The Essay Topic You Need

The Essay Topic You NeedThe topic of what to write in the context of an essay is a question you should be asking yourself when it comes to writing your own papers. Here are some causal essay topics for college students.Causal insights are topics that help you find the bigger picture, and the truth behind the facts presented. These types of topics are often more important than those that only present facts about the topic at hand. You may be able to get into a lot of detail about facts presented, but your ideas on the big picture are never explored, and you don't explore any other sides to the subject matter. By writing about the importance of insight, you will also be providing an outline for the reader that you are going to provide your ideas on the topic in a more well rounded manner.It is important to research before using this type of causal essay topics for college students. Be sure that the sources are reliable, and they are well researched. Doing your research, and discovering the facts and information available, is an integral part of writing an essay.To be able to create causal essays, you must think about how a person will react to your piece, based on their emotions, motivations, and interests. For example, if you are writing about the effects of technology on the workplace, the people who read your work may have different motivations from you. If you have strong feelings on the topic, then these will guide your writing style.Causal essays are sometimes more difficult to write than factual essays. People have very strong beliefs on the topic, and it may be hard to build a piece around their beliefs, if their beliefs are not informed. If you don't research, or ask people on the topics you plan to write about, you may not be able to understand and change their beliefs.Causal essays are easier to write, once you have researched the topic. You should be able to use your own logic, knowledge, and experiences to give an honest opinion on the topic at hand. It is important to stay true to the facts, and provide an educated opinion on the topic.Causal essays are easier to write if you use a small amount of information that can easily relate to the topic. This helps to keep the facts clear, and the ideas presented in the right place. If you're not sure about a particular point, or want to use another fact as an argument, go ahead and use it. But make sure you do your research first.As you can see, there are many good, and bad, ways to write causal essay topics for college students. Always be careful, and remember that you should always provide a good argument for your ideas, even if it doesn't fit with the belief of the reader.

Tod and business strategy

Strategies to attain growth The core objective every business growth strategy in a firm is to increase its sales revenue and the level of profitability within a particular time frame. Over the years it has been in operation Tod has continuously utilized traditional method of creating awareness regarding its new products.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Tod and business strategy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More One of the ways through which the firm achieves this is by having the shoe being endorsed by Diego Della Valle, the chairman of the firm by wearing it. In an effort to enhance the firm’s growth, the firm can adopt a number of growth strategies as discussed herein. Market penetration The traditional method of assessing whether its new style of shoe is successful in the market is not effective. This has greatly hindered the firm’s ability to increase its profitability. This arises from the fact that the traditional method adopted is limited with regard to its market coverage. The resultant effect is that the firm’s ability to penetrate the market is has been hindered. To improve its sales revenue, it is paramount for the firm to adopt market penetration strategies. For example, the firm should improve on its marketing efforts in a number of ways. One of these ways relates to creating awareness regarding its new shoes. Under the direction of the chairman, the firm should incorporate the concept of integrated marketing communication in its effort to create market awareness. To be successful the firm has to incorporate traditional and emerging market communication methods. Some of the tactical actions which the firm should adopt include advertising, public relations and sales promotion. In its advertising strategy, the firm should integrate different mediums such as the print media, the television and radio. Additionally, the firm should also consider increasing its s ales revenue by incorporating electronic marketing through integration of the internet technology. Considering the fact that Tod is a multinational firm, electronic marketing would enable information about the firm’s product to reach a large number of customers. This is due to the fact that a large number of individuals access the internet on a daily basis.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More For internet marketing to be successful, there are a number of tools which a firm can use. Some of these tools include the social networking tools for example Facebook and You Tube. For example, through these social networking tools, the firm can post photos of its shoes being worn by famous individuals such as Princess Stà ©phanie of Monaco and Gwyneth Paltrow and its handbags being wielded by Hillary Rodham Clinton. This will act as an endorsement of the firm’s products he nce attracting a large number of customers. The resultant effect is that the firm will be able to increase its sales revenue hence attaining growth objective. In its market penetration strategy, it is vital for the firm’s management team to consider undertaking process improvement. In order to achieve this, the firm should consider producing its shoes and handbags in markets which are cost effective. For example, the firm can set up production plants in China where production is cost effective. This will greatly enhance the firm’s pricing strategy. For example, the firm will be able to set the price of its shoes at a lower point and at the same time cover its production cost and operates to profitably. This is due to the fact that a large number of customers will be able to afford the firm’s shoes (Birkholz, 2007, p.34). For example, a men’s crocodile loafer costs 3,500 Euros which approximately equals $4,850 in Italy with its cost of production being equ al to 1,590 Euros. However, producing the same shoe in China would cost the firm half the cost incurred by producing it in Italy. Product development The designer shoe and handbag industry is saturated as a result of the large number of firms in the industry. In order to enhance their competitiveness, firms in this industry have to undertake product development strategy. The strategy entails designing new products and marketing them in its existing market. The firm should also consider developing new leather products to market in its existing market. For example, the firm can consider improving the features and design of its existing shoes. Product development will help the firm to counter direct competition.