of reference and influences his ideas and decisions. Reference group influence can occur in different ways. According to Solomon and Rabolt (2009), group members of reference groups can be influenced informational, utilitarian or value-expressive. Furthermore, individuals are also mostly influenced by normative referents of the group, such as parents, teachers, or peers (Childers and Rao, 1992). There are also so called aspirational groups of which individuals aspire to be a member of. This phenomenon can be considered as comparative referents, such as public opinion leaders or celebrities. Belonging to a group, aspirational or not, can influence the buying behaviour of individuals, and decisions are often based on what the group members please in order to be accepted (Joel et al 1972). According to the above, a reference group is as an individual or group that significantly influences an individual’s behaviour (Bearden and Etzel 1982). 2.1 Online referential groups and virtual consumption communities Literature mostly concentrates on face-to-face interaction within reference groups on a regular basis or on aspirational groups without direct interaction (Pentina et al, 2008). However, Sheth and Parvatiyar (1995) stated that it is not directly necessary to have physical contact and interactions with members of a group in order to refer to it. More common forms of reference groups are online reference groups, which only exist in the World Wide Web. Within the age of the Internet, arising social media networks and communities it is possible to share interests with people who the individual never met personally (Solomon and Rabolt, 2009). A virtual community of consumption is defined as â€Å"a collection of people whose online interactions are based on shared enthusiasm for and knowledge of a specific consumption activity† (Solomon and Rabolt, 2009, p 426), such as fashion for instance. In the concept of virtual communities any group of people can share common bonds, without being dependent on physical interaction and common graphic location (McDonough, 1992). But the issue of relationships between each other still lies at the heart of virtual communities (Farquhar and Rowley, 2006). Although online sharing of interests takes place on blog websites, social media platforms, like facebook or twitter or sharing services like as Pinterest, members build up relationships when sharing. On facebook, for instance, members liking other people’s post in certain theme groups and commenting on those can explain a relationship. Solomon and Rabolt (2009) state that the impact of virtual communities on individual’s product preferences and decisions are huge. Because of that, an online referential group can be considered as consumers who write about their opinions towards certain topics, seek information, publish recommendations, and post products or services. 2.1.1 Online referential groups in fashion and fashion bloggers Fashion and apparel shopping are seen as the most popular discussion topic among social networks (Thomas et al, 2007). In fashion, online communities are seen mostly through social media emergence such as blogs or facebook groups. Fashion blogs are mostly run by one person who writes or â€Å"blogs† about different products, occasions or events within the fashion industry. The community is then formed by readers of the blog, so called â€Å"followers†, that read the stories or comment on it. With gaining popularity bloggers are also able to gain money by advertising on their blog websites. According to the Telegraph, the most popular bloggers make up to  £10,000 a month in advertising (Telegraph, 28/10/2012). Meanwhile, also fashion retailers look into the blogging business. For retailers the building up of social media groups could help them to gain direct feedback from consumers while monitoring discussions in referential groups online. Burberry for example not only has its own group on facebook, but also launched a blog, showing images of people wearing their trench coats (The Art of Trench, 28/10/2012). 3. Fashion opinion leadership Referring to an opinion leader is one of the social or informal sources of decision and opinions seeking, named by Goldsmith and Clark (2008) in reference group behaviour. A person who has knowledge about a certain product and whose advice is seriously taken by others explains opinion leadership. An opinion leader or influential is a person, who is frequently able to influence attitudes and behaviour of others (Solomon and Rabolt 2009) Further, it can be explicated by the desire of leaders to distinguish themselves from followers, while followers pursue the countervailing desire to assimilate with leaders (Amaldoss and Jain 2008). Feick and Price (1987, p. 95) state that opinion leaders are more likely in product categories in which association with the product provides a form of self-expression. Fashionable clothing embodies information about the personality and status of its wearer to other people (Dodd et al, 2000). However, Amaldoss and Jain (2008) argue that in fashion, this occurrence is mostly seen within the purchasing of luxury clothing and accessories. There are several types of opinion leaders that can be observed in fashion. Firstly, some heavy consumers of fashion clothing who become extremely interested and preoccupied with it, so that their interest, knowledge and experience qualifies them to become fashion opinion leaders for others (Goldsmith, 2000). Today, these types of fashion opinion leaders occur mostly online, such as fashion bloggers. Secondly there are people who are in the public spotlight, such as celebrities. Celebrities mostly look adorable and therefore individuals follow their look because they desire to assimilate with this leader (Amaldoss and Jain 2008). But sometimes celebrities are being dressed up by personal outfitters in order to create, perform and accomplish a certain image without actually having the interest or knowledge in the area. This shows that also the perception that individuals have about a person can make the person an opinion leader. Of course, there are also people whose profession is related to fashion that can be an opinion leader for individuals, such as designers, fashion photographers, models or fashion magazines. A recent study on Mintel shows that fashion content in celebrity, lifestyle or fashion magazines, newspaper supplements and makeover shows has a direct influence on the shopping behaviour of 2 – 3.5 million people. Especially women are most likely influenced by such coverage (Mintel, Fashion Online, 29/10/12). As the fashion magazine example illustrates, an opinion leader does not have to be only one person, it can also be a company or an organisation. 3.1 Fashion opinion seeking â€Å"Opinion seeking is the behavioural counterpart to opinion leadership† (Goldsmith and Clark, 2008, p 309) and is important to the diffusion of new fashion products because it can spread word-of-mouth about the advice gotten from opinion leaders. Unlike opinion leaders, opinion seekers do not have the same knowledge of and interest in a product category than opinion leaders in this segment do (Goldsmith, 2000). Opinion leaders do also absorb risk (Solomon and Rabolt, 2009) for opinion seekers when buying a new product. Therefore, Opinion seekers consider opinion leaders as appropriate sources for information and advice (Bertrandias and Goldsmith, 2006). Nevertheless, opinion seekers are very important to opinion leaders because they act on the information they got from the opinion leader. The fashion industry is one of the industries that show the most frequent changes in trends and styles. When consumers determine on buying a new product they might ask or even search for information about the desired fashionable product. Because of that they often make use of informal or social sources when seeking information (Goldsmith and Clark 2008) or opinions on decisions from fashion opinion leaders in any form. Consumers can seek for an opinion through various types of social communication, word-of-moth recommendations, observing opinion leaders, researching a subject or buzz (Goldsmith and Clark 2008). In an online perspective, consumers can use social network communities as sources for apparel shopping. 3.1.1 The process within referential groups in fashion: coherence of opinion leaders and opinion seekers The basis of forming referential groups in virtual communities is the process combining interpersonal connectivity, social enhancement and sharing of information. Dholakia and Bagozzi (2004) state that interpersonal connectivity between members is important to retain social benefits of participating online. In fashion opinion leadership and fashion opinion seeking, the process is based on the social need of each other, shown in figure 3. Figure 1: The process of fashion influence between fashion opinion leaders and fashion opinion seekers in referential groups, adapted from Goldsmith and Clark, 2008 This process can especially be observed in online communities where opinion leaders post pictures of themselves wearing a new product. Several opinion seekers may like the product and give a positive feedback to the opinion leader or even share it with others, which shows symbolic validation to the opinion leader and creates a loop. 3.1.2 Victoria Beckham as fashion opinion leader for the Birkin Bag A good example for an opinion leader in fashion is Victoria Beckham. The ex-singer, designer and wife of English football star David Beckham is referred to being an A-list celebrity in the public spotlight. She is not only famous for designing fashion and wearing high-heels, but also for her collection of the Hermes Birkin Bag. The Birkin Bag is a hand-made handbag designed by the luxury fashion brand Hermà ¨s and is estimated to start at $6,000 (Branch, 2004). The bag is often seen adorning the arm of celebrities and has become a cult fashion phenomenon (Tonello, 2009) and is an example of a fashion product that gained high popularity. Its brand, Hermà ©s limited its production, to limit its accessibility. Victoria Beckham is presumed of possessing the largest collection of Birkins (Fashionthroughtravel, 26/10/12). The following figure shows an example of her and her Birkin Bag collection. It can be the fact that Victoria Beckham is popular and has a lot of people referring to her what made the bag so famous and desirable. Followers or referents to her then adopted the product, Birkin Bag. The more leaders adopt a product, the higher value is crated among its followers. â€Å"Thus, followers are buying the product for its reference group effect† (Almadoss and Jain, 2008, p 935). Therefore individuals that look up to their opinion leader may want to follow his choices (Amaldoss and Jain, 2008). As being outlined before, fashion clothing transmits a certain personality and status of its wearer to other people (Dodd et al, 2000) and is also a form of self-expression. Wearing certain trends or accessories like a Birkin Bag show commitment to a certain image of being wealthy, belonging to a higher class or having a sure feeling of trends and fashion. 