Clothing Store Case Study

29/1/2009 Executive Summary: This work is an introduction to the fashion industry of Pakistan which has made quite a lot of progress in just a few years. Ten to fifteen years from now, this industry was still unknown to actually exist to the masses. Later with the formation of fashion councils and education centers under the enthusiastic few who wanted to make a difference and promulgate this very institution of fashion, did the very fashion industry took its concrete contour from the old tailor culture that formerly existed. Today it is one of the most progressing industries in the country. The fashion industry too, is influenced by external forces be they social, political, economic, technological or even competitive, which serve as a main driver for this industry. Moreover, relations with stakeholders – mainly suppliers, distributors and customers, and the strength and width of its competitors also define activities in the business. However, the relative strength of impact of these external factors on the industry varies (as in every industry) and is computed with analytical tools like PEST-C analysis and Porter’s five forces model. Nonetheless, fashion industry assures new arenas of growth and development; new opportunities for employment. This industry promises a different national projection that is serene and contemporary. Later, an extensive internal analysis of the company of concern is carried out, which in this piece of work is Maria B. Maria. B. is one of the most well renowned brands of Pakistan. A company formed to revolutionize the tailor-culture of apparel making in our society. Maria B. s a brand that reaches to all sectors of both the traditional and urban female fashion demand through a unique combination of pricing and the diversity in the fashion lifestyles that she offers. She is the only designer to have all the needs of different segments of the woman’s demographic covered under one roof. (Randhawa) She has been adopted by the modern Pakistani women along with the hip crowd as the latest cult label in recent years. This country previously never witnessed a true international pret-a-po rter collection before Maria’s infamous â€Å"Paris Collection† in 2001. Her clothes are a reflection of her own style. Fashion Avenue Quarterly, 2003) The top student from the first batch of graduates from the Pakistan School of Fashion Design, Maria was selected in 1997 to represent Pakistan at the international competition in Belgium, Europe called ‘Les Etoiles de la mode’, an annual young designers award. She made a major international media impact, and was the first Pakistani fashion designer who created awareness of Pakistani Fashion on the world circuit, when she finished top 3 in the final rankings amongst 22 participating countries including global fashion giants like, France, Italy, Japan, and U. S. A. A media darling of the local press, Maria B. opened her first outlet in 1998 in DHA Commercial Block, Lahore at a time when her peers and seniors were still operating from their homes, or at rented houses. Today, Maria B is immensely successful and is the largest selling brand under a fashion designer’s label in Pakistan. (Randhawa) Her lines are so exquisite and Maria considers them her strength. With her financial strength and international presence, Maria B intends to bring a change in the local fashion industry. [pic] Introduction: Fashion in itself is a very abstract term yet it embraces our everyday lives. The term has many different definitions and interpretations. According to The American Heritage College Dictionary, fashion is: the prevailing style or custom, as in dress or behavior; something, such as a garment, that is in the current mode; the style characteristic of the social elite. (Forbes Inc. , 1997). Fashion is an extension of self, an expression of individuality, of art and modernism. It has no borders or divides. Its passion and it is the constant evolution of society (Ghafoor, 2002). Fashion is a social phenomenon common to many fields of human activity and thinking. To some, fashion is an art form. To others, it is life. For most people it is a method of utilizing clothing, accessories and hair. Fashion is a mode to express yourself, to serve as an extension of your personality, or even to disguise your true self (Nellis, 1999). Fashion is a term commonly used to describe a style of clothing worn by most of people of a country. A fashion usually remains popular for about 1-3 years and then is replaced by yet another fashion. Even though there are a lot of changes in fashion, most people do not easily except the changes. A clothing style may be introduced as a fashion, but its use becomes a custom after being handed down from generation to generation. A fashion that comes and goes is called a Fad. (Fashion Forever: What is Fashion? ) A lot has changed and evolved in the history of fashion since the 1900s. As the century dawned, fashion was an exclusive enterprise, the pursuit of wealth. The average person in society settled for garments that were usually stitched at home. With time, however, networks of neighborhood tailors began to evolve into a retail history and the boom was followed by boutique selling. The 1930s were influenced by socialism, communism and fascism and women’s fashion became more and more feminine in keeping with these conservative ideas. However, this period also saw the emergence of the culture of clubs and hence dresses became more body-hugging and colors went more deep and dark. The establishment of Indian and Pakistani cinema has proved to be the strongest influence on the fashion in the decade. Due to western influence, the use of angarkhas, choghas and jamas had diminished considerably by this time, although the ceremonial pugdi, safa and topi were widespread as ever. They had been replaced by the sherwani, which is still a standard item of formal dress for Indian and Pakistani men today. Even though women were accepting change, they continued to wear the peshwaz, kurta, ghaghra and odhni at religious and ceremonial festivities, which were even sometimes made of imported fabrics. The 1950s saw the dawn of art colleges and schools and due to the freedom struggle and the adoption of khadi by Gandhi, the dying and handloom industries got more business. The 1960s was one of the most shock-filled decades of the century, as it saw sweeping fashion and lifestyle changes. Tight kurtas and churidars competed with mini-skirts abroad and at the same time, designers began to understand the need for cheaper, ready-to-wear lines. The 1970s saw the export of traditional material with the result that export surplus was sold within the country itself and hence, international fashion came to the sub-continent. Synthetics became popular and the clothes even flashier. In the 1980s big money ruled. In Pakistan too, silhouettes became more masculine and the shalwar kameez was made with shoulder pads. The influence of cable TV became more prominent and the teenage market boomed with youngsters who were more fashion conscious. (Baig, 2004) Mid 1990s and the beginning of the 21st century was marked fashion designers that changed the way fashion was contemplated. Designers greatly influence what direction fashion will go. These designers design and define future fashion developments. They are the trend setters of change in a culture – through change in tastes and lifestyles of a community which is often characterized by changes in current trends and styles. And changes in fashion play one of the major roles in these transformations. The activities of these designers, collaboratively, form the fashion industry. The fashion industry of Pakistan is growing in volume with every passing day. The credit goes chiefly to the mainstream fashion people, who have been instrumental in this change. Nisar, 2004) The industry has witnessed quite a mature spurt in the last two decades evolved from a traditional darzi (tailor) culture into a mature and cutting-edge business (Imam, 2008). However the status of fashion designers in our country greatly owes to the fashion institutions, particularly the Pakistan School of Fashion Design (PSFD) – now called the Pakistan Institute of Fashion Design which was played its role in bringing out the potential and imparting training to young designers who today enjoy a reputed name in the retail market. Some of these recognized names include Maria B, Hasan Shehryar Yasin, Deepak Parwani and Maheen Khan (Qureshi, 2008). These are some of the few names which the fashion industry identifies with. Though the industry had been operating for quite a time, it actually got its institutional shape after the formation of the Pakistan Fashion Design Council. This council was an attempt by twenty five of the country’s top and established designers to create an infrastructure, a platform on which everyone could collaborate and represent their ideas and designs at the national and international level; a place where they could: ? Give structure to the expanding vital industry. ? To liaise with the government bodies on matters pertaining to excise duty, taxation systems, preferential tariffs for cargo etc. , and to work towards creating a fashion districts. ? To create an interface between the fashion industry and textile and crafts industry which are one of the most well-knit industries , which could revitalize them and in turn, benefit the designers greatly by incorporating ethnic methods of weaving, printing and ornamentation to produce up-market, contemporary creations of standardized quality and subsidized rates. To address the changing needs of the industry as it evolves and of creatively show-case the work of Pakistani designers and find a commercial representation for them both, domestically and globally. (About Us, 2004) Some of the attempts that the council made was the initiation of a Pakistan Fashion Week essential for business and trade linkages as well as for publicity purposes; studying the pres ent distribution/reselling network to see how designers could benefit from it; creating a trend forecast for domestic and export markets, and standardizing the pret-a-porter industry by having uniform sizing, accounting and labeling norms. About Us, 2004) However, the council’s main attempt to collaborate the efforts of fashion designers failed partly due to poor projection of there vision and partly due to the difference in the views of designers in the East and South – Lahore and Karachi, the main fashion hubs. This led to the creation of two distinct councils, the Pakistan Fashion Design Council (PDFC) in Lahore and Asian Institute of Fashion Design (AIFD) in Karachi. These two councils have carried out their separate activities despite unification efforts until lately. On December 1, 2007, a mall showcasing the creations of Pakistani fashion designers was inaugurated by the name of Boulevard in Lahore. It was for the first time in the city’s history that fashion designers from all over the country got to display their work under one roof (Rashed, 2007). Prominent designers displaying their work included Hassan Shehryar Yasin, Maria B, Nomi Ansari, Kamiar Rokni, Shafaq Habib, Karma, Shella Rehman of Unbeatables, Ammar Bilal, Asifa and Nabeel, Ahsan Nazeer, Sanya Qureshi, Sobia Nazir, Nickie Nina, Sana Shahid of Sublime and Naila Maqbool. It is hoped that such a platform will amalgamate the vital forces of our fashion industry making it the hub of Pakistani fashion houses as is envisaged (Farooq, 2007). An Industry Analysis By definition, industry analysis is business research that focuses on the potential of a firm. Basically, an industry analysis is conducted to addresses three important questions: 1. Is the industry accessible—in other words, is it a realistic place for a new venture to enter? 2. Does the industry contain markets that are ripe for innovation or are underserved? . Are there positions that will avoid some of the negative attributes of the industry as a whole? (Barringer & Ireland, 2006) A complete industry analysis of a firm will include its PEST-C analysis which will answer the first two questions, its Porter’s five forces analysis which will answer the latter question, followed by its External Forces Evaluation (EFE) matrix on the basis of the opportunities available and threats faced by the company of concern Maria B. PEST – C Evaluation In this industry evaluation, P stands for Political, E – Economic, S – Socio-cultural, T – Technological and C – Competitive forces that impact the activities and opportunities and threats affecting an industry. Political forces These include any change in government laws – tax laws, labor laws, patent laws, government regulation and deregulation etc, political stability, safety and environmental protection regulations, international trade regulations etc. (David, 2005) Changes in tax and labor laws, can directly affect an industry’s revenue and growth structures. A rise in the rates of these laws can increase business expenditures and may decrease revenues. Sometimes, with industries with low profit margins, such change can become a barrier to profitability. Political instability in the country in terms of political parties or weakness in governmental policy can prove chaotic for the industry. Under such condition, this business, like any other business can be severely affected and eventually shut down. For e. g. , national political parties like MQM and MMA reserve a very unfavorable attitude towards the fashion industry. In case of power, any of these parties can adversely affect or even lead to a ban on this industry which could prove distressful. Similarly strict trade regulations and excise policies can affect international exports and hence, increase the overall trade deficit. Environmental degradation posses a great threat to survival of any industry. Hence, being a socially and environmentally responsible corporation is an essential for projecting a positive public image. Economic Forces Economic forces that impact an industry’s activities include interest rates, income levels and earning patterns, price wars, oil, currency and labor markets, inflation, unemployment, availability of credit, fiscal policies, consumption and spending propensity – living standards, international trade and cooperation policies etc. (David, 2005) Nowadays, there is a growing trend toward two-income households. Individuals place an increased premium on time; immediate availability and improved customer service (David, 2005). Customers are willing to pay more if they can obtain it with ease. There is an increase in the average standard of living in the country with a decrease in poverty level of 10. 