Argument synthesis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Argument synthesis - Essay Example However, no matter the age of the child, the ultimate goal that the parents have established in the minds of these young girls is either the tiara or ribbon or trophy along with the prize money. To my consideration, I strongly consider that these children beauty pageants should be either outlawed or they must be regularized by government administration. There are numerous things that can be considered regarding these beauty pageants, such as parenthood, ethics, mental health, competition, development or interpersonal associations. A toddler has no knowledge of what the world is all about but their innocence is being cashed by their parents for the sake of acquiring money in future. As the mothers consider these competitions will provide a future to their child and let them earn various scholarships. These mothers forget about the mental well being of their child while offering their child to such competition where they are needed to pose not their real personality but instead one that is in the minds of those judging the competition. The children are being forced to these competitions by their parents and in this way they are instructing them that the only way to earn money is through manipulating their bodies. These competitions can impact negatively on the way children presume themselves. Being the focus of these competitions, the participating kids are taught that their looks, is the most vital thing in this world that is to be considered. And this particular beauty consciousness may cause lower levels of self-esteem in the children who are not able to meet the standards defined in the competition. This may in turn cause various problems like eating disorders amongst children who consider a perfect body to be their ultimate goal. In addition, it is particularly hard for children to consider they are beautiful, when they are insisted by parents to put on heavy make ups, flippers, fake eyelashes and spray tans at these pageants. Issues also arise on the way

Job Learning Objectives Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Job Learning Objectives - Essay Example This can be found at http://www.bestbuy.com. My responsibilities were mainly in customer service. I worked with the sales team to help people select items that best suited their needs. Most of my time was spent working at the cash register, assisting with checkout. In this shop there was a manager or assistant manager on duty at all times. They rarely overlapped, so there was only one supervisor in the shop at a time. I reported directly to the manager or assistant manager. On our busiest days, there were five employees. The shop I worked in was small, so the largest crew was usually a manager (or assistant), two people working sales, one working on restocking or cleanliness projects and someone at a cash register. We were located along a commercial strip in Taipei. I was always on the floor either at the cash register or working with a customer. The average career path for people in the company consisted of either moving up into management or leaving to find more challenging and bet ter paying employment. Turnover was very high, mainly because most of the employees were young and always moving from job to job. My orientation was very thorough. I was taught how to handle the hardware, such as the cash register, packaging machines and even a hydraulic assist use for lifting heavy equipment. I was also given a day of customer service training.

