Medium enterprises in the society

Globalization has turned the status of the small and medium enterprises in the society. They have raised their standards to achieve the target market, promoting the business operations, perfecting their values, brands and images in the market. Research indicates that the correlation appears to be evident between the business entities and efforts help to boast the opportunities and the image of these small enterprises in the economy. The progress has further been indicated to shift upward from the ability to assimilate high technological demands that are at par with the global standards at all times of the modern consumers.Walnut club is one of these enterprises, in which the brand image is tremendously given the prestige in UK and EU hotels and motels. The restaurant has started the business just recently but has managed to open several outlets in the area. The main branch of the club is in Hathersage, while services of catering music and other traditional arrangements of functions a nd meals are provided by the club. (Walnut Club, 2008). The club provides services to all the categories and class of people and so many people are attracted towards the club.The club deserves the resonance of the people and provides satisfaction to all its members. The club has many international clients and it has observed the movement of these clients for the sake of fame and image. b) Aims and objectives of the study To effectively determine how small and medium enterprises are able to promote the value and brand image for higher productivity and profitability amidst the highly dynamic global competition, this study seeks to attain the several aims and objectives.To begin with, using Walnut Club as one of the most successful business in the group of small and medium enterprises, this paper will seek to establish the best management practices for achieving such high levels. In this respect clear evaluation of Walnut management will be undertaken in all of its management units in UK. To add to that, the study will seek to establish the actual methods that Walnut Club and indeed other small and medium enterprises use to promote their value and brand image. The decision of the consumer is influenced by the role of the brand image of the Walnut club compared to the other clubs in the area.Finally, the study aims at finding out possible missing links in promotion of value and brand image in Walnut and conclude possible ways of enhancing and promoting the same demands in small and medium enterprises. Chapter Two Literature review a) Introduction The overview of the chapter related to the literacy materials is given in this chapter and the brand image promotion related to the small and medium enterprises. It therefore seeks to support the main theoretical principles of consideration in line with the objectives of the study.b) Small and medium size businesses operations Small and medium enterprise is a term mainly used to categorize the size of business units depen ding on different criteria. These businesses are categorized to have the amount of having 50-250 people in the firm in the countries of Europe. In Europe and particularly in EU has standardized the reference of SME while many of other countries globally use different ratings. It is worth noting that globally, SMEs form over 90% of the total number of business units in existence.In EU, about 65 million people are employed by SMEs operating in different sectors. As a comparison with larger business enterprises, SMEs have much higher flexibility both in their internal and external operations when compared to other enterprises. Indeed, this flexibility has been linked with their increased capacity to offer highly personalized services making them to easily win the consumers affection (Tsoukas and Robert, 2002, 74-76; Wren and Storey, 2002, 335-338; Ryan and Hiduke. 2003, 78-81). c) Customer value in small and medium enterprisesSMEs managed over the following years to create its place in the market and compare it with the other personal operations and the management interlinks. Customer value is perhaps the most important aspect of management as it defines a business unit's ability to apply different aspects of management to suit each of the consumers demands at all times. Accel (2004); Bushe (2001, 104-105) indicate that due to the fast rising ability to apply technology at all levels of management, their role in managing consumer demands has greatly increased.The ability to respond to the consumer demands with minimal bureaucracy increases their grip on the customers' loyalty. The core of the SMEs application is the due to the reduced costs and the large amount of credit owing to attract more customers to define the trend and the growth. This has particularly been important in the hospitality industry where consumers are highly sensitive not just to the size of the business unit; the quantity is deferred by the size and quality. The brand is considered as one of the key pillars in determining the road map to success for the different SMEs.Creation of the effective brand helps in creating positive perception and image to the consumers and therefore generate the required competitive capability for the SMEs (Robbins, 2005; Prahalad and Ramaswamy, 2004, 103; Kennerley et al, 2003, 65-69). Though this aspect application is hard as Fox (2005, 45-48); Donegan (2002, 56-57) indicate, it is mainly based on the overall ability of the management to relate the different aspects of the business operations and the dynamic market demands.At this point, the management should be able to leverage the enterprises' strengths and derive the core values for the staff and the consumers (DuBrin, 2006, 99-102; Goh, 1998, 15-22; Kuratko, 1997, 24-33; Roper and Hewitt-Dundas, 2001, 99-117). This ensures that interlinks between different products and services offered by the business unit are established. The establishment of the brand image for the SMEs is much more e asier and due to the simple strategic decision making and the communications the planning and the decision becomes more easier in both ways for the organization and as well as the management.d) Culture management and change demands for SMEs The organization culture is very essential in the modern business operations. Business image and value is indeed considered to be part of the overall culture where interplay of management and employees’ views, beliefs and trends in their operations dictate the ability to effectively attract customers and maintain high quality of the services offered and customer service.Through operating as a small or medium business unit, it is possible to operate in fewer teams and therefore create a highly cohesive unit to address all the demands for growth It is indeed much easier to cite areas with need for change and view change as part of the overall continuous demand to grow and move rapidly by assuming the names of small and medium. Business opera tions have recently seen a major turn in demand for diverse application of the concepts of management techniques to enhance higher levels of compatibility with the fast growing divergence needs of the consumers.The ability to enhance great levels of diversity that fits the different consumers in particularistic niches creates a competitive advantage over other similar businesses. The notion is indeed very complex with the consumer demands fast evolving with time. However, SMEs have been cited to have an upper hand in their ability to assess and re-invent their products and services to fit their different consumer needs.Though in the past researchers have generated divergent views and failed to establish a standard method for promoting diversity among the SMEs, it is clear that all lines affiliated to consumer products and services design should operate hand in hand to respond to the different consumer needs. e) SMEs and Diversity In bid to effect greater levels of diversity to attra ct and retain the consumers in Walnut, the management established ‘super' ingredients that gave all the foods prepared it a highly organic outlook that has made a must stop center.The general manager of Walnut Sean OToole points out that the diversity of the meals as it has come to be understood about Walnut, always have a new setting that reflects its different dishes that are served at any meal (Walnut Club, 2008). In addition, the management indicates that though consumers may not have the actual taste of the dishes served by the Walnut especially for the first visitors, the display and the setting of the restaurant have left them wishing to get back for similar diverse services.However, the management indicates that careful resources application should be articulated to ensure that funds are employed only to promote profitability (Engwall et al,2005, 228-431; Fan and Phan, 2007, 1121-1125). f) Leadership in SMEs Leadership for small and medium business enterprises is one o f the most important aspects that not only dictates the proposition of value and brand image, but determines their application at different instances. As indicated earlier, the direct notion of an enterprise as a small or medium business derives the necessary impetus to grow and move to the higher levels possible.Clifford (2008, 41-42) and Dettmer, (2003, 51-53) point out that leadership creates the necessity to improve the value of consumers and staff as a major facet that dictates the overall intrinsic image that later manifests itself to the outside community. Taking into consideration the need to stay atop of others and mainly constrained by the resources' availability, leadership of SMEs seeks to enhance better highly integrated system where emergent leaders assimilate different offices with minimal residual effects.It is in this view that SMEs leadership encourages instantaneous skills promotion that seeks relegation, innovation and creativity, and also networking that derives the necessary niche for establishing the best image for the consumers. g) SMEs and Technology demands Technological advancements have been cited as one of the most important tools for the 21st century businesses progression. However, it has been cited to be even more important to the SMEs in that it dictates their ability to widen their general scope within the colonization areas of target.Presently, most of the consumers in the different countries like Britain focus their status on the basis of the image of a given business enterprise (Krake, 2005, 229-331; Merrliee, 2007, 405-409). Under this consideration therefore, use of technology becomes a facilitating instrument and also an element for assessment. Technology as a facilitating agent is used in advertisements that reflect effectively on the types of services and products being offered by the business units and therefore easy value and image assessment by the consumers.On the other hand, the nature of different advertisements directly curves the necessary brand image and value of the consumers. To effectively raise the overall image of the company, the managements of SMES have sought to integrate both high technology and personalized systems to invoke holistic customer satisfaction as part of the overall value in the business unit. Chapter Three Methodology a) Introduction This chapter forms one of the most important sections of a dissertation. It is the actual basis upon which the major objectives of the study and the research question will be evaluated.Johnson (2000, 54-57) points out that the methodology section acts as a major assessment tool for determining the authenticity of the research. In this case, the Walnut club management, employees, and the consumers will form the main consideration which will be used to ascertain the viability of the hypothesis statements. To add to that, this section will offer an inclusive critique of the techniques that will be applied in the study. The major aspects o f this section will include. b) Purpose of the studyPromotion of value and brand image application in the small and medium size enterprises enables them to realize their missions and effectively trace their strategies for profitability and subsequent growth and development (Wong Ho, 2005, 155-162; Mikulecky, 2007, 45-47; National Defense University (N. D. ). 2008; Senge, 1998, 11-12). This application is reflected as a matter of different direct and indirect functions explicit in management through staff operations, perceptions, culture, and customer views.The methodology section will therefore seek to collect the major views and perception from all the stakeholders on the relationship between promotion of value and brand image of Walnut club with its enviable progress. c) Research scope and time frame As indicated earlier in the objectives of this study, the researcher will seek to establish how value and brand image can be promoted in small and medium size enterprises to raise the ir productivity and profitability in their major operations.Therefore, the study will delimit itself to affect the demands of this study to Walnut club in and its main branches in UK. With businesses’ overall value and brand image being indeed very complex, the study will further concentrate its considerations to the staff of Walnut club, and its main consumers to seek their views in relation to the objectives of the study. To effectively cover all the objectives of the study, the researcher will take a period of six months from the day of commencement for the study.Though the time appears to be long, it may turn out to be just enough or indeed much less depending with the cooperation of the respondents. d) Data and data collection Effective research according to Mikulecky (2007), is the one that has the highest capacity to apply the necessary theoretical framework and major demands of modern development with the actual field aspects to assimilate the necessary position for e ffecting growth and development. Data collection methods that are applied by the researcher indeed are the main determinant of the efficiency that will be assimilated by the study.To ensure that this research aligns with the guideline of the research questions and further steered by the objectives, the data collection methods will be designed in a manner that appreciate the nature of the research itself to assimilate the highest possible acceptable outcome. ? Primary data The data will be collected from the staff and then from the customers of the Walnut club, its members and others. The main point of the research is that on the basis of this data and the survey of the primary data conducted the data shall be the main source of information and the only link of the customers and the management.The consumers' role shall also be defined by the survey conducted. Questionnaires shall be constructed and will be used for the different levels of management and the stake holders which shall be assessed in such a manner that that basic information is reserved. It is worth noting that though observation will not be used as part of the data to be analyzed by the study, it will be a key element in supporting the major views and orientation of the study in the discussion section. Â ¦ Secondary dataThe secondary information is required to complete the initiative step of the research and to draw the result effectively of the first phase of the analysis of the survey. Though the main data counted will not be analyzed of the Walnut club, it will still serve as the major outline in the terms of promotion and the brand image in these small and medium enterprises by giving the overall view and picture of the other regions and areas globally. As a result, secondary information will be presented as a form of literature review in chapter two and three of the main dissertation.Particularly, this literature will be assimilated from major libraries, institutions, and other related smal l and medium sized enterprises websites. The literature view acts upon as the major source of the view and this helps in analyzing the data carefully. e) Samples and Sample Selection Due to the size of the Walnut club in nature and categorization, the sample will be small in size and focused to Walnut and its customers only. Therefore, the samples will include the top management, the middle level managers, and the lower level Walnut employees.To ensure better and higher viability of the results, the researcher will employ strategic sampling methods to reduce the levels of bias in the main results. However, it will leave room for random sampling method to adjust or cater for different non responses. f) Measurement and analysis of the results As indicated earlier, this study is qualitative in nature as it will seek to establish how value and image brand can be effectively promoted among the small and medium sized enterprises for growth and development of the business unit.It is from t his notion that the measurements will be developed in a format that is harmonic with the research objectives while taking into consideration of the model that will be employed during its analysis g) Limitation of the study To effectively complete the study, the researcher expects to get the following limitations. To begin with, there is a possibility of non response and late responses from different respondents. This may delay the whole study out of the expected time frame of six months.To address such problems, the researcher will schedule the questionnaires issue and interviews to start early enough during the study. Follow up will also be applied to non response and late responses. The time frame of six months that the research is expected to take is considered to be limiting in that understanding of value and brand image promotion may require more time to intrinsically comprehend its dynamics at all levels.Indeed more time for this research could assist in inclusion and use of a larger sample and review of more literature to give more accurate results. The researcher will ensure that all the available time is utilized maximally to ensure that all aspects of the study are covered. Finally, taking into consideration that Walnut club is an extremely busy business, the researcher expects to get a hard time fixing into their programs to ensure that the study do not interfere with the normal running while maintaining the necessary research standard.

