Capstone Project Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Capstone Project - Research Paper Example As far as its footwear market is concerned, the company consists of 33% of global market share. Its distribution channels include both traditional and nontraditional channels in more than 100 countries in the whole world (Armstrong & Kotler, 2009). Â   The mission of Nike stated in their mission statement is to surpass all other similar and competition companies in the industry. Nike plans to achieve this by maintaining its position in market through providing quality footwear, equipment and apparels for consumers of all ages and lifestyles and also for different institutions. Through proper utilization of retail outlets, company’s websites as well as mail order company pledges to make its products available globally. As far as execution of this mission is concerned the company and its management believes that for the effective operations of the company, the success lies in collective responsibilities of all employees, team mates, customers, communities and all the stakeholde rs for the company. (Kotler & Keller, 2009). Nike’s vision is to remain a global leader in the industry and for this the company intends to continue producing high quality products. This challenges the company to continue to constantly meet through innovation and creativity, the ever changing trends and needs of their customers and the company is dedicated to achieve these in both short and long term. (Kotler & Keller, 2009). The analysis of Nike’s strategic plan along with its performance over the years shows that the company has been able to perform with regard to its vision and financial statements, which is a part of its strategic plan. The company, since the year 2000, was able to achieve a net income of more than $550 million at the end of every financial year which helps the company to achieve its long-term objective of improvement on equity, and a higher EPS. Nike focuses on improving on stockholders returns on equity to achieve a percentage of 20 and this can be estimated to roughly 6% from its previous trading periods. Nike has been previously able to recover market price of its stock from a low of $26.5, per share to $50 and above, per share. Nike works on strategies through which it can increase its earnings per share to an estimated $2.70, a figure that can be one of the highest (Armstrong & Kotler, 2009). Under the company analysis, the strengths and weaknesses of Nike will be reviewed. One of the major strengths’ of Nike includes its board of director consisting of both independent directors and management directors. They play a vital role in the decision making of the company especially the decisions related to strategy formulation of the company. These diversified directors help the company by not only providing an outside experience but also a frame of reference improving an overall thinking of the board, hence their decisions include rich experience and eliminates any disagreements and contradictions. Another major stren gth is the strong internal environment of the company as Nike conducts an internal analysis, which helps making decisions (Nike, 2012). The weaknesses that the company has experienced so far are related to the company’s inability to cope up with the issues regarding to labor. There also have been complains regarding the company’s working conditions. This was even highlighted as a major issue in the global media and led Nike to a bad reputation, turning into a major crisis

Employment Relations in Australia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Employment Relations in Australia - Essay Example In addition to this, the trade unions are deemed not to be of necessity as this would bring conflicts which are a vise and would bring disruptions. From the perspective of the employees, they should be multi skilled, flexible and should focus on improvement of business processes. Their efficiency is required to de full time in every field that they may be required to work in. The unions that are to be recognised are only those which are going to further communication between staff groups and the company but not for fighting of rights and seemingly propaganda. In addition to this, good relations and decision making participation is enabled and this is done to improve performance, enhance innovativeness, promote creativity and this is expected to improve the conditions of employment. The conflicts in an organisation are in this believed to emanate from inadequacy on the communication of management policies and information lack The unitaristic approach in Australia is more fictitious as it assumes that the employees will have a common interest with that of the organisation and the employers and that is to focus on achieving maximum results, following company’s policies and adhering to their goals under all conditions. This opposes the thought propounded by Moore and Gardner on managerial prerogative, the validity of unitary in Australia is in question as the theory is only a lie that lies in the heart of HRM philosophy. The insistence on maintenance of a unitaristic state in organizations has gone far and wide to creating tensions in work places and is even believed that the employees no longer work out of good will, but out of lacking an alternative and have to bear the burden of following that which most of them do not believe in. and although they are involved in the decision making process, their interests do not supersede those of the organization and are therefore subordinate to them. Whenever there has been any tendency of formation of unions, measur es have been taken, first to deal with those involved and then with disintegrating the unions as demonstrated by Plowman, David