Fashion and Zara Store

Colour case This case contains colour exhibits which will be affected by the user’s screen and printer resolution. Therefore, to ensure optimum colour quality multiple copies must be ordered directly from ecch. This colour case cannot be supplied as a permission master in either paper format or as a sealed pdf file. However, please contact ecch to check availability of a black and white version which can be supplied for reproduction. ecch the case for learning ecch UK Registered Office: Cranfield University, Wharley End Beds MK43 0JR, UK t+44 (0)1234 750903 f+44 (0)1234 751125 e [email  protected] om w www. ecch. com ecch USA Registered Office: Babson College, Babson Park Wellesley MA 02457, USA t+1 781 239 5884 f+1 781 239 5885 e [email  protected] com w www. ecch. com Responsive, High Speed, Affordable Fashion This case was prepared by Sophie Linguri under the supervision of Professor Nirmalya Kumar as a basis for classroom discussion rather than to illustrate either eff ective or ineffective handling of a management situation. Copyright  © 2005 London Business School. All rights reserved.No part of this case study may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without written permission of London Business School. London Business School reference CS-05-037 ecch the case for learning Distributed by ecch, UK and USA www. ecch. com All rights reserved Printed in UK and USA North America t +1 781 239 5884 f +1 781 239 5885 e [email  protected] com 305-308-1 LBS-CS-05-037 Rest of the world t +44 (0)1234 750903 f +44 (0)1234 751125 e [email  protected] om – 2 -305-308-1 LBS-CS-05-037 Zara: Responsive, High-Speed, Affordable Fashion In 1975, the first Zara store was opened in La Coruna, in Northwest Spain. By 2005, Zara? ’s 723 stores had a selling area of 811,100 m2 and occupied ? â€Å"privileged locations of major cities? † in 56 countries. With sales of ?â‚ ¬3. 8 billion in financial year 2004, Zara had become Spain? ’s best-known fashion brand and the flagship brand of ? â‚ ¬5. 7 billion holding group Inditex. Inditex? ’s stock market listing in 2001 had turned Amancio Ortega, its founder and a self-made man, into the world? s 23 richest man, with a personal fortune that Forbes magazine estimated at $12. 6 billion. Zara strived to deliver fashion apparel, often knock-offs of famous designers, at reasonable costs to young, fashion-conscious city-dwellers. Zara used in- house designers to present new items of clothing to customers twice a week, in response to sales and fashion trends. Thus the merchandise of any particular store was fresh and limited. To produce at such short notice required that Zara maintain a vertically integrated supply chain that distributed the clothes through a single state-of-the-art distribution centre.Unlike its competitors, 70- 80% of Zara garments wer e manufactured in Europe. In 2005, Pablo Isla was appointed the new Inditex chief executive. With plans to double the number of its stores by 2009, the rapid pace of growth was necessitating changes. First, Zara had opened a second distribution centre to increase capacity. Second, expanding into more distant markets meant that the number of items carried had increased to 12,000. Would Zara? ’s business model be able to scale up? Or would the resulting complexity compromise its speed advantage?Would Pablo Isla be able to maintain the focus that Zara had established? – 3 -305-308-1 LBS-CS-05-037 THE RETAIL APPAREL INDUSTRY AND COMPETITORS The apparel industry was one of the most globalised industries, with 23. 6 million workers in over 20 countries. As labour costs in Western European countries had risen, labour-intensive manufacturing operations had become increasingly outsourced to less developed countries. Hourly wages in the textile industry could be as low as 60 cen ts in India and China, compared with $2 in North Africa, $3 in Eastern Europe, $8. 50 in Spain, and around $15. 0 in Italy. The 1974 Multi-Fibre Arrangement, which placed import quotas on garments and textiles from developing countries to the industrialised world, had expired on 1 January 2005 for all members of the World Trade Organization. This was amplifying the relocation of textile and garment manufacture to countries with lower labour costs, especially China. For example, in 2004, 400 Spanish textile groups went out of business, due to competition from Asia, resulting in the loss of 15,000 jobs. The Spanish textile guild predicted a loss of another 72,000 jobs by 2009. The apparel retail channels had consolidated during the 1990s, with a few large players dominating most major markets. Competitors included department stores, mass merchandisers (e. g. discounters and supermarkets) and specialty stores. Department stores were usually national players, like Marks & Spencer in the United Kingdom or Federated in the USA. Typically, they had lost market share in recent years. Mass merchandisers such as Target, Tesco and Wal-Mart had increasingly added private label clothes to their mix over the years to become major players.There were many successful specialty chains like Benetton, C&A, Hennes & Mauritz (referred to as H&M), The Limited, Mango and Next. The traditional apparel industry model worked on long lead times (see Exhibit 1). The industry average was around nine months, around six months for design and three months for manufacturing. As a result, 45-60% of production was committed in the six-month pre-season period, with 80-100% committed by the start of the season. Only the remaining 0-20% was generally manufactured in-season in response to sales patterns.Excess inventory was marked down at the end of the season, and typically accounted for 30-40% of sales. Despite their best efforts, Zara? ’s closest competitors, H&M and Gap, still took around five months to produce new clothing lines. H&M Swedish clothing chain H&M was founded in 1947. By 2005, it had close to 32,000 employees, just under 1,100 stores in 20 countries. In 2005, it planned to open 155 new stores in Europe and the US. Its 2004 sales were ? â‚ ¬6 billion, which yielded a profit of 1. 24 billion. With close to 30% of its sales, Germany was H&M? s largest market, while the US generated only Iman for H&M Germany – 4 -305-308-1 LBS-CS-05-037 6. 4% of its 2004 sales. It manufactured 60% of its clothes in Asia. H&M? ’s business concept was to offer fashion and quality at the best price. In order to offer the latest fashion, H&M had its own buying and design department. It claimed to achieve the best price by: Few middlemen Buying in large volumes Having a broad, in-depth knowledge of design, fashion, and textiles Buying the right products from the right market Being cost conscious at every stage Having efficient distribution H&M? ’s c lothing lines in men? ’s wear, women? ’s wear and children? ’s wear, as well as its cosmetics range, targeted cost-conscious shoppers. Within H&M women? ’s wear were different sub-brands: Hennes (women aged 25-35), L. O. G. G. (casual sportswear), Impuls (young women? ’s trends), BiB (plus-size line), Woman (classic), Clothes (current trends), MAMA (maternity) and Rocky (youth fashion). There were also different sub-brands within the men? ’s and children? ’s lines.H&M stores generally had a somewhat chaotic, marketplace feel, with clothes packed tightly onto racks, frequent markdowns, and queues at the cash register. H&M devoted 5% of its revenues to advertising. Its high-profile ad campaigns featured celebrities, such as Claudia Schiffer, Johnny Depp, Naomi Campbell and Jerry Hall, wearing its low-cost clothes. Dedicated collections by star designers Karl Lagerfeld and Stella McCartney in 2004-5 continued to create buzz among its cus tomers. The Gap Gap opened its first store in San Francisco in 1969, where it sold mainly Levis jeans.In 1991, Gap announced its decision to sell only private label brands. With around 3,000 stores and 152,000 employees worldwide, Gap positioned itself as a provider of high quality, basic items, such as jeans, khakis and t-shirts. In addition to Old Navy and Banana Republic, Gap? ’s chains included GapBody, GapKids, and babyGap. Its 2004 sales were around ? â‚ ¬12. 5 billion, with a profit of $1. 4 billion. Nearly all of Gap? ’s products were manufactured outside the US, with 18% of its collection made in China. Gap? ’s stores were spacious, with stock well spaced Madonna for Gap and neatly presented.There was an emphasis on service, with a call button in fitting rooms for customers requiring assistance with clothing sizes. Television advertisements featured hip music and dance sequences, with appearances by celebrities such as Madonna, Lenny Kravitz, Sarah J essica Parker and Joss Stone. – 5 -305-308-1 LBS-CS-05-037 INDITEX HISTORY Spanish entrepreneur Amancio Ortega Gaona started a firm manufacturing lingerie and nightwear in 1963, after quitting his job as a runner for a shirtmaker in La Coruna. He founded Confecciones GOA in 1972, and opened the first Zara store in 1975, to sell stock after a customer cancelled a large order.Ortega founded the Inditex group in 1985. After floating 26% of its shares on the Madrid stock exchange in 2001, he remained its majority shareholder, with 61% of the company? ’s shares. Ortega retained a low profile, rarely making public appearances (apart from during the run-up to the IPO in 2000), and had never given an interview. Jose Maria Castellano Rios joined Inditex in 1985 and became its Chief Executive in 1997. Castellano had previously been IT manager of Aegon Espana SA, and had a doctorate in economics and business studies. In 2005, Inditex developed a five-year plan, which included a b oard restructure.As part of the restructure, Pablo Isla Alvarez de Tejera was appointed as Chief Executive in May 2005. Isla came from the Franco-Spanish tobacco group Altadis, where he had been co-chairman. Isla was chosen for his experience in international distribution. Ortega stayed on as the group? ’s Chairman, and Castellano remained the Deputy Chairman. Portfolio of Stores Besides Zara, which was targeted at trendy city youngsters, Inditex grew its portfolio of apparel chains throughout the 1990s. Each chain was targeted at a specific segment (see Exhibit 2): Massimo Dutti ? – Young businessmen Pull & Bear – Elegant male clothing Berksha ? – Elegant fashion for young women Brettos ? – Trendy young suburban women Oysho ? – Lingerie Stradivarius ? – Youthful fashion Kiddy? ’s Class ? – Trendy children In 2003, Inditex opened a home furnishings chain called Zara Home. By 2005, Zara made up close to 70% of Indit ex sales and led the group? ’s international expansion (see Exhibit 3). While, as a group, Inditex had about twice the number of stores as H&M, Zara? ’s 700 stores were fewer in number than H&M? ’s. Inditex was aggressively expanding, and planned to increase its 2,000 stores to 4,000 by 2009, in Europe, Asia, and the U.S. (see Exhibit 4). In terms of profits, Inditex was performing well compared with its main competitor, H&M (see Exhibit 5 and Exhibit 6). Aamancio Ortega Gaona Inditex Chairman – 6 – 305-308-1 LBS-CS-05-037 THE ZARA STORE 91% of Zara stores were company-owned; the rest were franchises or joint ventures. Customers entering a Zara store on Regent Street in London, Rue Rivoli in Paris, Fifth Avenue in New York or Avenidas das Americas in Rio de Janeiro generally found themselves in the same environment: a predominantly white, modern and spacious store, well-lit and walled with mirror.The latest fashions hung from the store racks around them. A long line of people typically waited at the cash registers to pay for their purchases: a few select items. Shop Window of Zara, New York In comparison with other clothing retailers, who spent 3-4% of sales on advertising, Zara spent just 0. 