Arts Essays – Expressionist, Fauve ; Cubist Art

In 1914, the early modernism critic Clive Bell wrote, The representative component in a work of art may or may non be harmful, ever it is irrelevant. Or, to appreciate a work of art we need conveying with us nil from life, no cognition of its thoughts and personal businesss, no acquaintance with its elements.Discuss the adequateness of this claim with mention to Expressionist, Fauve and Cubist art. On review of Claude Monet ‘s celebrated 1872 picture, ‘Impression – Dawn ‘ , one may detect its capable composing of visible radiation and atmosphere, the ocular effects of mist, fume and cloudy contemplations in the soiled H2O of a seaport ; it is the record of a fugitive minute, a glance of the Sun as it rises through the quickly fade outing mists of morning which, merely seconds subsequently, would hold risen further and changed the whole atmosphere of the scene. Monet, Degas, Pissarro and their creative person coevalss, slightly sardonically named after this renowned innovator piece, exhibited eight times before the 1890s and yet by the bend of the 20th century the Impressionists were being challenged by one of the cardinal elements of their graphics. The morning seaport, lily ponds, danseuses and elusive suburban landscapes that consumed the Impressionist canvas captured a world with which there was a turning clime offive de sieclemalaise. The representative component in a work of art that Clive Bell describes in his 1914 seminal treatise,Art, was cluttered with the irrelevances of literature, scientific discipline and engineering that detracted from the kernel of art as a important signifier composed of strictly aesthetic, instead than realistic, signifiers. Discontentment with the thought that art simply replicated life this new strain of modern creative person approached the easel in order to show instead than depict, to make instead than copy, and therefore the Impressionists dissolved into a fugitive minute of art history. Western art had become preoccupied with an art that embraced the realistic rendition of landscapes and figures, where creative persons worked in forepart of their topics, in the unfastened air instead than in a studio, taking full advantage of the proficient progresss being made in the industry of creative persons ‘ pigments to capture a true feeling of the effects of visible radiation and coloring material. In the early 1900s on the outskirts of Paris Henri Matisse besides preferred to travel out into the streets and do painted ‘impressions ‘ of the streets, the Bridgess, the river, in fact the same subjects that the Impressionists had chosen in the1860s and 1870s. The pictures Matisse made of Notre Dame, nevertheless, had small to make with the atmospheric effects sought by Monet and Pissarro. Rather, he exploited a new reading of world where wide countries of pigment and the reorganization of infinite were cardinal to an of import artistic motion that the Fauvists were shortly to open up: I did non desire to follow a conventional manner of picture ; I wanted to revolutionize wonts and modern-day life – to emancipate nature, to liberate it from the authorization of old theories and classicalism I was filled neither with green-eyed monster or hatred, but I felt a enormous impulse to animate a new universe seen through my ain eyes, a universe which was wholly mine. Henri Matisse, Andr & A ; eacute ; Derain and Maurice Vlaminck evolved this new universe through a manner of painting that earned them the name Les Fauves ( wild animals ) , and, in the brief period between 1904 and 1907 their freedom of look through the usage of pure colorss, additive design and overdone position secured a measure off from the representative component upheld by the Impressionists before them. Matisse ‘s 1904 picture ‘Luxe, Calme et Volupt & A ; eacute ; ‘ can about be viewed as a Fauvist pronunciamento, a disclosure to his circle of coevalss who admired his subjective usage of coloring material, the manner the bare figures had been simplified to the point of ornament and the placing of tree, boat and shoreline to unite the image surface into a individual plane. Through his art Matisse questioned an full heritage of landscape tradition and lead others to oppugn it excessively ; in forepart of this image I understood all the new rules ; Impressionism lost its appeal for me as I contemplated this miracle of imaginativeness produced by pulling and coloring materials. Later work of the Fauves demonstrates freedom from the realistic representation that Bell upheld as irrelevant, but remained concerned with utilizing coloring material for its ain interest. Derain sought a manner out of the deadlock of his fellow Fauvists, experimenting with concepts of a more solid and touchable world within the being of the picture, and it was Apollinaire who remarked that the Cubist aesthetic was foremost elaborated in the head of Andr & A ; eacute ; Derain. To convey nil from life, no cognition of its thoughts and personal businesss and no acquaintance with its elements spilled from a diaphanous impression in Fauvist art into a apparent purpose with creative persons with Cubist understandings. In a blazing renunciation of a tradition that dated back to at least the 14th century, a tradition that equated good picture with retroflexing observed light and signifier, creative persons such as Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso were utilizing their canvases to make a ocular experience of the universe. Art conveyances us from the universe of adult male ‘s activity to a universe of aesthetic ecstasy. For a minute we are shut off from human involvements ; our expectancies and memories are arrested ; we are lifted above the watercourse of life. The pure mathematician rapt in his surveies knows a province of head which I take to be similar, if non indistinguishable. See Picasso ‘s 1909 picture ‘Houses on the Hill, Horta d'Ebro ‘ and one can clearly see how this illustration of daring art can transport its witness to a universe of aesthetic ecstasy. Every seeable surface is broken down into comparatively distinct, comparatively level surfaces to organize a series of aspects, a assortment of quasi-geometric forms, while multiple point of views render the houses from a figure of coincident point of views. See besides Braque ‘s 1909 ‘Castle at la Roche-Guyon ‘ where the cardinal block of edifices in the landscape hovers and spills across both the foreground and background of the piece doing them into accessible, haptic entities with which the witness can prosecute. Braque and Picasso transformed painted landscape into a designed Cubist infinite, manipulated signifiers through artistic look and imaginativeness that bore small resemblance to the surface ( shallow ) world of being. Cubist image infinite has little regard for perspectival infinite, in which solid objects merely of all time recede from the witness, and where infinite itself is ever empty or hollow. In his contemplations on the Avant-garde Clement Greenberg notes that if art and literature are imitation, so what we have here is the imitation of copying. Art as an look, or imitation of imitating, as opposed to a mere representation of life, is a impression that has arguably been exploited legion times during the history of art, during periods of crisis and turbulence, but expressionist art became a preoccupation of its ain during the early portion of the Twentieth Century. The Expressionist art of Wassily Kandinsky nowadayss simplified landscapes and experiments in abstract art, where glowing colorss and ardent brushstrokes convey the work ‘s intending straight to the witness. In his 1911 ‘Improvisation No. 23 ‘ Kandinsky seems to delight in the additive motion of the lines, forms and infinites and literally improvises a design that is about musical in its hypnotic concepts of quasi-staves, points and mock-clefs. In an art-consciousness manner beyond the familiar surfaces of life and the creative persons who sought to animate them, Kandinsky painted in order to link the ocular affair of art to the interior life of adult male. A similar Expressionist phenomenon was germinating in the work of Franz Marc who besides moved off from object-orientated art to an art of lyrical look, haunted by animate beings which represented the lost artlessness of adult male. For these creative persons unnaturalistic colorss, deigned infinites, the beat of nature, symbolic and brooding images constituted the chase for look: Picasso, Braque, Mondrian, Mir & A ; oacute ; , Kandinsky, Brancusi, even Klee, Matisse and C & A ; eacute ; zanne derive their main inspiration from the medium they work in. The exhilaration of their art seems to lie in its pure preoccupation with the innovation and agreement of infinites, surfaces, forms and colorss, etc. , to the exclusion of whatever is non needfully implicated in these factors. Clive Bell ‘s axiom, that art requires nil from life, no cognition of its thoughts and personal businesss, no acquaintance with its elements is clearly demonstrated in the art motions that evolved out of the representative art at the bend of the Twentieth Century. Reactionary against the Impressionistic rendition of objects the Fauvists, Cubists and Expressionists exploited a impression that art should abandon the representative component that had held art in a headlock for centuries in favor of look and heightened attending to the media or stuffs with which they created their art. While novelists explored the job of novel authorship in plants such asUlyssesandThe Forgers, composers drew attending to the really concepts of their music and ocular creative persons made the redolent map of coloring material and organize their recurrent ‘subject affair. ‘ Bell identifies possibly one of the most of import premises in Avant-Garde art and arguably the subsequent advancement of art through the Twentieth Century owes a great debt to the critic who mused: What I have to state is this: the rapt philosopher, and he who contemplates a work of art, populate a universe with an intense and curious significance of its ain ; that significance is unrelated to the significance of life. In this universe the emotions of life find no topographic point. It is a universe with emotions of its ain. Bibliography Bell, Clive:Art, Oxford University Press, Great Britain, 1987 Gaiger, Jason and Wood, Paul ( ed. ) :Art of theTwentieth Century: A Reader, Open University, Great Britain, 2003 Greenberg, Clement:The Collected Essays andCriticism: Percepts and Judgments 1939 – 1944,The University of ChicagoPress, USA, 1988 Stangos, Nikos ( ed. ) :Concepts of Modern Art: Fauvism to Postmodernism, Thames and Hudson, Singapore, 1997 Wood, Paul and Edwards, Steven ( erectile dysfunction ) :Art of theAvant-Gardes, Open University, USA, 2004