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Tod and business strategy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More One of the ways through which firms can achieve this is by conducting a comprehensive research and development. Ad ditionally, the firm should consider integrating new technology to enhance its product development. This will play a vital role in increasing the firm’s profitability considering the fact that the firm is already aware of the conditions existing in the market. Diversification strategy It is important for Tod’s to consider diversifying its products. To attain this, the firm should implement new product development strategy. This strategy involves developing new products which are not related to the existing products. The new products are to be introduced in new market segments. Diversification strategy is relatively risky and a firm must have core competencies in order to succeed. In its diversification strategy, Tod’s can consider designing leather jackets. There is a high probability of the firm succeeding in the new market segment considering the fact that it has substantial knowledge with regard to leather. Market development According to Barret and Mayson (2 007, p. 307), market development is one of the main business growth strategies which is adopted by small firms in an effort to grow. However, also large firms can use the strategy to entrench their competitiveness. Over the years it has been in operation, the firm has been risk averse, which is illustrated by the declaration of its chairman that Tod’s does not take risks. This limits the firm’s ability to grow. The firm should venture into new markets by expanding its geographic coverage. For example, the firm should venture into emerging economies where it can market its products. This can be achieved through a number of ways such as by opening outlets in these countries. Alternatively, the firm can expand its market coverage by expanding its distribution channel through exporting. This will have the effect of increasing the firm’s customer base ( Barret Mayson, 2006, p. 447). According to Jankovsky (2007, p.64), overtrading arises from lack of a business unde rstanding its time frame and not following the set policies in its trade system. In most cases overtrading arises from a firm’s effort to attain its growth objective. As a result, it increases its operations.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Currently, the firm has a policy which stipulates that the stock days should be 60 days. This means that the firm’s average carrying period is 60 days before it restocks. The suggestion to increase the firms’ stock days by one third, that is 20 days would lead into an increment in the carrying cost. Assuming that the firm’s operations are not affected by changes in the business environment, the firm’s profit would be reduced due to increased carrying cost. For example, the firm would be required to pass on the cost to the consumers by increasing the price of its products. This would culminate into a reduction in the firm’s annual sales revenue from the average amount of 10 million pounds. Additionally, reduction in sales revenue would also lead into a reduction in the firm’s gross profit margin. To ensure efficiency with regard to cash flow, the firm has instituted a credit policy whereby its debtors are required to pay the debt within a per iod of 30 days. However, one of the managers has made a suggestion to increase the credit period to 90 days. This is considered to be a traditional method to achieve growth. Traditionally, most firms ensured that they have instituted good credit terms in an effort to increase sales revenue. According to Vause (2009, p.76), adopting this strategy in their sales policy can contribute towards firms attaining a rapid growth in its sales revenue and hence its profitability. Currently, almost half of the firm’s customers who purchase on credit pay within a period of 30 days as stipulated in the firm’s credit policy. The remaining customers pay within a period of 60 days. Its average bad debt is equal to 1% of the firm’s sales which is a relatively small amount. By increasing its credit period to 90 days, there is a high probability of the firm experiencing liquidity problems. This arises from the fact that the customers may take more time before paying the debt thus a ffecting the firm’s cash. Additionally, the customers may opt to get their supplies from a different source which makes the firm to be exposed to more cash flow crisis. For example, a firm may run out of cash thus hindering its ability to continue operating. In an effort to alleviate the problem, the firm may result into credit finance such as overdrafts which are costly since the applicable rate of interest for an overdraft is usually higher than the base rate. Currently, the firm’s rate of interest on its overdraft is 7% higher than the base rate. Considering the increment in the level of uncertainty amongst financial institutions as a result of the 2008-2009 financial crises, there is a high probability of these firms increasing their base interest rate on overdrafts. This would have the effect of increasing the borrowing cost. Over trading leads a firm to expand its operations at a faster rate than its usual capacity. The result is that the firm’s operations are negatively affected since the firm’s working capital is not sufficient to cater for the extra human capital, equipments and machinery required. To avoid this, the firm may consider leasing some of the equipments and machinery required for expansion other than purchasing them. This would caution the firm from experiencing cash crisis since leasing is relatively less costly in the short term compared to purchasing. By leasing, the firm would be able to cover the cost by reaping the benefits in the short term. In addition, the firm is required to wait for a substantial amount of time before collecting sales revenue from new contracts. The resultant effect is that the firm experiences liquidity problems which in worst situation can lead into the business being closed. This arises from the fact that overtrading leads firms to incur cash flow problems. In addition, the cash flow problem is exacerbated by the fact that a substantial amount of money is held up in the large volum e of stock either in form of work-in-progress, finished goods, and raw materials held in the firm’s warehouses. Ultimately, implementing these strategies would lead into a strain in the firm’s finances. Human resource management According to Hannigan ( 2007, p.23), human resource management entails a number of processes such as deploying employees, motivating and developing them with the objective of achieving predetermined organized goals. Firms should not only be concerned with attaining their goals by using the employees. However, they should take into account the various levels of employees needs. These needs relate to psychographic needs, belonging needs, self actualization needs, esteem needs, and safety and security needs. In order to achieve its organizational objectives it is paramount for firms to formulate effective personnel and human resource management concepts (Ferris, 2006, p.1). By taking into consideration these needs, there is a high probability of f irms developing a strong human capital. In its effort to attain a high growth, the owner of Tod’s Luxury Shoes decided to expand the firm. This required the firm to increase its workforce so as to attain operational efficiency. However, the productivity of the workforce is dependent on the management teams’ effectiveness in human resource management and personnel management processes. According to Hannigan (2007, p.23), human resource management entails a number of management functions which include employee recruitment, selecting the qualified employees, and training the employees to ensure that they are productive. By undertaking a comprehensive employee recruitment process, the firm will end up with diverse employees. This can be a challenge to the firm. However, it is the responsibility of the firm’s human resource manager to ensure that employee diversity is well managed. This will play a vital role in ensuring that unity within the firm is maintained. The resultant effect is that the firm will benefit in the long term. Reward system For example, the firm has to ensure that the employees are satisfied. One of the ways through which the firm can achieve this is by instituting an effective reward system. The reward system should comprise both monetary and non-monetary rewards. Some of the non-monetary rewards which the firm should consider include medical allowance and recreation allowance. In addition, the firm should include a program aimed at recognizing the employees who portray outstanding performance. This will