Womens Studies On Sex In Society Essays - Gender Studies

Women's Studies on Sex in Society Sex plays a major role in today's society. From television advertisements and violence within society, all forms of media use sex to help sell their products. With the public being exposed to so many different types, the overuse and exploitation of sex is common. Is sex a useful tool, or a ploy to get the attention of the public? In some instances, it even encourages violence. The world we live in today is still man-made, no less now then in the nineteenth century. As Englishmen began to develop an identity in 19th century society, they mirrored the ideals for women of the Victorian period: gentility, weakness, ignorance and submissiveness. Opposing Viewpoints as the relationship of a man or woman to Society on the basis of gender became essential in shaping male and female attitudes towards one another. Over the past twenty years remarkable changes in these traditional male and female roles have been witnessed. The subsequent impact on men, women, and families due to these changes is believed to be, by many social historians, caused by the re-emergence of the women's movement. Recent research has established beyond a doubt that males and females are born with a different set of instructions built into their genetic code. Studies at Harvard University and elsewhere show that marked differences between male and female baby behavior are already obvious in the first months of life. Females are more oriented towards people. Male infants, on the other hand, are more interested in things. Stanford psychologists conclude that women are communicative animals while men are manipulative animals. Some people believe this is hereditary, while others think that if 2 boys and girls were brought up in exactly the same way then all behavioral differences between men and women would evaporate. Beginning in early adolescence, children develop their own ideas of male and female roles with the perception of the conduct and activities of his or her parents and other adults in their world, including characters on television. Young people are exposed to advertising from a very early age. The effect, especially of advertising on television, has a significant bearing on girls' and boys' behavior, and their aspirations. To most children the commercial message is another piece of information received from the television set. It is often difficult for them to distinguish truth from fiction, particularly when the fiction is packaged in compelling words. striking images, and catchy music. An overwhelming amount of the visualizations that young kids see are the stereotypical images of women and girls. This almost makes it seem legitimized, as it is enforced and perpetuated by the mass dissemination of these images in broadcasting. Children know in their minds that women, like men, come in all ages, shapes, sizes, and colors, but they do not see this represented in the broadcast media. The increasing diversity of women's lives is also omitted in most broadcasting. For example, commercials and programming most often portray women as mothers performing domestic tasks, as economically dependent homemakers, or as sexual lures for products or decorative objects. Personally, I have even seen movies that often have sexual violence in them, making it more like an everyday normal thing. Such images constitute a limiting or narrowing of women's, men's, and children's perceptions of themselves and their roles in society. 3 In an intensive study done on American programming, it was found that a sexual act or reference occurred every four minutes on average during prime time. Sex Sells, the old adage goes. Sexiness, as a component of the good life, is a staple for advertisers - Coca-Cola decorated its drug-store posters at the turn of the century with coquettish young women who male drinkers wished to date and female drinkers to emulate. Finnish yogurt makers ran an ad with hot, young, well built Finnish boys holding containers of yogurt, with the slogan Less fat, more taste.... Eat it. This aroused a scandal and nationwide debate. A formal poll was conducted on these ads and some interesting statistics were produced. Two-thirds of respondents were male, and two-thirds thought the ad was sexist. There was a sharp contrast in the female contingent, as the vast majority of whom thought the ads were sexy and quite acceptable. Many newspapers

Implications of labour market flexibility on Human Resource Management The WritePass Journal