The Federal Minimum Wage

The federal minimum wage is a hotly debated topic and a main point that invariably separates the beliefs of the Democratic Party platform from the Republican Party platform. Today's federal minimum wage is $7.25 (Jamieson, 2018). The federal minimum wage is determined by the FLSA (Fair Labor Standards Act), and has not been adjusted from a $7.25 hourly wage since July of 2009. Because of the lack of advancement, many states have developed their own methods for determining minimum wage, but federally, any addition or subtraction must first pass directly through the FLSA (United States Department of Labor, 2018). States determine their minimum wage by analyzing their costs of living which differs depending on location, and analyzing their GDP (gross domestic product) per capita (Stoll, 2014). For example, the minimum wage in Montana as of January 1, 2018 is $8.30 per hour whereas in Massachusetts, where the cost of living is greatly increased, the hourly minimum wage is $11.00. There are 29 states that have an increased minimum wage adjusted specifically to the state's cost of living. The wages in these states range from $7.50 to $12.50 per hour (United States Department of Labor, 2018). Even though many states already increase their minimum wage many people living in the United States claim that the federal minimum wage is entirely too low. The preponderance of evidence suggests that increasing the federal minimum wage would have little effect on poverty and would in time reduce job security and increase unemployment. Other factors that could potentially be affected by an increase in the federal minimum wage include consumer prices, suppressed wages for higher skilled workers, and an increase in outsourcing. Prior to the 2016 election the Democratic Party platform was updated and members decided to adopt a $15 per hour minimum wage. They claim that $15 an hour is the only way that American workers can survive and support their families. The push towards an increase in federal minimum wage began in New York City four years ago when a group of fast-food workers went on strike. The movement caught the attention of many popular political figures and eventually the members grouped together to form the #fightfor15 movement (Seitz-Wald, 2016). Experts that claim the federal minimum wage is not sufficient to support a family and live comfortably argue that an increase to the federal minimum wage would provide an â€Å"important lift† to over 2.2 million people in the United States (Lu, 2017). Usually these experts begin their arguments stating that the federal minimum wage real amounts have eroded nearly 25% since 1968 (Scott & Perez, 2017). The federal minimum wage amounts to only $15,080 annually for full time employment. $15,080 is such a low annual income, experts predict that it is one of the main reasons why living standards have declined nationwide. This number may also contribute to the decline in economic stability, and the shrinking middle class (Lu, 2017). On a national level, supporters of the minimum wage increase provide data that proves the federal minimum wage should be at least $12.00 per hour based on the United States' GDP. A poll taken by The Economist reports that over 1.3 million people work at minimum wage, and nearly 1.7 million work below it, thus meaning these employees are not paid hourly rather are tipped employees (Komlos, 2015). Many people would associate a push for minimum wage strictly with larger cities and areas where the cost of living is significantly above average, however even in Montana, a republican dominated state, many citizens still are pushing for a higher minimum wage. Swartz, a home care worker residing in Great Falls, Montana claims that the amount she makes working for three caregiving agencies is simply not enough to support herself comfortably. The three agencies all pay over both the federal minimum wage and Montana's state minimum wage but due to the inconsistency of job hours she claims that making ends meet every month can be a difficult task. Swartz claims that typically some parts of low-wage workers are â€Å"overlooked†. People who do not make low wages and are not forced to work 70+ hour work weeks do not understand the struggle. Swartz also states that â€Å"Home-care workers, who help people stay in their homes and live with dignity, deserve a $15-an-hour minimum wage.† Attached to Swartz's article is a report published by The Alliance for a Just Society, which claims that the living wage in Montana is $14.36 an hour for a single person with no dependents. Montana determines their state minimum wage using the Consumer Price Index, and updates it annually according to the index. Still however, 3,329 Montana employees earn minimum wage which makes up about 1.2% of the entire workforce. Over half of Montana's minimum wage workers are older than 25 and over 60% are women (Jay, 2016). Beginning January 1, 2018 Montana again raised its minimum wage standard to $8.30 per hour. Governor Steve Bullock addressed the issue in an email that read â€Å"People who work full time for a living shouldn't be living in poverty. This modest increase in minimum wage means more Montana workers will have a little extra money in their pockets,† The workers who Bullock may have been addressing include workers in the accommodations and food industry and also the retail trade industry who are recurrently the largest number of workers that receive minimum wage (Tribune Capital Bureau, 2017). On the contrary, many experts counterclaim that an increase in minimum wage is not the extreme â€Å"poverty tool† that the Democratic Party is hoping for. In fact, one of the biggest arguments against raising minimum wage is the idea of individual states already taking care of the low wage issue. As stated previously Montana, is one of 29 states that already adopted a minimum wage that is higher than the federal minimum wage, and many experts believe that if states were to adjust their incomes according to their cost of living, etc. that would be better fitting rather than adjusting the entire nation's minimum wage. Dr. Simon Johnson, MIT Sloan expert, claims that raising the federal minimum wage would actually have unintended consequences, in the sense of reducing hiring and potentially increasing unemployment. He states â€Å"It is unlikely that states with lower living costs would be able to support a $15 per hour minimum wage increase, while keeping hiring processes and current employment rates the same.† He proposes a gradual, stepwise increase to the minimum wage that would occur over time. A drastic increase to $15 per hour would be too abrupt and would have career-changing consequences. A study completed by Harvard's Economic Department points out that most minimum wage earners are second or third job holders in households with other income sources. This could include teenagers, summer employees, etc. Another group that comes to mind when thinking about minimum wage workers is retirees who already receive financial benefits from savings and social security. It is unlikely that an increase in minimum wage would truly benefit the nation, simply because some people working for minimum wage are not attempting to support dependents or themselves entirely. Usually, they are people who are looking for a little extra money rather than needing money to pay for utilities, a house, a car, etc. An even more concerning drawback of raising minimum wage is the elimination of jobs. If the United States government were to demand businesses to pay entry-level workers $15 an hour there would be a huge decrease in job security and job availability. Because, most businesses do not pay entry-level workers at this wage, if they were required to do so, they may attempt to find other means of labor including robots, computers, or other advanced technology. In fact, the Nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated that former President Obama's proposed $10.10 minimum wage, once fully implemented and in use, â€Å"would reduce total employment by about 500,000 workers.† Below is a political cartoon that shows the adverse effects of raising the current minimum wage. Although, many low-wage workers support and advocate for the idea of earning a $15 per hour wage, its effects could actually be deteriorating. Statistics show that raising the federal minimum wage to $15.00 per hour the United States risks eliminating roughly 550,000 part-time jobs and even if the minimum wage was raised to only $9.50 per hour nearly 1.3 million jobs could be lost. Previously, the United States has raised the minimum wage from $5.15 to $7.25, and adversely only 15 percent of the workers who were expected to gain from it lived in poor households. If the minimum wage today were to be raised to $9.50 per hour, only 11 percent of current minimum wage workers living in poverty would gain from this increase. In 2012, a study completed by the Wilson Review claims that both state and federal minimum wage increases between 2003 and 2007 had no effect on state poverty rates. Thus, proving the idea that increasing minimum wage does not provide a tool for lowering poverty levels. David Neumark and William Wascher performed over 100 minimum wage studies and found that about two-thirds of the studies had negative effects on unemployment. Thus, meaning that with an increase in minimum wage business owners and corporations would be forced to decrease their labor force and potentially cut long-time in employees in order to compensate for the wage increase. Half of the country's workforce is employed by small businesses. Raising the federal minimum wage is often cast largely as a necessity to ensure that many workers are able to earn a decent living, but in reality it's a complex issue. An example of this complexity has occurred in Oakland California in March of 2015 after they increased their statewide minimum wage by 36%, from $9.00 to $12.25 per hour. The effects are varying but some restaurants have raised their food pricing by nearly 20%, or adding a mandatory service charge and doing away with voluntary tips. The issue, business owners recognize and are working hard to resolve is finding the balance between paying a decent wage and keeping customers rather than driving them away. Some people claim that aside from the direct cost of doing business from salaries, they are also paying more for goods and services in their own communities. They question whether or not a higher wage will raise the cost of living for all employees, including those who currently earn a high-wage. Critics who are against raising the minimum wage also claim that if every entry-level worker was paid $15 an hour to begin with, many would lose incentive to get an education and move up to a higher-paying jobs. Ira Stoll, a minimum wage evaluator, states that † The lower the minimum wage, the more eager a minimum wage worker would be to enroll in a community college course at night, improve his/her skills, and apply for a higher-paying job.† Stoll also states that, â€Å"Making the entry-level jobs higher paying increases the risk that workers will get stuck in them for longer instead of moving on to something more rewarding. â€Å"Another point that many supporters fail to bring about is the idea of freedom of contract. This freedom is not directly protected by the constitution, but it as seen as a â€Å"natural right† and should be exercised. President Kennedy once said â€Å"The rights of man come not from the generosity of the state but from the hand of God. † Thus, meaning that if two free people want to enter into a voluntary contract or agreement that does not infringe on anyone else's rights or wellbeing the government has no right to step in and stop the deal that is being made. Experts use the idea of freedom of contract to prove that the government should not be involved in every contract made between two people. If a man wants to work for another for $5 an hour, and the other man wants to hire him and pay him $5 an hour than the government should have no authority to infringe on this deal. Raising the federal minimum wage would also affect welfare spending and could potentially increase taxes. Raising the federal minimum wage puts money into the pockets of the working poor people, but this occurs at the expense of business owners. By raising the minimum wage, politicians are taking the roundabout approach of minimum wage increase, rather than building actual political support for these policies. A report published by the Cato Institute claims that evidence shows minimum wage increase â€Å"disproportionately hurt the people they're supposed to help.† In this article the Institute cites a 2012 analysis of the New York State minimum wage increase from $5.15 to $6.75 per hour that found a â€Å"20.2 to 21.8 percent reduction in the employment of younger, less-educated individuals. † They also note that since 1995, eight studies have examined the income and poverty effects of minimum wage increases, and all but one of those studies have found that past minimum wage hikes had no effect on poverty.One of the largest concerns expert's share about a federal minimum wage increase is the impact it would entail on consumer prices. Basically, to raise minimum wage means to pay more people more money which has to be supplied from somewhere. Experts against the increase claim that the extra money will come from increased consumer prices. The 2012 Wilson Review notes: â€Å"A 2004 review of more than 20 minimum wage studies looking at price effects found that a 10 percent increase in the U.S. minimum wage raises food prices by up to 4 percent.† To back up this idea a report posted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago states that restaurant prices increase in response to minimum wage increases. The federal minimum wage is at a lower real value than it once was, but in order to change it law makers are going to have to look deeper into the problem rather than attempting to change the outcome quickly by increasing the minimum wage in all states to $15.00 hourly. Our country is unique in the nature that each state is able to make and regulate their own minimum wage and this matter is better dealt with inside certain states than from the federal government as a whole. There is most definitely a need in the United States to implement a method to decrease the rising poverty level, but this method should not be an increase in federal minimum wage because this method is directly related to rising prices, higher unemployment, job loss, and lack of job security. Small businesses, as stated previously, make up approximately 50% of the nation's workforce and if the government were to demand these businesses to pay their starting employees $12 or more, the businesses would be forced to either higher less people, lay off long term workers, or even more devastating, shutdown. This method proves ineffective in decreasing the families living underneath the poverty line and instead harms those workers who are higher-skilled and higher-paid.