6% during the past four years (Economic Survey of Pakistan 2007-2008). This can serve as an opportunity for the fashion industry to enhance profit margins through ‘add-ons’ provided that the income levels remain stable. Changes in interest rates often occur due to changes in the exchange and trade market. A deficit in trade can account for rise in interest rates. Similarly and rise in the international price of oil (as witnessed in recent years) can drastically impact the value of currency. This leads to changes in fiscal policy like an increase in the interest rate translated by inflation. High inflation can slow down business activities and at time generate no profit at all. The inflation rate the year 2007-08 was calculated to be 10. 3% as compared to the 7. 9% last year which shows an increased inflation that disadvantaged business performance country-wide (Economic Survey of Pakistan 2007-2008). However, in an economically active country with lower trade barriers, resultant price wars can increase competition and even and industry’s profit margins provided the industry is dominant as well as has international presence. Similarly, increased unemployment can provide an industry opportunity to project a positive image and provide training and employment to the depressed, hence positively contributing to the economy. Socio-Cultural Forces Factors in the socio-cultural front that can influence an industry’s operations include demographic trends, cultural changes, environmental patterns, population growth, business attitude, change in tastes and lifestyles, education, ethical concerns, buying habits, religion, family, values and attitudes etc. Pakistan, with a population growth rate of 1. % is the world’s 6th most populous country with an estimated total population of 160. 9 million. (Economic Survey of Pakistan 2007-2008) Out of this 74% of the total population of Pakistan lies in age group 15 – 34. However, 70% of the population resides in urban areas. (Federal Bureau of Statitics, 2005). With this came in increase in the literacy rate of the country which increased to 55% in the l ast four years (Economic Survey of Pakistan 2007-2008). Business activities have also flourished quite in the recent years, partly owing to foreign competitors entering the market. This has led to an increased change in the lifestyles and mindsets of people. There is an increased trend towards nuclear and dual-career families which serves as great opportunity for the industry as the buying power of the consumer is enhanced. Moreover, with change in lifestyles comes change in tastes. Nowadays people prefer using customized products and this is an opportunity for the fashion industry to pursue its target marketing strategy. Fashion industry is an industry for the youngsters. With such a large and lucrative target market, this industry can earn huge profits, provided it sufficiently focuses of their needs and interests. In view of this, fashion industry collaborated with the PBA (Pakistan Broadcasters Association) to launch a fashion channel worldwide last year by the name of ETNL (Style Dunia & Youth) which is being launched soon in the country (Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA), 2007). Religion and ethical preferences too, play a major role in shaping strategies and marketing products, especially if one moves from culture to culture. Fashion industry in Pakistan, therefore has to take into consideration the limitations that ethics, culture and religions imply on clothing nationally as well as internationally. Technological Forces Though fashion industry is not technologically driven, but is has now become a necessity; especially if an industry or company wants to maintain competitive edge or tap into international arena. The focus of today’s industries is on mass customization as well as mass production which are not possible to achieve if it is inept in technology. Several factors impact an industry’s technological consideration. These are, Government spending in research, changes in Information Technology, Internet and Mobile Technology, energy use and costs, and international transaction costs etc. Technology is one of the powerful sources of marketing in today’s era. The world is now a global village. Increase in technology, especially the internet helps cover a large number of consumers thus, helping a business reach a large target market in a short time span. According to estimates of 2006, the global internet usage accounts for 21. 9% of the total world population with Pakistan alone, having a total usage of 7. 2%. (UNDESA, 2006) This is a very attractive opportunity for the fashion industry in case fashion designers start e-selling. International marketing (e-commerce) is one of the major contributors to world economy. It not only helps in the development of the business but also helps in the development of the country’s economy. However, any business before tapping into international arena has to go through various study and research to adopt proper marketing mix, physical evidence and performance before launching itself worldwide. It also needs to be aware of all the rules and regulations (cyber) of its host country. Once capitalized upon, e-commerce can produce great profits. Competitive Forces This force is recently introduced in the PEST analysis. Keeping in view the growing competition world wide, analysis of one’s competitive forces has become an essential to success. Gathering information about competitors’ strategies and progress has become very important. Due to diminishing trade barriers, WTO, EEC, OPEC and collaboration with other world communities, national border are no more existent. Now every country is a part of a bloc. This in turn has fiercely increased competition as a result of lower labor costs, enhanced technology and internet facilities. Now production is done in one country, assembly in other, packaging and shipment in another due to advancements in transportation and e-commerce. Companies strive to achieve competitive edge as low-cost producers. In such a rapidly changing environment with international competitors invading every country, keeping pace with, in fact going ahead of ones competitors is the only key to progress. However, it is essential to have a track of strategies and policies of an industry’s competitors but ethical concerns in gathering intelligence data should not be neglected. Competitors of Maria B. The company that study under fashion industry is Maria B – the largest fashion house of Pakistan. The company when formed was the first to start business with a retail outlet while all her competitors were doing business from home. Today, after ten years in business, Maria B faces competition from direct as well as indirect sources. A list of her direct competitors include designers like Hasan Shehryar Yasin, Rizwan Beyg, Generationz, Deepak Perwani, Nomi Shahid, Nikki and Nina, Sehyr Saigol, Maheen Khan, Sonya Batla, Hajra Hayat, Nayna, Monica Piracha. With them there are indirect competitors too that pose a threat to Maria B. They include local textile shops, local tailors, and famous brands like Gul Ahmed and Bareeze that are dealers in un-stitched garments. PORTER’S Five (Competitive) Forces Evaluation Below a diagrammatic summary of the five important competitive forces is given: [pic] Rivalry among competing firms Fashion industry in Pakistan is yet in its progressing stages. It has moved ahead from being embryonic but hasn’t spurted. However, threat of competitors is still an important factor that govern the operations of this industry; particularly the rivalry between fashion designers of Karachi and Lahore in terms of ideals have prompted every company in the industry to strive to develop a competitive edge and nationally expand as large as possible. This is mainly because the few designers that exist at present are equal in size and capability. The internet is still not used as a primary source of doing business but there is a growing tendency among designers, particularly the established ones to use internet for trade purposes nationally and internationally. Inflation and changes in customers’ perceptions and attitudes is also a driving force toward increased competitive rivalry. In the beginning, fashion designers pursued all their efforts towards bridal dresses. But as customers are becoming more and more aware and demand of branded apparel is increasing, these designers are finding new areas of development by focusing more on casual outfits. However, this industry is still not mature enough in its life cycle that price cutting could be a common phenomenon. There is not much time before these few designers are faced with increased competition particularly as standards of living become high and international designers set up their business in the country. Competitive rivalry in this case is comparatively high. Threat of new entrants Threat of new entrants in Pakistani fashion industry is high. This is because the barrier to enter this market is quite low because no previous experience is required to start doing business in apparel, customers have low brand preference and loyalty, too is low. If a customer gets a better option else where and that too, for a lower price, s/he can switch to that option. Regulatory policies in the country are not very strong and hence achieving patents for a product or service is relatively easy. Moreover, the government itself promotes the setting up of new businesses. In regards to technological requirement, fashion industry does not require any cutting-edge technology to keep at pace. Therefore, if one needs to get into fashion designing, it is quite easy. Potential development of substitute products In an apparel industry, there is no substitute for clothes, but there may be a substitute on the procedure of processing them. Fashion industry, too faces threat of substitute methods of processing. People, especially in a growing economy can easily get ideas from designer outfits and get them stitched through a neighborhood tailor instead of buying it from that very designer due to its high price. On the other hand, local tailors can give you the same design, though maybe not the same quality at a comparatively low price. Hence, the threat of substitute is high. Bargaining power of suppliers Bargaining power of suppliers is quite low in Pakistani fashion industry. The major raw materials required in this case are textiles and embroidery materials. These two industries – textiles and embroidery are one of the richest and profit producing industries of the country. Therefore a designer has the power and the choice to switch among suppliers and even negotiate prices as there are a large number of suppliers available to provide the same or even better raw materials at negotiable prices. Bargaining power of customers Bargaining power of customers is low in this industry. This is because there few choices to select from. Designers have there set prices that are quite high and fixed – they cannot be negotiated upon. If talked about competing brands, a buyer cannot easily switch to other options. Products are homogenous and the prices may either be uniform or else a buyer has to trade-off with quality of the product. External Analysis – SW(OT) OPPORTUNITIES |THREATS | |Expand into Emerging Economies |Competitors | |Enter New Product Markets |New entrants | |Acquire More Companies |Substitutes | |Ecommerce Sales |Economic Situation | |Expand Standalone Stores |Political situation | | |International Economies and trade restrictions | | |Brand Cannibalization | External Factor Evaluation (EFE) Matrix This matrix evaluates a company’s external environment – the opportunities and threats that are faced by an industry’s companies in the external environment. Our company of concern is Maria B. A summary of all the factors that are faced by this company and its ability to capitalize on them or tackle threats is given: | |External Factor Evaluation Matrix | | | | | |Opportunities |Weight |Rating |Weighted Score | |1 |Expand into Emerging Economies |0. 