Liberal Studies Versus Concentrated Degree Essay Example for Free

Liberal Studies Versus Concentrated Degree Essay Thesis Statement: Liberal Arts graduates who possess a wide array of skills have a less difficult time finding long-term employment compared to more applied streams of education. (May Change- I am still hesitant about my topic) A List: Philip Giles, Torben Drewes, and Jon Cowans Abstract: The liberal studies education provides a graduate student with numerous skills and endless employment opportunities. In our continuously changing society and job market, many are struggling with finding employment within their careers. Research currently states that learning various skills and developing a broad-based skill set is the key to having a successful and long-lasting career. For some the liberal education means a general education in terms of â€Å"the classic great books,† as opposed to specialized training for a particular career. For others, it means the subject matter, â€Å"the liberal arts† or â€Å"the humanities. † Either way, the liberal arts offers a diverse education that prepares one for life. Annotated Bibliography: Liberal Arts Degrees and the Labor Market, Philip Giles and Torben Drewes Although more fulfilling salaries for liberal arts careers are promising in the longer term, research says that those of applied majors tend to occupy more job offers and higher salaries at entry level (Short 1). â€Å"While both groups received substantial average hourly wages, wage rates for applied programs graduates were about 6% higher for both men and women† (Giles and Drews 29). Currently, there is a higher demand among employers for new graduates with majors such as engineering, health professions and computer science, however, a lower demand for new graduates with a liberal arts major. It is clear that majority of students are graduating with a technical degree such as business or engineering, however, research shows that graduates with a Humanities degree will develop stronger careers in the future. â€Å"Their longer-term career entry and advancement prospects may be equal or superior to those whose undergraduate majors are of immediate interest to employers† (Short 1). The article states that Humanities and social sciences students acquire different skills than those obtained in more vocationally trained settings (Giles and Drews 32). These Humanities skills, according to the article, earn lower wage rates in entry level positions, however, later in their careers there was higher rates of employment and wages than their applied program counterparts. The reasoning for this, according to Giles and Drew’s article, is it takes longer for liberal arts graduates to figure out what they want to do because the direction they want to go in is not as clear as those of a technical major such as business. The picture that emerges is one in which individuals graduating from programs in the humanities and social sciences had considerably more difficulty with the school-to-work transition† (Giles and Drews 33). In other words, an engineering major has a more concise and direct education that leads them to a certain career, however those who are liberal arts graduates with a broad-based Humanities education, have a more explorative time finding what career direction to follow. Of What Use These Liberal Arts, Jon Cowans A recent study says that Arts graduates were highly successful in gaining long-term employment because of their academic breadth and flexibility (Cowans 20). In Jon Cowan’s, Of What Use These Liberal Arts, a 2002 Trent University economics professor published a study called Value Added: Humanities and Social Sciences Degrees on recent university graduates in the job market. He wrote, â€Å"The development of more generic, but valuable, skills may actually give the liberal arts and science graduates a leg up on their more vocational counterparts since such skills are much less likely to be rendered obsolete by technological trade-induced shocks. The ability to switch sectors of employment has value in a rapidly changing economy† (Cowans 21). In other words, liberal arts and science graduates, according to Cowans, have an advantage in the job market because of their broad-based and adaptable skills. According to the article, it is principally for these skills that the Arts graduates are finding employment. â€Å"A better organized mind, capable of inquiring and distinguishing false from true and fact from opinion; a mind enhanced in its ability to write, read and compute† (Cowans 21). The main distinction Cowans makes is that more applied streams of education limit a graduate whereas a liberal studies major has a more diverse educational background to offer an employer. Yes a Liberal Arts Education Can Be Productive, Joseph Short President of Bradford College, Joseph Short, believes that a strong liberal arts education prepares students to strive for a fulfilling career. According to Short’s, Yes a Liberal Arts Education Can be Productive, an education in the Arts paves more pathways to executive, professional, and leadership positions in society than many vocationally specific undergraduate majors in technical fields (Short 1). Further, a degree in liberal arts develops higher-order intellectual skills such as problem solving, reasoning, and data analysis that allow the Humanities graduate to perform various skills that are affective within a number of careers. Last, these graduates are highly recommended for entry level and long term occupations in education, communications, journalism, human services, management, government and internal relations (Short 1). Liberal Arts Studies Offer an Edge in Corporate Jobs, Carol Kleiman Similarly, in Carol Kleiman’s article Liberal Arts Studies Offer an Edge in Corporate Jobs, she discusses the negative impact having a technical degree such as business has on a graduate. In the article, John R. Marshal has an engineering degree from Princeton University and an MBA from the University of Virginia but still felt a gap in his education.’ I had too narrow a technical education, and while that helps meet your employer’s immediate needs, you’re not left with any way to navigate your life’† (Kleiman, 1). Consequently, he went back to school for a degree in liberal studies and felt a more broadened view of the world (Kleiman 1. ) Overall, Kleiman’s article explains that any sort of education is worthwhile however, an in-depth educational background in liberal studies allows the strong possibility for an advancing career of upward mobility because of its broad education and endless employment possibilities. What Does a Liberal Arts Degree Get You in Today’s Job Market, Eisa Nunez According to Eisa Nunez’s What Does a Liberal Arts Degree get you in Today’s Job Market, â€Å"in today’s technological world – where knowledge doubles every 18 months and industries are created in less time – requires workers with transferable skills they need to be ready for as many as 11 different jobs in a lifetime† (Nunez 1). â€Å"The only education that prepares us for change is a liberal education. In periods of change, narrow specialization condemns us to inflexibility† (Nunez 1). It is true that 70 to 80 percent of college freshman list the following as their reasons for attending college: earning money, finding job, and preparing for a career (Nunez 1). Rather than concentrating on learning one skill and going out into the workforce, Nunez says that taking time to develop critical thinking, writing, and presentation skills in various areas is necessary to leading a long term successful career in the 21st century. This preoccupation with the short-term is based on an