Implications of labour market flexibility on Human Resource Management Introduction Implications of labour market flexibility on Human Resource Management ). To fully comprehend the impact of labour market flexibility on international human resource management, it is worthwhile to examine Atkinsons model which forms the basis of strategies that most companies use Atkinson’s model Atkinson’s model identifies four main flexibilities sought by companies: Functional: the functional ability describes the firm’s ability to match the skills of employees with tasks by dismantling the traditional rigidities between different occupational groups (Kalleberg 2001). This is mainly achieved through outsourcing and offshoring of services. External numerical flexibility this involves adjustment of the labour force from external market and is achieved through relaxed hiring and firing regulations and through temporary employment (Leighton 2003) Internal numerical flexibility this refers to the adjustment of schedules or working hours and comprise mainly of part-time jobs (Wilton 2013) Financial/wage flexibility this flexibility involves the wage differences and is done with the aim of ensuring that employment cost reflects the supply and demand of labour (Wilton 2013). It comprise mainly of individual performance wages, assessment based pay and rate-for- the job systems In Atkinson’s model, within the core group, are highly skilled workers with firm-specific capabilities. This group contains a unique resource and thus the focus of human resource managers is ensuring their retention. Workers in the first peripheral group are considered to posses skills which are not firm-specific and hence the firm may rely on external market to fill such posts (functional and numerical flexibility) (Wilton 2013). The second peripheral group comprise mainly of workers under atypical forms of employment, providing both the temporal and numerical flexibility. This model describes how companies respond to the increased need for flexibility. Implications of labour market flexibility on international human resource management A commonly held view is that Labour market flexibility is an essential ingredient for progress. It has been seen for a long time as unequivocally good, helping address the wide problems of unemployment (Rowley 2013). It is also seen as a key ingredient for growth especially under turbulent global economic conditions. According to some commentators, Labour market flexibilities have created a knowledge intensive economy where most of the workers get involved in knowledge intensive work and benefit from high wages attached to those jobs (Schuler Jackson 2005). Labour market flexibility is also seen to be of paramount importance, helping in the control of labour costs and satisfying demand for labour. Having just the right number of workers and hiring others at wages that reflect their differing productivity certainly reduces the labour costs associated with traditional approaches of staffing and training (Silvia 2010).   In addition, they enable the company to adjust to fluctuations in business demand and achieve greater efficiency which is made possible by matching of skills and tasks. In spite of these benefits, critics have argued that most of the benefits of flexible labour markets are short-run and have pointed out to the wider negative impacts on the human resource development. The perspective of a radical upskilling has been criticized by sceptics who argue that the growth of a knowledge economy is overstated and that a significant proportion of non-standard forms of employment are in fact low skilled and poorly paid menial jobs (Wilton 2013). These non-standard forms of employment are also a major source of income inequality, driving the wage gap. They have increased income inequality in many countries. However, it remains unclear as to the extent to which such inequality can be attributed to non-standard forms of work. For example, some economies such as Lithuania, Romania and Latvia have experienced an increase in income inequality despite a decline in atypical forms of work, indicating the possibility of other institutional factors coming into play (Rani 2008) A similar issue of concern relates to job security. As with atypical forms of work, job security is not guaranteed which results in reductions in job tenure and increase in workers mobility across different firms. Although employers may emphasize their role in ensuring employability of workers in terms of the skills that can be transferable across firms as opposed to offering them with job security; it poses the question: just how portable are skills learned on and off-the-job (Vaitilingham 2006 p.28). There is also a concern of the widening income inequality. Flexible working arrangements are seen to further widen the wage gap. However, there is mixed evidences with regard to the impact of labour market flexibilities on income inequality. Whereas studies by Blanchard Landlier (2002) and Giesecke Gross (2004) have argued that there is no upward mobility for atypical forms of employment; studies by Gregg wadsworth (1996) have found these labour market flexibilities as widening income inequality. Perhaps, an issue that has received much attention is the concern of declining employee and employer commitment. Flexible working arrangements such as outsourcing involve contracting out services by the management, which implies engaging labour without obligation (Hall 2013). In return, workers implicated in outsourcing tend to feel little obligation. It can therefore be made that firms that outsource their services runs the risk of reduced employee and employer commitment to human resource development strategies as well. There is a host of other issues of concern associated with non-standard employment such as low pay, lack of promotion, lack of employer pension scheme and even lack of sick pay provision (McGovern et al 2004). This can be seen in the UK and some other Europe countries. Similar patterns of problems have been observed by Kalleberg et al. (2003) in the US, indicating the potentially harmful effects of labour market flexibility on human resources. The national government dilemma of creating a flexible workforce. Labour market flexibility seems to have had tremendous impacts on in the business world. Whereas these atypical forms of unemployment may not be new, the tactics and strategies employed in some countries is. For instance, some labour patterns in Germany mirrors the zero hours contacts in UK (Wilton 2013). The implications of these labour market flexibilities in Human Resource Management and industrial relations are obvious, ranging from increased job insecurity to decreased employee commitment to skill loss and reduced employee loyalty trust However, there remains a dilemma with regard to creating a flexible workforce. Neo-liberal economists hold of the view that labour market flexibility plays an important role in economic progress and is key to overcoming the turbulent effects of economic instability (Wilton 2013). National governments are thus under pressure to minimize the regulation of business practices in response to the changing nature of the labour market. But at the same time, they must strike a balance between economic responsiveness and employee protection. This can be seen with the long battle over the rights for workers working under atypical forms of employment such as temporary contracts, a key characteristic of the labour market flexibility Conclusion Labour market flexibilities such as part time jobs, temporary contract, outsourcing, labour hire and contracting out have significant impacts on human resource development. To some degree, it can be seen that flexible labour markets may minimize labour costs associated with recruitment and staff training. Although such non-standard forms of employment have short-run cost benefits associated with declining employer funded training, the human resource sector will suffer in the long run in terms of reduced employee commitment, skill loss, and declining employee loyalty and trust. Flexible labour arrangements such as outsourcing need not to be viewed as simply a cost-cutting exercise. However, cost reduction continues to become a major motivation for most companies. There is also an imperative need to strike a balance between economic responsiveness and employee protection. Strategies need to be devised that take into consideration both the benefits of flexible working arrangements and its implications on human resources in terms of the job content, job security and loyalty of different groups of workers. References Anagnostopoulous, A., 2008. Labour market flexibility in Central Greece: findings from workplace employment relations survey. Chicago press Blanchard, O. and Landlier, A., 2002.   The perverse effects of partial labor market reform: fixed duration contracts in France. Economic Journal, 112, pp.214-244. Brodsky, m., 1994 labour market flexibility: a changing international perspective. Monthly Labour Review Conley, H., 2008. Work, employment and society: the nightmare of temporary work: a comment on Fevre, Sage publications, vol 22 European Societies, 6, 347-382. Flau, F. and Mittelstadt, A., 2010. Labour market flexibility. OECD Economics and Statistics Department Giesecke, J., Gross, M., 2004. External Labour Market Flexibility and Social Inequality. Gregg wadsworth, 1996. The UK labour market and the 2008-2009 recession. Centre for Economic Performance Hall, 2013. Outsourcing, contracting-out and labour hire: implications for human resource development in Australian organizations. [viewed on 26th November] Available from voced.edu.au/content/ngv21101 Heckley, G., 2005. offshoring and the labour market: the IT and call centre occupations considered. Office of National Statistics Hunter, L., McGregor, A., Maclnnes, J. and Sproull, A., 1993.The flexible firm: strategy and segmentation. British journal of Industrial Relations, vol. 31: 3 Kalleberg, A. L., 2003. ‘Flexible firms and labor market segmentation: Effects of workplace restructuring on jobs and workers’, Work and Occupations, 30(2): 154–75 Kalleberg, A.L., 2001. Organizing flexibility: the flexible firm in a new century. British Journal of Industrial   Relations, pp.479-504 Leighton, P., 2003 flexible labour markets, intermediation and the rise of the strategic individualist: challenges for law. Wales, UK. McGovern, P., Smeaton, D., and Hill, S., 2004. Bad jobs in Britain: non-standard employment and job quality, work and occupations, vol.31 (2), pp.225-249 Penn, R., Lilja, K. and Scattergood, H., 2013. Flexibility and unemployment patterns in the contemporary paper industry: a comparative analysis of mills in Britain and Finland. Industrial Relations Journal. Rani, U., 2008. Impacts of changing work patterns on income inequality. Discussion paper. International Institute for Labour Studies Rowley, C., 2013. Issues in employee resourcing: is all labour flexibility good? London: Cass Business School Schuler, R.S. and Jackson, S.E., 2005. A quarter-century review of human resource management in the US: the growth in importance of the international perspective. Management Review, vol. 16. (1) Silva, S.R., 2010. Human resource management, industrial relations and achieving management objectives. International Labour Organization. ACT publications Taylor, P and Bain, P., 2005. Work, employment and society: india calling to the far away towns: the call centre labour process and globalization. Work Employment Society, vol. 19 Vaitilingam, R., 2006. Human resources, the labour market and economic performance. Manpower. Center for Economic Performance Vicente-Lorente, J. D. and Suarez-Gonzalez, I. (2007). Ownership traits and downsizing behaviour: Evidence for the largest Spanish firms, 1990-1998. Organization Studies, 28: 1613-1638. Warhurst, C., Grugulis, I. and Keep, E. (eds), 2004. The Skills that Matter, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan Wilton, N., 2013. An introduction to human resource management. Second edition. London: Sage publications

