Childrens nursing and interprofessional collaboration challenges and opportunities Essay Example

Childrens nursing and interprofessional collaboration: challenges and opportunities Essay Interprofessional working is perceived as one of the ways in which the new NHS can achieve working as one. Achievement of these goals will result in an integrated care system but the success is dependant on many factors including co-operation replacing competition. In history practitioners could be described as uni-professional where they are confined within their own disciplines. In the context of Interprofessional working, practitioners are being urged to learn from and about each other so that professional boundaries are effectively crossed for the benefit of the service user. The subject of interprofessional collaboration, after developing a momentum in the U.K to a position where it is beginning to have a positive effect on the structure and functioning of the NHS, has recently received heightened scrutiny in the nursing press. Despite this not enough attention has been given to putting these developments in the context of practitioners working within childrens nursing. Interprofessional collaboration, amongst other benefits, offers many opportunities for professional development and in putting forward the implications to practitioners working within childrens nursing this paper aims to redress the imbalance. Implications for childrens nurses It has been argued that this pluralistic vision of healthcare is nothing new. The complexity of individual health in a public and social context has always needed a mixed economy of provision (Ackers Abbott, 1996). In the context of children in as early as the 1950s prominent psychologists such as Bowlby suggested that uni-institutional and professional provision of services was dehumanising. We will write a custom essay sample on Childrens nursing and interprofessional collaboration: challenges and opportunities specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Childrens nursing and interprofessional collaboration: challenges and opportunities specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Childrens nursing and interprofessional collaboration: challenges and opportunities specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Historically the profession of childrens nursing has fought hard to gain professional autonomy. The Court Report (DOH, 1976) formally recognised the importance of a dedicated profession with specialist knowledge in the needs of children. Court reiterated and extended the recommendations of the Platt Report (Ministry of Health, 1959) stressing the need for specialist, dedicated childrens nurses. Interprofessional collaboration could therefore be viewed to be somewhat erosive and diluting as practitioners are required to work beyond there previously autonomously defined discipline. Therefore much thought and examination is needed so that the transition from minority profession to interprofessional collaborators can be achieved in a way that maintains and develops the integrity and quality of the childrens nursing contribution. Political and economic implications for childrens nursing Despite the close relationship between policy and healthcare delivery, nurses as a body remain insufficiently politicised (Clifford, 2000). Clifford urges nurses to become more politically aware of issues that affect them and the delivery of care within their locality. This awareness has implications for childrens nurses if they are to overcome the potential hazards of being a minority profession and to avoid being sidelined within an adult biased healthcare structure. In recent decades there has been a growth in training and development of specialist skills in childrens nursing an example of which can be seen in paediatric intensive care. In 1993 the British Paediatric Association stressed the importance of suitably qualified nurses to care for critically ill children. However this is not to suggest that being a childrens nurse is just about the acquisition of specific knowledge and skills. Such a perception would reduce the profession to the status of technicians. Overlooking the wider awareness, understanding and knowledge that are crucial to meet the complexity within child and family care. As mentioned earlier one of the ways in which traditional barriers can be overcome is to create a process where practitioners can learn from and about each other. This encourages practitioners to work across traditional boundaries and therefore this learning is considered to be a crucial component of interprofessional working. On an interpersonal level collaboration is a process that occurs between individuals. And whilst organisations may urge and advocate ways of working they cannot ensure their success (Lupton Khan, 1998). Only the individuals involved can determine whether or not collaboration occurs. In order to achieve successful collaboration communication is needed so that an environment of trust can be achieved. The skills that have been identified in creating these environments of trust and respect are listening skills, ability to articulate individual and professional contributions, and negotiation skills. Without this level of communication interprofessional working is l ikely to continue to be affected at an interpersonal level by issues of status, class and gender. An example of how interpersonal stereotypes can have a detrimental impact on collaboration at an interpersonal level can be seen in the Jasmine Beckford child abuse inquiry (Blyth Milner, 1990). The inquiry highlighted that a female health visitor had voiced legitimate concerns yet they were ignored in favour of those of a male doctor. Subsequent work in this area of nurse-doctor relationships (Mackay, 1995: Kendrick, 1995) has identified role-socialization as playing an important part in perpetuating stereotypes. In contrast Carpenter (1995) highlights that nurses also have stereotypes of doctors that also have a negative impact on collaboration. In conclusion this article has sought to illustrate the complexities, at every level, of interprofessional working. It highlights the common belief that the key to successful collaboration is professional self-confidence, which evolves from the development of the core skills and knowledge discussed previously.