4. Why and how marketers make use fashion opinion leaders The innovator theory by Rogers (1962) shows that consumer attitudes towards purchasing products can be classified into five categories. The following figure shows Rogers’s adoption of innovations curve. Depending on how quick consumers are to purchase they are either: 1. Innovators or Designers (2.5%), 2. Fashion opinion leaders or early adapters (13.5%), 3. Early majority (34%), 4. Late majority (34%), 5. Laggards or late adapters (16%) Directly after innovators or designers of the product, opinion leaders come second in purchasing or adapting this trend. According to the theory, opinion leaders are the key to product diffusion (Mituse, 05/11/12). Although innovators and opinion leaders combined account for no more than 16% of the overall market, a company can try to target opinion leaders already in early product stages and see if product diffusion will spread to the early and late majorities (Mituse, 05/11/12). Following Rogers’s theory and transferring it to the fashion industry, it can be argued that it is from extreme importance for fashion retailers to get opinion leaders on board in order to establish their designs and products within the market. Thus, the reasons why fashion opinion leaders influence others by sharing information are extremely important for companies (Bertandias and Goldsmith, 2006). Fashion retailers make use of â€Å"key opinion leaders† to influence the purchasing behaviour of consumers through their perceived position of authority. Therefore employing opinion leaders as advertising mascots or models in commercials or adverts, as seen in the figure below, is common in fashion retail. Figure 4: Fashion opinion leaders advertising for retailer Furthermore, collaborations with opinion leaders that are famous for their profession are common in fashion retail. This can be underlined by collaborations between mass retailer h&m and designers like Donatella Versace (2012) and Jimmy Choo (2009) or online premium retailer NET-A-PORTER and Karl Lagerfeld, as figure 5 illustrates below. Figure 5: Collaborations of retailers and designers as fashion opinion leaders Nevertheless, marketing products or brands effectively today requires tools that reach beyond normal advertising methods: by prior targeting fashion opinion leaders, marketers are able to engage positive word-of-mouth behaviours (Bertrandias and Goldsmith, 2006) about their products. According to Chaney (2001), opinion leaders act as human information processors and are an attractive marketing tool as part of the overall communication strategy. Influences by fashion opinion leaders are not only verbal, but also visual (Bertrandias and Goldsmith, 2006). In fashion, a product has to be desirable to a consumer. If no one is seen with a certain product, most consumers don’t see a reason in buying it. If someone famous is seen with the product, the probability of referential groups buying or wanting the product as well increases. When word-of-mouth networks are generated around opinion leaders, it can pave the way for spreading news or opinions about certain fashion products. Thus, it is beneficial to address fashion-marketing communications directly to opinion leaders of this segment in order to speed up advertising messages. Therefore, advertisers may address womenswear or accessories fashion campaigns directly to opinion leaders like celebrities or high-fashion magazines. Because of the important role they may have in influencing markets, advertisers may also hand out free fashion product samples to opinion leaders (Yahoo, 29/10/12). Handing out such testimonials, which often embody free designer clothes, handbags or shoes, retailers encourage opinion leaders to wear the brand in order to influence reference groups around the opinion leader visually. Outfitting celebrities that have public appearance for free, mostly sees this occurrence, exemplarily stated in the below figure. Figure 6: Celebrities on the red carpet, adapted from ELLE By doing so, the marketer uses the position of the opinion leader to carry and break down its message to influence its relevant target group. Well-established magazines such as Vogue, Elle or Glamour can also be expected to have high influences on fashion decisions of opinion seekers. A fashion magazine even has the ability to cluster a whole group of fashion opinion leaders together: celebrities, photographers, editors, industry experts and fashion journalists. This might be a reason why opinion seekers use those magazines as information source when seeking for an opinion. Thus, advertising in fashion magazines, outfitting celebrities, or using fashion opinion leaders in adverts can influence target groups in their purchasing behaviour. 5. Conclusion ‘Reference groups in fashion’ are defined as fashion consumers who are heavy fashion users and highly involved in seeking or reflecting opinions about fashion brands and products with others who share the same interests. Further, it is differentiated between fashion opinion leaders and fashion opinion seekers. As being part of a referential group, opinion leaders and opinion seekers are positively related to each other, as the one can’t exist without the other. Today, fashion opinion leaders are often classified as celebrities, people standing in the public spotlight, magazines, or bloggers, surrounded by networks of reference groups that admire to be like them. Especially in the age of social media it has become more important to marketers to understand the process of providing, sharing and seeking of information between fashion opinion leaders and opinion seekers. Therefore opinion leaders are seen to be an important marketing tool in fashion as they are able to influence reference groups in their product or brand purchasing decisions. List of references: Amaldoss, W. & Jain, S. (2008), ‘Trading Up: A Strategic Analysis of Reference Group Effects’, Marketing Science, pp. 932-942 Bearden, W. & Etzel, M. (1982), ‘Reference Group Influence on Product and Brand Purchase Decisions’, Journal of Consumer Research, pp. 183-194 Bertrandias, L. & Goldsmith, R. (2006), ‘Some psychological motivations for fashion opinion leadership and fashion opinion seeking’, Jornal of Fashion Marketing an Management, Vol 10, Issue 1, pp. 25-40 Branch, S. (2004), ‘Hermà ¨s’s jelly ache’, Wall Street Journal Bristor, J.M. (1990), ‘Enhanced explanations of word of mouth communications: the power of relationships’, in Hirschman, E.C. (Ed.), Research in Consumer Behavior, 4th ed., JAI Press, Greenwich, CT, pp. 51-83. Chaney, I. (2001), ‘Opinion leaders as a segment for marketing communications’, Marketing Intelligence & Planning, p. 302 Childers, T. & Rao, A. (1992), ‘The Influence of Familial and peer-based Reference Groups on Consumer Decisions’, Journal of Consumer Research, pp. 198-211 Dholakia, U. & Bagozzi, R. (2004), ‘A socialinfluence model of consumer participation in network- and small-group-based virtual communities ‘, International Journal of Research in Marketing, Vol. 21, Issue3, pp. 241-263 Dodd, C., Clarke, I., Baron, S. & Houston, V. (2000), ‘Looking the part: identity, meaning and culture in clothing purchasing – theoretical considerations’, Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, Vol. 4, No. 1, pp. 41-48 Farquhar, J. & Rowley, J. (2006), ‘Relationships and online consumer communities’, Business Process Management Journal, pp. 162- 175 Feick, L. & Price, L. (1987), `The market maven: a diffuser of marketplace information’, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 51, p. 95. Goldsmith, R. & Clark, R. (2008), ‘An analysis of factors affecting fashion opinion leadership and fashion opinion seeking’, Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, pp. 308-322 Goldsmith, R. (2000), ‘Characteristics of the heavy user of fashionable clothing’, Journal of Marketing Theory and Practise, Vol. 8, No. 4, pp. 1-9 Holton, G. (2004), „Robert K Merton – Biographical Memoriesâ€Å", Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society 148 (4) p 506–517 ‘Jetsetsocialità © ‘, Jetsetjunior, Accessed: 26th October 2012, Source: from: http://www.jetsetsocialite.com/2008/10/19/the-hermes-birkin-bag-buying-guide/ McDonough M. (1997), â€Å"Frequently asked questions: virtual communities†, internal paper prepared for virtual community hosts at the Thomson Viral Community laboratory ‘Mintel Oxygen’, Fashion Online – UK – March 2012, Report Brochure, Accessed: 29th October 2012, Source: from: http://ezproxy1.hw.ac.uk:2840/display/590053/?highlight=true ‘Mituse’, Accessed: 06/11/12, Source: from: http://www.mitsue.co.jp/english/case/concept/02.html?&lang=en_us&output=json& session-id=fae8bc3e4d3cd76794dcbdbd8fbff715 Park, H. & Cho, H. (2012), ‘Social network online communities: information sources for apparel shopping’, Journal of Consumer Marketing, Vol. 29, p. 400 Parvatiyar, A. & Sheth J., (1995), ‘Relationship Marketing in Consumer Markets: Antecedents and Consequences’, Journal of Academy of Marketing Science, vol.23, No.4, pp. 255-271 Pentina, I., Prybutok, V., Zhang, X., (2008), ‘THE ROLE OF VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES AS SHOPPING REFERENCE GROUPS’, Journal of Electronic Commerce Research, pp. 114-136 Pierce, S. ‘Yahoo’, Clothing, Accessed 29th October 2012, Source: from http://news.yahoo.com/why-celebs-free-designer-clothing-221500536.html Rogers, E. ‘Mituse’, Accessed 28th October 2012, Source: from http://www.mitsue.co.jp/english/case/concept/02.html Rogers, E. (1962), Communication of Innovations, 2nd ed., The Free Press, New York Solomon, M. & Rabolt, N. (2009), Consumer Behaviour in Fashion, 2nd ed., Prentice Hall Salter, J. (2012), ‘ The Telegraph’, Fashion, Accessed 28th October 2012, Source: from http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/beauty/news-features/TMG7037668/Britains-best-fashion-bloggers.html