play a vital role in motivating the employees. Additionally, integration of an effective reward system will lead towards minimizing employee turnover since the employees will be satisfied. According to Rutherford, Buller and McMullen (2003, p. 322), employee turnover is costly to a firm since the firm has to replace the employees who leave the firm. Conducting a recruitment increases the firms cost of operation. In addition , the management team should ensure that the reward system is based on employee performance. For example, the firm should ensure that a comprehensive performance appraisal forms the basis upon which the employees are promoted. Promoting employees increases their level of satisfaction. Employee development In addition to promotion, it is paramount for the firm’s management team to consider developing a training and development program which facilitates workplace learning. According to Walker (2007, p. 294), firms should develop training programs that are inline with the changes in the market. This will aid the firm’s towards enhancing its competiveness. For example, training will contribute towards improving the employees’ efficiency in undertaking their current tasks (Brand Bax, 2002, p.451). On the other hand, development will enable the employees’ deals with future changes in their works. This is due to the fact that obsolescence in its workforce will be eliminated. This means that the firm’s future success is enhanced. Investment in workplace learning illustrates a firm’s commitment towards developing its workforce. Training employees will contribute towards improvement in the employee’s morale. In most cases, employees who are well trained are interested in undertaking their tasks. This will not only enable Tod’s Luxury Shoes to be effective in designing and producing shoes but it will also lead to employee development. The resultant effect is that the employees will develop a strong bond with the employees since it will enable them to achieve their career objective. According to Aswathappa (2005, p.5) assisting employees to realize their personal goals improves their contribution towards the firm’s operational efficiency. However, it is only possible for a firm to ensure that its employees attain their personal goals if they are motivated and retained within the firm for a considerable durati on of time. If this is not attained, the employees will leave the firm. The training program will also contribute towards the firm attracting qualified employees from the labor market hence strengthening its human capital. According to Bratton and Gold (2001, p.58), integrating employee development is a core element in a firm’s effort to survive and attain growth in the current competitive business environment. Effective communication It is also important for the management team of Tod’s Luxury Shoe to ensure that communication within the firm is effective. One of the ways through which the firm can achieve this is by instituting a bottom-up communication system. According to Goyal (2005, p.258), communication is a vital component in the success of the firm. This is due to the fact that the firm’s decision making process is enhanced since employees share ideas, opinions, and facts with the management team. This means that communication aids in enhancing the deve lopment of a superior –subordinate relationship. This relationship cannot thrive in the absence of an effective communication. By adopting the bottom-up communication strategy, employees will feel that they are included in the firm’s decision making process process. This leads into attainment of the desired results. This will have the effect of enhancing employee satisfaction. The firm should also ensure that it nurtures a strong organizational culture. This can be achieved through a number of ways. For example, the firm can incorporate the concept of teamwork. This will aid in enhancing employee relationship within the firm. Teamwork will also aid in creating an environment conducive for working. This arises from the fact that the level of coordination between employees will be improved. In summary, implementing the above human resource management and personnel management practices will contribute towards the firm being successful in its effort to manage its workforce . Reference List Aswathappa, K., 2005. Human resource and personnel management: text and cases.  New Delhi: Tata McGraw Hill. Barret, R. Mayson, S., 2007. Human resource management in growing small firms.  Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development. Vol. 14, issue 2, pp. 307-320. Barrett, R. Mayson, S., 2006. The science and practice of HRM in small firms. Human  Resource Management Review. Vol. 16, issue 5, pp. 447-455. Birkholz, A., 2007. Business analysis on the web.de AG. Munchen: Grin Verlag GmbH. Brand, M.J. Bax, E.H., 2002. Strategic HRM for SMEs: implications for firms and  policy. Education and Training. Vol, 44, issue 8/9, pp. 451-463. Bratton, J. Gold, J., 2001. Human resource management: theory and practice. New  York: Routledge. Ferris, G., 1996. Handbook of human resource management. Cambridge, Mass:  Blackwell Business. Goyal, H., 2005. Hospital administration and human resource management. New York:  PHI Learning Pvt Limited. Hannigan, T., 2007. Management concepts and practices. New York: Prentice Hall. Kotey, B. Sheridan, A., 2004. Changing HRM practices with firm growth. Journal of  Small Business and Enterprise Development. Vol. 11 , issue 4, pp. 474-484. Jankovsky, J., 2007. Trading rules that work: the essential 28 lessons every trader must  master. Hoboken, N.J: John Wiley and Sons. Rutherford, M.W., Buller, P.F. McCullen, P.R., 2003. Human resource management  problems over the life cycle of small to medium size firms. Human Resource Management. Vol. 42, issue 4, pp. 321-328. Vause, B., 2009. Guide to analyzing companies. New York: Bloomberg Press. Walker, E. Redmond, J., 2007. Small business owners: too busy to train. Journal of  Small Business and Enterprise Development. Vol. 14, issue 4, pp. 294-306. 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Primark and Ethical Business.Doc Essay Example

Primark and Ethical Business.Doc Essay Example Primark and Ethical Business.Doc Paper Primark and Ethical Business.Doc Paper Primark and Ethical Business Introduction Primark the leading clothing retailer Rapid changes in media, transport and communications technology have made the world economy more interconnected now than in any previous period of history. Nowhere is this more evident than in the world of textile manufacture and clothing distribution. Consumers want fashionable clothes at affordable prices. Much of high street fashion is produced in various countries across the world. Businesses source clothes from countries like India, China, Bangladesh and Turkey because of lower material and labour costs in these countries. In order to meet consumer demand, Primark works with manufacturers around the world. Primark is part of Associated British Foods (ABF), a diversified international food, ingredients and retail group. Primark has almost 200 stores across Ireland, the UK, Spain, Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and Portugal. Primark’s annual turnover accounts for a significant proportion of ABF†s revenues and profit. Primark’s target customer is fashion-conscious and wants value for money. Primark can offer value for money by: Sourcing products efficiently Making clothes with simpler designs Using local fabrics and trims Focusing on the most popular sizes Buying in volume Not spending heavily on advertising. The largest Primark store is located on Market Street, Manchester, England. Some 100,000 sq ft (9,300 m2) of retail space is spread across its three floors. It took over from Liverpool in 2008 after TK Maxx moved from the basement floor to the Arndale Centre, allowing Primark to fu rther expand Corporate Social Responsibility Every business has the corporate social responsibility (CSR) to be Ethical in its business