14 |3 |0. 42 | |2 |Enter New Product Markets |0. 12 |4 |0. 48 | |3 |Acquire More Companies |0. 04 |4 |0. 16 | |4 |Ecommerce Sales |0. 06 |4 |0. 24 | |5 |Expand Standalone Stores |0. 03 |3 |0. 9 | | |Threats | | | | |1 |Competitors |0. 12 |3 |0. 36 | |2 |New entrants |0. 1 |4 |0. 4 | |3 |Substitutes |0. 12 |4 |0. 48 | |4 |Economic Situation |0. 07 |2 |0. 14 | |5 |Political situation |0. 5 |2 |0. 10 | |6 |International Economies and trade restrictions |0. 06 |3 |0. 18 | |7 |Brand Cannibalization |0. 09 |2 |0. 18 | | | |1 | |3. 23 | Fashion industry provides a promising future of growth and development in Pakistan. Once established, it has the potential to contribute positively to the national economy. Company Introduction Maria B’s entrance into fashion world can be summed up in adage â€Å"she came, she saw, she conquered†. (Ghafoor, Face to face with Maria B. , 2002) Maria B. was the first fashion house in Pakistan. She launched first outlet in Lahore in 1998. Since then, Maria B. has grown leaps and bounds. With her vision always clear – to make Maria B. Pakistan’s first international brand name in fashion, today, she is the first and only women wear brand retailed across countries. She is the only local designer with a franchise outlet in London. The Label is also internationally stocked in Manchester, Birmingham, New Delhi, Dhabi, Orlando, Washington, New York, New Jersey, Dallas and New Delhi. By the end of 2006, she had retail reach to 5 outlets nationwide over Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad, and Faisalabad. (Randhawa) In 2006, Maria B. also launched her first range of accessories of shoes and handbags. (Randhawa) Maria learned that there was tremendous scope for Pakistani fabrics in the international market and was determined to make her mark globally. As she said, â€Å"I’m a staunch patriot – I want to take Pakistan’s name in the international fashion scene. I want to show people around the world what a great heritage we have. That really is the core philosophy of my business. We want to go into the international market and prove ourselves as a Pakistani brand name. (Maria B. – Fashion Designer) For her, fashion is simply an extension of self, an expression of individuality, of art and modernism. It has no borders or divides. Its passion and it is a constant evolution of society. It is transient and global. (Ghafoor, Face to face with Maria B. , 2002) She changed the previous ‘begum darzun’ (societal tailoring) culture and brought new horizons in the fashion, rather the apparel industry as a whole with her pret-a-porter collection of exquisite and elegant dresses that defined femininity with style. She believes that, â€Å"Fashion today is not dictated to woman. The modern confident woman chooses what she wears†. Ghafoor, Face to face with Maria B. , 2002) As a designer, she always felt her responsibility to translate and enhance each person’s natural style into fashion statements according to current trends. She believes in talent and dedication – if a person is not talented enough or can’t make fashion his or her life, s/he should be in another field. She strongly suggests, â€Å"Don’t be in fashion because you want to be fashionable or make money– be in it because you feel that you can contribute to it– otherwise you’ll be just one of the thousands w ho have kaarigars (tailors) at home and think that they are designers!! † (Ghafoor, Face to face with Maria B. 2002) Recognized by BBC, in 2002, over a three month running program for Asian woman as the preferred label for modern professional working woman of Pakistan, Maria B has been hailed as the pioneer in redefining woman’s fashion modernity in Pakistan. (Randhawa) No doubt Maria B has brought a revolution is the local apparel industry. Today, after ten years in business, it is the largest fashion house in the local industry. Her company has risen and surpassed the semblance of mediocrity. A trend setter as Maria B. has always been, she is even more passionate and daring to set trends for the future and believes that she can go further than others in bringing Pakistan on the world map of fashion. Randhawa) â€Å"You have to aim high – and I do want to get to New York, Milan and Paris one day. † – Maria B. (Maria B. – Fashion Designer) In ternal Analysis of Maria B. : Zurain Imam, a renowned fashion critic said that Maria B. has become ‘a veritable couture quality household brand’. (Imam, The A to Z of Fashion, 2006) Maria B. has become a hot name with her exciting shoots and the rapid expansion of her outlets. Her success has single handedly shown that fashion can be successfully open in Pakistan as business. (Dawood, 2003) No doubt, Maria B. has put forward a splendid example a of successful business venture by expanding worldwide in just a short span of time. All of this requires planning and organizing strategically. Maria B. believe that it’s the company’s strategic vision of ‘promoting Maria B. as a Pakistani brand recognized world over’ has played a very important role in its success. She believes that with good management, marketing, leadership, research, cost and operative measures, a company can really go ahead. Management: Management at Maria B. like any other successful company is all about good planning, organizing, motivating, leading and controlling. The company has a strong management philosophy that believes is integrity, talent and dedication – if you can’t make fashion your life, choose another field. (Ghafoor, 2002) Planning: Maria B. irmly believes that good and forecasted planning is essential for achieving a desired goal. Planning is all about preparing for change by bridging the gap between the present and the future. It enables a company to gather the necessary resources and c arry out tasks in the most efficient manner. (David, 2005)At Maria B. planning is thoroughly done before the beginning of any new activity or the launch of a new product. The company also relies on competitive intelligence in order to make comparative decisions. With no fear on local competition from brands like Hasan Shehryar, Nomi Ansari, Ammar Bilal, Deepak Parwani, Rizwan Beyg and Nilofer Shahid etc. the company formulates strategies in view of the international market and international competitors like Armani, Prada, and Louis Vuitton etc. Organizing: Organizing is really important for defining task and authority and effectively and efficiently allocating resources for any company. (David, 2005) At Maria B. defining line of authority is important. The company started off with a functional structure with Maria being the CEO as well as the controller all designing and marketing activities. With the company’s expansion across the borders, Maria B. now is developing towards a more divisional structure with line of command spreading internationally. Since the Maria B. Accessory launch in 2006, and the company’s aggressive intensive strategies through market and product development, it won’t be long till Maria B. starts working at each production line separately at the organizational level. At present, the company employs more than 50 management staff in its outlets across Pakistan alone. (Randhawa) Allocation of resources is also another important decision for the company. The company is financed completely by the CEO –Maria. Moreover, the use of skilled labor for the job also is carefully selected to give every single piece of work ‘the designer finish’. Motivating and Staffing: Motivation means influencing people to accomplish specific objectives. Staffing, on the other hand is the essence of human resource management. It includes activities of recruiting, interviewing, testing, selecting, orienting, training, developing, evaluating as well as rewarding. (David, 2005) The Maria B. factory currently employs over 200 workers, all recruited after specific procedures that test there credibility to the profession. Because Maria B. wants to give the best in terms of quality and versatility, hence every worker needs to know how to give the perfect finishing to a Maria B. dress. Each employee is required to make a sample of embroidery or hemming etc that s/he specializes in. In case of training, the company’s HR manager is responsible for developing and grooming the workers for perfection. The company believes in Equal Employment Opportunity and every individual be it a man or a woman is selected merely on the basis of his or her talent/skill. (Shaukat, 2009) In terms of wage and safety issues, Maria B. conforms to the Labor Laws, be it in Pakistan or across the borders. In terms of motivations, the company always grants a pay rise every month on the basis of performance. Moreover, the in lieu of employee safety, every process in the factory is automated. Training is given to operate the machinery. (Shaukat, 2009) The production rate of the factory is the highest among the local designers for formal couture, pret-a-porter lawn on a monthly basis. (Randhawa) Controlling: Controlling at Maria B. is done through monetary incentives given based on performance. Employees are first trained and the standards of performance are set. Individuals meeting these standards are considered for the incentives. The company believes in its employees as an asset and retaining them is essential if it wishes to avoid further training and hiring costs. It believes employees become experienced with time and this increases their loyalty to the company which is very essential particularly in present times of economic slump. Marketing: Marketing can be described as the process of defining, anticipating, creating and fulfilling customers’ needs and wants for products and/or services. This is exactly what Maria B. invested upon. The company created the demand of branded designer clothes through awareness. Maria B. made people shift from the traditional tailor-culture to demand more. Its heavy marketing approach and use of appropriate mix of marketing made it develop a brand name, an identity which no other designer had before. Customer Analysis: It involves the examination and evaluation of customers’ needs and wants. At the time of the company’s start up, Maria B. researched on the need of fashion industry, found a considerable target market for her product and then launched the first Pakistani fashion house. She changed the concept of fashion from the dress of the working women to everyday wear. Today her clientele are spread across the globe and includes teenagers to 70 year-olds. Maria B. takes care of the need of each and every age group. Her contrast and selection of colors defines that each and every line is tailored to specific clientele’s needs – wild and bold prints for the youngsters and neutral and serene ones for adult target market. Her customization to the needs of the customer is an important variable of success of Maria B. (Ghafoor, Face to face with Maria B. , 2002) Planning and Selling Products/ Services: Maria B. has the designer need of ready-to-wear dress line for each age-group and every occasion catered effectively to. She take care of everyone’s needs and desires and relies on adequate promotion activities to retain previous as well as capture more market. Maria’s pret line of clothing includes formals, semi-formals, party line, Mafia line, bridal line and her new MGirl line. Together with this, she also started her own accessory and jewels line in 2006. Mafia line: this is a casual, ready to wear line. Mafia is made mostly in pure cottons, khaddars, lawn, linens and embroidered cottons. This line is primarily day wear which is affordable and trendy. Semi formals: This range is primarily evening wear- slightly more formal, it plays with exquisite embroideries in resham and crystals on chiffons, silks and georgettes. Formals: Perfect for wedding needs, this line consists of silks, jamahwars and heavy hand embroideries in crystals and salma dapka (traditional eastern embroideries) Maria. B Brides: A purely couture line which is available only at the bridal studio in Lahore. It is a made to order line for brides and their families. Mgirl: this is the new hip and trendy line by Maria B. offering everything from clothes to bags and shoes to accessories. It guarantees satisfaction to the woman who wants it all. It caters to the fun and fearless and is certainly not for the fainthearted. Maria. b Jewels: Introducing semi-precious jewelry for weddings, this jewelry in platinum coated with semi-precious stones such as topaz, tourmaline, amethysts and zircons. Official Facebook group of Maria B. ) According to a recent survey, Maria B. lawns have been the largest sellers in terms of number of units in all of Pakistan. (Mansoor, 2008) All this is the result of Maria’s daunting effort to promote her brand at every level possible. Being a media darling, she relied heavily on print media and PR activities for the promotion of her brand. Some the names in print media are Dawn News, Visage magazine, Instep magazine, Fashion weekly, SHE and others. For PR, Purple Arts have been Maria B. ’s official consultants. (Shaukat, 2009) Besides these, fashion shows, ramp events have also been another very important source of promotion. But due to governmental issues, these events are snubbed and not promoted to the adequate promotional level. However, the