The Car Accident Essay Example

The Car Accident Essay Example The Car Accident Essay The Car Accident Essay Essay Topic: Push Precious tRunning head: THE CAR ACCIDENT Running head: THE CAR ACCIDENT The Car Accident Catrina S July 22, 2011 It was one of the most terrifying days of my life, the day of my car accident. Disappointment, disbelief, and fear filled my mind as I was lying on my side. I was sandwiched between the cold dirt and the hot metal of the car. The weight of the car was pressed down on the lower half of my body with monster force. It did not hurt, my body was numb. All I could feel was the hood of the car stamping my body farther and farther into the ground. My lungs felt pinched and air would neither enter nor escape them. My mind was buzzing. Where is my brother? What is my father going to think? In the distance, on that cursed road, I saw cars driving by completely unaware of what had happened, or how I felt. I tried to yell but my voice was unheard. I was waiting, waiting for someone to help me, or waiting to die. The third maddening buzz of my alarm woke me as I groggily slid out of bed and into the shower. It was the start of another routine morning, or so I thought. I took a shower, quarreled with my brother over which clothes he should wear for that day, and finished getting myself ready. All of this took a little longer than usual, which was not a surprise, so we were running late. We hopped into the interior of my sleek, white BMW and made our way to school. With music blasting, and voices singing, it was another typical ride to school with my brother. Because of our belated departure, I went fast, too fast. We started down the first road to our destination. This road is about three miles long and it consists of tight curves and blind hills. My father had warned me to never take this road to school, but I chose to take the road to save time and avoid another tardy from school. As we broke the top of one of the blind hills, there was a dead deer in the middle of the right lane. Without any thought, and purely by instinct, I pulled the wheel of the car to the left, and then back over to the right. It was not a big deal, but I was going fast and I lost all control. car swerved back to the left, again to the right, and then the car started to roll. Each time the car rolled over, I could feel the car scratching the earth with its side. My body jolted with the sporadic movements of the car. The car rolled over to the right for the last time, and with my eyes sealed tight, I could feel my body float off of the seat of the car. I opened my eyes to see the black road in the distance above me. I could feel the cold ground on the side of my body. I couldnt move, and I couldnt understand why. It had all happened so quickly. I was wedged between the hood of the car and the dirt. The car rustled and every movement of the car pierced my body. It was my brother. He was okay. I could see him slowly crawl out of the back seat window, and then he was out of my sight. I opened my mouth to yell his name, but air failed to escape my lips. Gasping like a fish out of water, I dreamily lied there until someone could help. I heard an uneasy voice in the distance, Catrina, oh my God, Catrina! † It was my dad. I was disappointed and embarrassed of myself. I had let him down. My voice yelled for help as my heart beat rapidly with fear and relief. The car began to jiggle and I could feel the weight of the car slowly lift off of my body. For the first time, intense pain struck my lower half. Crawl out of there, someone yelled to me. I pushed against the ground with all my might but I couldnt move. The pain was excruciating, nevertheless I could not feel the lower half of my body. I felt paralyzed. Still struggling to move, I felt strong arms glide around my shoulders and under my armpits. They drug me out of the way of the falling car. My dad had saved me. As I lay on the weed covered ground, several people started to surround me. I dreamily looked around and saw my brother sitting Indian style next to me, he was plastered in blood. He ran barefoot to the nearest house to call 911, and our dad. He was my angel. We sat there in shock. Was it just a dream? Everything had happened so fast. Every minute lying on that dirt felt like a lifetime. Strangers kept poking every inch of my body, prodding me with questions, and I could not give them the answers. Finally, the ambulance arrived. They rushed over to me and my brother. They asked me a number of questions and started to get me ready to go. With a bright orange brace around my neck they slowly pushed me onto a stiff backboard. Each tiny movement they made pierced my lower half like a knife. We finally made it into the ambulance and made our way to the hospital. My brother and I were transported to Fairfield Medical Hospital. My brother was going to heal quickly. He had stitches in his eye, head, and elbow. I was relieved that he was not severely injured. I dont know what I would have done if something extremely bad had happened to him. I was then transferred to The Ohio State Medical Center, where I underwent surgery that same night. Plates were surgically placed on both of my hipbones to help them stay together. I was in the hospital for six days, and then in a wheel chair for eight weeks. I now realize how precious life really is, and that it can be taken away in a single minute. I now understand why my father warned me to avoid driving on certain roads to lower the risk of having an accident. One little mishap can result in extreme injury or even death. I am lucky that my brother is not seriously injured, and that I lived. I will never forget that moment when I was lying on the ground, disappointment flooding my mind, waiting.

Interface by which a module Essay Example

Interface by which a module Essay Example Interface by which a module Essay Interface by which a module Essay To provide interface by which a module can communicate with its environment what its environment what can be used. A) modules B) ports C) variables D) none 5. In Overlong, constants defined in a module by the keyword A) Constant B) Parameter C) Cons D) None How many logic values defined in Overlong with their strengths A) One B) Two C) Three D) Four w 7. Which of the following represents Reduction operator NOR 8. If the input to a tranquil bidirectional switch is supply, then the output signal strength is [ A) weak B) strong C) weak 1 D) strongly 9. Trigger nets can have B)O, 1, z only values 10. Go, 1, x only D)O, 1 only It is legal to connect internal and external items of different Intermeddle port connections. A) Sizes B) Variables C) Constants con 2 Fill in the blanks 11. When making In Overlong, with respect to gate delays, which delay is the minimum of all delays 12. Process of converting a high-level description of design into an optimized gate level representation is called Delay associated with a gate output transition to a O from another value is called 14. To represent physical connection between structural elements be used. 15. Implicit continuous assignment of delay can be used in 16. Sequential blocks in behavioral modeling are specified with Keywords. 17. Data type can modeling. Delay associated with a gate output transition to a 1 from other value is called delay. 18. Is used to verify design in real-life environment with real system software running on system 19. Delay associated with a gate output transition to the high impedance value (Z) from other value is called 20