environment and CSR is about responsibility to all stakeholders and not just shareholders. What is Stakeholder? A person, group or organisation, has direct or indirect stake in an organisation because it can affect or be affected by the organisation’s actions, objectives and policies. Key stakeholders in a business organisation include its creditors, customers, directors, employees, government agencies, owners, suppliers, unions and the community from which the business draws its resources. What are Business Ethics? Ethics are moral guidelines which govern good behaviour so behaving ethically is doing what is morally right Behaving ethically in business is widely regarded as good business practice. Being good is good business† (D. Anita Roddick) â€Å"A business that makes nothing but money is a poor kind of business† (Henry Ford) Code of Practice A common approach is to implement a code of practice. Ethical codes are increasingly popular – particularly with larger businesses and cover areas such as: Corporate social responsibility Dealings with customers and supply chain Environmental policy actions Rules for personal and corporate integrity Primark from Ethical to Unethical Business Let’s take one of the above stakeholders the suppliers to analyse how the suppliers and supply chain can affect the business ethics and can make a business unethical business. A business cannot claim to be ethical firm if it ignores unethical practices by its suppliers. Use of child labour and forced labour, Production in sweatshops, Violation of the basic rights of workers, Ignoring health, safety and environmental standards. An ethical business has to be concerned with the behaviour of all businesses that operate in the supply chain i. e. Suppliers, Contractors, Distributors, Sales agents. So the Primark could not consider and concentrate on the supply chain of its suppliers who were hiring the child labour in the factories in various states of India and Bangladesh. Those suppliers were the main source of Primark retail clothing products in UK and. This issue was exposed by The Observer, The Independent News and the BBC panorama. Primark declared as least ethical business Primark, the discount clothing chain beloved of bargain hunters, has been rated the least ethical place to buy clothes in Britain. Primark scores just 2. 5 out of 20 on an ethical index that ranks the leading clothing chains on criteria such as workers rights and whether they do business with oppressive regimes. Mk One and Marks Spencer were ranked second and third worst for ethics by Ethical Consumer magazine (By Martin Hickman Consumer Affairs Correspondent Thursday, 8 December 2005, The Independent news) The Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) The Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI), of which Primark is a member, has undertaken an investigation in to the reports. The ETI confirmed to Drapers this week that the investigation was ongoing and no conclusion had yet been reached. Primark refutes the claims stating it can offer good value and good quality because of low mark-ups and big volumes. We use simple designs, our overhead costs are extremely low and we dont run expensive advertising campaigns. Lapse in standards The information provided by the BBC enabled us to identify that illegal sub-contracting had been taking place and to take action accordingly, Primark explained. According to Primark, the garments affected accounted for 0. 4% of the retailers worldwide sourcing. It added that the sub-contracting involved home working and in some instances children were also found to be working at home We take this lapse in standards very seriously indeed, said Primark, which is owned by Associated British Foods Under no circumstances would Primark ever knowingly permit such activities, whether directly through its suppliers or through third party s ub-contractors. The Primark supplier in question, a major Indian exporter called Fab n Fabric, had employed a subcontractor who had discovered the ultimate disposable workforce: child refugees. Primark’s Code of conduct and Initiatives taken Under the terms of its code of practice for suppliers, Primark prohibits the use of child labour in its manufacturing chain. Primark says it will terminate relations with suppliers guilty of certain transgressions and those unwilling to make the necessary changes to their employment practices when breaches of its code are uncovered. Primark and Stakeholders Engagement Primark sacked the three suppliers before being hit by a wave of negative publicity inevitably coming its way from the documentary. The firm, owned by Associated British Foods, said it had made the statement to fulfil a responsibility to shareholders, not as cynics suggested to lessen the shock of an international expose. The retailer said that, as soon as it was alerted to the practices over a month ago by The Observer and the BBC it cancelled new orders with the factories concerned and withdrew thousands of garments from its stores. A statement from Primark Stores on Bangladesh 19/11/2010 A Primark spokesman said: â€Å"Primark shares and recognises many of the concerns raised by No Sweat. We acknowledge that conditions for workers in some factories do not always meet them high standards that we and other brands sourcing from these factories, expect. Primark believes ethical business practices are of the highest importance and that is why we work tirelessly with our supplies and other stakeholders, including those in Bangladesh, to raise standards and the welfare of the workers that depend on the orders placed at these factories. Primark is working in several ways to continually improve ethical standards and working conditions among suppliers. Primark’s Initiatives and Working with stakeholders Working closely with external partners featured strongly in much of what Primark achieved during 2010. Highlights include the following: Primark in Bangladesh In Bangladesh, 16 of the factories from which we buy have been working with Nari Uddug Kendra (NUK), an NGO that focuses on women’s rights. Together, Primark and NUK have provided training for factories on how to manage workers more fairly, and educate them about their rights. In 2009, 974 workers received training through this programme. Furthermore, Primark has created a new Ethical Trade Manager position in Bangladesh. One of the first initiatives to be launched by the Ethical Trade Manager will be tailored ethical training for suppliers in Bangladesh. Further plans are underway to recruit a female Ethical Trade Executive with a specific remit to focus on women’s issues in factories, which we know are particularly important I this context. Primark in China In China and Bangladesh, Primark began projects that aim to create long-term, sustainable improvements in labour standards and provide living wages for people. Several visits had been undertaken to both countries in 2009, to identify suppliers, factories and local implementation partners including NGOs, worker organisations, employer associations, and technical experts. Primark in India In southern India we are working at grassroots level with an NGO to understand and address the challenges faced by workers in communities where Primark’s products are made. The programme includes surveys to identify workers, families and children at risk, as well as providing a counselling service and helpline for people. A core part of this initiative is worker education and we have established groups that look at issues from hygiene and personal development to gender equality and workplace rights. Primark with International Organisations Through Primark’s membership of the ILO and International Finance Corporation (IFC) Better Work programme, we engage and collaborate with retailers and labour experts within countries to provide localised supplier training, remediation and worker engagement. Primark’s supplier factories in Vietnam are part of the initiative, and we support the efforts and plans of the ILO to implement