“I know why the caged bird sings” Essay

After a childhood full of cruelties, disappointments, and being raped at the hands of her mother’s boyfriend, Maya Angelou survived and became the most important civil, human, and Women’s Rights Activist. After her rape she was silent for 5 years, and only through the encouragement of her grandmother did she start to write and act. Her writings won her world acclaim and she was nominated for the National Book Award, a Tony Award and a Pulitzer Prize. She is indisputably one of the most influential women in history. Her poem â€Å"I know why the caged bird sings† shows her grace and skill as a poet, and a humanitarian. â€Å"I know why the caged bird sings† is a six stanza poem. The poem has a very traditional structure. The first two stanzas are triplets, followed by a quatrain, then another triplet, and ends with a quatrain. It has a very simple but effective rhyme scheme. The triplet stanza has a AAB rhyme, and the quatrain stanzas have a AAAB rhyme. This poem is lyrical and intense. The themes presented in this poem are of a freedom and â€Å"triumph over adversity (Arensberg 273)†. In stanza one Angelou describes how birds in the wild have unbound freedom. She writes â€Å"leaps on the back of the wind†¦ dips his wings in the orange sunrays, (lines 1-3)† about the free birds activities. Her words affect the senses, and the reader feels the freedom the birds experience in flight. She brings nature and the outdoor elements to life and the audience is right there at play with the birds. Freedom abounds! In stark contrast, the next stanza snaps the reader back from their dreamlike state. There are a series of very strong words that create a feeling of depression, and claustrophobia. Angelou explains the life of a caged bird. â€Å"narrow cage, bars of rage, and wings clipped. (lines 3-6)† These phrases create a sense of dread and imprisonment. This evokes sympathy for the bird, and thoughts about if we were also imprisoned (Arensberg 280). The reader begins to think what is life unfair and, why that bird? and further, why me? â€Å"But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams, (line 14)† the poem continues and yet the bird still sings. Angelou comments â€Å" The caged bird still sings with a fearful trill of things unknown but longed for still (lines 17-18)† about the bird who displays the only freedom he has at present, his voice. Pierre Walker, in his 1995 article, comments â€Å"that the bird still dreams,â€Å" and he has the determination to overcome and make the best of his situation. There is a single focus for Angelou use of alliteration in this poem. She uses the â€Å"s† sound over and over again – â€Å"his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream† (line 15). The â€Å"s† sound creates the feeling of wind, the whispering of tree leaves, the bird is scared but he sings because he can. He cannot fight his nature. He will find freedom anyway he can, and for that bird it is his singing. The use of the rhyme scheme in the quatrain portion of the poem is AAAB. The inflexibility of the first three lines in stanza 3 â€Å"thrill†¦hill†¦shrill† create the perfect path to the true theme of this poem. When the reader expects another word to rhyme it doesn’t, and the quatrain ends with â€Å"freedom. † The same is true for the last stanza, which is a repeat of the first. Liliane Arensberg explains that the rhyme reminds the reader that â€Å"there is always hope, there is always the will to survive and the promise at the end of the tunnel of light (Arensberg 289)† – of freedom. â€Å"I know why the cage bird sings† by Maya Angelou is a very popular poem. Many people find inspiration in her words, and find solace in the hope and determination that bird has. If he can sing, so can the reader. If he can survive so can you. We cannot always choose our lot in life, but we can make the best of it. We can reflect, find out talents, and give those to the world. Maya Angelou presents a very important message to the reader in the form of a very lyrical almost song like poem by using strong imagery of a bird and it’s cage, the pursuit of freedom as a theme, a strong rhyme scheme, and alliteration. Angelou skill as an author cannot easily be missed and neither can her message that we must overcome misfortune and strife to become what we were always meant to be. Works Cited Angelou, Maya. The Complete Collected Poems of Maya Angelou. 1st ed. New York: Random House, 1994. 101. Arensberg, Liliane K. â€Å"Death as Metaphor of Self in I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. † College Language Association Journal 20 (1976): 273-91. Walker, Pierre A. â€Å"Racial protest, identity, words and form in Maya Angelou’s ‘I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. ‘. † College Literature 1 Oct 1995. 23 Nov 2005 .