Bare Knuckles Boxing

Bare Knuckles Boxing For much of the 19th century boxing was not considered a legitimate sport in America. It was generally outlawed as a notorious crime, and boxing matches would be raided by the police and the participants arrested. Despite the official prohibitions against boxing matches, boxers often met in celebrated fights which drew large crowds and were openly reported in newspapers. And in the era before padded gloves became standard gear, the action in the bare-knuckle era was particularly brutal. Did You Know? Boxing was generally illegal in 19th century America, with fights held in secret locations.Bare-knuckle bouts were brutal, and could last for hours.Fighters could become famous, and some, peculiarly, picked up a political following.One bare-knuckles champion went on to serve in Congress. Despite the fame of some boxers, matches often tended to be scraps organized by neighborhood political bosses or outright gangsters. The fights could go on for hours, with opponents battering away at each other until one collapsed or was beaten insensible. While the contests involved punching, the action bore scant resemblance to modern boxing matches. The nature of the fighters was also different. As boxing was generally outlawed, there were no professional fighters. The pugilists tended to be otherwise employed. For instance, one noted bare-knuckles fighter in New York City, Bill Poole, was by trade a butcher, and was widely known as Bill the Butcher. (His life was very loosely adapted and portrayed in the Martin Scorsese film Gangs of New York.) Despite the notoriety and underground nature of bare knuckles fighting, some participants not only became famous, but were widely respected. Bill the Butcher, became a leader of the Know-Nothing Party in New York City before being assassinated. His funeral drew thousands of mourners, and was the largest public gathering in New York City until Abraham Lincolns funeral in April 1865. A perennial rival of Poole, John Morrissey, regularly found work as an election-day enforcer for New York City political factions. With what he earned boxing he opened saloons and gambling joints. His pugilistic reputation helped Morrissey to eventually be elected to Congress, representing a New York City district. John Morrissey during his bare knuckles boxing career. Library of Congress While serving on Capitol Hill, Morrissey became a popular figure. Visitors to Congress often wanted to meet the man known as Old Smoke, a nickname he picked up in a saloon fight when an opponent backed him up against a coal stove and set his clothes on fire. Morrissey, incidentally, proved he had enormous tolerance for pain when he won that particular fight. Later in the 19th century, when the boxer John L. Sullivan became popular, boxing became somewhat more legitimate. Still, the air of menace continued to surround boxing, and  major bouts were often held in peculiarly remote locations designed to skirt local laws. And publications like the Police Gazette, which focused on boxing events, seemed happy to make boxing seem shady. The London Rules Most boxing matches of the early 1800s were conducted under the London Rules, which were based on a set of rules laid down by an English boxer, Jack Broughton, in 1743. The basic premise of the Broughton Rules, and the subsequent London Prize Ring Rules, were that a round in a fight would last until a man went down. And there was a 30-second rest period between each round. Following the rest period, each fighter would have eight seconds to come to what was known as the scratch line in the middle of the ring. The fight would end when one of the fighters could not stand, or could not make it to the scratch line. Theoretically there was no limit to the number of rounds fought, so fights could go on for dozens of rounds. And because the fighters punched with bare hands, they could break their own hands by attempting knock-out punches to their opponents heads. So matches tended to be long battles of endurance. Marquess of Queensberry Rules A change in rules occurred in the 1860s in England. An aristocrat and sportsman, John Douglas, who held the title of the Marquess of Queensberry, developed a set of rules based on the use of padded gloves. The new rules came into use in the United States in the 1880s.

Tesco expanding in Dubai Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Tesco expanding in Dubai - Essay Example It mainly desired to present value-added products such as consumer electronics, clothes, consumer financial services, internet services, gas, consumer telecoms and many other useful articles. Other than this, Tesco Plc also expanded in varied other segments such as retailing of books, furniture, petrol and software; financial services, DVD rental, music downloads and telecoms and internet services. Not only this, Tesco Plc also operates in many other segments such as banking, fuels, tech-support, film making, technika and Tesco tyres. Therefore, due to the presence of varied types of essential articles, the retailer of Tesco Plc became successful to position itself as one of the renowned brand in the entire globe among many other rival retailers. This helped the organization of Tesco Plc to fulfil its vision to offer qualitative products at lowest price so as to maintain its portfolio in this segment effectively (Tesco, 2013). However, in order to enhance its brand value and dominanc e within the rival players of the retailing segment, Tesco Plc decided to enter and expand into the competitive markets of Dubai. This might proved effective for the organization of Tesco Plc to reduce its threats and enhance its strengths. Products of Tesco Plc Discussion Description of the organisational context of Tesco Plc Tesco Plc is a multinational retailer of grocery and general merchandise of United Kingdom, founded by Jack Cohen. Being headquartered in Cheshunt of United Kingdom, it operates successfully in many regions and markets in the entire globe. It includes stores in 15 countries such as Asia, Europe, North America, Malaysia, Republic of Ireland and many others. So, it is spotted as one of the leading British retailer in terms of total sales and brand image as compared to many other rival players. Along with this it also comprises a market share of 14.6 % and customer base of more than 1 million in both domestic as well as international markets. As a result, the mar ket value and distinctiveness of Tesco Plc is enhancing at a rapid pace as compared to other retailers such as Wal-Mart and Carrefour. Thus, it helped in enhancement of the revenues by ?64.826 billion by the year 2013 (Tesco, 2013). Apart from this, being a public limited organization, the net income and total assets enhanced by ?124.0 million and ?50.129 billion by 2013. And the total turnover of Tesco Plc in domestic or UK market is ?3.5 billion and in global market is ?8.6 billion. Along with this, it includes employees of more than 270,000 in domestic market and 150,000 staffs in global markets. This acted as one of the vital strengths of the organization of Tesco Plc that enhanced its market image and position in international perspectives. Therefore, in order to present the advantage of its value-added products, it decided to enter into Dubai (Tesco, 2013). Although, the retail market of Dubai is extremely

Read three questions and then write an essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Read three questions and then write an - Essay Example Besides, high risk is also attached with most form of securities that has been traded in the financial market, thereby , analysis of the movement of pricing and market trends remains highly important prior to undertaking any investment decision (Gitman, 2008). The environment of stock market and stock pricing is highly volatile, which led to significant difficulty in taking sound investment decisions for the investors where they need to consider the risks involved and the return combination at large. Additionally, the technical measure also plays an important role in predicting and analysing the movement of stock in future. The relevance of technical tools and measure has been studied in various literatures in quantifying the pricing movement of stock markets. Besides, in the presence of the aspect of technical measure, investor can be able to look forward and take effective buying and selling decision. Thus, the approach of technical supervision in the security market helps to provide opportunity to the investor to make high profitability through analysing the trend of the share prices (Vashishtha & et. al., 2013; Brownlees & et. al., 2012; Christiansen & et. al., 2012). In order to take the profitable position in the stock market, determining the possible movement of pricing of the security is highly important through using appropriate technical analysis. Thus, in this essay in order to determine appropriate investment plan for Brett Daly, two approaches of measuring the security pricing movement including Stock’s relative strength index (RSI) and moving average method have been used for determining the Nautilus security movement RSI, measures the speedily movement of pricing on the index of 0 to 100 whereas, moving average method is used to measure the pricing trend-followed as per security based on previous prices (Milionis & Papanagiotou, 2011; University of Rhode Island,