Zara vs. Uniqlo Essay Example

Zara vs. Uniqlo Essay Example Zara vs. Uniqlo Paper Zara vs. Uniqlo Paper Clothing Industry ZARA vs. UNIQLO Team J: Bingbing Ge Lei Du Sophia Maduka Salman Syed Azim Thanadol Boonyaviwat Tanya Goel 1 Index Content Page Number Executive Summary†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 4 Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 5 Industry Analysis†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦5 Competitive Environment†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 5 Strategic Groups†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 6 ZARA†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 7 Critical Success Factors†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦7 Strategic Issue: What should ZARA do next?.. Strategic Options for ZARA and Inditex†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 10 UNIQLO†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 11 Critical Success Factors†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦11 St rategic Issue: Should UNIQLO compete with ZARA†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 12 Strategic Options for UNIQLO and Fast Retailing†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 13 Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 14 2 Appendices Index Content Page Number Appendix 1 : Porter’s Five Forces 15 Appendix 2 : PESTEL Analysis 7 Appendix 3 : Risk Factors 18 Appendix 4 : Strategic Groups.. 19 Appendix 5 : ZARA Business Model 20 Appendix 6 : CAGE Framework. 21 Appendix 7 : ZARA’s TOWS Matrix†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦22 Appendix 8 : Clothing retailers’ sales and profits.. 3 Appendix 9 : Case of UNIQLO failing to compete with ZARA. 24 Appendix 10 : Customer Analysis.. 26 Appendix 11 : UNIQLO Business Model 27 Appendix 12 : Detailed Strategies for UNIQLO. 28 Appendix 13 : Comparison Between ZARA and UNIQLO.. 30 Appendix 14 : UNIQLO’s TOWS Matrix.. 1 Appendix 15 : Inditex and Fast Retailing Ansoff Matrices 32 3 Executive Summary This report aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of two major players in the clothing industry: ZARA and UNIQLO. The clothing industry is highly segmented with several sub markets, ZARA targets at customers who need high fashion, whereas UNIQLO positions itself in the low fashion low price segment. Different from most retailers who adopt a mass production for strategic positioning, ZARA implemented a mass differentiation strategy to compete in the market by vertically integrating its value chain. With full control of all its all activities, ZARA has successfully gained large market share and established good brand awareness by providing customers with fashionable, highly exclusive, fast changing products. For further expansion, ZARA chose to keep penetrating existing markets rather than entering into a new segment. The long distance between Spain and America has brought ZARA with a strategic issue as it cannot take full advantage of its effective business model, which means ZARA has to change its business model or establish a new centralized production and distribution centre for further performance improvement. Moreover, UNIQLO follows the traditional strategy adopted by most retailers that is to reduce cost by outsourcing production regions with low labour cost. UNIQLO also succeeded in gaining market share by offering customers with products with rich functionalities at low price. With inspiring sales performance, UNIQLO entered into the new segment to compete with ZARA. However, this expansion strategy has resulted as a failure, which implies UNIQLO should focus on its current market, expand into a new segment either by launching a new brand and business model or taking full advantage of its current unique RD capability. Introduction The fashion industry is one of the most complicated industries in the world. It is the largest employer of all the creative industries and directly employs 816,000 people across a wide range of jobs and professions from fashion designers to fashion retailers. In the UK economy, it is estimated that the fashion industry contributes a direct value worth 21 bil lion pounds (Casciato, 2010). The world of fashion is filled with competitors, who are struggling for public awareness. ZARA and UNIQLO are two companies operating in this market and spare no effort to survive and prosper in this industry. This report will start by providing an industry analysis, and then it will discuss ZARA’s strategy, strategic issues and its strategic options. Finally, it will analyze the critical success factors of UNIQLO, the reason why it failed to compete with ZARA and its strategic options. Industry analysis Competitive Environment The Clothing industry is a very competitive in nature and due to this several sub segments have been created in the market and coupled with the number of players involved, in addition to the seasonal nature of the products; has led to excess capacity within the industry. The modern markets trends of the industry is globalization which has led to intensified competition between local brands and international brands alike. From our Porter 5 Forces analysis, which can be found in Appendix 1, we can see that the highly competitive and labour intensive nature of the industry have led firms to pursue cost leadership strategies. A general trend has been to outsource production to developing countries such as Bangladesh, Vietnam and China (The reasons for doing are highlighted by our PESTEL Analysis, as Appendix 2 indicates). Another important way in which firms try and create a barrier to entry is by product differentiation. The perception of products overall can be deemed to be equal and therefore, apart from price, the key differentiating factors are brand image, reputation and design. As a result firms tend to utilize a lot of capital in order establish a reputation and create brand awareness. 5 Due to the globalized nature of the industry majority of the risks involved are applicable throughout the industry as a whole. These risks are often beyond any of the firms’ controls and therefore it is very difficult to foresee them and adopt strategies to deal with them. A list of some of these risk factors is listed in the Appendix 3. Strategic groups In the clothing industry, there are generally three strategic groups: low fashion low price, high fashion low price and high fashion and high price (See Appendix 4). Retailers like GAP and UNIQLO belong to the first category as those companies mainly focus on providing customers with relatively low fashion and cheap products. Both GAP and UNIQLO adopt the same business model, which aims to reduce price through mass production. Compared with GAP and UNIQLO, companies such as HM and ZARA, classified in the second strategic group, position themselves in the market with more differentiation by proving high fashion products with low price. The last group includes those luxury brands such as LV and GUCCI, who provide high income customers with most fashionable design along with a very high price. There is possibility for companies in the first strategic group to strategically stretch to the second group through differentiating their products towards more fashionable. For those companies in the second group, they could also strategically stretch towards to the first group by mass production via intensive outsourcing to reduce its cost. 6 ZARA The Success of ZARA ZARA is one of the most successful clothing retailers in the world today. ZARA (operating under the flagship of Inditex, a holding company located in Northwest Spain) has around 2500 stores in 62 different countries across the world (Tiplady, 2006) and is still growing. The success of ZARA is astounding as they succeeded using a strategy which went outside the generic strategies used in the industry. Where others went for mass production, ZARA went for Mass Customization. When others spent fortunes on marketing, ZARA held a no advertising policy. When others outsourced their supply chain ZARA stuck with their own manufacturing facilities. ZARA’s secret is their Business Model, as illustrated by Appendix5. ZARA’s value chain ZARA’s business model is characterized by the search for flexibility in adapting production to market demand by controlling the supply chain throughout the different stages of design, manufacture and distribution (Inditex, 2009). This vertical integration of the value chain enhances internal information flow with the help of IT service and an autonomous and flexible corporate culture, giving ZARA capability to fully control their entire manufacturing and distribution process from their factories to the shop floor. ZARA’s success is based on a business model that achieves a ‘speed of response’ to market demand that is without precedent in the fast-moving clothing sector. ZARA’s cycles of design, production, and distribution are substantially faster than any of its main competitors. All their products are designed at the Inditex headquarters in La Coruna, approximately 50% of which are produced in its own network of 22 Spanish factories and the rest 50 % is outsourced to factories in Asia and Africa. Their finished products are dispatched by their centralized distribution facility twice a week, to each of its retail outlets, located in different time zones with accurate shipping times. Other fashion retailers usually have a six-month time lag between completing a new design and delivery. ZARA on the other hand can take a new design from the drawing board to the shop floor in as little as three weeks. 