old labor-market model that assumes that a narrow, technical education is the key to success. However, David Kearns, executive chief officer of Xerox says, â€Å"This idea does not work in a modern economy where adaptability is the key† (Nunez 1). College of Liberal Arts Needs a Makeover On the contrary, in College of Liberal Arts Needs a Makeover, the author says that the college major, Liberal Arts is in dire need of a makeover, â€Å"a new marketing campaign to promote an updated image† (Frank 1). â€Å"Its a shame that many people believe a liberal arts major has limited job prospects upon graduation† (Frank 1). Further, the article states that businesses would rather have new hires with specialized technical training to fill entry level positions. â€Å"People who can hit the ground running, they say, like engineers, programmers, hotel managers, nurses, lab technicians† (Frank 1). In other words, those fresh out of technical training are prepared to begin working in the career of their choice, whereas Liberal Arts graduates need more training in their job choice. Frank says that because the name Liberal means free or generous, the word free gets mistaken with easy. An engineering student has to master really difficult subjects like physics and calculus. A liberal arts student takes English and history† (Frank 1) Therefore, subconsciously, people think it cant be that hard to study English. Interdisciplinary Approach: Advantages and Disadvantages, and the Future Benefits of Interdisciplinary Studies, Casey Jones In Casey Jones article, Interdisciplinary Approach: Advantages and Disadvantages, and the Future Benefits of Interdisciplinary Studies, discusses the current structure of the educational system. She believe that Liberal or interdisciplinary studies focus on the fringes of a field and owers an academics reputation in the eyes of his peers and hurts his chances for tenure†(Jones 78). In other words, the academic system is still very much structured on the concentration of specific majors because the integration of interdisciplinary or Liberal studies, does not fully prepare a student for employment in the real world. The Employable Liberal Arts Major, Rachel Donadio Similarly, Rachel Donadio’s article points out with tuition costs raising and the state of the economy, it is better to learn as many applied skills as possible. This year at Colgate and New York University, there have been professional training programs instilled which allow students to participate in non-credit courses that offer them specific job training within a field. With the competitive job market, there are a lot of specific skills that young people need as the economy and employment industry continue to diversify. â€Å"Colleges say they aren’t abandoning the liberal arts education but rather bring the ideal slightly more in line with the job market reality† (Donadio). Although this article slightly goes against my thesis statement, I believe it offers a different view on the liberal arts education. Studies Indicate that Liberal Arts Grads are Less Likely to be Recruited for Jobs In Studies Indicate that Liberal Arts Grads are Less Likely to be Recruited for Jobs, The Wall Street Journal, confirms that employment recruiting companies favor top ivy league schools over less reputable schools. In this article, seniors graduating from Mount Holyoke, a liberal arts college, â€Å"are much less likely to be recruited from top companies† (The Mount Holyoke News). Although they are less likely to be recruited, employment after college is not as affected. â€Å"The national unemployment rate for college graduates under 25 in 2010 was 8 percent, up from 6. 8 percent in April 2009 and 3. 7 percent in April 2007† (The Mount Holyoke News). Despite the great recession, according to the article, our recent graduate have done well. â€Å"Our students have the critical thinking skills, the communication skills, the ability to understand. The ability to communicate across cultures-the things employers really look for† (The Mount Holyoke News).

Pressure Groups And Stability Of Regime In Pakistan

Pressure Groups And Stability Of Regime In Pakistan The literature review will focus on the issues and the reasons that affect the stability of regime in Pakistan, mainly focusing on the different forms of pressure groups, the role they have played, whether positive or negative in the past and what is the future of Pakistan if these pressure groups continue to be dominating and influential. Also some of the important eras will be highlighted like Zias regime or Musharrafs regime. Most of the articles are basically theory based with no such statistical model applied and basically focus on the prevailing instability in Pakistan and issues related to it. According to the writer the reason behind the instability is basically the lack of a proper political system in Pakistan. No government has survived for long and successfully. The national assembly has been dissolved 10 times and 3 times the reason was military interference. No political parties have worked together in peace. There has been always a conflict of interest or power. At the same time religious parties have created their own brand of Islam and are exploiting the situation. Lack of fair elections and corruption has led to extreme cases like political victimization and political polarisation. Even though democratic political institutions exist they are weak and fragile. Another factor is of the existence of feudal lords, which has caused a structural imbalance between the middle class, and the upper class, which comprises of mostly landlords and industrialists. Majority of the power lies in the hands of the upper class. Another issue that has been highlighted in the article is the ethnic conflict that has been in debate for years. Other issues that are discussed in the article are the role of army, rising power of the religious parties and lack of proper rule of law. To conclude the article discusses that future of Pakistan lies in a more democratic environment where there is less corruption and the role of judiciary would be stronger in maintaining a balance between the arbitrary power and the party in power. Today the masses are more informed about the political system in Pakistan and one way it has contributed to the development of the country as a whole however there are other major factors like increase in the level of suicide attacks, food shortage, water and power shortage which has adversely affected the country. What was a basic ideology for the existence of the country is now more of a pressure group that seeks to gain power by exploiting the constant military intervention and forcing out the secular political parties. The creation of political polarisation amongst civilian and military, among different ethnic groups and provincial groups and among Islamists and secularist has disrupted the regime stability. Also now religious pressure groups have become more powerful, well armed and well financed and influence different branches of government. People have lost trust in the secular parties like Muslim League (Nawaz) and PPP and at the same time most of the military rulers have used Islamist for their own political purpose, be it Zia or be it Musharraf. According to the author the best way to control the growing power of Islamists is through democracy and strengthening the civil society. Also he suggests that U.S intervention in such matter should be taken especially after September 11 attac ks. The biggest limitation of this article is that it focused more on the role of Islamist in the past than their existing role. Also the conclusion is very uncertain and vague as to how