Andrew Marvell’s – To His Coy Mistress

In Europe, the seventeenth century was a time that was called a part of the Renaissance (meaning rebirth), an era that was so called, because it was a time in which learning and development in every sphere of life occurred. This was prompted in part by the general reawakening to the idea that since life is temporary, one should make the most of one’s life. This is why the carpe diem (‘seize the day’ in Latin) theme frequently occurs in the literature of the seventeenth century. This theme is of central importance in Andrew Marvell’s ‘To His Coy Mistress’ as well as in Robert Herrick’s ‘To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time’, and other than this theme, both poems share a number of similarities. However, there are also striking differences, which contribute to the individual understanding of each poem. Carpe diem referred to all worldly pleasures, but theses two poems are similar in the way they approach this theme. Although ‘seize the day’ could mean all worldly pleasures, both of these poems emphasize sexual pleasure. Thus in Marvell’s poem, the speaker addresses his â€Å"coy† mistress and tells her than in death, her â€Å"long preserved virginity† (Marvell line 28) will â€Å"turn to dust† (29). Similarly, Herrick’s poem is addressed also to â€Å"the Virgins† who are told to â€Å"be not coy† (Herrick line 13). Also, both poems emphasize the pleasure to be gotten in one’s youth, as Herrick’s poem talks of â€Å"Youth† (10), and Marvell’s poem mentions the â€Å"youthful hue† (33). This shows that the speaker in both poems is intent on persuading these women that sexual pleasures are of most importance and are best when enjoyed in youth, and thus to be coy is nothing but wasting time, since life is short. Some comparisons and images are also common to both poems. For example, the image of the sun is used in both poems that time is running out—in lines 5-8 in ‘To the Virgins’, and lines 45-46 in ‘To His Coy Mistress’. Time itself is also personified in both poems; in ‘To the Virgins’, time is referred to as â€Å"Old Time† (2), and ‘To His Coy Mistress’, the speaker tells his mistress of â€Å"Time’s wingà ©d chariot† (22), and urges her to make the most of time, rather than â€Å"languish in his slow-chapped pow’r† (40). Such a use of personification makes it easier to visualize time as a person, under whose forces are all people. Also, both poems compare the ladies to flowers and thus, again, emphasize their transience. In Herrick’s poem, in the first stanza, there is an indirect comparison of the virgins to the flower that â€Å"Tomorrow will be dying† (4). This is evident in line 3, where the flower is not said to be blooming, but â€Å"smil[ing]† (2). In ‘To His Coy Mistress’, the â€Å"youthful hue/Sits on† the mistress â€Å"like morning dew† (33-34), as if she were a flower. Apart from these similarities, the two poems also have significant differences, which contribute to the individual effectiveness of each. For example, ‘To His Coy Mistress’ is addressed to a single lady, and is very descriptive about why and how the speaker and the mistress should enjoy sexual pleasure. This is because the poem aims to persuade the lady into immediate action. On the other hand, ‘To the Virgins’, (as apparent by the title), addresses all ‘Virgins’ and seeks to persuade them to â€Å"go marry† (14) and not delay marriage for later (not an immediate act). Thus, the poem has a song-like quality, brought out by the four short stanzas, as opposed to the long three sections of Marvell’s poem. This song-like quality in ‘To the Virgins’ is also brought about by the a,b,a,b rhyme scheme, and the completeness of the lines. On the other hand, in ‘To His Coy Mistress’, there is and a,a,b,b,c,c rhyme scheme, but the lines are run-on. This lends a conversational air to the poem, which is in keeping with the speaker’s addressing a single lady. Andrew Marvell and Robert Herrick both have used certain similar devices in their poems to bring out themes that are mutual to them. Yet, they have also employed devices which are peculiar to their own poems, and in doing so, have made them works of literature unique and complete in themselves, instead of stereotypical representations of a certain theme. Works Cited Herrick, Robert. â€Å"To the Virgins to Make Much of Time.† 1648. Poems to Remember. Ed. E. F. Kingston. Toronto: J. M. Dent & Sons. 1964. 22-23. Marvell, Andrew. â€Å"To His Coy Mistress.† 1681. The Norton Introduction to Literature. 8th ed. Ed. Jerome Be

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The Importance of Cultural Web to HR Strategy - Research Proposal Example Organizational culture is â€Å"The collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one organization from another† (Hofstede 1991). Organizational culture plays a very important role in the growth, performance, and success of the organizations. Its importance today has increased manifold as compared to the past. Traditional sources of success or competitive advantage such as product, technology, economies of scale etc are becoming less important in today’s world. Organizational culture and human resource management capabilities are becoming more vital for sustained growth these days (Alvesson, 2002). Culture is a dynamic phenomenon constantly in the process of evolution with our interactions and it is shaped by leadership, structures, rules and regulations and principles that guide our behavior. When culture is brought into the organizations one can observe not only its creation, evolution and embodiment in daily routine and practices within the organization but also as a guiding force that stabilizes, constraints and provide organizational structure and meaning to the employees. Although culture is an abstract term the forces that create this culture in the society and organization are very important. Hence culture should not only be understood but given the deserved importance as well.

Schedual management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Schedual management - Essay Example The purpose of inviting shakers is so as to increase the number of attendees who will be readily interested to come for the event (Rahner 5). ?1000 is the amount of money that is estimated to be the fee that the group will demand as their allowance. ?1000 will be the grand prize for the winning team while the runners up will be rewarded ?500, and ?250 for the third place. ?500 is the amount that has been estimated as the expenses for preparations besides the costs mentioned above. The university is donating ?500 of the estimated ?3500 required. This means that further sponsorship to raise the remaining ? 3000 will be required. However, over 500 students are expected to attend the event where ? 25 will be charged for each ticket. This translates to a total of ?12,500 which is the least amount that is expected to be raised. When costs are deducted, about ? 9000 will be the net profit. Of this, ? 7000 will be used for charity while the rest will go to Alpachino kitty who are the main or ganizers. It is important to state that Alpachino are the organizers but I am the project manager. The ?2000 will continue to support the implementation of the project in the coming years. To ensure that the number attendants is increased, tickets will be sold for one month prior to the main event with emphasis to the fact that the charges is meant for charity purposes. Huge numbers of students are expected to flock in the event where The shakers dancers will perform. Background Information Alpachino is the best dancing group of which I am a member. The club was founded on 1998 by a group of talented students interest in dancing. Every year, the club organizes a concert that is always aimed at giving back to the community. Many welfare projects have been accomplished by the combined efforts and support of the university towards this noble goal. This year, it is not exceptional because on July 21st 2013, the club will hold a major dancing competition aimed at raising funds for the ch arity purposes. The club hopes to serve slum children that are in need by empowering them and encouraging them to come forward and showcase their talents and potentials. Such project has for the last five years rehabitated over 200 street children among many more projects. This year, the officials of the club has approached me and asked me to develop on their behalf, an individual project plan for the planning of the stated dancing completion to be held at the university in July 2013. I will use an initial budget of ?500 but the club will also sponsor the event from their accounts kitty. In total, an amount of ?3,500 will be the budget that I will use to plan the project. However, my project plan needs to demonstrate that any of the ?500 spent – will secure a profit and enable more money to be sent to the charity. Business Case Business Goals and Objectives The business goals and objectives for this project will focus on hosting a dancing concert. Raise money for empowering y ouths in the slums. Facilitate coordination and information among the committee members. The project will enable participants to showcase their potential and talents Will bring together people and facilitate interactivity and capacity building. Facilitate entertainment . Provide high level of event planning skills by organizing the event. Provide an open,