Current business situation of H and M

Current business situation of H and M Hennes and Maurits was founded in first 1947 by Erling Persson and later acquired Mauritz Widfoss in 1968. It is a Stockholm- based fashion company. After the business success at home, in 1964, Hennes launched its first overseas store in Norway, and 3 years later HM entered the UK market and started her expansion strategies. By the mean time, HM has more than 1600 stores in 32 countries and had become the 3rd largest clothing retailer in the world. Hennes Mauritz (HM), the probably most legendary fashion retailing firm in recent years, has spared out branches all over the world. In Europe, North America, Asia and even Middle East you can find HMs stores. After achieved successful sales goal and fame, HM has entered a very challenging market, Japan, by launching its first shop in Ginza, Tokyo. Although at the beginning HM has seemed to get great response and do a good work, Japan has long been struggled with economic recession and continues sales drop. Could HM keep its unbeatable records in Japan? The followings should analyse and recommend the retail strategies in Japan market HM should take. Fashion and Quality at the best price is the model of hers. HM produces Women, men, youngster and children wear. Besides garments, HM also has its own line in accessories, footwear and cosmetics. The King of Fast Fashion has its own production offices in Asia and Europe in order to keep the price down. Business situation is always critical for a companys success or failure. Both the global situation and Japans market, there are factors that favor or discourage business sales. In the global level, the mode of fashion retailing has been changing in recent years. Firstly, the influences of new brand or store chain are growing in the international market. For examples, store chains like Zara and Gap, they make hugh profits and arouse publicity in international level. They gained reputations and captured high percentage of market shares. Despite the past fashion industry that mostly the high fashion retailers could gain their influences, nowadays chain stores that sell street fashion for middle or lower classes can get their plaes in the fashion market. And it shows different fashion firms can gain market shares and impacts in the fashion industry. Secondly, the changed life style of the customers of the fashion companies also gives opportunities. Nowadays fast fashion is prevailing and people are getting more conscious and paying more attention to fashion. The market for fashion industry is growing. More important is that customers want fashionable items with lower price rather than expensive high couture, as they would like to change their wardrobe less than one month. That is why fast fashion is getting popular. Thirdly, e-market is one of the fields that fashion retailing firms paying affords in. The sale in e-market is growing, as the sales in internet has no geographic boundaries. Also internet is a good media to promote its company and products. On the other hand, business of fashion companies also faces a very serious problem economic tsunami. The economics tsunami affects customers confidence in buying and purchasing. Also customers tend to save rather than spend. The sales volume of many firms dropped significantly within 1 or few months. More than that, the sales volume predicted to drop continuously in next 1 or few years. Facing the economic difficulties and negative information about the markets future, it further discourages the customers buying behavior also the business sales. In Japan, the business situation is beginning described as challenging and advent HM. Japan is a fashion capital in Asia and even the world. People especially youngster group paid much attention in trends and fashion. They tend to spend much on clothing and other relatives item to fashion. Due to the great fashion awareness, fashion firms and chains can get ideal sales in Japan usually. Besides, Japan is the model and trends for the neighboring in countries, for example Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea. Success in Japan means easier entry into the markets in these Asian markets. Moreover, statistics show that the mens wear market in Japan is great. In the past years, mens wear sales were comparable with womens wear. In 2007, mens wear sales were over the sales of womens wear. It shows that the mens wear market is in great potential for firms to enter and provides great opportunities. Although Japan seems ideal for fashion companies to get in, therere also shortcomings of Japan market. Japan faces economic downturns in recent years. In the past 10 years were the recessions of Japans economy. The sales volumes dropped and market for clothing and footwear declined. In the past 2 years things had been once better, however unfortunately there are global economic tsunami. International predicts that in future years Japans economy will remain in its downturn. Secondly the competition between firms in Japan is ardent. As mentioned above, Japans market is a paradise for old and new fashion brands. It attracts many international brands for examples the high brands like Marc Jacobs, Gucci, Hermes and also bringing like Zara, Gap that operates stores in modes that similar to HM. The competition between brands is keen. Also the local brands in Japan like Uniqlo abstract high market shares. For the entering of new brand, its important that one can stand for the harsh competiti ons. In additions, the aging problem is another concern for the market. As fashion is always viewed as the interest of younger people, the aging problems directly affect the sales of fashion firms. COMPETITOR ANALYSIS Company HM Zara Gap Uniqlo Start from Sweden, 1947 Spain, 1975 America,1969 Japan,1984 employees 68,000 150,000 Target market few middlemen buying in large numbers having in depth knowledge and understanding of textiles few middlemen buying in large numbers having in depth knowledge and understanding of textiles few middlemen buying in large numbers having in depth knowledge and understanding of textiles few middlemen buying in large numbers having in depth knowledge and understanding of textiles price Low middle low low Growth strategy Fashion and quality at the best price with own design increase the number of stores zero advertisement Increase the number of stores Design a new style every two week A lot of brand inside Low advertisement Fashion and quality at the best price with own design Cooperate with design and other brand Sponsor some ball game team Total stores 1,600 3,100 3,139 800 The number of Japan stores 4 30 130 750 (99in Tokyo) Start in Japan 9.2008 1998 1995 1984 Stores size 1,000 square meters 1,500 square meters 1,000 square meters Figure 1 Refer to Figure 1, analysis is below. As we know, HM is a huge brand in the world. It started at 1947 in Sweden. It has 1,600 stores in 32 countries HMs major competitors are Zara, Uniqlo, and GAP in Japan. They are the entire well-known brand in the world. Although HMs history is longer than them, it not mean HM is much better than them. Zara and Gap have more stores than HM, but their target market is very similar., They also target for a few middlemen, people who can buy in large numbers and having in depth knowledge and understanding of textiles, so that HM have a big challenge. Their price range also between middle to low, it can make more people afford it. HMs missing is that fashion and quality at the best price and increase the number of stores. However, Uniqlo also have the same missing, it want to provide a good customer service at the best price and own design. Moreover, Zara can design a new thing every two weeks. It can design 10,000 produce every year, it much fast than HM. Their stores also increase very fast. HM only have 4 shops in japan, but Zara, Gap and Uniqlo have much more stores in japan, especially Uniqlo. Moreover, they have a long history in Japan, but HM just enter Japan market in 2008. It is a big problem for HM, its competitor have more stores and stable customer. ANALYSIS ON HM EXISTING MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE HM has a clear hierarchy structure as shown in Figure 2 The Annual General Meeting (ACG) is the highest decision-making body where shareholders exercise their rights to make decisions for the company. Board of directors manages the company on behalf of the shareholders. The board gives directions and instructions to the managing director. Hence, the managing director performs daily management as directed by the board. Underneath, the executive managing team and country managers are responsible for central functions and sales countries respectively. Figure 2.1 In most cases, large organization generally has a complex structure. Here, HM has a matrix organization which is a mixed form of functional and divisional structure. Typically, matrix organization structure has two axes. On one axis of the matrix is a range of functional groups and on the other are the products or projects with a manager responsible for each. (Boddy, D., p246, 2005) In the case of HM, the project is organized by regions and each region has a number of stores. There is a manager in each country and he/she is responsible for profitability in their country and thereby has an overall responsibility for all the functions within the region. (refer to Figure 2.1) On the other hand, HM also organize and work on their tasks in project and team bases. By using these methods, managements not only organize their work more flexible with lower costs, but also giving out a faster response for their project or task. (Boddy, D., 2005) Here the executive management teams of HM responsible for each function are responsible for the results of work within their function in each country. What is more, specialists from various departments also brought together to form a project team and work on different projects. Figure 2.1 Regarding the matrix structure adopted by HM, some benefits are summarized as follows: simplifying the creation of appropriate routines and control systems, smaller units enable closer supervision, higher flexibility, faster response, enabling comparisons between the different companies within HM. However, this may lead to a significant drawback, which is low uniformity. Since there is high division of departments and regions, it is often hard for the central management to control the management and operation of different units. To enhance uniformity throughout the whole company, management documents like guidelines and manuals are delivered within the company. Moreover, the code of ethics permeated the entire company, describing the way employees should act in relation to the company and the outside world. For store operations, detailed instructions have also been given to store staffs in order to control daily work in the stores. Though guidelines and manuals are written by central departments, in 2006, inventory of the guidelines was carried out within each department so as to check any guidelines should be updated or created. This showed respect towards each units opinions. Evaluation and modification of guidelines and manuals result in better efficiency of work. To further explain HMs management structure, the degree of centralization could be examined. The code of ethics, internal policies, and manuals are created by central management. Important decisions that are strongly related to the companys profits are also made by the top management. Purchasing is centrally organized by the head office in Sweden as well. From the above, we could see high degree of centralization is exercised in HM. Nevertheless, HM has a decentralized system. There are 20 production offices dealing with 800 suppliers, and 20 country offices within 33 sales countries, handling all business affairs for the region it responsible for. Planning and organizing, such as store operation, advertising are carried out by managers. There are certain advantages and disadvantages of HMs decentralized system with centralized management. From the good side, uniformity can be enforced through clear and strict regulations and guidelines. Besides, this enables higher flexibility in tackling small problems in each department and region. On the contrary, higher risk of unsuitable merchandise for the sales countries may be resulted due to centralized buying decision in Sweden. In Japan, consumers are quite different and demanding on quality clothing which usual HM products may not satisfy them enough. To avoid such problems, more intense research and country-oriented approaches are needed. It is suggested that research or buying teams located in the respective sales regions could be set up to perform closer watch on trends and social affairs that could alter sales greatly and too quick before response come from the head office. ANALYSIS ON HM EXISTING RETAIL STRATEGIES HM is a very successful and expansive Swedish fashion group and also a famous company in Japan. HMs retail strategy has been developing in different aspects. The Best Price Strategy HM aims to give the customer unbeatable value by offering fashion and quality at the best price. It has been developing the Best Price Strategy. It maintains the best price by limiting the number of middlemen, buying in large volumes ,relying on our in-depth, extensive expertise within the design, fashion, and textile industries, buying the right merchandise from the right production markets, being cost-conscious at all levels and having efficient distribution systems. In Japan, the product price of HM is lower than others. Most foreign brands come to Japan and charge more than at home. HM is aiming to match global pricing. So now HM is one-half the price of Zara in Japan, thereby making most other Japanese retailers look relatively expensive. If Japanese consumer spending continues to decline, this will play into an even stronger position for HM. Main Collection Sub-Collection The buying function focuses on customers, fashion and composition of the range. HMs clothing collections are created in Sweden by around 100 internal designers, 50 pattern designers and around 100 buyers. It operates with two main collections per year, one in spring and one in autumn. Within each season, however, there are a number of sub-collections so that customers can always find new goods in stores. The aim of the company is to find the optimal time to order each item. Fashion For Everyone HM offers a wide range of fashion using many different concept, from updated classics and basics to clothes that reflect the very latest international trends. In addition, they sell clothes, accessories and cosmetics. The wearing range consists of everyday clothes to partywear. To make things clearer for the customers, it has divided up a range into a number of different concepts for women, men, teenagers and children. The clothes also have a high fashion content within each collection, so that customers can easily combine different garments and find their own personal style. Online Shopping Service HM have three sales channels, stores, the Internet and catalogues. In 1998, HM began its shopping online service which has since been continuously improved. A considerable expansion of mail order and online sales is being prepared to complement the stores in the existing markets. Stores continue, however, to be the main distribution channel. The strategy behind the owning of it is that HM can maintain control of the expansion strategy and of business locations. But Japan does not provide online shopping service, the sales channel is narrow. The Best Location Strategy The Best business location has been a firm principle of HM since 1947 and is less important nowadays. The HM store is now a well-established presence in most prominent shopping streets with considerable customer flows around Europe. In London, for example, they are located on Oxford Street. HM opened the store in Japan in Ginza, Shibuya and Harajuku. Before establishing stores in a new market they conduct a thorough analysis of demographics and purchasing behaviour. They also carry out a local survey of the shopping areas and shopping centres, document their size and where their competitors stores are located. Product Quality Control In order to maintain the fine quality of merchandise, they carry out quality controls. They strive to ensure that garments have been manufactured with the least possible impact on the environment and under satisfactory working conditions. HM is known as the king of fast fashion and spots emerging fashion trends, quickly creates knock-off designs and variation using 100 in-house designers. In Japan, the customers are nit-picking and require an extremely high quality fashion. HM may not satisfy their needs. OVERALL SWOT ANALYSIS OF HM The SWOT analysis is the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of a company. A SWOT analysis actually has two parts and both are equally significant. Strengths and weaknesses are the internal analysis; the opportunities and threats focus on the external environment. Internal is regarding the information about companys market segments, their competitors relative weaknesses and strengths as well as the industry as a whole. When conducting an external situational analysis, the business customers, market and competitors are analysed. The overall SWOT analysis included the global situation and Japan environment of HM. Firstly, strengths and weakness of HM is discussed as below. Strengths HM was established in Sweden in 1947; it has a long history and is around 62 years. The past 62 years, HM did a great expansion worldwide. In 2009, there are 1,700 stores spread over 33 different countries and markets, and employ over 73,000 people. HM offer each country exclusive preferences and needs. Also there is exclusive clothing designs for online stores, and this system is provided in some of the European countries, such as Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Netherlands, Norway and Sweden. Informational website is also one of the strengths of HM, everything about HM shown in the official website. It is convenient for customers to get the newest issues of HM, and also provides useful and updated information to all types of users. HM Magazine provides a good idea of how HM views fashion. It offers readers a mix of fashion, inspiration and the latest lifestyle trends. It is issued four times a year and is aimed equally at customers and staff. Like all HMs communication, the mag azine can be seen as an invitation to HM. It is important for building the brand in the long term and is also available on the HM website. Besides of the exclusive online shopping, HM also collaborated with fashion designers, designer labels, fashion models and celebrities to offer customers the exclusive collection, such as Karl Lagerfeld, Stella McCartney, Viktor Rolf, Kate Moss and Madonna. On 20 September 2005, HM announced they have dropped Moss for the advertising campaign of their autumn clothing collection, stating that her image was inconsistent with HMs clear dissociation of drugs in light of recent drug allegations. HM did concerned about the society. In November 2008, Comme Des Garà §ons, a significant figure in modern fashion Japanese designer, exclusive collection for HM sold in 200 stores worldwide, including Japan, Hong Kong, US and UK. One of the most significant figures in modern fashion, Kawakubo has created a full mens and womens collection for HM, complete with accessories and a unisex fragrance. HM provides variety in fashion, different kinds of clothing and accessories that could easy for customers to match up with. The stores are refreshed daily with new fashion items. As with HMs clothing heritage, the idea across the Home collection is that consumers mix and match items and add to their existing dà ©cor and colour schemes. The first home collection will be available from February 2009 in the markets: Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Austria and the Netherlands. Cushion cover and bed linen sets are the key pieces. The materials are mostly cottons, linens, viscose-cotton mixes and organic cotton. The long-term investment in organic cotton is continuing at HM, aims to increase the use of organic cotton and the development of new green materials such as recycled cotton, wool and polyester. HM offering garments that are both fashionable and environmentally compatible. HM had a fantastic response to their eco-fashion, which shows that the customers care about both the environment and design. Weaknesses HM business concept is to give the customer unbeatable value by offering fashion and quality at the best price. When comparing with competitors, the garment quality of HM is doesnt at high level. Since all stock is displayed on floor, there is no backup stock for customers. The customer service is relatively low if the customer could not get any help from the salesperson. For the garment production, HM does not own any factories, but instead buys its goods from around 800 independent suppliers, primarily in Asia and Europe. The problem is that HM cannot get tightly controlled to the distribution network to get new product to the stores. The online shopping store is only provides in European countries, such as Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Netherlands, Norway and Sweden. The online store could not gain worldwide customers attention. In Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Germany and Austria HM offers fashion by Internet and catalogue sales. For the employees, ther e is not a fundamental respect for the individual, which applies to everything from fair pay, reasonable working hours and freedom of association to the opportunity to grow and develop within the company. Opportunities It is the positive towards future expansion of HM and the companys business opportunities. In the past few years HM has been experimenting with new fascias including market company, which it debuted on Londons Regent Street in March 2007. A second company store will open this week in Westfield and the retailer believes there are further opportunities for the offer in the UK. The 14th store in Europe will open next spring in Paris. Since HM has signed a contract for its first store in Japan in end of 2006. The store is opened in 2008 November. It has been HMs dream to open in Japan. says Rolf Eriksen, CEO HM. There will be more stores in Japan in the future. HM has entered into franchise agreement with Match Retail Ltd. for store openings in Israel. The first HM store is planned to open during 2010. HM provides online shopping in a few European countries, but still hasnt announced plans to do so in Asia, North America and Middle East. It is a large market for HM. There is an opportunity to set up online store in those countries. The designer cooperation is the most significant for HM. The crossover series with the famous designer have made a stir in fashion industry. Many designers are willing to cooperate with HM, see it as a stage for showing their new design. It brings the new concept to the HM product and enhances their product competitive. HM crossover with Matthew Williamson do a spring collection for 2009. As the Japanese has a strong interest in fashion and Japan is a big fashion market. Japan fashion market is maturing, with competition between global companies intensifying in the Japanese market and with consumers becoming more and more selective about merchandise that they purchased. There is growing presence of shopping centers and fashion malls in and around cities giving consumers increasing choices of locations for shopping. This is causing change in the structure of the Japanese fashion market as well as consumers buying patterns. Threats There will be a keen competition between the similar style competitors, such as Zara, Gap Inc., and Uniqlo in Japan. And, the changes in consumer behaviors are also the threat of fast fashion. End of fast fashion as shoppers allegedly switches to less throwaway items. Weak holiday sales, economic downpour sales will be conducted in HM stores. There also will be frantic battles over products, the poor quality compete with the luxury goods; fast fashion compete with high fashion. Exchange rate fluctuations are strongly related to the export quantities of firms. Since there are a lot of stores all over the world, the rate changes is a big issue of the company. Internationally, HM has experienced some sales declines in recent months and sales across the business were two per cent down year on year at established stores in September. However, refuses to admit any serious threat to HMs success, stressing again its solid offer. It is not about value, but value for money and HM think they are unique when it comes to combining price, quality and fashion. It is the feedback that HM get from customer and it is their success factor. 3 RECOMMENDATIONS In order to raise the competitiveness of HM in Japanese fashion market, some retail strategies are recommended. We provide some suggestions based on 4Ps. Place For place aspect, it is suggested that HM should offer various distribute channels for increase the sale and enhance its competitiveness. First, providing On-line-shop is a good way to sell HM products. According to Mark Hogan , GM Group vice president said, Japan is the Internet giant of Asia. There are 47.08 million Internet users. 62 percent of them use e-commerce. It can prove that online shopping is a popular shopping method in Japan. Besides, there are no limitations of online shops locations. It means that even there is only 1 HM shop in Tokyo, people who live outside Tokyo can still buy its products though the online shop. Thus, On-line-shop can help HM broaden its demographic market to boosting its sales. Second, providing Automatic Vending Machine (AVM) can help HM to be successful. Japanese demand for automation. According to the Japan Vending Machine Manufacturers Association report , there are 5.51 million machines in Japan in 2007, Japanese spend nearly 7 trillion yen (around US$ 58 billion) a year by shopping though AVM. It is a popular buying behavior in Japan. Third, it is suggested that HM should allocate AVM at Railway stations. According to a survey about Japanese Commuting conducted by japan-guide.com , train (JR) is the most commonly used of transportation for commuting in Japan. 53% of students and 48% of company workers indicated to commute to school/work by train or subway. Students and workers is the main target of HM. Thus, the suggestion is a fabulous idea for HM undoubtedly. Product For product aspect, release family-set outfit is a potential product for increase the sales. Most Japanese love wearing family-set outfit. Providing family-set outfit can attract those family targets. Besides, family-set outfit is complementary merchandise product. It means that if parents select and decide to buy an outfit, they should but another one to their child. The sale can increase doubly. Second, HM should improve its quality of products in order to succeed in Japan. The cloth of HM is not top notch quality. Japanese are known notoriously for rejecting products for minute reasons such as poor stitching, loose button, and inferior fabrics and the like. Moreover, manufacturing standards are so uniformly high in Japan that a business modal cannot succeed on design and bargain pricing alone. However, Uniqlo, one of the HM competitors, provide high quality products with a reasonable price. If HM thirst for success in Japan, it is important for it to improve the quality of its products. Promotion For promotion aspect, effective promotion is needed. Promotion can introduce merchandizes to customers and also attract them to come to the shop.There are so many ways to promote the merchandizes. Choosing suitable ways are very important because it affect the effectiveness of the promotion. First, mobile phone is a good media for promotion. Nowadays, nearly everyone have one mobile phone. Through mobile phone, messages can be easily and successfully transfer to many different people. SMS (Short Message Service) is one common method. In Japan, lots of people like to use SMS to communicate with each other, especially for the youngsters. Recently, Japan Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology surveyed over 10 thousand students. In 5 secondary school students, there is one sending at least 50 messages by mobile phone every day. 7% of them even said that they sent about 100 messages every day. This shows that most of the teenagers like using SMS. Therefore, SMS is really a good method to send messages in order to promote products. Another common method for promotion is using matrix code (2D barcode). 2D barcode is a two-dimensional way of representing information. It is similar to a linear (one-dimensional) barcode, but has more data representation capability. 2D barcodes are in patterns of squares, dots, hexagons and other geometric patterns. QR Code becomes the most popular type of 2D barcodes in Japan recently. The QR is derived from Quick Response. QR Codes are commonly found in the Internet and magazines. Most current Japanese mobile phones can read this code with their camera of the mobile phone conveniently. QR Code can encode Japanese Kanji and Kana characters, music, images, URLs, emails. Through this kind of barcode, information can be easily stored and attract people to get it. The QR Code Price Apart From using mobile phone, some programs can be launched in order to promote the merchandizes. Price deal is an example. Price deal is a temporary reduction in the price in a short period of time. It is very effective because low price can attract customer to go into the shop and pay more. Price deal is suitable for short period promotion. Another good example is loyal reward program. Consumers can collect points, miles, or credits for purchases and redeem them for rewards. In order to get the rewards, customers would like to come more frequently and buy more products. This program can last for longer period, usually a month. Launching different kinds of programs can increase sales effectively. Not only promotion, a good pricing is also very important to strengthen HM in Japanese fashion market. Low price should be maintained. HM have already set low price for the goods. Most of the products are affordable. This can attract customers, especially youngsters who cannot afford high price. The products are already at a best price and it is also one of the competitive advantages. Therefore, low price should be maintained. Another suggestion for pricing is that there should be a price cut for the last seasons fashion. Last seasons product have less attractiveness than the new products. In order to sell them more