recent Lux Style Award’s Red Carpet and Ramp Events (Imam, 2005) and 2007 National Day Ramp Show held in Washington D. C. (Embassy of Pakistan, 2007) served as a very important awareness and marketing tool, provided they continue. Besides, Maria B. also holds her own fashion shows at the international level. Besides being business-minded, Maria B. is also a socially responsible person. She holds ramp events at the national as well as international level to help the deprived class of the society through foundations like Kashf. In 2001, on the launch of her Paris Collection, Maria B. held a fashion show in Marriot, Karachi for raising money for Afghan refugees in the country. (Malik, 2001) In a nutshell, Maria B. ’s success is a fusion of excellent dress designing as well as sophisticated promotion done nationally as well as internationally. Pricing and Distribution: This is an important decision in marketing. As for Maria B. this decision of pricing and distribution is a task well done. Maria B. always wanted to make her name in the international market. Since the launch of her fashion house, she has been constantly working to promote her product internationally. At the national level, Maria B. as expanded to almost all the major cities of the country – Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad and Faisalabad. She has plans of opening her outlet in every city of the country. But her main goal is to export her product around the world. She wants to make Maria B. the ‘brand of Pakistan’. And she has been very successful in doing that. Within ten years of business, Maria B. has outlets in U. K. , U. S. A. , India, and Dubai. But export being her strategic vision, Maria B. wants to expand to other cities of the world. â€Å"I want to send haute-couture items such as evening wear, bridal wear etc. to UK/Europe, and then eventually to the US/Canada, Singapore and Australia. She remains undaunted by the global competition and says â€Å"you have to aim high – and I do want to get to New York, Milan and Paris one day. † (Maria B. – Fashion Designer) As for pricing, it is well adjusted to the need of the local market. Maria B. has unit- priced her product very intelligently – neither very high nor very low – or ‘somehow affordable’ as on critic says. (Ghafoor, 2002) She believes her lines are of the top-most quality and hence, relies on skimming strategy for pricing. Regarding the international market, prices are decided in accordan ce with the trade regulations of the country, by adding a mark-up to it. (Shaukat, 2009) Market Research and Opportunity Analysis: Maria B. elieves in fashion as a constant transient change. New tastes keep on developing which gives rise to new demands in the product market. Research hence, is always critical to success. Maria B. no doubt has always successfully catered to the needs to its market through research. A recent example is her launching of the new M Girl line with its bold, wild and vibrant colors, keeping in mind the aspirations of the young women of today. (Official Facebook group of Maria B. ) Finance/Accounting Functions: With increasing divisional structure of the company, the need of a full-fledged independently operating financial department was necessary. Maria B. has fully handled that. The company has an independent accountant who is responsible for all the financial matters of the company. Thought most of the information was confidential, however, Maria B. ’s net profit margin was found out to be 6. 77% after taxes and interest. And the company’s gross profit margin was found out to be 98. 25% which is quite operative especially in today’s era of economic slowdown. With the pursuance of her already implemented strategies and adequate control, Maria B. , no doubt, can become one of the most successful brands of Pakistan. Research and Development: Research and Development (R & D) has become a necessity in today’s constantly changing era. Unfortunately, at Maria B. no specific R & D department exists despite its expansion. All research decisions are made during periodic meetings or by the CEO. However, in lieu of arising need and global expansion, Maria B. is making decisions on having an R & D department. Production and Operations: Maria B. works on all types of clothing, from cotton, linen, silk, hand woven khaddar and organdy garments. She prefers working on colors that are bold and vibrant. Colors and material that are bland are not her preference. The cloth is always acquired from the textile hub, Faisalabad. In case if the desired cloth or quality is not available, it is also imported. The production process at the Maria B. factory is highly mechanized and up-to-date. She does not fear local competition because her processes are highly automated and recent. 200 employees in the factory work on monitoring production and focusing on embroidery. Though no special MIS software is in place, the company plans to have one installed soon as market size and demand increases. (Shaukat, 2009)Moreover, all the activities in the company’s value-chain is covered by the cost of sale of goods. (SW) – INTERNAL ANALYSIS Below are a list of all the strengths and weaknesses that are faced by the company. The strengths are of an advantage to the company while the weaknesses pose threat and need to be minimized and converted in order to prove beneficial for the company. STRENTHS |WEAKNESSES | |Wide product line |No mission statement | |Strong Brand recognition |No written vision statement | |Almost all brands have a niche focus |Brand cannibalization | |Decentralized management |Lack of focus | |Diverse brand portfolio |Lack of Brand Idea Sharing | Int ernal Factor Evaluation Matrix (IFE): The IFE matrix evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of the company in relation to the ability of its management to capitalize on the strengths and minimize the weaknesses. Company: Maria B. : |STRENGTHS | | | | |Weight |Rating |Weighted Score | |Wide product line |0. 21 |4 |0. 84 | |Strong Brand recognition |0. 15 |4 |0. 6 | |Almost all brands have a niche focus |0. 08 |3 |0. 24 | |Decentralized management |0. 06 |3 |0. 18 | |Diverse brand portfolio |0. 03 |3 |0. 9 | |WEAKNESSES | | | | |No mission statement |0. 18 |4 |0. 72 | |No written vision statement |0. 16 |4 |0. 64 | |Weak advertisement efforts |0. 05 |3 |0. 15 | |Lack of brand idea sharing |0. 04 |2 |0. 08 | |TOTAL |1 | |3. 54 | Competitive Portfolio Matrix (CPM): The CPM identifies a firm’s major competitors and its particular strengths and weaknesses in relation to a sample firm’s strategic position. Company: Maria B. Local Competitors: Hasan Shehryar Yasin (HSY), Nomi Ansari, Rizwan Beyg, Nilofer Shafid, Deepak Parwani. |KEY SUCCESS FACTORS |W |Rizwan Beyg | |OPPORTUNTITIES |1: Expand to the northern areas of the country |1: Increase print advertisement and e-marketing | |1: Expand into emerging economies |S4,O2, O5 |to attract markets like India, China as well as | |2: Enter new product markets |2: Increase online selling to Italy and France |the local market. W4, 04, 01 | |3: Acquire more companies |S3, S4, 04 | | |4: E-commerce sales | | | |5: Expand stand-alone stores | | | |THREATS |1: Target niche markets in the country that is |1: Work on making a written vision and mission | |1: Competitors |not being targeted by competitors. S4, S1, T1 |statement and project it to make the MARIA B. | |2: New entrants |2: Advertise on brand quality and corporate |identity. W1, W2, T1, T6 | |3: Economic recession |social responsibility to increase customer |2: Increase collaboration, cohesion and idea | |4: Political situation |loyalty. S2, S4, T6, T1, T2 |sharing between local designers at the platform | |5: International economies and trade | |of the BOULEVARD. W3, W4, T3 | |restrictions | | | |6: Brand cannibalization | | | Conclusion: In a nutshell, Maria B. is conquering the land in the name of Pakistani fashion with her unique and bold styles. And one day, she surely plans to become Pakistan’s top international fashion label. Bibliography: David, F. R. (2005). Strategic Management – concepts and cases (11 ed. ). South Carolina: Prentice Hall. Dawood, T. U. (2003, May 1). The future of fashion. Retrieved January 11, 2009, from Dawn – The review: http://www. dawn. com/weekly/review/archive/030501/review1. htm Embassy of Pakistan. (2007, August 26). 60th Independence Anniversary of Pakistan. Retrieved December 26, 2008, from Embassy of Pakistan: http://www. embassyofpakistanusa. org/news269_260807. php Fashion Avenue Quarterly. (2003, October). Style Chronology. Retrieved January 10, 2009, from Maria B. : www. mariab. com/index. htm#chronology Ghafoor, B. (2002, June 5). All eyes on Maria B. Retrieved December 2008, 25, from Author's Den: http://www. authorsden. om/visit/viewarticle. asp? AuthorID=7807=5724 Ghafoor, B. (2002, October 3). Face to face with Maria B. . Retrieved January 11, 2009, from Author's Den: http://www. authorsden. com/visit/viewArticle. asp? id=7292 Ghafoor, B. (2002, October 3). Face to face with Maria B. Retrieved December 26, 2008, from Author's Den: http://www. authorsden. com/visit/viewArticle. asp? id=7292 Imam, Z. (2006, December 8). The A to Z of Fashion. Retrieved January 11, 2009, from Zurain's Myriad of Magnificent Fashion Writing: http://blogs. myspace. com/index. cfm? fuseaction=blog. view&friendID=117772603&blogID=202859515 Imam, Z. (2005, August 14). The state of fashion. Retrieved December 26, 2008, from Dawn – Images: http://www. dawn. com/weekly/images/archive/050814/images3. htm Index. (n. d. ). Retrieved January 10, 2009, from Maria B. : http://www. mariab. com/index. htm Malik, S. (2001, November 18). For a cause. Retrieved December 26, 2008, from Dawn – Images: http://www. dawn. com/weekly/images/archive/011118/images4. htm Mansoor, A. (2008, April 6). Hot Seat. Retrieved December 26, 2008, from Dawn News – Images: http://www. mariab. com/index. htm#chronology Maria B. – Fashion Designer. (n. d. ). Retrieved January 10, 2009, from Bargello: http://www. bargello. com/pakistani-fashion-designer/maria-b. asp; Official Facebook group of Maria B. . (n. d. ). Maria B. Entertainment and Arts Fashion. Retrieved January 11, 2009, from Facebook: http://www. facebook. com/group. php? sid=cf9e88b3d9e1c006f773bf72df9c7fd7&gid=11631901591#/group. php? gid=11631901591 Randhawa, T. (n. d. ). Home. Retrieved January 10, 2009, from Ma ria B. : www. mariab. com/index. htm#contact Shaukat, S. (2009, December 16). Internal Analysis. (M. Belal, Interviewer) About Us. (2004, November ). Retrieved December 22, 2008, from Pakistan Fashion Design Council: http://www. pfdc. org/pages/aboutus. html Baig, R. Q. (2004, December 25). From the dhoti to the shalwar. Retrieved December 27, 2008, from Dawn Young World: http://www. dawn. om/weekly/yworld/archive/041225/yworld2. htm Barringer, B. R. , & Ireland, R. D. (2006). Successfully launching new ventures. Entrepreneurship , 1st, 4-6. Prentice Hall. David, F. R. (2005). Strategic Management – concepts and cases (11 ed. ). South Carolina: Prentice Hall. Farooq, H. (2007, October 30). Daily Times. Retrieved December 26, 2008, from ‘Boulevard' to be the hub of Pakistani fashion houses: http://www. dailytimes. com. pk/print. asp? page=2007%5C10%5C30%5Cstory_30-10-2007_pg7_30 Fashion Forever: What is Fashion? (n. d. ). Retrieved December 27, 2008, from Think Quest: ht tp://library. thinkquest. org/J002932/What%20is%20Fashion. html Federal Bureau of Statitics. (2005). Population Survey. Forbes Inc. (1997). The American Heritage College Dictionary. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. Ghafoor, B. (2002, October 3). Face to face with Maria B. Retrieved December 26, 2008, from Author's Den: http://www. authorsden. com/visit/viewArticle. asp? id=7292 Imam, Z. Z. (2008, August 13). Pakistani Fashion: fact of fluff? Retrieved December 26, 2008, from Ozer Khalid Bloogspot: http://ozerkhalid. blogspot. com/2008/08/pakistani-fashion-fact-or-fluff. html ; OZER KHALID. Nellis, C. (1999). A definition of fashion – what it is, who decides what's ‘in'. Retrieved December 27, 2008, from About. om: http://fashion. about. com/cs/historycostumes/a/whatisfashion. htm Nisar, Y. (2004). Moazzam's Riwayat. Retrieved December 26, 2008, from Pakistan Media Monitors. Nisar, Y. (2004). Moazzam's Riwayat. Retrieved December 26, 2008, from Paksitan Media Monitors: http://pakistanmediamonitors. org/index. php? module=category&Cat egoryID=7&pageindx=3 Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA). (2007). Director's Report. PBA. Pakistan, G. o. (2008). Economic Survey of Pakistan 2007-2008. Lahore. Qureshi, R. (2008, August 9 – 15). Rapid GROWTH in the Fashion Industry . Retrieved December 26, 2008, from MAG: http://www. magtheweekly. com/16/lahore. php Rashed, F. 2007, December 9). Unity at the Boulevard. Retrieved December 26, 2008, from Dawn – Images: http://www. dawn. com/weekly/images/archive/071209/images1. htm UNDESA. (2006, December). Pakistan. Retrieved December 30, 2008, from Internet World Stats – usage and population statistics: http://www. internetworldstats. com/asia/pk. htm ———————– Salwa Shaukat – L1S06BBAM0001 Javeria Maqbool– L1S06BBAM0032 Sana Azhar – L1S06BBAM2024 Kanwal Tariq – L1S06BBAM2037 Submitted To: Professor Nasir Riaz |external and internal analysis |Industry : Fashion Industry | | | Company: Maria B. |