Public relations campaign Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Public relations campaign - Essay Example The current topic of the report is well-advertised and publicized Government campaign against smoking. Practically all types of the media were used in this PR campaign (ranging from traditional ones -TV, radio and newspapers) to more modern types- such as Internet. In December 1999 the department of health (NHS) of the United Kingdom has been conducing aggressive PR campaign to induce British population to stop smoking. With the effect to persuade British people to give up smoking by the year 20102. New web site managed by NHS- givingupsmoking.co.uk provides population with essential information on the negative consequences of active and passive smoking. The web site provides statistical data on the number of death caused by the smoking in the United Kingdom and also tries to emphasize positive effects that abandoning of smoking might produce. So how potential smokers are encouraged to abandon their harmful habits In order to stop smoking one should understand the reasons of this habit. On the page "Habit" 3 several reasons and explanations of smoking habits are given (ranging from Pavlovian reaction to Freud's observations). In spite of the fact that some scientific observations are necessary, one should understand that smoking is most widespread among young people aged between 20 and 344 and very technical information on this subject might not reach the targeted audience of potential smokers. In my opinion, more simple and straightforward language should be used in explaining potential harm that smoking might cause and effective methods to fight this harmful habit. I guess that current version is more suitable for educated, experienced, older smokers who have decided to quit smoking and need some additional motivation to do it, rather than for group aged between 20 and 34. Apart from mentioning, the reasons of this harmful habit the site also provides detailed information on physical, social, financial and emotional consequences of the smoking. Well known facts such as that smoking might deprive person of sleeping, increase the risk of fire at the apartments of the smokers and increase financial outlays (this is especially true for the students, ones of the most financially vulnerable group of the population) are mentioned on the web site. The web site even provides its visitors with special calculator so they would be able to calculate the sum they could save if they stopped smoking. It is clear that by putting this advertisement the company is trying to induce the persons to stop smoking as this might save them much money. Apart from factual information that encourages potential smokers to quit smoking the company also provides its customers with some useful tips on how to stop smoking. It also describes some actions that should be taken in order not to smoke. In my opinion the content of the message focuses more on psychological impact rather than physical one. In the article Alternatives to smoking 5 the company encourages those who quit smoking to shift to other tasks, more emphasize should be given to physical difficulties of fulfilling this task. However apart from this the company also advertises the negative consequences of the smoking on TV, for instance in June 2005, it cooperated with Public Health Minster Caroline Flint in well publicized advertisement campaign where the damage that smoking migh

The appeal of Islam for politics in South East Asia during the 12th Essay

The appeal of Islam for politics in South East Asia during the 12th 17th centuries - Essay Example Southeast Asia covered the vast peninsula of Indochina and the widespread East Indies. In this location lie the countries of Burma, Brunei Darussalam, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Islam manifested a significant appeal for the Southeast Asia in the 12th throughout the 17th century. Over two-fifths of the region practice Islam as a religion. Most of the population involved in Muslim practices live in Malay Peninsula, the Archipelago, and on the Mindanao Island in Philippine Indonesia is distinct in the world as the single largest Muslim country, with a populace of about 212 million persons. Two-thirds of Malaysia is 23 million individuals and are Muslims. Evidently, Islam given that it was and it is still is a popular religion in south East Asia, it must have a greater influence as far as politics and policies of the day are concerned. Arguable, in the period 12th -17th centaury Islam appealed for polities in the South East Asi a with a view to maintain dominance. As of mid 14th century, the Hindu-Javanese kingdom of Majapahit conducted an influence over an island kingdom and applied substantial pressure on the mainland. But it was by now experiencing two pressures to its commercial and cultural fame. . In Malaya it was disputed by the upcoming power of Siam; and in the islands its power was being destabilized by the coming of Islam. The islands had contacted with Islam, via Arab merchants, for long though their traditional cultural beliefs on India barred Islam from being acceptable to them until Islam was firmly recognized via Moslem rulers in the northern India, at during the end of the 12th century. Then, in the 13th century, Indian merchants from Gujerat transformed to Islam particular ports of northern part of Sumatra and from there Islam spread to Malay and through to the Philippines. The rise of Islam in Malaya was connected to the establishment and consequent significance of the resolution of Mala cca on the western coast. Islam was founded in the onset of the 15th century, customarily by a Sumatran prince, Parameswara. The prince was changed to Islam, which in his power and the succeeding rulers extended all through the peninsula. Malacca became the major trading port in the Eastern region due to its favourable position on the trade routes connecting India, South East Asia and China. Malacca upheld its sovereignty, cosseted in its early times from Siamese antagonism by the diplomatic acts of the Chinese Ming rulers for a whole century. Consequentially, Malacca became the South East Asia Islam headquarters. In the meantime in Indonesia, the Majapahit Empire divided into smaller and scrawny Moslem nations and the Philippines The Philippines, was inhabited by a combination of Malays and Indonesians, organised in tribal groups referred to as â€Å"barangays". The units possessed definite culture, and did business widely with Arab, Indian and Chinese merchants; but isolated them selves from the different imperial resistance of South East Asia. Most of barangays were converted to Islam between 13th to 15th centuries, though remained excluded in external affairs till the arrival of Europeans during the 16th century. Islam also made insignificant effect on the South East Asia’s mainland which maintained devastatingly Buddhist. China sent many naval teams and diplomatic missions to all their neighbours proximate to Indian Ocean and the South China Seas between 1405 and 1433. The main intention of the chinece for their missions was to seek trade and military esteem. As the missions ended, the Europeans found permission for entry into the Far East Asia. The Arrival of the Europeans : The Portuguese, the Spaniards, and the Dutch. The Portuguese The Portuguese started massive voyages by the end of the 15th century to seek exploration and determination of trade routes towards the east especially India and China spice

Ethnic American Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ethnic American - Personal Statement Example The family values of our people are extremely strong and we have strong family bonds. Even in the time when we were slaves and the families were separated and sold as slaves, we still have strong family bonds. The old members of the family pass the cultural and social heritage to the young members of the family and in return the younger members take care of their old. Our families provide strength and support to each other and even in our communities. Spiritual values are considered important for our people. The elders and the parents develop emotional and spiritual values and needs in the young African American so that their transition into adulthood is easy and it would prepare them for it as well. With the help of these spiritual values the young ones learn to change and grow and develop in terms of emotions, morals etc. Gender roles, as you know means the attitude, behaviour, responsibilities and activities of a male and female in a society. When we talk about gender roles among African American people it is given that the financial provider in the family would be the male. But they also agree to the fact that male and the female should share the responsibility of raising a child together and sharing the duties of housework. And we also believe that there is a lot of female discrimination in the society. Even though the US claims to be a country of free thinkers and promotes free speech through out the world as their ultimate quality. We still see that they contain a certain amount of biasness towards us the African Americans. If our background is from the rougher part of society getting an education becomes practically impossible. Even though the US society says that they help out all kinds of people regardless of sect or culture we still have problem when we want to educate ourselves further and if we do not posses the financial backing or if we don't talk or sound or act or dress the way they think is right then they discriminate us in the basis that our society is filled with no do-gooders and that we do not deserve a chance to better ourselves with a good quality education. We are discriminated as a whole and nobody pays attention to our personal values and they do not even look at the fact whether we are capable of educating ourselves and that we do not posses the drive to rise higher than our immediate circumstances and our willing to work hard to achieve our goal and further improve ourselves. There is an income gap between the white families and black families. And if we look back and see that the African Americans earn only 65% of the wages when comparing to the wages of the white people. And if we go back in time and see when the country was facing economic problems the people who mostly suffered were; we the African Americans in regards of employment. And we still face the problem of unemployment or under-employment. We are considered as people who are lazy and no do-gooders. Generational differences play a vital role in changing the attitudes and behaviours of people. And we can see that it is happening in the African American society. As we can see this generation of African Americans is facing heir issues and problems related to racism and discrimination

