Sexism in the Workplace :: GCSE Business Marketing Coursework Essays

Sexism in the Workplace Gender Roles Children learn from their parents and society the conception of "feminine" and "masculine." Much about these conceptions is not biological at all but cultural. The way we tend to think about men and women and their gender roles in society constitute the prevailing paradigm that influences out thinking. Riane Eisler points out that the prevailing paradigm makes it difficult for us to analyze properly the roles of men and women in prehistory "we have a cultural bias that we bring to the effort and that colors our decision-making processes." Sexism is the result of that bias imposed by our process of acculturation. Gender roles in Western societies have been changing rapidly in recent years, with the changes created both by evolutionary changes in society, including economic shifts which have altered the way people work and indeed which people work as more and more women enter the workforce, and by perhaps pressure brought to make changes because of the perception that the traditional social structure was inequitable. Gender relations are a part of the socialization process, the initiation given the young by society, teaching them certain values and creating in them certain behavior patterns acceptable to their social roles. These roles have been in a state of flux in American society in recent years, and men and women today can be seen as having expanded their roles in society, with women entering formerly male dominions and men finding new ways to relate to and function in the family unit. When I was growing up a woman was never heard of having a job other than a school teacher or seamstress. Our(women's)job was to take care of the house. We had a big garden out back from which we got most of our vegetables?A garden is a lot of work you know?We also had to make clothes when there were none to be had(hand-me- downs) Gender can be defined as a social identity consisting of the role a person is to play because of his or her sex. There is a diversity in male and female roles, making it impossible to define gender in terms of narrow male and female roles. Gender is culturally defined, with significant differences from culture to culture. These differences are studied by anthropologists to ascertain the range of behaviors that have developed to define gender and on the forces at work in the creation of these roles.

cocaine production Essay -- essays research papers

Cocaine Production in Columbia Columbia is the largest coca producing country in the world. Over 70% of our nation’s cocaine is produced and manufactured in Columbia (â€Å"battles won† 1). The cocaine production in Columbia is different than the rest of the Andean countries because it is grown on plots of land that are gigantic, whereas in Peru and Bolivia coca is grown on small plots of land. Cocaine producing plants are poor farmer’s biggest cash crop. Battles are fought every day between the government and farmers over thousands of acres that produce the raw material for cocaine. In the region that most of these farmers live the growing of coca and the transformation to cocaine is the largest and only functioning industry. It is a reliable income that has brought money into the country’s economy for over forty years (â€Å"a crop† 1). For many of these farmers, coca is the only plant that can bring enough money to their family for survival. Coffee, sugar, and bananas have bee n a major export for farmers in the past but a worldwide over-production has lead the farmers to producing fields of cocoa bushes. The lone functioning governments in parts of Columbia are leftist guerrillas. In these areas order is maintained by FARC, which is the countries largest rebel army. The Columbian governments have put laws into place since the 1990’s to cut down on drug trafficking. â€Å"A legal structure has been in place that encourages traffickers to surrender and collaborate with the authorities in return for judicial leniency†(Clawson 90). The drug trafficking in Columbia is causing many problems for Columbian and United States governments. These drug traffickers earn billions of dollars every year selling cocaine to Europe and the United States. The use of the coca plant has been a major way of life for indigenous people for thousands of years. Before coca was mainly used to produce cocaine, it was used by laborers as a mild narcotic to suppress hunger and give energy. â€Å"Some 70 different folk remedies include coca, sometimes in combination with other plants†(Lee 24). â€Å"Cocaine is one of 13 alkaloids produced from the coca leaf, which has been cultivated in South America for at least 2,000 years†(Lee 21). In Columbia it is illegal to grow coca plants unlike Bolivia and Peru but Columbia is still the world’s largest producer of Cocaine. This is credit to drug cartels in Columbia... ...e. Battles are fought every day between the government and farmers over thousands of acres that produce the raw material for cocaine. The Columbian government needs to go into the jungle and wipe out the guerrilla groups but cocaine has somewhat kept Columbia’s economy stable and if cocaine production is demolished then the country might hit rock bottom. The best solution to Columbia’s problems is to cut down on the production of cocaine and create more profitable programs that encourage farmers not to produce coca. Work Cited â€Å"The Absurdity of the Drug War in Columbia†. The Thistle. Oct.2001. Vol.13. 1-2 â€Å"Andean Drug Battle Bears Fruit† Christian Science Moniter.April 2000. Vol.92 . Issue 98 â€Å"Andean Coca Wars†. Economist.March 2000. Vol.354. Issue 8160.1-3 â€Å"Battles won, a War still Lost†.Economist. Feb. 2005. Vol.374. Issue 8413. 1-3 Clawson, Patrick L. The Andean Cocaine Industry. New York:St. Martin’s Press. 1996 â€Å"Columbia’s Cocaine Frontier. National Review. Dec. 2001. Vol.26. Issue 6. 1-6 â€Å"A War Down on the Farm†. Christian Science Moniter. May 2001. Vol.93. Issue 125, 1-3 Lee III, Rensselaer W. The White Labyrinth. New Brunswick. Transaction Publishers. 1989

Leadership Principles for Healthcare