7 Merchandizing Strategy With full control of its production and coupled with their brand image, ZARA manages to create rapid product turnover, which in turn creates a climate of scarcity and opportunity in their retail stores. The exclusivity of its products are intended to increase consumer frequency, which corresponds to higher sales. As a result, ZARA’s high turnover rate allows the company to sell more items at full price, which helps ZARA achieve a 15 to 20 percent of markdown merchandise cost reduction compared to traditional retailers (Craig et al, 2004). Quick Response Strategy With a unique quick response system, comprising of human resource, information technology infrastructure and customer feedback, ZARA is able to respond to the demand of its customers better than its competition. On one hand, ZARA delegates its product development teams to attend high-fashion fairs and exhibitions to interpret latest trends of the season. On the other hand, ZARA’s store managers are responsible for reporting daily sales activity, products life cycles, and store trends to their designers. These measures along with accurate customer feedback, have provided ZARA with the tools to cater for their customers’ diverse requirements (Craig et al, 2004). Distribution Strategy ZARA’s centralized inventory management system gives them competitive advantage by minimizing the lead-times. ZARA’s internally or externally produced goods go to their distribution center, where they are inspected and immediately shipped. In order to increase speed of delivery, the shipments are scheduled by time zones and shipped by way of air, land or sea. Typically, products will be dispatched to stores in Europe within 24 hours, in the United States within 48 hours and in Japan within 48 to 72 hours (Ferdows et al, 2002). Zero Advertising Strategy As mentioned earlier, ZARA does not have a marketing policy, instead investing in an aggressive store expansion policy. Compared to their competitors, who have an adevertising budget in between 3 to 4% , ZARA’s advertising budget of 0. 3% ( primarly for its online and 8 catalogue venture) provides them with a degree of economies of scale on regards to their international expansion (Craig et al, 2004). They have a department in charge of acquiring global real estate in prime locations around the world, frequent refurbishing of store layouts and the creating the window displays for their global retail operations. ZARA strategically locates themselves in exclusive territory, to provide the allure of high fashion as it is not uncommon to find ZARA next to high end designer boutiques. This also provides them with a unique vantage point to mimic their competitor’s styles, with the hope that customers will go into these boutiques, see what they like and come to ZARA and buy it for a third of the price. Its centralized control over their stores has given ZARA an image of prestige and elegance, irrespective of their price point. Strategic Issue: What should ZARA do next? During 2009, ZARA went ahead and opened 103 stores globally and 15 stores in America. They had substantial sales growth in their European and Asian markets, however sales in there American markets decreased substantially by 0. 5%, after the expansion. From our CAGE analysis, which is listed in Appendix 6, we can see that the geographical distance coupled with the inability of their business model to adapt to the American market can be cited as the main reasons for their failure. Due to the sheer size of America the styles in different side of the country would be different. For example:- Coats and sweaters would most likely be available in ZARA stores in New York during winter months, however, those items would not be stocked in ZARA stores in LA, since the temperatures in that part of the country remain fairly constant throughout the year. The differences in weather patterns pose another challenge to their business model especially since they do not have a factory on the continent. In order to enter new markets, ZARA launched their online sales catalogue in September 2010. Currently their online services are only available in Europe; however, if successful it will be launched globally. However, the question remains whether or not their business model can cope with this added facility or will ZARA run it online store via a different channel. Their current business model transfers stock in batches to their own stores who then sell it to customers and therefore adapting to a model where ZARA will have to sell one of items to individuals will be a challenge. Another important concern regarding ZARA online 9 sales venture is informing people about it. Since they do not have an advertising policy, how the general is public supposed to know about their new service. Strategic options for ZARA and Inditex By looking at their CAGE Framework and their TOWS matrix (Appendix 7), our advice to ZARA is simple: To be competitive in America: In order to compete in America, a manufacturing operation is a must. If the plant in the States is unfeasible then they could try and set up in Mexico or sub-contract their manufacturing operations to an existing plant in Mexico, like they have done in Asia. Otherwise in order to compete in America, ZARA has to change from its current business model, to a model which caters for mass production. This seems unlikely as they will compromise their biggest critical success factor which is to delivery styles quickly. They also have to make efforts to educate people regarding their styles and designs. Marketing and Advertising will be key if they are to be successful in the States and therefore, they must revoke their â€Å"no advertising strategy†. Online Sales operations: We believe that entry into the online sales market is a positive step but, they have to be cautious. Due to the nature online sales, it will be impractical to use their current value chain. The value should be separate from the current ZARA model as it is going to have to deal with postal returns, online refunds and sales of one of items. They also have to answer important logistical questions such as, which distribution centre will the orders be dispatched from? Once again marketing will be a key issue to address as they have to inform of their new service, therefore they will HAVE to revoke their current policy. Advice to Inditex: Inditex should keep on doing what they are in terms of expansion. However, they could begin to penetrate existing markets where ZARA has been successful using their other brands. This allows them to capture other market segments within those markets. They can also thinking about investing more towards RD to improve functionality of clothes. R D requires significant investment; however, they might reap rewards in the 10 long run and help them to research further market segments in the future. For example: provide trendy scruffs with heat absorbent technologies, the item will appeal to their current segment but can also crave its way into other segments. UNIQLO Do they challenge ZARA? UNIQLO see themselves as a direct challenger to ZARA, and their sales figures for 2009 do not disagree, as shown in Appendix 8. In the 2009 annual shareholders report and after a record year in profits, Tadashi Yanai the CEO of Fast Retailing, confidently claimed, â€Å"We can now stand as equals on the battlefield with other global retailers, such as HM, ZARA and GAP. And, just maybe, we can even emerge victorious. † (UNIQLO, 2009). However, they tried to do so this year and it did not go very well (refer to Appendix 9 for a Case study regarding their failure). In short company lost 26% of their global market share and sales fell by 6. 