Case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 72

Case Study Example Surveys were disseminated among the stakeholders with multiple questions and a Likert Scale to help in rating the operations within the institution. In order to obtain in-depth information, the stakeholders were interviewed and clarifications made on any aspect pertinent to the current situation. During the interview, the questions asked aimed at accessing the possibility of management problem as the main influence on the quality thereof. Further, the process also involved use of focus groups whereby a lot of information was gathered from a group of 9 workers. The data gathering tools were able to give proper answers which aided in completion of the case. The workers agreed that the management problem triggered related problems within the operation such as absence of purchasing, inspections design and testing process. Further, the respondents also agreed unanimously that the top management may have caused lack of tractability and quality management records required for improvement of the process. This led to poor quality and stagnation witnessed in improvement. The root cause determined from the case study was poor management. The top management is responsible for the harmonization and control of duties within any institution; hence it goes without saying that it had been involved in creating a network of problems: The inability of the management to adapt quality maintenance and product tractability is also witnessed within the case study. There was no established preventive or timed maintenance to the point of the management assigning wrong tasks to machines. This led to frequent wear and tear as evident by the twelve work orders aimed at fixing the machines. The case also states that the plastic was a rush order, leading increased pressure application to ensure fitness (Robert and Richard, 2011). This shows that the

Social Construction of gender Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Social Construction of gender - Research Paper Example These include the mesosystem, exosystem, chronosytem, microsystem, and the macrosystem (White, Livesey, & Hayes, 2012, p.16). This paper will give a limelight on the theory, including the five layers and also develop a marriage related genogram to detail more on family development. The ecological systems theory is important and was proposed by Bronfenbrenner in an attempt to move away from the conventional focus that perceived the immediate environment of an individual to be more important than the relationships. He also wanted to focus on the development process and not necessarily concentrate on the isolated variables at a particular period of time. Most of the models place more emphasis on nurture versus nature in the development of people. Nevertheless, the ecological systems theory looks closely at the person’s environment in terms of context and quality. In his theory, Bronfenbrenner theorized five major environmental related factors that tend to impact development and growth in a person. They include the exosystem, mesosystem, microsystem, and the chronosystem (White, Livesey, & Hayes, 2012, p.16) The microsystem is the layer that is in close and direct contact with a child. It encompasses close ties within the family and the interactions that a child has with their family, school, neighbors, or hospital among others. Therefore, the theory claims that people are not merely recipients of the main occurrences or experiences that they get when socializing with people in the micro-system level or environment. However, they play a major role in contributing to the development and the construction of such an environment. This means that parents tend to influence the beliefs of their children and vice versa. Under this level, an individual is an active participant and is influenced by his or her immediate environment. Various scholars have been applying the microenvironment concept to comprehend the development of a

Laura Ashley | Analysis

Laura Ashley | Analysis Laura Ashley, one of todays most recognizable fashion and home furnishings brands was founded by Laura and her husband Bernard Ashley. Their initiative enjoyed huge success on and by 1970 when sales had reached  £300,000 and a large number of shops were opening. Licensing operations brought about the opening of department store concessions in Australia, Canada and Japan in 1971, while further shops opened in Paris and San Francisco in 1974, and UK shop openings continued with a vengeance. The Company was listed to the Alternative Investment Market of London Stock Exchange on 5 December 1985. (Laura Ashley Official Website, 2009) 1.2 Business Summary Laura Ashley Holdings plc is engaged in the design, manufacture, sourcing, distribution and sale of clothing, accessories and home furnishings. The Company has four divisions: Home Accessories (30%), Furniture (28%), Decorating (23%) and Fashion (19%). (Laura Ashley Osiris Financials, 2009) It operates through retail and non-retail operations. Retail operations include Laura Ashleys managed stores, mail order and E-commerce, while non -retail operations include licensing, franchising and manufacturing. As of January 26, 2008, the Companys property portfolio in the United Kingdom included 208 stores, with three principal store types: mixed product stores (selling all product categories); home stores (selling the full range of home products), and 31 home concession stores. (Laura Ashley Annual Report, 2009) 2 PESTEL