Reducing Ambiguity in Business Requirements Case Study

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US Welfare System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

US Welfare System - Essay Example Its objectives were to provide monetary aid to impoverished families; end the generation to generation cycle of welfare dependency by encouraging marriage, job training and employment; reducing the number of children who are born out-of-wedlock while encouraging family units that contain two parents. TANF â€Å"tightens benefit eligibility criteria by implementing a five-year lifetime limit on receiving benefits, invoking stricter work and education requirements to qualify for benefits and strengthening the enforcement of child support obligations† (Keng, Garasky & Jensen, 2000). TANF and the welfare system as a whole has been the subject of much debate for many years regarding not only how, but if, it should be implemented. This discussion examines the U.S. welfare system including its history, the issues surrounding it, documents the failures and successes which have resulted and attempts to appreciate the cultural aspects regarding the reasons ethnic groups are more likely to receive welfare benefits. Additionally, the U.S. welfare system is compared to those of other developed countries in an effort to contextualize the subject. The U.S. welfare system was, from early on, derived from the concepts of the ‘poor laws’ of sixteenth century Europe. Welfare policies have been begrudgingly sanctioned so as to give aid to those deemed ‘worthy’ of public assistance. Its intimidating guidelines are widely thought to be based upon racial and gender connotations to distinguish those that are not ‘worthy’ of such assistance. The U.S. welfare system is â€Å"designed to teach a broader lesson to all who observed [its] rituals [and] a lesson about the moral imperative of work and the fate that would befall those who shirked† (Piven, 1998, p. 74). The welfare system in the U.S. has developed in three stages. The first resemblance of welfare models were created from the

Enabling others Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

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Media and Privacy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

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Legal Systems and Contract Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

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I, Too Poem Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

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Mangement on Thomas cook Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Mangement on Thomas cook - Essay Example Under the leadership of Harriet Green, Thomas Cook achieved various transformations that made it match the current environment in the travel industry. She implemented a number of saving plans including the reduction of the number of employees and closure of some outperforming branches that built more confidence leading to a rise in the share prices of the company. However, Green failed to maintain the performance of the company as performance declined and shares dropped by around twenty percent in 2013. On her departure, four hundred million pounds discovered to be missing showing difficulty in business operations during her time (Goodley 2014). In addition, there had been views that Green lacked expertise in the operation of business in the travel industry. He rose to the post of CEO in the November 2014 after a working in the organization for around twelve years after joining in 2001. Earlier before joining the company, he had gained much experience in the travel industry after working for Kuoni Travel limited. In the tear 2003, he became the chief product officer and the CEO for the company division in Germany. From June 2007, he was managing the operations of the company in Continental Europe division. In the November 2012, he became the CEO for the United Kingdom and the Continental Europe Divisions (Thomas Cook Group 2014). He rose up to the post of the CEO of the company in November 2013 and began transforming the company to make it the people’s option of all the players in the travel industry. The travel industry is the biggest and fastest growing industry in the world. The industry is very dynamic faced by the need of responding quickly to factors out of its control. In the few years ago, the increased cases of terrorism in the world, the increased use of the internet for booking flights and the increased environmental awareness

Short essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Short - Essay Example The third principle of realism is that interest is defined as power being an objective group that is generally legitimate, although it can change its meaning. The fourth is the knowledge of both moral principles of political action and the tension between moral commands and the requirements of successful political action. Additionally, the fifth principle of realism affirms that moral laws governing the world are different from morals of any nation. Finally, the last principle of realism asserts that there is real distinction between political realism and other realisms. The idea of power is broadly defined and there is no distinction between resources giving state power such as military, and the action of one country exercising power over another. It is something that makes someone have authority over the other due to social differences such as violence and psychological ties. Neo-realism Neo-realism ignores the classical realism concept to explain international politics, but develo ps a theory that favors structural constraints on agent’s strategies and motivation. It highlights that international disorder is the main cause of disturbance in global politics. Kant’s three â€Å"definitive articles† that define what is essential for perpetual peace are: Each state has to have a republican constitution The law of nations shall be founded on federation of free states World citizenship Liberal democracies do not go to war against one another because they feel that war is costly and there are no aggressors. However, liberal democracies go to war against non-liberal states so that the big democracies can consolidate power by invoking nationalist rhetoric and stirring up regional hatred. Marxist Theories The instrumental Marxist theory covers the economic structure due to the feeling that the economy determines everything and promotes the high class. Structural Marxism dwells on the thought that law can be changed by other means and it gives hope to the lower class families that they can improve their status regardless of their current social and economic status. The role of state in Marxist theory is maintenance of the necessary general conditions for the reproduction of the wage labor/capital relation which is the heart of bourgeois societies. Marxist theory differs with idealist and realist theory because it provides a framework of analyzing society and acts as the end goal for all thoughts. It also offers practical solution to social and political problems Theotonio Dos Santos defines dependence as a past circumstance that shapes a particular structure of the world economy, so that it favors some countries to the disadvantage of others and restricts the growth prospect of the minor economics. Bipolarity Factors that limited interstate violence, according to Waltz are, economic interdependence, democratic peace theory, rise of international institutions such as NATO, and the US unipolar moment. Waltz believes that a count ry cannot just go to war with a nation that does not pose any threat to it. The second reason why countries cannot go to war is economic interdependency when one state enjoys economic monopoly and the other state depends on it. Additionally, the rise of international institutions serves the interest of most powerful nations and the unipolar moment enjoyed by

Project - Work Life Balance and Stress in Women in Academia Essay Example for Free