4% in Japan, a market which is responsible for 80% of their revenue (Business Week 2010). The first question for UNIQLO is to ask themselves, is whether or not they compete in the same market. By using the generic strategy graph below we can clearly see that UNIQLO and ZARA are using two completely different strategies in the market place. This coupled with the information derived from the Customer Matrix (see Appendix 10); we do not think they are immediate competitors. UNIQLO’s Critical Success Factors Although UNIQLO consider themselves to be direct competitors to ZARA, their critical success factors which have allowed them to achieve such monolith growth in such a short space of time, is also the reason they have so far failed to enter ZARA’s Market ( as emphasized by the UNIQLO failure case study in the appendix 9). The SPA business model Unlike ZARA, UNIQLO followed the generic strategies of the industry of high volume and low price. They have also invested millions trying to develop their brand identity. UNIQLO 11 credits its continual growth and its ability to provide high quality, functional casual wear at competitive rates to its SPA (Specialty-store/retailer of Private-label Apparel) business model, a model which they adapted from GAP in 1997 (UNIQLO, 2009). UNIQLO business model allows them to be fully involved in all activities of the supply chain from product design, to the sourcing of material, to manufacturing operations(even though they are contracted out to external suppliers) all the way to their sales and retailing operations. This enables UNIQLO to ensure costs are kept to a minimal and quality is maintained. Profitability can also be maximized as rents and personnel costs can be restrained. The Success of UNIQLO’s implementation of the SPA business model has prompted Fast Retailing to slowly integrate all their SBU’s acquired with this model. Appendix 11 provides an illustration of their model. Tadashi Yanai, the founder of UNIQLO, contributes the success of his company to Peter Drucker’s idea of â€Å"customer creation†, which is the idea of delivering products which creates demand (Business Week, 2010). In order to do so the SPA model was designed to be highly customer centric, i. e. customer feedback regarding products played an integral part in new product development. ZARA’s business model on the other hand caters takes customer feedback into account only to manage inventory. Customer feedback has been instrumental in the development of their highly successful Heat Tech and Airtech clothing range, and is taken into account in all levels of company development (UNIQLO website). From the Analysis of the value chain, the most important factor in the business model is UNIQLO’s RD department. Unlike ZARA limited RD budget, UNIQLO have spent a vast amount of time and resources to improve partnerships with suppliers like Toray industries, in order to create clothing which are functional. Why they cannot compete with ZARA It is understandable why UNIQLO wants to target ZARA as it seems that they want to make head ways into the women’s market, a market which is twice the size of the men’s market and they are taking various measures to do so. ( refer to UNIQLOs growth strategies in Appendix 12), such as acquiring other firms , setting up fashion lines only catered towards women and building large format stores. 2 However, the main reason they cannot compete with ZARA is because their business model cannot cater for quick style changes. Production for items starts a full year ahead of ZARA; in addition UNIQLO caters for logo less minimalist designs targeted at mostly a unisex segment. This is illustrated in a comparison table which can be found in Appendix 13. It seems that there aggressive marketing tactics have dug a huge hole into their existing market segment and whatever they try they simply just cannot get out and move into the high fashion women’s market. UNIQLO’s Strategic options By analysing their Value chain and their TOWS matrix (see Appendix 14) we can make the following recommendations to UNIQLO: Market Segment: UNIQLO should stick to their current market segment and try and build upon it further. By looking at their Strategic group diagram in the Appendix 4, it is clear that they simply do not have the strategic stretch to compete with ZARA and maintain their dominance in their segment. If they are to challenge ZARA then we would recommend that they do it with another brand, which has a similar value chain to ZARA’s. Their current strategy of incorporating acquired brands with their SPA business model will not work. If they insist on doing that then they should just maintain focus on their immediate competitor who is GAP. Niche market development: The R D aspect of UNIQLO’s value chain is so unique that, the products derived from that department such as their Heattech and Airtech range of clothing can be classed as niche products. This is because the clothes incorporating technology are still rare in the market and these two lines are UNIQLO’s best selling lines. Acknowledging them as niche market products can further open doors into different market segments. Advice to Fast Retailing: Although Fast Retailing are targeting the women’s market, with high quality women’s clothing, their decision to move production to Bangladesh suggests that they are more concerned with cutting costs rather than further helping their existing Chinese manufacturers to develop new competencies to deliver high quality. Judging by their Ansoff matrix (illustrated in the Appendix 15), this might provide them with the strategic advantage 13 f moving into India. However, if Fast Retailing wants to target ZARA, they should start from scratch and move into the high fashion women’s market with a new brand following a different business model. Conclusion Base on the analysis, both ZARA and UNIQLO should further utilize their current business model. On one hand, ZARA, with the support of the centralized distribution facility, imprints its fame of flexib ility on customers’ awareness and maintain in the top position of fast fashion industry. By expanding into new market, ZARA should carry on its business model and develop manufacturing operation within the approached market in order to preserve the valuable flexibility. UNIQLO, on the other hand, has a cost leadership advantage. UNIQLO provides a wide range of products with reasonable price. Also, with the very keen RD department, UNIQLO is leading the market in term of functionality. It is impossible for UNIQLO to compete with ZARA by its existing business. In order to effectively expand into new market segment, it is not necessary for Fast Retailing and Inditex to develop new brands and new business models. 14 Appendices Appendix 1: Five Forces: Threat of entry in clothing industry is low. Due to many existing retailers have realized economies of scales, established good brand images, and have access to efficient distribution channels, the entry barriers are very high. Threat of substitutes in clothing industry is very low because there are hardly any substitutes for clothing. However there are substitutes in terms of sub segments. For example, casual war or active wear can be seen as the substitutes of formal wear. The threat of substitutes among sub segments is high. Switching costs between sub segments are almost non-existent as styles are individualistic. Bargaining power of buyer is very high. Due to the competitive nature of this industry, consumers have lots of choice in terms of brands and styles. Buyers also have abundant access to the products information, leading to an easy comparison between brands. Bargaining power of supplier is high in clothing industry. Since wool and cotton is vital part ingredient in cloth, it is difficult to find a viable substitute; therefore switching costs of raw material are high. Moreover, the prices of commodities such as cotton blends, wool etc can fluctuate depending on factors such as weather, yield of production and transportation etc. Suppliers have a high bargaining power over those retailers. Furthermore, the bargaining power also depends on the degree of control companies have over a specific resource. For example, UNIQLO has a close partnership with Toray, which provide UNIQLO with the specialized fleece and fabric for its highly successful â€Å"AIRTECH† and â€Å"HEAT TECH† range of clothing. Since not many companies have the capability to produce such special fleece and fabric, the supplier has high degree of control during negotiations. Internal rivalry clothing industry is very high. There are several sub segments in clothing industry such as: high fashion, formal wear, and sportswear, and the competition in very intense duo to there are a number of retailers in each segment. The large number of retailers and the seasonal nature of products have led to excess capacity in the industry. Moreover, globalization leads to market saturation as it has intensified competition between local brands and international brands. 