Chak De! India Essay -- Film Review

In Shimit Aman’s film Chak De! India, we examine the impact of India’s socio-political condition. In result, Aman’s film brings to light the political anxiety of post-colonial India. Furthermore, we are able to determine how the boundaries of Indian nation-states have an impact on the construction gender, sports, and space. Sports are dependent indicators of the socio-political atmosphere in India. It has become an emblem of Indian nationhood, dominated by males the practice of a national sports is the country’s symbol of the evolution of Indian modernity. Appadurai states, â€Å"The means of modernity contained in cricket require a confluence of lived interests where cricket producers and consumers can share the excitement of ‘Indiannes’ without its many divisive scars† (Appadurai, 179). Like Cricket, Field Hockey introduced to India by the British during the colonialism of the Indian empire. Thus, in the Indian context these sports produce an unexpected light on the relationship between nationhood and empire (Appadurai, 32). India has developed a collective identity of ‘Indianess’ through the vernacularization of these sports. The relationship between sports and politics is on the oldest pervading examples of the interaction of the institution and nationhood (Heitzman and Srinivas, 140). Sports become a lens in which the outsider can view the socio-political stratum. Within the beginning of the Film, the audience becomes aware of the importance of the Field Hockey match between India and Pakistan. Through this match, the space of Indian Muslim identity is hostile and prejudicial in the face of India. The match magnifies and politicizes the experience of the match while simultaneously being apart of a larger discourse of nationa... ...53). Furthermore, the Girls hockey team broke the gender stereotype by dominating a male domain, by performing bodily practices that ignore the differences of their nation-states. In one scene of the movie, when hockey officials decide not to send the girls team to Australia for the World Cup, the coach makes a deal in which the girls would challenge the men’s team in hopes of making it. The girls unite to put on a fierce match, and by competing in a male domain, they are rewarded with the opportunity to go play in the world cup. Moreover, they learned to reconcile religious discrimination for national sentiment through sports performance. In contrast to cricket, Appadurai states, â€Å"In the case of cricket in India, the key to the complex flows that linked cricket, class, and race in the colonial ecumene was the story of patronage and coaching in India†(Appdurai, 45).