H. (2005) in Recruitment strategies and union exclusion in two Australian call centers. The result which is a case of inequality has led to controversies far reaching even to the policy makers who have not taken it to be a serious case. Their argument is that for a case where growth and development has occurred, this should not be taken as a problem but an avoidable circumstance. Inequality in itself is not a state of poverty, but it’s a situation where equal efforts are not rewarded the same to different employees. It is seen more to be way of discriminating between parties for one reason or the other, either as a punishment or it may go too far to be a bit personal where even benefits and bonuses are involved. This may take different forms; due to race, gender, age, ethnicity, or as a way to let one learn a lesson in obedience to a certain powerful external force. Discussion There has been means in which this has evolved over time, most of which has been innovative and varied over time. For instance, the workplace relationships and awards have shifted from being centralised to being decentralised and the joint negotiations, agreements and awards to being individualised, the permanent contracts on jobs are no longer applicable as contingent working environments have taken their place. This has diminished the collective bargaining

Child Support Agency Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Child Support Agency - Essay Example Applying the knowledge acquired by putting it to best use would hold better meaning and compliment a good systems practitioner. In addition to this experience is a very good teacher and the more experience I get, the more useful it would be in helping me become an asset to any institution as a good systems practitioner. The term ‘managing complexity’ means many things to me. Firstly, as the phrase suggests, it means helping people in various difficult situations to overcome their fears and anxiety and make their lives more simple and easy to accept. Secondly, it means getting people who are in very complex environments to come to terms with their situation by finding good solutions for them. This would greatly serve to boost their confidence and give them enough courage to manage other complexities that they may face in future. For Example, if a lady is facing woman beating in an alcohol abusive marriage and there are children involved, helping her to come out of her complex situation and manage her life and family in the best way possible. Multi- cause diagrams are exceptionally very useful in finding out the root cause to any problem. It is a sort of brain storming with a whole lot of questions that arise from the situation or event which presents itself as a complex problem. These qu estions would give a lot to reflect upon and analyze the chief cause that led to the present complex situation. They serve to untangle one’s thinking, help better understanding and identify areas of intervention. E.g. divorce. The controlled model diagrams are used to visualize and analyzing a situation within a very limited framework to give a more clearer picture and thereby makes it easier to arrive at the solution and intervention stage.  

To Love Another Person is to See the Face of God Essay Example for Free

To Love Another Person is to See the Face of God Essay To love another person doesn’t really mean to see the face of God. You have to feel all the love and blessings of God. Living the life of God, with his words and doing things that we know is right is living the path of life loving any other person regardless of what she or he is living with the love of God with no conditions, no barriers that can stop him/her, only with just plain love of God . Accepting other person, understanding them is the way of showing love to them. Helping them in times of trouble, giving them advice for goodness in life and supporting them on the things that they want to do are few thing we can do to show them our concern and love for them. We should not wait for them to return favor for what we did for them, because like God who love and help us, he didn’t ask anything in return for what he did for each one of us and never get tired of doing those things, so should just be thankful for what we did. That is God’s will for us. There are times we need to sacrifice for the sake of others. Those sacrifices are just tools for them to have happiness they deserve. But should not be lonely because we sacrifice it, God has always plans for our life. We don’t that he might have more plans for our life. Also we don’t know what will happen in our lives, but we should not just wait until something comes in our way. We should be the one to start our lives with God in our side for us to reach success Sharing happiness that you receive with all other people you want to share is showing them your love for them. Someday all of our sacrifice and all that we share with others will return to us but we don’t know when. Only God knows. We should not be disturbed by the ups and downs of life. It is part of life were our courage, strength and faith in God were tested for us to be more ready to face all the coming trials for us. It is part of the path we all have to take to learn more things about life, on how we can more understand the life God had do for us. Being able to surpass the trials we are facing is like reaching one of our many goals in life. And showing our love to other person is one of the greatest commandments of God. Love all the people with your whole heart, let them fell it not just hear it, let them receive it not just expect it and love is the beginning of goodness. Showing love to others is the best way to show them goodness. Love God first, and love others more than you love yourself.