15 Bargaining power of supplier - ­? Difficult to find viable substitute for wool or cotton, high switching cost of raw material - ­? Specific know- ­? how of suppliers ncreases their bargaining power Threat of entry Existing retailers have - ­? achieved economies of scale - ­? good brand image - ­? access to effective distribution channels Threat of substitutes - ­? No substitute for clothing Internal rivalry - ­? substitutes exist in different segment of this industry Bargaining power of buyer - ­? consumers have lots of choice in te rms of brands and styles - ­? Buyers also have abundant access to the products information, an easy comparison between brands - ­? Large number of players in segments and seasonal nature of product lead to excess capacity - ­? Globalization ntensify competition, resulting in market saturation 16 Appendix 2: PESTEL: (Grant, 2010) Political: - ­? Export Processing Zone (EPZ) set up by governments especially in the developing countries to boost Foreign investment into the country - ­? Tax Benefits offered by governments in charge - ­? Import Quotas on tariff on Raw materials - ­? Relaxed Employment Laws Economic: - ­? Wages: Tend of be very low in developing nations - ­? General Shipping and handling cost: Countries which have access to ports, or road links between major markets - ­? Inflation Exchange rate - ­? Interest rates: Firms ffering FDR investments into country usually get favourable rates of interest on borrowings (this tends to be true for Bangladesh a nd Vietnam. Socio- ­? Cultural: - ­? Population profile: Developing nations tend to have high degree of youth (18- ­? 35); therefore the available workforce is high - ­? Earning Profile: Due to rampant poverty in those nations, the earnings profile is very low. Technological: - ­? Most developing nations tend to not have access to the latest manufacturing technologies, however, that is slowly beginning to change. - ­? However, Infrastructure technology such as, high speed nternet, advanced high powered generators and state of the art washing plants are already available in countries such as Vietnam and Bangladesh. 17 Appendix 3: Risks factors: (UNIQLO, 2009) O? Fluctuations in the cost of shipping ( Retail week, 2010) O? MA risks: If future business acquisitions take place then it will have an adverse effect on the business O? Risk of Production: Majority of products in the industry are manufactured by contracted firms, therefore the industry as a whole is affected by an y political, economic, legal changes and Environmental factors such as natural disasters. O? Foreign exchange risks: Transactions for the majority of the products imported for the UNIQLO business are conducted in U. S. dollars. Therefore in order to stabilize procurement costs they conclude foreign exchange contracts to lock in exchange rates for its imports three years in advance. However, if there are major movements in exchange rates that persist for prolonged periods, this could have an adverse impact on the business O? Rise in commodity prices:- Cotton 18 Appendix 4: 19 Appendix 5: 20 Appendix 6: CAGE Framework for ZARA regarding their American expansion Economic Administrative and Political Geographic Cultural America is a huge market with a lot of opportunities if approached correctly. Due to the protective government regulations in place in America, it is difficult for foreign companies to establish themselves in the American market Logistics and co-ordination issues created by distance between U. S. and European. Which really stretched their Value chain model European countries and U. S. share different Fashion values, which ZARA failed to identify in their initial American launch 21 Appendix 7: ZARA’s TOWS Matrix Internal Factors External Factors Opportunities Strengths Further develop their manufacturing capabilities in Spain in order to try and get better cost benefits. ZARA could venture in to new markets through franchising, a tactic they have used to enter the Arab market. Another opportunity for ZARA lies in opening a manufacturing plant or finding a suitable manufacturing plant in America where they then might be able to implement their existing business model Weaknesses ZARA’s existing IT capabilities are untested especially in the world of online sales. This is an opportunity to develop those capabilities. Threats Although this is an opportunity for ZARA to establish a presence in this area but whether their business model is up to it is another question. How will people know about their new feature? They will have to Advertise which mean their current â€Å"no advertising policy† might be have to be changed Continuing to grow in America without understanding why they are failing in that market to begin with. 22 Appendix 8: Source: The economist, 2010 23 Appendix 9: CASES of UNIQLO failing to compete with ZARA. UNIQLO failure: A case of UK Expansion UNIQLO expanded into the U. K. in 2001, aiming for 50 stores by 2004. They opened 21 outlets all over the country before shutting 16 in 2003 to stem losses and restructure (business week 2010). Their entry strategy was so aggressive as it seemed that they wanted to corner the market, by taking up prime location so competitors could not set up and hoping that there lower prices would steal away customers from ZARA and HM. The reason for failure: (The Sunday times 2003) Failed multi- million pound advertising campaign failed to arouse interest Failed to offer clothes that were sufficiently distinct from rivals such as ZARA and HM and lacked design content and quality Expensive real estate. However now UNIQLO have now consolidated their position in the UK and have restructured there operations, where they currently have 15 locations, 10 in prime real estate in London and 5 in greater London (UNIQLO website) and have been very successful. Repeat of 2001: In the 2009 annual shareholders report and after a record year in profits, Tadashi Yanai, confidently claimed â€Å"We can now stand as equals on the battlefield with other global retailers, such as HM, ZARA and GAP. And, just maybe, we can even emerge victorious. † (2009 annual Report) 24 However, since then Fast Retailing’s shares have plunged 26 percent in 2010. Sales through August fell by 6. 4 percent in Japan where Fast Retailing and UNIQLO earn more than 80% of its revenue(business week 2010). Sales at stores which have been open more than a year fell by 25 percent in September and were continuing to slide through November. The company forecasted its first profit decline in four years for the fiscal year ending in August (business week 2010). The reason for this decline:These losses took place due to a paradigm shift in the company’s policy of low cost and functional clothing. The company wanted to tackle competitors such as ZARA and HM head on and started to produce high fashion items, (a strategy which they employed when they initially launched in the UK) which unfortunately did not sell very well. However, now they are reverting back to their core values which is mass producing functional clothing and use its product line to compete with ZARA via product differentiation (business week 2010). A recent survey indicated that most consumers use UNIQLO products primarily as inner wear (62 percent women and 61 percent men). They are mainly used as a mere econdary player to highlight more fashionable clothes from competitors such as ZARA. (UNIQLO Japan Review) This is an indication that UNIQLO has a long way to go before they can compete with ZARA in the high fashion stakes. 