3%. The little it did spend went to reinforce its identity as a clothing retailer that was low-cost but high fashion (see Exhibit 7). Instead Zara concentrated on creating compelling store windows and to the design of its shops, which had won awards.It relied on its shop windows, which were dramatically lit and used neutral backgrounds, to communicate its brand image. The shop windows of Zara stores were changed regularly, according to display designs sent by headquarters, and were critical for Zara to remain visible and entice customers. Store locations were carefully researched to determine that there was a sufficiently large customer base for Zara2, and as such were generally busy, prestigious, city centre shopping streets. Zara was a fashion imitator.It focussed its attention on understanding what fashion items its customers wanted and then delivering them, rather than on promoting predicted season? ’s trends via fashion shows and similar channels of influence, that the fashion industry traditionally used. Its 200 in-house designers were trend-spotters who kept their finger on the fashion pulse, and translated trends into styles that were universally accessible. At Zara headquarters in La Coruna, store specialists (who were responsible for a number of stores in a region) worked closely with designers to develop styles that would work for different arkets. Collections were renewed every year, with an average of 11,000 styles produced annually, compared with the more typical collections of 2,000-4,000 produced annually by rivals H&M and Gap. Production and distribution of new clothing pieces was favoured over replenishing existing items, contributing to the perception of scarcity cultivated in Zara stores. Customers returned frequently to stores, to browse new items. The global average of 17 visits per customer per year for Zara was considerably higher than the three visits to its competitors. Visitors were also more likely to purchase, as one senior executive explained: Zara? ’s objective is not that consumers buy a lot but that they buy often and will find something new every time they enter the store. 4 – 7 -305-308-1 LBS-CS-05-037 Comments by Luis Blanc, and Inditex director, illustrated how Zara stores fostered an environment of immediacy: We want our customers to understand that if they like something, they must buy it now, because it won? ’t be in the shops the following week. It is all about creating a climate of scarcity and opportunity. Affordable prices helped to encourage purchases, and Zara? ’s offering was often referred to as clothing to be worn six to ten times. Zara? ’s pricing differed across country markets. It set prices accordin g to individual market conditions, rather than using cost plus margin as its basis (which was the formula used by most of its competitors). In Spain, Zara products were low-cost, while in the US, Japan and Mexico, they were priced as a luxury fashion item. Prices in France were somewhat higher than in Spain, since the average French consumer was willing to pay more for fashion than most other European consumers.For example, in 2003, the price of jeans in Zara stores in France was $34. 58 compared with $24. 87 in Spain and $54 in Japan. 6 Until 2002, Zara had used one price tag listing the price in different currencies, to simplify tagging of items. In 2002, however, it implemented a system of local pricing, using a bar code reader that printed the correct local price for items. Compared with its competitors, Zara generally priced its products somewhat higher than C&A and H&M, but below Gap, Next and Kookai. For example, a similar shirt cost $26 at Zara, compared with a price of $29 at Gap and $9 at H&M. Store Management Store managers were encouraged to run their store like a small business. Salespeople were well trained, and Zara promoted its people from within as much as possible. Store managers? ’ remuneration was partially dependent on the accuracy of their sales forecasts and sales growth. 8 Each evening a handheld PDA displayed the newest designs sent by headquarters, which were available for order. Order deadlines were twice weekly, and were issued via the handhelds. Store managers who failed to order by the deadline received replenishment items only.Store managers regularly spoke with store specialists, who also received real time sales data from stores, to discuss which items were selling well or if customers had requested Zara Store, Barcelona specific items. This information was then fed back to the design process. 9 Deliveries arrived at stores twice per week from Zara headquarters, a few days after the order was made, and contained both rep lenishment items as well as – 8 -305-308-1 LBS-CS-05-037 new products. Headquarters also sometimes included products that had not been ordered, which stores expected to receive.If demand of an item exceeded supply, some stores did not receive the product they had ordered. Zara also tested some of its products in limited numbers in its test stores, before introducing them on a wider scale. Failure rates of Zara? ’s new products were reported to be just 1%, considerably lower than the industry average of 10%. 10 Technology was a key part of enabling communications and information flow. While information technology was fundamental to its business, its IT infrastructure was relatively simple (even dated by some standards), which meant that Zara? s IT expenditure was significantly lower than its rivals (as much as five to ten times lower). 11 Deputy Chairman Jose Maria Castellano explained the key role played by technology: Technology in this company is important and will b e more important in the future. The technology we use is mainly information technology and [enables] the communication between the shop managers and the design team here in headquarters. 12 THE ZARA SUPPLY CHAIN Around 50% of Zara? ’s garments were sourced from third parties. Unlike its competitors, Zara? s outsourced production came for the most part from Europe (60%), with just 27% coming from Asia, and another 10% from the rest of the world. The products sourced from Asia were basic collection items or wardrobe ? â€Å"staples,? † with minimum fashion content, such as T-shirts, lingerie and woollens, and where there was a clear cost advantage. Formal contracts were kept to a minimum, and Zara was generally a preferred customer due to its order volume and stability. 13 Externally manufactured items were shipped to Zara? ’s distribution centre. Zara intended to source more of the collection from Asia in the future, as commented by Castellano: ? In the next few years, we will source more basic items from China and Vietnam, but the high value added fashion items will continue to be made closer to home.? †14 The other 50% of Zara? ’s garments, those that were more fashion-dependent, were manufactured in-house, in more than 20 Zara factories located in nearby Arteixo. 15 For its in-house manufacturing, it purchased fabric from Comditel, a subsidiary of Inditex. Half of this fabric was purchased grey (undyed) to enable Zara to respond to changes in colour trends during the season. Dye was purchased from Fibracolor, in which Inditex held a stake.A team of 200 young, talented yet unknown designers were hired (often recent graduates of top design schools) to create designs, based on the latest fashions from the catwalk and other fashion hotspots, which were easily translatable to the mass market. 16 Working alongside the market specialists and production planners, designers for each of Zara? ’s collections (Woman, Man, Child) kept in-touch with market developments, to create around 40,000 new designs per year, of which around one-quarter were manufactured. 17 The design and – 9 -305-308-1 LBS-CS-05-037 production working environment was consistent with Zara? s flat hierarchical structure, in which prima donnas were not tolerated. 18 Illustration: Fast Fashion Computers were used to guide the cutting tools, using patterns made from selected designs. Zara tried to keep its offering of any style simple, usually in three sizes and three colours only. The labour intensive sewing of the garments was outsourced to around 500 local subcontractors, who used seamstresses in cooperatives. Zara was usually their sole client, and they worked without any written contracts. Zara paid these subcontrators a flat fee per type of garment, (e. g. , ? 5 for a pair of trousers and ? â‚ ¬15 per jacket) and they were expected to operate on short lead times and fast turnaround. Subcontractors picked up the prepared fab ric pieces from Zara, and returned them to the 500,000 m2 distribution centre. 19 At the Zara distribution centre, optical reading devices were used to sort and distribute over 60,000 items per hour. The garments were then picked up and transported by truck to different destinations all over Europe (which made up about 75% of deliveries). Products for more distant destinations were transported by air (about 25%).Throughout the process, garments were tracked using bar codes. Shipments tended to have almost zero flaws, with 98. 9% accuracy and under 0. 5% shrinkage. 20 Since Zara? ’s garments were produced in-house, it was able to make a new line from start to finish in just three weeks (see Exhibit 8). This varied somewhat depending on the type of garment: new garments took about five weeks from design to store delivery, while revamped existing items could take as little as two weeks. As a result Zara could be responsive to fashion items that were selling well during the seaso n, and to discontinue those that were not.By constantly refreshing the collection, and manufacturing items in high-intensity, Zara was a master of picking up up-to-the- minute trends and churning them out to stores around the world in a matter of weeks. ?†¢After Madonna? ’s first concert date in Spain during a recent tour, her outfit was copied by Zara designers. By the time she performed her last concert in Spain, some members of the audience were wearing the same outfit. ?