America needs good leadership in every comer. Too often mediocrity is present in business, government, schools, and churches. In a rapidly changing world, it is crucial to have strong leaders. Although no set formula exists for defining leadership, studies show a few basic commonalities among people generally considered effective leaders. This paper discusses the principles of effective leadership in healthcare. Credibility As a leader in healthcare, one is required to perform all assigned duties, regardless of their size or perceived importance, up to standard, on time, and to the best of one’s ability. Others are interested in one’s past only insofar as it may indicate future capability. They want to know how well one performs one’s duty today, so that they may estimate what one will do tomorrow. The reputation that counts most is the one earns today. Any evidence of slipshod work, halfway measures or â€Å"after-the-fact† excuses will not be viewed favorably (Bryson & Crosby, 1992). For missions to succeed, especially in times of uncertainty, ambiguity, and adversity, leaders in healthcare must live and conduct all their activities so that others may look them squarely in the eye knowing that they are associating with and placing their trust in an honorable individual. Leaders exert themselves to promote the well-being of others. They do something or stand ready to do something for others. They develop self-reliance in others so that they can become effective members of an interdependent team. Self-reliance means that a staff member does not need the presence of the boss to carry out the tactical and operational elements of his or her own job. As a leader, one should state the job to be done but leave it to one’s subordinate to recommend the methods that will accomplish the desired results, at the time required, with due regard for costs (Conger, 1989). If one wants to lead people in healthcare, one has to communicate information directly and honestly. One cannot hem and haw or water down the truth. One has to keep one’s people and the people to whom one reports, grounded in the reality of one’s situation. Although most people believe that they are honest, few are direct. Many women, especially, respect the social value of an indirect approach to problems, and this places them at a disadvantage in leadership situations. If one has trouble with the direct approach, one should put one’s points in writing, structuring them so that when one goes into a meeting, one can use one’s notes as an aid until one feels comfortable in delivering verbal reports without them. Dishonesty of any sort is quickly perceived as very disturbing and unlikable. It also carries a â€Å"permanent† connotation that isn't easily erased. Honesty is a deeply held value and can run all the way from one’s surface sincerity and â€Å"realness† to one’s basic ethics and morality. Conversation or behavior that is not very honest waves a red flag that causes other people to back off and not trust one. Trust is necessary for good communication and good communication is the main tool of successful supervision (Conger, 1989). The defensiveness typically caused by even minor dishonesty shuts down communication. There are many verbal and non-verbal indicators of dishonesty to-watch for, including elusive eye contact, contradictory body language, tone and flow of voice, behavioral inconsistencies and aggressive posture. The effective leader in healthcare models the way he or she desires his or her followers to act. (Kouzes, James & Posner 1987) This characteristic of the effective leader has also been described as the â€Å"management of trust.† (Bennis 1989) The group learns very quickly that it can rely on the leader, who is exactly what he or she appears to be. The actions of a transformation leader represent the beliefs and commitments that are spoken. Building Strong Relationships Interpersonal relationships play a critical role in the management process. As noted by Gabarro (1987,p. 172), â€Å"relationships are the principal means through which organizations are controlled.† Friendships and related social networks in organizations have been investigated in relation to such factors as organizational choice (Kilduff, 1990), turnover and organizational commitment (Krackhardt & Porter, 1985), culture (Krackhardt & Kilduff, 1990), and organizational conflict (Nelson, 1989). Much of the research that has investigated the nature of the leader-follower relationship has taken place within the context of leader-member exchange theory (LMX). Leader-member exchange theory suggests that leaders differentiate among followers in terms of leader behavior rather than enacting â€Å"one best† average leadership style with all followers (Liden & Graen, 1980). The LMX model recognizes the importance and nature of specific leader-follower relationships and emphasizes the differences in the manner in which a leader behaves toward each follower (Vecchio & Gobdel, 1984). A role is informally negotiated between each member of the work group and the leader, and an active exchange of inputs and outcomes occurs between the leader and each follower (Bass, 1990; Dansereau, Graen, & Haga, 1975). Some leader-follower dyads within groups develop roles that are personally satisfying and mutually compatible, while others do not (Graen & Scandura, 1987). Earlier writings referred to followers in the former type of dyad as part of the â€Å"in-group† and the latter as â€Å"out-group† members. Over the years, LMX research has not only verified the existence of differentiated leader-member dyads within groups, but it has also investigated the characteristics of the leader-follower relationship, as well as the process by which leaders develop effective leadership relationships. According to Graen and Uhl-Bien (1995), the development of a leader-member exchange relationship â€Å"is based on the characteristics of the working relationship as opposed to a personal or friendship relationship† (p. 237). LMX is conceptualized as a multidimensional construct, consisting of respect, trust, and mutual obligation, and it refers specifically to these dimensions as they relate to â€Å"individuals' assessments of each other in terms of their professional capabilities and behaviors† (Graen & Uhl-Bien, 1995, p. 238). Vision To lead a group in healthcare, one must have a vision that people support from both a personal and a philosophical perspective. Consider Martin Luther King. What was the vision? His most famous statement, â€Å"I have a dream,† was delivered to more than half a million people who had descended on Washington, D.C., in support of civil rights. What was his dream? Racial equality. Could people relate to that personally and philosophically? Absolutely. Few people argued against the philosophy of racial equality. Furthermore, many supporters believed that he would have a tremendous impact on them personally. King gained overwhelming support because of his vision (Collins & Porgas, 1991). Once