Auditing and Assurance Services Identification

The obligation of duty of care varies with the each case scenario as the severity of duty enhances the extent of responsibility. A greater duty of care will arise when it relates to the matters which are presumed to be in the knowledge of professional accountant or where fees are charged (Gay and Simnett, 2010).   A Professional accountant may accept a commission from the third party in connection with the sale of goods and services to a client. In the present case, Peter Harmon, professional accountant advises its clients to purchase computer services from Bunker L Ltd. In consideration Bunker, L Ltd has promised to pay 10% commission. Peter Harmon hasn’t violated Accounting code of ethics. According to Section 120 of APES Code of ethics for professional accountant’s states that a Member in practice may accept referral fees related to the client but only in certain situations (Mironiuc, Robu and Robu, 2012). This acceptance of commission or referral fee creates a self-interest threat objectivity, professional competence and due care but accountant has to disclose the clients about the arrangement in connection with the sale by the third party to its client. Here the accountant has to disclose about the arrangements in relation to the commission to the clients to safeguard the threat relating to self-interest. In this situation, there can be a breach of the principle of objectivity and Professional Competence and Due Care. According to Section 140 of APES Code of ethics for professional accountant’s imposes an obligation on all members to refrain from: In the above case, David Smith has referred it clients to insurance companies without letting them know. It is the obligation of the auditor to maintain confidentiality about the information acquired due to business and professional relationship. However, in the given case the auditor has disclosed confidential information (Glover, Taylor and Wu, 2015). Here David smith has to let know the clients about this fact that he has referred their names and about the arrangements in connection with the commission which the auditor will receive in consideration. In this situation, there is a breach of confidentiality. In accordance with the auditing ethics of Australia, it is important to accomplish audit work by considering professional approach and being committed to the work of client. As per the provided information in the scenario, it can be noticed that there is not a proper aspect for securing information provided by the client as information can be assessed by anyone and it can lead to clients (Glover, Taylor and Wu, 2015). By considering this factor, in this case, there is the possibility of violation of the ethical principle of the objectivity and Professional Competence and Due Care. Arens, A.A, 2007. Auditing and assurance services in Australia: an integrated approach. Pearson Education Australia. Collings, S., 2014. Frequently Asked Questions in International Standards on Auditing. John Wiley & Sons. Gay, G.E. and Simnett, R. 2010. Auditing and assurance services in Australia. Mcgraw-hill. Glover, S.M., Taylor, M.H. and Wu, Y.J. 2015. Mind the gap: Factors contributing to purported deficiencies in auditing complex estimates beyond auditor performance. Available at SSRN 2504521. Mironiuc, M., Robu, B. I. and Robu, A. M., 2012. The Fraud Auditing: Empirical Study Concerning the Identification of the Financial Dimensions of Fraud. Journal of Accounting and Auditing Research and Practice, 2. End your doubt 'should I pay someone to do my dissertation by availing dissertation writing services from