the programme in other countries from which we source. Primark and BSR This year Primark joined Business for Social Responsibility (BSR), a CR organisation with over 250 corporate members. Primark is an active member of the BSR Mills and Sundries working group, a coalition of clothing retailers which looks at ethical and environmental performance within spinning mills, dye-houses and sundry manufacturers. BSR also worked with Primark on identifying key trends in labour migration in China, and how Primark suppliers could mitigate potential labour shortages through good human resource management. Finally, we are proud that Primark is BSR’s partner in Bangladesh for the health enabled returns programme, a groundbreaking initiative that provides healthcare and education for women in factories. Primark and ETI As a member of the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI), Primark continued to be actively involved in a number of ETI groups in 2010 relating to the following: General Merchandise, Home working Principles of Implementation, Annual Report, Purchasing Practices, and China. Primark also increased its collaborative efforts with other brands, via membership of cross-brand forums in a number of countries as well as more informal joint efforts on supplier remediation. As 95% of the factories that supply Primark also supply other retailers, this joined-up approach is one of the best ways to achieve progress Primark altered internal system Primark has brought many changes in its internal system to meet the requirements of Ethical Trading Initiative and to over come the issue of least ethical business. Appointment of Ethical trade Director Team The Primark has employed Katharine Kirk, from Gap Inc, as Ethical Trade Director. No new supplier can be appointed without being audited, and then Cleared by her. Primark has been steadily expanding the size of its own ethical trade staff over the last 2 years. In-house there is currently an 8 person team (including the Director). Recent additions to the team include a new Ethical Trade Manager in Bangladesh and plans are underway to recruit a female Ethical Trade Executive for Bangladesh with a specific remit to focus on women’s issues in factories. Primark also has a new Ethical Trade Manager in Turkey, and a new Ethical Trade Executive to add to the strength of the existing team in India. The aim is to have in place a team of 15 by the end of 2010. Monitoring and Auditing In 2009 Primark had conducted over 1080 audits, which is almost double the number in 2008 (533 audits). The growing in-house ethical team, new third party auditor partners, and the online audit database are helping to support this growth. Audits are accompanied by a remediation programme for each supplier as required. This is the accepted way the industry seeks to raise standards. Primark uses a mix of our own in-house and third party auditors. Third party auditors performed around 70% of our audits last year. So the Primark is increasing the number of them. Most of their visits are unannounced or semi-announced. They are paid for by Primark, to reduce the burden on suppliers and factories. The focus of Primark’s auditing programme is the top 250 suppliers which represent 87. 6% of the selling value of the business. Primark had audited all suppliers ranked in the top 250 by the end of 2009. Primark audit according to: Level of turnover with a supplier, proportion of a supplier’s production that is dedicated to our business, country of manufacture, risk of production process, any other information about a particular supplier or factory that identifies risk. However, Primark recognised that audits are a necessary, but not sufficient, part of the solution to raising standards in the supply chain. Much is dependent on remediation and training. Remediation plan with Factories Primark has third party auditors and staff works out a remediation plan with each factory after an audit, and then a follow-up is conducted, mainly by our own team members. More than half the audits we do are follow-ups (55% of Audit in 2009) 18 months ago Primark began work on a new, cutting-edge, online audit management system. BSI Entropy’s management system helps us to keep track of non-compliances at the individual production site, as well as at country and buying department levels. The system helps us to follow up non compliances in a timely manner and identify root causes of problems and where additional training is required. Primark has established a dedicated living wages projects in China and Bangladesh. The lessons learned and models developed will be rolled out more widely within Primark’s supply base. The project entails using local experts in each country – NGOs, trade unions and productivity experts – to improve the systems within the factories. Primark buyers will also be involved in encouraging factories to make the necessary changes, sharing knowledge and experience with the factory management, as well as looking at how they can improve the way they buy – for example by paying close attention to the timing and volume of orders so as not to overstrain the factory. Training programmes All Primark buyers and key personnel have been trained in ethical trade. In total this has covered 209 staff equating to over 1,672 hours worth of dedicated ethical trade training. New staff members are also given training on ethical trade during their induction. Ethical trade training was provided to Primark’s China-based staff. The supplier training programme has been extended and dedicated events took place in China, the UK and India last year. In November Primark hosted 3 days of ET training for the top 50 Chinese suppliers and their factories in Shanghai. 192 individuals attended these sessions. In July 40 Irish and UK suppliers and factories attended one of the ethical trade workshops held in Reading and Birmingham Primark is about to launch a new Suppliers’ Extranet, an online information resource centre for suppliers which will include helpful training tools and guides for factories. Primark has also developed an online compliance training tool for suppliers with a specialist provider, so we can reach more factories, more quickly. Recommendations to improve Ethical Practices The ethical climate of a business organization can make the difference between a successful venture and an unsuccessful one, that there may be a co nnection between how a business is perceived and its internal ethical climate. Improving the ethical climate of your own business enhances and preserves its reputation, inspires loyalty and advertises that it has its ethics message right. It also fosters an ethical culture within the organization. Evaluating Ethical Behaviour I would like to recommend and suggest that companies should undergo internal ethics audits on a regular basis because that the regular internal audit of the business organizations ethics and compliance program adds great value to the organization. A business organization should take a top-down approach to ethics. By communicating and modelling behavioural standards from the highest levels of your business down to the entry-level positions. So we can ensure that there is no gap between ethical standards and the actual behaviour of employees. By regularly evaluating these standards and the behaviour of your companys leadership, you can effectively promote compliance to ethical behavioural norms for your organization. Educating Employees A business organisation should Increased focus in the business community regarding ethics-based issues has led to increased funding and research to increase ethical awareness. One strategy to improve the ethical climate of your business organization is to offer or even require classes in business ethics. Business ethics classes at the local community college or even classes offered directly through the human resources department can be a practical and cost-effective way to offer ongoing ethics training and motivation. Protecting Employees One problem that might arise