†¢In 2003, when the Crown Prince of Spain announced his engagement to Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano, she wore a white trouser-suit for the occasion (pictured left).In just a few weeks, the same white trouser-suit was hanging from Zara? ’s clothes racks all over Europe, where it was snatched up by the ranks Crown Prince Felipe of Spain and Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano of the fashion-conscious. – 10 -305-308-1 LBS-CS-05-037 short-runs, Zara was able to prevent the accumulation of non-saleable inventories. It was estimated that Zara committed just 15-25% of production before the season began, 50 to 60% at the start of the season, and the remainder manufactured in-season. Percentage of Zara sales consisting of markdowns was 15-20%. In some cases, stores ran out of stock.However, this was not viewed as a negative since it contributed to customers? ’ perception of the uniqueness of their purchase: ? â€Å"Customers are actually satisfied to see items out of stock as they are then confident that there is little chance that many other customers will wear the same dress.? †21 Castellano explained the rationale for this departure from industry norms: We don? ’t want to compete in the bottom end of the market. We offer fashion with a high design content. If I tried to source my collections in Asia, I would not be able to get them quickly enough to our stores.By manufacturing close to home, I can scrap collections when they are not selling. And without this ra pid response, I would not be able to extract a good relation between quality, price and fashion which is what our customers have come to expect. 22 A study in 2000 estimated that Zara managed to generate 14. 7% operating margins as a percentage of sales, compared with 10. 6% for Gap and 12. 3% for H&M. Additionally, the same study put Zara? ’s inventory turnover at 10. 67 outpacing Gap at 7. 18 and H&M at 6. 84. 23 THE FUTURE Following Zara? ’s success, competitors sought to reduce their own lead times.The competitive advantage achieved by Zara? ’s vertical integration appeared to be eroding. With its highly centralised structure and its rapid growth, Zara was producing around 12,000 different items per year by 2005. As it opened stores in increasingly distant markets, would Zara be able to retain its flexibility in adjusting production to accommodate differences in local trends? Would the increase in complexity result in a need to create regional production fac ilities? How would this affect the advantage Zara gained from its centralization?Might Chinese clothing manufacturers prove to be a competitive threat to Zara, with their high capacity and continuous improvements in quality? Castellano discounted this threat: ? â€Å"Being a Zara or Gap is not just about designing fashionable clothes and manufacturing them cheaply. You must also make the transition to being a retailer. It is a big step from manufacturing to distribution. There is also the question of managing the location and presentation of stores, training staff and so on.? †24 The Zara model seemed to work better in markets where customers had an appetite for fashion (such as France, Italy, Japan and the UK).However, in countries such as France and Italy, Zara had received bad press for copying – 11 -305-308-1 LBS-CS-05-037 designs from couture labels, and the French Fashion Federation had called for limited access by reporters to fashion shows to minimize imitation by copycatters. In other markets, where consumers were less fashion-focussed (e. g. Germany and the U. S. A. ) Zara seemed somewhat less successful. Would Zara be better served in the long run by increasing penetration in these fashion- sensitive markets, or by extending its global reach through increased presence in more markets? – 12 -305-308-1 LBS-CS-05-037Exhibit 1: Traditional Season for a High Street Store Adapted from Dutta, 200425 – 13 – 305-308-1 LBS-CS-05-037 Exhibit 2: Inditex Stores and Sales Sales, by Division (2004-5) Zara Home Kiddy? ’s Class Pull & Bear 6. 7% Massimo Dutti 8. 5% Bershka 9. 1% Zara 67. 4% Stradivarius 4. 3% 1. 3% Oysho Source: Handelsbank, 2005 Source: Financial Times, 2005 Percentage of Stores (2005) 0. 7% 2. 1% Zara Home Kiddy? ’s Class 3% Oysho 5% Stradivarius 10% Pull & Bear 16% 6% Zara 31% Dutti 15% Bershka 14% – 14 – 305-308-1 LBS-CS-05-037 Exhibit 3: Number of Zara Stores by Country (31 March 20 05) Russia Slovenia2 2Hungary Czech Rep.Lithuania1 Asia Pacific = 21 Japan14 Malaysia3 Europe = 576 3 Sweden Denmark Finland Iceland 2 2 1 1 4Romania 3Estonia 1Latvia1 Singapore Hong Kong Mexico Venezuela Brazil Argentina Chile Uruguay El Salvador Panama Dominican Rep. 1 Spain244 Portugal41 France83 Greece30 UK34 Belgium17 Germany34 Italy23 Eire4 Turkey11 Cyprus3 Holland6 Switzerland 6 Poland7 Austria6 Malta1 Andorra1 Luxembourg 2 3USA16 1Canada12 Americas = 98 Middle East & Africa = 40 Saudi Arabia Israel UAE Kuwait Lebanon Jordan Qatar Bahrain Morocco 13 13 4 4 2 1 1 1 1 34 8 13 5 5 2 1 1Adapted from Inditex, 2005 Exhibit 4: Inditex Store Formats ZaraKiddy? sPull & Bear Class – 15 -305-308-1 LBS-CS-05-037 MassimoBershkaStradivariusOyshoZara Home Dutti 2004 2003 2004 2003 2004 2003 2004 2003 2004 2003 2004 2003 2004 2003 2004 2003 No of stores723626 Turnover* 3,820 3,220 129103371350 121 90 379 288 22 18. 0 56 19 12. 8 13. 4 30. 5 31 2. 11. 96. 76. 3 61% 80% 44% 16% 32729730 2 481 389 516 75 60 83 41. 9 40. 9 35. 7 8. 58. 59. 1 50% 56% 52% 253227191104 395 242 162 72 57 394 16 33. 8 15. 4 16. 6 31. 5 8. 64. 33. 51. 3 46% 43%5% 52% 766226 45 40 11 2 0. 3 (0. 5) 35. 1 12. 7 8. 5 10. 70. 2 7%2%– Operating Income* % international sales 648 476 65. 8 63. 5 67. 470 % of Inditex ROCE 38% 33% in millions of Euros, rounded off. Source: Inditex press dossier, 2005 – 16 -305-308-1 LBS-CS-05-037 Exhibit 5: Key Indicators of Gap, H&M and Inditex (Financial Years 2003 & 2004) GapiH&MInditex 29 29 30 30 31 31 Reporting Date Sales (millions ? â‚ ¬) Gross Profit (millions ? â‚ ¬) Operating Profit (millions ? â‚ ¬) Profit (millions ? â‚ ¬) Profit after tax (millions ? â‚ ¬) Total Assets (millions ? â‚ ¬) Inventories (millions ? â‚ ¬) January 2005ii January 2004iii November 2004iv November 2003v JanuaryJanuary 20052004 12,47012,6966,0295,3305,6704,599 4,8924,7803,4492,9943,0342,306 1,5981,5221,1981,019925627 1,4351,3491,2361,062886613 88 2826817706628446 ,7038,5793,1592,8474,2093,510 1,3901,365577558514486 Stores Employees 152,000150,00031,70128,40947,04639,760 Countries 56 20185648 2,9943,0221,0689452,2441,922 Total square3,3993,3931,364vin/a metres (thousands) 1,175988 Source: Inditex, H&M and Gap, 2005 i Gap Inc? ’s stores include Gap, Old Navy and Banana Republic. Gap? ’s sales were ? â‚ ¬5. 6 million, with 1643 stores, and 1. 43 million square metres. ii Exchange Rate of 29 January 2005 is used for all currency calculations: 0. 76660 USD = 1? â‚ ¬ iii Exchange Rate of 29 January 2004 is used for all currency calculations 0. 80080 USD = ? 1 iv Exchange Rate of 30 November 2004 is used for all currency calculations 0. 11230 SEK = 1? â‚ ¬ v Exchange Rate of 30 November 2003 is used for all currency calculations 0. 11050 SEK = 1? â‚ ¬ vi Estimated (Adapted from Datamonitor, 2005). Exhibit 6: Iniditex vs. H&M (1998-2004) Sales, Inditex vs H&M (Millions, ? â‚ ¬) – 17 – Indit ex H&M 305-308-1 LBS-CS-05-037 Number of Stores, Inditex vs H&M (1999-2004) 7,000 6,000 5,000 4,000 3,000 2,000 1,000 0 2500 2000 1500 1000 500 0 22244 66029 5670 1922 55,058 5330 1558 11284 682771 99451068 IInditex H&M 44599 1080 613 44,196 3,980 3,250 922 8844 33,255 1,614 2,035 3,508 2,615 ,631 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 NNumber of Countries, Inditex vs H&M (1999-2004) 60 50 40 30 20 10 556 11998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 44 14 448 330 12 339 33 1414 118 220 IInditex H&M 0 0 11999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 AAdapted from Inditex and H&M, 2005 – 18 -305-308-1 LBS-CS-05-037 Exhibit 7: A Zara advertisement The Cheap Frock coat (119) White shirt (25) ZARA Black necktie (65) HACKETT Woollen Trousers (45) and Black boots (55), both ZARA The Expensive Black cashmere frock coat (950) White tuxedo shirt (190) Black necktie (86) and Woollen Trousers (380) both RALPH LAUREN Black boots (500) are by UNGARO 19 -305-308-1 LBS-CS-05-037 Exhibit 8: Zara Season Adapted from Dutta, 200 4 Endnotes – 20 -305-308-1 LBS-CS-05-037 1 Crawford, L. (2005) ? â€Å"Inditex sizes up Europe in expansion drive,? † Financial Times, 1 February 2005, p. 30. 2 Ferdows, K. J. , A. D. Machuca and M. Lewis (2003) ? â€Å"Zara,? † CIBER Case Collection, Indiana University. 3 D? ’Andrea, G. and D. Arnold (2003) ? â€Å"Zara,? † Harvard Business School Case 9-503-050, p. 7. 4 ? â€Å"Zara, la deferlante de la mode espagnole,? † Interview with Stephane Labelle, MD of Zara France, Enjeux-Les Echos, February 1996. 5 Crawford, L. (2000) ? Inside Track: Putting on the style with rapid response,? † Financial Times, 26 February 2000. 6 D? ’Andrea, G. and D. Arnold (2003) ? â€Å"Zara,? † Harvard Business School Case 9-503-050, p. 19. 7 D? ’Andrea, G. and D. Arnold (2003) ? â€Å"Zara,? † Harvard Business School Case 9-503-050, p. 18 8 Ferdows, K. J. , K. M. Lewis and J. A. D. Machuca (2003) ? â€Å"Zara,? † Supp ly Chain Forum 4(2): 62. 9 Ferdows, K. J. , A. D. Machuca and M. Lewis (2003) ? â€Å"Zara,? † CIBER Case Collection, Indiana University, p. 6. 10 Ghemawat, P. and J. L. Nueno (2003) ? â€Å"Zara: Fast Fashion,? † Harvard Business School Case 9-703-497, p. 10. 11 ? The Future of Fast Fashion,? † The Economist, 18 June 2005, p. 63. 12 ? â€Å"Zara: A Retailer? ’s Dream,? † from http://www. fashionunited. co. uk/news/archive/inditex1. htm 13 Ferdows, K. J. , A. D. Machuca and M. Lewis (2003) ? â€Å"Zara,? † CIBER Case Collection, Indiana University, p. 7. 14 Crawford, L. (2005) ? â€Å"Inditex sizes up Europe in expansion drive,? † Financial Times, 1 February 2005, p. 30. 15 Fraiman, N. , M. Singh, L. Arrington and C. Paris (2002) ? â€Å"Zara,? † Columbia Business School Case, p. 5. 16 Ghemawat, P. and J. L. Nueno (2003) ? â€Å"Zara: Fast Fashion,? † Harvard Business School Case 9-703-497, p. 0. 17 Fraiman, N. , M. Singh , L. Arrington and C. Paris (2002) ? â€Å"Zara,? † Columbia Business School Case, p. 5. 18 Ferdows, K. J. , A. D. Machuca and M. Lewis (2003) ? â€Å"Zara,? † CIBER Case Collection, Indiana University, p. 6. 19 Fraiman, N. , M. Singh, L. Arrington and C. Paris (2002) ? â€Å"Zara,? † Columbia Business School Case, p. 6. 20 Ferdows, K. J. , A. D. Machuca and M. Lewis (2003) ? â€Å"Zara,? † CIBER Case Collection, Indiana University, p. 8. 21 Interview with Anthony Pralle, Senior Vice President of Boston Consulting Group, Madrid, 13 July 1999, as quoted in Harle, N. , M. Pich and L.Van der Heyden (2002) ? â€Å"Marks & Spencer and Zara: Process Competition in the Textile Apparel Industry,? † INSEAD Case 602- 010-1. 22 Crawford, L. ?â€Å"Inditex sizes up Europe in expansion drive: Rapid design, manufacture and distribution keep pressure on rivals,? † Financial Times, 1 February 2005. 23 D? ’Andrea, G. and D. Arnold (2003) ? â€Å"Zara ,? † Harvard Business School Case 9-503-050. 24 Crawford, L. (2005) ? â€Å"Inditex sizes up Europe in expansion drive,? † Financial Times, 1 February 2005, p. 30. 25 Dutta, D. (2004) ? â€Å"Brand Watch: Zara,? † Images Fashion Forum Presentation, New Delhi, 12 February 2004.