Company IT Upgrade Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Company IT Upgrade - Essay Example History Christa group was established in 1988 and was incorporated into Delaware two years later. Since then they have acquired security companies like hightech security in 1998, dimension data in 2000 and many others. They have also worked with like-minded companies like technology associates in 1995, and breakthrough technologies in 1999 to mention but a few. They continue their operations guided by the Delaware state laws. Organizational chart PRESIDENT V.P FINANCE & PLANNING V.P SALES & MARKETING V.P OPERATIONS MANAGER ACCOUNTING MANAGER PLANNING MANAGER MARKETING MANAGER SALES MANAGER DEVELOPMENT MANAGER CONSULTANCY MANAGER HUMAN RESOURCE Departments The company has seven main departments namely; consultancy, development, human resource, sales, marketing, planning, and accounting. The planning department is responsible for formulating long term, short term, and annual development and financial plans for the company. The accounting department is responsible for keep records of re ceipts and expenditures in the company on a daily, monthly and yearly basis. These two departments are headed by the company’s vice president in charge of finance and planning. The human resource department is responsible for hiring members of staff; this involves attracting new employees and keeping all positions in the organizations filled with highly qualified and motivated staff. The consultancy department meets with prospective clients who have requested a new security system, and also look for opportunities i.e. other organizations that would require a new system or improvement of their existing one. This department is responsible for advising the clients accordingly. Another department is the development one responsible for development of the technical security solution suggested by the consultancy department. They also develop systems for individual use. These three departments are headed by the vice president of operations. Two departments under this section of the o rganization are responsible for generation of revenues for the company. The sales department is responsible for attracting and retaining of clients. The marketing department is responsible for the following four main tasks; Provide leadership on serving the clients better Support sales team and distribution partners Manage advertisement and promotions Manage client relations These two departments are under the overall leadership of the vice president sales and marketing. Mission statement To become a world leader in the provision of technical solutions to all our clients. Business model Our business model will outline our strategies to provide the best technical solutions to all our clientele. Our products are aimed at small medium and large organizations. To generate additional funds, advanced security systems for use by the general public will be developed. We have two main departments who will help the company achieve its goals namely; the consultancy department that will offer c onsultation services to our clients and the development department that will develop and implement the solutions provided by the consultation department for the clients. The development department will also be responsible for development of systems for personal use. In this particular case it is of paramount importance to know exactly what the targeted users want. This

The dilemma of managing continuous change in performance management Research Paper

The dilemma of managing continuous change in performance management - Research Paper Example The paper tells that in recent times, change in business environment has been inevitable as business strive to remain relevant and competitive. Bradford and Warner note that the need for change in business environment has been brought about by technological advancements, increased customers and shareholder’s expectations, new initiatives, competition, and the need to increase demand among other factors. Therefore, in order to meet the new challenges and attain the organizational goals and objectives, organizations have introduced several changes. However, introduction of change, whether small or big, to organizational functions and processes have often proved intimidating to some managers and have sometime not yielded the intended outcomes. This has resulted to adopting of change management strategies by managers in order to manage change successfully. According to Bradford and Burke, change management can be defined as the application of a set of principles, skills, processes , and tools for managing people and processes within an organization in order to transition or shift the organization from its current state to the desired or intended future state. Several researches have shown that in the modern competitive environment, it takes more than the known management strategies to realize organization’s full potential Bradford and Warner. There is need for managers to welcome change and manage it effectively in order to achieve organizational success in the long- run. Continuous management of change is critical in performance management. Louis (2004, p. 46) explains that the essence of managing change in the organizations is to improve performance and ultimately achieve organizational goals and objectives. As such, continuous management of change is related to performance management. Performance management refers to activities and processes that ensure that goals are met consistently in a manner that is efficient and effective (Aubrey, 2004, p. 95) . The focus of performance management is in regard to processes, departments, organization, and employees and aims at facilitating overall performance of the organization through attainment of organizational goals and objectives Bradford and Warner (2010, p. 18). 1.1 Purpose of the Study The purpose of this research is to foster an understanding of the dilemma of managing continuous change in performance management. The research purports to get deep insights on the dilemmas of managing continuous change and how they impact on performance management. 1.2 Problem Statement In the face of challenging business environment brought about by increased customers and shareholder’s expectations, technological developments, and competition, management are supposed to make continuous changes in their organizations in order to stay remain relevant and be successful (Bradford and Burke, 2005, p. 22). In the process of managing continuous change in order to improve the performance of organi zation, managers are faced with dilemma. The dilemma is on whether the intended change can lead to improved performance or