in the promotion of ethical guidelines to your orkforce is the fear employees may have regarding their role in reporting unethical or questionable behaviour by another employee or even a supervisor. Employees must be assured that they will be safe from retaliation from other employees or supervisors who might be turned in for engaging in questionable activities. The best way to make this assurance is to offer employees a confidential channel through which they can report bad behaviour. A company ethics hot line is one way to increase employee willingness to speak out. Another might be a suggestion box kept in a secure location where other employees are not likely to see one of their fellow employees turning them in. Employees must be confidently assured that reporting bad behaviour is expected and safe. Supply chain sources Every business organisation should choose its supply chain sources with carefully and make sure that all your suppliers are taking care of human rights in their factories by visiting the factories of your business suppliers. Conclusion For companies with plans to establish a more formal code of conduct and ethics program or to improve existing ones, the tone must be set at the top. Effective standards for ethical conduct must be initiated, supported, encouraged, and practiced by top management. Furthermore, a code of conduct cannot be effective if it is not adequately communicated and explained. Todays technology provides various cost-effective methods for communicating an ethics code. These communication efforts should be provided in a steady stream even after the initial awareness campaign. The advantages that are to be gained from formally practicing in ways that adhere to ethical principles include, the development of company documentation that guides and informs staff members on their proper conduct both during normal business interactions and during ethically-challenging situations; A better understanding by staff members of their responsibilities, and an ability to align their values with those of the organisation; The assumption of an appropriate level of accountability by staff members in identifying and anaging business risks; The facilitation of fairness and moral management in business activities; Increased trust from, and between, internal and external stakeholders. Increased employee satisfaction; A more open-minded organisational culture in which the interests of the employer, employees, customers, suppliers, and other stakeholders are protected; An enhanced reputation within the community that helps attract new staff and customers, increases both public and community relations, and the potential for improved financial performance; and an enhanced reputation with competitors, governmental agencies and financial institutions by working with external agencies such as the International Labour Organization, the ETI and independent auditors, Primark helps to set and maintain standards. Its auditors work with suppliers over a period of time to help them meet the exacting standards set out by the Ethical Trading Initiative. This enables the supplier to become approved. So the PRIMARK has proved it wrong that its business operations are unethical, by taking the key measures and introducing many changes in its internal and external operations. Now Primark’s operations are based on Based on international Labour code and this is Translated into 26 Languages and published on Primark website. PRIMARK has sets off full policies and is part of terms and condition Training for suppliers and buyers to ensure adherence to ethical practice Tough selection process for new suppliers Reference: tutor2u. net/business/strategy/business-ethics-issues. html tutor2u. net/business/strategy/business-ethics-introduction. html tutor2u. net/blog/index. php/business-studies/comments/1175/ http://tutor2u. net/blog/index. php/economics/comments/my-primark-answer-and-more-questions/ abf. co. uk/stakeholder-engagement. spx ethicalperformance. com/news/article. php? articleID=6068 Source: tutor2u AS/A2 Economics Blog Source: tutor2u Business Studies Blog businessdictioneray. com : investopedia. com/terms/s/shareholder. asp#ixzz1Q7yKwTDG www. primark. co. uk/Ethical www. primark-ethicaltrading. co. uk/ /primark_announcement_on_eti_review . htm Read more: Strategies to Improve the Ethical Climate of a Business Organization | eHow. com ehow. com/way_5891381_strategies-ethical-climate-busines s-organization. tml#ixzz1QJ2wEgBZ Published in 2004, Curtis C. Verschoor NASDAQ letter to the SEC, April 11, 2002, nasdaqnews. com/ news/pr20 02/corporate%20governance. pdf Lei singer, KM, Corporate Ethics and International Business: Some Basic Issues foundation. novartis. com/business_corporate_ethics. htm, Novartis Foundation for Sustainable Development (June 2, 1994) Murphy, Diana E. , The Federal Sentencing for Organizations: A Decade of Promoting Compliance and Ethics, Iowa Law Review (January 31, 2002), pp. 703-704. Anonymous, (2001), The importance of business ethics, HR Focus, Vol 78, Iss 7, p 1, 13+, New York Brandl, P. and Maguire, M. , (2002), Codes of ethics: A primer on their purpose development and use, The Journal for Quality and Participation, Vol 25, Iss 4, PP 8-12, Association for Quality and Participation, Cincinnati, OH Hopen, D. , (2002), Guiding corporate behaviour: A leadership obligation not a choice, The Journal for Quality and Participation, Vol 25, Iss 4, pp 15-19, Association for Quality and Participation, Cincinnati, OH Lovitky, J. A. and Ahern, J. , (1999), Designing compliance programs that foster ethical behaviour, Healthcare Financial Management, Vol 53, Iss 3, pp 38-42, Healthcare Financial Management Association, Westchester, IL Malan, D. , (2002), Applying tick-box ethics, Accountancy SA, PP 3-9, Hinesburg, South African Institute of Chartered Accountants, Ken gray, Johannesburg. Master, M. , (2002), Ethics at work: The disconnect in ethics training, Across the Board, Vol 39, Iss 5, pp 51-52, New York Read more: hetimes100. co. uk/case-studyconclusion158-412-6. php#ixzz1QJJhwWDY Messmer, M. , (2003), Does your company have a code of ethics, Strategic Finance, Vol 84, Iss 10, pp 13-14, Institute of Management Accountants, Montvale, NJ Niedermeier, S. and Rhodes, L. , (2002), Creating a culture of credibility, The Journal for Quality and Participation, Vol 25, Iss 4, pp 13-14, Association for Quality and Participation, Cincinnati, OH The Work Foundation, (2002), Managing Best Practice No. 8: Corporate Soc ial Responsibility Case Study 1, pp 20-21, The Work Foundation, Birmingham Verschoor, C. C. , (2000), To talk about ethics, we must train on ethics, Strategic Finance, Vol 81, Iss 10, p 24, Institute of Management Accountants, Montvale Wells, S. J. , (1999), Turn employees into saints? , HRMagazine, Vol 44, Iss 13, pp 48-58, Society for Human Resource Management, Alexandria thetimes100. co. uk/case-studyconclusion158-412-6. php#ixzz1QJJhwWDY

Organizational communication analysis paper Essay

Organizational communication analysis paper - Essay Example This is also to achieve uniformity and consistency in production and to make quality and output predictable. Scientific Management is an engineering approach to achieve efficiency in the workplace where the organization can be likened to a machine which is composed of several parts that should work together to achieve optimum efficiency. This principle can be applied the Metropolitan Medical Group case to improve their service rating and arrest their declining revenues. In MMG, the administration and staff already the desired performance which is â€Å"leeway service† where Mike Taslow, the CEO of MMG elaborated to Betty McDaniel the newly hired director patient care â€Å"Patient should expect the same procedures, the same treatment from our staff, and the same efficiency from all the various departments of the MMG (Turner and Krizek 219). This is the same principle of Taylor’s uniform output albeit the setting is on a health care facility and not on a manufacturing plant. The problem in MMG was obvious. From the patient’s point of view evident with Betty’s interview with patients (Miriam), the appointment procedures was far from the ideal and causes the hospital’s service rating to drop. On the part of the employees, they are blaming the patients for not being educated of their system and has to coordinate with their friends in other department to fix things up. This shows the problem that Taylor identified as a cause of inefficiency which in the case of MMG, staffs are coordinating on a â€Å"personal level† rather than a established procedure causing inefficiency and ultimately, poor service rating. This issue could be solved by using Taylor’s scientific management approach to clearly define and establish systems and procedures, break down work to specific tasks and to quantify every work involved with the end of providing the same quality of