Texting While Driving Essay Example for Free

Texting While Driving Essay How many people text behind the wheel of their vehicle? Can we relate to the following story? Jaci Lemons* is driving down the street, headed to school. The 17 year old driver is texting another friend. As she looks down to read the incoming text, Jaci veers off to the right and crashes head-on into the back of a parked vehicle. She is taken to the hospital, but after brief examination by the attending ER doctor, Jaci is released. Thankfully, the only thing bruised is her pride, and her pocketbook. Missouri should make texting while driving illegal for all drivers, not just the drivers aged 21 and under. Missouri has passed a state law, on Aug. 28, 2009, that prohibits drivers 21 years of age or younger from sending or reading a text while driving. While that is a great start, it isnt enough. Drivers across the country have been seen in their vehicles doing all sorts of dangerous, weird, and downright strange things while driving. Watching a DVD movie (really), dressing, putting on makeup, eating, texting, etc; but texting is what is causing legislatures some concern here in Missouri. The problem is we spend so many hours behind the wheel that seemingly, we are driving on auto pilot. (Have you ever driven a while and then could not remember any of it?) Young people will be forced to at least keep their fingers off their keyboards while they drive,said Leanna Depue, director of Highway Safety or the Missouri Department of Transportation. The law is a small step toward counteracting some of the distracted driving that causes crashes in Missouri. And, according to a recent study by Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, texting while driving is the leading cause of traffic crashes in Missouri, as well as across the country. 80% of crashes involve driver distraction; mainly that texting is the number one thing that distracts motorists attention while driving. Half of all teen drivers say they text while driving. HALF. Its almost unthinkable to realize so many drivers dont have their eyes on the road. Couple that with the sobering fact that most cars on Americas roadways are traveling approximately 65 to 70 miles  per hour. According to the St. Louis Post Dispatch, statistics show that teenagers have the most problems texting while they are driving, probably because they text more than anyone else and send longer texts than their adult contemporaries. Some teens can very easily burn through a thousand minutes of texting in no time. Twenty-three other states, along with Missouri, have already made texting while driving illegal. While texting while driving a car should not be legal in any case, the law in Missouri allows drivers over the age of 21 to text while they are driving. Motorists in some states are allowed to use a cell phone while they drive, as long as its hands-free. Most states already have laws against talking on the cellphone and driving; however, what doesnt make any common sense at all is allowing those over the age of 21 to text and drive while banning those under 21 to do so. Take for instance, 38 year-old Donald Rios*. One afternoon, while traveling to another town, he was texting a co-worker about picking up some 4 by 6s for their job site. In the meantime, traffic was slowing because a farmer was burning his fields next to the interstate. Donald Rios looked up to see that traffic was nearly at a standstill, and he could not stop in time. He rear-ended the back of another vehicle, and in turn, a semi rear-ended him, causing his truck to cave in like an accordion. Subsequently, Rios lost his life in the accidentall because of his inattentiveness to the road ahead. Legislation encouraging laws which ban texting have also been encouraged at the federal level with proposals suggesting that any state who didnt ban texting could risk losing federal highway funding. Missouri is the 23rd state to ban texting while driving, but is 1 of 9 to single out a particular age group. The fine for texting while driving under Missouris new law is $200. Senator Ryan McKenna sponsored the bill. An insurance industry study has revealed that accidents increased in 3 of 4 states that has laws prohibiting texting while driving. The study, prepared by Highway Loss Data Institute, says it looked at accident statistics from insurance claims in four states that have made it illegal for motorists of any age to text while driving, as well as nine states with no, or limited  bans; in three states, accidents increased dramatically after the bans passed. Those were California, Louisiana and Minnesota . So, how does law enforcement actually catch you texting while driving? How can they tell if you were texting if you dont have the phone in plain view? Heres how: If your phone is destroyed in an accident, the phone company has a log of all texts and calls, which are also logged with the exact date and time. Phone companies keep a log of text histories just like a computer does of websites and pages. Please dont text (or do other distracted hazards) and drive. Your life, as well as others lives depends on it.