Fashion design Essay Example for Free

Fashion design Essay Human beings are always relational in nature and they therefore device ways through which their thoughts, ideas, feelings and imaginations can be expressed. Art is the greatest and easiest way for a person to express themselves. Art can be developed in a person to a point where one obtains handiness and becomes a master in the art (Jones 2007). Fashion design Fashion, a branch under fine arts, is among those categories of art that are built up more for visual purposes than for actual utilization. Fashion design mainly entails creating designs for attire and other fashion accessories that will enhance the visual effect of the same (Jones 2007). A fashion designer, while enhancing aesthetics of any piece, actually represents the expression of certain ways of life and times (Elrding 2003). Upon getting an opportunity to have a master’s degree in fashion, I would focus my study to textile adornment, graphic design and in trend designing. In order to effectively design relevant trends of clothing, I would have to incorporate a course in trend analysis. This would require me to study the social implications of trends and the mental and emotional effect of trends (Elrding 2003). The main research topic I would propose to write my final thesis on would concern the correlation between fashion design and self image. This study would be adequately done using a comprehensively prepared research design. References Elrding, L. (2003). The Art of Expression through Fashion Feng Shui. Wyoming: Grandy Publishers. Jones, J. (2007). Fashion Design: The Art of Style. Minnes

Movie Essays - Shakespeares Henry Plays - A Comparative Study of Falst

Shakespeare's Henry Plays - A Comparative Study of Falstaff on Film The Character of Sir John Falstaff is an integral part of any adaptation of Shakespeare's "Henry" plays. The treatment of this character effects the way the production will be taken by the audience as the treatment of Falstaff is directly related to the understanding of the character of Prince Hal (later Henry V). Kenneth Branagh's Henry V, the BBC versions of parts one and two of Henry IV, and Orson Welles' amalgamation Chimes at Midnight all show Falstaff in different lights, producing three different takes, not only on the character himself, but also on the interpretation of Prince Hal, and the entire workings of the production. In the case of Kenneth Branagh's Henry V Falstaff is seen only in flashback. This version of Falstaff (portrayed by actor Robbie Coltrane) is displayed as the jovial and kind side of Falstaff with little of the nefarious nature that is seen in the texts of Henry IV parts one and two. Branagh as the screenwriter actually reassigns certain lines to achieve his end, including, but not limited to, the reassignment of some of Falstaff's lines to others, as well as the reassignment of lines from one scene to another, all to display Falstaff as a happy Santa Claus of a man all but devoid of evil intentions or Machiavelian deceit. The first of the myriad flashbacks in the film begins with the assignment of Falstaff's description of himself as "A goodly, portly man in faith," (1 Henry IV.II.iv.421) to Pistol. This shows that in Branagh's version Falstaff is as well respected by his comrades as he is by himself. This is somewhat in contrast to the way he is commonly illustrated, which is as a man who abuses deceit, but is not fooling ... ...Falstaff as played by Welles. It is this multifaceted nature that has Hal attempt (in a scene paraphrased from the text of Henry V) to go back on his decision toward the end and grant Falstaff favor (albeit too late). Welles' Falstaff is the best example of the cross section of aspects that Falstaff has in the texts. While certainly each portrayal of Falstaff is from it's own school of thought, ranging from the idea of Falstaff as the pure, kind friend, to that of Falstaff as the selfish villain, to that of Falstaff as the moderate, complex character, each effectively displays an accurate Falstaff with his own hold on Prince Hal. These three versions show that the treatment of Jack Falstaff, regardless of his prominence in each production, can change the interpretation of the actions of Henry V as well as the reasons behind his choices for many of his actions.

Unleashing the Vortex of Marketing

Basically, marketing revolves around the vortex of financial gain mixed with the never ending maze of public relation skills and forecasting methods.   In first sight, it may sound easy to have a product sold on the market—but on real issues and basis on testimonies from those who are under the schema of marketing and commerce, the challenge comes in a full turn of abilities and finesse.   Perceivably, an individual who does not possess the skill to persuade and create a dimension of intellectual connection over the consumers, then it may be evaluated as an employer or a producer with empty pockets and shallow hands. The world of commerce is vast and vague; one who does not get a ticket to the â€Å"clear† vision on that field will eventually end up on the banquet with rugged clothes, per se.   In further illustration, marketing is like a â€Å"battle of tycoons† the targets are on the center—the consumers—and the probability of having that â€Å"target† get on one’s sleeve is to outweigh all the other players of the realm—consequently a hard task since there are those who may be as competent as you are or rather one’s product is highly focused by the consumer in some instance. Moreover, the idea that every customer is in different markets at different times and different places is not as heretical as it initially might sound. For instance, newspaper publishers have long recognized that most of their customers have more leisure time on Sundays to read the paper and accordingly have filled that edition with a greater number and wider variety of stories. Similarly, airlines, hotels, and car-rental companies find that the desires of their clients differ greatly depending on whether they are traveling for business or for leisure—and differ yet again when they combine the two. One executive at a major airline remarked, â€Å"We've even found that the needs of business travelers differ depending on whether they are going to or coming from a meeting.† In the apparel industry, a given customer could be in the market for casual wear at one time and for business attire at another (Vitale, 1998). Reference Vitale, J. G. (1998). There's a Customer Born Every Minute: P.T. Barnum's Secrets to Business Success. New York: AMACOM Books.      