Cinema: Organizational Overview

What Is the span of control of the film purchase director? [2] The film purchase director has 3 subordinates which are under his command therefore the span of control is 3. 2. How many levels of hierarchy are there In the cinema buildings department? [2] There are 4 levels of hierarchy In the cinema buildings department which are the following: Cinema Buildings Director, Regional Buildings Managers, Cinema Managers (in each country) and Cinema Staff. 3. Outline three drawbacks of a centralized structure in this business. 6] A centralized structure Is a management structure where decision making Is done at higher levels by those with a strong position that includes having combined considerable knowledge and information about what needs to be done. In a centralized organization, decisions made by higher management are typically communicated to lower organizational levels who are then expected to accept and move forward in a way consistent with those decisions. Centralization Is keeping all of the Important decision making powers within head office or the centre of the organization.The control In this kind of organization Is kept In the centre. To begin with, a centralized structure may not be very suitable to this business. With a centralized structure, there will be more supervision and less flexibility, therefore managers will have to look for permission from a superior head office If they want to change or do something dissimilar. This will be negative to the cinema since it will delay decision making and make the cinemas less responsive to changes In the market. Moreover, a centralized structure would be a negative aspect to this kind of business (the cinema) since it directly affects managers.Since managers have to follow any instructions given by the command center, there will be very little chance to get managers to make their own decisions and be Innovative. This may be a hygiene factor' stated by the theorist Herbert. Their Jobs will be less challenging and less amusing and also their duty is lower. In this case having more responsibilities and a more challenging Job would be ‘motivators' in Herbert theory. A centralized structure would be a denominator to subordinates, lower in the hierarchy of staff.Furthermore, another aspect In which centralization could be negative in this kind of cuisines could be the following. On this kind of structure, the head manager would decide on how the cinemas have to work and even deciding on opening, closing and performing times. It will also decide on what kind of films have to perform on every cinema on the business branch. This would be a negative aspect since the business could operate on more than one country meaning that there are different cultures and preferred genres of films in every country.There would be several differences in the countries that Majestic Cinema operates in; therefore some films may not be popular on some countries. This could reduce potential demand and cinemas m ight miss out on lucrative opportunities. To conclude with, it is not always a very positive aspect to have a centralized structure on different kind of businesses specially those who tend to operate on more than one country which plays with different cultures and tastes. 4. Explain how Paul might decentralized the decision making in this business. 6] Decisions are allowed to be taken away from the head managers in a decentralized organization. In this case, for Paul to decentralized the decision making in this cuisines, he has to delegate the decision-making down the hierarchy of workers to a lower rank position. By delivering the business the span of control would increase, having more managers on each level, but it would be possible to delegate. In this case it may be true that Paul may want to delayer the organization; in the case study we can see that he speculates if middle managers are fully necessary.By delivering we mean that since middle managers are useless, it could be a good idea to remove them of the process. 5. Discuss the consequences to the business and to the cinema managers of centralizing decision-making authority to them. [10] organization. For decentralization to occur, it would be necessary to delegate decision-making down the hierarchy of workers. Decentralization is the transfer of decision making it is escorted by delegation of authority to individuals at any level in the organization.Decentralization decision-making authority of the business and cinema managers can be a positive aspect or a drawback to the business and the cinema managers. To begin with, this decentralization decision could be a benefit to them since it could be an opportunity to delayer the organization. By delivering the organization, they would be able to remove middle managers which may not be essential and in this way could eventually reduce the cost of the business. Moreover, decentralization decision-making authority would mean an increase in sales the need of consultation on head officers.Since this organization operates in more than one country, globally, it is obvious that each country has different cultures. By operating differently in each country, for cultural differences, the business could not lose the sales which could hypothetically been lost if each country was treated equally. The business would be now able to set different films and food/drinks according to the wants of each country. Furthermore, the decentralization idea could also be positive to the business but specially to managers.Decentralization could include delegation and a more important role to managers on the business. This supports Herbert theory of motivators in which managers are motivated by playing a more important role in the business. Managers also tend to prefer more challenging tasks in which they feel they have an input to the business. In addition, it would also be an advantage to customers and eventually the business. Decentralization would mean that the needs of the consumers could be attended with more flexibility.If the business manages to respond quickly to needs there would be an increased customer satisfaction which could finally lead to an increase in demand. On the other hand, decentralization may not be always as positive to the business or managers. Decentralization decision-making authority could provoke an increase in short term costs of delivering. When delivering, the business is making the middle managers redundant. In this situation the business might experience redundancy costs as well as contradictions from managers. What is more, Herbert theory may not be applied to every worker in the business.It is possible that not every worker would feel attracted to delegation or an increase in responsibility. It is likely that certain workers may prefer autocratic leadership and follow simple orders and rules since they may find this path easier and more practical. Additionally, the fact that the business would have to s ell different products on each cinema in the branch would be a negative aspect. It would be in this case since the business would have to buy different food and drinks for every single cinema in the branch, depending also on the region or culture it operates in.This would terminate with the advantage of bulk buying they had if they used a centralized structure, since they are now not buying in bulk and hence not getting economies of scale. Besides, a decentralized decision -making authority structure would mean that middle managers would be cut off. This means that managers on lower skilled levels would take more important roles in the decisions of the business. Since these managers loud be less skilled they could have more errors as they have less experience and be a negative aspect to the business.To bring to a close, it is arguable that businesses decide on having a decentralized decision-making authority structure since when decentralization the business not every worker is take n into account and the inexperience and denomination of workers may finish on disastrous endings to the business. Majestic cinemas would benefit from a flexible approach which could meet the needs of the customers more effectively and eventually having a long-term profit on the business.