Assessing The Paris Fashionable Concepts Cultural Studies Essay

Assessing The Paris Fashionable Concepts Cultural Studies Essay The concept of Paris fashion represents one of the most powerful and long-running place in modern history. But even a cursory examination of the way the term has been used draws attention to the complexity of the notion of the fashion capital, and to the complexity of the fashion process itself. The routine description of the city over the past 200 years as the capital world of fashion contribute to this understanding. ::::Downloads:eiffel-tower-1.jpg Figure 2.2 , Eifel Tower in Paris, Available at: http://www.eiffel-tower.us/Eiffel-Tower-Images/eiffel-tower-1.jpg Paris is the Fashion Capital of the World. Paris has long been an international hub of fashion design. Paris is home to many distinguished design houses, such as Chanel, Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, Chloe, Givenchy, Lanvin, Hermes, and Louis Vuitton. Paris is also a premier destination for shopping, with streets such as Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honre and the Champs-Elysees hosting boutiques from designers around the world. Besides fashion and leather goods, Paris is has a number of well-known jewelers, such as Cartier SA, Boucheron, Chaumet, and Van Cleef Arpels. They have their flagships at the famed Place Vendome. Twice a year, Paris is home to a fashion week, where the citys fashion houses present their collections. Designers from other countries also present their collections in Paris. Notable examples include Belgian designers Dries van Noten, Martin Margeila, and Ann Demeulemester; Dutch design duo Viktor Rolf; and Japanese deisgners Yohji Yamamoto, Issey Miyake, and Junya Watanabe. Pinault-Printemps-Redoute and LVMH, the two major holding companies in contemporary fashion, are both headquartered in Paris. Paris has been interpreted as a world centre of fashion because of its distinctive metropolitan cultures of consumption, both in the narrow sense of shops and shopping, and in a broader sense of the practices associated with the wearing of fashionable dress in the spaces of the city. There has been something approaching a naturalization of Pariss relationship with fashion, often around the elevation of a certain construction of fashionable femininity to a symbol of Parisian superiority. [Fashions World Cities, David Gilbert, 2006] ::::Downloads:christian_dior_haute_couture_2009_01.jpg Figure 2.3 , Christian Dior Haute Couture fashion show 2009, Available at: http://iamfashioncrazy.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/christian_dior_haute_couture_2009_01.jpg Since the seventeenth century, fashion has been an important industry and cultural export of France, and modern haute couture originated in Paris in the 1860s. Today, Paris is considered one of the worlds fashion capitals, along with London, Milan, and New York City, and the city is home or headquarters to many of the premier fashion houses. The culture of Paris and of the French people has been shaped by geography, by profound historical events, and by foreign and internal forces and groups. Paris, has played an important part as a center of high culture and of decorative arts since the seventeenth century, first in Europe, and from the nineteenth century onwards, world wide. From the late nineteenth century, Paris has also played an important role in modern art, cinema, fashion and cuisine. Paris is today the melting pot of diverse cultures. However, it still retains its own unique charm or attraction when it comes to ethnicity, geography and the French language. The once isolated local customs arising out of regional differences have matured to become a cultural identity that is unique to the heterogeneity. The culture of Paris (or to say France), has been largely influenced by mandatory defense service, the Franco-Prussian feud and World War I and World War II. The two world wars were responsible for the flood of cultural influences and centralized market forces. Today, the people in Paris symbolize collective identity. The Parisian society is more inclined to believing in public-spiritedness, state socialistic spending, and in public initiatives. The Paris culture is characteristic of chauvinism, a term which is widely used all over the World (the countries of the West, esp. Europe and the Americas), integrated politics, universalism and the popular French grandeur. Although, now the traditional family structure has evolved from the joint family to nuclear. Most modern people in Paris prefer to relate to the term French as a nationality and their language and not a measure of ethnicity, specific to the city. There are many immigrants from Africa, Asia and other European countries who have made Paris or France their home with diverse ethnic ascendants, resulting in interracial relationships. According to Hofsteds Framework for Assessing Culture, the culture of Paris is moderately individualistic and high Power Distance Index. There is clearly a significant overlap between the cities routinely described as world fashion cities, like Paris, and those identified by Friedmann, Sassen and their followers as primary world cities or global cities. Given, in Friedmanns terminology, the embeddedness of a transnational capitalist class whose ideology is consumerist in such world cities, and given fashions inherent