25 Appendix 10: Customer Analysis ZARA and UNIQLO have positioned themselves in different market segments. ZARA’s target market is young educated women who like and sensitive to fas hion. To answer its customers’ need, ZARA has developed a business model that reacts to the recent fashion as fast as it could and become very successful. UNIQLO, at the same time, initially dedicates on casual menswear. Recently, after a revealing from sales report, UNIQLO now try to emphasize more on women market since most of its revenue came from women garment. Nonetheless, UNIQLO does not abandon its middle market, middle aged customers who shop at the brand for its low prices. UNIQLO’s basic clothing is good examples that reflect its target market and through the quality of garments and reasonable price, it has attracted many customers and become successful as well as ZARA. In term of perceived value and price from customers, ZARA has placed themselves in a higher position in both perceived value and price, compared to UNIQLO. ZARA brand and product is more prestige in the sense of product value and ZARA’s customers are willing to pay more in order to acquire the valuable fashion. 26 Customer Matrix 5 4 3 2 1 0 0 100 200 300 400 500 Perceived Price ZARA UNIQL O HM MS LV Perceived Use Value Primark Appendix 11: 27 Appendix 12: Detailed strategies for UNIQLO Partnership with Toray Industries Inc (Product Development Strategy) 28 UNIQLO considers its partnership with Toray Industries Inc who is Japans biggest synthetic fiber manufacturer as a definite competitive advantage. Toray supplied fabric for UNIQLO’s fleece jackets in 1998, its first major successful product, which retailed for 1900 yen each in 1998, while similar products from other manufacturers were priced 4 times higher. UNIQLO’s sales of fleece items topped 26 million units in 2000 and remain at about the same level over the last decade, according to UNIQLO. UNIQLO also developed their highly successful HEATTECH clothing range in conjunction with Toray Industries and they plan to boost sales of their HEATTECH apparel by 40% to 70 million units by 2011 (business week 2010) Growth Strategy By adhering to their SPA model UNIQLO have been allowed achieved phenomenal growth. They have done this by Tam, Expanding operations to major cities around the globe. Mergers and Acquisitions: Over the year’s fast retailing have acquired Princess Tam. Theory and COMPTOIR DES COTONNIERS, Cabin and Gov retailing. The acquisition of Gov retailing provided UNIQLO with the know how to launch UNIQLO shoes. All the companies acquired had women as their primary market segment. (Annual report 2009) Diversifying into new products: In September 2009 UNIQLO launched their Brand, this was enabled by the acquisition of Gov retailing as it provided UNIQLO Shoe them with the expertise to enter the shoe market. Product development through RD: UNIQLO are very keen to develop products which are not only competitively priced and deliver high quality, but also incorporate new fabrics and manufacturing techniques in order to improve efficiency and functionality of their products. Examples include: Airtech and heat tech product ranges. Cost Reduction Strategy Trimming footwear product line by a 100 shoes in order to reduce costs and increase Focusing on minimalistic clothes, which take less material to produce and reduces product focus on their best selling shoes ( annual report 2009) production time. 29 Keeping 1000 styles less than other competitors and on the shelves longer than their Focusing on a wide range of colours rather than a wide range of styles ( business Moving production to Bangladesh in order to benefit from the countries low wage ompetition( the economist 2010) week 2010) infrastructure. Marketing Strategy (UNIQLO Japan Review) UNIQLO deserves credit for its constant stream of proactive campaigns designed to win over a large number of diverse consumer groups, both in Japan and abroad. Examples include: Proactive and powerful marketing campaign such as â€Å"UNIQLOck†, which is a very popular screensaver downloadable from there sit e. The UNIQLOck was very popular with Japanese teenagers. The bilingual free magazine â€Å"UNIQLO PAPER† helped associate the brand image Retail space played a key part in brand expansion. They have stores in only the with hip New Yorker culture expensive real estate in cities and his is a signal of intent for UNIQLO to be associated with High Fashion Innovative packaging such as selling t-shirts in canisters and unique store layout Affiliate programs to encourage websites to market the UNIQLO Brand. ( UNIQLO website) Appendix 13: 30 Comparison between ZARA and UNIQLO Appendix 14: UNIQLO’s TOWS Matrix 31 Internal Factors External Factors Opportunities Further expansion in Asia. UNIQLO’s production and customer base are mainly in Asia. They are currently further looking to reduce costs by moving Production to Bangladesh. This move opens up the Indian market for the company at the while making further expansion into China. Looking to further Develop the functionality of their clothes via their strategic partnerships with existing suppliers. Penetration in the existing market by providing more product choices. UNIQLO’s product great weakness is the limit number of style. With the current low-price apparel market being underdeveloped, UNIQLO has high opportunity to gain more market share by providing more product choices. Secondly, it seems that Fast Retailing is looking market their acquired brands using UNIQLO as a vessel. This would over stretch their market and make it impossible to further penetrate their existing markets. Not recognizing their own strengths. One of the best qualities of UNIQLO’s product range is there functionality. With the supported RD team, UNIQLO could be very competitive and be further differentiated in another market segment then high fashion, for example under wear They should not compete with ZARA or HM as their value chain does not support it. Concentrate on more immediate competitors such as GAP, If they continue to compete with high fashion women’s wear they are over stretching their capabilities and will lose focus with their current market segment. Over Expansion:-Fast Retailing should also learn from the past and test the market first without jumping head first into new markets. The initial UK launch and failure in America can be cited as examples Strengths Weaknesses Threats Appendix 15: Inditex Ansoff Matrix SBU’s 32 MARKET Existing Existing Concentrating on penetrating existing Markets where ZARA has achieved success:- this can be done by deploying Inditex’s other brands such as PULL BEAR, BEREKSHA and MASSUMI DUTTI in order to capture other segments Going into the online market place, a step that they have already done with ZARA but if successful include their other brands with the same online model New Invest in an RD to improve clothes functionality. They can apply new techniques they acquire to boost the quality of their existing lines. New Go into new markets using other distribution channels such as franchising FAST RETAILING’S Ansoff Matrix SBU’s MARKET Existing Existing Continue development on their HEATTECH and AIRTECH range of clothing Fast retailing can use UNIQLO to expand into new markets. Moving production to Bangladesh, gives UNIQLO the scope to move into India, which can potentially be a very big market New Further develop their existing market by getting into new product line. UNIQLO recently launched UNIQLO shoes. Acquiring or developing a new brand to target the women’s market. In order to be successful, the brand must follow a different value chain. New References: Craig, A. Jones, C. Nieto, M (2004) ZARA: Fashion Follower, Industry Leader [Online], available at: philau. edu/sba/news/ZARAreport. pdf [18 Dec 2010] 33 Cosciato, P. (2010) Fashion worth more than $30 billion to UK economy[Online], available at: reuters. com/article/idUSTRE68F3UX20100916 [18 Dec 2010] Fashion Auction, (2010) ZARA Clothing [Online] available at: [18 Dec 2010] Fujimura, N. Ozasa, S. (2010) UNIQLO Billionaire Yanai Revisits Drucker to End Slump [Online], available at : businessweek. com/news/2010-12-06/UNIQLObillionaire-yanai-revisits-drucker-to-end-slump. html [18 Dec 2010] Ferdows, K. Machuca, J. AD. Lewis, M. (2003). ZARA. The European Case Clearing House. Case 603-002-1. Ghemawat, P. Nueno, J. L. (2003) ZARA: Fast Fashion [Online] available at : http://mbanerds. com/index. php? title=ZARA%3A_Fast_Fashion [18 Dec 2010]