Individual Lesson Plan: Life Cycle of a Butterfly Essay

Introduction: In this lesson, 2nd grade students will participate in a class on the life cycle of a butterfly. Students will learn standards-aligned science concepts and also benefit from cross-curricular instruction, through the incorporation of reading, writing, and hands-on activities. These modalities will be used to help students understand the concept of the life cycle and make real-life connections to the human life cycle. The lesson will last for approximately forty-five minutes. The lesson will be taught within a small suburban school of approximately 650 students, ranging from kindergarten to 5th grade. The school currently is receiving Title 1 funds, with 70% of its students on free or reduced breakfast and lunch. The school is currently in good standing and has met AYP for the past two years. There are a total of 20 students in the class, which displays the following demographics: 50% Caucasian, 20% African-American, 20% Hispanic and 10% Asian. The class distribution includes 12 boys and 8 girls, and a total of 5 ELLs. Two students have an active IEP, and five students have been identified as gifted and talented. The language level of the students is classified as the elementary or intermediate level of English language proficiency. Description of Lesson: Lesson: Butterfly Life Cycle Time Allotment: This lesson will be taught in one forty-five minute class period. Content Objectives: By the completion of this lesson students will meet two objectives. Students will be able to identify the four life cycle stages of a butterfly. Also, all students will be able to list the stages of the butterfly life cycle in order. Language Objectives: The second grade students will also meet two language objectives by the end of this lesson. Students will identify the Greek roots of certain vocabulary words. Students will also define the term â€Å"compound words†. State Standards: The student will investigate and understand that plants and animals undergo a series of orderly changes as they mature and grow. (Grade two content science standards, 2007). Key Vocabulary: In this lesson students will become familiar with a variety of key vocabulary words to include the following: Oval egg, caterpillar, larva, metamorphosis, chrysalis, pupa, imago, forewing, wingtip, hindwing, margin, abdomen, thorax, proboscis, antennae, and wing base. Materials: Students will use several materials in order to complete this lesson, which are listed as the following: paper bag, small plastic representations of butterfly stages to put in paper bag, KWL graphic organizer, computer stations with internet access for ESL students, clay, utensils to carve into clay, Greek root/compound word identification assessment sheet, life cycle stage and body part labeling assessment sheet. SIOP Features: This lesson will utilize the following SIOP features: ————————————————- SIOP Features: ————————————————- PreparationScaffoldingGrouping Options ————————————————- ___ Adaptation of Content_X_ ModelingX Whole Class ————————————————- _X_ Links to Background___ Guided practice___ Small Group ————————————————- _X_Links to Past Learning___ Independent PracticeX Partners ————————————————- ___ Strategies Incorporated_X_ Comprehensible Input___ Independent ————————————————- ————————————————- This lesson begins by drawing on information students have recently learned in previous lessons about shapes and textures as well as student background knowledge about butterflies, the focus of this lesson. Before the students arrive in the classroom, the teacher will place small plastic representations of butterflies in a paper bag; a total of 4 models representing the four life stages of butterflies will be placed in the bag. When the students arrive, the instructor should begin with the following exercise, which is designed to capture student interest and highlight key vocabulary words in a â€Å"kid-friendly† manner in order to increase comprehensible input. The instructor should close the bag and shake it, after which students should take turns putting their hands in the bag to feel the models. The teacher should ask the students to describe the shape and texture of what they feel, offering the options of â€Å"square†, â€Å"oval†, triangular†, â€Å"rod-shaped†, â€Å"smooth†, â€Å"rough†, and â€Å"fuzzy†, for example. The teacher should remind the students of the definitions of these words and ask the students to guess what they are feeling in the bag, writing all the guesses on the board. Once all students have had a turn, the instructor will reveal the models and explain that they represent the different life stages of a butterfly, emphasizing how the organism takes on different forms and textures depending on the stage it is in. The instructor will then engage the students in a 3-minute whole class discussion about their experience with butterflies, after which he should present the content and language objectives for this lesson. Lesson Focus: The teacher will present a KWL graphic organizer on the white board, explain that it will be used to help understand the literature on butterflies that they will soon read, and then model how it should be completed, using the teacher’s own background knowledge about butterflies. The sample graphic organizer should remain on the board to be used as a reference while students complete their own sheets. Guided Practice: The teacher will lead the class to the computer lab, KWL charts in hand, and pair students in heterogeneous strong language/low language couples before instructing them to log onto the www.kidsbutterfly.org website. The instructor should walk around the room, observing student progress and giving extra help to pairs with ELL’s who might be struggling to gain understanding from the website or completing the KWL chart. ELL students who seem to be having great difficulty reading should be shown how to read the literature in their native language if it is one of the options. After the reading, students will return to the classroom where the teacher will lead a grand discussion on the vocabulary words that students encountered, giving a mini-lesson on compound words when reviewing the terms â€Å"wingtip†, â€Å"hindwing†, and â€Å"forewing† and a mini-lesson on words with Greek roots and their root definitions when reviewing the terms â€Å"metamorphosis† and â€Å"chrysalis.† For the purpose of engaging ELL students whose native language is Latin-based, the teacher should explain how many English cognates, alternatives to more colloquial terms, are very similar to the counterparts in the ELL’s first language, giving the example of the word â€Å"calculate† as opposed to the term â€Å"figure out†. Independent Practice: The teacher will explain that the class will now do individual projects involving the creation of butterfly models. The teacher should show completed clay models of the four stages of a butterfly life cycle and then demonstrate, using new clay and carving utensils, how to create a butterfly in its final stage so students understand the desired size and extent of detail. The instructor should then post pictures of the butterfly stages on a readily visible board and distribute the materials to students (clay and carving utensils). The teacher will then walk through the room, aiding students as necessary in the creation of their models. Review/Assessment: After creating the models, the students will be assessed to determine if they have achieved the content and language objectives. Individually, the students will complete a multiple choice test assessing their ability to identify compound words and the definition of â€Å"metamorphosis† and â€Å"chrysalis† as well as a sheet on which the student will be required to label the life cycle stages and the body parts of a butterfly. Students should spend no more than 10 minutes on both assessments, but ESL’s will be given an extra five minutes to complete them. Students will receive a percentage score on both assessments and must receive at least an 85% on either test to demonstrate mastery of the material. Conclusion: At the conclusion of this lesson, students will be able to identify the various stages of the life cycles of a butterfly. Students will also understand that all living things have a life cycle, and specific attributes of the life cycle stages vary from one species to the next. This lesson utilizes not only content-based instruction but also sheltered instruction, which helps to promote English language proficiency, in part by rendering the information being presented more readily comprehensible. It is designed to educate English language learners, as well as the general student population. According to Echevarria, Vogt, and Short (2008), â€Å"ELLs must pull together their emerging knowledge of the English language with the content knowledge they are studying in order to complete the academic task† (p. 6). Throughout the lesson, students will learn science concepts and also benefit from cross-curricular instruction through the incorporation of reading and writing into the lesson. As an extension activity, students will take a field trip to the Museum of Science, where they will be able to see the similarities and differences between various species’ life cycles, including egg development, plant growth, and metamorphosis. Students will then participate in a post-test life cycle activity, to reinforce learned concepts, and address any gaps in comprehension. References Common Wealth of Virginia Board of Education. (n.d.). English standards of learning. Retrieved from http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/sol/standards_docs/english/stdsk-8/stds_english2.pdf Commonwealth of Virginia Board of Education. (2003). Science standards of learning curriculum framework . Retrieved from http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/sol/frameworks/science_framewks/framework_science2.pdf Echevarria, J., Vogt, M., & Short, D. (2008). Making content comprehensible for English learners: The SIOP ® model (3rd ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon. The Children’s Butterfly Site. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.kidsbutterfly.org/