Ikea Swot Analysis

KStrengths 1. Supply chain strategies. 1. 1. Packaging concept. The flat packaging is known of its IKEA which is very effective for transporting products because more products can be shipped at the same time. Consequently, transportation cost will be cheaper. Furthermore, the flat packaging reduces some materials usage. However, it has some weak areas to work on such as protection and unitization. 1. 2. New unit load carrier. IKEA has created new carrier which is called â€Å"Loading ledge†, is a flexible unit load carrier.It can save money as a part of total logistic solution and also make the transport be more volume. The loading ledge has been used for two years within IKEA’s supply chain and the result has satisfied for IKEA because it can reduce damages in good processes. 1. 3. Direct delivery. IKEA’s products are delivered directly from supplier to different stores because this is the cheapest way for distribution. Furthermore, it can decrease the transport ation distance and lower carbon release. In term of process, the goods do not transport to distribution center because it can be directly to stores.This process is very efficiency and special one. So, they can save the cost of one time transport. Figure 1 Direct delivery distribution. 1. 4 Sustainable relationships. IKEA focuses on long-term supplier relationship. IKEA usually buy a large volume for a plenty of years. As a result, they can negotiate at low price. Moreover, the suppliers also gain advantages because their products are guaranteed ordering. 2. IKEA’s culture and concept. 2. 1. Powerful worldwide company. IKEA has strong global brand and concept which is guaranteed good quality at lower price. . 2. IKEA’s vision IKEA notes their goal that â€Å"to create a better everyday life for many people†. 3. Environmental perspectives. 3. 1. Green process. IKEA uses materials that are environmentally friendly. For example, renewable materials, recycling waste products, etc. 3. 2. New technology. Using new technology to reduce the amount of raw material needed. 3. 3 Effective transportation. IKEA transports their products by using rail and sea as much as possible to reduce the impact on environment. Opportunities 1. Environmentally business.IKEA believes that â€Å"environmentally focused business conduct will results in good return even in a price sensitive market†. Nowadays, consumers demand in green products is continue to increase. 2. Low price products. IKEA depends on the low-cost manufacturing countries as China and India. This is provided IKEA’s products to be cheaper. Moreover, customer’s demand of low price products is higher because the serious current financial issues. 3. Working on sustainability This is the main part of IKEA brand. This statement can be supported by: 3. 1. RelationshipBuilding relationship and good communication with stakeholders, consumers, and co-workers are IKEA’s concept. 3. 2 . Cooperate social responsibility. IKEA participate in social responsibility this include to be supporter for many charities. 3. 3 Online website. IKEA provides online tips and ideas for sustainable life at home. 3. 4 Environment IKEA uses sustainable resources, renewable energy, reducing water use, and green transportation. Weaknesses 1. IKEA size. The big size of IKEA’s business is hard to control quality and standards. For example, quality of product is concern in some regions. . Inconvenience located. The flagship stores are located far away from the city center; as a consequence, consumers have to travel a long distance to get to the stores. Moreover, they also have to collect a large in convenience packages to take them home. 3. Diverse market. The difference tastes of consumers in different regions. IKEA has many stores in different region. So, they have to adapt the style of products in order to satisfy each region consumers. Threats 1. Competitors. The growth of comp etitors, they can enter the low cost household and furnishers markets.Furthermore, they act like IKEA’s style which is the model of low cost products and flat packaging. 1. 1 Offering services. A better services offering from competitors. For instance, they offer home delivery, free installation, etc. 1. 2 More products. The larger suppliers such as Tesco and Walmart, they do not sell only home furniture, also offer electronics, groceries, etc. 2. Economic situation. The target group of IKEA is consumers with limited financial income. Therefore, this economic situation will impact and influence IKEA’s business due to a slow down consumer spending and income reduces.IKEA’s SWOT analysis| Strengths| Weaknesses| 1. Supply chain strategies. 2. IKEA’s culture and concept. 3. Environmental perspectives. | 1. IKEA size. 2. Inconvenience located. 3. Diverse market. | Opportunities| Threats| 1. Environmentally business. 2. Low price products. 3. Working on sustain ability. | 1. Competitors. 2. Economic situation. | Gap analysis Next 0-3 years Present Issue| Aspect| ? A weak online support. – IKEA lack of online purchasing options. It forces customers to go to stores. This probably causes losing some profits due to inconvenience located of some stores.?Do It Yourself – The target group of IKEA may require convenience installation. IKEA does not provide this point. Sometimes IKEA has overlooked their customers.? Using the new unit load carrier takes longer time than traditional one.? Due to increasing material flows, DC needs the effective solutions to handle it.? The distribution will increase in IKEA supply chain.? Over stock.? A lack of innovation of products? The highly flow of visitors which cause a long queues to check out. This is due to a lack of manpower. | ? Developing the online stores to compete with its competitors.Also, increasing online purchase by a space simulator.? The IKEA competitors, they offer delivery produc ts and free installation with good ability technicians. IKEA will provide immediate purchase and take home, and offer service but allows customers make their own decisions.? Providing information and knowledge of the new unit load carrier is very important to use it efficiently. It is also decreasing a damage and waste of products.? A great handled can reduce effect at DC by using, for example automatic picking.? Balance supply chain by using supported software and better management.?Hiring new generations staffs which are diverse of personalities. Consequently, they can create some new innovated products.? IKEA uses Beonic’s  tra? c insight  visitor flow system to ensure its checkout never short staffs. | The times 100 business case studies, viewed 13 Aug 2012, http://businesscasestudies. co. uk/ikea/ Jonsson A. and Mathiasen B. , 2004, Consequences of the implementation of the Loading Ledge, Lund Institute of Technology Mehnaz S. , Case analysis IKEA, viewed 13 Aug 2012 http://www. scribd. com/doc/59951004/Case-Analysis-IKEA