leaders develop a vision, they must communicate their ideas. Leaders are often great communicators. Consider Martin Luther King. He had the ability to stir and motivate people, and he excelled when he got in front of a group of people. Former President Abraham Lincoln also had superb speechmaking abilities. One of his speeches, the Gettysburg Address, is so famous that most schoolchildren memorize it at some point in their studies. Communication skills were the strong point of another well-known leader, former President Ronald Reagan. While some people have questioned Reagan's leadership abilities, few questioned his communication skills. Many remember his first State of the Union Address, which was delivered the year after he was wounded by a gunshot from John Hinckley. As with any presidential candidate, there were those who had not voted for him and were not particularly strong supporters. Reagan's address, however, was so stirring and so patriotic that afterward even people who were lukewarm about him wanted to jump to their feet, salute, and flip on their Lee Greenwood tape of â€Å"I'm Proud to Be an American.† The words he chose, and the manner in which he presented them, really touched people (Collins & Porgas, 1991). Passion Passion engenders enthusiasm and creativity. It also drives excellence. Without passion a business is ordinary — for its employees, suppliers and, most importantly, for its customers. It is easier to recognize the absence than the existence of passion. Passion is not a commodity or even an art form that can be taught or bought. It is also quietly frowned on in some circles. Passionate and respected leaders motivate and inspire those around them to share their passion for a product, a concept or an opportunity. By doing so, they encourage others to excel. These leaders recognize the need to foster and embrace a range of complementary talents and experiences. To attract people with these skills and, more importantly, right attitudes, they create the processes and culture to support them. If passion is engendered, encouraged and focused then, all other things being equal, the organization with passion will outperform those without (Bryson & Crosby, 1992). Commitment to Serve Others The effective leader in healthcare empowers others to act. (Kouzes & Posner 1987) He recognizes the potential of the entire organization and freely grants or sanctions individuals the power to act in concert with the group. What appears to be an abdication of power by the leader results in a stronger unison effort? The transformational leader encourages the heart. (Kouzes & Posner 1987) Followers work more effectively if they are frequently praised, and it is the transformational leader who understands the necessity of recognizing their accomplishments. This leadership characteristic suggests that frequent encouragement and praise for even minor accomplishments is appropriate. Positive affirmation does not instill complacency, but instead it results in motivating an individual to perform even better. Mentoring does not have to be one-on-one. With this new twist on an old model, a mentor guides a group of protà ©gà ©s through the complex process of developing their organizational practical understanding and their careers. In the new mentoring model, learning leaders are partners, rather than â€Å"patriarchs.† As experienced organizational veterans with information and knowledge to offer, they act as leaders of group learning and facilitators of group growth. With group mentoring, the setting and emphasis shifts from one-on-one relationships to group relationships. The learning leader helps protà ©gà ©s understand the organization, guides them in analyzing their experiences, and helps them clarify career directions. The process gives the protà ©gà ©s access to the experience and knowledge of a successful, high-level manager. In addition, that help comes from a different paradigm–that of a leader as collaborates. The task of the learning leader is to create an environment for the professional growth of a small group of protà ©gà ©s who can benefit from the experience, knowledge, and support of an organization veteran and of other group members. References Bennis, Warren. (1989). Why Leaders Can't Lead–The Unconscious Conspiracy Continues (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass). Bryson, J. and Crosby, B. (1992). Leadership for the Common Good: Tackling Public Problems in a Shared-Power World. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers. Collins, J. and Porgas, J. (1991). Organizational Vision and Visionary Organizations. California Management Review (Fall): 36. Conger, J. (1989). The Charismatic Leader: Behind the Mystique of Exceptional Leadership. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers. Gabarro, J. J. (1987). The development of working relationships. In J. W. Lorsch (Ed.), Handbook of organizational behavior (pp. 172-189). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall. Graen, G. B., & Scandura, T A. (1987). Toward a psychology of dyadic organizing. In L. L Cummings & B. M. Shaw (Eds.), Research in organizational behavior (pp. 175-208). Greenwich, CT: JAI Press. Graen, G. B., & Uhl-Bien, M. (1995). Relationship-based approach to leadership: Development of leader-member exchange (LMX) theory of leadership over 25 years: Applying a multi-level multi-domain perspective. Leadership Quarterly, 6(2), 219-247. Kilduff, M. (1990). The interpersonal structure of decision making: A social comparison approach to organizational choice. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 47(2), 270288. Kouzes, James M.   and Posner, Barry Z. (1987). The Leadership Challenge (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass). Krackhardt, D., & Kilduff, M. (1990). Friendship patterns and culture: The control of organizational diversity. American Anthropologist, 92(1), 142-154. Krackhardt, D., & Porter, L. W. (1985). When friends leave: A structural analysis of the relationship between turnover and stayers' attitudes. Administrative Science Quarterly, 30, 242-261. Liden, R. C., & Graen, G. (1980). Generalizability of the vertical dyad linkage model of leadership. Academy of Management Journal, 23, 451-465. Nelson, R. E. (1989). The strength of strong ties: Social networks and intergroup conflict in organizations. Academy of Management Journal, 32(2), 377-401. Vecchio, R. P., & Gobdel, B. C. (1984). The vertical dyad linkage model of leadership: Problems and prospects. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 34, 5-20.   