Assessment Unit 002 Understanding Inclusive Learning and Teaching in Lifelong Learning

6302 Level 3 Award in Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector Unit 002 Understanding Inclusive Learning and Teaching in Lifelong Learning Name: Date: Word Count: 1. 1 Summarise learning and teaching strategies used in own specialism As a First Aid Instructor, I deliver a variety of courses lasting between one to three days in duration. I try and vary my teaching styles depending on the subject and also on the learning styles of the students. Achieving the correct balance is quite a challenge. I address all these different learning styles I use a range of teaching methods.At the start of a training session I use an ice-breaker to let the students introduce themselves and it also gives me a chance to guage the depth of their knowledge. I then give my aim of the session and explain my objectives. Within the session itself I will use power point, incorporating photos and videos. I will then do a practical presentation, initially with no explanation then I will repeat the demon stration with explanation. Finally I will ask the student to demonstrate the skill, providing the commentary. The teaching technique is known as EDIP, explanation, demonstration, imitation, practise.I like to have a flip chart and will use it to expand on any subject should I be required to. They way in which we learn is partly dependent on the type of learning that is involved. There are three types of domains of learning. They are Cognitive, Affective and Psychomotor. Cognitive learners require the ‘thought process’ style i. e. knowing the ‘how’ and ‘why’. These candidates will love learning facts, figures, the understanding processes and problem solving. For example, what makes the heart beat, the different rhythms of the heart and what happens if the heart has an irregular beat†¦.A student with Affective learning involves the use and demonstration of emotions, feelings or attitudes towards other people. These candidates will be the typ e of people who understands the need for patient consent or the need for early defibrillation. A student with Psychomotor type of learning will have the manual and physical skills and will like to have a hands-on approach. They will enjoy the chance to practise CPR on a manikin and relish the thought of tying someone up in bandages. These three styles of learning were brought about by a man called Benjamin S Bloom (1913-1999).Bloom's (and his colleagues') initial attention was focused on the ‘Cognitive Domain', which was the first published part of Bloom's Taxonomy, featured in the publication: ‘Taxonomy Of Educational Objectives: Handbook 1, The Cognitive Domain' (Bloom, Engelhart, Furst, Hill, Krathwohl, 1956). The ‘Taxonomy of Educational Objectives: Handbook II, The Affective Domain' (Bloom, Masia, Krathwohl) as the title implies, deals with the detail of the second domain, the ‘Affective Domain', and was published in 1964.Various people suggested detail for the third ‘Psychomotor Domain', which explains why this domain detail varies in different representations of the complete Bloom Taxonomy. The three most popularly referenced versions of the Psychomotor Domain seem to be those of RH Dave (1967/70), EJ Simpson (1966/72), and AJ Harrow (1972). From these domains we have four types of learners – active, reflective, theorists and experimental. Active learners like to learn something by doing it immediately. They can get impatient and often won’t bother to read the instructions or manual, they like to find out for themselves.Reflective learners are those who prefer to ‘wait and see’. They sit back, watch others, and think about it before acting. They like to take their time. Theorists like to know what things really mean or how does it fit with something. They are logical and objective. They will always think things through and can be perfectionists. Experimental learners like to experiment. They are i nspired by training courses and want to test out their new found skills. They try and find more effective ways of doing things. They may take short cuts or devise their own methods of working. They like problem solving and pick things up quickly.They can get frustrated if not able to try something for themselves quickly. To address all these different learning styles I use a range of teaching methods. At the start of a training session I use an ice-breaker to let the students introduce themselves and it also gives me a chance to guage the depth of their knowledge. I then give my aim of the session and explain my objectives. Within the session itself I will use power point, incorporating photos and videos. I will then do a practical presentation, initially with no explanation then I will repeat the demonstration with explanation.Finally I will ask the student to demonstrate the skill, providing the commentary. The teaching technique is known as EDIP, explanation, demonstration, imita tion, practise. I like to have a flip chart and will use it to expand on any subject should I be required to. 1. 2 Explain how approaches to learning and teaching in own specialism meet the needs of learners They way in which we learn is partly dependent on the type of learning that is involved. There are three types of domains of learning. They are Cognitive, Affective and Psychomotor. For detailed explanation please refer to question 1. To ensure that I have met the needs of the learner I continually observe and assess the students. I will have questions and answer sessions at regular intervals and also like to use quizzes to include a fun element. These may be done on an individual or team basis. It will promote a sense of competition and hopefully motivate the student to learn. In a team situation it is excellent for team building and also encourages the group to share ideas and listen to each other. The practical sessions will particularly appeal to the Activist learners as the y like to get involved and hands on.It will allow the student to practise their skills in a controlled environment. I ask students if they are willing to share any experiences, maybe first aid situations where they have been actively involved. This gives the students a chance to share real life stories and explain how the theory compares with real life scenarios. This would appeal to the Theorist learners. 1. 3 Describe aspects of inclusive learning If several teaching techniques are incorporated then the needs of the majority of students will be catered for. If a student has a particular disability then special provisions may need to be made for them.Should a student be dyslexic then several adjustments can be made to accommodate their learning needs. Any printed text would be printed on pastel shades of yellow paper and larger font could be used. It would be beneficial to sit the student in as much natural light as possible as fluorescent lighting can prove difficult for them. I w ould use more pictures than text to enhance their learning experience,. A partially sighted student could be given a seat that affords the best view of the trainer and training aids. If necessary consider the possibility of video recording devices.Learners with hearing disabilities – l would make sure they are seated as near to the front as possible. I would also include as many visual aids as possible to assist their learning. I would also give handouts of all topics covered to ensure nothing had been missed. If a learner had a physical disability I would need to consider access and also make room for a wheelchair in the classroom. I would need to be prepared to take any training aids that the student required directly to them. 2. 1 Explain how to select inclusive learning and teaching techniquesDyslexia – Lots of visual pictures and discussion. Lots of practical sessions to learn the different techniques,. Partially sighted learner – Lots of oral instruction a nd discussions. Question and answers sessions as opposed to written work. Physical disability – Train them the theory and techniques of first aid so that they are able to instruct someone else what to do in the case of a medical emergency. Hearing disabilities – More visual aids and practical demonstrations. Handouts to reinforce knowledge. 2. 2 Explain how to select resources that meet the needs of learnersIt is my responsibility to select the range of equipment that is required on the course. Depending on the needs of the students I will select the resources required to get the desired learning levels. For example, in the case of a dyslexic learner I may need pastel coloured paper for handouts. My power point presentation may need to be adjusted to include more pictures and videos. 2. 3 Explain how to create assessment opportunities that meet the needs of learners There are two ways to gain assessments and make sure learning has occurred.These are Formative and Summa tive assessments. I would gain an Initial Assessment at the start of the course to assess the level of knowledge and understanding of the student. This could be done by asking the student to introduce themselves, including these details. Formative Assessment is part of the instructional process. If the knowledge base isn’t at the required level for that stage of the course then I would have to go back over the session to reinforce the learning. Maybe it would require a change of teaching skills to accommodate the learning style of the student.It is important to carry out a formative assessment at an early stage and to repeat it during the middle of the session to ensure than any adjustments to the teaching can take place effectively. Summative Assessment is used at the end of a session in order to confirm that the desired levels of learning have been reached. I would summarise the learning points then assess the levels of knowledge using a variety of methods. The results of t his final assessment must be given and doubts cleared immediately to motivate the student to progress further.In order to make these assessments I have a range of methods that I can use. I may use question and answer sessions, these are particularly useful to dyslexic learners. I may decide to hand out work sheets to be completed or ask the learners to participate in a quiz. During the period of instruction I would be making observational assessments. Any official assessment would need to be recorded. 2. 4 Explain how to provide opportunities for learners to practice their literacy, language, numeracy and ICT skills Literacy – there are many ways in which a learner can practice their literacy skills.At the start of a course there are documents which need to be completed, for example, personal details and qualifications held. During the course work sheets may need to be filled in and the learners can also practice filling in accident report forms. Numeracy – In the CPR practical sessions, learner will have the opportunity to count up to 30 whilst performing compressions on the manikin. These must be done at a ratio of 30:2 with rescue breaths. Language – The learners will have plenty of opportunity to practise their language skills. This may be through group discussion, role play or asking questions.First aiders need good communication skills when dealing with patients as they can be very distressed and frightened. ICT – learners will have the opportunity to practice their ICT skills by using an Automated External Defibrillator and looking at an epi-pen. To embed the skill the learner will be given plenty of opportunities during the course to practice. It will be my responsibility to ensure that the learner can confidently perform the tasks that are asked of them. 3. 1 Explain ways to engage and motivate learners in an inclusive learning environmentIt is important to know the motive for the learner’s attendance on the course. They might be attending because they have to or they might be really interested in first Aid and want to develop their knowledge base. Whatever their reason it is wise to point out the advantages of attending the course and how it can help them, their friends and other members of their family should an emergency situation arise. Ice breakers are useful tools to initially engage the learners and to put them at ease. It can also help them feel more part of the group. I could also use ‘David Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory’ (ELT) see diagram at back.Kolb's model therefore works on two levels – a four-stage cycle: 1. Concrete Experience – (CE) – Having an experience 2. Reflective Observation – (RO) – Reviewing the experience 3. Abstract Conceptualization – (AC) – Conclusion from the experience 4. Active Experimentation – (AE) – Planning what is next from the experience The learners could be told that at the end of the session there will be a quiz and the winner will receive whatever is on the instructors desk†¦I make sure that there is a box of chocolates there as these are definite motivators.If there are dyslexic learners present I would may make the quiz a photo quiz . I could also ask the learners to work in small groups so that they coud help each other out. If a learner with ADHD was present I would give regular encouragement and keep them informed how long a session was going to last. If necessary I would suggest that they stand and maybe walk around the classroom rather than staying in a static position if there are no practical demonstrations involved. 3. 2 Summarise ways to establish ground rules with learners to promote respect for othersI would promote respect for others by giving the responsibility of setting ground rules to the learners. It could be an initial ice breaker activity, maybe putting them in small groups to come up with ideas. They could then come together as a group and vote on which rules should be included. These should make everyone feel part of the decision making process and it also gives them ownership of the ground rules. When the ground rules have been agreed upon and written out I would display it in the classroom in a prominent position.If a learner was to break the rules more than a couple of times then I would draw their attention to the displayed list. If a learner was to persist in breaking the ground rules then I would have to take them aside and speak to them. If it was becoming a distraction to the other learners and affecting the learning within the classroom then I would take a firm stance and warn the learner that they may have to remove themselves from the course. 3. 3 Explain ways to give constructive feedback that motivates learners Feedback is an important part of the course.It doesn’t have to be formal, it could just be a smile or a nod. It can also be given as written feedback. Feedback shoul d always follow the following format – †¢ Positive – praise the candidate †¢ Negative/improvement – pick up on the key areas only †¢ Positive – always leave the candidate on a high note and a good feeling of achievement. The learner could be asked how they felt that the last piece of work went. In which areas did they perform well and which areas could be improved on. This is called self-assessment.Invariably students are their worst critics and are very hard on themselves. However, it does allow the student to have their own input and feel part of the process. Identify the areas that went well for them but do not go into too much detail. The add constructive feedback on areas that can be improved. Make suggestions on how they can develop their skills in these areas. Finally, point out something positive, an area that worked really well for the learner. This will give them a sense of achievement and motivate them to progress further.If the learner suffered from dyslexia then any written feedback would be printed on pastel coloured paper, in the colour that was suitable for the learners needs. It would be reinforced with verbal feedback which would cover all the points raised in the written feedback. References RH Dave (1967/70) EJ Simpson (1966/72) AJ Harrow (1972). ‘Taxonomy Of Educational Objectives: Handbook 1, The Cognitive Domain' (Bloom, Engelhart, Furst, Hill, Krathwohl, 1956). David Kolb – 1984 – ‘Experiential Learning: Experience as The Source of Learning and Development'