A look into the perspective of Operation Management in the context of Essay

A look into the perspective of Operation Management in the context of a Bank Call Centre - Essay Example Thus, the relationships and observations are considered to be independent of the theories used to explain them and can hence be studied, manipulated at will, and controlled as needed by the researcher. Another major characteristic of rationalist research is the goal of determining the distributions of a set of pre-specified variables in the population or verifying a set of pre-specified relationships. The main focal pint is to primarily considering the rationalist methods of modeling by equations, laboratory experiments, and statistical survey analysis in making comparisons to case research. Note that the division here does not parallel a frequently-used one of dividing operations management research between so-called 'theoretical' a misnomer, since all these paradigms can be theoretical and 'empirical' methods. Typical equation-modeling research would include variants of the economic order quantity formulation as well as production-inventory system simulations. Statistical survey research is currently being used in quality management, supply chain, and technology management investigations, among many others. Rationalist research methods also have their draw-b... First, obtaining valid empirical generalizations depends to a large extent on the use of sampling procedures that are rigorous, representative of a well-specified population, and provides a source of information concerning the constructs to be measured. Yet, despite the importance of employing rigorous sampling criteria for generalizability of the findings, the great majority of quantitative studies based on sampling appear to use samples of convenience or opportunity. A call center is a service network in which agents provide telephone-based services. Customers that seek these services are delayed in tele-queues. The attempt summarizes an analysis of a unique operation management record of call center operations. The data comprise a complete operational history of a small banking call center such as UTI, call by call, over a full year. Telephone call centers allow groups of agents to serve customers remotely, via the telephone. They have become a primary contact point between customers and their service providers and, as such, play an increasingly significant role in more developed economies. For example, it is estimated that call centers handle more than 78% of all business interactions and that they employ more than 2.5 million people. While call centers are technology-intensive operations, often 70% or more of their operating costs are devoted to human resources, and to minimize costs their managers carefully track and seek to maximize agent utilization. Well-run call centers adhere to a sharply-defined balance between agent efficiency and service quality, and to do so, they use queuing-theoretic models. The UTI center provides several types of services: information for current and prospective customers,

Current Environmental Problem Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Current Environmental Problem - Research Paper Example Global warming is a naturally occurring phenomenon and has, thus many advantages to offer. Had there been no such phenomenon, the Earth would have lost all heat, thus getting frozen. However, the global warming also exposes life on the Earth to innumerable threats. The constantly accumulating heat is sufficient to make the Earth unusually warm so that life on Earth would extinguish. First the immense heat would directly cause death of animals and plants. Secondly, deaths would occur because of lack of food. Ultimately, global warming when increased to dangerous extent, would cause death of all living beings. Humans are considered as the cardinal source of global warming, because their activities result into increase in the extent of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Scientific evidence of global warming: There is sufficient amount of scientific evidence to show that humans have played a big role in aggravating the global warming. According to the report about the change in climate generated by the Intergovernmental Panel (Liloia), human activities are the biggest contributors towards global warming. Many people tend to reject this truth thinking it is nothing more than a fake scientific theory. This, however, is a very wrong interpretation and usage of the term â€Å"theory† because science does provide objective evidence to render it much more than just a theory. One of the most important discoveries of science that speak of humans as the main contributors towards global warming is that there has been a rise in global temperatures along with the increase in CO2 rate in the atmosphere. There has been a tremendous increase in the level of water in rivers, seas and oceans since the past few decades. Glaciers have started to melt away as a result of increased global temperatures. This has resulted into frequent floods, cyclones and tsunamis. According to (Eilperin), 72 per cent Americans believe that global warming is truly happening. Applicability of eco logical knowledge to the problem of global warming: Various types of ecological factors are applicable to this problem. Why the ecological factors are applicable in the discussion of global warming can be explained with the help of a case study. There has been a significant change of climate in the Nilgiri hills of Southern India. Nilgiris and the areas near it make part of the peninsular India’s continental block. This block consists mainly of metamorphic rocks like charnockites, gneisses and schists (Chhabra). â€Å"The characteristic ecological features of the upper Nilgiri plateau at above 1200m are the shola-grassland ecosystem† (Chhabra). It is referred to as the climax ecotype. It has essentially resulted from the balance caused by three main reasons: 1. Firing done by inhabitants of the region. 2. Tough climatic controls in the region. 3. Climatic alterations happened in the Pleistocene era (Chhabra). Each of these three factors played its part in the developme nt of shoal-grassland climax ecosystem in Nilgiri. These factors are explained below: Firing done by inhabitants of the region: Todas, who are the indigenous people of Nilgiri set the area on fire immediately after the frost season starts, and migrate to the western side of plateau. When it is monsoon, they get back to the burnt area because it has by then, sprouted fresh grass. Tough

Outsourcing in the Workplace Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Outsourcing in the Workplace - Research Paper Example In this present era of globalization, outsourcing has gained much attention from many business organizations. Currently, it can be viewed that in order to expand the range of business activities and also to focus more upon the core competencies, business organizations often outsource their various tasks such as product designing, assembling, research and development, marketing, distribution, customers relations department and after-sales service among others. There are different kinds of outsourcing techniques that are readily practiced as well as implemented in the global business environment. The commonly used outsourcing streams principally include IT, legal, content, recruitment, manufacturing, logistics, web design and customer support. Workplace outsourcing can be employed in every kind of business. For example, relating to an Information Technology (IT) based company workplace outsourcing is mainly utilized for balancing demands of their end users ensuring greater mobility. It can be stated that an effectual workplace outsourcing technology decreases workplace complexity by delivering effective end-to-end management of their distributed computing environments. Other than providing stable work environments, workplace outsourcing enhances user productivity with quicker software rollout to a significant extent. Apart from the aforesaid advantages, outsourcing in the workplace can also be viewed to generate significant disadvantages affecting the overall business operations quite considerably (Kathawala, Zhang, & Shao, 2005). It is quite controversial to describe the nature of outsourcing concerning its benefits as well as disadvantages from an organizational standpoint as well as its workplace.   Explanation of Outsourcing as Good There are a number of advantages that can be gained from conducting outsourcing in the workplace. Outsourcing in the workplace can be treated as a cost-saving strategy. Cost saving or cutting cost is not a sole reason for a firm to outsource, but outsourcing can often be treated as a vital factor in building effective communication in the workplace to a certain degree. Through outsourcing firms often succeed in reducing stress for their core employees. For example, a company operating in the United States can outsource its marketing division to an outsourcing firm in an offshore locale with the intention of availing of lower labor wage rate as compared to the domestic market of the US. Through outsourcing, a company may increase its profitability to a certain degree. Moreover, it also might create a greater value especially for the customers along with the shareholders of a company. After outsourcing a task, a company becomes free to focus on evaluating its important strategic competencies. Along with that, a company can also focus on improving various significant aspects that include customer satisfaction, time-to-market, responsiveness and quality among others. Outsourcing improves the service quality wh ich is offered by the firms to the customers.  Ã‚  

Current Environmental Problem Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Current Environmental Problem - Research Paper Example Global warming is a naturally occurring phenomenon and has, thus many advantages to offer. Had there been no such phenomenon, the Earth would have lost all heat, thus getting frozen. However, the global warming also exposes life on the Earth to innumerable threats. The constantly accumulating heat is sufficient to make the Earth unusually warm so that life on Earth would extinguish. First the immense heat would directly cause death of animals and plants. Secondly, deaths would occur because of lack of food. Ultimately, global warming when increased to dangerous extent, would cause death of all living beings. Humans are considered as the cardinal source of global warming, because their activities result into increase in the extent of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Scientific evidence of global warming: There is sufficient amount of scientific evidence to show that humans have played a big role in aggravating the global warming. According to the report about the change in climate generated by the Intergovernmental Panel (Liloia), human activities are the biggest contributors towards global warming. Many people tend to reject this truth thinking it is nothing more than a fake scientific theory. This, however, is a very wrong interpretation and usage of the term â€Å"theory† because science does provide objective evidence to render it much more than just a theory. One of the most important discoveries of science that speak of humans as the main contributors towards global warming is that there has been a rise in global temperatures along with the increase in CO2 rate in the atmosphere. There has been a tremendous increase in the level of water in rivers, seas and oceans since the past few decades. Glaciers have started to melt away as a result of increased global temperatures. This has resulted into frequent floods, cyclones and tsunamis. According to (Eilperin), 72 per cent Americans believe that global warming is truly happening. Applicability of eco logical knowledge to the problem of global warming: Various types of ecological factors are applicable to this problem. Why the ecological factors are applicable in the discussion of global warming can be explained with the help of a case study. There has been a significant change of climate in the Nilgiri hills of Southern India. Nilgiris and the areas near it make part of the peninsular India’s continental block. This block consists mainly of metamorphic rocks like charnockites, gneisses and schists (Chhabra). â€Å"The characteristic ecological features of the upper Nilgiri plateau at above 1200m are the shola-grassland ecosystem† (Chhabra). It is referred to as the climax ecotype. It has essentially resulted from the balance caused by three main reasons: 1. Firing done by inhabitants of the region. 2. Tough climatic controls in the region. 3. Climatic alterations happened in the Pleistocene era (Chhabra). Each of these three factors played its part in the developme nt of shoal-grassland climax ecosystem in Nilgiri. These factors are explained below: Firing done by inhabitants of the region: Todas, who are the indigenous people of Nilgiri set the area on fire immediately after the frost season starts, and migrate to the western side of plateau. When it is monsoon, they get back to the burnt area because it has by then, sprouted fresh grass. Tough