Message in a Bottle

Theresa Osborne, a former reporter, works as a researcher for the  Chicago Tribune. On a trip to  Cape Cod, she finds a mysterious, intriguing love letter in a bottle in the sand, addressed from Garret to Catherine. She is fascinated by it and comes into possession of two more letters by the same person, eventually tracking down the man who wrote them, Garret Blake. He has refurbished a boat called  Happenstence  with his wife before her death and he lives quietly on the  Outer Banks  of  North Carolina  near his father, Dodge.Theresa and Garret become better acquainted, but she does not reveal her knowledge of the love letters. Along with the literal distance between them — they live hundreds of miles apart—there is another problem: Garret cannot quite forgive Catherine for dying and leaving him. Theresa's career flourishes as the romantic tale of the â€Å"messages in a bottle† is told in print, without naming names. Garret makes a trip to Chica go to visit Theresa and her young son. Their new love grows, until one day Garret finds his letters in a drawer in Theresa's apartment.Garret angrily confronts Theresa, and after a night of explanations, he goes home by himself. A year later, Dodge tracks down Theresa. He informs her that his son Garret has died at sea in a storm while attempting to rescue someone else. A bottle with a message inside was found on his boat. Theresa realizes that it was written a night before Garrett's last sailing. In it, he apologizes to Catherine and says that in Theresa he has found a new love, a love he must fight for. Message in a Bottle Nicholas Sparks Nicholas Charles Sparks  (born December 31, 1965) is an  American  novelist  and  screenwriter.He has 17 published novels. Eight have been adapted to films, including  Message in a Bottle,  A Walk to Remember,  The Notebook,  Nights in Rodanthe,  Dear John,  The Last Song,  The Lucky One, and most recently  Safe Haven. S parks resides in  North Carolina[12]  with his wife, Cathy; their three sons, Miles, Ryan, and Landon; and twin daughters, Lexie and Savannah. Sparks has donated a  track  to  New Bern High School  and contributes to local and national charities. Nicholas Sparks donated $900,000 for a new, all-weather tartan track, to New Bern High School.He also donates his time to help coach the New Bern High School track team and a local club track team as a volunteer head coach. [13]  He contributes to the  Creative Writing  Program (MFA) at theUniversity of Notre Dame  by funding  scholarships,  internships  and annual  fellowships. In 2008,  Entertainment Weekly  reported that Sparks and his wife had donated â€Å"close to $10 million† to start a Christian, international, college-prep  private school, The Epiphany School, which emphasizes travel and lifelong learning. Location:The beaches of north Carolina witnessed how a woman who no longer believed in love, and a man who thought he could never love again found each other. Opinion : Message in a Bottle is deeply moving, beautifully written and extremely romantic novel that anyone can’t get over. If not for my book report I will not change anything in the story because the story is really one of a kind. And if I change it, what will be the essence of reading it, then criticizing it after ? But, I’m doing this for my book report so I will change the fact that Catherine died before she gave birth to their baby.And also the fact that she died because of an elderly man who lost control of his car. Maybe I’ll change it for SHE DIED AFTER GIVING BIRTH TO THE BABY. Because it is so unfair to Garett that he was left alone. Atleast if he had a child he will be happy even before Theresa had come to his life because a part of Catherine is still living. Body: Theresa Osborne, a former reporter, works as a researcher for the  Chicago Tribune. On a trip to  Cape Cod, sh e finds a mysterious, intriguing love letter in a bottle in the sand, addressed from Garret to Catherine.She is fascinated by it and comes into possession of two more letters by the same person, eventually tracking down the man who wrote them, Garret Blake. He has refurbished a boat called  Happenstence  with his wife before her death and he lives quietly on the  Outer Banks  of  North Carolina  near his father, Jeb Blake. Theresa and Garret become better acquainted, but she does not reveal her knowledge of the love letters. Along with the literal distance between them — they live hundreds of miles apart—there is another problem: Garret cannot quite forgive Catherine for dying and leaving him.Theresa's career flourishes as the romantic tale of the â€Å"messages in a bottle† is told in print, without naming names. Garret makes a trip to Chicago to visit Theresa and her young son. Their new love grows, until one day Garret finds his letters in a drawe r in Theresa's apartment. Garret angrily confronts Theresa, and after a night of explanations, he goes home by himself. A year later, Jeb Blake tracks down Theresa. He informs her that his son Garret has died at sea in a storm while attempting to rescue someone else.A bottle with a message inside was found on his boat. Theresa realizes that it was written a night before Garrett's last sailing. In it, he apologizes to Catherine and says that in Theresa he has found a new love, a love he must fight for. Conclusion: If I’m going to make the ending. I still don’t want it to be a â€Å"happily ever after love story†. They will realize that Garett is still alive but he didn’t remember anything about Theresa Osborne in short he will have a selective amnesia. So they end up living their own lives as it was before .