Project Work Life Balance and Stress in Women in Academia Essay Question 1 1. 1 Conflict The practice of recognizing and dealing with disputes in a rational, balanced and effective way. Conflict is an expressed struggle between at least two interdependent parties who perceive incompatible goals, scare resources, and interference from others in achieving their goals. † 1. 2 Decision- making Is the choice of the most suitable way of solving a problem or handling a situation . 1. 3 Communication Is a means by which the teacher and pupils’ different needs, feelings and attitudes are conveyed to each other in order to establish cooperation and achieve goals. 1. 4 Motivation Is the process by means of which motives are provided by, amongst others, a manager or situation in order to bring about certain actions and thus to achieve certain goals. 1. 5 Leadership Leadership consists of actions that help the group to complete its tasks successfully and maintain effective working relationships among its members. Leadership is a set of skills that anyone can acquire Question 2 2. 1. 1 AUTOCRATIC CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT STYLE When dealing with pupil behaviour the teacher will intervene and try to control the behaviour of the pupils. The teacher is mainly interested in the pupils completion of tasks and learning performance . Pupils participation in the classroom situation is limited to listening, working and doing. The following are some advantages of this approach: ? Some pupils may feel secure in this kind of situation. ? Because the teacher lays down fixed rules and procedures, pupils know what is expected of them and what they can expect in the classroom. The following are some disadvantages of this approach: ? The classroom atmosphere is characterised by competition, unwillingness to work together and poor discipline when pupils are left unsupervised. ? Creative thinking is suppressed. ? There is no cooperation. ? Pupils may develop a negative attitude towards the subject. 1 Student no : 43713009 EDA 201W Ass no : 2 719493 2. 1. 2 DEMOCRATIC CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT STYLE A democratic style of classroom management correlates with an interactive teaching style. This teaching style requires that teachers should have a sound knowledge of their subject and of human nature so that they can encourage their pupils to participate actively and meaningfully in teaching and learning activities. The control of pupil behaviour in the classroom is jointly controlled by the pupils and the teacher. As a management style it requires the teacher to maintain a balance between the task aspect and the human aspect of the classroom situation. Teaching and learning tasks are completed with the pupils willing cooperation and co responsibility which are the hallmarks of democratic classroom management. The following are some advantages: ? ? ? Pupils participate confidently in classroom activities. It encourages initiative and creativity. The classroom atmosphere is relaxed, yet productive. ? Pupils feel that they are involved in teaching activities. 2. 2 Five styles of conflict management ? Avoidance: avoiding conflict is a short-term solution because the conflict will not go away. Sometimes, however, avoidance could be a temporary measure to calm emotions. ? Giving in or accommodating: teachers who badly want the pupils to accept them use this style. With this style the real differences are underemphasized. Sometimes teachers have to give in to avoid hostility in the classroom and to ensure that the work can get done. ? Domination: teachers who want to impose their will on pupils use this style. In the long run this style is seldom effective, although teachers sometimes have to dominate. ? Compromise or settle: this style is marked by a search for compromises and settlement. The teacher will try to meet everyone halfway and to let the majority view prevail. Because a settlement might not satisfy everybody, the dissatisfaction could again cause conflict at a later stage. ? Integrate or collaborate: this style is also known as the problem-solving approach. The parties cooperate in order to find a satisfactory solution. 2. 3 A proper balance between the: task-oriented and the human relations aspects, required in every teaching-learning situation , enables teachers to create a teaching-learning situation with a positive atmosphere. Maintaining a balance between the structural (formal) and human relations (informal) aspects requires a holistic approach to classroom management. The combination and integration of these two dimensions represent the actual structure of the classroom situation, which includes all areas of the teachers management task. These studies revealed a clear correlation between classroom atmosphere and pupil performance of grade 9 and grade 10 pupils in 12 secondary schools in Ontario as follows: ? Classroom atmosphere has a significant influence on pupil performance. ? Although the personal and social characteristics of pupils are important factors in their school performance, classroom atmosphere is sometimes more important. ? The psychosocial and academic aspects of teaching are interrelated. 2 Student no : 43713009 EDA 201W Ass no : 2 719493 ? Variables that relate directly to teaching-learning activities in the classroom have a special, unique influence on pupil performance. The following are the guidelines for teachers to cultivate positive attitudes in their pupils: ? Put the pupils in the centre. ? Respect pupils opinions and treat all pupils respectfully. ? Give pupils a group feeling. ? Help pupils to feel secure in school. ? Make sure that pupils understand their assignments. ? Realise that pupils are children, not adults. ? Deal with individual behaviour problems in private interviews with the pupil rather than in front of the whole class. ? Involve pupils in decision making where appropriate. ? Do not label pupils. 3 Student no : 43713009 EDA 201W Ass no : 2 719493 2. 4 CLASSROOM POLICY 1. In all instances, civility and respect for classmates and the instructor are expected. 2. Book bags, briefcases, etc. are not allowed on your desk during class. They must remain on the floor near your chair. 3. You may not use cell phones in class. a. All ringers must be turned off. b. You may not text message, place or answer calls. c. All earphones, headphones, headsets or any other accessory for your cell phone may not be used in class – that means, out of sight and not on your head or in your ear. 4. You may not use any device (for example, IPod, MP3 player) to listen to or view music or other programming in class. 5. You will be asked to leave class if you disregard classroom policy. ATTENDANCE / WITHDRAWAL POLICY 1. Since the course is conducted in a seminar format, your attendance is mandatory. 2. You will sign the Attendance Signature sheet at the beginning of each class. 3. Your class participation points may be reduced from if you are late in class. 4. You may be withdrawn from COS 133 if you are absent from 20% of the class. LATE WORK 1. No late work will be accepted. MAKE-UP QUIZ POLICY 1. There are no quiz make-ups. No exemptions. GRADING POLICY 1. Your grade for COS 133 will be based on the points you accumulate for assignments, quizzes, and class participation. 2. Your grade for COS 133 is calculated as follows: Topic 1. Assignments 2. Quizzes 3. Classroom Participation Weight 30% 55% 15% 4 Student no : 43713009 EDA 201W Ass no : 2 719493. Topic Weight A 94 -100 1. Assignments 30% A- 90 93 2. Quizzes 55% B+ 87 89 3. Classroom Participation 15% B 84 86 B- 80 83 C+ 77 79 C 74 76 C- 70 73 D+ 67 69 D 64 66 D- 60 63 F 60 1. Assignments = 30 Points COS assignments consist of a variety of activities designed to promote a successful college experience at MCC. Your assignments will consist of reading textbook chapters and answering related exercise questions. In addition, you may be using your MCC student email to submit Web assignments. Assignments are due at the beginning of the class. However, you may submit your assignments before the due date. Distribution of points are as follows: 10 textbook assignments (3 points each) = 30 points 2. Quizzes = 55 Points Quizzes are based on your chapter reading assignments. o You may use your textbook to answer the questions. However, be well prepared for a very challenging quiz. o If you are late for class and miss the quiz, you will receive a zero for the quiz. Distribution of points is as follows: o 11 textbook quizzes (5 points each) = 55 points 3. Classroom Participation = 15 Points Classroom participation points are earned by behaviors that demonstrate o prompt attendance for class 3 o active listening o positive involvement in small group work o thoughtful contributions during whole class discussions o civility and respect for classmates and the instructor Distribution of points is as follows: o 1 point per week = 15 points o You cannot earn classroom participation points if you are absent. MCC REGULATIONS AND POLICIES Academic Honesty Policy In the academic process, it is assumed that intellectual honesty and integrity are basic responsibilities of any student. However, faculty members should accept their correlative 5 Student no : 43713009 EDA 201W Ass no : 2 719493 responsibility to regulate academic work and to conduct examination procedures in such a manner as not to invite violations of academic honesty. Such violations consist mainly of cheating and plagiarism. For more details regarding MCC’s Academic Honesty policy regarding definitions, disciplinary action, and procedure for appeal check the MCC Catalog and Student Handbook or MCC Website. Policy Statement on Sexual Harassment 1. Monroe Community College strives to recognize human dignity and therefore does not tolerate sexual harassment or any other type of harassment within or connected to this institution. 2. Sexual harassment is illegal and unfairly interferes with the opportunity for all persons, regardless of gender, to have a comfortable and productive education and work environment. 3. We are committed to taking all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment and to discipline those who do harass. Code of Conduct The following actions or conducts are prohibited. 1. The obstruction or disruption of any College function or activity, including the classroom instructional environment, administration of the parking program and service functions and activities. 2. The detention, physical abuse or intimidation of any person, or threat thereof, or any 4 conduct which threatens or endangers the health, safety, or welfare of any person on College-owned or operated property or at College-sponsored activities. 3. The use of obscene or abusive language or any other means of expression, language, or action which may reasonably be expected to provoke or encourage physical violence by other persons. 4. The refusal to obey any reasonable or lawful request, order, or directive of a College public safety officer, a teacher, College administrator, or any other identified representative of the College. MCC LEARNING CENTERS 1. Monroe Community College has a number of Learning Centers at Brighton (for example, Accounting, Math, Psychology, Writing, the Electronic Learning Center, etc. ) and at Damon (for example, the Integrated Learning Center, Electronic Learning Center, etc. ). 2. Learning centers are staffed with instructional personnel and may be equipped with computers and software to assist students. 3. It is recommended that students use the Learning Centers to get additional help with concepts learned in the classroom and with their homework. SERVICES FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES 1. Students with a documented learning difficulty should make an appointment with the Coordinator of Services for Students with Disabilities on the Brighton or Damon Campus to arrange for support services. 2. All deaf or hard of hearing students should contact the Counseling and Advising Center. 3. You must provide the instructor with appropriate documentation regarding accommodations within the first two weeks of class. EMERGENCY CLOSINGS 1. If the College is closed due to inclement weather or some other emergency, all Rochester area radio and television stations will be notified no later than 5:30 a. m. 2. In addition, the homepage on the MCC website (www. monroecc. edu) will display a message indicating the College is closed. 3. Please do not call the College to avoid overloading the telephone lines. 5 6 Student no : 43713009 EDA 201W Ass no : 2 719493 CLASS CANCELLATION To access a list of daily class cancellations, you may 1. Call the Public Safety Department (292-2066) at MCC, press 1 for a list of cancelled classes at Brighton and press 2 for a list of cancelled classes at Damon; 2. Go to the Internet, access MCC, go to the A-Z listing to C for Class Cancellations and see the list of cancellations; 3. Check your student email for a cancellation notice from your instructor 6 COURSE SYLLABUS AGREEMENT Detach and return this signed sheet to Professor Rodriguez. ______________________________________ M00______________________ Student’s Printed Name Student MCC College ID Number COS 133 Section Number: _________ Semester / Year: _____________ The Course Syllabus 1. The Course Syllabus (course information sheet) is a written legal covenant between you and your professor. 2. It clarifies the professor’s expectations and your responsibilities. Your professor expects you to meet deadlines for assignments, papers, projects and tests. 3. It is your responsibility to review the course syllabus and clarify any aspect of the syllabus. Therefore, read it carefully and ask questions you may have about its content. Check the appropriate box. I have read the course information sheet for COS 133 Introduction to College Studies. I understand my responsibilities for this course. I do not have any questions. I do not understand the requirements stated in the COS 133 Course Information Sheet. I will schedule an appointment to discuss my questions with my professor. List your questions for discussion here: ______________________________________ _____________________ Signature Date.