ANALYSIS 2.1 Political Factors The Political situation of a country emphasizes on: Role of government Its impact in a company or firm The UK government makes sure that the market is open to fair and healthy competition thus appointing regulating bodies such as ASA, Competitions Appeal Tribunal, Competition Commission, Department for Business, Enterprise Regulatory Reform and many others to monitor the actions and policies of companies. At the same time, they are willing for people to invest in the current economy to climb out of the economic depression and hence provide incentives such as VAT relaxation, transport subsidies and high investment returns to make businesses more profitable1. The rapid development of the UK markets and the tightening of trade barriers in many European countries have created an opportunity for local companies. The maturity and the slow growth in the UK clothes retail sectors for female population and furniture and home decor have made Laura Ashley look for new investment ventures. Recent reports suggest that many household brands are planning to shift their focus on Mens Fashion markets where consumers, with growing disposable incomes, are keen to spend. Even though the political conditions are favourable, there still might be some legal barriers left for expansion to be profitable. Even though countries like UK and France have tightened trade barriers they are still cautious that foreign players will provide tough competition to become a market leader. Furthermore, it is expected that UK will tighten foreign investment laws, thus creating problems for international brands who seek expansion here. (Fuller Arnold, 2007) 2.2 Economical Factors The economys current state of recession is placing a heavy toll on all businesses. According to recent reports Laura Ashley store sales fell 6.2 per cent in the 53-week period despite total UK store sales jumping 10.8 per cent and internet sales rocketing 65.4 per cent. Laura Ashley said that since December, gross margins had come under pressure due to the continued deterioration of the UK economy, its impact on the retail sector and consumer confidence, the weakness of sterling and increased promotional activity (Harrison, 2009). Despite the volatile economy, Laura Ashley is in a strong position because their products have very high perceived value from their customers. Their highly differentiated merchandise and the loyalty of their customers can sustain them even in the economic recession. When the economy falters, consumers simply buy less and may move a greater share of their wallet to less-stylish and lower-cost offerings from deep discounters like ASDA or Tesco. Laura Ashley i s particularly susceptible to these conditions because their products are mainly in the upper price range. Expansion in the targeted market will provide the firm with more sustainability if they may endure down turns in any other product. (Laura Ashley Annual Report, 2009) 2.3 Socio Cultural The UK market for clothes is changing. The focus on design is growing, and as a consequence there is a trend for customers to express themselves with the look of what they are wearing. In addition, figures point that this particular demographic is growing (Datamonitor, 2008c). Laura Ashleys textile products are specifically tailored to cater for this demographic and their understanding of the buying patterns of UK customers, both for clothes retail products and furniture products bringing sustained benefits to the company. Trend exist in the UK market that young people between 20-40 patronize UK a lot and prefer to buy products which carry a local label rather than opting for a foreign brand. In addition, to their good grasp of the demographics of the UK market, Laura Ashley try to follow the success of franchises such as Topshop, Esprit and Zara by switching their focus from traditional wear and introducing more fashionable clothing. To what extent they succeed is debatable, as Laura Ashleys products are moderately priced, unlike the low price offered by the likes of Topshop, Espirt and Zara. (Beatty, 2003) 2.4 Technological Technological changes over the last few years have made a significant impact on the way firms do business and on the products and services as well. (Barney Hesterly, 2008) As with other retail business operators, the Internet, and more precisely, online shopping creates opportunity for Laura Ashley to expand their market share. According to recent financial reports, Laura Ashleys good online shopping service has brought them significant financial benefits even in the period of global recession. Customers have become more and more accustomed to shopping from home, and this is especially true for the companys fashion products Keeping in mind that the targeted market is mostly students and working professionals who dont get time from their activities so very often, it provides an efficient and profitable way to market their portfolio to these people. Sales at Laura Ashley jumped 8.4 per cent since the beginning of 2009, mainly due to an 11% increase in online and mail orders. (Retail W eek, 2009) 2.5 Environmental UK is seen as a leading player in combating the issue of adverse climate changes all over the globe. And to maintain reputation and address the issues there are numerous measures it has taken over the years to make operations in the country eco-friendly. Companies such as Laura Ashley are no exception. The carbon emissions from their manufacturing plants as well as the transportation system are closely monitored, as is the case with every other company. The same mindset is found in the people specially the generation which is coming up as they are witnessing the drastic changes and getting affected by it. Laura Ashley is respected as one of the most responsible Fashion manufacturer. Laura Ashley is one of the pioneers in going green. In fall 2007, the firms CEO unveiled an environmental strategy that includes the use of renewable energy systems at logistics centres including the introduction of biodiesel for the firms trucking fleet. It gives a lot of attention to sustainable managem ent of all its operations. This factor serves as an added value factor for the company to attract more consumers as well as maintain the loyalty of the customers. 