Night World : Secret Vampire Chapter 1

It was on the first day of summer vacation that Poppy found out she was going to die. It happened on Monday, the first real day of vacation (the weekend didn't count). Poppy woke up feeling gloriously weightless and thought, No school. Sunlight was streaming in the window, turning the sheer hangings around her bed filmy gold. Poppy pushed them aside and jumped out of bed and winced. Ouch. That pain in her stomach again.-Sort of a gnawing, as if something were eating its way toward her back. It helped a little if she bent over. No, Poppy thought. I refuse to be sick during summer vacation. I refuse. A little power of positive thinking is what's needed here. Grimly, doubled over-think positive, idiot!-she made her way down the hall to the turquoise-and gold-tiled bathroom. At first she thought she was going to throw up, but then the pain eased as suddenly as it had come. Poppy straightened and regarded her tousled reflection triumphantly. â€Å"Stick with me, kid, and you'll be fine,† she whispered to it, and gave a conspiratorial wink. Then she leaned forward, seeing her own green eyes narrow in suspicion. There on her nose were four freckles. Four anda half, if she were completely honest, which Poppy North usually was. How childish, how-cute! Poppy stuck her tongue out at herself and then turned away with great dignity, without bothering to comb the wild coppery curls that clustered over her head. She maintained the dignity until she got to the kitchen, where Phillip, her twin brother, was eating Special K. Then she narrowed her eyes again, this time at him. It was bad enough to be small, slight, and curly-haired–to look, in fact, as much like an elf as anything she'd ever seen sitting on a buttercup in a children's picture book–hut to have a twin who was tall, Viking-blond, and classically handsome .. well, that just showed a certain deliberate malice in the makeup of the universe, didn't it? â€Å"Hello, Phillip,† she said in a voice heavy with menace. Phillip, who was used to his sister's moods, was unimpressed. He lifted his gaze from the comic section of the L.A. Times for a moment. Poppy had to admit that he had nice eyes: questing green eyes with very dark lashes. They were the only thing the twins had in common. Phillip said flatly, and went back to the comics. Not many kids Poppy knew read the newspaper, but that was Phil all over. Like Poppy, he'd been a junior at El Camino High last year, and unlike Poppy, he'd made straight A's while starring on the football team, the hockey team, and the baseball team. Also serving as class president One of Poppy's greatest joys in life was teasing him. She thought he was too straitlaced. Just now she giggled and shrugged, giving up the menacing look. â€Å"Where's Cliff and Mom?† Cliff Hilgard was their stepfather of three years and even straighter-laced than Phil. â€Å"Cliff's at work. Mom's getting dressed. You'd better eat something or she'll get on your case.† â€Å"Yeah, yeah †¦Ã¢â‚¬  Poppy went on tiptoe to rummage through a cupboard. Finding a box of Frosted Flakes, she thrust a hand in and delicately pulled out one flake. She ate it dry. It wasn't all bad being short and elfin. She did a few dance steps to the refrigerator, shaking the cereal box in rhythm. â€Å"I'm a †¦ sex pixie!† she sang, giving it a footstomping rhythm. â€Å"No, you're not,† Phillip said with devastating calm. â€Å"And why don't you put some clothes on?† Holding the refrigerator door open, Poppy looked down at herself. She was wearing the oversize T-shirt she'd slept in. It covered ‘ her like a , minidress. â€Å"This isclothes,† she said serenely, taking a Diet Coke from the fridge. There was a knock at the kitchen door. Poppy saw who it was through the screen. â€Å"Hi, James! C'mon in.† James Rasmussen came in, taking off his wraparound Ray-Bans. Looking at him, Poppy felt apang-as always. It didn't matter that she had seenhim every day, practically, for the past ten years. Shestill felt a quick sharp throb in her chest, somewherebetween sweetness and pain, when first confronted with him every morning. It wasn't just his outlaw good looks, which alwaysreminded her vaguely of James Dean. He had silky light brown hair, a subtle, intelligent face, and grayeyes that were alternately intense and cool. He was the handsomest boy at El Camino High, but that wasn't it, that wasn't what Poppy responded to. It was something insidehim, something mysterious andcompelling and always just out of reach. It made her heart beat fast and her skin tingle. Phillip felt differently. As soon as James came in, he stiffened and his face went cold. Electric dislike flashed between the two boys. Then James smiled faintly, as if Phillip's reactionamused him.†Hi.† â€Å"Hi,†Phil said, not thawing in the least. Poppyhad the strong sense that he'd like to bundle herup and rush her out of the room. Phillip alwaysoverdid the protective-brother bit when James wasaround. â€Å"So how's Jacklyn and Michaela?† headded nastily. James considered. â€Å"Well, I don't really know.† â€Å"You don't know?Oh, yeah, you always drop yourgirlfriends just before summer vacation. Leaves you free to maneuver, right?† â€Å"Of course,† James said blandly. He smiled. Phillip glared at him with unabashed hatred. Poppy, for her part, was seized by joy. Goodbye, Jacklyn; goodbye Michaela. Goodbye to Jacklyn's elegant long legs and Michaela's amazing pneumatic chest. This was going to be a wonderful summer. Many people thought Poppy and James's relationship platonic. This wasn't true. Poppy had known for years that she was going to marry him. It was one of her two great ambitions, the other being to see the world. She just hadn't gotten around to informing James yet. Right now he still thought he liked long-legged girls with salon fingernails and Italian pumps. â€Å"Is that a new CD?† she said, to distract him fromhis stare out with his future brother-in-law. James hefted it. â€Å"It's the new Ethnotechno release.† Poppy cheered. â€Å"More Tuva throat singers-I can't wait. Let's go listen to it.But just then her mother walked in. Poppy's mother was cool, blond, and perfect, like an Alfred Hitchcock heroine. Shenormally wore an expression of effortless efficiency. Poppy, heading out of the kitchen, nearlyran into her. â€Å"Sorry-morning!† â€Å"Hold on a minute,† Poppy's mother said, gettinghold of Poppy by the back of her T-shirt. â€Å"Good morning, Phil; good morning, James,† she added.Phil said good morning and James nodded, ironically polite. â€Å"Has everybody had breakfast?† Poppy's motherasked, and when the boys said they had, she looked at her daughter. â€Å"And what about you?† she asked,gazing into Poppy's face. Poppy rattled the Frosted Flakes box and hermother winced. â€Å"Why don't you at least put milkon them?† â€Å"Better this way,† Poppy said firmly, but when hermother gave her a little push toward the refrigerator, she went and got a quart carton of lowfat milk. â€Å"What are you planning to do with your first day of freedom?† her mother said, glancing from James to Poppy. â€Å"Oh, I don't know.† Poppy looked at James. â€Å"Listen to some music; maybe go up to the hills? Or drive to the beach?† â€Å"Whatever you want,† James said. â€Å"We've got allsummer.† The summer stretched out in front of Poppy, hotand golden and resplendent. It smelled like pool chlo rine and sea salt; it felt like warm grass under her back. Three whole months, she thought. That's forever. Three months is forever. It was strange that she was actually thinking thiswhen it happened. â€Å"We could check out the new shops at the Village — was beginning, when suddenly the painstruck and her breath caught in her throat. It was bad-a deep, twisting burst of agony thatmade her double over. The milk carton flew fromher fingers and everything went gray.