Takata air bag Case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Takata air bag - Case Study Example The airbag industry has been witnessed as one of the high growth industry worldwide. The rapidly developing market of airbag includes South America, South-East Asia, Eastern Europe, China and India (Prasad, 2015). Since 2009, various safety measures taken by National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) has guided the automobile companies in the US to properly pass the side crash test which has further influenced the utilization of airbag safety equipment in the manufactured vehicles. The major manufacturers of the airbags within the global market include Autoliv, TRW, Delphi, Takata etc (Mattsson, 2015). Takata Corporation is a Japanese automotive parts manufacturer company which is one of the leading suppliers of vehicle airbag systems across the world. Apart from airbags the organization also deals in seatbelts, steering wheel system and child restraints system for a number of automobile companies. The organization was founded by Takezo Takada in 1933. Their major clients include Honda Motor Company, Toyota Motor Company and Nissan Motor Company. The organization has recorded annual revenue of approximately $4.5 billion by the end of 2014. Currently, the organization is recalling a large number of vehicles which as using Takata-made airbag system due to the recently found defective functions of the product. According to the current data the organization is recalling near about 34 million vehicles to replace their defected airbag system (Klayman, B. 2015). The vision statement of the organization defines their motivation towards the continuous development and innovation. The vision of the organization provides immense importance towards the preciousness of life while developing and designing any safety product (Takata Corporation. 2014). Situational analysis can be described as the collection of different methods that can be utilized by the management of different organizations to analyze their external