History Of Luxury Goods Industry Marketing Essay

History Of Luxury Goods Industry Marketing Essay In late 1996, after collaboration ended between BBL (Bharat Bijlee Ltd), a Mumbai (India) based elevator Business Company and Schindler, a Swiss-based elevator and escalator manufacturer. Schildler started planning to operate and expand the business fully own subsidiary. In 1874, Robert Schindler established the company in Switzerland. The company starts manufacturing the escalators in 1989 and by 1998 the company had worldwide presence and revenues of 6.6 billion Swiss Francs. The company employed over 38,000 in 97 subsidiaries and looking to start own operation in India. Alferd N. Schindler, Chairman of the company felt that India had a large emerging market and the company had great growth potential. He himself spent several weeks in India and travel in different cities to understand the market and potential. India is not relatively a new market for Schindler; in 1925, first elevator was installed in India. In late 1950s Schindler appointed local distributer to increase the market presence and agreement done with ECE, an Indian Company which was later ended in 1958. In 1985 Schindler entered into a technical collaboration with Mumbai-based Bharat Bijlee ltd (BBL) to manufacture and sell its elevator. Silvia Napoli, a Harvard MBA graduate; joined Schindler in Sept 1994 as head of corporate planning in companys headquarters in Ebikon, Switzerland. Napoli had been appointed vice-president of South-Asia and Head of the India INTRODUCTION The luxury goods industry is well established in Italy around the region in Europe. Most of the family- controlled luxury good brands and few of the company still run by 5th generations. The customer segment are high end-rich customers basically middle aged but the trend was changed and the companies also targeted youths. The profit margin of the luxury goods is very high i.e. up to 70% so there is large amount of revenue spent on marketing and publicity. Luxury goods are a matter and current fashion trend and maintaining of high status in the society. Middle income groups customers have a dream to buy the luxury goods one day in future and join the elite club. HISTORY OF LUXURY GOODS INDUSTRY In 1837, Thierry Hermes founded a company manufacturing especially luxury leather goods. Later 1923, Gucci established in Italy and there are many more companies established in between and after in Italy and around the Europe. 150 years of luxury goods manufacturing history roots in Europe. ANALYSIS (BASES ON PORTERS FIVE FORCE OF COMPETATIVE POSITION) MARKET ENTRANTS: About 75% luxury goods are manufactured in Europe and there is a huge demand of these products in Europe and overseas especially in North America, Japan and other Asian countries. The global market for luxury brands in 2001 is around $70 billion. LVMH commands the largest market share of 15% compared with 6% of the next largest group. Geographic distribution of global wealth, the market is divided into 3 geographical areas such as Europe, North America, Japan and other Asian countries: approximately 40% of sales are made in Europe, 28% in North America and 24% in Asia, with the remaining 8% scattered amongst the remaining regions. YSL Couture generates 60% of its revenue in Asia, as does 35% of Hermes, 40% of Christian Lacroix sales, more than 50% of Leica sales. Overall luxury goods market segment: Sl No. Luxury Goods category Percentage Fragrance and cosmetics 24- 37% Ready-to-wear and fashion 14-30% Leather and shoes 13-16% Watches and jewelry 08-32% Wines and spirits 15-22% Others 05-09% COMPETATIVE RIVALRY: The fashion luxury goods companies are basically located in Italy or in Europe. So their cultural background is same and almost all brands are family-oriented luxury goods business. Few companies are acquired by public, and Gucci was one of them. There are advantages and disadvantages for both family farm as compared with public company and vice versa. The basic competition is not the price war its about product design and brand image. Guccis creative director Tom Ford is an advantage edge for the company who give a new direction to the company i.e. fashion-oriented approach, which makes Gucci truly a luxurious brand. In 1998, sales by product figure (please see case notes exhibits 2) gave an idea that Gucci was 3rd position of leather goods sales, 4th in Jewelry and watches and 5th in apparel. It gives a negative picture to the stakeholders that Gucci is not become a leading luxury brand in any specialized category of goods. However, at the beginning Gucci specialized for leather goods. The positive point is that Gucci doesnt need to depend on a specific category of good which was a good sign. The company balanced overall sells figure and not dependent on a specific category of goods. In 1998 sales by region (please see exhibit 1), Gucci was doing overall good business and balanced the sales figure almost same in North America, Europe and Asia. Whereas the other brands such as LVMH and Bulgari is close to Guccis sales distribution. It was a good indication for Gucci that during regional economic downturn the company compensates overall sells in another region. Recent days natural disasters and terrorists threats increases, which affects the regional economy ant time e.g. 9/11 attack in U.S., 26/11 in India, Gulf war, war against Taliban, volcano eruption in Iceland tsunami in east Asian countries etc. PRODUCT AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT: There are no real substitutes for the luxury goods buyers. Cost is not a big factor for luxury goods, customers look for elegant design. Customers might not be so found of particular designer unless the designer famous likes Tom Ford who associated to Gucci. Technology plays a big role to shape the products and increase volume of the production. With use of the latest technology the quality of the product will be high standard and production will be faster so that easy to balance the production and demand. Gucci understand this important step of the business so De Sole helps the supplier to provide latest technology and financial support for up gradation of the equipment for e.g. If Gucci uses the latest technology to cut the leather and results cutting will be better, faster and wastage of materials will be less. High quality leather is very costly so lot of savings for Gucci and ultimately production is cost less and high profit margin. SUPPLIERS Suppliers are backbone of a company and without cooperation of suppliers a company will be paralyzed any time. So the relation between the supplier and the company should be close and good for future success of the company. Specially, when companies outsource the goods. Guccis success is because of the quality craftsmanship and which all-time low in 1993 because unable to pay. De Sole visited every individual suppliers and selected best of them and cut the rest and pushes them hard to reach the parameter of Guccis expectation. Suppliers have clear vision after discussion with De Sole that what they have to continue the relationship with Gucci. The relation was better and transparent, which help to improve the brand image though quality products and on time delivery. CUSTOMERS There are two types of customers: The super-rich The middle-market customers The super-rich customers (or high net worth Individuals) seem not subject to the world economic cycles. In addition, they are a growing number. The middle-market customers are those that are willing to buy luxury goods, but they want the hottest, trendiest design, which increasingly have to be marketed in creative and expensive ways. They can potentially expand the market quite dramatically, as they are part of the upper-middle class. They are considered to be both a great opportunity. Gucci understand this and changed their strategies from classic image to fashion-oriented approach where they can attract large middle-market pool of customers. While the price is less and no of customers is more. Hence, the cash flow is more; the sales figure in 1994 (please see exhibit 1) total revenue was $263.6 million and in 2001 the sales figure reached to $2,285.0 million. GICCIS POSITIONES AND DE SOLES CRITICAL MOVES Gucci was a family controlled business and from the beginning has experienced many changes since it founded in Florence in 1923. In 1950s Guccis first opened outside Europe DOS store in New York. Very fast the products attract the famous celebrities around the world. As celebrities are using the luxury goods Gucci gets publicity through the media and Gucci become a luxury global brand. The brand expands their stores in 1970s UK, Japan, Hong Kong and other Asian countries. In the 1980s after Rodolfo Gucci died, the family-run company faces new challenges internally from their own family members. In 1989, InvestCorp Int. acquires a 50% share in Gucci and forms a 50-50 joint venture with Maurizio Gucci. Later in 1993 the Gucci family sold rest of the share to InvestCorp Int. and InvestCorp Int. gains full ownership of the company. After acquired by InvestCop Int. Gucci become a public company and listed on various stock exchanges respectively. In early 1990s, the entire luxury goods industry was going through downturn because of gulf war, the US recession and reduced no of tourists around the world because lots of economic uncertainty and anti US sentiment after the Gulf war. In 1994-1995, the first professional managers team took charge of Gucci group by Domenico De Sole as a CEO of the company and Tom Ford, creative director of the company. De Sole was appointed by Maurinzio Gucci as a legal adviser, president and managing director of the company of Gucci America. He was associated with the company for few years and he has cultural and geographical knowledge of Europe as he is native of Rome and he completed his higher study in US. When De Sole took over charge as a CEO in 1995 the company had $500 million net revenue and in 2001, the total revenue of the company is $2,285 million (please see exhibit 1). The operating cost was high $121.1 million and the figure changed to $355.1. The growth of total revenue and the operating cost gives a clear picture that there are lots of initiative had been taken to improve the image and expansion of the brand. Mr. De Sole had been taken various critical majors to repositioned Gucci and he did some fundamental moves or withdrew some family plans and transformed the family-based mono brand to a multi brand. He restructured the organization results he took decision and fired few old employees and appointed new managers who have deep retail experiences. Its a great move to regenerate new energy and strength to the pool of employee, which helped to redistribute the work force. It also helped to translate the companys goal (corporate level) to execute the job in the business and functional level. It gave more power to the individual stores to take decisions for day to day task without wasting time to get approval from corporate or business level. The decision of distribution control and whole sale distribution moved to in-house. It helped the company to improve distribution channel whereas earlier the distribution was disorganized and delay in delver the goods. It also helped to deliver on time and centralized inventory system to monitor the stocks of goods and supply. Stopped licensing to the new products helped to improve quality and to improve the brand image. Gucci also looses the luxury brand image and decided to outsource limited to Italy based suppliers and reduced the no of suppliers drastically. De Sole selected few trusted suppliers and helped them financially and technology to improve the overall quality of the products. Uses of latest technology helped to improve quality of goods, and cost effective as well volume increased. Only 5% premium range of products manufactured in-house to maintain high quality standard and brand image. A very crucial decision had been taken to move from classic image to fashion-oriented approach. Basically Guccis customers are 30-50 years womens. With globalization and competitive market Gucci need to rethink the position to be competitive in the market. The companys new strategy was fashion-oriented approach to attract both sex average age of 25 years customer segment. So the decision was taken to spend more to attract youth customers so an average of 10% spent on the advertising. The companys new strategy fashion-oriented, which increased customers expectation and they expected new fashion goods in every seasons result the company had to invested more to designing and production. It was also decided that Gucci group products should be primary shells through direct operated stores (DOS) (please see exhibit 2). It is very important for a brand that when a customer buys a luxury product the customer must get an essence of luxury treat, good presentation and high class service which is not possible to maintain for franchises shops and merchandising dealers. DOS also contribute and anticipate the brand image and brand publicity. Right strategies planned in the corporate level lead by De Sole and well supported by his executive group and all together their effort to transform Gucci from a moribund brand into a billion-dollar company (please see exhibit 2). In 1998, the Gucci group become a one billion-dollar company; Maurizios dream comes true. DE SOLES STRETIGIC MOVE TO BUY YSL AND SR The family oriented single-brand firms were facing challenges due to close competition with the luxury multi-brands companies. To overcome the challenges in 1998-1999 there were a sharp rate of increase in mergers and acquisitions. LVMHs portfolio continuously increased and in 1999 company spends around $2.9 billion on acquisition on the leading brands. Later Prada and LVHM formed a joint venture that beat out Gucci too acquire 51% of Fendi for close to $600 million. In 1999, LVMH spend $1.4 billion to become Guccis largest shareholder and LVMH want to buy Gucci. Also LVMH want to appoint a director to Guccis board so that LVHM come to know Guccis strategic moves; Gucci emerged competitor for LVHM. Later PPR bought 40% of Gucci for $2.9 billion, diluting LVMHs holding to 19.6%. In Nov 1999, Gucci acquired Sanofi Beaute consisting of two sister companies: Yves Saint Laurent Coutre, which produced YSL ready-to-wear and accessories and YSL Beaute, which produced cosmetic goods. Gucci also acquire 70% share of Sergio Rossi paid of $96 million, which makes high-fashion shoes. This acquisition transforms Gucci into a multi-brand luxury group with nearly $3billion in cash. This acquisition continues challenge for Gucci to handle YSL and SR as a different brand because both brands have their own identity and a segment of customers e.g. Guccis ready-to-wear is totally diffident from YSL ready-to-wear. Guccis also dont want to loose YSLs customer to make a single brand. Both brands have their own DOS in Europe, US and Asia. Even it is easy for Gucci to operate YSL and SR without changing the management team, only need YSLs SRs CEO need to report to De Sole and Tom Ford appointed creative director of YSL. The sales figure after acquisition of YSL and SR in (please see exhibit-1) in 2000-2001 around 30% revenue contributed by these brands and Guccis performance also improved individually. The decision of acquisition of YSL and SR was taken very quickly just to follow LVSR. However, Gucci itself goes through transition phase. Any decision, which makes profit of the company consider to be a good decision for the company. GUCCIS STRATEGY TO GOING FORWARD There are lot of scope to improve or to make new strategies for Guccis expansion and improve the brand image are as such: To expand the stores in other Asian countries such as China and India, these two countries are emerging new economic power of the world. There is a big group of wealthy customers who have capacity to expend to buy luxury goods and they travel to Dubai and Singapore just for shopping. In China, customers can buy online Guccis products from China based manufacturer, which is not a good strategy for a luxury brand. It will help to flourish the gray market and the customers cannot enjoy and get essence of luxury goods shopping. The Asian customers are still not very comfortable of buying the luxury goods online. Online shopping might be a good option for American and European customers. Its always good for a luxury brand to sell the goods directly in the market. When a customer buys luxury goods they would like to celebrate the moment with their friends and family members so this moment will be missing in online shopping. In Asian countries it will be difficult for Guccis to establish and run their business and make significant profit. Asian counties are culturally very deep rooted, which influence the business. These countries have their own fashion trends and they are quite capable to change the trend of fashion any time. Such as Indias Bollywood industry which plays a big role to change the fashion trend with just release of one movie and brings the new trend of fashion. China and Koreas visual media is dominant on the fashion industry. To overcome this challenge its good for Gucci to design some luxury goods with the help of local designers which will reflect the culture of that country. Real world example like McDonald and KFC and few other global brands their products or menus are different form country to country to attract local customers and compete with the local challenges or brands. Gucci need continue to sell their classic design goods which are universally accepted to maintain the luxury classic brand image. Duty free shop (DFS) is a good platform to showcase, promote and sell the luxury goods. There are long list of international and national airport terminals which is better than a mall. In Asia, New Delhi, Dubai, Singapore and Thailand and many more airports, which are world-class. Asian travellers or customers would like to save money while shopping so shopping at DFS stores is a good place to buy Guccis products. Selection of airport and country is very crucial for Gucci to open DFS. According to Kotler, Traditionally, price has been the major determinant of buyers choice. But there are few exceptions for e.g. baby products, medicines and luxury goods. For baby products the profit margin is very high and companies know the fact that parent dont comprise with the quality of the product because baby is very sensitive as well as future of the next generation. Medicine is costly because of the research and development and the pharmaceutical companies keeps high price to make more profit. No choice for the patients as they want to cure fast so they have to buy good quality medicine. So the Government and WHO controls the price of few essentials medicines specially vaccines and life saving drugs and gives subsidy to reduce the price of the medicine for common people and poor countries. But in case of luxury goods customers are willingly to pay high price for the luxury goods. They just care about the brand image in the society and the quality of the product. Most importantly, Gucci continuing to improve the brand image and quality of the products. Promotion of the brand by famous international celebrities as a brand ambassador or with top models. Classic products are the assets of Guccis and the customers associate with the classic goods are loyal customers of Gucci. The production cost will be less to manufacture the classic goods in comparison to design and production of new goods. There is less chances of loss because the classic models never off fashion and there is average demands of the good round the year. Guccis fashion-oriented move will be challenging for the designers to design new trend fashion and creative goods. The company need to attract talented creative designers around the world because the customers expectation will increase with increase of buying power and they want new items in every special occasion or season. It is important for a brand or product, which will anticipate the brand and it is lacking in case of Guccis. A real life example is iTune which anticipate huge success of iPod and iPhone and vice-versa and another is Harvard Business School and publication etc. Gucci can start a fashion designing school it will bring the brand to the next level of expertise goods manufacturer and technology equipped institution. The company can earn money through the institution and hire their own students after complete the study or training. It will help Gucci group to groom their future employee and save expenses training of new employees for 3 years. Gucci group will get huge publicity through different media outside the luxury world, which attract new segment of customers. Gucci can also save money on advertising. It is also true that luxury industry hide lot of information from outside world and media to keep secret of their success or signature work and design etc. But nothing is possible if t he idea is creative and innovative. Exhibit 1 GUCCI GROUP PERFORMANCE: 1994-2001 Exhibit 2 GUCCI GROUP: RETAIL NETWORK DEVELOPMENT Exhibit 3 GUCCI GROUP REVENUES: REGION Exhibit 4 GUCCI GROUP REVENUES: CHANNEL Exhibit 5 OUTSTANDING BRANDS AND PRODUCTS Exhibit 6 GUCCI GROUP DIVISIONS