Free Essays on Personal Goals

Personal Strengths and Weaknesses Today, I am writing a paper about my personal strengths and weaknesses. I believe that everyone in this world is completely different from one another. Everyone has a different set of skills that are considered their strengths as well as a set of flaws that are considered to be their weaknesses. I have several strengths as well as several weaknesses. I am hoping that I can enhance my strengths and eliminate most of my weaknesses while attending the University of Phoenix. I believe that the first step in overcoming any weakness is admitting that there is a problem and confronting the weakness. I am here to tell you that I am doing that right now by writing this paper. I will also focus on my positive personal strengths that I strongly believe will help me to become successful in life, in both a personal environment as well as a professional career atmosphere. First, I would like to talk about what I believe are my personal strengths. My number one positive personal strength is the ability to be motivated toward my goals each and everyday. In addition, I am a strong willed fighter that never seems to give up no matter how rough the situation may become. I am a good friend to others and I care about other people’s feelings. I have a strong desire to succeed everyday in everything I do because that is just the way I am built. According to Linda Overstreet, â€Å"What we’ve discovered is that successful people absolutely believe that they have the ability to succeed. And will not entertain, think about, or talk about the possibilities that they’ll fail† (Overstreet 2005). I believe that I think this way as well. I am extremely lucky in that regard. I have been very blessed with many positive strengths. I have been told that these strengths are very valuable and for the most part cannot be taught. My positive personal strengths have enabled me to develop incredible friendships with many individua... Free Essays on Personal Goals Free Essays on Personal Goals Personal Strengths and Weaknesses Today, I am writing a paper about my personal strengths and weaknesses. I believe that everyone in this world is completely different from one another. Everyone has a different set of skills that are considered their strengths as well as a set of flaws that are considered to be their weaknesses. I have several strengths as well as several weaknesses. I am hoping that I can enhance my strengths and eliminate most of my weaknesses while attending the University of Phoenix. I believe that the first step in overcoming any weakness is admitting that there is a problem and confronting the weakness. I am here to tell you that I am doing that right now by writing this paper. I will also focus on my positive personal strengths that I strongly believe will help me to become successful in life, in both a personal environment as well as a professional career atmosphere. First, I would like to talk about what I believe are my personal strengths. My number one positive personal strength is the ability to be motivated toward my goals each and everyday. In addition, I am a strong willed fighter that never seems to give up no matter how rough the situation may become. I am a good friend to others and I care about other people’s feelings. I have a strong desire to succeed everyday in everything I do because that is just the way I am built. According to Linda Overstreet, â€Å"What we’ve discovered is that successful people absolutely believe that they have the ability to succeed. And will not entertain, think about, or talk about the possibilities that they’ll fail† (Overstreet 2005). I believe that I think this way as well. I am extremely lucky in that regard. I have been very blessed with many positive strengths. I have been told that these strengths are very valuable and for the most part cannot be taught. My positive personal strengths have enabled me to develop incredible friendships with many individua... Free Essays on Personal Goals My Personal Goals Ten years ago I heard an expression, â€Å"If you don’t have a plan, plan to fail†. Ten years later I was asked by my college professor to put my plan in writing. I thought to myself â€Å"I don’t have a plan, will I fail or have I already failed?† My answer was no! But without question, I have not accomplished all that I would have like to have accomplished by now. Therefore, I have come to realize that maybe I need to begin planning for life rather that for the next day. By planning for life I assume that I may begin to accomplish my over all goals much sooner than not having a plan. Beginning to brainstorm my life long goals inspires me to focus on my wants and needs and allows me to concentrate on what is really important to me. Although I have many endeavors that are important to me, the concentration of this paper will be to focus on the more important goals, such as education, career, and spirituality. Education My educational goals are long term yet attainable. My aggressive approach to obtaining a bachelor’s degree will be a feeling of personal fulfillment. I wish to achieve a bachelor degree in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix by 2006. I wish to complete each attempted course with a 3.5 or higher and perhaps graduate with honors. Along the path to my degree I will start a lifetime of strategic learning. I am determined to attend all class sessions and participate fully as an individual and as a team member. I will manage my time wisely and turn in all assignments on time. I wish to discover new skills and strengths I did not know existed and use them to build upon my weaknesses. By committing to build upon my weaknesses I will broaden my chances at becoming an honors student and it will open the doors to many career opportunities. I realize that the completion of my bachelor’s degree will deliver new opportunities, but my work isn’t ov er until I complete...