Spirit Bound Chapter Five

I DECIDED IT'D BE BEST if Lissa and I stayed up late when we returned to her room, poring over the documents. She was a jumble of feelings when I told her about my encounter with Mikhail–which I hadn't mentioned to Mia. Lissa's initial reaction was surprise, but there were other things too. Fear over the trouble I could have gotten into. A bit of warm romanticism over what both Mikhail and I were willing to do for those we loved. Wonder if she would do the same if Christian were in that situation. She decided instantly that she would; her love for him was still that strong. Then she told herself that she actually didn't care about him anymore, which I would have found annoying if I wasn't so distracted. â€Å"What's wrong?† she asked. I'd sighed aloud in dismay without realizing it while I read her thoughts. Not wanting her to know I'd been perusing her mind, I pointed at the papers spread out on her bed. â€Å"Just trying to make sense of this.† Not entirely that far off from the truth. The prison's layout was complex. The cells occupied two floors and were tiny–only one prisoner per cell. The papers didn't explain why, but the reason was obvious. It went along with what Abe had said about keeping criminals from turning Strigoi. If I'd been locked away in prison for years, I could understand the temptation of cracking and killing my roommate to become Strigoi and escape. The cells were also kept housed in the very center of the building, surrounded by guards, offices, â€Å"exercise rooms,† a kitchen, and a feeders' room. The documents explained guard rotations, as well as prisoner feeding schedules. They were apparently escorted to the feeders one at a time, heavily guarded, and only allowed very short spurts of blood. Again, everything kept the prisoners weak and prevented them from turning Strigoi. It was all good information, but I had no reason to believe any of it was up-to-date, since the file was five years old. It was also likely the prison had all sorts of new surveillance equipment in place. Probably the only things we could count on being the same were the prison's location and the building's layout. â€Å"How good are you feeling about your charm-making skills?† I asked Lissa. Although she hadn't been able to put as much spirit healing into my ring as a woman I knew named Oksana could, I had noticed my darkness-induced temper soothed a little. Lissa'd made a ring for Adrian too, though I couldn't say for sure if it was what was helping him control his vices lately–vices he usually indulged in to control spirit. She shrugged and rolled over onto her back. Exhaustion filled her, but she was trying to stay awake for my sake. â€Å"Getting better. Wish I could meet Oksana.† â€Å"Maybe someday,† I said vaguely. I didn't think Oksana would ever leave Siberia. She'd run off with her guardian and wanted to keep a low profile. Besides, I didn't want Lissa over there anytime soon after my ordeals. â€Å"Have you been able to put in anything besides healing?† A moment later, I answered my own question. â€Å"Oh, right. The spoon.† Lissa grimaced, but it turned into a yawn. â€Å"I don't think it worked so well.† â€Å"Hmm.† â€Å"Hmm?† I glanced back at the blueprints. â€Å"I'm thinking if you could make a few more compulsion charms, it would go a long way to help with this. We need to make people see what we want them to see.† Surely if Victor–whose powers of compulsion were nowhere near hers–had managed a lust charm, she could do what I needed. She just needed more practice. She understood the basic principles but had trouble making her desired effects last. The only problem was that in asking her to do this, I was making her use more spirit. Even if the side effects didn't show up right away, they would likely come back to haunt her in the future. She glanced at me curiously, but when I saw her yawn again, I told her not to worry about it. I'd explain tomorrow. She offered no argument, and after a quick hug, we each retired to our own beds. We weren't going to get much sleep, but we had to get what we could. Tomorrow was a big day. I'd worn a variation of the guardians' formal black-and-white outfit when I went to Victor's trial. In normal bodyguard situations, we wore ordinary clothes. But for fancy events, they wanted us looking crisp and professional. The morning after our daring break-in, I got my first true taste of guardian fashion. I'd worn hand-me-down clothes at Victor's trial but now had an official guardian outfit, tailored exactly to my measurements: straight-legged black slacks, a white button-up blouse, and a black dress jacket that fit me perfectly. It certainly wasn't meant to be sexy, but the way it hugged my stomach and hips did good things for my body. I felt satisfied with my reflection in the mirror, and after several minutes of thought, I pulled my hair into a neatly braided bun that showed off my molnija marks. The skin was still irritated, but at least the bandage was gone. I looked very†¦ professional. I was actually kind of reminded of Sydney. She was an Alchemist–a human who worked with Moroi and dhampirs to hide the existence of vampires from the world. With her proper sense of fashion, she always looked ready for a business meeting. I kept wanting to send her a briefcase for Christmas. If ever there was a time for me to show off, today was the day. After the trials and graduation, this was the next biggest step in becoming a guardian. It was a luncheon that all new grads attended. Moroi eligible for new guardians would also attend, hoping to scope out the candidates. Our scores from school and the trials would have been made public knowledge by now, and this was a chance for Moroi to meet us and put in bids for who they wanted to guard them. Naturally, most guests would be royal, but a few other important Moroi would also qualify. I really had no interest in showing off and hooking a posh family. Lissa was the only one I wanted to guard. Still, I had to make a good impression. I needed to make it clear that I was the one who should be with her. She and I walked over to the royal ballroom together. It was the only place large enough to hold us all, since more than just St. Vladimir's grads were in attendance. All the American schools had sent their new recruits, and for a moment, I found the sea of black and white dizzying. Bits of color–royals dressed up in their finest clothing–livened the palette up a little. Around us, soft watercolor murals made the walls seem to glow. Lissa hadn't worn a ball gown or anything, but she looked very elegant in a formfitting teal dress made of raw silk. The royals mingled with the social ease they'd been raised with, but my classmates moved about uneasily. No one seemed to mind. It wasn't our job to seek out others; we would be approached. The grads all wore name tags–engraved metal ones. There were no HELLO, MY NAME IS†¦ stickers here. The tags made us identifiable so that the royals could come and do their interrogations. I didn't expect anyone except my friends to talk to me, so Lissa and I headed straight for the buffet and then occupied a quiet corner to munch on our canapes and caviar. Well, Lissa ate caviar. It reminded me too much of Russia. Adrian, of course, sought us out first. I gave him a crooked grin. â€Å"What are you doing here? I know you aren't eligible for a guardian.† With no concrete plans for his future, it was assumed Adrian would simply live at Court. As such, he'd need no outside protection–though he'd certainly qualify if he chose to strike out into the world. â€Å"True, but I could hardly miss a party,† he said. He held a glass of champagne in his hand, and I wondered if the effects of the ring Lissa had given him were wearing off. Of course, the occasional drink really wasn't the end of the world, and the dating proposal's language had been loose in that area. It was mostly the smoking I wanted him to stay away from. â€Å"Have you been approached by a dozen hopeful people?† I shook my head. â€Å"Who wants reckless Rose Hathaway? The one who drops out without warning to do her own thing?† â€Å"Plenty,† he said. â€Å"I sure do. You kicked ass in the battle, and remember–everyone thinks you went off on some Strigoi-killing spree. Some might think it's worth your crazy personality.† â€Å"He's right,† a voice suddenly said. I looked up and saw Tasha Ozera standing near us, a small smile on her scarred face. In spite of the disfigurement, I thought she looked beautiful today–more royal than I'd ever seen her. Her long black hair gleamed, and she wore a navy skirt and lacy tank top. She even had on high heels and jewelry–something I was certain I'd never seen her wearing. I was happy to see her; I hadn't known she'd come to Court. An odd thought occurred to me. â€Å"Have they finally let you have a guardian?† The royals had a lot of quiet, polite ways of shunning those who were in disgrace. In the Ozeras' case, their guardian allotment had been cut in half as kind of a punishment for what Christian's parents had done. It was totally unfair. The Ozeras deserved the same rights as any other royal family. She nodded. â€Å"I think they're hoping it'll shut me up about Moroi fighting with dhampirs. Kind of a bribe.† â€Å"One you won't fall for, I'm sure.† â€Å"Nope. If anything, it'll just give me someone to practice with.† Her smile faded, and she cast uncertain looks among us. â€Å"I hope you won't be offended†¦ but I put in a request for you, Rose.† Lissa and I exchanged startled glances. â€Å"Oh.† I didn't know what else to say. â€Å"I hope they'll give you to Lissa,† Tasha added hastily, clearly uncomfortable. â€Å"But the queen seems pretty dead-set on her own choices. If that's the case†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"It's okay,† I said. â€Å"If I can't be with Lissa, then I really would rather be with you.† It was the truth. I wanted Lissa more than anyone else in the world, but if they kept us apart, then I'd absolutely prefer Tasha to some snobby royal. Of course, I was pretty sure my odds of getting assigned to her were as bad as those of getting assigned to Lissa. Those who were angry at me for running off would go out of their way to put me in the most unpleasant situation possible. And even if she was being granted a guardian, I had a feeling Tasha's preferences wouldn't be high priority either. My future was still a big question mark. â€Å"Hey,† exclaimed Adrian, offended that I hadn't named him as my second choice. I shook my head at him. â€Å"You know they'd assign me to a woman anyway. Besides, you've got to do something with your life to earn a guardian.† I meant it jokingly, but a small frown made me think I might have actually hurt his feelings. Tasha, meanwhile, looked relieved. â€Å"I'm glad you don't mind. In the meantime, I'll do what I can to help you two.† She rolled her eyes. â€Å"Not that my opinion counts for much.† Sharing my misgivings about getting assigned to Tasha seemed pointless. Instead, I started to thank her for the offer, but we were then joined by yet another visitor: Daniella Ivashkov. â€Å"Adrian,† she chastised gently, a small smile on her face, â€Å"you can't keep Rose and Vasilisa all to yourself.† She turned to Lissa and me. â€Å"The queen would like to see you both.† Lovely. We both stood up, but Adrian remained sitting, having no desire to visit his aunt. Tasha apparently didn't either. Seeing her, Daniella gave a curt, polite nod. â€Å"Lady Ozera.