Understand the background to organizational strategic change

Understand the background to organizational strategic change LO 1 Understand the background to organisational strategic change I. John P Kotters eight steps to successful change; Harvard-Professor Kotter, studying the process of organizational change for over three decades. While any change can be successfully implemented or otherwise be a failure. Kotter worked out an 8-step model. The first four steps here focus on de-freezing the organization; the next three make the change happen; and the last step re-freezes the organization with a new culture (Leading Change by John P. Kotter). The change management guru also mentions that when someone people need to make big changes significantly and effectively, he says that this goes best if the 8 steps happen in order. They have been summarised as below: Create Urgency One needs to create and imbibe an increased sense of urgency. This motivates people to make a move, make real and relevant objectives. Form Team A strong and able guiding team needs to be built. Remembering to get the right people in place for the right job as commitment, and various levels of skill sets need to be matched. Create Vision The team establishes a vision and strategy required to deliver quality service and efficiency. Communicate Vision Involve as many people as possible, communicate the essentials, simply, and to appeal and respond to peoples needs. As the vision competes with various day to day organizational tasks one needs to communicate it frequently and powerfully, and embed it within everything. One should also lead by example. Remove Obstacles At this stage one has to put in place a structure for imminent change. Empower leaders removing any hierarchical obstacles, enabling healthy feedback and enough support from all stakeholders. Create short-term wins Create and set short-term targets that are easy to achieve. Manage the number of initiatives and finish running stages before starting new ones. Consolidate Improvements Consolidate and encourage determination and persistence for ongoing change. Highlight achievements; reward progress; and set future goals. Instil new projects and themes. Make it Culture One has to weave change into the corporate culture. Reinforce and institutionalise the value of successful change via recruitment, promotion. At this step one has to create plans to replace key leaders of change as they move on. This will help ensure that their legacy is not lost or forgotten. It has been accepted the world over that change is inevitable. A change can be small restricted to a single or more processes, or even for that matter a system-wide change. Under Kotters theory create a sense of urgency, recruit powerful change leaders, build a vision and effectively communicate it, remove obstacles, create quick wins, and build on your momentum. Such a documented and methodical process can help make the change part of ones organizational culture. II. McKinseys 7S (strategy) framework; Two consultants working at consulting firm McKinsey, in the early 1980s, Tom Peters and Robert Waterman developed this model. It says that, in order to ensure that all parts of the organization work as a single unit, there are seven internal aspects. (Ethan M. Rasiel, Paul N. Friga The McKinsey Mind: Understanding and Implementing the Problem-Solving Tools and Management Techniques.) The seven independent factors could be categorized as Hard Elements: Strategy, Structure and Systems; these are relatively easy to identify. Soft Elements are Shared Values, Style, Staff and Skills, which are more difficult to identify and influence. These are less tangible and more of the cultural aspect.(In Search of Excellence) Shared values: This interconnecting centre of the model mentions the central beliefs and attitudes of the organization. Strategy: Plans for resource allocation to attain identified goals. Need to look at factors like environment, competition and customers. Structure: The way the firms units relate to each other: centralized or decentralized, matrix, network, holding, etc. System: The procedures, processes and routines that say how to perform day to day work: financial systems, hiring performance appraisal; information systems. Staff: Numbers and the type of personnel required for the organization. Style: Cultural style of the business leaders. Skill: Skill sets and capabilities of the firms personnel as a whole. These can be applied to a team or a project. It should be noted that alignment issues do apply, regardless of how the scope is defined. For example this strategy helps to: align processes and departments amidst mergers or acquisitions. improve company performance. determine the best possible way to implement the proposed strategy. scrutinize the likely effects of imminent changes internally. Whatever be the type of change, this model can be used to understand how the organizational machinery is inter-related, ensuring that the broader effect of changes made in one area are considered. The 7S model helps analyze the current situation (Point A), a proposed future situation (Point B) and to identify gaps and inconsistencies between them. Its then a question of adjusting and tuning the elements of the 7S model to ensure that your organization works effectively and well once you reach the desired endpoint. III. Burke-Litwins causal change model; Burke Litwins Causal Model of Organizational Performance and Change, enumerates how performance is affected by internal and external factors. Its framework gauges organizational and environmental factors key to bring in a successful change. It also reveals how these factors can be linked causally to achieve a change in performance. Interestingly it incorporates all the variables in the 7S model adding 5 of its own, describing organisational variables and the relationship between them. Each of the variables interact and a change in any one of them can eventually impact others. This helps in understanding how organisations perform, and how they can be changed. The causal model links what could be understood from practice to what is known from research and theory. The model not only discusses how different dimensions link with each other but also discusses how external environment affects the different dimensions in organization. The model focuses on providing a guide for both organizational diagnosis and planned, managed organization change, one that clearly shows cause-and-effect relationships. Understanding assessing the complexity of organizational change Most organizational change is driven by environmental impact Boxes indicate primary variables affecting organizational performance Arrows indicate critical linkages A change in any variable will affect every other variable Higher level variables have greater weight in effecting organizational change (A causal model of organizational performance and change, W. Warner Burke George H. Litwin, Journal of Management, 1992, vol. 18.) The model outlines that, important elements of organisational success, such as mission strategy, leadership organisational culture, are often forced by changes that finds its source outside of the firm. The change manager has to identify these external changes and understand the implications for him/her and the entire team. The model also distinguishes between transformational and transactional organizational dynamics. IV. David Gleichers change formulae Richard Beckhard and David Gleicher created the Formula for Change. It was later refined by Kathie Dannemiller. This formula, like other theories devised to manage change, provides a model to assess the relative strengths affecting the likely success or otherwise of the programs implemented to bring in change. Change = (Dissatisfaction)(Vision)(First Steps) > Resistance C= D x V x F > R Three factors must be present for meaningful organizational change to take place. These factors are: D = Dissatisfaction with how things are now; V = Vision of what is possible (tangible and concrete); F = First, concrete steps that can be taken towards the vision; If the product of these three factors is greater than R = Resistance, then only is change possible. If not, the system would be not capable of overcoming the resistance. It is essential to include planned tactical thinking, and authority to create vision and identify those crucial, early steps towards ensuring a successful change. The models applications could be before change or during the process of change. When planning a major change, planning teams see to it that all the three elements are built in. During the change, the formula is used to trouble-shoot people resisting change finding out the reasons to any resistance. Being different from earlier management theories, such as F.W. Taylors scientific management approach, this approach advocates employee involvement in change, and the use of the internal or external consultants to manage reactions to change. In modern organizations, employees are taking cognizance of the bigger role of the management and realizing their own role and involvement in the organizational success. Employers are now showing more trust in them. The two roles are, now, not mutually exclusive. M1. Since the General Election in May 2010, the UK Prime Minister has announced a handful of changes to a number of government tools and systems. One of the most urgent task facing the country is to wriggle out of the record debt situation and attain better financial position. This requires reforms to the structure of government, including ensuring that the government has the best machinery possible to deliver efficiencies. Restructuring the Civil Services departments was one such thing. Context and rationale The Governments rationale was to ensure that its public machinerys running costs are tightly managed, benefits are delivered and that any changes represent value for money. The change has been made in order to support him in carrying out his Ministerial responsibilities. David Gleichers change formulae could be used to push further the need for change. It has been generally accepted that the British public has various levels of (D) dissatisfaction with how things are now and they would like change. The top priority and need for them is change from the present situation. This brought in a change of guard at the highest level of governance. Overview The people in-charge envisioned a plan to usher in the required objectives. Possible (V) vision both tangible and concrete are drawn and the (F) first, concrete steps that can be taken towards the vision were implemented. As, in the formula, the product of the above factors is greater than (R) resistance, change was possible. Signs of the new government and the changes brought in are highly visible: departments renamed; websites reset to year zero; and advisers appointed at the order of the coalitions new ministers. The appointment of special advisers to the new cabinet ministers also revealed a subtle shift in the spin operation Camerons government will run. The majority have been taken from the ranks of policy advisors, as opposed to press officers, and some ministers have been told they can only have one special advisor instead of the usual two. Ministers also have a team of civil servant press officers within their departments. Q1.3 Briefly explain any four out of the following strategic intervention techniques in organization change management; I. Autocratic versus participative style In an autocratic style of leadership is one where a single person holds unlimited power or authority. In such a system the team members are not encouraged and cannot put forward their views. They cannot criticize or question the leaders way of getting things done. Owing to a single decision maker, the biggest advantage this style offers is that it leads to speedy decision-making and greater productivity. On the other hand, this form of leadership leads to greater employee absenteeism and turnover. In a participative leadership style, also referred as the democratic style, leaders invite and encourage the team members to play an important role in decision-making process. However, one should note that the ultimate decision-making power is held by the leader. Here employees communicate to the leader their experience and suggestions. Its advantages are that it leads to satisfied and motivated employees. Such a system fosters employee skill development, encouraging creativity. However, in this style a lot of time is consumed and it is most often slow. II. Proactive and reactive, Proactive Strategies are interventions techniques used on an ongoing basis. Such steps on an ongoing basis attempts to reduce the probability of occurrence of a challenging behaviour. They are preventative in nature. Reactive Strategies are interventions which are used only once a problem occurs. They are consequences to the behaviour. It is a damage minimization technique. In positive approaches to change management the emphasis of proactive strategies is encouraged. If one does a good job with the proactive strategies, then reactive steps and