Zaras Supply Chain Managment Essay Example for Free

Zaras Supply Chain Managment Essay Abstract This case essay provides a business analysis on Zarathe most profitable and well-known fast fashion brand under the world’s largest fashion distributor Inditex Group. The analysis will evaluate Zara by using Porter Models, looking at its Supply Chain Management and defining its current IT challenges. Then, the essay will discuss the costs and benefits of upgrading to the new OS systems. The essay will give recommendations on whether Zara should upgrade its POS terminals after considering all above factors. Case Summary Founded by Amancio Ortega, the richest man in Spain and its biggest shareholder, Zara is a clothing and accessories retailer that opened its first store in La Coruna, Spain in 1975. Zara has been operated under Inditex Group, the world’s largest fashion distributor, since 1985. Zara was originated on a simple business idea explained by the CEO of the company Jose Maria Castellano Rois who joined Inditex in 1997 that: Link customer demand to manufacturing, and link manufacturing to distribution. (McAfee, Dessain, Sjoman, 2007) As a flagship chain store of the company, Zara plays a very important role in the Inditex Group. By 2003, Inditex has 1558 stores in 45 countries which nearly one third of them were part of the Zara Chain. For the fiscal year of 2002, Inditex’s net income was posted as â‚ ¬438 million on â‚ ¬3,974 million revenue, which Zara alone generated nearly three quarters of sales. Women clothing accounts for 60% of Zara’s sales, and Menâ€℠¢s and Children’s segment each accounts for about 20%. (McAfee, Dessain, Sjoman, 2007) Zara’s operation system is very critical. Compare to other companies that it takes them about six months to develop a product and deliver it to the store, Zara only needs three weeks to complete the whole procedure. And Zara launches about 11,000 garment items on average each year. (Business Week, 2006) Only the fast speed of Supply Chain Management (SCM) can assure Zara to respond very quickly to the demand of target customers who are young, fashion-conscious city dwellers. And to reach its goal to quickly respond to customer demand, Zara developed three cyclical processes from ordering to fulfillment to design and manufacturing. Zara’s Information Technology has matches its preferences for speed and decentralized decision-making. There’s no CIO within Zara, but instead, Salgado and Castellano are on board of the technology committee who makes decisions around IT. Due to Zara’s business uniqueness, most of its IT applications are established internally by its IS department rather than buying commercially available software or outsourcing. At August 2003, Salgado and Sanchez must make a decision on whether Zara should upgrade its operating system or not. In every Zara store, there are basically two technological systems that are used—PDAs (short for Personal Digital Assistant) and POS (Point of Sales) terminals. PDAs are handhelds that were used primarily for ordering and were upgraded constantly. POS terminals are cashier computer systems with Zara’s own application installed and had remained unchanged for over a decade. Zara, at 2003, was using the DOS operating system that was no longer supported by Microsoft. The POS application that was ran on top of the DOS system worked very fine and efficient for Zara so Sanchez insists on not changing it. Salgado, on the other hand, thinks that there are potential problems with the outdated system and there are rooms for improvement if they upgrade it with a new system. As far as the debate could go, the two men need to agree on a decision and come up with a solution for this challenge. Business Analysis To help Mr. Salgado and Mr. Sanchez to solve this tough problem, we need to firstly understand Zara’s business model. I will use Michael Porter’s Generic Strategies, Five Forces and Value Chain to analyze Zara Company. Generic Strategy Among the three generic business strategies Dr. Porter identified, which are (1) broad cost leadership, (2) broad differentiation, and (3) focused strategy, I think Zara inherited both cost leadership strategy the differentiation strategy. Zara differentiates itself from the rest of the clothing industry not only by offering unique products but also by having full control of its operation processes. As Daniel Piette, LVMH’s fashion director, described as â€Å"Possibly the most innovative and devastating retailer in the world†, Zara truly has its unique business philosophy. (CNN Business, 2001) Zara meets its customers’ expectation by delivering the latest fashion lines at affordable prices the soonest it can. This concept itself is unique enough. Unlike high-end designer brands that offer limited exclusive lines at big prices, or like some other clothing retailers that offer trendy styles at low costs but poor qualities, Zara is able to bring the newest fashion into mass production and deliver them to people with a normal quality for very good prices. While most of the clothing or textile companies rely on outsourcing and cheap labors from China, Zara established a vertically integrated operation system. (Osterwalder, 2005) Customer demands are Zara’s heavenly goal, and Zara collects them from its stores throughout the world. Zara has its own â€Å"commercials† that make decisions on what to design and produce. Zara owns a group of factories around La Coruna and near Spain to finish manufacture and production quickly. Zara is able to use this network to move a new design from concept through production and into the Distribution Center in as little as three weeks. And deliveries to the store usually take only one to two days via various transportation methods. Jeffrey Ballinger, a Harvard researcher and director of pressure group Press of Change, said that. â€Å"Zara has turned control over garment factories into a competitive advantage.† (CNN Business, 2001) Zara’s differentiation strategy results in a low cost strategy. Zara uses a low cost structure than its competitors to cut cost. Unlike fashion brands that creates or used well-known designers or design groups that cost millions of dollars, and produce with exotic, rare to find fabrics. Zara takes its designs from its â€Å"commercials† and use easy to find textile to not only react to changes quickly but also cut the majority of the cost, therefore, Zara can always offers a lower price. Zara’s generic strategies—both differentiation strategy and low cost strategy are due to Zara’s closeness to its customers. Zara’s designs are generated from preferences collected in the store, and Zara is able to satisfy its customer by taking full control of the operation process and therefore, fulfilling customers’ demand quickly. The ability to transform this close relationship into a value proposition gives Zara complete advantage over its competitors. (Osterwalder, 2005) Five Forces Michael Porter’s Five Forces can be used to identify Zara’s competitive forces within the environment to assess the potential profitability in the clothing retail industry. According to Paige Baltzan, Five Forces’ purpose is to â€Å"combat these competitive forces by identifying opportunities, competitive advantages, and competitive intelligence. If the forces are strong, they can increase competition.† (Baltzan, 2010) Below, I will discuss Zara’s competitiveness from the five forces. 1, Buyer Power—is the ability of buyers to affect the price they must pay for an item. (Baltzan, 2010) Buyer power is not very strong in Zara’s case. Customers who buy from Zara know exactly what kind of merchandises they are purchasing from this brand—trendy fashionable items with a normal quality for a good price. Since Zara has 531 stores over the world, it has a large number of customers. Since Zara’s garments have â€Å"fairly short life spans† (McAfee, Dessain, Sjoman, 2007), it creates a sense of urgency for customers. Customers know that if they don’t buy the item this time because they are hesitating on the price, they may not even be able to find it next time they visit the store. This gives Zara power to name its own price, but of course, within a reasonable â€Å"Zara price range†. Although there are brands like Gap, HM, Benetton and so on to compete with Zara, the unique fashionable items that are offered at Zara, which c hange constantly, makes the switching costs high for Zara. There are definitely loyalties in Zara’s customers who check out the store frequently hunting for new items as soon as they are available. 2, Supplier Power—consists of all parties involved, directly or indirectly, in obtaining raw materials or a products. (Baltzan, 2010) Zara’s operation structure gives it a comparably lower supplier power. Clothing retail industries rely on their manufactories to produce their garments, so usually their suppliers have high bargaining power. If the price of cotton goes up, the whole industry is likely to be influenced and therefore, their cost will go up, their merchant price will rise as well. However, since Zara owns its factories, Zara is its own supplier. Supplier power is comparably lower than its competitors. 