should this pressure group be controlled. The condition of Pakistan is deteriorating and if we look at the current scenario the one of the biggest problem the religious groups that has created disruption and fear among the lives of the people. The writer focuses more on the past the past then the future. From 1947-1958 the two most economically powerful pressure groups in West Pakistan were the landlords and the business groups. In East Pakistan the power lied in the hands of the middle class income groups, after the land acquisition act in 1951. Whereas in West Pakistan feudalism was on it peak whereby one-fifth of the cultivable land was owned by one-half of one percent of the owners. Not only were these landowners active in politics by capturing the majority seats in the assembly. In provincial elections in 1951 in the former Punjab about 80 percent of the members elected were landlords. Out of 40 members in the constituent assembly 28 members were landlord groups. The landlords groups have been long engaged in rivalries. As rival groups were more or less in agreement in retaining their landed interests, politics in Pakistan has become a cynical pursuit of sheer power. The domination of feudal lords and family rivalries affected the politics of Pakistan. The influence of business groups was small since at that time there were few industries. It was indirect, whereby they were formally organized and they put effective pressure on the decision-making authorities from outside the governmental institution. The labor class is very weak, but slowly the trade unions are growing strong and influential when it comes to labor issues. Feudal system is still prevalent in the rural areas whereby the decision of the big landlord is considered to be the final verdict. Also the major leaders of political parties have the landowning background be it Asif Ali zardari, Sharif brothers or Altaf hussain. These landowners due to their rivalries have affected the stability in a bad way. Even though this article is very old but is of extreme relevance as discuses the root cause that lead to the emergence of Pressure groups in Pakistan and is can be of importance when comparing the regimes over-time and how the roles have changed. The later impact of this was that when Zias regime ended the position and the jobs that were promised to the religious Ulemas who had no formal education but merely an informal education in the madrasas were rejected. This frustrated the religious militancy, which resulted in an extreme behavior and disruption. Furthermore religious groups can be categorized as the role of Taliban in destruction of Pakistan. The impact of the training of Talibans during the Afghanistan war and providing them with arms and funding them has now become problematic for Pakistan with a huge number of suicide attacks happening and terrorizing the whole country. Zia-ul-haq immense support for the Islamic activists has resulted in the religious polarisation that exists in todays Pakistan. The statistics say that by 1996 there were around 2463 madrasas only in Punjab and 1700 were supported from outside sources that included the Persian Gulf and Middle East. These Islamic teaching centers are more now a centr al place for the political activities. Thus, it can be concluded from this article that the rise of Islamists and constant battle between Sunni and Shia has resulted in instability in Pakistan over the years. However Pakistan which is presided by Musharraf and is in the shackles of economic recession and anarchy needs heavy financing for not only sustaining the Musharrafs regime but also its economic well being. Despite strong U.S alliance it doesnt do a sufficient to save Pakistan from drenching. Religious extremism diverts a lot of attention of the government of Pakistan as the attacks and events leading to deaths and bloodshed have recently increased in the country. People feel insecure and threatened by their own fellows. In the name of religion wrong doers are exploiting the weaker ones. Military has taken over the country, sometimes directly by enforcing Marshal law and sometimes indirectly by influencing the government when making the decisions. Also the prevailing condition as the country is on the verge of Civil war military is more active within the country than on the outskirts to protect it from its neighbors. The four categories of elites are economic, political social and religious. Each of these exerts different levels of influence over the government. According to the author Political elites include, officers, and members of large landowning families. Economic elites include the industrialist class, which can be considered as newly wealthy and newly influential. The conflict between the two elite classes is one of the major reasons for instability. As 4th president has been dismissed since 1988, the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif won the majority of seats however Benazir Bhutto claimed that the elections were unfair and there has been extensive fraud. Although PPP became popular because of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto for giving an ordinary man a political voice but Benazir ruled the party in a completely opposite opinion of her father by supporting privatization over nationalization and viewing US as a major ally rather than a potential threat. From a position of weakness in martial law period the judiciary has began to re-assert its independence. However, the role of judges is still controversial. The emergence of free press was a positive sign but at the same time, Pakistans mismanagement of economies reflects the weakness of the political structure. The political game has taken over a priority in the long-term policy making. Problems such as fiscal deficiency, debt and long-term business interest erosion have always drifted the economi c cursor. The increase in ethnic fragmentation, religious extremism and centralization if political power has created political crisis which needs to be solved as soon as possible otherwise it will result in civil war amongst the ethnic groups, domestic and international terrorism and implementation of marshal law. Not only the government of Pakistan should work on this but also should form allies with the external players like US, Japan and European Union (EU). Furthermore in this article the author talked about the regime of Nawaz Sharif as this article is written during that period of time. Here the writer highlights some of policies adopted by Nawaz Sharif, in which he aims at centralizing the power to the central and creating anarchy. Furthermore the conflicts between the ethnic groups have increased widely whereby Punjab is considered to be the most popular, developed and largely focused on in terms of allocating resources, improving education system. This has resulted in other 3 provinc es becoming more backward and less developed and sense of deprivation. The writer also discusses on how the civil institution have weakened during Nawaz Sharifs era as he is trying to gain popular support of the military. Other problems that were identified in the article were drug trafficking and settling of refugees. In conclusion the writer has basically focused on support from the international players. first is democratization and civil-military relations; and second islamization and Islamisms relation to the state. Both of issues are separate yet interdependent on each other and needs to be analyzed and focused on as the future of the country is at stake. The writer also highlighted Musharrafs era and despite that he was more liberal than Zia but he used the brand of Islam and is exploiting the public.