Profile and discuss one communications sector of a country of your Essay

Profile and discuss one communications sector of a country of your choice. ( India film industry Bollywood) - Essay Example Bollywood, the Indian film industry, is an important part of the global international communication system in the modern world. This paper is aimed at providing the profile of Bollywood, the Indian film industry and also in discussing various aspects of international communication related to this industry. International communication and films: International communication is considered as the inseparable part of human lives as it is playing an important role in developing various social, cultural, socio-cultural, economic, educational and other aspects of their lives. After the World War II, international communication has gained significant attention from all over the world. Since the middle of the 19th century, global communication started to gain greater amounts of focus by people (McPhail, 2011, p.1). According to McPhail (2011), â€Å"international communication refers to the cultural, economic, political, social and technical analysis of communication and media patterns and ef fects across and between nation-states† (McPhail, 2011, p.2). International communication is essential for the purpose of producing effective value judgments. The most important sources of international communication are online media services, print media services, news channels and films and theaters (Supadhiloke, 2008, p.109). The notion of international communication is closely related to the society as various societal imbalances and inequalities are revealed through international communication (Moby, 2003, p.10). Improvements in satellite, television and internet system are helping films to become an important medium of international communication. Modern technologies are getting transferred in developing countries from developed countries like UK and USA (Hallin, 1998, p.153). Film is considered as traditional media and the growing technological advancements are creating greater amounts of integration in favour of developing the international digital telecommunication ne twork (Madikiza and Bornman, 2007, p.16). With the help of film media and industries cultural aspects are commoditised (Madikiza and Bornman, 2007, p.32). However, several instances reveal that national cultures are becoming the victim of the film media as the most important way of communicating with the people nationally as well as internationally (like the Western society) (Golding and Harris, 1996, p.199). Numerous epic films which have been produced in different countries all over the world have raised the effectiveness of international communication all over the world with the help of greater popularity of these films (Curran and Morley, 2006, p.267). Indian film industry: Bollywood, the Indian film industry is effectively using various social, cultural, economic as well as political aspects which are creating various impacts on the lives of people of the country, in particular, and in the lives of people of the world, in general. Bollywood is the largest film industry in India (there are number of regional film industries in the country which are popularly known as Tollywood. The New York Times as well the Washington Post regularly publish reviews of Indian films which are released and shown in different multiplexes of New York, Toronto and other cities of the United States (Rao, 2007, p.57). More than 300 films are produced every year in Bollywood and large numbers of Bollywood films are exported to the United

Prose Commentary, Pat Barker Essay Example for Free

Prose Commentary, Pat Barker Essay The title of the book from which this excerpt is taken, Regeneration, highlights what I see as the main theme in this thought provoking prose piece. This piece of prose raises images for me of the moist dampness, humid soil, death and the prospect of life arising from the continuation of the cycle of life and death. These Images are shown in phrases such as the final sentence, which says, Now they could dissolve into the earth as they were meant to. This sentence is the one which stuck out most to me in the whole excerpt; I found it very powerful in that it brings out the theme of regeneration to the reader and it is a sentence which sticks in your mind. I can see this as an overall whole picture, where Burns, who I view as a returning soldier, perhaps from the Gulf War given the date, experiences, and successfully faces one of his terrible fears, picked up from the war, of bloody, dead corpses, and through this finds the prospect of soul peace before him. I also see that nature and the cycle of life as a big theme in this excerpt as it shows up in nearly every line. Words such as, rain, mud, trees and wind support this. The narrative structure of this excerpt is also important, because it is as if the story of Burns is being told by someone else and so it is likely not subject to the bias of the actual persons account. In the first three paragraphs, rain and the wetness of the land is a large part of describing, setting the scene and the tone of the rest of the excerpt. The author creates a feeling about Burns, that he is somewhat stranded, for the writing states, He didnt know what to do and so long since hed been anywhere alone. As well as creating a lost feeling this sentence confirms the thoughts, though not directly, that Burns is a returning soldier. The use of the words, Raindrops dripped with the repeated d sound, creates the patter of large raindrops. Persistent and monotonous link up with each other to remind the reader of the continuity of the wetness. When Burns reaches a fence, he sees that, A tuft of grey wool had caught on one of the barbs. Perhaps an animal had once quite recently struggled to free itself from this discontinuity in nature as Burns does when he too gets caught on a barb just like an animal. The repetition of the b sound in Burns blinked, carries on the theme of the persistence of the rain. Throughout the whole of the third paragraph there is another repetition of the b sound, this time though it is used to bring out the sound of the thud and plodding of Burns in his mud encumbered boots. There is also a repetition of the s sound in words such as slipping and stumbling for exactly that, to create the sound of someone slipping in the wet mud. The writer also uses words such as cold, khaki and tight cloth to create a chilling stiff sound to make the reader feel the cold that Burns is experiencing. In the next two paragraphs, the author makes the wind and its severity, an impacting factor on Burns' progress toward the safety that he seeks. The wetness of the setting which surrounds Burns is also again a major influence in his quest. The tone of these two paragraphs is much more severe than the first three. The author says that the wind tries to scrape Burns off its side. suggesting that the situation has become more intense. That line is very effective literally because the word scrape is an onomatopoeic word and when joined together with side it creates an alliterating