EasyJet Strategic Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

EasyJet Strategic Management - Essay Example Easyjet has focused on the strategy of being safe and sustainable, in which is a strategy to fulfil the means of the airline staying afloat through all conditions and circumstances that the economy may go through (Easyjet plc, 2011). With this in mind, the company has seen the successful implementation of safety measures, where the company focuses on the wellbeing of the clients and the efficiency of their services to meet the needs and demands of their clients. In addition, the safety applies to the services they provide, where the record they have is one to be envied following a small number of incidences. Though the incidents do not leave a lot to be desired, they have shaped the airline, especially considering its low-cost flights that it offers to clients. With this in mind, their low-cost strategy also calls for sustainability so that the airline becomes a market leader, which has been achieved by a number of things. This is one by having partnerships with other companies to pr ovide towards some of its needs, which include marketing and fuel issues (Parsons, 2011). This can be evidenced by the joining of the airline in Visiting Britain’s marketing partnership, where it seeks to capture a larger market bases as opposed to the one it captured by working on its own marketing strategies, and the sustainability plans focus on generating revenues and expansions that can continue to be there for a long time to come (Johnson, 2011). As such, the sustainability of the revenues and abilities of the company are the main strategies in place to drive the company to a new level and maintain its notch at the top. In addition, the company applies the strategy of keeping the customer first, which couples with the safety and sustainability strategy, in which case the customer takes priority of operations. This is evidenced by the footprint of the airline across Europe where there is a strong presence of the airline going all over Europe, which is the main focus of t he airline. As such, the airline focuses on the clients in that the footprints are a representation of the company’s clients and their destinations. This is coupled with the improvement of the customer’s experience, where in spite of suffering staffing shortages, there have been improved services to attract more customers and meet their travel needs as they travel with them to give value for their money in their low-cost flights (Niththyananthanpara, 2010). Other companies competing against Easyjet in domestic air travel include Jet2, BMI Baby and Ryan Air among others, but with the strategies used by

Chocolate Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Chocolate - Research Paper Example It is made up of cocoa solids and cocoa butter only and hence it is chocolate in its simplest form (Hawkins 19). It is bitter and thus is not a popular choice for most people who love chocolates. It is ordinarily used as an ingredient in baking and cooking. It adds chocolate flavor to cakes and brownies since it is smooth and rich in cocoa butter. Like unsweetened chocolate, semi-sweetened chocolate is mainly used for cooking purposes. They are mainly used for baking chocolate chip cookies although they can be used to bake many other commodities. It is composed of dark chocolate (cocoa butter and cocoa solids), sugar and vanilla that are an emulsifier. The percentage of sugar does not exceed 50% the mass of the chocolate (Hawkins 20). The ratio varies depending on the manufacturer. This form of chocolate has a good balance between sweetness and chocolate and thus and work well in most recipes. Bittersweet chocolates contain at least 35% of cocoa solids. They are dark in color and have rich flavors. Normally they have high percentages of flavonoids although their percentage depends on the manufacturer. They contain chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, and sugar. The high percentage of chocolate liquor content makes it dark. It is can be eaten and can also be used for baking purposes. It contains chocolate flavor, cocoa butter, and sugar. The percentage of cocoa solid ranges forms 35-45% depending on the manufacturer (Hawkins 20). The percentage of sugar is more than 50%. It is not easy to differentiate them with semi-sweet chocolate. It is made up of milk solids, sugar, and cocoa butter. 10 % is composed of cocoa liquor, and at least 12% is made up of dry milk solids (Hawkins 21). It is mostly eaten as candy bars and is preferred by most people who love eating chocolates. It was first developed by Daniel Peter, a Swiss candymaker, in 1876. It is made up of cocoa butter, milk, and sugar. Unlike other

To Kill a Mockingbird Essay Example for Free

To Kill a Mockingbird Essay Good morning/afternoon Executives of the Board of Studies. In the topic of powerful to powerless, To Kill A Mockingbird is a classic novel that is relevant and appropriate. It possesses many admirable qualities that prove its worth to be on the new curriculum. The novel explores many ideas regarding the use and abuse of power, different forms of power, the consequences of power, and how the composer has used language to portray power. To Kill A Mockingbird explores a number of different types of power throughout. There are four types of power: personal, instrumental, projected and official power. One clear example of power is that of Atticus Finchs regarding his children. As their father, Atticus has official power over Scout and Jem. He also has instrumental power as he provides a home, as well as other basic necessities for his children. Another example of power, although it is negative, is the projected power that Bob Ewell possesses over Tom Robinson. Tom Robinson highlights his fear of Bob as he testifies Mr. Finch, if you was a nigger like me, youd be scared too. Bob Ewells power demonstrates that power can be taken and abused by others. Despite whether if you have an abundance of power of you are miserably lacking so, there will always be certain consequences that follow. Bob Ewell, as an example, believed that he was better than the African Americans despite the fact that he was considered the lowest class in white society. Bob Ewell abused his power, although it was still lacking. Ewell, was too prideful, that after being humiliated in court and stripped of dignity by Atticus, he decided to attack Atticus children. Furthermore, Arthur Boo Radley can depict a lack of power. Boo Radley had lived most of his life trapped inside his home by his oppressive family members. He was feared because of the negative connotations that surrounded him. The stories that were told of him portrayed his character as a monster, or something to fear. Furthermore, another figure in the novel that lacked power was Tom Robinson. In society, African Americans were looked down upon by the white society. Tom Robinson was racially discriminated against by Bob Ewell, who framed him for a crime he did not commit. As white people were the superior race, they had power over the African Americans. As Tom Robinson lacked power, he also lacked the ability to act against the threats of Bob Ewell because of his fear. Even though Tom Robinson was a man of great stature, and seemed adequate to engage in a physical brawl despite his injury, he was still afraid. Harper Lee employs a range of language techniques in order to convey ideas about power. Lee has described Arthur Boo Radley as having cheeks that were thin to hollowness, gray eyes that were colourless and hair that was dead and thin. It has been acknowledged that Boo is considered one of the novels most powerless figures. His name is an aptronym, it portrays his character and highlights his mysterious nature. It is also an example of onomatopoeia, hinting at negative connotations. Additionally, there are other aspects that can also assist the portrayal of his character. The author describes the Radley house as droopy and sick, this parallels to the descriptions made of Boo. Harper Lees many descriptions of Boo Radley creates a vivid picture in the readers mind, the reader is immediately drawn to the connotations that surround Boo. It is because of ideas explored previously that prove To Kill A Mockingbird to be a worthy contender on the new school curriculum. It explored the concept behind power and powerless and therefore is relevant.