The Morality of Stem Cell Research Essays

The Morality of Stem Cell Research Essays The Morality of Stem Cell Research Essay The Morality of Stem Cell Research Essay Much debate has raged over the influence of nature and nurture on how people behave. Indeed human behavior can be studied by using environmental and biological approaches. However, there is a divergence in beliefs as to the roles of nature and nurture as far as human development is concerned. Fukuyama in his book Our Posthuman Future (2002) believes that science when taken to extreme, would very well be the cause of humanity’s end. The book argues that the manipulation of the very process that define life can create minute but certain changes in our common humanity, thereby altering our collective values underlie our history. (Fukuyama, 2002, p. 7) Consequently, the author believes that biotechnology may very well signal a revolution of catastrophic levels and advocates for controlling such rapid advances in medical and biological technology. This paper seeks to analyze this argument by framing it within an existing and controversial issue which is stem cell research. Humanity: A Sense of Personhood What separates humans from animals? That question has long baffled philosophers, psychologists, and scientists alike, because the answers are both simple and complex that any one person can come up theories as to the elements that distinguish humans from other kinds of animals. More than anything else, it is the ability to be deliberate in our choices and actions as we navigate the daily responsibilities of life. The ability to be guided by reason and free will and discern right and wrong separates us from animals (Harre 1998). This ability to differentiate and reflect between right and wrong is called personhood. The idea of personhood is something that is intimately tied with our collective consciousness and humanity, which explains why it can be very difficult to define, much less describe within certain parameters. The ideas behind personhood are the basis of fundamental human rights, humanitarian acts, as well as laws and regulations of an ordered society. Personhood may be defined as that innate capacity and right of a person for conscious deliberation and self-determination, based on proper reasoning. Personhood is not merely a function of genetic or organic existence. Much of personhood is an intangible concept that goes beyond simply being labeled as a living organism. Frankfurt (1971, p 6) defines a person as a creature with the capacity to fulfill needs and desires in ways that indicate free will and reasoning. The person is able to identify these needs and desires and acts in deliberation and fr ee will in order to achieve such desires. The person, acting in such capacity, is fully aware of the motivations that lead him or her to such actions. A person is a unique creature and stands apart from other animals because humans have the ability to deliberate on desires and make the appropriate choices and actions based on their free will. The person’s free will and reasoning enables him to make appropriate actions and whether to repress these desires or pursue its fulfillment. Unlike animals that are driven by instinct and basal needs, a person has the ability to exercise his free will and reason and make a choice on what actions to take. Raz (2006, p. 3) elevates the concept of personhood further to emphasize the role of reason in the exercise of free will. Raz maintains that it is reason that determines if an individual is truly using his free will or not. Given a variety of desires and needs, the person, guided by reason, decides on what desires to act on, if at all. T he choices are based on the individual’s ability to evaluate and prioritize desires and recognize motivations and ascribe to them values of right and wrong (Watson 1987, p. 217). Analysis of Ethical Issues Unlike animals that are driven by instinct and basal needs, a person has the ability to exercise his free will and reason and make a choice on what actions to take. Raz (2006, p. 3) elevates the concept of personhood further to emphasize the role of reason in the exercise of free will. Raz maintains that it is reason that determines if an individual is truly using his free will or not. Given a variety of desires and needs, the person, guided by reason, decides on what desires to act on, if at all. The choices are based on the individual’s ability to evaluate and prioritize desires and recognize motivations and ascribe to them values of right and wrong. (Watson, 1987, p. 217) From these values we make the choices that we make and create a civilized and ordered society. However, the challenges of life create blurred lines between what is ethical and what is not. Stem Cell Research Stem Cell is deeply related to personhood. New discoveries in medicine and science technology have pushed the boundaries of medical technology and the mapping of the human DNA has given scientists the blueprint for life and the variables that make it so unique to each person. The controversy surrounding stem cell revolves around the use of embryos to harvest stem cells and use them as potential cures for wide range of illnesses from cancer to Alzheimer’s disease, from spinal cord injuries to lung diseases and most degenerative diseases. (Panno, 2006, p. 76) The curative power of stem cells lies in its undifferentiated state. These stem cells are the progeny of all the kinds of cells and tissues that form in the body. Stem cells can be developed into any kind of cell, replacing those that are aberrant or damaged in the patient’s body. Stem cells can be harvested and then planted into people with illnesses. (Fukuyama, 2002, p. 58)   Once inside the body, the stem cells can then be molded into any specific cell that the person needs. Stem cells are present in all individuals, however in adults, the stem cells lose some of their purity and patency and there is a high risk of mismatching and consequent failure to graft. However the bigger issue is that the potential of adult stem cells to differentiate is narrower, meaning that their potential to become other types of cells are limited, often limited to the type of tissue where they came from. Embryo stem cells have no such limitations; they are pluripotent – which means they have the capacity to become any kind of cell in the body. This quality of embryonic stem cells makes them the ideal source for undifferentiated cells that can be used to repair cell and tissue damage. (Holland, Lebacqz, Zoloth, 2001, p. 5) The Emotional Case Against Stem Cell Research Ethical issues arise because embryos or fetal tissues can be used only to be sources of stem cells. These embryos may be used or even destroyed in the course of harvesting and research. The developing fetus does not have the power to refuse such actions and is helpless to do anything about it. Taking the debate further, when the technology has been perfected, there is also the fear of creating embryos only for the purpose of healing someone else’s illness and not for the creation of life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   At the heart of the debate of stem cell research is personhood and the question of the viability of life. Pro-life groups reiterate the same arguments for abortion as they are doing with stem cell research. They fight for the right of the unborn and argue that life begins upon the meeting of the sperm cell and the egg. Pro-life sections of society argue that stem cell research violate the most basic of human rights and bioethical principles, foremost of which is the principle of informed consent. Implicit to the element of respect for personhood and basic human rights is the concept of informed consent (Merrill 1998). In the medical field, informed consent is legal stipulation that presupposes that patients of legal age agree to have a medical operation or procedure done on them only after being given the full facts of the situation, including the risks that they may face while undergoing said procedure. (Beauchamp Childress 1994, p. 21) This principle extends to experimental and mainstream medical procedures. While it may be argued that the knowledge gained from stem cell research and the potential it has to save millions of lives, the knowledge gained is stained by how it was attained. Certainly there are better ways to harvest and use embryo stem cells and such information could have been obtained using more humane and ethical procedures, one that would not have to entail the destruction and the blatant disregard for human life. The concept of informed consent is grounded on the principle that medical professionals should be able to communicate properly the situation and all the possible risks that the medical intervention may entail. Based on the information given the patient will then weigh whether the benefits of the intervention outweighs the risks and then makes the decision. Informed consent empowers individual to make choices about their own health conditions and what can and cannot be done about it. Health care professionals are legally and ethically bound to engage the patient and involve them in issues that concern their own bodies. (Beauchamp Childress 1994, p. 48). Informed consent, as a manifestation of our basic human right to freedom and dignity is the cornerstone of bioethics. If we are stripped of the right to determine what happens to our own body in the name of medical science, then it is in violation of the very essence of research. However, we disregard such basic rights when it comes to the unborn precisely because they have no capacity to demonstrate their choices and no capacity to deliberate on the consequences. Because embryos have no such abilities, we assume that they do not have the right to be accorded or extended the same rights as we do adult humans. The Case for Stem Cell Research (Proponents) Those who support stem cell research argue that embryos are not viable human beings. Therefore, in the absence of personhood and the viability of life, embryos can be treated as we do any lab animal to further the cause of medical science and cure the many illnesses that beset mankind. Scientists and researchers believe that they are doing a greater good because of the great potential of stem cells to cure heretofore incurable maladies. Indeed, the ability of embryonic stem cells to cure has long been proven and there have been many instances of dramatic life-saving stories involving stem cell. The proponents have scientific data to validate their stand and they make use of the actual lives that have been saved by using stem cells. The point is to advance medical knowledge and improve existing technologies and methodologies. Some also argue that we need to do the research in order to discover ways that would harvest fetal stem cells without destroying it. (Bellomo, 2006, p. 12) Some sacrifices must be made in the refinement of the process and soon a technique may be discovered that would point to a less destructive source of pluripotent stem cells or to some technique that will enable us to create stem cells separate from a fertilized egg. The potential of stem cell research is as unlimited as the potential of the stem cells themselves. The medical community believes in its greater good to cure sick people and to extend to people the healthy and happy life that is also an inherent right of all mankind. Abortion: The Roots of the Debate Against Stem Cell Research Clearly, based on these definitions, personhood is an attempt to define the characteristics that allows us to determine whether an organism is a person or not. Simply, put three elements must be present for personhood: free will, reasoning, and moral decisions. Our actions are constantly being judged as moral or not, and we have the choice whether to ascribe to these moral laws. Of course all of these actions, whether moral or not will then have consequences that the person must deal with. Why should there be a debate in the first place as to what renders a person a human being? The debate is mainly a legal issue. Much of the legal laws that govern most societies are based on personhood and legal debate is also the basis whether an action is illegal or not. One of the most enduring and controversial issues about personhood is the question of when it actually begins. The issue of personhood determines whether stem cell research is morally and legally right. Of course, people on both sides of the fence would arbitrarily argue that personhood is one thing or another, depending on what best suits their purpose. Those who are against stem cell research would argue that personhood begins during conception, while those on the opposite side would maintain that personhood cannot exist during the fetal stage and therefore, there is no actual act of violation to the baby while in this stage. (Fukuyama, 2002, p. 89) The debate against stem cell research is intimately tied with issues of abortion. Because stem cell technology is fairly new, there is no judicial precedent yet. However, in terms of personhood and the viability of life debate first came to a head in the watershed Roe vs. Wade (1973) case. The Supreme Court of the United States ruled that the woman has the right to have an abortion up until a certain time when the fetus becomes â€Å"viable†. Viable in this case is defined as the period when the fetus has the potential to survive outside the womb, regardless of any medical or artificial assistance. This is generally considered to take place during the 6th or 7th month of fetal life. Abortions before this period of viability are then ruled to be permissible if needed to protect the woman’s health. The decision does not legalize abortion but allows it as long as the woman has an abortion before the fetus becomes viable and only for medical reasons (Scott 1990, p. 67). At the heart of the controversy and debate that continues to rage to this day is the respect for both the personhood of the mother and the baby inside her and the stem cells that fetal cells contain. If, by exercising her personhood, the mother decides to harvest the stem cell to help a relative or another child, is she morally wrong or right? Or what if she decides to terminate her pregnancy altogether? What conditions make stem cell harvest legal and when is it not? Of course, the much deeper issue that should be addressed is where do we go off deciding the viability of a fetus and the value of life? The case created a deep schism and polarized a country between those who were pro-life (anti-abortion) and pro-choice (pro-abortion). The decision practically upheld abortion as a basic human right, and is protected by law as long as it is done with within certain narrowly-defined parameters. The woman’s decision to terminate her pregnancy falls under her right to privacy and pe rsonhood. She, being the owner of her body, has the right to deliberate and determine how she wants her own body to be. Roe was a rape victim who got pregnant as a result of the criminal act. She then wanted to have an abortion, arguing that the circumstances of her pregnancy give her moral and legal right to an abortion. Interpretation Perhaps we shall never be able to fully deliberate on the morality and legality of stem cell research because at best, we can only speculate on the viability and personhood of a fetus. In such cases, the value of a human life is debated only when stem cell harvesting becomes an option or when a legal case arises from it. In most cases, there seems to be a consensus that human life begins at the moment of conception and that personhood, as a process, begins also at this time. The controversy of stem cell research and the challenges that it poses to our moral and ethical directions is a reflection of our exercise of personhood. It should be discussed and deliberated and questioned because the failure to do so is the failure of our own collective and individual humanity. And in this case, Fukuyama may be right. Such issues that cause such polarization can very well erode humanity.