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

Performance Management - Essay Example Furthermore, it is often considered as the process where various resources of the organisation or any particular department are utilised efficiently in order to successfully attain the broad objectives of the organisation (Patterson & et. al., 2003). It has been noted from the provided case that Gearflex Co, a retail chain that deals with car accessories has grown to become the market leader in this particular sector in the recent times. However, it is believed that this leap of the company is relatively due to its effective decision making ability regarding the domain of performance management. One such decision can be attributed with the approach of the company to implement ‘Beyond Budgeting’ model in its operational activities. It is further observed that the operational director of the company is largely responsible for this change initiation related to the organisational strategy. This aspect has further influenced the management of the company to select the operati onal director to deliver a presentation in a particular conference that has the participation of managers from various retail sector of the world. Aim of the Report Contextually, the aim of this report presentation will be to demonstrate the scenarios which has influenced the operational department of Gearflex Co to select Beyond Budgeting’ model for their operation. These factors will include the potential problems associated with traditional budgeting techniques including several behavioural aspects as well as the benefits the organisation has gained by shifting to Beyond Budgeting’ model. Problems and Weaknesses in Traditional Budgeting Approach Over the years various forms of budgeting technique has been implemented by organisations in their operational purposes. Among those, the line-item budgeting or traditional budgeting is quite commonly applied budgeting model. This type of budgeting was devised with the intention to deal with the rising issues of organisation al setting including the area of purchasing, bidding, accounting as well as auditing among others. Over the years, this approach was seen to be extensively employed in organisational operation as a full time budgeting tool delivering potentially noteworthy results for the overall business. However, with the emergence of contemporary business environment, companies has started to realize the need of replacing traditional budgeting approach with a more flexible and efficient model. This is due to certain problems and weaknesses associated with traditional budgeting approach which are being highlighted subsequently (Cheong, 2013). There are several potential problems association with the aspect of traditional budgeting. First is the factor of time. Notably, traditional budgeting consumes a lot of time in its execution. Reportedly, companies in most of the scenarios take more than six months to execute traditional budgeting. This aspect hampers the efficiency of organisational operation . Furthermore, it has also been analysed that since traditional budgeting takes longer duration in its completion, organisations are also required to provide resources for a longer basis which further increase the cost of the company concerning

Chinas Rapid Economic Growth and Transformation Essay

Chinas Rapid Economic Growth and Transformation - Essay Example China’s rapid economic growth and transformation can be attributed centrally on the revolution from an agrarian economy to and industrialised one. This move can be analysed in various ways. Drastic changes have taken place in the economy and the manufacturing sector contributes to the larger portion of the country’s GDP. The role of the agricultural sector has increasingly decreased over the years. Additionally, the role played by the private sector has increased significantly since the economic reforms in 1978. There have been reforms to promote economic activities in the private sector such as the inclusion Protection of private property in the constitution. The sector is a dominant force in the economy and is responsible for the creation numerous job opportunities in the country and a main source of capital funding. Opportunities and Challenges for Retail Businesses in China The retail business in China is taking off at an incredible rate. In next to no time, the sales are expected to reach 1 trillion US dollars annually. In fact, China’s retail market is among the largest in the world. This is due to increasing income levels, a fast growing economy, deregulation of the retail sector and an increasing retail market. An exponential increase in the number of hyper markets, super markets, appliances, department stores and electronic stores especially in Eastern China. The main opportunity in the retail market lies in the huge customer base. China has one of the largest populations globally and this guarantees a readily available market for the retailers.Additionally, the financial sector is highly lucrative owing to the immense potential possessed by the Chinese household savings. Foreign investors are attracted by the high production capabilities and the supply of labour. China has a well developed infrastructure that holds massive potential for ret ailers to develop complex transport services. The most noteworthy development for retailers was China’s accession to the WTO in 2001. Furthermore, the country’s trade barriers and market barriers have been eliminated opening the vast domestic market (Lai, 2006:22). In spite of the booming retail market in the China market, there are several challenges facing the sector. There are various risks and challenges resulting from inflation and fluctuating economic trends in the market. In addition to, there are cultural differences between the natives and retailers from other countries. Other challenges in the market inadequate retail market information, an ambiguous legal environment and a highly unskilled labour force (Wong and Lai, 2006:58). Main Factors That Can Limit Personal Consumption in China and Can Prevent it from Driving Economic Growth in China Personal consumption can be simply described as the total amount of goods that an individual is able to purchase. It is important as it contributes to the aggregate consumption therefore is said to have an impact on overall economic growth. The most important factors affecting individual consumption is the prices of goods. When the prices of commodities are high, consumption will be limited resulting to decreased economic growth. In case where the importation taxes are high, the prices of

In what way might The Verb to Kill by Luisa Valenzuela be a political Essay

In what way might The Verb to Kill by Luisa Valenzuela be a political allegory - Essay Example It demonstrates how politicians get riches from the poor people, give empty promises and will always come back ‘with a different story for the poor to give them the votes. The verb to kill therefore demonstrates the capitalism of our politicians who are for selfish gains at the expenses of the lives of the electorates. â€Å"The verb to Kill† is a metaphor for the dehumanizing nature of the politicians. In this story, the poor girls who are also the narrators are eaten away or consumed by the daily lifestyle of the old man who is the protagonist. In this perspective, the writer of this article demonstrated how the individuals are â€Å"consumed† by the powerful politicians and leaders. The concept of consumption has been used in this story as a metaphor or allegory in the store to represent the high level of exploitation that these individuals are experiencing. When the writer of this article portrays the girls as being eaten by the daily life of the old man, the writer of this article outlines the kind of activities of the old man that are not beneficial to the young girls. This is unfortunate despite the fact that the young girls play an important role in the story and are very kind towards the man. The main narrator in â€Å"the verb to kill† asserts that their neighbor, the old man is a â€Å"degenerate murderer† and hence is fascinated by the kind of life style that they perceive this old man is leading. They also assert that the old man may not just be a rapist but also someone who eats â€Å"that last breath† (Valenzuela). In this perspective, the narrator claims here that the actions of the old man and his daily activities consume them. In this text, the idea of consumption has been used severally in the text from the beginning through to the end. The idea of consumption here therefore represents the nature of the old man and the notion of destruction and absorption of the girls by the old man neighbor. This is a llegory for the nature of some politicians who play politics just for their own benefits even if it means overlooking the morals and the norms of the society. It also represents the immoral nature of the politicians and the political game in general which demands for the politicians to leave different lives and compromise their morality at the expense of the society and those whom there are close to. The narrators have also demonstrated the fear for the idea of the old man rather than his reality. The idea of consumption and the presentation of the man as vampire are two causes of worry for the poor girls. This is a phenomenon that is common across the worlds’ politicians and their subjects. In politics people do not win because of what they are but because what the ideas they present to the people. The ideas that politicians often presents to the electorate as well as their past deed play an important role in their success. The electorates are often afraid of the idea and no t the person. This explains why the narrators fear this man’s idea and not his reality as their neighbor and an old man. The action of by the girls also demonstrates how they do not care about the old animals though they complain about the old man because of the nature of vampire. In this story, it is observable that there are three levels of individuals in the society. The top most individuals represented by the old man, the middle represented by the

Is the cost of college too high Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Is the cost of college too high - Essay Example Many argue that the fee structure in most of the colleges is utterly costly and is so designed to keep out the poor. Actually, it is not so. Students find colleges costly because they tend to approach education in an unorganized (Kaplan 36). Students can readily earn college credits by opting for advanced placement classes in their High Schools and accruing high scores on a range of standardized tests. Earning college credits can save students much money while pursuing a college education. One other argument that is put forward is that most of the top notch colleges have a way too high tuition fee and the education imparted by these colleges does not commensurate with their high fee structure. Well, realistically speaking, students should evaluate colleges on a cost to benefit basis (Bissonette 46). If the cost of education in a college is not at par with its fee structure, students could always relinquish such colleges and opt for institutions which extend value for what they pay (Bissonette 46). Students should opt for value instead of a snob appeal, while selecting colleges. Often, the payment capacity of the students is cited as an excuse for not being able to access college education. It is argued that many a times, students and parents end up in debt to seek college education. The reality is that there are many colleges with a low fee structure, which students can easily pay by working in summers and weekends. They can opt for affordable in state colleges that offer scholarships instead of costly private colleges (Tanabe & Tanabe 12). This way they can solicit quality college education without being a burden on their parents and without accruing debts. So the crux of the matter is that the cost of college education is not too high. Students can afford a good college education if they choose to be resourceful and planned. Earning college credits by opting for standardized tests in High Schools could significantly lower the