Man + Woman = Family :: same sex marriage, argument

Man + Woman = Family   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Catholic bishops of Alaska have urged their people to approve a state  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   constitutional amendment declaring that a valid marriage may exist between one man and one woman.† A decision made last February by Supreme Court Judge Peter Michalski opened the door to change the nature of marriage. It dismisses male and female sexuality as an important role in marriage. It eliminates the possibility of the procreation of children. It changes also the meaning of family (National Catholic Reporter, 1998). If same-sex marriages are legalized, we will soon forget what a real family should consist of†¦.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is very important to realize the importance of a man and a woman’s sexuality when in wedlock. When God created man and woman, he made a special contour of the two bodies to come together and interlock in a comfortable position. When the opposites do come together a child is soon after born. This is not possible with two of the same sex.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To have a child come into the world is one of the greatest things in life. When two people share equally, this phenomenon of childbirth, it naturally bonds a husband and wife together forever. If you married the same sex and adopted a child you would never experience that type of a bond.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Since the beginning of time a family tree has had a man and a woman resting at the peak. Sexual relations between a man and a woman will keep the tree full of branches for many years to come. When the same sex get married it will eliminate the growth of new branches. Eventually, the roots will be gone and the tree will die. Fortunately for me, my family tree is full of strong branches, and it gets bigger and bigger each year.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In my short time on this Earth, I have found out why it is important for a man and a woman to be united as one. There are a lot of differences between the two sexes. In a same-sex marriage, the opportunity to enjoy those differences will cease to exist. I know this because I am married to the opposite sex myself. Together we have found out just how different a man and a woman really are.

Free Enterprise in United States

â€Å"Work hard, save your money, and you can become wealthy – or, at least, â€Å"independent! † This is the motto of old-fashioned, â€Å"free enterprise. † It expresses the idea that everybody in a capitalist society can participate and compete on the same terms with similar chances of success. It implies that the working class is just a collection of individuals who have not yet established their independence (worked their way up) through â€Å"individual initiative,† rather than a being permanent class. In the early 19th Century, most Americans (including Abraham Lincoln, for instance) believed this. They thought opportunities under capitalism would keep expanding forever. But what is the reality behind this capitalist thinking? In the past, working people in America have had more opportunity to go into business or to get land for farming than anywhere else in the developed world. At the time the U. S. Constitution was written, it was generally assumed that only property owners should have the right to vote and participate in government. The â€Å"Free Labor† thinking of the Republican Party before the Civil War was basically a form of the capitalist work ethic. It meant that if 1) you were free yourself; 2) your country was â€Å"free†; and, 3) there was no slave labor to take your livelihood, you could â€Å"make something of yourself,† and become a capitalist or, at least, an independent producer, professional or artist. Americans in the North at that time were influenced by this capitalist â€Å"work-ethic† to under-estimate the energy of the South. They thought (as the capitalist â€Å"work-ethic† would lead them to believe) that the poverty and economic decline of the South were probably due to laziness and that this indicated that the North should be able to easily defeat the South. But the Civil War proved that Southerners were not â€Å"lazy;† it was the slave system (lacking science and industry) that caused many of the economic problems there. The capitalist â€Å"work-ethic† also caused Northerners to overlook the only chance for real progress in the South during the â€Å"Reconstruction† — taking of the lands of former slave-owners, and their distribution to Blacks and poor Whites. They assumed, as did Abraham Lincoln, that anyone with ambition would simply work his way up. They could not understand that capitalism naturally limited opportunities, because the majority would have to be workers, not capitalists. With no land or other economic basis to start from, most workers in the South would have no way of lifting themselves from poverty. Strong competition with other capitalists, who are constantly trying to gain a larger market by offering a cheaper product, forces the beginner to keep putting everything back into his business. He must invest in more modern equipment in order to be able to produce more cheaply with higher quality, and on a larger scale. He must do this in order to improve his product or services, and also capture a larger share of the market, until he has reached a level where there is no immediate threat of being put out of business by his competition. This means having the most modern machinery and getting the most productivity out of his workers. This huge need for capital also forces the capitalist to rely more and more on third parties. Making the capitalist borrow from banks to keep his capitol at a safe amount. They simply hire employees to make all the management decisions, design and develop the product, etc. Free enterprise† thinking forgets that a worker has only his labor-power to sell in order to earn his living. He competes with other workers to sell his labor-power at the cheapest price. The average price of labor-power (the worker's wages) is the amount that it takes to â€Å"make ends meet† under the given social settings in a country. The laws of economics determine that if the worker works faster, he creates a cheaper product. But this eventually cheapens the amount which the capitalist must pay him in wages because there are always unemployed workers somewhere willing to work for the bare necessities. Working faster increases competition without increasing their earnings. Because of these realities, workers learn to â€Å"work smart† according to their own understanding. Working smart for the worker means withholding his labor power, working more slowly and learning the tricks of the trade, better known as bargaining. These things raise the price of his labor-power. This in turn forces the capitalist to concentrate more on improving productivity through better machinery and production processes in order to increase his profits.