† She then walked away, assuming we'd follow. I found it ironic that Daniella seemed willing to accept me but still held that typical aloof Ozera-prejudice. I guess her niceness only went so far. Tasha, however, had long since grown immune to that sort of treatment. â€Å"Have fun,† she said. She looked over at Adrian. â€Å"More champagne?† â€Å"Lady Ozera,† he said grandly, â€Å"you and I are two minds with a single thought.† I hesitated before following Lissa to Tatiana. I'd taken in Tasha's grand appearance but only now really paid attention to something. â€Å"Is all your jewelry silver?† I asked. She absentmindedly touched the opal necklace around her neck. Her fingers were adorned with three rings. â€Å"Yes,† she said, confused. â€Å"Why?† â€Å"This is going to sound really weird†¦ well, maybe not compared to my normal weirdness. But could we, um, borrow all of those?† Lissa shot me a look and immediately guessed my motives. We needed more charms and were short on silver. Tasha arched an eyebrow, but like so many of my friends, she had a remarkable ability to roll with weird ideas. â€Å"Sure,† she said. â€Å"But can I give them to you later? I don't really want to strip my jewelry in the middle of this party.† â€Å"No problem.† â€Å"I'll have them sent to your room.† With that settled, Lissa and I walked over to where Tatiana was surrounded by admirers and those wanting to suck up. Daniella had to be mistaken in saying Tatiana wanted to see both of us. The memory of her yelling at me over Adrian still burned in my head, and dinner at the Ivashkovs' hadn't fooled me into thinking the queen and I were suddenly best friends. Yet, astonishingly, when she caught sight of Lissa and me, she was all smiles. â€Å"Vasilisa. And Rosemarie.† She beckoned us closer, and the group parted. I approached with Lissa, my steps tentative. Was I going to get yelled at in front of all these people? Apparently not. There were always new royals to meet, and Tatiana first introduced Lissa to all of them. Everyone was curious about the Dragomir princess. I was introduced as well, though the queen didn't go out of her way to sing my praises as she did Lissa's. Still, being acknowledged at all was incredible. â€Å"Vasilisa,† said Tatiana, once the formalities were finished, â€Å"I was thinking you should visit Lehigh soon. Arrangements are being made for you to go in, oh, maybe a week and a half. We thought it would be a nice treat for your birthday. Serena and Grant will accompany you, naturally, and I'll send a few others.† Serena and Grant were the guardians who had replaced Dimitri and me as Lissa's future protection. Of course they'd be going with her. Then, Tatiana said the most startling thing of all. â€Å"And you can go too, if you'd like, Rose. Vasilisa could hardly celebrate without you.† Lissa lit up. Lehigh University. The lure that had made her accept a life at Court. Lissa yearned for as much knowledge as she could get, and the queen had given her a chance at it. The prospect of a visit totally filled her with eagerness and excitement–especially if she could celebrate her eighteenth birthday there with me. It was enough to distract her from Victor and Christian, which was saying something. â€Å"Thank you, Your Majesty. That'd be great.† There was a strong possibility, I knew, that we might not be around for this scheduled visit–not if my plan for Victor worked. But I didn't want to ruin Lissa's happiness–and I could hardly mention it in this royal crowd. I was also kind of stunned that I'd been invited at all. After issuing the invite, the queen said nothing else to me and continued speaking with the others around her. Yet, she'd been pleasant–for her, at least–while addressing me, just as she had at the Ivashkov home. Not best-friend nice but certainly not raving-bitch insane, either. Maybe Daniella had been right. More pleasantries followed as everyone chatted and tried to impress the queen, and it soon became clear that I was no longer needed. Glancing around the room, I found someone I needed to talk to and meekly separated myself from the group, knowing Lissa could fend for herself. â€Å"Eddie,† I called, reaching the other side of the ballroom. â€Å"Alone at last.† Eddie Castile, a longtime friend of mine, grinned when he saw me. He too was a dhampir, tall with a long, narrow face that still had a cute, boyish look to it. He had tamed his dark, sandy-blond hair for a change. Lissa had once hoped Eddie and I would date, but he and I were strictly just friends. His best friend had been Mason, a sweet guy who'd been crazy about me and who had been murdered by Strigoi. After his death, Eddie and I had adopted protective attitudes toward each other. He'd later been kidnapped during the attack at St. Vladimir's, and his experiences had made him a serious and determined guardian–sometimes a little too serious. I wanted him to have more fun and was delighted to see the happy glint in his hazel eyes now. â€Å"I think every royal in the room's been trying to bribe you,† I teased. It wasn't entirely a joke. I'd been keeping an eye on him throughout the party, and there'd always been someone with him. His record was stellar. Surviving the awful events in his life might have scarred him, but they reflected well on his skills. He had great grades and ratings from the trial. Most importantly, he didn't have my reckless reputation. He was a good catch. â€Å"Kind of seems that way.† He laughed. â€Å"I didn't really expect it.† â€Å"You're so modest. You're the hottest thing in this room.† â€Å"Not compared to you.† â€Å"Yeah. As shown by the people lining up to talk to me. Tasha Ozera's the only one who wants me as far as I know. And Lissa, of course.† Lines of thought creased Eddie's face. â€Å"Could be worse.† â€Å"It will be worse. No way will I get either of them.† We fell silent, and a sudden anxiety filled me. I'd come to ask a favor of Eddie, and it no longer seemed like a good idea. Eddie was on the verge of a shining career. He was a loyal friend, and I'd been certain he'd help with what I needed†¦ but I suddenly didn't think I could ask. Like Mia, however, Eddie was observant. â€Å"What's wrong, Rose?† His voice was concerned–that protective nature kicking in. I shook my head. I couldn't do it. â€Å"Nothing.† â€Å"Rose,† he said warningly. I looked away, unable to meet his eyes. â€Å"It's not important. Really.† I'd find another way, someone else. To my surprise, he reached out to touch my chin and tip my head back up. His gaze caught mine, allowing no escape. â€Å"What do you need?† I stared at him for a long time. I was so selfish, risking the lives and reputations of friends I cared about. If Christian and Lissa weren't on the outs, I'd be asking him, too. But Eddie was all that was left to me. â€Å"I need something†¦ something that's pretty extreme.† His face was still serious, but his lips tugged into a wry smile. â€Å"Everything you do is extreme, Rose.† â€Å"Not like this. This is†¦ well, it's something that could ruin everything for you. Get you in big trouble. I can't do that to you.† That half smile vanished. â€Å"It doesn't matter,† he said fiercely. â€Å"If you need me, I'll do it. No matter what it is.† â€Å"You don't know what it is.† â€Å"I trust you.† â€Å"It's kind of illegal. Treasonous, even.† That took him aback for a moment, but he stayed resolute. â€Å"Whatever you need. I don't care. I've got your back.† I'd saved Eddie's life twice, and I knew he meant what he said. He felt indebted to me. He would go wherever I asked, not out of romantic love, but out of friendship and loyalty. â€Å"It's illegal,† I repeated. â€Å"You'd have to sneak out of Court†¦ tonight. And I don't know when we'd be back.† It was entirely possible that we wouldn't come back. If we had a run-in with prison guards†¦ well, they might take lethal measures to do their duty. It was what all of us had trained for. But I couldn't pull this breakout off with Lissa's compulsion alone. I needed another fighter at my back. â€Å"Just tell me when.† And that was all there was to it. I didn't tell him the full extent of our plan, but I gave him that night's rendezvous location and told him what he would need to bring. He never questioned me. He said he'd be there. New royals came to talk to him just then, and I left him, knowing he'd show up later. It was hard, but I pushed aside my guilt over possibly endangering his future. Eddie arrived, just as he'd promised, when my plan unfolded later that night. Lissa did too. Again, night meant â€Å"broad daylight.† I felt that same anxiety I did when we'd sneaked around with Mia. Light exposed everything, but then, most people were asleep. Lissa, Eddie, and I still moved through the Court's grounds as covertly as we could, meeting Mikhail in a section of the compound that held all sorts of garaged vehicles. The garages were big metal, industrial-looking buildings set on the fringes of Court, and no one else was out. We slipped into the garage he'd indicated last night, and I was relieved to find no one else there. He surveyed the three of us, looking surprised at my â€Å"strike team,† but he offered no questions and made no further attempts to join us. More guilt surged up within me. Here was someone else who was risking his future for me. â€Å"Gonna be a tight fit,† he mused. I forced a smile. â€Å"We're all friends here.† Mikhail didn't laugh at my joke but instead popped the trunk of a black Dodge Charger. He wasn't kidding about the tight fit. It was a newer one, which was kind of a shame. An older model would have been bigger, but guardians only kept top-of-the-line stuff around. â€Å"Once we're far enough away, I'll pull over and let you out,† he said. â€Å"We'll be fine,† I assured him. â€Å"Let's do this.† Lissa, Eddie, and I crawled into the trunk. â€Å"Oh God,† muttered Lissa. â€Å"I hope no one's claustrophobic.† It was like a bad game of Twister. The trunk was large enough for some luggage but not intended for three people. We were squeezed together, and personal space was nonexistent. We were all up close and personal. Satisfied we were all snug, Mikhail closed the trunk and darkness engulfed us. The engine started a minute later, and I felt the car move. â€Å"How long until you think we stop?† asked Lissa. â€Å"Or die from carbon monoxide poisoning?† â€Å"We haven't even left the Court yet,† I noted. She sighed. The car drove off, and not too long afterward, we came to a stop. Mikhail must have reached the gates and been chatting with the guards. He'd told me earlier that he'd come up with some excuse or other to run an errand, and we had no reason to believe the guards would question him or search the car. The Court wasn't worried about people sneaking out, like our school had been. The biggest concern here was people getting inside. A minute passed, and I uneasily wondered if there was a problem. Then the car moved again, and all three of us exhaled in relief. We picked up speed, and after what I suspected was a mile or so, the car veered sideways and came to a stop. The trunk popped open, and we spilled out of it. I'd never been so grateful for fresh air. I got in the passenger seat beside Mikhail, and Lissa and Eddie took the back. Once we were settled, Mikhail continued driving without another word. I allowed myself a few more moments of guilt over the people I'd involved but then let it go. It was too late to worry now. I also let go of my guilt about Adrian. He would have been a good ally, but I could hardly ask for his help in this. And with that, I settled back and turned my thoughts to the job before us. It would take us about an hour to get to the airport, and from there, the three of us were off to Alaska.