Public Park Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Public Park - Essay Example It can be used for different types of activities depending on its character. In Cities Mostly public parks are located where children can play and adults can relaxed. So Topic of discussion is Public Park. A Public park is an area of open space provided for recreational use, usually owned and maintained by a local government. Parks commonly resemble savannas or open woodlands, the types of landscape that human beings find most relaxing. Grass is typically kept short to discourage insect pests and to allow for the enjoyment of picnics and sporting activities. Trees are chosen for their beauty and to provide shade. Fig. A Shows graph with negative slope means no of parks decreased with increasing time, Fig. B Shows graph with slope positive slope i.e. no of trees increased with increasing time and Fig. C Shows graph with 0 slope i.e. no change in no of parks with respect to time. To analyze all situations, benefits and risk factor of park should be kept in mind. There always were good reasons for bounding space and there always will be. The ancient reasons for imparking land were both domestic and religious. Unfortunately, The strife, the stress and tension of modern life have made people immune to the beauties of nature. Their life is so full of care that they have no time to stand and stare. They can't enjoy beauty of flowing rivers, swaying trees, flying birds and majestic mountains and hills. Modern parks can have a variety of human-oriented themes. Children can have fun and enjoyment by playing different games. In dense areas, parks are only place where adults can refresh and feel relaxed. Parks can be used for picnics also. Trees play an important role in purifying the air around us. Pollution free atmosphere is very much required for health. On the other hand Safety is in danger due to parks. Anybody can enter park, so by security Point of View, Parks can be dangerous. Visits of people results in wastage and dirty space. If Parks are not maintained properly, insects and other risk increases in that area, which can harm surrounding people. Again noise created disturbs people staying around. In modern cities loose agglomeration of express roads, semi-isolated buildings, free car parking and sprawling urbanization is required. What modern consumer wants are safety, comfort, and convenience. Accessibility for the rich, inaccessibility for the poor. The high walls of modern cities are time and distance. Within these walls, there is no public open space, which bothers the professionals. Conclusion Cities need both. But the two should never be confused. Some of the land should be properly imparked, to make it safe and to make it special. The remainder should be properly

Death of a journalist Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Death of a journalist - Essay Example During the actual fighting phase of the 1991 Gulf War for the liberation of Kuwait no journalists were killed, but in the ensuing days four freelance journalists were killed. In 2002 during the action in Afghanistan eight journalists were killed within a short span of two-weeks, and at one point in this war the media related casualties were higher than the actual military casualties. This trend of high journalist causalities was carried into the war in Iraq, where in the four weeks of fighting fifteen journalists lost their lives. Some may have died through accidents, but the vast majority of them were killed during combat action. (1)1 Commenting on these deaths of journalists, the Chief Executive of the World Association of Newspapers (WAN), is reported to have said in October this year, â€Å"Journalism today is more dangerous than ever. More than 500 journalists have been killed in the past decade, often for simply doing their jobs†. The recent years have seen the up trend in journalists being killed while doing their jobs continuing. In 2004 seventy-two journalists lost their lives, while in the field. Till the first week of October 2006, seventy-five journalists have been killed, making it the worst year in this regard for journalists, and confirming the rising trend of journalists killed in their line of duty. (2) The Iraq War, and the subsequent situation there has proved to be the killing fields of many a journalist. The situation of the journalists in Iraq is reflective of the nature of the grave risks that they face in their line of duty. Working in a war zone has always been fraught with dangers that emanate from the battles that occur there. In addition to that journalists in Iraq also face the danger of being hunted down and killed, just because they may be suspected of cooperating with one of the combatant forces, or because of their religious, or political affiliations. This

Ethnic and Racial Group overview Essay Example for Free

Ethnic and Racial Group overview Essay While I have always believed myself to be reasonably educated about racial diversity, and non-prejudice against those who come from different ethnic backgrounds than my own, this course has taught me that there is much more to the history and reality of Americas struggle to overcome the all too real problem that is prejudice and discrimination. I have learned much about my own background and history that I was not previously aware of as well. The history of Prejudice and discrimination in America dates as far back as to the days of slavery. While to most this is a well-known fact, there are a few facts about my own ethnic history that were not well-known to me until I participated in this course. The fact that stands out the most is that German immigrants (such as my own grandparents) suffered a reality of segregation in schools and language barriers, not unlike that of today’s Mexican Americans. German Americans struggled to establish bi-lingual schools because they were a growing population in America, and the need was apparent. Knowing this opens up a whole new perspective of my understanding of just how equal we all really are. Because trends in immigration have grown steadily and will continue to grow well into the future, by the year 2050, the U. S. population will experience a culture of diversity so elaborate, and so completely wide spread; resulting in America having no choice but to unite, or suffer from mass self-destruction of the worst kind. The challenges of such a diverse America will be apparent in many ways, and there will be some of the same issues of discrimination and prejudice that have always been. With all of the different cultures coming together, there will be inevitable language barriers, which will result in a continued issue of segregation among children, and the added challenge of providing them with equal educational opportunities. In the same way that children have to face the challenges of diversity, so do the adults who will face discrimination and possible insufficient opportunity to move forward based on their race. On the other hand, when faced with such diversity, America as a whole will be forced to accept change, and perhaps finally overcome the issues that it has been faced with for so long. The opportunity will rise, with the variety of diversity, to become educated about those who are around us. Because there will be nothing else to do but find a way to work together, or to fail as nation, I think that the way that we all see one another is going to change significantly. The idea that others are inferior in any way to any other individual will begin to fade, because with so much diversity all around, there will not be a majority, nor a minority. Perhaps equality in racial group numbers will finally be the key to unlock the door to a prejudice-free America.