3, Threat of Substitute Products or Service—is high when there are many alternatives to a product or service. (Baltzan, 2010) The thread of substitutes is low for Zara. Even the fashion industry is very unpredictable and Zara has a lot of competitors wanting to make the next big fashion trend, Zara is still distinctive because it is known for constant innovations and designs for the latest fashion. No competitors of Zara could catch up its speed on producing so many items a year and deliver that fast. 4, Threat of New Entrants—is high when it is easy for new competitors to enter a market. (Baltzan, 2010) The enter barrier to create a company that is similar to Zara is high so the threat of new entrant to Zara is low. Profitability always attracts investment to enter the industry, and in fact, there are new entrants all the time. However, Zara’s business model is quite unique and difficult to copy. Zara has already built its reputation, and is the leading company in the industry. It will be hard to achieve what Zara has. It also takes time and capital to establish a successful company like Zara. It is hard to gather all the resources including talented people like what Zara has to create an industry giant. There are going to be some threats of new entrants but not that big of the influence to Zara. 5, Rivalry among Existing Competitors—is high when competition is fierce in a market. (Baltzan, 2010) Since there is not many similar fast fashion stores in the market, Zara’s rivalry is low among existing competitors. Zara’s existing competitions come from sharing the same clothing retail industry, but not so much from what Zara is specialized in—fast fashion. So again, Zara distinguishes from other competitors for its products and speed, and so far competition for Zara is not that fierce within the market. Value Chain Analysis Support Value Activities Value Added Michael Porter created value chain analysis to identify competitive advantages by viewing a firm as a series of business processes that each adds value to the product or service. (Baltzan, 2010) By identifying Zara’s value chain, we can determine the ways in which Zara can implement IT or add value to its products and services. Primary Value Activities As it was described in the case, Zara’s primary value activities are Ordering, Fulfillment, Design and Manufacturing, Distribution and Store Operations. Store managers at Zara place an order to La Coruna twice a week encompassing both replenishment of existing items and initial requests for newly available garments. Commercials at La Coruna then fulfill and ship clothes to stores to satisfy their orders. Zara has its own team of design who amazingly produce approximately 11,000 new items a year. Zara also has a vertically integrated manufacturing operation system that moves its design to production quickly. Zara’s distribution center then transport and distribute Zara products to stores. Zara stores are responsible for selling items and collecting customer preference for fashion trends. These primary activities consist all basic business activities happen within the company everyday. Zara’s Support Value Activities, like many other companies, are Administration, Information Technology, Human Resources and Procurement. Zara’s approach to IT is consistent with its preference for speed and decentralized decision making. (McAfee, Dessain, Sjoman, 2007) IT team, who creates most of the applications that Zara uses internally, supports Zara to function the best way it can and supports well. Zara’s IT is used in store operations, logistics, administrations and so on. It has reduced the overhead cost in many areas, and therefore, has helped Zara to achieve a cost advantage. Implementations of Porter Models Zara differentiates itself from the rest of the industry for its concept of fast fashion at an affordable price. And this is done and supported by not only Zara’s talented employees such as powerful store managers and commercials but also by the IT Zara employs. Information plays an important role through Zara’s supply chain management. Information of customer preference was collected from the store and transferred to commercials so that they can generate the right products quickly. Information of SKUs (stock-keeping-units) was communicated so that the Distribution Center knows what to replenish to stores twice a week. IT adds value to Zara in almost every primary and supportive activity in the value chain. Zara used IT in terms of functional processes and decision level. Even Mr. Sanchez states that the current system is stable, effective and easy to use, there are still many potential risks and problems and there is a big room for Zara’s IT to improve so that the operation could perform even better. Zara POS terminals are run on DOS operating system that is not supported by Microsoft any more. Zara also uses the PDAs to make orders and handle returns. (McAfee, Dessain, Sjoman, 2007) As important as sales information is, Zara’s POS terminals were not connected to one another via any in-store network, so employees have to transport all the information on a disk and to the one modem-equipped terminal to accomplish transaction. This process is inefficient and has many potential risks of losing the information. PDAs also use the same terminal’s modem to receive the offer and transmit the order. Within a store, POS terminals and PDAs could not share information. That being said, one the terminal modem is dead or has some kind of flaws, the whole store operation will be delayed or stopped. Then, Zara will lose its competitive advantages from its five forces in the market and less value will be added to the value chain. As a result, its generic strategy won’t work as well. Solution Evaluation The question is: should Zara choose to upgrade its POS system? Nicholas G. Carr explained in his article It Doesn’t Matter that IT has lost its ability to create a sustainable competitive advantage and suggested companies not to try new technologies but follow the ones that have been tested to reduce risks. (Carr, 2003) But from the study of all publically traded companies in the article Investing in the IT we learned that there is an industry concentration that large share of the market is concentrated from a small number of companies. (AcAfee Brynjolfsson, 2008) As where Zara stands in the clothing company, it definitely doesn’t want to lose its competitiveness as one of the small group of companies who hold a large piece of pie from the market. The case problem is a semi-structured one since we only know some of the valuables and it is hard to measure the future value of the result. Peter Drucker said that â€Å"If you can’t measure it, don’t do it.† Within Zara company, Salgado and Castellano were only involved early in discussion of initiative that might include computerization. They only determine what new system there is department should purchase or who should work on them without further conductions for cost/benefit analyses. However, I will give a financial forecast using the numbers given in the case to show whether upgrading the system would add value to Zara or not. Cost analysis From Exhibit 13 of the case, we can collect some data and ideas of how much it will cost Zara if it decides to upgrade the system. The company can try the new system in a few stores first to test the efficiency. However, my calculation is based on installing the Windows Operating System throughout all 531 Zara stores average five terminals per store within a year. (Despite new store openings) Total cost to purchase and maintain the Windows OS system per terminal is â‚ ¬170. Hardware required to install in the store including POS terminals, wireless router and wireless Ethernet card cost â‚ ¬5,430. High-speed Internet connection will cost â‚ ¬240 per store annually. Time required per store to install new POS terminals with new POS application, establish wireless network and train staff is 32 hours, which convert to four days of work. Cost per day will be â‚ ¬2,000 times four days, and that gives â‚ ¬8,000 expenditure per store. So, total cost per store to completely install the new OS system with new POS application ready to perform daily tasks is â‚ ¬14,520. Total programming time required to port existing POS application to new OS and expand POS application to include some new features is 20,000 hours. Assuming that computer programs can be run on the machines 24 hours a day, each day cost â‚ ¬450, total cost will be â‚ ¬375,000. As a result, 531 Zara stores will cost â‚ ¬7,710,120 to install the program, plus â‚ ¬375,000 expenses from the IS department, total cost to upgrade the POS system will be â‚ ¬8,085,120. (See Exhibit 1) Since Zara generated 73.3% of the Inditex Group’s sales, Zara’s Net Operating Revenues can be estimated at â‚ ¬2,913 million in 2002. And