Cultural and Ethnic Diversity Essay

The different beliefs, characteristics and looks of different ethnicities give more diversities in a place. The differences in cultures create color in every region. It allows people to understand each other and respect each other’s differences and beliefs. On the other hand, these differences are emphasized too much that instead of being the key to a harmonious living, leads to gaps, differences and even fights (Singelis 4). In a certain region, diversity is inevitable especially in a place like the United States. The United States is the melting pot of many cultures. Over the years, the country has become the destination of people from all over the world to achieve their dream. It seems that each state has its own taste of a different culture. Aside from that, immigrants have slowly settled in the country making it much more diversified. You wouldn’t be surprised that there is a little China Town in every state. There is also a growing number of Muslims in the country. This is a good sign for us as it shows that the war does not hinder our Muslims brothers to reside in our country. They are also given the freedom to stay here whenever they want. Other nationalities such as Filipinos, Indians, Japanese and Koreans have chosen to stay in the Land of the Dreamers. The Americans are known for their quest in reaching our dreams. And that is probably one of their best attributes. It is also probably one of the reasons why a lot of people choose to settle here. They too think that they will reach their dreams by going to America. Despite the diversity that has evolved in our culture, there is still this distinct American taste that is present is the American culture. This distinction in each culture paves way for people to know each other. (Singelis 152) Each culture, ethnicity is proud of its heritage. American families, for example, are very particular in implementing the American culture. American parents taught their children to love their country and have pride that we are Americans. This is, after all, the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave. Our families teach us to be good Americans by passing on the value of citizenship, American holiday celebrations and traditions, leadership, entrepreneurship, competition and positive attitude. On the other hand, each culture is like that. The media plays a huge role in exposing the differences in each culture. Movies, documentaries all feature distinct qualities of each culture. These differences are somehow exposed in wrong way. Most of the time, cultures are perceived based from what people hear about them. I really think that the differences in cultures and ethnicities are given too much emphasis without being aware of it. In effect, this led to conflicts and gaps between cultures. It is a sad fact that instead of being united especially in these times of crisis, we are still separated by our personal beliefs. The media would be a really good help in promoting unity. It would help if similarities are focused and if people will be taught to respect one another’s beliefs too. A good example of this would be the movie Gran Torino. The movie is about an American old guy who lives near a bunch of Hmong people. Hmongs are people from China, Laos, Vietnam and Thailand who came to the United States to find their fortune. They decided to live altogether in one neighbor so that they too can perform their traditions and gather often. The American guy and some of the Hong’s turned out to be true friends and depended on each other. It was good to see the culture of the Hmongs in the movie. It was an eye-opener to many of those who have watched it. The only similarity between the American and the Hmongs was that they both wanted to live peacefully. It happened when they got to know each other and respected their own beliefs (The Gran Torino 1). Movies like Gran Torino should be featured more often. I think it is a good thing to showcase the different distinction of each culture especially the minorities. These minorities deserve their recognition from the world. Maybe with given much time, people should get to know the history, beliefs and traditions of the many cultures and ethnicities especially if they are just in the neighborhood. It is good to know that we are uniting for the sake of living peacefully and harmoniously. Work Cited Singelis, Theodore. Teaching about Culture, Ethnicity and Diversity: Exercise and Planned Activities. California: SAGE Publishing, 1998. â€Å"The Gran Torino. † 2008. Retrieved 20 February 2009 .

My friend Lloyd Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

My friend Lloyd - Essay Example They agreed to take turns bringing us to school in the morning and picking us up at mid-day. School was just a few minutes walk from where we lived, so Lloyd and I spent many mornings walking to school, exchanging stories, laughing together, and thinking of games we would play each day. We enjoyed those early morning walks, talking about friends and playmates, making fun of some and hating others. There was one kid we hated, a real brat, the only child from a rich family who was brought each morning by a limousine. Her name was Nancy. She was beautiful, but she had bad manners. Maybe because she was used to getting her way at home, she thought she could do the same in school, in the playground, the canteen, in class, and in the library. She craved for attention everywhere she was, jumping lines, not returning books she borrowed, getting the best burger patty at lunchtime, the coldest can of soda, and a thousand and one other things besides. Everyone hated her for being a spoiled brat who thought of no one else but herself. And then one afternoon, my dad sprained his back and had to lie down in bed. That night, he had to sleep with pillows on each side of his body. Without asking my permission, my mom took my pillow and gave it to dad to use.

New IT Technologies Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

New IT Technologies Paper - Essay Example 1. New IT technologies - strengths and weaknesses 1a. Fiber Internet connection A Fiber Internet connection is based on the use of fiber optics instead of a cable. This mode of Internet connection has become quite popular as it is related to a series of advantages, as these advantages are described in a report published by HubTechInsider (2009): a) the bandwidth of such Internet connection is significantly higher than the traditional, cable, Internet connection, b) the fiber optics used in such Internet connection can be replaced offering even higher bandwidth, as available by Internet providers worldwide, c) the performance of fiber optics is not affected by electromagnetic signals; d) there is no way, or at least it is quite difficult, for accessing the data transmitted through a fiber Internet connection; the security risks related to fiber Internet connection are quite limited. In addition to the above, the fiber Internet connection offers to its users extremely high speed of con nection (Fibre Noire 2012). On the other hand, fiber Internet connection has a series of disadvantages, which are also highlighted in the report of HubTechInsider (2009): a) the cost for installing such Internet connection can be high, b) the fiber Internet connection requires the use of specific equipment which may not be always available; c) the fiber used in the fiber Internet connection can be easily destroyed either during the connection’s installation or during the works for recovering/ maintaining the connection; indeed, fiber optics do not have the physical strength of cable, a fact that it is considered as the major disadvantage of the specific material. It has been also proved that fiber Internet connection can be used only when the distance that the signal transmitted has to cover is short (Fiber Store 2012). 1b. Cloud Computing Cloud computing is based on the use of a central database both for data storage and for data processing (Wang 2013). In this way, the acce ss to data is feasible even from distance (Wang 2013). Cloud computing is considered as a significant evolution in IT. The use of this technology in practice has revealed its strengths and weaknesses. The strengths of cloud computing should be highlighted, as described in the study of Viswanathan (2013): a) the cost of using and maintaining such system can be quite low, b) no limits exist in regard to the system’s capacity; c) in case of the system’s damage, the data stored in the central database can be easily retrieved; in traditional databases restoring data after a system’s damage is often impossible, d) it is quite easy for any registered user to access the system’s central database; the easiness in accessing data is considered as a major advantage of this system, compared to traditional databases. However, according to Roberts & Norwood (2013) Cloud computing has also certain disadvantages: a) there is no direct control on the cloud; actually, the s ystem is under the full control of the host company; failure in choosing a reliable host company can set the data stored in the cloud in critical risk (Roberts & Norwood 2013), b) the cloud is fully developed, and available, online; this means that all information stored in the cloud can be accessed online by unauthorized persons (Roberts & Norwood 2013); c) in case of the system’s failure, support can be problematic (Roberts & Norwoo