Challenges Faced By Socrates

Challenges Faced By Socrates Socrates developed this philosophy when he himself was facing some challenges as he was facing trial for corrupting young people and undermining the state religion. Socrates once said that the unexamined life is not worth living. In this he was Socrates wanted forward various issues including the independent of mind or autonomy, if an individual does not reflect on their values and life and just living life like they are going through a motion. One behaves like a mere cog in the machinery of that is the human universe. When we have experiences whether good or bad we should think about them and try to find out why they are happening to us. One should always question their personal actions, what drives them, and we should remodel our character into a way we feel it is the most appropriate and not what others or situations think. A life that has not been examined has no author, for the individual did not live his life but mere followed the force of nature or others. Therefore it is very important for an individual to be examined for it helps them to find their place in the society. According to Socrates the human life is supposed to be for one to achieve both personal and spiritual growth. An individual will be able to understand their true nature when they examine and reflect on the life they are living. By having an examination on the life we live we will better understand our pattern of behavior. By deeply contemplation on our life we will better understand our subconscious which is what controls our life. Therefore if we do not make time to understand our subconscious we will unconscious be living a repetitive life with no meaning. Examining our life relates to philosophy as it means we have to take time to study our behavior and find ways of improving this behavior. 2. Plato in the discussion that he made on the myth of the cave, he distinguished on aspects of awareness which are knowledge and opinion. In the myth of the cave he described how one has been deeply chained inside a cave. As they are chained in the cave their cannot see each other and they have restricted vision and what they can only see is the wall in the cave and which shows shadows from statues belonging to animals and various objects emanating from a burning fire. One of the chained individuals escaped from their captivity in the cave to the light of the day. After escaping the person sees real world for the first time and goes back to those still in the cave and informs them that they have only been seeing appearances and shadows and if they fight to free themselves they will see the real world out there. The environment in the cave which has appearances that are shadowy it shows to for Plato is the appearance that is there in the physical world. The escape to the world full of the sun outside of the cave is a symbol of transitioning into a world that is real, where things are full and perfect, and there are real forms, this are the true aspects of knowledge. Plato argued that Forms are arranged according to hierarchy. With the top Form being the form that is good, according to the myth of the cave is the sun. The sun which acts as the form of good helps to explain on how an individual becomes aware of how things they are the way they are or how they came to be. The cave stands for the world which is in our imagination, the in the shadows cave shows of how at passive state that we are at when thinking. Those who decide to learn in the cave are the individuals who have empirical knowledge and are able to make predictions. The knowledge that they have is not useful but a shadow. Educati on is only important if it can be able to free someone from their bondage. Every individual has an ability to think and If does not utilize this it is because he is held by chains. 3. Elizabeth Spelman once claimed that, women have been portrayed as bodily being. By portraying the woman this way she is denied her status that belongs to her as a human being. According to Rene Descartes who is accredited to have developed the theory of Cartesian dualism, he argued of distinction between the mind and the body and they are also separate. Cartesian dualism states that the thoughts of a man are a reflection of his beliefs, values, conditions, experiences, and development. The Cartesian dualism that speaks of the independence and separation of the mind and body perpetuates a sexist beliefs and behaviours. This is because it privileges the cognitive and intellectually is represented. This masculine discourses; Spelman argued that it works in reproducing a disembodied way of thinking which blinds people on how a normal world is. Spelman argued that the viewing of the woman as a property or a sex product undermines who the woman is. Elizabeth Spelman the Cartesian dualism is used to justify why the women are subordination especially in fields such as Politics. The stereotyping of women is a dangerous aspect in the society, judging a woman based on her body is an affront to the women. The theory tends to give certain roles to women, like that they have a certain position in the society and they are field that are specifically for them and others they should not venture into. They are seen as models and not engineers. 4. Aristotle refuted Plato Theory of Ideas arguing that, that the existence of various Ideas that contradict themselves and deny there being a possibility of a negation. He also argued that the portraying of Ideas was an empty metaphors and finally that the theory used various impermanent abstractions that created perception. The theory by Plato was meant to establish that the knowledge of reality was. Aristotle considered the argument to be full of inconsistencies and he believed that reality depended on correlations of other elements. These ideas, Plato believed were self contained absolutes and are permanent and they help in establishing what knowledge is and how it is attained by use of human thought. Plato also viewed Ideas as good standards to which it can be used to judge human endeavor and at the top of hierarchy of ideas leads is that of Good. Also the theory argued that that the states of being are based or dependent on the interaction of number of Forms of existence, also the objectivity of knowledge and therefore more real, it also argued that only the processes that are from nature are valid entities. However, Aristotle attacks this theory on the grounds that Platos arguments are inconclusive either his assertions are not al all cogent. Aristotle says, or his arguments lead to contradictory conclusions. Aristotle claimed that the argument by Plato makes one to conclude that those entities that might be man-made and the negation of great ideas can exist like from non good in when in opposition to good. This works in contradicting the belief by Plato which was that only natural objects can be used by unto themselves, that they are independent of the subjective experiences of human. Aristotle argued that Ideas cannot be abstractions but they are duplicates experiences that are witnessed by individuals everyday in their da ily life. Aristotle meant that Platos idea which stated that Ideas are not tangible to the subjective human experiences is perfect entities, has no grounds, since all standards are set by the perception and ordinary human activity. 5. Behaviorism is a theory of that believes that that all human behaviors are learnt or acquired through the process of conditioning. The process of conditioning happens when an individual interacts with the environment. Behaviorism experts believe that behavior can be effectively studied in an observable and systematic way without the consideration of the internal mental states in the subject of which the behavior is being studied. Behavior theorists believe that learning is just but the acquisition of behavior and this acquisition is conditioned by the environment that the person lives in. there are two methods of conditioning, namely the classical conditioning and the operant conditioning. According to dualism there are number a number of uses of thought. The idea of dualism believes that, for everything, there are two options or categories of principles or things. A dualist will believe that there is Good and Evil. The dualist belief that the two things or principles, are independent equal opposing forces in the world. In the mind philosophy, dualism theory believes that the mind and body is radically different thing. It is a theory that tends to say that everything comes from the mind and the body and that both are very different and distinct. The spirit, mind, or soul is thought to be the conscious and it help to show the self using the brain. The computational theory of mind argues that mind of human beings should be seen as a system for processing information. It also argues that thoughts are a form of computation. I prefer behaviorism as I belief that all behaviors that people exhibit are based on the environment that they live in. I strongly believe that behavior is learned by people. 6. Berkeley argued that the position of idealism can be held without any contradiction. Berkeley tried to portray realism as absurd, since it needed some concepts that cannot be conceptualized in reality. Therefore Berkeley made a conclusion that idealism was necessary, and the only theory we should work to understand. Realism is the ontological position which believes that there exists some things that which are neither in our minds or they are ideas in minds and idealism is the ontological position that believes that everything which exists it exists as either as an idea in a mind or a mind. Anti realist believe that what cannot be observed is not real. They insist that people can only understand anything if they come to understand the circumstances it is the way it is. They deny the objective reality that is of entities. They also deny the verifying of statement that are transcendent on a certain entity whether true or false. Berkeley and anti realist have several things in common which include that he did not believe in realism but believed in idealism which he considered to be essential to people. He argued that for a concept to be concrete it has to be observable. This is the same as what anti realist hold. 7. Jean-Paul Sartre, made the phrase that existence precedes essence. In the past it was assumed that nature or essence was more important eternal than existence. The phrase that existence precedes essence means, that humans and reality, exist before there are any morals or values. An individual is born with nothing in their mind. Also human beings do not have any universal or form of predetermined principles that are common to all. Sartre made an argument of there being two kinds of being, being-in-itself which demonstrated as being complete, fixed, and there being no reason of it there, it just is, it works to describe the external objects. The other being is showed as being dependent on the way it previously existed. It is fixed, absolute and works to describe the state of humanity. There being no preformed essence or a clear what to be human is, an individual is tasked to form their own concept about existence this can be achieved by an individual ensuring that they assert control and show responsibility for their choices and acts. Human beings gain their essence by their choices and actions that they make as individuals. It by living that an individual is able to define who truly they are. By life that we experience every day, we are involved in a process that shapes our identity. Since there is no set moral code that has been set for us to abide with, then there people as individuals have a fundamental freedom to ensure that they create their personal system of belief. 8. The ontological argument is an argument on the existence of God. The argument is based on reason and intuition alone. As per the argument, it states that that one should not look for any physical evidence to show that God exists. But by merely thinking about it we can realize that God exists. In philosophy this argument is referred to as priori argument. According to the ontological argument, human beings are wise enough to know claims false without even by looking into this claims and to find out. The argument claims that the thought that there is no God and does not exist is an absurd thought. According to the ontological argument, human beings can easily be able to decide that it is false or wrong to claim that there is no God; this decision can be made without one spending his time to look at the details of the existence of God. This is compared to one knowing what a triangle is which means it is obvious that it is impossible to have a four-sided triangle. The argument states that by one knowing the meaning of God it would be impossible for one to contemplate of God being non-existence. Descartes argued that it was impossible for people to demonstrating there being or existence of God who he considered to be supreme and a perfect being. Since human beings supposes and conceive the idea that there exists a supreme and perfect being. Therefore because we all have an idea of the supreme and perfect being, it is therefore imperative that we should all make a conclusion that this supreme perfect being does surely exists. 9. There being evil and a lot of suffering in the world poses a big challenge for one to belief in the existence of a God who is perfect. The problem of evil is an argument which argues that a God who is all-knowing, all powerful, and who is perfectly good should not permit any form of suffering or evil to happen. The world today is full of countless aspects of people suffering and there being too much evil.   The facts on the presence of evil and people suffering do conflict with the claim by the orthodox theists that there is a God who is perfectly good. This challenge by this conflict is known as the problem of evil. Some argue that God could have a reason that is morally enough reason for him to allow there being some evils to happen, by doing this he ensures that a big good is seen or comes out of the evil. But those against argue that God should only permit evil or suffering as it should be necessary so as to attain a bigger good. But when people look at the world, there are a lot of prevalent incidences of pointless evils that has no bigger good that comes out as a result. They also argue that the existence of pointless evil provide a strong case that God does not exist. Philosophers and theologians have worked to develop theodicies, which are responses that are meant to explain the argument from evil and help people to still have a belief in a God that is all-knowing, all-powerful and perfect and good. Some state that God allows people to undergo pointless evil for reason that are above human comprehension. 10. Pascal Wager argued that that is safe to believe that there is God since if later you learn that you were wrong you will have lost nothing. Also if one doesnt believe in God and it turns out to be incorrect, they will go to hell. He therefore believed it was not wise to be an atheist. I personally do not believe in this argument as it has several flaws. The argument doe not tell of which religion one should follow. Since there are many religions that are mutually exclusive and contradict each other example is Christianity and Islam. Therefore one might end up avoiding worshiping the wrong God thus avoiding the wrong hell and eventually end up in hell. Example is in both Christianity and Islam they both belief in there being hell yet their practices are very different and they both worship God, which God should one follow? Another flaw is that the argument that the person who the bet losses everything, it might be that he loses nothing. If an individual puts his bet on the wrong god, the True God just may decide to punish the person who bet wrong for his foolish behavior. Also the True God might be an independent God who respects the right of other people believing in what they reason rationally, therefore he does not pick on the bet. I also have a problem with somebody deciding to believe in a god since they think they have made a choice which will offer them a lot of benefits and less danger. This might be a problem as the god you believe in might have a problem in one believing in it so as to benefit by being allowed into heaven or not to be punished in hell. The god might be fair but on the choices that people made, were they selfish choice?

Dylan Thomas Essay -- Biography Biographies Essays

Dylan Thomas Dylan Thomas was born in Wales during the First World War. Raised in Swansea, "the smug darkness of a provincial town"(Treece 37), Thomas was educated as an Englishman. At the age of seventeen, Thomas left school and opted to forgo the university and became a writer immediately. He published his first book, 18 Poems, in 1934. His skill and artistic ability astounded critics. This "slim, black covered, gilt-lettered bardic bombshell"(Treece ix) put Thomas on the literary map. Unfortunately, this poetic genius succumbed to alcoholism at the age of thirty-nine. In his short lifetime, Thomas published some of the most disturbing and touching literature of the century. The poetry of Dylan Thomas is his way of expressing and confronting the good and evil aspects of the world that troubled him to the grave. In his youth, the poetry and folklore of his native Wales fascinated Thomas. He mimicked their styles and composed stories of his own. Although his father insisted that Thomas attend a university, he "adduced the example of Bernard Shaw"(Ellmann 510) and decided to pursue his dream of becoming a professional writer. He felt that continuing his education would only stand in the way of his dreams. Thomas’ first attempt at becoming a poet, 18 Poems, fulfilled this ambition. Packed "with enough poetic dynamite in it to shake young writers and critics for a decade"(Treece ix), 18 Poems supplies an excellent exhibition of Thomas’ struggle with reality. Its works are full of twisting and turning images that present the conflicts of the world. In "The Force That through the Green Fuse Drives the Flower," Thomas comments on the role of nature as both the creator and the assassin. As the creator, nature is "The force ... ...my individual struggle from darkness towards some measure of light"(Treece 39). It is poetry full of graphic, detailed images of nature and the duality of the world. Thomas saw the world in terms of good and evil. This belief forced Thomas to "stride on two levels"(Treece ix). It was not possible for him to discuss the beauty of nature without discussing its ugliness as well. As a result of this view of reality and the world around him, Thomas’ poetry is "an unconducted tour of Bedlam"(Treece ix). Works Cited Ellmann, Richard and Robert O’Clair. Modern Poems. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, Inc., 1989. Emory, Clark. The World of Dylan Thomas. Coral Gables: University of Miami Press, 1962. Thomas, Dylan. Quite one Early Morning. New York: New Directions Publishers, 1960. Treece, Henry. Day Among the Fairies. Los Angeles: Norwood Publications, 1978.

Realism vs. Liberalism :: essays research papers fc

International Politics Gerard Chretien Professor: Jennifer Dwyer May 2, 2001 The realist perspective on international political economy can be seen in the United States international trade policy with China. The United States being an established world power seeks to further enhance its international role by engaging in trade with another nation, that being China, this reflects the realist main idea that the state occupies center stage in global political affairs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The United States willingness to engage in the world market signals the idea of self national interest that remind many of the policy followed by European states during the Monarch era. The idea is to maximize your own agenda, at the same token minimize your states possible loss through risky policy engagement. The realist view reflects many of today’s policy regarding international trade with China.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On the other end of the spectrum, you have the liberals who soundly believe that the state should have a very limited impact in the international political economic arena. They feel that the states interest and their goals change along with the context of the I.P.E. situation. The liberal perspective also offers the idea of cooperation among negotiating states that oppose the realist view that cooperation has an underlining meaning behind it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The realists’ concepts and views ultimately render a more significant portrayal of U.S.-China international trade in comparison to the liberals’ perspective. It shows that the policy implemented reflects the United States sole interest in relative gains, in comparison with the liberals’ idea of absolute gain. In other words, the United States seeks to benefit from its interaction with China only for the sole purpose of increasing its wealth and power.