elitism and consumerism, it would be very surprising if this were not the case. [Fashions World Cities, David Gilbert, 2006] The acceptance of lebianism, homosexuality and gay marriages in Paris, speaks volumes for the broad-mindedness of the French. In fact, Paris mayor Bertrand Delanoà «, makes no attempt to hide his gay identity. In Paris, the French movies, music and literature are vibrant and multicultural. The language follows a preordain official originality standard. French is spoken widely across the globe, inspite of the repression with regional and foreign languages in certain countries. It has become a part of the education forum and a popular option in many bilingual educational institutions. As far as religion goes, Paris is secular and dedicatedly adheres to the principle of freedom of religion, a political dictate that was enshrined in the Declaration of the Rights of Man, 1789. A mix of Catholics, Protestants, Muslims, Jews and atheists live in Paris and add quality to the essence of French character. So therefore, Paris is a multicultural society. In the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries these cities have developed intense concentrations of advanced producer services, typically in sectors such as banking, accountancy, advertising, insurance, commercial law and management consultancy. Sassen argues that financial deregulation and the development of new forms of telecommunications, media and information technology, far from dispersing economic activities as some predicted, has created an aggressive new logic for their concentration of these activities as some predicted, has created an aggressive new logic for their concentration of these activities in a few great cities. Sassen further argues that increasing economic and social polarization has marked global cities, particularly London and New York. Alongside the development of advanced producer services has been a parallel development of a low-paid service sector, often characterized by a casualized labour force with a high proportion of immigrants. [Fashions Worl d Cities, David Gilbert, 2006] London: ::::Downloads:Somerset House Strand.JPG Figure 3.1 , Somerset House in London, Available at: http://www.the-magician.co.uk/images/Somerset%20House%20Strand.JPG London as one of the worlds four fashion capitals, the London Fashion Week is one of the Big Four fashion weeks, which is organised by the British Fashion Council. The current venue for most of the events is Somerset House in central London, where a large marquee in the central courtyard hosts a series of catwalk shows by top designers and fashion houses, while an exhibition, housed within Somerset House itself, showcases over 150 designers. British designers whose collections have been showcased at the fashion week include Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen and Stella McCartney, while British models who have featured at the event include Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Jade Jagger and Jodie Kidd. Fashion designer Mary Quant was at the heart of the Swinging London scene of the 1960s, and her work culminated in the creation of the miniskirt and hot pants. Mary Quant named the miniskirt that she designed after her favourite make of car, the Mini. The English fashion designer Charles Frede rick Worth is widely considered the father of Haute couture. According to an article in the Time, yet behind this confection of a city peopled by the famous and beautiful, all dressed in the latest cutting-edge fashions, was a sense that the new London was a key site in much broader changes taking place across the Western world: increasing consumer affluence, particularly among teenagers and young adults, changing intergenerational relationships, and new attitudes towards popular culture, leisure and the body. [Fashions World Cities, David Gilbert, 2006] ::::Downloads:London_cultural_icons.jpg Figure 3.2 , Cultural icons of London, Available at: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3d/London_cultural_icons.jpg The London culture concerns the arts, music, museums, festivals and other entertainment in London, the capital city of the United Kingdom. The city is renowned for its theatre district, and its West End theatre district has given the name to West End theatre, the strand of mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres in London. London also homes to notable cultural attractions such as the British Museum, the Tate Galleries, the National Gallery, the Notting Hill Carnival and The O2. An assortment of landmarks and objects are cultural icons associated with London, such as Big Ben, Buckingham Palace and the tube map. According to visiting tourists, there are a few other British cultural icons that are strongly associated with London , including the red telephone box, the routemaster bus, the black taxi or more famously known as the London cab and the Union Flag. ::::Downloads:RoyalOperaHouse-25-02-09w.jpg Figure 3.3 , The Floral Hall of the Royal Opera House in London, Available at: http://www.strollon.co.uk/UploadedDocuments/RoyalOperaHouse-25-02-09w.jpg London has the famous, London Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Philharmonia. There are also quite a few chamber orchestras, some of which specialise in period instrument performances, including the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, and