H Cae

Assignment # 1 Roll# 10126006 Name: Awais Nawaz TSCM APT-304 Tasks 1. Identify Products range they deal in H&M brand deals in: †¢ Assecories †¢ Suitning for women& men †¢ High volume fashion basics for men&women †¢ Swimwear †¢ Nightwear †¢ Underwear †¢ Ladies Footwear †¢ Cosmetics †¢ Childrenwear †¢ Children apparel 2. Identify Customers (Consumers) H&M brand’s customers are: †¢ Men †¢ Women †¢ Teenagers †¢ Children 3. Identify Means of Competition (Why will consumer buy the products ) H&M retail stores have products that are High Fashionable & Quality at low prices.H&M has advanced technology integration such as EDI, GPS and RFID. ? EDI: H&M stores used EDI system to check the availability of the product in other stores. ? GPS Technology: H&M has GPS technology, customers snap a picture of virtual articles of clothing and pinpoint a shopper’s location store where they did window shopping. ? RFID: H&M used RFID system to track its product inventory and real-time location acsess for products in warehouse. There are differnet competitors of H&M like: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Express Zara NY&C Forever 21 1 †¢ GAP 4.Which are the infrastructure related aspects the company excels in H&M brand has its own distribution centre are quite good. H&M does not own any factories. Instead, clothes and other products are commissioned from around 700 independent suppliers, primiraly in Asia and Euorpe. H&M has 2200 retail stores operate in 40 countries around world. 5. Product sources Soureces of H&M brand are Asia and Euorpe. About two third of thier supplier have production in Asia. Asia product suppliers are: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ China Compodia India Pakistan Indonesia South Korea and Sri Lanka.The remaining suppliers are in Europe for the most part. They are: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ 6. Turkey Italy Portugal Greece Bulgaria Romania Lithuania Poland and England. Supplier processes Suppliers for H&M Brands are; Full production, private brand and branded manufacture. Full production: †¢ †¢ Supplier buys all the material and is responsible for them. H&M gives design and product specifications to its suppliers. Private brand: †¢ H&M supplier is responsible for quality and H&M retailer may return all faulty goods returned to them by the consumer. Branded manufacturing: †¢ All Design is done by the H&M. †¢ Marketing and Retailing are controlled by H&M. 7. Retail processes H&M has its own retail Outlets. A key ingredient in retailing success is the strength of a company's distribution channels. In some markets H is collaborating with franchise partners, but franchising is not part of the general expansion strategy. 8. Brand retailer H is a brand retailer, becuase of the following factors: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ 9. It has its own product designs. Marke ting Sourcing And Retailing. Product conceptsProduct concept of H is that to offer high fashion and quality products at the best price, quality also means that the products must be manufactured in away that is environmentally and socially sustainable. 10. Marketing strategy H brand’s marketing strategy is Generating ‘Word of Mouth’ through ‘fashion and quality at the best price' and other mediums such as: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Outdoor advertising Direct market H Magazine Fashion blog: http://www. popbee. com/ Video advertisements Print advertisements E-marketing H own website (www. m. com). 3 11. Draw a Supply Chain Model Supply Chain Model Retailer’s Locations Africa(Egypt, Morocco) Asia(China,Japan, Saudi Arab, UAE,South Korea, Singapor, ThaiLand, Oman) North America( Canada, US) South America: Chile Europe( Germany, UK, France, Spain, Italy, Russia, Finland, Turkey, Switzerland, Norway, Greece, Poland) Dis tribution Network Own Distribution Network ‘Swedish’ Sourcing Locations Asia(China, India, Pakistan, Sout Korea, Sri Lanka) Euorpe(Turkey, Italy, Greece, Poland, England) 4 H Cae Assignment # 1 Roll# 10126006 Name: Awais Nawaz TSCM APT-304 Tasks 1. Identify Products range they deal in H&M brand deals in: †¢ Assecories †¢ Suitning for women& men †¢ High volume fashion basics for men&women †¢ Swimwear †¢ Nightwear †¢ Underwear †¢ Ladies Footwear †¢ Cosmetics †¢ Childrenwear †¢ Children apparel 2. Identify Customers (Consumers) H&M brand’s customers are: †¢ Men †¢ Women †¢ Teenagers †¢ Children 3. Identify Means of Competition (Why will consumer buy the products ) H&M retail stores have products that are High Fashionable & Quality at low prices.H&M has advanced technology integration such as EDI, GPS and RFID. ? EDI: H&M stores used EDI system to check the availability of the product in other stores. ? GPS Technology: H&M has GPS technology, customers snap a picture of virtual articles of clothing and pinpoint a shopper’s location store where they did window shopping. ? RFID: H&M used RFID system to track its product inventory and real-time location acsess for products in warehouse. There are differnet competitors of H&M like: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Express Zara NY&C Forever 21 1 †¢ GAP 4.Which are the infrastructure related aspects the company excels in H&M brand has its own distribution centre are quite good. H&M does not own any factories. Instead, clothes and other products are commissioned from around 700 independent suppliers, primiraly in Asia and Euorpe. H&M has 2200 retail stores operate in 40 countries around world. 5. Product sources Soureces of H&M brand are Asia and Euorpe. About two third of thier supplier have production in Asia. Asia product suppliers are: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ China Compodia India Pakistan Indonesia South Korea and Sri Lanka.The remaining suppliers are in Europe for the most part. They are: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ 6. Turkey Italy Portugal Greece Bulgaria Romania Lithuania Poland and England. Supplier processes Suppliers for H&M Brands are; Full production, private brand and branded manufacture. Full production: †¢ †¢ Supplier buys all the material and is responsible for them. H&M gives design and product specifications to its suppliers. Private brand: †¢ H&M supplier is responsible for quality and H&M retailer may return all faulty goods returned to them by the consumer. Branded manufacturing: †¢ All Design is done by the H&M. †¢ Marketing and Retailing are controlled by H&M. 7. Retail processes H&M has its own retail Outlets. A key ingredient in retailing success is the strength of a company's distribution channels. In some markets H is collaborating with franchise partners, but franchising is not part of the general expansion strategy. 