Discussion Questions Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 9

Discussion Questions - Coursework Example In practice, this could be used by introducing barriers, gates and out of bounds limitations so as to control traffic. Such move and an organisation would prevent the criminals who may have a getaway vehicle from being concealed within the premises of the building. In the same breadth and line of thought, the clearly defined exits seal all the prospective loopholes where the criminals may slip and run away from the buildings and places of target. In rhetoric sense and aspect, one ought to ask the questions: is it possible for a person to enter or leave the place without being accounted for or being noticed? Are there other entry/exit places such as rooftops? It is my reasoned view and humble submission that I would educate other people by putting signs and posts in big connotations on the benefits of security in the place. For instance, help them develop behavioral patterns such that if they see a stranger they ought to report them to the security office. In the concept and aspect of natural surveillance, criminals tend to operate in an environment where they are less visible and anonymous. Thus, surveillance refers to the aspect and instance where the place or location is visible and closely monitored by designate officials at all times. In the conventional and common wisdom, there are two approaches and perspectives to accomplish these. To begin with, there is the aspect of having well defined sight lines which are manned and controlled by video and CCTV cameras. Secondly, there is the notion of articulating social interactions and cohesion where each person assumes the role and duty of surveying and maintaining security. This is critical so as to ensure that all people or all the activities that would be happening at the place would be accounted for and be seen by all the others without hustles. The social interactions on their part ensures that there are security

History Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

History - Research Paper Example Each of the super power aimed at gaining maximum output and dividends from the war. United States of America for the first time aimed at keeping its influence alive in European continent unlike First World War where the Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points were written off by Congress and as a result United States of America had to persist with its policy of Isolation. The Soviet Republic on other side aimed at gaining maximum influence and claimed spoils on account of the damages incurred. Soviet Socialist State alone had suffered the maximum number of casualties both in terms of the civilian losses and the military damages incurred. Secondly on both the occasions( First World War and Second World War), U.S.S.R was being attacked by Germany and other Central powers and U.S.S.R this time aimed at ensuring that her borders are protected well enough and for that reason it wanted an influence in the regional countries. Major elements that decided and dictated the terms and conditions of Cold war were the war repatriations, economic gains, territorial benefits, and enacting political systems that would be friendly towards the respective foreign policies. Yalta Conference: The event of Yalta conference has been termed as the formal initiation of the Cold war between the two super powers. The conference and proceedings of the meeting were marked by distrust for one another and lack of common agenda amongst the two. United States wanted to maintain its influence and U.S.S.R demanded more influence in the region on account of its contributions, domination and sacrifices. The main leads of Yalta were F.D Roosevelt, Joseph Stalin and Winston Churchill. The two being super power demanded more influence and say while Great Britain on account of its historic influence and being the front runner amongst the Allies in both the World Wars made up for an integral part of the entire proceedings. These three were dubbed as the Big Three from those times who majorly decided the rulings of the post war settlements. Element of Poland: Poland served as country with high interest for both the super powers. In past it had been used as a corridor and in both the world wars Russia was attacked by Germany from the route de Poland. Stalin would not settle for anything other than establishing a pro Soviet Government in Poland. U.S.A had other intentions. The decision was to be made between the Lublin Poles and the London Poles. America wanted a democratically elected government in place, and Stalin promised free and fair elections at first, however the terms were tempered and Stalin and his intelligence agencies played an influential role towards ensuring a pro Soviet government enactment in Poland, and as a result of this Lublin Poles were brought into power much to the pleasure of Soviet Republic. The course of Cold War: Formally initiated by the Yalta Conference and alleged tempering of the terms of the agreements by Stalin the proceedings to place in form of di vision of Europe into two distinct Blocs. The Eastern Europe and Western Europe. Both falling to Soviet Republic and United States of America respectively. The Eastern Europe comprised of East Germany, Poland, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungry and various other states respectively. The Western Europe constituted West Germany, Turkey, and Greece individually. Each of

Cultural Assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Cultural Assessment - Essay Example Taking the stance of the security personnel, when a terrorist event occurs, the following response procedure should be applied, to wit: â€Å"four key actions typically occur in support of a response :( 1) gain and maintain situational awareness; (2) activate and deploy key resources and capabilities; (3) effectively coordinate response actions; then, as the situation permits, (4) demobilize.† (USDNS, 2008, 32) When reporting the incident, call 9-1-1 in times of disasters especially when it poses a threat to human life and to the property. All calls will require: (1) name of caller; (2) telephone number for call-backs at the scene or facility; (3) have local officials been notified of incident – Fire, Police, Sheriff; and (4) date, time and location of the incident. (Emergency Response) In addition, the security personnel and/or management of the subway should inform the National Response Center, the State Emergency Response Commissions and Local Emergency Planning Committees. Fire departments must also be notified. The following telephone numbers should always be ready and all personnel should be advised of these numbers in cases of emergency: MOST IMPORTANT TELEPHONE NUMBERS: EPCRA HOTLINE 1-(800) 424-9346 and NATIONAL RESPONSE CENTER 1-800-424-8802. The scope and nature of the terrorist event would dictate the response actions that should be immediately implemented by the local government unit closest to the incident. The following response actions, especially of the media and local government unit, are generally expected: â€Å"(1) Warning the public and providing accessible emergency public information. (2) Implementing evacuation and sheltering plans that include provisions for special needs populations and household pets. (3) Sheltering evacuees in pre-identified, physically accessible shelters and providing food, water, and other necessities to meet the needs of all people, including persons with disabilities and other special needs. (4)

MBA Subject Operational Strategies and Change Managmen Case Study

MBA Subject Operational Strategies and Change Managmen - Case Study Example As far as quality is concerned Wace Burgess has an excellent reputation in the market. Its sales figure is also impressive. As a reward for all these things, the company is likely to get a big order from the retail giant Marks & Spencer. Marks & Spencer is one of the leading retailers in the UK. Every weak 21 million people visit M & S store (Marks & Spencer, n.d.). The order from Marks and Spencer is much different from those orders which usually Wace get. Average orders that Wace receive are of 6000 to 8000 sheets. Whereas this order from M & S is expected to be of 600,000 sheets which is much bigger than the average orders (8000 sheets) that Wace normally get. If Wace can successfully meet this huge order of M & S and impress the large retailer with its excellent quality, it would definitely get more orders like this. Wace Burgess should accept this order because this can change the future of the company. Since the company wants to hold its first place in the market and achieve significant future growth, it should accept the order although it might impose a huge pressure on production facilities. There are various short-term risks which are associated with the M & S order. This order is so huge that would create enormous pressure on the production team. As a result quality of the final product for this order might fall. Short term reward is that company use the fact that it has received such a huge order from a company like M & S. Wace Burgess can get some new medium level order by properly presenting the story of M & S order. A medium-term risk would be employee satisfaction which might reduce due to sudden extra work pressure. Some workers might even think of leaving the job. As a result employee turnover might increase. Wace Burgess has created an excellent reputation in the market. It is renowned for its quality. Now, if it fails to deliver the M & S order in time with the required amount it might affect its reputation which it has earned after hard works of so many years. This would be the long-term risk of accepting this huge order.

U.S. HISTORY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

U.S. HISTORY - Essay Example He went to Paris in 1919 to shape the Treaty of Versailles, the peace treaty which ended the World War 1 (Wikipedia, 2006a). Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961), started his career as a writer. Hemingway’s first important work was ‘The Sun Also Rises’ (1926). Similarly successful was ‘A Farewell to Arms’ (1929). Hemingway used his experiences as a reporter during the civil war in Spain as the background for his most ambitious novel, ‘For Whom the Bell Tolls’ (1940). Among his later works, the most outstanding is the short novel, ‘The Old Man and the Sea’ (1952), for which Ernest Hemingway was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature (1954) (The Nobel Foundation 1954). Â  Herbert Clark Hoover (1929-1933) was the 31st President of the United States. Within eight months of his induction, the stock market crashed, signifying the beginning of the Great depression, the most severe economic crisis the United States had ever known. The Great Depression was a stern test for Hoover and one that proved difficult to manage. World War I brought Hoover to importance in American politics and thrust him into the global attention (Presidency in History, 2003a). Eleanor Roosevelt was an active First Lady during her husband Franklin D. Roosevelts presidency. She traveled, visiting relief projects, surveying working and living conditions, and then reporting her observations to the President. She became a supporter of the rights and needs of the poor, and of the disadvantaged. Even after President Roosevelts death Mrs. Roosevelt continued public life. She was appointed to the United States Delegation to the United Nations General Assembly. She was chairman of the Human Rights Commission. She was an American representative to the World Federation of the United Nations Associations. Mrs. Roosevelt received many awards for her humanitarian efforts (FDR

Audience Analysis and Reception Essay Example for Free

Audience Analysis and Reception Essay Question: You are preparing to write a formal report to be presented to management at your workplace. What are some potential needs for this audience you should be aware of when writing the report? What are the risks of not considering the audience’s needs? As explained in week five (The University of Phoenix, 2014). Writing a Proper Report Writing a formal report to management can be difficult as well as time-consuming. You must know who your audience is and what important topics your management team wants to hear. It is very easy to get off track and present data that is not relevant to the audience that you are directing the report to. You must know your audience. There are several things the author writing the report needs to know, in order to ensure that the management team will understand. The first thing that should be considered is, knowing who your audience is. It is important to know who the managers reading this report are. This makes a difference because you want to capture an audience by the job they have. If the report is a descriptive report about product design, you will not want to write a report about sales revenue. The report must fit the audience. Another important factor the writer should know is, knowing the audiences special interests or prejudices they may have about the information you are going to present. It is important to write the report around the facts and to not try to put in too much feeling. Facts are the only things that should be considered. Let the audience think for themselves and make their minds up based on the data that is being presented. Be prepared and have charts or other supporting documentation ready and available, so that the report can be backed up to support the report. Always pay attention to grammar and watch for any syntax errors in your writing. It is crucial that the audience sees that the report is  credible, properly written and that it flows well so that the audience can understand the report. Formal reports are more detailed and have a lot more detail than a non-formal report. Paragraphing the formal report will be easy for the audience to read. There are a lot of risks involved if these guidelines are not met. The audience has particular needs that they will be looking for, and making certain that these measures are there will lead to success. In conclusion, it is crucial that writers understand who the audience is. A formal report should always have the information in it that fits the audience. You might lose your audience, and the report may be seen as non-credible if the facts are not presented the way they should be. References The University of Phoenix. (2014). Week Five: Audience Analysis and Reception. Retrieved from The University of Phoenix, XBCOM/275 website. Educational Psychologist. (2010). Writing for whom? Cognition, motivation, and a writers audience.. Retrieved from Educational Psychologist, XB/COM 275Communication Process Model website.