The Lost Art of Effective Procrastination

The Lost Art of Effective Procrastination Amending My Ways A couple of weeks ago, my assistant Jeanne requested that I stop sending her the copy for my blog articles on Sunday night or sometime on Monday, when I need her to publish it on Monday night. I’ve been writing my blogs on Sundays for 5 years, which worked fine when I was the one posting and distributing them. But now that another person’s schedule is at issue, I need to change my ways. This Friday, in an attempt to please Jeanne,  I squeezed  in my  blog in  the last minutes before heading  off to Breitenbush Hot Springs (near Portland, OR), where I had no  internet access (gasp) for 24 hours. Yup.  I left blog writing  to the last minute. I don’t procrastinate about a lot of work-related projects. In fact, I tend to err on the side of doing things right away so I don’t have to worry about them later! But in the case of my blog, I did so revel in a weekend of not knowing what I’d write about and being (mostly) at peace with that as Sunday night approached. So far, I have always thought of something to write about before deadline. I see the advantage of moving my deadline to Friday: I now don’t have the nagging thought, â€Å"I have to write my blog,† on my brain all weekend. But an early deadline has its challenges too. I have one more thing to fit into my work week, and pressure to think of something in what seems like less time. Procrastination Defined Procrastination, says Wikipedia, is â€Å"the practice of carrying out less urgent tasks in preference to more urgent ones, or doing more pleasurable things in place of less pleasurable ones, and thus putting off impending tasks to a later time, sometimes to the ‘last minute’ before a deadline.† This form of procrastination can be destructive. People can get fired because they put important projects off until the last minute, often compromising quality- or missing deadlines altogether. But what about procrastinating on making decisions (and I don’t mean using the excuse â€Å"I’m still deciding the best way to proceed† to avoid starting a project!)? Whose Decision is it Anyway? As I shared in last week’s newsletter, I recently thought for too long about whether to sign up for coveted Forrest Yoga classes with the founder of the discipline, Ana Forrest, who was visiting Chicago. I noticed, while blithely  putting off  this decision, that there was something appealing about letting others make decisions for me. In this case, by the time I decided on purchasing the tickets, they were gone. I was forced to come up with Plan B, which was, ultimately, okay with me. My decision-making procrastination transferred to the decision of whether to fly to Portland for a week to check out the yoga scene there and to explore the area. I looked for friends to stay with before buying the ticket; that didn’t work. I almost let that make my decision for me, but persevered, finding an Airbnb spot that was perfectly situated. Then I decided if I couldn’t get my ticket for less than 50,000 miles I wouldn’t go. But the ticket stayed within my budget. So finally I booked my room and a rental car and hit â€Å"Purchase† on my plane ticket. Immediately fear set in. What was I doing? Why was I going to new city by myself with no real plan? Maybe I’d have a horrible time. Oh my, no wonder I took so long to make this decision. There was terror behind my procrastination. Putting the Pro in Procrastination I did not let my fear stop me, and by the first day I was enjoying a beautiful hike by some waterfalls and eating a delicious crepe at the Portland Farmer’s Market. I met two business contacts for very fruitful coffees and lunches (those I did plan a little bit ahead). But pretty much everything I did on my trip I decided to do at the last minute. Breitenbush Hot Springs is notoriously full at this time of year, but I called Thursday and got the last bed  available for the next night! I also managed to get an appointment with a bodyworker in Portland  10 minutes after I called to ask about availability. As a traveler, there’s not much difference between procrastination and spontaneity. Last-minute choices allow for a sense of adventure, which I truly enjoy when I’m on â€Å"vacation.† I ended up doing many things I would not have predicted because I did not plan ahead for every moment in Portland. To be sure, deciding things at the last minute requires a willingness to accept the consequences if things don’t work out as planned. I don’t recommend this tactic when other people (like your assistant) are depending on you, or when the consequences of letting circumstances make decisions for you are unacceptable. But when all that’s on the line is exactly what you’ll be doing for fun and adventure, why not go with the flow?

Seed Tree and Shelterwood Harvesting Methods

Seed Tree and Shelterwood Harvesting Methods Even-aged Harvesting Methods Many tree species do not tolerate major shade during the early stages of development. These stages include early seedling germination, development and sapling growth stable enough to compete in mid-canopy.  These tree species have to have some light for regenerating and ensuring future even-aged stands for that species. Most of these timber types are mostly coniferous with a few exceptions. Commercially valuable trees that need light to naturally regenerate a new stand of the same species makes up a major part of even-aged harvesting schemes by foresters. The reproductive management of these trees in North America includes jack pine, loblolly pine, longleaf pine, lodgepole pine, ponderosa pine, slash pine. Notable intolerant hardwood species include many valuable commercial oaks plus yellow-poplar and sweetgum. Several reforestation systems and harvesting methods can be used to create even-aged stands.   While specific treatments vary across the U.S. by tree species and climate, the basic systems are clearcutting, seed tree and shelterwood. Shelterwood Even-aged stands must regenerate beneath the shade provided by mature trees left from the previous stand.   It is a major harvest scheme used in all regions of the United States. This includes regenerating loblolly pine in the South, Eastern white pine in the Northeast and ponderosa pine in the West. Preparing a typical shelterwood condition could include three possible types of cuttings: 1) a preliminary cut might be made to select high yielding trees to leave for seed production; 2) an establishment cut can be made that prepares a bare soil seed-bed  as well as trees that provide seed just before seed fall; and/or 3) a removal cut of overstory seed trees that have established seedlings and saplings but would be in competition if left to grow.   So, a shelterwood harvest would be done to leave seed-producing trees uniformly throughout the stand, in groups, or strips and, depending on seed  crop and species, can have between 40 and 100 crop trees.   As with seed tree harvests,  shelterwoods  are sometimes interplanted to supplement natural seeding.   Red and white oak, the southern pines, white  pine,  and sugar maple are examples of tree species that may be regenerated using the shelterwood harvesting method. Here are specific shelterwood terms that further explain this harvesting method: Shelterwood Cut - Removing trees on the  harvest  area in a series of two or more cuttings so new seedlings can grow from the seed of older trees. This method produces an even-aged forest. Shelterwood Logging  - Method of harvesting timber so that selected trees remain scattered throughout the tract to provide seeds for regeneration and shelter for seedlings. Shelterwood System  - An even-aged  silvicultural scheme in which a new stand is established under the protection of a partial canopy of trees. The mature stand is generally removed in a series of two or more cuts, the last leaving a new even-aged stand that is well developed. Seed Tree The seed tree reforestation method leaves healthy, mature trees with a good cone crop (usually 6 to 15 per acre) in the existing stand to provide seed for regenerating a new stand of trees.   Seed trees are typically removed after regeneration is established, especially when seedling levels are significant enough to  stand some logging losses. It is not unusual for a forest manager to  leave the seed trees for wildlife or aesthetics objectives. However, the primary objective of a seed tree regeneration harvest is to provide a natural seed source. Artificial planting of nursery seedlings may be used to supplement areas where natural seeding was not adequate.   White pine, the southern pines and several species of oak may be regenerated using the seed tree harvesting method. Clearcutting Removing in a single cutting all of the overstory trees in a stand to develop a new stand in a shade-free environment is called a clear or clean cut harvest. Depending on species and topography, reforestation can occur  by natural seeding, direct seeding, planting, or sprouting. See my feature on clearcutting: The Debate Over Clearcutting Each individual clearcut area is a unit in which regeneration, growth, and yield are monitored and managed specifically for wood production. That does not mean that all trees will be cut. Certain trees or groups of trees may be left for wildlife, and buffer strips are maintained to protect streams, wetlands, and special areas. Common tree species regenerated using clearcutting include the southern pines, Douglas-fir, red and white oak, jack pine, white birch, aspen, and yellow-poplar.

Credit & Lending Decisions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Credit & Lending Decisions - Assignment Example It was listed back in 1985 on the stock exchange and at that time changed its structure from being a cooperative to become a public corporation that now has about 450,000 widely-dispersed shareholders. It operates supermarket chains such as K-mart and Target; it also operates the largest Australian hardware chain of stores. It grew big and fast through a strategy of acquisitions with the latest being the Coles Group that was the second-largest retailer in the country after Woolworths Limited. In total, it is engaged in about nine different industries (Wesfarmers.com, n.d.). As a publicly-listed limited corporation, the Wesfarmers adheres strictly to the corporate governance principles and standards prescribed by government regulatory authorities. In addition, to further inspire investor confidence, it has also voluntarily adopted a Board of Directors code of conduct and a separate code of ethics and conduct for all its employees. It has likewise adopted a Whistleblowers policy to pro tect people who report on anomalies within the company. Overall, Wesfarmers has put into place safeguards such as risk management controls and is fully committed to transparency. In general, Wesfarmers is engaged in the retailing business, insurance, energy (its coal and mining operations to include gas and energy interests) and industrial products with minor interests in other industries such as corporate finance and sawmill operations. Wesfarmers is a notable exception in terms of its financial performance when conglomerates are now out of favour because it was able to grow at a 30% compound rate (Walsh, 2002:1) and transformed itself from a former farmers cooperative into a real business giant. Its mining operations is a major contributor to the local economy and provides nearly 50% of the electricity grid in the states south-west region (Richards,

Global Warming Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Global Warming - Research Paper Example In a general manner, global warming can be defined as a rise in the temperature all around the globe. But global warming is not limited to only the rise in temperature but it is also associated with bringing about other environmental changes. These changes have a very major effect on the atmosphere of the world. Global warming is hence a very important issue that is increasing and affecting the global environment. It results due to many reasons and harmful human activities serve as the major cause of global warming. Global warming poses a great risk for life on this planet and hence this issue needs to be dealt with in the best possible manner (Houghton 2004). With the passage of time, it has been realized that global warming is an international problem and it has led to many demographic as well as temperature changes in the world. The National Climatic Data carried out a study which presented with very alarming as well as essential findings with regard to global warming. The study p resented the fact that the temperature which was recorded in the year 2004 in the United States of America was the 4th warmest temperature on its record since the year 1880 (NCDC 2004). Causes The study of the climate of the Earth along with the global climatic changes and patterns have served to be of great assistance in analyzing the reasons which have led to the problem of global warming. Many causes have been linked to this global issue with human activities being counted as the major reason but it is also believed by a group of researchers that global warming is not associated with human activities but it is rather a natural phenomenon. Carbon emissions can be specified as the major cause of global warming. The factories which are using the fossil fuels during their manufacturing processes are giving out a great amount of carbon and this leads to a great change in the temperature of this world. The trees planted in the world are considered to be of immense importance in stoppin g the problem of global warming to expand. A tree intakes carbon dioxide during its respiratory process and this helps it to reduce carbon dioxide from the environment. However after a tree dies or the wood in it decomposes, carbon dioxide is given off in the environment. This has been seen as a major cause of the alarming high rates of carbon dioxide in the air these days. In the present years many forests have been burnt by the people or have been burnt naturally due to some accident. These factors have caused the trees to die and release carbon dioxide in the air. In the recent years fires have erupted in the major forests of this world. The fires which erupted in Amazon during the years of 2000 and 2005 can be viewed as a major setback for the environment of this world. It destroyed an area of 132000 square kilometers of the Amazon forest. This area is estimated to be the size of the whole country of Greece. These fires resulted in the release of a huge amount of CO2 into the at mosphere. And it is estimated that the amount of CO2 released during these fires is in billions (Chemical & Engineering News, 2005). Deforestation, climate changes and forest fires have been the major causes of the release of CO2 in the