8. Brand retailer H is a brand retailer, becuase of the following factors: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ 9. It has its own product designs. Marke ting Sourcing And Retailing. Product conceptsProduct concept of H is that to offer high fashion and quality products at the best price, quality also means that the products must be manufactured in away that is environmentally and socially sustainable. 10. Marketing strategy H brand’s marketing strategy is Generating ‘Word of Mouth’ through ‘fashion and quality at the best price' and other mediums such as: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Outdoor advertising Direct market H Magazine Fashion blog: http://www. popbee. com/ Video advertisements Print advertisements E-marketing H own website (www. m. com). 3 11. Draw a Supply Chain Model Supply Chain Model Retailer’s Locations Africa(Egypt, Morocco) Asia(China,Japan, Saudi Arab, UAE,South Korea, Singapor, ThaiLand, Oman) North America( Canada, US) South America: Chile Europe( Germany, UK, France, Spain, Italy, Russia, Finland, Turkey, Switzerland, Norway, Greece, Poland) Dis tribution Network Own Distribution Network ‘Swedish’ Sourcing Locations Asia(China, India, Pakistan, Sout Korea, Sri Lanka) Euorpe(Turkey, Italy, Greece, Poland, England) 4

Is ObamaCare Bad for Business? Essay

On March 23rd, 2010, President Barack Obama signed into legislation the â€Å"Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.† Since then, the new bill, nicknamed â€Å"ObamaCare,† has sparked heated controversy all across the country between Democrats and Republicans, each side fiercely tearing at each other with facts and statistics. I was curious as to what all the hoopla was about, so I decided to look into ObamaCare, and find out what I could about the 2,000-page mandate. I decided to discuss ObamaCare with my step mom, who owns a health clinic in Oregon. Getting a small business owner’s point of view on ObamaCare seemed a smart way to get a more objective understanding of how the public was reacting, aside from any political squabble that tends to drown out the issue at hand. While talking with her, she explained how she was forced to shut down her clinic because of ObamaCare. That moment narrowed the focus of my research into one crucial question: Is ObamaCare good or bad for small businesses in America? This is a question that is very complex, as the answer can be a yes, no, or in-between. Democrats support the mandate, while Republicans reject it. Hence the controversy surrounding the bill. To further my understanding, I went online and tried filtering through the immense plethora of information on ObamaCare. My next step would be to get a general understanding of what the bill is, and how it works. From what I could gather, ObamaCare is basically a mandate that requires all Americans to have health insurance by 2015, or else suffer a hefty penalty that will increase with each year. The main focus of the mandate is towards individuals and small businesses whom cannot afford health insurance. According to Karen Pollitz at abcnews.com, ObamaCare is â€Å"a law enacted to ensure that all Americans have access to affordable health insurance. It does this by offering consumers discounts (known as tax credits) on government-sponsored health insurance plans, and by expanding the Medicaid assistance program to include more people who don’t have it in their budgets to pay for health care.† To get back to the question at hand, is ObamaCare good for small businesses? Democrats really seem to believe so. As was said before, Democrats support the mandate, and claim that ObamaCare has helped improve the economy since the law was signed. Not only that, but the mandate has cut healthcare costs. According to obamacarefacts.com, when asked about ObamaCare hurting small businesses, the response was addressed as â€Å"The unbiased truth on ObamaCare and Small Business.† The response stated that ObamaCare helps most small businesses, not hurts them. The response goes on to address how small business owners have had a harder time providing insurance to their employees through history as a result of rising insurance costs. All the while larger businesses remain largely unaffected. The website also states that â€Å"today, almost half of America’s uninsured are small business owners, employees, or their dependents.† Small businesses can also apply for a tax credit to help with insurance costs by using ObamaCare, for up to 35% of costs for 2 years, depending on the circumstances. To restate what was said earlier about what ObamaCare basically is, the mandate includes a certain clause that says that businesses that refuse to offer insurance coverage to employees and individuals who do not have insurance by the end of 2014 will be forced to pay a heavy penalty, about $2-3,000 per uninsured employee. The rates increase each year as well, which should deter large businesses from dropping employees or cutting back everyone’s hours to part-time, to make sure employees get the benefits they deserve. Here comes the messy part: the political backlash of Republicans refuting the so-called â€Å"facts.† Republicans are dead set on their opinion that ObamaCare is bad for small businesses, not good. To begin refuting the Democrats’ claims, the tax credit that small businesses can apply for is not as sweet as the candy looks. Yes, you can apply for the tax credit, but what the Democrats failed to mention is that you have to go through four complicated tests to even qualify. Less than a fourth of small businesses make it past the first three tests trying to get the tax credit. Not to mention that the credit only lasts two years at the most, not very long at  all. This makes the credit practically useless, as it is not even assured you will get the full 35%, but rather you can receive up to 35% of the credit, depending on your circumstances. President Obama had a famous quote from when he was first advertising ObamaCare: â€Å"If you like your current health plan you can keep it. We don’t want you to have to change.† This quote haunts the President amidst reports that 3.5 million Americans who purchase health care plans on their own have now lost their coverage because of ObamaCare. Scott Gottlieb writes, â€Å"Very soon, small businesses will share a similar fate.