Marks And Spencer: The Biggest High Street Retailers

Marks And Spencer: The Biggest High Street Retailers Marks and Spencer is one of the biggest high street retailers in UK with over 600 UK stores and nearly 303 stores in 41 territories. The home country of Marks and Spencer is United Kingdom. The head office is located in central London at Waterside House. As the companys principle is to value quality, innovation, personalize service and security to their customers in a very unique manner which builds the trust of the customers towards the company. MS offers stylish, high quality clothing, home products and outstanding service especially their own food brands since 125 years. Through massive supply chain including more than 2000 suppliers globally we have used the analytical to tools which are explained as follows: Pestle analysis Political Analysis: In spite of cultural differences MS have functioned very efficiently in terms of macroeconomic policies and also improved good relations with other countries to expand the business. Economical Analysis: As the current scenario the economic conditions are adverse because of the recession therefore MS is not able to achieve the desired targets due to which they have to reduce their cost of products and even bargain with the suppliers. ( ) Socio-cultural Analysis: MS adopt certain social and cultural aspects which vary from country to country in terms of their lifestyle, values and beliefs. This leaves the impact on diffusion of products onto the market. As changes in the lifestyle results in both opportunities and threats to the firm. Technological Analysis: MS uses advance technology in order to serve their customers such as enhanced online shopping were customers can make choices from various products that are available in relation to clothing, food etc. This provides flexibility in running the business more efficiently. (http://www.oxbridgewriters.com/essays/marketing/marks-spencers-corporate-objectives.php). Environmental Analysis: MS has developed plan A which makes the company to fight against climate change, waste reduction etc. This is the first company that has removed the artificial colours from the food items. They give points to the customers if the customer uses their bags while shopping. This way the MS is environmental friendly. Legal Analysis: MS has high holding status, so this will influence the environmental regulation with which in duties must comply. MS has standard accounting methods. MS is listed in on London stock exchange, they are founding member of business in the community. Industry life cycle period There are 4 phases in the life cycle, the MS had started from introduction phase it had taken a long time to developed and move towards the growth phase. In 20th century the growth of MS was strong enough to compete in the market. The company is still in the growth stage as they are innovative and creative in terms of developing new products and because of this only they havent reached to the maturity and decline stage. Five Forces Threat of New Entrants: In 19th century; there were new entries like Asda, Tesco, and Sainsbury. Even Zara and Top Shop were entering the market. So MS faced high threat from them and started avoiding product differentiation decreasing the cost through mass production. Bargaining Power of Buyers: MS bargaining power increases because the quality and the price of the products are high therefore they cannot hold the customers as Tesco, Asda and Top- Shop do so they have come up with quality products with cheaper prices to attract the customers, thus MS is becoming more price sensitive. The Bargaining Power of Suppliers: MS bargaining power is very high as it is known for its quality value products. So supplier can threaten the market by increasing high price or decreasing the quality. As MS is doing partnership widely which increases bargaining power of supplier. Threat of Substitute Product Service: Due competition substitute products services are available, MS is having brand name which is valuable, but substitutes are also available like Tesco, Asda, Manchester United, Zara and Top Shop. Intensity of Rivalry among competitors: The Rivalry among the competitors is strong, In case of MS, there are many competitors so they use tactics like sales promotions, advertising, product differentiation and diversifying the structure by introducing other brand products. Threats Due to high competition, the products substitution is possible this will further reduce the price of product e.g. Primark. MS products are value perspective but there are very small group which constitute value perspective and consumer perspective products as it is having value added pricing methods as other retailers use market skimming method. Opportunities The competitive advantage helped the company to expands its business keeping in mind the futuristic vision in terms of diversification to help market development from the existing products by welcoming new products and make them exist in the global market this denotes the expansion matrix in terms of MS as the company is on the edge of establishing its brand across the territories. External Analysis: From the above mentioned analysis one can state that MS produces the superior quality products and thus MS can sustain in strategic market for long time but have to be protective from competitors. MS has strong advertising strategy (example: clothing). Mostly there sales promotions are done by online purchases and creating awareness in all the public places like tube station, train station, bus station etc. Buyers of MS are gradually falling because the Tesco and Sainsbury are providing quality products with cheaper rates. So through all this we can say that MS needs to take quick decision regarding various polices and strategies that they are following. Strategic Alliances Economy of scale: In case of MS economy of scale it uses the concept of mass production and through this they could reduce the cost per unit as well they raise more revenue. As it is one of the trustworthy brands it had to keep hold on efficiency. Economy of scope: MS has varieties of products in the different range of stores and locations. This diversification of their products and services as this core quality is giving greater opportunity to compete in the global market. Economy of learning: MS has additional competence as learning of new markets, new customers and new preferences according their previous pitfalls and achievements. (http://www.marketingteacher.com/Lessons/lesson_PEST.htm) Evaluation of Company Performance by Balanced Scorecard Approach. Customer Perspective: MS has now understood its quality value attributes were not working longer as their business strategy because customers are trying to get quality goods at a cheaper price. As a result now they moved from product focus to customer focus to attract the customers towards them. E.g. innovative online shopping and giving more value added services. The Internal Business Perspective: This perspective highlights the internal capability of firm. MS has invested to open a retail park, food stores in different towns travel hubs in airports, stations etc. The speed and flexibility of getting the products into the stores has improved by managing inventory. To provide a good service to the customer, the company has invested in systems infrastructure. This helps to reduce the export cost ignites distribution. MS have launched an expertise division to fight against the climate change, waste reduction trading in ethical way etc. (Marks Spencer Annual Report 2009, http://annualreport.marksandspencer.com/). The Innovation Learning Perspective: From time to time; it is coming up with new ideas. For e.g. It has introduced Per Una in 2008 and introduced Cook Asian Bakery cup cakes along with lingerie collection in 2009. MS is conducting activities to train leaders of next generation with the Flagship leadership programme new line management developing programmes. They even have benefit package for their employees (Marks Spencer Annual Report 2009, http://annualreport.marksandspencer.com/). The Financial Perspective: In this year the total revenue of the company have increased by 0.4%. Whereas international market revenue has increased by 25.9%.But the UK market has decreased by 1.7%. Company interim dividend has decreased from 8.3 pence per share to 5.5 pence per share. MS company shares increased by 5.87 per cent to 361 pence per share in, 2009(Marks Spencer Annual Report 2009,http://annualreport.marksandspencer.com/).It is satisfied with its performance in the first half of this year as the Company has increased the shares of the clothing food market. Financial Ratio Analysis: The previous sections we have used numerous tools and techniques to analysis the company the strategic performance. In addition to conclude the precise strategic appraisal of MS is explained below. MS Company Current Ratio is 0.62 times in 2009.It was 0.60 times in 2008. It is less than 1; MSs networking capital is negative. It is unusual in a company like MS. In 2009; Quick ratio was 0.33 times in 2008 but it has decreased to 0.32 times in this year. The stock has increased because of slow moving inventory. Cash ratio is 0.13 times in this year; it was 0.16 times in 2008. In 2009 Total Debt ratio is 0.74 times 0.75 times in 2008. In this year its profit margin is (0.03). This helps MS to sustain in the market. This analysis helped to explain the internal structure of the firm which is explained as follows. (Marks Spencer half year results 2009/10, http://corporate.marksandspencer.com/page.aspx?pointerid=3e7ce29a8f244dc38e22943f16d954d3) Environmental Scanning Internal analysis: The MS has some powerful strength as their competitive advantages to sustain in the market: Strong brand name: MS achieved popularity in UK because of their quality, service and innovation; and effectively stepped in global market to diversify their brand internationally. MS also developed very high reputation from all kind of customers by maintaining their standard and never compromised the quality standards. Good Financial Position: The Company has a very strong cash flow position where the company doesnt require taking any loans from any financial institutions. They can easily manage funds from the revenue they generate. The company indicates to have a strong balance sheet as there is increase in their turnover and trading profits. Generic Strategies: Cost leadership: To compare with Industry competitors MS is not focusing to be a cost leader as to maintain their quality. Differentiation: MS always differentiate their products and services to keep their position in the retail market. For example to be a UKs leading clothing retailer maintain fashion trends and great value with more clarity and newness of all range from children to old generation. E.g. Women wear PORTFOLIO and INDIGO, AUTOGRAPHF, SLIMFIT SHIRT, AND NORTH COAST and for Men, etc. limited collection and 35 and under for younger customers DINE IN FOR TWO FOR Â £10 in Food and also always customer focusing and removing duplication that are priority issues. Focus: MS gearing a focus generic strategy by concentrating on narrow market segment such as a particular buyer group and age, social class, income and occupation. Market segments through value like premium price, high quality, mid-priced and low-price segment. These are the key points applied to achieve differentiation from their competitors like Tesco, Asda, Top shop, Clarks, Zara and Next. As a tacit skill they come up with new ideas to improve the business e.g. MS maintain to keep their own brand products in stores. MS have decided to introduce the other brand products like HEINS, NESTLE etc. Value Chain Analysis: Due to the effect of the recession few years back MS had face some drawback in business especially in food industry but they quickly rectified most of the problems. To overcome from problems they have restructured their supply chain and technology recently. Before MS depends on middle man as their main clothing supplier which led 5% to 7% additional cost plus more operational cost ultimately the cost of the products are more as compared to their competitors. Inbound Logistics: MS has controlled and improve effective computerised inventory control system which is centralised over the globe in order to delivery each item to the shop floor. According to Stuart Rose (Annual report 2009) MS always focuses on environment friendly manufacturing, recycling process through Plane A project which gives very successful achievement in food and clothing industry as well as very controlled operational cost led the company to reduced the price of goods . As an added value the company has a powerful website to integrate the online order management to fulfil the potential benefit. MS has signed an agreement with Amazon for e-commerce services to the retail sector (Press release 2009) which has efficient work flow design. Outbound Logistics: In order to provide continuous replenishment services and products to the customers MS has efficient automated system such as RFID to improve stock accuracy and inventory processes and delivery method. They have their own delivery vehicles and warehouses all over the world. They