policies need not be necessary. Sometimes it fully eliminates the challenges. Techno-structural interventions; Techno-structural interventions purpose is to form appropriate work designs and organizational structures providing strategic support of organizational development (E lawler III, 1974). In this form of intervention, the restructuring of the organization is very important. Here, workload is divided in the overall organization via sub-units for effective task completion (M Tushman, E Romanelli, 1986). Restructuring can be performed on at least five major factors environment, organization size, technology, organization strategy and worldwide operation (Thomas G Cummings; Christopher G Whorley, 2002). Employee involvement and work design are other major components. IV. Human process interventions; In todays corporate world, strong emphasis is being laid on humanistic values. Focus is now turning on helping members to enhance themselves, each other and the ways in which they work together in order to enhance their overall organization. The following human process interventions might be particularly helpful during change projects: many new employees, different cultures working together, many complaints among organizational members, many conflicts, low morale, high turnover, ineffective teams, etc. D1 Managing change is as important as ushering in change itself. Proper diagnosis of desired organizational changes, allows application of such strategic intervention as role playing, team development, survey feedback, process consulting, etc. Adopting strategic intervention methods, modern organizations can build success and advancement within and outside their organization. LO 2 Understand issues relating to strategic change in an organisation Q2.1 examine and briefly comment on the need for strategic change in an organisation (P4) Change has become the essence of organizational growth and development. Most change programmes arise from management whims such as culture change, business process re-engineering, and empowerment among others. Another reason for initiating change is competition and the organisations need to reposition it. The following are the some key reasons that initiate the need for change in an organization. They are forced, telling, participatory, or transformational changes. By identifying the root cause, you can determine which mode of change you are actually dealing with in your business. Situations that require a mode of change can be financial, technological, economic, environmental or human focused. The time between the change and the realization of the results of that change is what William Bridges termed as the â€Å"neutral-zone† (Managing Transitions, W. Bridges). Most initiatives are given up because organizations do not see the gap for what it is; the transition between the old world and the new Q2.2 Outline the forces that are impacting on an organisation and driving the need for change (P5). And critically analyse the current position of an organization of your choice and assess the factors in the organisation that are driving the need for change. (M2) As discussed in the question above, situations that require a mode of change can be anything. Factors could be financial, technological, economic, environmental or human focused. The change may be driven from internal or external circumstances such as a new competitive advantage or threat, economic considerations, advancing technology, management restructuring or ownership change, customer dissatisfaction, vendor disruption, or loss of key personnel just to name a few. The figure below shows the contextual features and design choices for a change process undertaken by Glaxo Pharmaceuticals in 1988, prior to its merger with Wellcome in the early 1990s. (Balogun and Hope Hailey) Glaxo was undertaking a proactive change initiative with time on its side. The initial scope was only realignment, as the aim was to generate readiness in its complacent sales division for the transformational changes that were to come to match the changing customer requirements of the National Health Service and the reduced income that would result from one of Glaxos major drugs coming off-patent in the mid-1990s. Interestingly Glaxos balance sheet was heavy, and had the capacity to invest in the change process. However, it wanted to ensure that the change process did not antagonise its sales force and cause them to leave and join competitors. The timescales and the two phases of the scope allowed it to follow a path of reconstruction to generate the required levels of readiness, followed by a longer term evolution. Its capacity and time enabled it to invest in participative personal development initiatives and other symbolic interventions as part of the reconstruction, which would have been out of reach for a less profitable organisation. Q.2.3 If strategic change is important, why do some people find it difficult to accept and what are the consequences of this on the resources of the organisation and on the change process. (P6) As change can be for the proverbial good or bad for an organisation, there are more often than not resistance to the change process. Resistance could come from the following factors: A lack of awareness about the change Low tolerance to change Comfort with the ways things are and fear of the unknown. Conflict over the need for change Misunderstanding Parochial self interest Fear of failure. Loss of status and/or job security. Peer pressure. Disruption of cultural traditions and/or group relationships. Change is also resisted because of the poor way in which change is managed. Although most people feel comfortable with minor changes, it is not easy for people to live and work by yesterdays reality. While a degree of resistance is acceptable, it could lead to Disruption, Stress, Project delays, Missed objectives, Decline in production, Absenteeism, Loss of valued employees, and The ultimate failure of the whole process of implementing change or even the whole organization. LO 3 Be able to lead stakeholders in developing a strategy for change Q3.1 Briefly explain how to involve stakeholders in the planning of change (P7). Use an organization of your choice to demonstrate it is workable in the selected organization. (D2) It is important to consider and understand that people and all stakeholders would be personally be affected by the change process. On a broader scale change requires that â€Å"people do something they have not done before† (Galvin 2003). People are generally the most critical resource, supporter, barrier and risk when managing change. At the onset of the change being conceptualised, the articulation of vision cannot be done exclusively and has to take all parties involved in the process. It is essential that at this stage one involves all of those who will have a stake in the achieving the vision. Strategic plan development requires consideration and articulation of values and priorities; the plan should reflect views expressed by all those involved in the process. Q3.2 List and identify the different strategies that are available in the process of change management in an organization of your choice that would involve ‘stakeholders of such organisation. (P8) For the organizational change exercise to succeed, the management team has to depend on an assortment of people at various stages of the organization. They can be divided into five groups. (Managing Change in the Workplace (2nd Edition) Stakeholders at various Stages Description Examples Change recipients Intended receivers of change or change outcomes End-users of new software Employees of merged companies Decision makers People who approve a change exercise and decide its scope and direction Steering Committee Members Project Sponsor Chief Executive Officer Resource holders People empowered to release financial and human resources required by a change effort Chief Financial Officer Financial institution such as a bank Line Manager Program implementers People charged with the responsibility for bringing about the change Program Manager Project Manager Project Team Members External parties People that are not the intended recipients but who are impacted by the change suppliers whose access to a business is restricted after a change in business hours broader community impacted adversely by a new product that contaminates the local environment Once you have identified your stakeholders at each stage, consider the key messages you will need to deliver to each group in order to gain their support. 3.3 Evaluate ‘six step stakeholders circle as an effective system used to involve stakeholders in the development of a change strategy (P9). You need to evaluate the process, taking account of anything that worked well and anything that did not work well or could have worked better in an organisation of your choice. (D3) The concept of ‘Stakeholder Circle is a registered trademark of the Mosaic Project Services Pty Ltd, Australia. The following are considered when positioning a stakeholder within the circle The radical depth of each stakeholders segment represents the power of that stakeholder. Each stakeholders degree of influence is represented by the width of their segment, the wider the segment, the greater the influence. The proximity of a stakeholder to the project is represented by how close their segment is to the project in the centre. The outcome of the visualisation above is to facilitate decisions on where the project team need to concentrate on their stakeholder management effort. This is based on the understanding of each element like key and relevant stakeholders. After such a careful study can one make a stakeholder-centric planning process be started. 3.4 Using the same organisation in 3.3. Create a strategy for managing possible resistance to change that is appropriate to the selected organization (P10). You need to address the issues and provide a workable approach to overcoming the resistance. (M3) LO 4 Be able to plan to implement models for ensuring ongoing change Q4.1, 4.2 and 4.3 briefed below By looking at change as a process with distinct stages, the change management team needs to prepare itself for what to expect at each stage and make subsequent set of plans. In such a method it becomes easier to manage transition, rather than being caught unawares. Understanding the why the change needs to place, is one of the foremost in any successful change process. Lewin said that, â€Å"Motivation for change must be generated before change can occur. One must be helped to re-examine many cherished assumptions about oneself and ones relations to others.† This is the unfreezing stage from which change begins. After the initiation in the first stage, the change stage is where people begin to make up their mind and are coaxed to look for alternative behaviours. Ideally team members begin to believe and act in ways that support the new direction. The final stage is all about stability. In the stage before this changes have been made and established. At this level changes are accepted and they replace the previous norm and become the new model. Team members shape new relationships and become comfortable with their routines. This can take time. UK retailer, Marks Spencer (MS), found its way into trouble in late 1990s and it subsequently tried to put in place programme of change. It explored issues concerning to the organisational culture, strategic drift, strategic choice and the management of change. The Unfreeze stage: One of the biggest and foremost needs for change came from the customers front. The management and staffs attitude at MS were now being termed as ‘rude and arrogant by some analysts. This was owing to MS stellar performance and the distant competition. This way of doing things, had to be changed as its growth trajectory was taking a slight southward path. This was extremely difficult to change. The internal workings of at the retailer, which were mainly run by family members at the helm of affairs, had also become highly deferential, male oriented, with considerable bureaucracy. Amid this, the market began to see the tides of changes. More and more customers began to value higher levels of service, and were seeking novelty and difference. Competition was picking up too and the quality of service and range of products being offered started to take a toll on sales for the market leader. The Change stage: Luc Vandevelde, Chairman and Chief Executive, gathered info and talked to all stakeholders. It set up an executive team in place and began a strategic review which was rigorous and all inclusive and was radical. The change management team kept all people informed and took feedback from every important person who had something to offer. The Refreeze Stage: The change leader in the form of Vandevelde chalked out some successful strategies like A rebrand and update of the corporate image thus avoiding the confusing ‘Marks Spencer and ‘St Michael symbols. A restructuring of the supply chain where stores were stocked based on demographic patterns. stressed the importance of restoring confidence to MS ‘core customers