Paying less for fashion Essay Example for Free

Paying less for fashion Essay Mr. Rubel, a director of SUPERVALU since 2010, serves as a Senior Advisor with TPG Capital, a leading global private investment firm with $49 billion of capital under management. Until 2011 Mr. Rubel was the Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Collective Brands, Inc., the holding company for Payless ShoeSource, Collective Brands Performance Lifestyle Group and Collective Licensing International and a leader in lifestyle, fashion and performance brands for footwear and related accessories. Mr. Rubel joined Collective Brands in 2005 as Chief Executive Officer and President. Among many qualifications, Mr. Rubel brings significant retail and branding experience and experience as a chief executive officer of a large public company, including managing a significant business transformation. Mr. Rubel is a Director and serves as Chairman of the Governance Committee for The Hudson Bay Company. From 2005 until 2011, Mr. Rubel was a director of Collective Brands, Inc., and from 2006 to 2008, Mr. Rubel was a director of Furniture Brands International, Inc., a company that designs, manufactures, sources and sells home furnishings. It is perhaps one of the most representatives CEO of the last years in the fashion world. Her task as leader of Payless has made this company become one of the largest distributors of shoes worldwide. He has managed to position it as one of the most attractive companies to work by the most renowned designers. His work in difficult times was very good and is redeemable know how tackle these big problems could redesign and rethink a new strategy in order to give it another go to Payless. Lela Rose After graduating from Parsons School of Design in 1993, she went to work with two esteemed designers, Richard Tyler and Christian Francis Roth. There she honed her love of couture fabric as well as fanatic attention to detail. In 1998, Lelas vision and passion compelled her to create her signature collection, Lela Rose. Through intricately designed and finely detailed separates, dresses and jackets, Lela has established herself as a renowned designer. The Lela Rose collection is built on a design philosophy of creating hand finished clothes that exude a casual luxury and refinement. The beautiful embellished fabrics are the foundation of this innovative collection and speak to the elegance of its personality with a nod to the era of glamour. Lela Roses collection has garnered her a following of trendsetters across the country. Lelas ready to wear apparel under the Lela Rose label is sold in more than 75 specialty stores nationwide, as well as Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Bloomingdales and internationally in Canada, Europe, Russia, the Middle East, Taiwan and Japan. In Fall 2006, Lela Rose launched the Lela Rose Wedding collection. The collection is a pairing of unconventional fabrics and techniques that are trademarks of the designer. The impeccable quality and couture sensibility of these gowns make them one of a kind. The Lela Rose Wedding collection can be found in bridal boutiques nationwide as well as internationally. With the success of both collections, the Lela Rose brand expanded into footwear in the Fall of 2007. Rose partnered with Payless Shoesource to create the Lela Rose for Payless brand of fashion forward shoes at an extremely affordable price. This collection was followed up by Unforgettable Moments by Lela Rose, a collection of dyeable special occasion shoes that launched late in 2008. Both collections can be found in Payless stores nationwide. In 2009, Lela Rose announced she was launching Lela Rose Bridesmaid, a partnership with the Dessy Group. The Lela Rose Bridesmaid collection can be found in over 200 bridesmaid stores nationwide as well as in Canada and in the United Kingdom. Stacey Bendet. Stacey â€Å"Staceypants† Bendet was born Stacey Wiener in Chappaqua, New York. She graduated from Horace Greeley High School and went on to the University of Penn where she was a member of the gymnastics team. Stacey turned to a life of fashion after an interview on Wall Street. She rollerbladed to the interview in â€Å"orange pants and a fur bomber jacket† only to leave immediately after seeing her competition. Stacey then turned to the internet where she designed web sites for fashion houses. That designing led her and a friend to start â€Å"Alice + Olivia† with their first show involving models wearing â€Å"pants with Partridge Family–style vertical stripes and not much else besides some strategically placed bouquets.† The show was a success with requests from celebrities and stores like Fred Segal and Barneys, where she went on to be a pants designer, came pouring in. As with all of New York’s elite, rumors fly, but Bendet herself is responsible for the one about attending her yoga classes drunk. Also, some say she is reaping the benefits of her parents money and her partner is actually the talented one, while Bendet yells, makes people cry, and takes laxatives all day. Oh, the price one pays for being rich and famous. On the good side, Bendet reportedly does charity work for organizations like the New York Pubilc Library and Wyclef Jean’s Yele Haiti Organization. Designer Stacey Bendet, designs the Alice + Olivia womens and kids collections in addition to a shoe collection for Payless. She has been on the Vanity Fair Best Dressed list for two years in a row. Last year, she was married to Eric Eisner, and the couple had their first child, Eloise Breckenridge Eisner, on November 24, 2008. Cristhian Siriano Designer old Christian Siriano hails from Annapolis, Maryland, and was educated at Baltimore School for the Arts and The American Intercontinental University, London. Inspired by McQueen and Westwood, he is a freelance designer who travels from New York City to Los Angeles to work with designer Rosetta Getty. Siriano’s career in design began when he was 13 years old, as he worked for a local salon where he created costumes for the yearly hair show competition. Upon graduating from the Baltimore School for the Arts, he moved on to study at the American Intercontinental University in London and consequently showcased his small collection on 2005’s London Fashion Week in Fall. He was then given the opportunity to work with Vivienne Westwood, and was consequently given a position at Alexander McQueen. Christian Siriano was one of fifteen hopefuls on season 4 of Bravo’s reality fashion competition, Project Runway. He won three challenges throughout the season: What are The Skinny, En Garde, and The Art of Fashion. At the reunion show, Christian won $10,000 as this seasons Fan Favorite. On the final episode, Christian was named the winner of Project Runway and guest judge Victoria Beckham asked him to design an outfit for her. They have since worked together and he has designed several outfits for her. He has been incredibly successful after the show, teaming up with Puma, Gaia Online, Payless Shoesource and Victoria’s Secret. Aside from launching his own make-up line, he has also penned a book called Fierce Style: How to Be Your Most Fabulous Self. He later appeared on even more shows, including Make Me a Supermodel and Ugly Betty. In 2010, he starred in his own Bravo special called Christian Siriano: Having a Moment, which chronicled the time he spent preparing his collection for Fashion Week. Maxine Clark Maxine Clark is one of the true innovators in the retail industry. During her successful retail career, her ability to spot emerging retail and merchandising trends and her insight into the desires of the American consumer have generated growth for retail leaders, including department store, discount and specialty stores. In 1997, she founded Build-A-Bear Workshop ®, a teddy-bear themed retail-entertainment experience. Maxine was the Chief Executive Bear until June, 2013. Today there are more than 400 Build-A-Bear Workshop stores worldwide, including company-owned stores in the U.S., Puerto Rico, Canada, the United Kingdom and Ireland, and franchise stores in Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, Mexico and the Middle East. The company extends its in-store interactive experience online with its award winning virtual world atbuildabearville.com. Isaac Mizrahi Isaac Mizrahi holds the distinction of being one of todays best-known American fashion designers. His fame comes from far more than his runway creations, however: Mizrahi is a bona fide celebrity who has applied his abundant energy to a number of diverse projects. In 1995, early in his career as a designer, he was the subject of a widely praised film documentary titled Unzipped. During 1997 he published a collection of three comic books under the title Isaac Mizrahi Presents the Adventures of Sandee the Supermodel. Two years after the 1998 closing of his high-priced clothing design business, Mizrahi explored his love of theater by crafting and starring in a one-man Off-Broadway cabaret show called Les Mizrahi. The following year he began hosting his own offbeat talk show, fittingly called The Isaac Mizrahi Show, on the cable network Oxygen. During 2004 Mizrahi returned to his fashion-design origins with the launch of two new ventures appealing to very different members of the buying public: an affordable yet fashionable line of clothing for discount retailer Target, and Isaac Mizrahi to Order, a company creating high-end custom-made clothing for consumers willing to spend $20,000 on a single dress. Through all of his various projects, Mizrahi has displayed a fun-loving, humorous, and adventurous style, proving that even high fashion need not take itself too seriously. Karl Lagerfield Is a German fashion designer, artist and photographer based in Paris. He is the head designer and creative director for the fashion house Chanel as well as the Italian house Fendi, in addition to having his own label fashion house. Over the decades he has collaborated on a variety of fashion and art related projects. He is well recognized around the world for his trademark white hair, black glasses, and high starched collars. Isabel Toledo Isabel Toledo was born in Cuba and moved to New Jersey where she attended high school and met her future husband and collaborator, Ruben Toledo. She attended the Fashion Institute of Technology (NY) and Parsons School of Design (NY) where she studied painting, ceramics, and fashion design. An avid seamstress from a young age, Toledos work reflects not only a distinct design sense but a keen understanding of garment construction and appreciation for the geometric intricacies of pattern shapes. In 1985, Toledo presented her first collection. In 1998, she stopped presenting biannual collections, instead choosing to create on her own schedule. Toledo was named creative director of Anne Klein in 2006 after more than twenty years of working solely under her own name. Toledo made her debut with Anne Klein at New York Fashion Week in February 2007.[1] Toledo and Anne Klein parted ways later in 2007. ORGANIZATION INVOLVED COMPETITIVE COMPANIES Walmart: Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., branded as Walmart, is an American multinational retail corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the worlds second largest public corporation, according to the Fortune Global 500 list in 2013, the biggest private employer in the world with over two million employees, and is the largest retailer in the world. Walmart remains a family-owned business, as the company is controlled by the Walton family, who own a 48 percent stake in Walmart.[5][6] It is also one of the worlds most valuable companies. â€Å"Shoes Cost Less at Walmart From womens shoes, mens shoes to athletic shoes for the whole family, youll find all the shoes youre looking for at Walmart.com. Whether youre checking out the seasons hottest womens sandals or trying to find new kids shoes for their ever-growing feet, our selection of shoes has got it all covered. You can shop our shoes by category to discover everyday low prices on sneakers, styles under $10, work shoes and more. You can also shop our list of best-selling shoes to see the most popular trends of the season. So shop shoes at Walmart.com — and save† Target The Target Corporation, originally the Dayton Dry Goods Company and later the Dayton Hudson Corporation, is an American retailing company, founded in 1902 and headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, Walmart being the largest. The company is ranked 36th on the Fortune 500 as of 2013 and is a component of the Standard Poors 500 index. Its bullseye trademark is licensed to Wesfarmers, owners of the separate Target Australia chain which is unrelated to Target Corporation. The first Target store was opened in 1962 in Roseville, Minnesota. Target grew and eventually became the largest division of Dayton Hudson Corporation, culminating in the company being renamed as Target Corporation in August 2000. In 2013, Target expanded into Canada and now operates over 100 locations through its Canadian subsidiary. â€Å"if you’re looking for the latest styles in women’s shoes, Target has you covered. It’s a shoe–in! Pump it up with our wide selection of peep toes,slingbacks, heels and pumps that come in a variety of heights. Indulge in cool neutrals, or select styles in colors designed to pop. Want toshow off that kickin’ pedicure? A pair of strappy sandals will definitely give it the attention it deserves. Sandals with multi–tone designs, glamaccents or uber–cool prints–you name it, we have it. If you have a serious case of FLAT–itude, we also have a large collection of ballet shoes,moccasins, flats, boat shoes and more. Execute a perfect cha-cha or samba in footwear that screams endurance and comfort.