the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields. The city is home to more than 300 nationalities, and the diversity of cultures has shaped the citys culture over time. In London, rank, status and inequalities between people are reasonably low. This obviously shows in a number of ways, such as legislation protecting ethnic minorities rights. This is observed in the office where the relationship between superiors and subordinates is relatively casual and incorporates little ceremony. London scores really high for Individualism. Therefore points to that fact that the British cultural values promote individuality. In London, the nuclear family is the more predominant form of basic social structure. In the business environment, the individual is more concerned with themselves rather than the team. The level of power distance (uncertainty avoidance) in London is quite low. This means that the British culture is relatively open to taking risks and dealing with change, which can be seen in the constant revision of laws and government structures. In the workplace, conflict or disagreement, even with superiors, is considered healthy. ::::Downloads:the_sex-pistols.jpg Figure 3.4 , The Sex Pistols, Available at: http://www.sexpistolsanniversary.co.uk/images/the_sex-pistols.jpg London is really famous for its rock scene, and was the starting point of some of the greatest 60s and 70s band such as Iron Maiden, The Clash, Led Zeppelin, The Sex Pistols, The Who, Pink Floyd, Queen and very popular 90s bands like Blur, Coldplay, Radiohead, and Oasis that are still very popular to this day. Most of the major bands tours pass through London as well, favourite venues being the Brixton Academy, the London Astoria, and the Hammersmith Apollo. In addition to generating of the bands mentioned above, London, in its capacity as the UKs cultural centre, has served as the base of a number of internationally important acts, including David Bowie, The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix, as well as being instrumental in the birth of dance music. All these artists mentioned above, in their days and till date influence fashion in London and all over the world. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¨London has a thriving urban scene, mainly throughout the 21st century. Soul singers like Joss Stone, Amy Winehouse, Adele, and Lemar have found themselves chart, and international success. RB singers such as Leona Lewis, Jay Sean, The Sugababes, Taio Cruz and Alexandra Burke are also extremely popular. London also has a strong rap scene, which includes rappers like Wiley, Tinchy Stryder and Dizee Rascal among others have helped contribute to London gaining the status of having the strongest rap scene outside of the USA. London has one of the biggest underground scenes in the world. Genres include Drum and bass, Uk garage, Dubstep, 2step and grime. Londons ethnic population is growing strongly and this is having a huge effect on the culture. Indian food is now a significant part of Londons cuisine. Young black Londoners play a predominant part in the British music industry. Besides Afro-Caribbean and Indian culture, Bangladeshi, Polish and Middle-Eastern influences are also present. In London, masculinity is somewhere in the middle. This may reflect the fact that British society and culture aims for equality between the sexes, yet a certain amount of gender bias still exists underneath the surface. The acceptance of lebianism, homosexuality and gay marriages in London, is cause of the all the stars who used to cross-dress for their performances, shows that people in London are broad-minded. There are many other culture related attractions in London, including the Avenue of Stars, a walkway similar to the Hollywood Walk of Fame, with stars commemorating notable individuals or groups. Summary Table: Paris London Similarities Both Paris and London are the fashion capitals of their countries. The melting pot of diverse cultures is existent in both cities. Paris and London are multicultural societies. The acceptance of lesbianism, homosexuality and gay marriages in Paris and London, shows how broad-minded the people or society is. There is a freedom of religion. The rise of technology has led to London and Paris becoming more of open cultures. Differences Paris is the Fashion Capital of the World. Haute Couture started in Paris in the 1860s by Charles Worth. The people in Paris collective identity. The Parisian society is more inclined to believing in public-spiritedness, state socialistic spending, and in public initiatives. While London scores really high for Individualism. Paris has a high Power Distance (rank, status and inequalities between people) Index, while London is comparatively lower. Fashion culture in London was very influenced by the music scene, specially the rock scene, with the bands like the Sex Pistols in the 60s and 70s. While Paris didnt have too much influence of music on fashion. Conclusion: After extensive research and comparing the similarities and differences of both Paris and Londons modern day fashion scene, I realized that even though there are so many similarities on the surface between both cities but once you look at the details or to say under the surface you realize that each city is unique in its own way cause of their influences from cultural dimensions, societal values, history and technology, etc.