† They will also see their health plans canceled as a result of ObamaCare. These small businesses will be faced with a bleak choice: find another, more costly policy that’s compliant with ObamaCare, or put their employees in the ObamaCare exchange. While a smaller percentage of business plans may get canceled (relative to the fraction of individual market plans that are now being terminated) the small group market is nonetheless much bigger than the individual market. Even if ObamaCare materially affects a smaller slice of the business plans, it will still encumber far more people than the 3.5 million individuals now losing coverage. Some small businesses used a loophole last year in 2013 so that they could delay the mandate requirements until January 1st, 2015. That means they should be getting their cancellation notices in the mail around November of 2014. News of these cancellations will go directly to the employees, much like the cancellations being sent out now. After researching diligently on ObamaCare, the question I started off with in the beginning is ready to be answered.Yes, there are many bad things about the mandate that affect businesses, such as loss of coverage to employees, penalties that cost businesses their revenue, and people losing their coverage entirely. There are also some good things about the mandate too, like some small businesses will be able to cover their employees with healthcare for the first time. Small businesses can also receeive tax credits and tax breaks to help them survive our economic hardships. But the debate goes on, and every person has their own opinions and bias on the issue, which in turn answers the question for them. For me, I do not like  ObamaCare one bit, as it implies that the needs of the few outweigh the needs of the many in terms of healthcare. But that is a question of personal ethics, not the effects of ObamaCare. Works Cited Gottlieb, Scott. â€Å"Thousands Of Small Businesses Will Also Start Losing Their Current Health Policies Under Obamacare. Here’s Why.† Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 6 Nov. 2013. Web. 12 Mar. 2014. http://www.forbes.com/sites/scottgottlieb/2013/11/06/thousands-of-small-businesses-will-also-start-losing-their-current-health-policies-under-obamacare-heres-why/ â€Å"What Is Obamacare?.† About.com US Economy. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Mar. 2014. http://useconomy.about.com/od/healthcarereform/f/What-Is-Obama-Care.htm â€Å"ObamaCare: 2.5 million more jobs lost, another trillion in deficit spending.† Human Events. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2014. http://www.humanevents.com/2014/02/04/obamacare-2-5-million-more-jobs-lost-another-trillion-in-deficit-spending/ â€Å"ObamaCare Small Business Facts.† ObamaCare Small Business Facts. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Mar. 2014. http://obamacarefacts.com/obamacare-smallbusiness.php Neporent, Liz. â€Å"Obamacare Explained (Like You’r e An Idiot).† ABC News. ABC News Network, 23 Dec. 2013. Web. 17 Mar. 2014. http://abcnews.go.com/Health/obamacare-explained-idiot/story?id=21292932 â€Å"Is Obamacare Financially Burdensome for Businesses? – DEBATED.† Obamacare/ Health Care Laws. N.p., 11 Oct. 2013. Web. 12 Mar. 2014. http://healthcarereform.procon.org/view.answers.php?questionID=001840

Activism and Change for New South Wales Prison in Australia

The proportion of the assaults in overcrowded New South Wales has soared up to 37 percent. Between the 20 th and 21 st centuries, the imprisonment rate in NSW rose by 20 percent. In 2008, the capital expenditure and net recurrent on the Australian’ prisons were noted exceeding over $2.6 billion per year (Butler & Kariminia, 2010, p. 19). The strategies to reduce imprisonment was not being successful. In the same time, the rate of indigenous imprisonment rose by percentage of 41. More than 27,000 people were held in the prison where it could cost the prison $200 daily to keep that particular person in the prison. Back two decades, Territory governments and the states have come up with alternatives in prisoning the criminals. This assisted in curbing the growth of the numbers in the prisons as well as correctional outlays. It is evidenced that these sprouting alternatives are effective in reducing imprisonment which is quite costly. Due to the current developments in Australia, the rate of crime has reduced. The political shift has contributed to escalating rates of imprisonment and introduction of justice in criminal strategy in reliance on crime response (Preen, 2011, p. 66).In the NSW there was the introduction of justice reinvestment. The movement is gaining a lot of traction in Australia. Justice reinvestment is concerned with the advancement of fiscally-sound, the criminal justice and data-driven policies in breaking the recidivism, make the safety of the communities and avert the prison's expenditure (Krieg, 2007, p. 532). The aim of the strategy is to quantify subsequent reinvestments and savings in the high-stakes of the neighborhoods in which majority of the people who are released from the jails and the prisons return. For example; abandoned housing, redeveloping and the better coordinating of services which include; treatment of the mental health, substance abuse, education and job training. In Austr alia, the justice reinvestments strategies have started to gain political traction in the aid of pressure-groups work; for instance, Sydney-based Crime and the Justice Reform Committees (CJRC) which was established by Hal Sperling QC, the retired judge of the Supreme Court in NSW. Eventually, the dominant factors of reducing the rate of property crime appeared to be justice reinvestment, reduction of heroin use, managing the long terms unemployment and the rising of weekly earnings. Due to the rapidly increasing population in the NSW prisons, the stakeholders came up with some ways to reduce this population growth in the prisons. Some of the ways to reduce Aboriginal incarceration rate include; Empowering the communities was one of the best ways of reducing the Aboriginal rates  (Baldwin & Leete, 2012). The empowerment will make the people not to engage in offensive behaviors to meet their needs. Provision of loans to the Aboriginal people made it possible to reduce the crime rates which in turn reduce the populations in the prisons. Aboriginal leadership and Employment are crucial ways for successful reduction of the population in the NSW prisons  (Butler & Kariminia, 2010). There was a strong Aboriginal women group who held a position on the committees who worked as liaison officers. They dealt with the offenders when the police officers were not around.   