have closed 21 warehouses to consolidate their GM operations into four large warehouses within UK. In addition to this MS made agreements with third party logistics operators to integrate their suppliers in the supply chain. In case of International distribution they moved forward with direct sourcing as an add strategic value planed to implement SAP within their core commercial system in 2010 and going to outsource their HR system to save time to consent rate in core business (MS case study 2009) Sales Marketing: MS has excellent approach in sales and marketing in advertising, store seasonal promotions. They have proved that products are value for the money. Their recent sales improvements and marketing campaigns are such substantial achievement in retail industry (Annual report 2009) Service: To retain the existing customers and to attract new customers MS targeting more on value added services such as Insurance, Credit card, Tourism, Home delivery etc. Not only this MS has also established in HRM, Technology development, Procurement and General Administration and still keep looking to improved through standard dedicated RD team. In regards to Boston Matrix MS have penetrated into the market through its various new products and services which deals with selling products into the market and achieved main objective in terms to increase the market share of current products; also it has secured a dominant growth in the market. As they are diverse in their products the company has also opened new retail outlets in different countries and have occupied the market in a better manner. Therefore, the Boston Matrix analysis in terms of MS doesnt have any dogs and problem child because they are not losing any revenues which they have invested but in terms of cash cows they are not successful in gaining revenue from some international territories due to recession. But in terms of stars MS hold a strong market due to their reputation. Boston Matrix in a very simplified manner: In relation to the diamond porters competitive advantage in the market MS hold a very strong position as it has withstand in the international market keeping in mind firms restructuring strategies which has helped to increase the productivity and innovativeness as per the demand of the customer. The company is supported by skilled personnel, capital and infrastructure thus gaining sustainability in the world market. Even the government inspires MS to launch its desired products because of the companys loyalty towards the customers. Strengths: MS is the largest retail industry in the global market. It has strong financial backup and also holds good reputation among the customers, suppliers and the distributors. The brand is very famous among the market in UK as well as over the globe. Even they have diverse range of products which makes them unique in their behaviour as they have their in house production. These key points have helped MS sustain in the global market. Weakness: Marks and Spencer is in strong competition with Top Shop, Zara and Next for example the production life cycle of Zara is just 6 weeks even when it comes to clothing outlets these retailers offer the same price range as MS and even more fashionable products. In terms of food shopping MS faces competition with Sainsburys and Tesco as they offer high quality value added foods. Conclusion: Using both environmental analysis techniques (SWOT and PESTEL) and portfolio analysis we have seen that MS have various internal strengths and weakness in its current business activities as well as number of opportunities and threats. The portfolio of MSs products in terms of BCG matrix is either dogs (cash in balance) or question marks (cash cow). In food and clothing (with its focus differentiation generic strategy) relative market shares is low with low industry growth and Financial services industry growth is high but MSs market share is low and will require substantial capital investment to turn them into stars.

Analysis of Gerrit van Honthorsts Painting, Musical Group on a Balcony

Analysis of Gerrit van Honthorst's Painting, Musical Group on a Balcony The Dutch painter Gerrit van Honthorst was known in Rome as Gherardo delle Notti (Gerard of the Night Scenes) for his striking use of a single light source to illuminate a dark scene. He was successful in bringing Caravaggio’s lighting techniques with him to the North, influencing many painters, including Rembrandt. But his painting â€Å"Musical Group on a Balcony† is a departure from his customarily dark depictions. This piece was the first Dutch illusionistic ceiling, which Honthorst painted for his own home in Utrecht. Honthorst’s use of perspective, bright yet simple composition, and lighthearted subject matter are representative of the pastoral life that many Renaissance artists celebrated. Seeing the painting mounted on the ceiling in The Getty instead of looking at it straight-on from a computer screen helped me to understand Honthorst’s accomplishment of perspective. Its position on the ceiling forces us to look up at it, and we have a sense of being removed from the jovial scene above us. We are reminded of Marlowe’s poem â€Å"The Passionate Shepherd to His Love,† as the speaker imagines himself and his lover removed from their immediate world, admiring a pastoral scene: â€Å"And we will sit upon the rocks,/ Seeing the shepherds feed their flocks.† The group high above us on the balcony could be the very â€Å"melodious birds† about which Marlowe’s shepherd speaks. Just as we are onlookers of the merry musical group, they look upon us as well, inviting us to join in their merry-making. A man stands with his arms around his lover, as though singing â€Å"Come live with me, and be my love.† The entire group seems to be saying t... ...nd to its earthly, pastoral feel. The Humanist movement encouraged the flourishing and the rediscovery of art, and the way many Renaissance artists chose to do this was to depict life in a bucolic, natural setting. The pastoral life was held up as an ideal and carefree living situation, and the musical group on the balcony fits this perfectly. The composition of the painting is very simple and light; not a lot is going on in this scene, characterizing the carefree country life. Honthorst’s delightful painting captures the essence of an ideal moment in the Renaissance life. Just as the speaker in Marlowe’s poem invites his lover to discover with him all the pleasures that a pastoral life can offer, the group on the balcony urges us to join them in their merry-making. Both entreaties are effective in evoking the sweet and simple music of a carefree life.