Education Can Have Profound Affects On Students Identity Essay

Education Can Have Profound Affects On Students Identity - Essay Example This can be simply assessed by the negative or pessimistic behavior that those students might have about life or other people. They might develop negative or pessimistic attitudes even about God or they might come up with deep feelings of angst, fear and guilt or an insane preoccupation in relation to sin. So it is obvious that any worldview shapes the actions and guides the behaviors of its beholder. What is learned in school will eventually surface in life or in the identity of the students. In this line of thought, school administrators and teachers should be extremely careful on the contents and ways of managing any learning institution. It is also necessary to find solutions in the direction of implementing change and transformation in the inner circles of faculty and staff. One specific educational issue that it's being address lately with due emphasis is the achievement gap among different groups of students according to economic, political and social backgrounds. In the United States this educational issue has taken a radical turn after President George W. Bush and his Administration passed as law the "No Child Left Behind Act 2001". This new law is aimed at improving the performance of all students in the United States and it firmly stresses that it is necessary to ensure that no student gets trapped in a failing school. Among its new features, the No Child Left Behind Act includes "increased accountability for States, school districts, and schools; greater choice for parents and students, particularly those attending low-performing schools; more flexibility for States and local educational agencies (LEAs) in the use of Federal education dollars; and a stronger emphasis on reading, especially for our youngest children." (No Children Left Behind, 200 4). On the other hand, The Education Trust was established in 1990 by the American Association for Higher Education, and it aims that all students at all levels of education get a high academic achievement in order to close forever the achievement gaps that separate minority or poverty-stricken students from the most favored class of students. This institution is positively engaged in closing the achievement gap among all the students in the United States at all costs. Craig Jerald, Senior Policy Analyst at the Education Trust, sums up his research on this issue with the significant result that shows that "there are thousands of schools nationwide that have poverty rates and/or minority enrollments in the top third of their respective states and also had top-third scores on one or more state assessments." (Jerald, 2002). Jerald and Kati Haycok, Director of The Education Gap, suggested that a school system won't be judged as successful unless it teaches successfully all kinds of students. They also stated that "despite what many administrators learned in graduate school, newer, more sophisticated research shows that it is not just poverty or family background that determines student achievement. What schools do does matter." (Jerald & Haycok, 2002). Their recommendations are based on a common agenda of five priority points: 1.- The Bully Pulpit: Take responsibility for raising achievement and closing achievement gaps-in word and deed. 2.- Standards: Use standards to reshape instruction. 3.- Curriculum: Provide all students with a rigorous

Management Accounting Master Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Management Accounting Master - Essay Example Due to the changes taking place in the accounting field today, it is necessary to bring appropriate measures for improving the managerial accounting techniques and procedures. Obtaining adequate in formations required for the organization is the main driving force for change. For meeting the organizational goals, it is necessary to implement the relevant managerial accounting policies effectively. Increased competition requires adequate changes in the management techniques. Earlier period, management accounting was concentrated for the determination of cost, control of finance, and also to provide concentration for minimizing the wastage of resources. In addition to this, the management accountant is also responsible for the preparation of accounting statements in an effective manner. But recently, the role of management accountant is enhanced due to the changing scenario of the world of accounting. As far as an organization is taken in to consideration, management accountant is resp onsible for taking the adequate managerial decisions for the future running of the entity. Management accountant is one who should possess thorough knowledge about the relevant aspects of the enterprise as a whole. The concept of accounting point of view of both management and financial accounting is not at all similar. The MIS (Management Information System) is very crucial in recent days. "MIS (management information systems) is a general term for the computer systems in an enterprise that provide information about its business operations. It's also used to refer to the people who manage these systems." (Moore 2007). For the purpose of mitigating the existing difficulties associated with the concept of managerial accounting and its principles and policies, it is necessary to undertake effective implementation strategy and also to undertake the reinvention of management accountants. The organizational customs and its environmental factors are also effecting this reinvention to certain extend. Management accounting principles and its applications are fundamental for the preparation of financial statements and report to the entity for taking appropriate future decisions. Management accounting is highly concentrating for taking the most relevant decision required within the organization, and it is necessary to obtain the proper information about the entity for taking decisions, and such information should be more accurate in nature. MIS is a significant concept, because it is possible to undertake the business operations more effectively through this system. So, major factors responsible for changes in the management information system are- Changes take place in the economy. Awareness about global competition. Emergence of recent innovative measures and technology. Therefore, it is crucial to consider the changes in the organization in an effective manner for taking the prominent decision which may affect the performance of the entity in future. Implementation of strategic management accounting tools are also effective for this. So, the effective installation of the MIS is important for the adequate functioning of an entity. It is very essential to maintain and develop a proper accounting theory for the proper implementation of accounting procedures and the effective reporting of

Human Resources as a Strategic Partner Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Human Resources as a Strategic Partner - Essay Example Some of the reasons why HR has been criticized include misleading of employees, poor professional ethics as well as the failure to keep employee information confidential as it should be. Dr. Dave, one of the best writer and thinker in this line of HR proposed three new roles the human resource managers of an organization should adopt to elevate the above problems. These new functions include HR managers acting as executives of their companies, strategic partners as well as employee advocate or mentors. All these, as described by Dave, will improve general employee performance and hence that of the organization. Various functions of HR directly support the general strategy of an organization. To begin with, the staffing function; the HR manager(s) have the responsibility of choosing the right person to work for an organization. It is also the responsibility of HR to develop the capacity of these persons such that they perform their roles best towards the achievement of the goals of th e said organization. Secondly, HR ensures that the performance of employees in an organization is optimum. This is accomplished through employee motivation programs, training and development as well as disciplining of errant employees. Where there is the need for change –management, HR is involved first in line in communication and implementation of these changes. Lastly, the HR administrative function ensures that organizational activities run smoothly and harmoniously to the objectives of the organizations they work for.

Natures deadliest animals in brazil Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Natures deadliest animals in brazil - Essay Example ul research shows, however, that nature’s deadliest animals in Brazil are much more dangerous to other animals in their habitat, than to human beings. One of the creatures that is the most deadly in Brazil is a relatively common fish called the piranha. It is usually quite small, between 15 cm and 26 cm in length and it is very plentiful in the Amazon region. (St Louis and Chandler, p. 111) Its normal behavior is to scavenge for food from dead fish, plants and insects in the river and so it plays a useful role in cleaning up the environment. People very rarely are attacked by piranha but when a large mammal is attacked, it can be extremely shocking, since the piranha come in great numbers and nibble at the body. The reputation of this fish is actually much worse than its real nature, because it usually avoids human beings and concentrates on smaller prey. Only one particular situation can be very dangerous for humans, and that occurs when the river is low. Piranhas can get trapped in tributaries or lakes that get cut off from the main river. This means that their food supply disappears and in that case they will attack almost anyt hing because they are desperate for food. It is noted that â€Å"confirmed accounts of human fatalities caused by piranhas are extremely few, but plenty of Amazonian river folks have scars or missing fingers to testify just how sharp and vicious those little triangular teeth can be.† (St Louis and Chandler, p. 104) Many people are afraid of another small creature, which is technically an insect rather than an animal, namely the spider. In Brazil there are several species of the biggest spiders of all: tarantulas. These include the Brazilian yellowbanded, the Brazilian salmon, the Brazilian black and the Brazilian graysmoke, as well as many others which are common across the South American continent (Tarantula facts website). The way that tarantulas capture and kill their prey is quite disgusting from a human point of view, but

Human Resources as a Strategic Partner Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Human Resources as a Strategic Partner - Essay Example Some of the reasons why HR has been criticized include misleading of employees, poor professional ethics as well as the failure to keep employee information confidential as it should be. Dr. Dave, one of the best writer and thinker in this line of HR proposed three new roles the human resource managers of an organization should adopt to elevate the above problems. These new functions include HR managers acting as executives of their companies, strategic partners as well as employee advocate or mentors. All these, as described by Dave, will improve general employee performance and hence that of the organization. Various functions of HR directly support the general strategy of an organization. To begin with, the staffing function; the HR manager(s) have the responsibility of choosing the right person to work for an organization. It is also the responsibility of HR to develop the capacity of these persons such that they perform their roles best towards the achievement of the goals of th e said organization. Secondly, HR ensures that the performance of employees in an organization is optimum. This is accomplished through employee motivation programs, training and development as well as disciplining of errant employees. Where there is the need for change –management, HR is involved first in line in communication and implementation of these changes. Lastly, the HR administrative function ensures that organizational activities run smoothly and harmoniously to the objectives of the organizations they work for.