Chumash uprising 1824 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Chumash uprising 1824 - Research Paper Example This binary between the colonial and the colonized cultures was, understandably, something that the native communities found very hard to digest. The Chumash Uprising of 1824 was one such revolt that made it clear to the Spanish colonizers that a mindless devaluation of indigenous cultures and traditions would not be tolerated. There was little that these cultures could do in these situations in terms of their military might; however, they were able to mount cultural challenges through the preservation of their own cultures. This is what the Chumash did as well. Despite reverses as far as the military aspect of their revolt was concerned, they preserved their culture in certain ways through a following of their own religions and modes of production. However, one needs to explore why the Chumash felt the need to revolt in the first place. This was definitely because of the Spanish attempts to efface their culture and the indigenous modes of being. This led to tension that then bubbled over in the form of the Chumash uprising of 1824. This was then something that can be looked at as an assertion of an indigenous identity and the symbols and signs that are attached to it. The Spanish attempt to spread Catholicism was also a potent cause for the uprising. Indigenous cultures all around the world had religions of its own. The Chumash were no different as far as this aspect was concerned. They had their own religions and ways of living. This was what the Spanish colonizers chose to challenge as part of their mission. This was part of an impulse where they believed that they had a good knowledge of the Chumash society and their culture. This knowledge is what they used for the purpose of exercising their control over the Chumash society. Edward Said, in his seminal work on postcolonial societies and the phenomenon of colonialism, says that this notion of knowledge was then converted into power by the colonizers (Said 2000, 12). However, their imperfect knowledge led t o slippages in the exercise of their power and laid open room for revolts and uprisings such as the one that was carried out by the Chumash. The interstices of colonial narratives need to be looked into for a better understanding of such issues. They would help one understand the points at which the colonizer’s power was subverted and challenged. This would then lead to a better understanding even of postcolonial societies in general as a reconstruction of history is necessary for a better understanding of these societies. Another aspect of the colonization was the fact that the colonizers always encouraged only the nobility of the native country (Jackson and Castillo 1995, 36–37). If there was any possibility for the commoners to be a part of the colonial administration, there may have been a possibility that the natives would have cooperated with the colonial administration. However, this was not so in the case of the Chumash. The colonial administration often collab orated with the native nobility so as to oppress the commoners. This resulted in whatever support may have been possible for the colonizers to not emerge. This is not to point out any positive effect that colonialism may have had, but only to highlight how there was a nexus between the colonizer and the upper echelons of the colonized society. This then led to greater

Television programming Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Television programming - Essay Example These questions are basic essence of my research conducted and ABC channel being my prime lab rodent to experiment upon. What programs they air, why they air them and what strategy they are implying to attract the maximum number of audience in the post-dinner time. TV Ratings Any guesses how the intelligent people sitting in the ABC production offices know, when to air what, when most people are tuned in and most importantly which slots to offer the highest advertisement rate to add agencies and commercial vendors. The answer to this question lies in the name â€Å"Nielsen ratings†. It is an audience measurement system developed by Nielsen media research to do exactly the magic described above. The program uses set-meters, small devices installed behind television sets to monitor the channel activity and record time data of TV programs being watched at what time. A further sophisticated method implies that what audience is watching what. This is done by the help of viewers inp ut in the very same device. The audience enters this survey voluntarily and is a big help to create a data base and analysis which helps in securing maximum advertisement rates for the prime time slot (Frank, 20). American Broadcasting Company The TV channel under research is ABC. Some of the basic questions mentioned in the start of the paper will be answered with the help of forensic research into the media world of today where people can choose to record there TV shows and watch them add-less. What are they trying to accomplish? The basic purpose of any television broadcast company, to earn maximum profits. For that purpose on Thursday nights ABC airs the program â€Å"wipeout† to kick-off the evening. This reality game show has fast gained popularity to an extent that it is the second most watched TV show in the American TV broadcasting. They follow it up with â€Å"Grey’s Anatomy†, a well renowned serial related to doctors practicing and their issues. A tru ly griping hi-paced drama of common people saving people’s lives and complicating their own in the process. This medical drama is followed by a follow-up medical drama named private practice which is a spin-off of grey’s anatomy. A wide variety of household people have a keen interest in every new upcoming episode that is being shown. The people targeted with this include adults and also the ones in the bracket of being grandparents. Do not bold, italicize or underline the subheading. What audiences are they targeting and how? If you compare the first hour of the prime time with other network channels being broadcasted, ABC has created a clever strategy by targeting the young and adult audience by broadcasting wipeout, a funny reality game show whereas the other channels are broadcasting one after the other serious genre serials which are not a huge attraction to children and young alike. After that, they target the sample of audience that is parents and grandparents b racket by airing similar set up medical dramas. Coming to the fact that how did they end up devising a clear edge among the top ranked broadcasters? The answer lies in the post writers strike era, when a new team was formed to sail them out of a storm without a lot of financial blocks crumbling over them and sailed they did. They indeed came out on top of the storm and ended up being the most watched channel according to the post wipeout season ratings. The team had a