life :: essays research papers

Self from Religious Viewpoint The Afterlife is an area of human consciousness we all enter upon leaving the physical world at physical death. Throughout history we've questioned if there is a life after death. Along the way, our religions and various philosophers offered beliefs and opinions to answer this commonly asked question. However, many of the answers contradict each other making it hard to figure out. While some believe it's impossible to know whether there is life after death, belief in immortality is a timeless phenomenon. Through the years there have been many philosophers that do not believe in life after death. Among them is David Hume. David Hume was a British imperialist to the extreme. He only believed in what he could see. He felt that if you can't see your soul or god then they must not exist. The same holds true for the after life, or heaven. He felt that when you died that was it, your life was over and there was nothing more. Muangkram pg.2 Buddhist's also do not believe in life after death meaning heaven. Buddhist's believe that when one dies he is reborn again and this continues until the person reaches Nirvana. Nirvana is the state in which one has attained disinterested wisdom and compassion. In the Buddhist religion there is no god to save you or to show you the way. To reach nirvana you must achieve insight and wisdom. The Buddha was not saved by a revelation or from any god. He was the self-enlightened one; by the power of his own post virtue, which finally produced piercing insight and wisdom, he came to the knowledge or the saving insight into things 'as they are.' He literally made himself a Buddha and subsequently entered Nirvana. One of the great philosophers that did believe in life after death was Spinoza. Spinoza believed there was a heaven and a hell and the life here in the physical realm was just a small part of gods greater plan. Spinoza believed that man is a fleeting incident in an infinite and eternal universe. In the Christian religion it is believed that there does exist life after death. The argument to support it being that after Jesus died he rose from the dead, proving that the soul is not destroyed after death. This proof of immortality has been accepted by millions of Christians and has been regarded as one of the most precious assurances brought to mankind by Jesus.

The Travel Expense Billing Controversy and False Claims Act Essay

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC), a major accounting firm, was engaged in unethical billing practices that generated millions of dollars in additional revenue to the company. PwC was charging its clients the full price of airline tickets and other travel expenses, such as hotel rooms and car rentals, while it was actually expending only a small percentage of the full amount billed to its clients due to applied rebates and discounts it received under travel agencies and airline contracts and negotiations. Therefore, the company was â€Å"overcharging†¦ clients and pocketing the difference without revealing the practice† (AccountingWeb). However, since Neal A. Roberts, a PwC employee, discovered his employer’s travel billing practices, PwC found itself in a very difficult situation. Mr. Roberts wasn’t in agreement with his company’s billing method and made several attempts to address the problem while working for his firm without much success. He reache d out to the company’s ethics department and to an in-house PwC lawyer, but only managed to have the company’s policy revised, not corrected. A group of people (mostly the company’s partners) decided that under the new policy, PwC would have to disclose most of the discounts to its clients but still keep 8 percent of the rebates as a â€Å"cover our costs† fee while retaining the â€Å"millions†¦ collected previously on the earlier rebates† (Carroll and Buchholtz 630). Despite these policy changes, Neil A. Roberts remained dissatisfied and decided to file a False Claims lawsuit against PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. The False Claims Act is a federal legislation that was established to make sure companies were not circumventing the government. Under this legislation, anyone who knows about â€Å"companies that are defrauding the government may sue on the government’s behalf and share in the proceeds of the suit† while being protected from workplace retaliation under the qui tam (also known as a whistle-blower) provisions of the Act (Carroll and Buchholtz 630). In December 2003, Mr. Roberts won the False Claims lawsuit against PwC after much investigation, and â€Å"the accounting firm agreed†¦ to a settlement valued at $54.5 million† although it denied the fraud allegations (Weil 1). Considering this travel expense billing controversy, the company failed to obtain integrity and professionalism by carrying out this unethical pr actice for its own benefit. It was selfish, only seeking profit, and neglected its reputation in front  of clients and the market. In addition, the firm also failed to elaborate important policies and regulations in regards to this unethical practice in order to prevent employers from attempting this illegal action. Moreover, the accounting firm was lacking an effective stakeholder management and important principles that could have helped build stakeholder relationships. Since the company’s primary and secondary social stakeholders are the employees, managers, clients, ethics committee, management committee, travel companies/airlines, and federal government, PwC should develop a strong stakeholder culture and stakeholder management capabilities. They can effectively address stakeholder issues and relationships, analyze the stakeholders’ power, monitor their interests and needs, communicate with them regularly, and stay engaged with them. In doing so, the company would be able to identify strategies for dealing with the key stakeholders and consider the relative power of different stakeholder groups along with their importance to the issues confronting the organization. PwC desired to be seen as an ethically responsible company by having an ethics committee, but instead, it was only trying to be ethically responsible through legitimation, which is â€Å"a dynamic process by which business seeks to perpetuate its acceptance† (Carro ll and Buchholtz 95). The firm wanted to continue to obtain financial gain even though Mr. Roberts and other partners had already questioned its practices. For instance, modifying its policy to offer discounts of 28 percent while still keeping 8 percent as a service fee. As a result, all these issues influenced Neil A. Roberts’ decision in filing a False Claims lawsuit against the accounting firm. The False Claims Act is good in its sense, which allows an individual to report a company whenever it is engaging in illegal activities, but Mr. Roberts could be using this Act to gain financial gain as he also participated in the False Claims lawsuit against IBM that settled in 2007. Consequently, these allegations create some concerns in regards to Mr. Roberts’ intentions. Was he acting ethically to overturn unethical companies or was he just acting to simply obtain financial gains, as the Act awards individuals a share of the winnings when they seek fraud damages on behalf of the government? All things considered, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP could have avoided this multimillion dollar lawsuit and scandal if only it had maintained its corporate legitimacy by observing all laws and regulations, and practicing good ethical principles towards its stakeholders. Works Cited AccountingWeb. PwC to Settle Travel Expenses Lawsuit for $54.5 Million. 23 December 2003. Web. 28 September 2014. Carroll, Archie B and Ann K Buchholtz. â€Å"Corporate Governance: Foundational Issues.† Business & Society ; Ethics, Sustainability, and Stakeholder Management. South-Western Cengage Learning, 2012. 94-120. Paper. Carroll, Archie B and Ann K Buchholtz. â€Å"The Travel Expense Billing Controversy and False Claims Act.† Business & Society ; Ethics, Sustainability, and Stakeholder Management. Ohio: South-Western Cengage Learning, 2012. 628-31. Paper. Weil, Jonathan. â€Å"Court Files Offer Inside Look At Pricewaterhouse Billing Clash.† The Wall Street Journal Online (2004): 1-4. Web. 28 September 2014.