assume all companies under Inditex Group operate in the same way and share expenses equally as sales, Zara will make â‚ ¬313.8 million Net Income. (See Exhibit 2) The â‚ ¬8 million upgrading expenses will count for a 3% investment for Zara. Benefit Analysis A â‚ ¬8 million IT upgrade is not a small investment, we need to look at potential benefits that can be made out of the system to measure if it makes a profit for Zara. In another word, we need to forecast future returns to see if the new system will add value to Zara or not. I will use some Key Performance Indicators (KPI) and some Critical Success Factors (CSF) to analyze the outcome. Financial Forecast There are some tangible KPIs we can measure to see if Zara benefit from the new system. I will use Revenue, number of garment, percentage of time saved using the new system as my KPIs. Every business is about making money. If the new system cannot bring Zara extra revenue, why invest? Let’s suppose that the system runs smoothly and well once it is installed. Hopefully it will link up the POS terminals and PDAs that are used in each store to headquarter automatically using the wireless Internet. Added new features are supposed to enable staff to check theoretical inventories from the store as well as all other Zara stores near it. The system will minimize faulty transactions from human errors. Staff in the store does not have to record sales numbers and transport it from one terminal to another. More information from customers and store managers can be collected and sent back to commercial teams quicker and more accurately. Distribution Center will be able to see store inventories from the system simultaneously so replenishment can be made without making an order. Shipment can arrive more frequently to the stores. Let’s say the system accelerate the whole operation process by 10% of the total time, and the design group is able to make 10% more garment items a year due to the time they saved. That will make a total of 12,100 items a year compared to 11,000 before. Revenue can be increased to â‚ ¬3,204.23 million from â‚ ¬2,912.94 million. Although the number may be too positive, it gives us an idea that multi-million of revenues can be made due to the increased efficiency of the system. Another important fact is that the new system installed will last for a period of time, not just one year. The current DOS system has been used for over a decade, and I believe the new system can be run for about the same period. The IT investment expenses can be distributed over the next few years and Zara will continuously benefit from the uses of the system. Other benefits There are also some intangible values that can be added from the new system. Some Critical Success Factors include market competitions, Supply Chain Management, Customer Relationship Management and Material Resource Planning II. The new OS system will help Zara to be competitive in the industry. As an innovative company, Zara has its unique and simple business model that has a proven success. The IS department of Zara that create program application for Zara to use is a valuable Proprietary Technology benefit that Zara owns. It is beneficial because no other competitors have access to the technology. Infrastructural Technology such as this DOS or new OS system has better value when more users are taking advantage of it. (AcAfee Brynjolfsson, 2008) Zara should take the advantage by also applying the new OS system as many other competitors in the industry have already used it. Thus, Zara will have both benefits from both proprietary and infrastructural technologies and stay competitive in the market. New OS system will link Zara’s supply chain better and faster. Zara’s business model decides that the company wants to exchange information and it wants the information to be exchanged fast. Zara’s supply chain links from Supplier to Manufacture to Distributor to Stores and to Customers are tighter than many other companies because its products turn over more frequently. Zara needs a good system to perform operation than any other companies. Having an upgraded system will help Zara to achieve its business goal. New system will bring more customer satisfaction to Zara. A lot of Zara’s customers have some degrees of loyalty to the company and their satisfaction is important to Zara. Despite chatting with customers for their fashion sense when they are in the store, Zara doesn’t make much networking effort with customers. Product says it all. Zara simply keeps its customers coming by offering their favorite items. These fashion-forward, young city dwellers come to Zara enthusiastically want to buy what they like. So, being able to check inventories in nearby stores when a customer’s size runs out is very important. The new system will let Zara do that. Material Resource Planning and Labor will also be better off with the new system. Zara’s vendors have promised to follow Zara’s IT system so it was not really problem. Yet, Zara shouldn’t be standing on the passive side to wait until when it has to switch to a more up-to-date system. By taking the lead, Zara gains more flexibility and comfort to utilize resources it needs. The new system will also fix and install some new features that Zara’s employees have being requesting for. Keeping the labor force happy is essential since talents (people) are the key factor that makes it hard for other companies to copy and apply the same IT and business model Zara has successfully. (AcAfee Brynjolfsson, 2008) Auditing Some main reasons that Sanchez pointed out to support his idea of not upgrading and some other factors that need to be considered are discussed below.   Mr. Sanchez worries that switching to the new system will turbulent the stable usage of the current system and cause troubles. We have to admit that what he said could happen. That’s why we take close consideration of it to prevent it from happening rather than not to do it. The current system is effective, stable and rolls out easy to use for employees because it has been tested and run for more than ten years. Staff is familiar with the system, and IS department knows how to fix it when there’s a problem. However, this shouldn’t stop Zara from innovations. Zara can plan on installing the new system and test it with a small number of stores first and slowly transformed the rest of the company to use the new system. Zara may also face the difficulties to train employees to use the new system, or the system doesn’t work perfectly for Zara at the beginning phase, and therefore, causing systematic troubles that affect the business negatively. Yet, generally speaking, these software interfaces for businesses are easy to use. Not to mention that Zara has a strong IS department that can support its technology uses. In the process of new system development, Operation/Maintenance consists 80% of the time and cost while User Acceptance only contains 20%. That being said, maintaining the system and Auditing the system after it has been installed is crucial. Zara’s IS department should pay more attention to them. Overall, there are more benefits and predictable profits than shortcomings to upgrade the outdated DOS system for Zara. Conclusion and Recommendations Taking into considerations of all possible factors, I believe that this case analysis is in favor for Zara to consider upgrading its outdated DOS system to OS system. As a successful fast fashion clothing retailer, Zara’s business idea, which links customer demand to manufacturing, and links manufacturing to distribution, works very well and keeps Zara a flagship chain store for Inditex Group. Zara’s generic strategy is to differentiate and save cost. Since Zara has a strong demand for speed in the operation process and tight links in Supply Chain Management, its requirement for IT is high. The evaluation of the solution shows us that there are more predictable advantages than disadvantages for Zara to upgrade its system. With thoughtful considerations and backup remediation plans, Mr. Bruno Sanchez shouldn’t be so conservative and against the idea to upgrade the system. I am confident that upgrading the system will meet Zara’s business goal to be the most innovative and profitable fast fashion retailer in the industry. References AcAfeeAndrew, BrynjolfssonErik. (June-August, 2008). Investing in the IT. Harvard Business Review. BaltzanPaige. (2010). Business Driven Information Systems (3rd Edition). New York, NY, USA: McGraw-Hill Irwin. Business Week. (Arip 4th, 2006). Zara-Taking the Lead in Fast Fashion. CarrNicholas G. (May 2003). IT Doesnt Matter. Harvard Business Review. Castellano RiosMariaJose. (1975). Business idea for Zara. Spain. CNN Business. (June 15th, 2001). Zara, a Spanish sucess story. McAfeeAndrew, DessainVincent, SjomanAnders. (2007). Zara: IT for Fast Fashion. USA: Harvard Business School. OsterwalderAlexander. (June 23rd, 2005). Business Model Alchemist. http://www.businessmodelalchemist.com/2005/06/zaras-business-model.html