The youths were trained in horticulture and tourism jobs. These programs assist in reducing the domestic violence rates. When the population of the young offenders was noticed being high in the prisons, the government introduce some passages of their mentoring program and imaginations which include, sport, IT and music. In NSW, the prisoners were given a chance to go for boxing training 3 times weekly  (Krieg, 2007). The trainers were mentoring these young people because they were elder. This changed the attitudes of the offenders and could not engage in crime because they feared being jailed. The Australian state copied Canadian model known as healing lodges. The lodges are set according to the Aboriginal culture where the Aboriginal staff was the majority  (Maplestone, 2006). In the healing lodges, there was a therapeutic treatment which assisted the residents to overcome the driving force to offending. There were also programs for spiritual healing. The spiritual programs assisted the offenders by drawing attention to the Aboriginal ancestors who could bring the connections with the land, culture, and family leading to population reduction in the prisons. To achieve the national agenda reform, the government propose some reforms which will move the mere concept of justice reinvestment leading to the measurable and tangible national reforms agenda. For the government to succeed, it established sites for local implementation (Weatherburn & Corben, 2009, p. 6). The government has set some goals which would help in creating justice in the NSW. Goal 1. Improvement of all the Australian systems of justice in order to deliver justice needs comprehensively of the Torres’ Strait Islander and Aboriginal people in a very equitable and fair manner. Goal 2. Reduction of Torres Straits Islander and Aboriginal offenders, victims, and defenders in the systems of criminal justice. Goal 3. Making sure that the people feel safe in the places of residence. Goal 4.   Safety increment and offending reduction within the indigenous communities through addressing of alcohol and the substance abuse. The NSW correction systems contain two main components. There are about 13,000 inmates on prison side (Hew & Simba, 2013, p. 20). There are around 60 offices on community side and around the estate. The aim was to supervise the offenders in the community serving the court orders from the community services orders to parole. Its main goal is the preservation of the community’s safety through keeping the inmates secure, reducing reoffending and supervision of the community’s offenders.   The corrective Services' need is the provision of education to the inmates, vocational training and coming up with programs of addressing the behavior offending (Kilroy, 2016, p. 8). Corrections system has undergone a significant change because there are government investments over extra programs and dozen current prisons in reducing reoffending and raising standards. There are complex needs for women prisoners. The women's needs are vulnerable and complex in high population prisons. The complex connections between the economic, social, gathered issues and health are brought to greater focus during the process of looking disadvantaged group, for instance, Aboriginal women (Maplestone, 2006, p. 10). Indigenous women are making a high population percentage in the NWS imprisoned women. Some qualitative studies were conducted to learn the needs and experiences of the indigenous women are involved in the criminal justice systems. It was thought that the indigenous women are overrepresented because of the over policing in the Aboriginal community. The sentence lengths were reduced by the license release systems.   There was the conviction of corruption in the imprisonment in the conjunction of the scheme. Due to lack of transparency in the prisons, the National Reform found it challenging in controlling the criminal offenses in the NSW prisons. The Government has set recommendations in advancing the justice issues in the prisons. The government has come up with the establishment of; Rehabilitation centers: It is an essential element of providing safety in the community in delivering an effective response in promoting rehabilitation and reducing reoffending. It has been a key consideration for framing the deliberations of the panel in its reviews of availability of rehabilitation evidence in the current practice. One of the ways to safeguard a community is by imprisoning the offenders. The community as well can be protected by minimizing offensive likelihood after the release. The protective factors when emphasized can help in reducing the population in the prisons. The individual risk involves one avoiding such experiences which trigger in committing a crime. These factors include; peers, family ties, life experiences and the community environment. Risk factors may include; criminal behavior, family breakdown, living conditions and poor health. The government has emphasized more on meeting the basic needs and self-actualization. It was realized that by the government that offending it is not criminal and legal justice problem, offending is also a social problem which has effects and social causes (Vienna, 2014, p. 124). There are some social factors that contribute to the likelihood of criminal behavior. International research has shown that there are strong links between social factors, individual and predisposition in reoffending.   The government has come up with workshops which help in reorganizing one’s behavior and ceasing the injustice ways. Baldwin, J., & Leete, J. (2012). the challenge of an aging prison population. Behind bars, 1, 16-20. Butler, T., & Kariminia, A. (2010). Perspectives and epidemiology. Prison violence, 17, 17-20. Hew, R., & Simba, T. (2013). Barriers to Parole for Aboriginal and Torres Strait. Prisoners' legal service, 10, 1-26. Kilroy, D. (2016). Women in Prison in Australia. Current Issues in Sentencing, 2, 1-12. Krieg, A. S. (2007). health and social impacts. Aboriginal incarceration, 184, 534-536. Maplestone, P. (2006). Ex-Prisoners, Homelessness and the State in Australia. Prison, 39, 1-14. Osborn, M. (2013). New South Wales, Australia. Oral health status of prison inmates, 40, 34-38. Preen, D. B. (2011). estimating the number of deaths among. Counting the cost:, 195, 64-68. Vienna. (2014). Women and Imprisonment. UNITED NATIONS PUBLICATION. Weatherburn, D., & Corben, S. (2009). Crime and Justice, 138, 1-12