† Kohls Kohls Corporation is an American department store chain headquartered in the Milwaukee suburb of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, operating 1,146 stores in 49 states as of February 2013. In 1998, it entered the SP 500 list, and is also listed in the Fortune 500 (#146 in 2012). The chain was the 20th-largest retailer in the United States in 2013 in terms of revenue I.n 2011, Kohls was the second largest U.S. store company by retail sales. ASSOCIATED BRANDS Keds: Is an American brand of plimsoll-style canvas shoe with rubber soles. Keds were introduced in 1916 by U.S. Rubber (later known as Uniroyal, then Uniroyal Goodrich, and finally acquired by Michelin). The shoe brand was later acquired by Stride Rite Corporation and is currently owned byWolverine World Wide. When choosing a name, the initial choice was Peds, from the Latin meaning foot, but that name was already a trademark. Keds were first mass-marketed as canvas-top sneakers in 1960. They became known as sneakers because the rubber soles allowed sneaking around silently. In the 1960s and 1970s, Keds added to its range of casual shoes a line of athletic shoes called Pro-Keds for more serious use, specifically forbasketball. Keds have been used by many athletes. In countries like India or Soviet Union, Keds has been transformed into a generic brand and until recently any athletic shoe was customarily called a Keds. Keds are a staple at physical training classes in the school curriculum, and usually the students are needed to compulsorily wear the basic white Keds for their classes. â€Å"today, Keds is a head-to-toe fashion lifestyle brand fueled by a passion for imagination, inspiring a new generation of girls to stay authentic, optimistic and brave.† Sperry Top-Sider On an icy winters day in 1935, Paul Sperry watched in amazement as his cocker spaniel Prince ran across the icy New England landscape without slipping. Sperry, a former naval officer, avid sailor and part-time inventor, had been trying to design a proper shoe to safely navigate the slippery deck of his sloop, Sirocco. Nature and Princes paws provided the ultimate answer. Tooling a pattern in a rubber outsole similar to the wave-like grooves on Princes paws, Paul Sperry created a truly sea-worthy boat shoe. The first Sperry Top-Sider Authentic Original was officially launched and the worlds first boat shoe was born. Over 75 Years later, Sperry remains the vanguard of the nautical lifestyle. From the worlds first boat shoe to todays product collections featuring iconic design details, enduring style and the latest performance technologies, Sperry Top-Sider embodies a passion for the sea and the good life it represents. Tommy Hilfiger As one of the world’s leading lifestyle brands, Tommy Hilfiger delivers superior styling, quality and value to consumers worldwide. The band celebrates the essence of classic American cool and provides a refreshing twist to the preppy fashion genre. Since its debut in 1985, the Tommy Hilfiger Group has become a US$ 4.6 billon apparel and retail company by offering consumers a breadth of beautifully designed, high quality products including men’s women’s and children’s apparel, sportswear, denim, and range of licensed products such as accessories, fragrances and home furnishings. Kenneth Cole: Kenneth Cole Productions, Inc. (NYSE: KCP) is an American fashion house founded in 1982 by Kenneth Cole. He originally named the company Kenneth Cole Incorporated in September 1982 and planned to showcase his new line of shoes during market week at the Hilton New York Hotel. Finding that he could not afford to purchase a hotel room or showroom to exhibit his line, he borrowed a truck and asked the mayor’s office for permission to park two blocks away from the Hilton Hotel in front of a fancy shoe building. Upon learning that permits were only granted to utility companies and production companies shooting full-length motion pictures, Cole changed the name of the company to Kenneth Cole Productions, Inc. and applied for a permit to shoot a full-length motion picture entitled â€Å"The Birth of a Shoe Company†. With Kenneth Cole Productions painted on the side of the truck, they opened for business on December 2, 1982, in front of 1370 Avenue of the Americas. They had a fully furnished forty-foot trailer, klieg lights, a director, a rolling camera, models as actresses, and two NYPD policemen as doormen. A velvet rope allowed a limited number of people into the trailers and in two and a half days they sold forty thousand pairs of shoes. The company remains Kenneth Cole Productions, Inc. to this day to honor this unusual beginning In 1985, Kenneth Cole opened his first store on Columbus Avenue in Manhattan, followed shortly thereafter by another store on Union Street in San Francisco. Kenneth Cole retail and Company Stores can now be found worldwide in countries such as Mexico, Canada, Venezuela, Colombia, Israel,United, UnitedKingdom, Philippines, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore, Australia and South Africa. Michael Kors Michael Kors (USA), Inc. designs and produces luxury accessories and sportswear for men and women in North America. The company offers dresses, tops, jeans and pants, skirts and shorts, outerwear, special sizes, swimming products, spring trends, and Michaels picks for women; handbags and small leather goods; shoes, including sandals, pumps, wedges, flats, and boots and booties; watches and jewelry; and accessories, such as belts and fragrance, and gifts. It also provides apparels, sunglasses, underwear, loungewear and sleepwear, and cologne for men. Michael Kors (USA), Inc. was founded in 1981 and is based in New York, New York with lifestyle stores in Edison, New Jersey; Paris, France; Vancouver, Canada; San Antonio, Texas; Boston, Massachusetts; and Valencia, California. MAGAZINE ELLE Is a worldwide lifestyle magazine of French origin that focuses on fashion, beauty, health, and entertainment. Elle is also the worlds bestselling fashion magazine. It was founded by Pierre Lazareff and his wife Hà ©là ¨ne Gordon in 1945. The title, in French, means she. Today, it is the world’s largest fashion magazine, with 43 international editions in over 60 countries. Technologically speaking, the Elle brand is a global network encompassing over 33 websites. Subscriptions account for 73 percent of readers. There are 33 Elle websites globally, which collectively attract over 25 million unique visitors and 370 million page views per month[4] Elle reaches over 21 million readers. The vast majority (82 percent) of Elles audience are women between the ages of 18 and 49. Elle readers have a median age of 34.7 years. Forty percent of readers are single, and the median household income is $69,973. Our readers are young enough to think about life as an adventure and old enough to have the means to live it, said Robbie Myers, editor in chief. Elle owes its graphic signature to Art director Peter Knapp. Vogue Magazine is a fashion and lifestyle, which is published in many countries. It is a monthly publication aimed primarily at audiences interested in both fashion trends as lifestyle. It is considered the worlds most influential post that is published in 14 countries. The distributed Condà © Nast Publications, based in the U.S. city of New York. The first issue appeared on December 17, 1892. He began as a weekly, then biweekly, and monthly now. W magazine W is a monthly American fashion magazine published by Condà © Nast Publications, who purchased original owner Fairchild Publications in 1999. It was created in 1972 by the publisher of sister magazine Womens Wear Daily, James Brady. The magazine is an oversize format – ten inches wide and thirteen inches tall. Stefano Tonchi is the editor of W; Nina Lawrence is the vice president and publisher. W magazine has a reader base of nearly half a million, 469,000 of which are annual subscribers. 80 percent of the magazines readers are female and have an average household income of $135,840. STRATEGY First, the company should focus on better understanding the customer and their needs. More research is needed regarding what the customer experience in stores and what else do they expect the company to deliver them , as the management of fashion products , can become boring for customers at some point and in some way go out of style to them , which will lead to other products in the competition. This as the company is focused on customers between 20 and 30 years who purchase a larger quantity of shoes, but also change their minds more often and is more difficult to retain segment. On this issue, it is important that the company generates strategies that allow customer loyalty so that they seek only Payless shoes and accessories in decreasing the risk of direct competition, the above is feasible to achieve to track the companys participation in fashion shows of the major cities , advertising in magazines and also a coupon , preferred customer cards and other attractions that help customers generate a high recall brand . On the other hand , it is important that the company also locate a focus on new segments and improved product offerings for men, older women, children and in general for the whole family . The company currently has an image of offering products for young people and their strategies focus on delivering products to other segments the sales of the company can significantly increase and improve margins for partners. The renewal of collections should go together a wide range of products throughout the time in which the collection is current , otherwise , customers come to the stores at the beginning of the collection and will be for them a novelty, but after half the time of the collection or the end of the sales may be affected because customers will not find novelty in products, then to keep sales constant is important that the company has a good assortment innovative shoes and accessories in the duration of each collection. This can be tricky to achieve particularly in relation to the management of production costs and also in terms of the distribution chain, in order to minimize these risks is of great importance generates a strict planning and control each of both design processes, such as production and distribution throughout the supply chain, which will have or maintain its current competitive advantage. Furthermore, the company must generate sound policy management of its human resources not only in their stores but also in the factories that produce as this can generate greater prestige to the business and attract more customers by empathy policy development on human resources and social responsibility. Question for Discussion 1. Which of the different product mix pricing strategies discussed in the text applies best to payless new strategy? Payless For two handled ways of pricing strategy. The first is the competitive pricing strategy, because the large surface chains were entering the business, had to maintain low costs with the mood of even remain competitive and thats when entering the second pricing strategy is the strategy. The psychological price was instrumental in the development of the new corporate strategy. The stores became much more comfortable and much more brands hired additional recognized and trusted, which generated a positive perception approaching clients. The company is returned much more competitive and achievement to establish a business model focused on the distribution of brands and innovative shoes thanks to the hiring of renowned designers worldwide. 2. How do concepts such as psychological pricing and reference pricing apply to the Payless Strategy? In what ways does the strategy deviate from these concepts? Customers know that when arriving at Payless can find brands and models of shoes from famous designers at prices much lower than in the normal market, but not only that determined the success of the company. Trust, responsibility, environment model shops and sell their shoes which have made ​​people detect a unique and innovative model to its most direct competition. The strategy can deviate from these concepts through customer care. People often need greater customer care and the fact that a model which provides the self does start losing attention to the wishes of the client. On the other hand need to have a large amount of supply. People seek innovation and variability Payless therefore has the obligation to renew its product portfolio much faster than the competition or their dealers themselves in order not to lose the appeal against their clients. http://www.fashionmodeldirectory.com/designers/stacey-bendet/ http://www.forbes.com/profile/matthew-rubel/ http://www.buddytv.com/info/christian-siriano-info.aspx http://www.notablebiographies.com/news/Li-Ou/Mizrahi-Isaac.html http://www.walmart.com/cp/Shoes/1045804 http://www.target.com/c/women-s-shoes/-/N-5xtd2 http://www.keds.com/store/SiteController/keds/us_keds http://www.sperrytopsider.com/store/SiteController/sperry/History_sperry http://global.tommy.com/int/en/About/overview http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenneth_Cole_Productions http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=1007367 http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vogue_(revista