Individual Needs of a Child

Individual Needs of a Child Alysha Lloyd Early Years Level 3 Unit 1 – A Unique Child It is very obvious that all children can learn, but not all children learn in the same way, at the same time or at the same rate learning is an individual process and therefore not every child will be learning in the same way or at the same rate. To help children learn it is very important to meet children’s diverse learning needs which can lead to more effective and efficient learning. Meeting a child’s diverse learning needs means identifying needs, developing individual goals and objectives for a child, selecting or designing appropriate supports and services, and then choosing the best learning setting. Combining and evaluating these things based upon your individual child will allow you to create a individual and more efficient learning process for that child. As a practitioner, you have a responsibility to your key children to provide appropriate activities for the age and stage of development of each child to help them develop further in all areas; growth, development and learning. Each child needs individualised care and this is what the EY strives to achieve with the focus on ‘A Unique Child’. With all those unique children in your key group, you have to take into consideration that when you conduct an adult-led activity you may have set an overall aim for the activity, yet each child will not respond to the activity in the same way and will need an individual outcome and therefore, it is important to think about, plan for, and interact with the individual, as well as the group as a whole. You have to consider the range of children’s styles, social interactions and personalities: †¢ Some are quiet; others are noisy †¢ Some like to spend time by themselves; others are the life of the party †¢ Some are shy; others are outgoing †¢ Some are active; others are reserved †¢ Some enter into new situations easily; others like to stand back and watch There also other things to take into consideration, for example, cultural and language backgrounds, life experiences, temperament, interests, skills and talents that can all influence how a child learns. Due to all these possible contributing factors, all practitioners should use a process called differentiation which means that activities, planning, resources and environments should be adapted to suit the individual needs of a child and allow them to participate and gain the most from each experience. Once you have taken the child’s unique needs into consideration and applied this to your planning and how you conduct your activities, you will see how each child will benefit in their learning. The benefit of meeting a child’s individual needs means that each child will gain the most from each activity and therefore are more likely to learn and develop at a more efficient rate based upon their needs. The amount a child will learn and gain from an activity will be affected by what the activity has been based upon; it has been advised that practitioners should follow a cycle of planning, observation and assessment. Children often learn and develop best when they are doing something that they enjoy, so if you observe them doing this, assess their skills and capabilities, you can then plan what’s best next for that child. This process will benefit that individual child, as the next activity planned for them will be something they enjoy participating in, are capable of achieving and are therefore more likely to learn more from that activity. Staff should place observation, planning and assessment at the heart of their practice and this process should be seen as a continuous cycle in supporting babies and young children’s development. Once you incorporate this cycle into your daily planning as a key worker, you will quickly see the benefits in your key children. An essential part of your responsibility for meeting children’s individual needs will require all children to be treated fairly and equally and to make sure there is no discriminatory practice happening. When anti-discriminatory practice is spoken about is important to be aware of three very important terms; Equality, Diversity, Inclusion; equality meaning that everyone is treated equally, diversity is recognising individual’s characteristics and differences and inclusion makes sure that all children can participate fully in their environment. Discrimination is taken very serious within early years setting and many laws and â€Å"acts† have been created to protect children from discrimination as a whole, the most famous being ‘The Children Act 1989’ and ‘The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC)’. These acts are now used as guidance to make everyone aware that the rights that must be realised for children to develop their full pot ential, free from hunger, neglect and abuse. It’s a new vision of the child; a vision of a child as an individual and as a member of a family and community, with rights and responsibilities appropriate to their age and stage of development. In order to provide an inclusive child care setting that celebrates diversity and does not discriminate against children and their families, the setting should ensure that the following things are taken into consideration and applied to all areas of practice: Accessibility equality parental children’s activities are accessible to all parents all children, making sure everyone can equally participate regardless of the capabilities, culture or background. Realisation of diversity activities in the child care setting help children to realise that they are part of a world where people’s backgrounds and experiences are diverse Provide positive images – Materials on display in nursery should help overcome stereotyping expectations by displaying all sorts of children from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds Celebration celebrations of multicultural festivals and events should take place in settings regardless of whether children would celebrate them at home. Activities reflect the diversity of background of all of the families represented in the community Avoiding stereotyping – Restricting girls from being more adventurous and boisterous and boys from being more sensitive and caring. Stereotyping can restrict possibilities in the future development by limiting expectations Make each child feel individual – Appreciating children for who they are and celebrating the characteristics that do make them different Treat all children equally but not the same – adapting the way you work with children to suit their needs therefore making sure they have the right opportunities. For example, adapting your activity for two children who are capable of different levels of achievement. Staff members must challenge their own views and beliefs and not portray any prejudices to the children, as the way in which adults treat children and behave can have a huge influence on them. Children should be encouraged to identify their own unique characteristics and those that are similar to other children. This will help them to feel comfortable within their own skin and value their own individual characteristics. They will also feel more positive about their own culture and background, gaining emotional well-being. This is also good practice in promoting diversity, as children will be more accepting of others who are different to them. Diversity should also be promoted throughout the nursery environment, so children should play with different toys from different cultures, they should celebrate a range of festivals and cultural celebrations within their setting and their also should be a range of photos and displays to help promote and celebrate diversity. It is highly importan t for staff to constantly promote diversity so that children are comfortable within their own skin, can celebrate their cultural background but also not be prejudice against others. It is essential that practitioners are aware of promoting children’s physical and emotional well-being. The emotional health of children and young people is increasingly recognised as being highly important to the wellbeing and future prospects of individuals. Children and young people’s emotional health is a cornerstone of all the Every Child Matters outcomes. Children who are emotionally healthy achieve more, participate more fully with their peers and community, engage in less risky behaviour and cope better with the adversities they may face from time to time. Emotional health in childhood has important implications for health and social outcomes in adult life (Mental Health Foundation. 1999. Bright Futures. London: Mental Health Foundation). The development of emotional health starts before a child is born, and the first two years of life are a critical period for laying the foundations for emotional health throughout childhood and into adult life. Emotional health is nurtured primarily in the home, but we know that practitioners and services can and do make a difference. To help promote the health and well-being of all children, acts have been written so that everyone can focus on the importance of what is best for each unique child. â€Å"The Children Act 1989† was written to help promote empowerment for children, making sure that they are involved in decisions that can affect themselves. The main points of â€Å"The Children Act 1989† relevant to working in early years are: The well-being of the child is of paramount importance children should be safe and secure within a setting and this should be a feeling shared with parents. When children feel safe and secure it is more likely that they will feel more happy and have a better emotional; well-being. Children should have their own race, culture, language and religion valued and respected – this can be explored through the celebration of diversity and individuality. Childrens feelings and opinions should be listened to – making them feel like they are important and special, linking in them to feel secure and safe. Provision should be made to meet the individual needs of children and their families – communication between staff and parents to ensure all child’s needs and interests are catered for therefore a child can get the best care available allowing them good emotional and physical well-being. Keeping children safe is essential in promoting a child’s physical well-being and once a child feels safe within their environment, they will feel more secure and confident to go and explore independently. Practitioners can promote well-being within settings by giving children the opportunity to make their own choices and decisions. Giving them these opportunities allows children to develop self-confidence and awareness, as well as learning to manage feelings and behaviour. The EYFS ‘A Unique Child’ promotes children as independent learners; this can begin from an early age as young as babies, exploring news things using their senses and as they become older, children can be given the opportunity to learn about keeping themselves safe. Practitioners can empower children, giving them choices and encouraging them to make decisions. This should include when children decide that they do not wish to participate in activities. This opportunity to say ‘no’ w ill empower a child and enable them to become a confident individual. This is important for their personal confidence and emotional well-being. Promoting independence and decision making from an early age and continuing this throughout childhood will contribute to a young person and adult who is confident, independent and assertive. As practitioners we have to be aware that all children are different and unique and this cannot be overlooked. If we do not take this into consideration it can have a large impact on not only the learning and development achieved by the child, but also their emotional and physical well-being. The EYFS theme ‘A Unique Child’ with the individual child at the heart of curriculum and planning, is a key part of all early years settings, therefore benefiting the value of each child. Whilst considering each child as an individual, we not only take into consideration their needs but the ideas of anti-discriminatory practice, helping their emotional and physical well-being. Information Sources Department of Education and Early Childhood Development http://www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/childhood/providers/regulation/childindivneeds.pdf Alberta Education http://education.alberta.ca/media/448912/Chapter3.pdf Education Scotland http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/Images/12assessment_tcm4-637896.pdf UNICEF – Convention on the rights of the child http://www.unicef.org/crc/index_protecting.html The National Strategies of Early Years http://www.foundationyears.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/SEAD_Guidance_For_Practioners.pdf

War :: essays research papers

"The 20th century has been dominated by the machine gun, the tank, the B-52 bomber, the nuclear bomb and, finally, the missile. It has been distinguished by the bloodiest and most destructive wars than those of any other time." So said History professor Hugh Thomas and he certainly knew what he was talking about. Since the beginning of the century, men have been at war for different reasons that to me do not justify the aftermath of war. Negative effects on soldiers, suffering children and affected countries are part of the aftermath that makes war a horrible and unfair thing. All the soldiers involved actively in any war come home with negative effects. The mental health of these men is affected because of the strains, tensions and the "kill or be killed" mentality of the battlefield. Many of them have physical ailments as a result of the injuries received in battle or the exposure to biological weapons that tamper with the many systems of the body. The quality of their family life suffers because they have been scared mentally, emotionally and physically; therefore their behavior will not be the same and that affects family life significantly. Another aftermath of war is the suffering children. Many of them experience the painful loss of family members such as their parents, grand parents, and brothers, which sometimes leaves them alone in a harsh world. In addition, the physical health of the children is affected because of injuries, lack of food and medical care. All of this leads to emotional problems that can conflict with the children’s development and future well being. Finally, war can leave lasting repercussions on the countries that are involved in it. Due to contamination by biological weapons, insufficiency of food, or the bad administration of it, hunger appears and people become desperate. In addition to this, the economy of the countries involved is affected because of the great quantities of money being used for armaments and defense. The effect of this can be long lasting. With all of this comes an increase in disease as a consequence of the biological weapons, the lack of money for medicines, the destruction of vital buildings such