The Futility of War Essay -- Literary Analysis

Stories of wars and the resulting victories are usually told in highly elaborated narratives that seek to cover the grim realities of war as much as they aim to arouse emotion in order to ensure support for any future wars among the masses. However, war, by its very nature, is neither desirable nor its outcome praiseworthy. Erich Maria Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front lays bare the gritty, gruesome and ultimately self-defeating nature of wars. As Paul Baumer and his soldier comrades enlist and join the German Army in order to defeat the enemy, they themselves are slowly vanquished, first psychologically and finally physically through death. As the soldier members of Paul Baumer’s company are slowly killed in battle, he becomes more and more disillusioned with the war, especially since he and his friends had enlisted with idealistic aims fed to them by their teacher Kantorek. Instead of patriotic glory and poetic war victories, Paul and his friends found defeat and ephemeral triumphs; instead of honor, they encountered dishonor; instead of personal growth and advancement, they found stagnation and watched their youthful dreams die. Through the war experiences of Paul Baumer as depicted in the novel All Quiet on the Western Front, the ultimate tragedy of war is revealed; it destroys the lives of its very agents – the soldiers – by crashing their dreams and claiming their lives for little discernible overall gain. Going To War Ultimately, Paul Baumer and his high school mates enthusiastically enlisted and went to war first out of a sense of youthful adventure. Barely out of their teens, Paul and his high school mates are not old enough to understand the socio-economic and political factors that characterized the outbr... ... war as captured by the leaders of the war hardly depicts the futility of war, and only the through the accounts of soldiers on the front does the truth emerge, as it does in the novel – that war is counter-productive. Works Cited Hunt, Nigel. "The contribution of All Quiet on the Western Front to our understanding of psychological trauma." European Psychiatry 19, no. 8 (2004): 489-493. Remarque, Erich Maria. All Quiet on the Western Front. Trans. A. W. Wheen. New York: Fawcett Books, 1982. Robinett, Jane. "The Narrative Shape of Traumatic Experience." Literature & Medicine 26, no. 2 (Fall2007 2007): 290-311. Tighe, Joseph A. 2004. "All Quiet on the Western Front: A Phenomenological Investigation of War." Critical Survey 16, no. 3(Fall 2004): 48-61. Ware, Thomas C. "Remarque's ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT." Explicator 63, no. 2 (Fall 2005): 99-100.

Life of George Eliot aka Mary Ann Evans Essay -- essays research pape

George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans) lived from 1819 to 1880. She was raised in a very traditional family. Her father was a farmer who managed various estates, and he made certain that his daughter was given a very strict Methodist education. She attended a series of boarding schools where she learned that which was typical for a young lady in the early part of the nineteenth century -- subjects such as French, piano, and handwriting. While at these boarding schools, she frequently turned to fiction as a form of amusement, establishing at an early age the foundation upon which her later novels would be based. Despite this traditional upbringing, though, Mary Ann Evans lived an adult life that many considered to be utterly scandalous. In the mid-1840's she began to question seriously the Christian faith in which she was raised, and by the end of the 1840's she had abandoned the church altogether. This questioning of religion may have initiated her literary career, though, her translation of Das Leben Jesu, a controversial inquiry into the tenets of Christianity, gained her some notice in L...