Functions of Retail Management

FUNCTIONS OF RETAIL MANAGEMENT When attempting to start a business, having a keen understanding of the goals of management through the main four management functions is one key to seeing success, both with the operation and with employees. With this said, a vital part of planning of the management end will involve three important activities. The first stage, â€Å"planning involves developing a systematic process for attaining the goals of the organization†¦ Leaders make change happen through planning instead of reacting to change† (EntEd 2007). The first of which will be to lay out the goals that will be set for the hypothetical sporting goods store used as the example, the second will be to create a business plan since â€Å"the development of the business plan greatly helps to clarify the organization's plans and ensure that key leaders are all ‘on the same script. ‘ Far more important than the plan document is the planning process itself† (McNamara 2007). During the process of coming up with this business plan, hopefully as a manager we can begin to foresee any challenges we might face, especially if those challenges arise because of unpredictable circumstances that even the most careful planning could not predict or take measures to prevent. In short, having a process that all members present at the beginning of the organization can understand and work with in the form of a business plan is the key to success. During this planning process as we begin to decide what some of the most basic building blocks of this business are going to be (location, inventory, costs, marketing, etc. ) and through this act of working things out together in a permanent fashion, brainstorming about coming changes and challenges should naturally occur. The four functions of Management will clearly demonstrate how the functions operate in this business operation and how, in the light of the tangible situation being presented, management can avoid possible pitfalls and see how these functions operate simultaneously and are interdependent on one another. With a solid business plan firmly in place and a list of goals and anticipated changes recorded and recognized, the second important function of management, organization, is necessary. â€Å"Organizing brings together the nonhuman resources needed to achieve the project's objectives. To organize is to manage†¦ It begins with the need to define requirements† (Richman 2006). In order to serve this important function of management, it is necessary to use what was established in the planning stages to begin to carry out the first measures to live out the plan. As a manager, this will involve a great deal of research and personal organization as I look for the best strategies to carry out different smaller aspects of the business plan. This is also the stage where I begin to look to my subordinates for assistance and when I give them the chance to assist with the many activities necessary before the sporting goods store opens. This stage involves a great deal of gathering of supplies and building processes that will sustain the store and in order to make the best use of the time spent organizing, directing will become one of the most important functions of management. As one definition states, â€Å"Directing communicates the goals, purposes, procedures, and means to those who will do the work. Directing is the process of communicating the plan, whether orally or in writing† (Richmond 2006). This is particularly succinct definition in terms of the sporting goods store because so much will be required to adhere to the business plan. The organization alone must be managed with attention to detail and it will be one of my primary duties to help workers understand the value of each of their functions through careful and organized direction. Throughout the organization process and especially as things are moving along according to the plan and the business nears opening, it is vital that directing is a main focus. Since I plan on having two managers and four employees, I want everyone to be on the same page as I am. It will be important for them to realize how every task they complete connects to the goals or the business plan so there is a sense of value and something at stake. Directing will not end at this stage or even after the business is open, it will continue to be a necessary component that I must actively keep p with in order for this sporting goods store to succeed. Controlling goes hand in hand with directing as it will be important for me as a manager and owner to match the tasks delegated with the business plan and goals so that I can keep firm tabs on how we are progressing. This not only involves monitoring of progress but being vigilant so that if negative changes are occurring I can resolve the issue. A s Richman (2006) more succinctly puts it, when it comes to controlling, â€Å"in project management terms, it involves determining variances from the approved plan, then taking action to correct those variances. Through my fulfilling of these four important functions of management, I would be a permissive leader. For a small business like this sporting goods store that has a very small number of employees and only two other managers, it is necessary to allow everyone to have an equal hand in important decisions. While directing is a large part of my responsibility, I would still like to allow employees and managers a great deal of leeway concerning how they perform the tasks assigned and if those decisions on how to work are not productive, only then will I step in and be directive. This is a rather democratic way to manage this store, but hopefully it will foster the sense that the few people involved have a great deal at stake since they've personally and professional put distinct efforts into the business. By employing the for functions of Management effectively and in particular, emphasizing my role in directing and controlling, I can maintain a less structured management style while still seeing profits.