s sound. The fact that he has to keep his head bent and the Rain beat onto his head both confirm the increased severity of the weather. When the weather is so bad that the distance vanishes in a veil of rain, the alliterating v sound bringing out the hum of the constant rain, Burns' survival instinct kicks in and he decides to take shelter, running clumsily toward a clump of trees. But again he is slowed to a walk because of the dragging mud. The words mud dragged are effective here, for even to say them together takes effort and your reading is slowed by them, amplifying their effect. The sucking of your reading is again shown in the words mud-clogged boots, the d, g and b sounds all together make the reader have to pronounce each syllable in a drawn out way. Where the author talks about, the whine of shells he is referring to the sound that you hear when you put a shell to your ear and compares it to the noise of the wind through the trees. In paragraph five the author shows the exhausted Burns so tired he cannot even be bothered to wipe away the rain drenching his face. In the next three paragraphs, the tone of the extract becomes quieter; there is neither mention of the intense rain nor the sound of it. The tone of the setting becomes almost sinister amongst the trees. Burns now in what he thinks is the safety of the trees continues to stumble and the writer again uses the repeated b sounds in the words, began, stumbling, blindly and between to show us that Burns has still not quite got his bearings right yet. The author uses the repeated c sounds in the words catching, clumps and bracken to the same effect. Because he is stumbling blindly, something brushed Burns' cheek and when he tried to push it away, his hand touched what he first thought to be slime. On turning to see what it was, Burns discovered that there was a dead mole, suspended, apparently, in air. The use of commas in those few words are effective because they make the reader pause and thus put emphasis on a very important part of the extract, it begins the change in plot of the whole extract. Its small pink hands folded on its chest. suggests the authors feeling that the mole was innocent, but was still killed. The author provokingly compares the dead animals Burns sees to a fruit tree bearing, what the author makes you think are heavy fruit by using the word laden. Heavy fruit because they are generally more likely to smell of decay, which is what the dead animals are, decaying. The author quite interestingly uses animals from each part of the earth; the magpies from the sky; the fox from the ground and the moles from under the ground, this I see as a continuation of the regeneration theme carried on throughout the whole excerpt. I think that the fox scared Burns so much because it reminded of something that he saw in the war. Again in paragraph eight the trees are against Burns. The author uses the alliteration of the words twigs tore through the t sound to remind the reader of the snapping sound of twigs and the force that Burns was putting into getting away was enough to snap the twigs on his skin. It brings out how frightened he really was. The writers reference to dead leaves also fits in with the theme of Regeneration for dead leaves must dissolve into the earth to create nutrients for the trees from which they fell and thus continue the circle of life. In the short paragraph nine, the setting changes briefly once more because Burns goes out into the field once more. He splashes effectively through the alliterated flooded furrows, the f making the sound of the swishing water. Burns then hears a voice, probably the voice of a fellow soldier from the war. It is said to be the voice of a person named Rivers. I did find it quite ironic that the author of the book from which this excerpt is taken, would use the name Rivers for the voice which Burns hears because in Scotland a small river is called a burn. This brings out to me that the author is making the aspect of water very important to this particular scenario. I feel that the use of water here is important to the overall theme of regeneration because water is a key part in the cycle of life, it is the source of all life and so I think that this is why the author emphasises this point. The voice that Burns hears tells him that, If you run now, youll never stop. basically telling him to face his fear. This may be because perhaps Burns ran away from something before and did not face his fear. The last two paragraphs of the excerpt talk of Burns facing his fear, finding a peace amongst his dead companions and his finding a control which he did not have at the beginning of the excerpt. Burns turns back therefore facing his fears. The fact that the author talks about what the real Rivers might have said confirms that Rivers is a real person and he is probably still alive. When Burns lets down the dead animals he is allowing for the natural cycle of Regeneration to be complete. This seems to make him feel better for he sits down inside the circle of his companions who he no longer views as scary and is happy because, Now they could dissolve into the earth as they were meant to do. By facing his fear, Burns was regenerated in himself, this also made him content. The last line is the most important in the whole text; it sums up and puts into context the entire idea of Regeneration. In conclusion I would say that there is one main theme in this excerpt; it being the ongoing recurrence of the idea of Regeneration through the means of nature, water, the cycle of life and death and the facing of fear. It is also important to say that in order for regeneration to happen, something has to die.

Ballroom Dancing :: essays research papers

Have you did something that you didn’t really want to do, and then later get selected for doing it? Well, I have. It was another beautiful Friday at Spottsville Elementary School, and ever Friday at Spottsville was music class. But today we didn’t have music class, today was something totally different. Our music teacher Ms.Belcher was having try-outs for Mrs. Benson's ballroom dance team. To tell you the truth, I was just going to get up there and goof-off, and that I did do. But, on that Friday something went wrong, something terrible, something I didn't expect to happen. "Now class take your seat. Today we will be trying out for ballroom dancing. Only the best dancers will be teaching the 5th graders for Mrs. Benson," said Ms. Belcher. Well, I thought that it was going to be boring (which it was), and I was mad because we all had to try-out (which we all did). Ms. Belcher picked the first group and then walked over to her boom-box and started playing the Macarena. This was simple; everyone knew how to do that dance. About ten min. into dancing, my friends thought it would be funny for someone not to know how to do the Macarena, and just do something totally different. So they dared me to, and like the comedian that I am, I agreed. When she called up for the last group (which I was in) everyone was laughing, including me. I did do something totally different from the Macarena, I did the disco. Even I can’t believe it now, but I was. If I was in the audience and could see myself dancing, it would have probably looked like something off the movie â€Å"Boogie Nights†, starring John Travolta. And I know I would have been laughing too. Finally Ms. Belcher turned off the music and said, "Now class settle down. I will have the results for you sometime next week." At the end of class when we all leaving everyone was telling me how funny it was, but you could tell that Ms. Belcher did find it amusing at all. But I don’t care, as long as I got a few laughs (well it was more than a few). That following week I was sitting in Mr. Adkin's class, my regular teacher. He was showing us how to fractions, when someone knocked on the door. Mr. Adkins walked over and gladly opened it. Mrs. Benson stepped in the room and told us why she had came. Then one bye one she called people out into the hallway.