2.6 Legal The legal system of UK is very consumer friendly. It provides little or no assistance when we talk about retailers. As per the legal system, a customer can return the purchased goods within a specific time period which is offered by every retailer as a mandatory requirement (Office of Fair Trading, 2009). So many retailers see a lot of returns coming back, hence reducing the sale margins. The staff that is employed has to be paid a National minimum wage as per the legal system and there are complex contractual legislations in place which give an upper hand to the employees. As an employer and as a business, there should be proper health and safety rules in place to protect the workers as well as the customers, failure of which can lead to legal lawsuits which is becoming a common trend nowadays. But since the origins of the company are Welsh, it doesnt find it difficult to cope with these legal issues in place and have showed extreme employee satisfaction, both, in terms of job as well as working conditions. The large base of loyal customers speaks for itself about the treatment they have given to their customers over decades. 3 SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT 3.1 Criteria for Selecting New Suppliers Quality: Quality is one of the major issues that would be kept in mind while selecting potential suppliers. To generate more profits, Laura Ashley need to provide more value for money and this could be done by improving the quality of their products. It is so often said that people and organizations alike are measured by what they create and what they do and this is no different in this case. This also enables to compete with high value brands and men might opt for Laura Ashley if the difference in quality is not that significant. It is not only limited to the quality of the product but also includes the services which they provide to Laura Ashley and making sure that standards are met in accordingly. Speed: This is important to meet customers demands on time. In busy periods like Christmas and Easter, there might be a surge in volumes expected and the supplier should possess the ability to meet those demands Dependability: Dependability is taken to be a more important attribute than performance. And arguably the most important criteria when selecting a potential supplier. Suppliers should be have Availability: The ability of the system to deliver as and when services requested e.g. surge in volumes Reliability: The ability of the system to deliver services as specified e.g. in a particular region Safety: The ability of the system to operate without catastrophic failure e.g. through bad economic conditions Security: The ability of the system to protect against accidental or deliberate intrusions e.g. factory fire Flexibility: As said in old times, flexibility comes with time. In this business, it is meaningless because your first impression is the last impression. The potential supplier should be flexible enough to provide Product service: Ensuring that they cater all the service requests put forth by Laura Ashley Product Mix: Ensuring that they have enough variance and diversity in the materials that they supply e.g. to cater different age groups Volume: Can cope with times when demand is high and can hold thought he periods when the demand is low e.g. economic recession Delivery: Ensuring that delivery is done when and wherever required. There might be outlets in cities where they dont have a distribution centre. So the supplier should have enough resources to deliver to those areas. Cost: As said before, the supplier should be cost effective. There should be if not favourable then perfect balance between the cost and the quality of the supplies. If the supplier has high costs, then automatically the profits margins go down. Having said that, it is also not expected that there should be a big compromise on quality to bring down the cost. Location: Since Laura Ashley is a global brand, it has its processing outlets in various locations. Suppliers should be able to cater all locations and if not, then should have other contractors who meet the same standards to serve those locations. Transportation: The supplier should make sure that it has sizable fleet to transport the supplies. Reliance on private services is not secure as there might be events which could lead to disruption in supply e.g. recent air strikes by BA, volcanic eruption causing air traffic to a halt. The potential supplier is expected to see through these and other kinds of threats that might lead to cut supplies to Laura Ashley. JIT: This is another vital factor in choosing a supplier. JIT refers to Just in time which means that processing centres are supplied whenever there is a need. The main aim of this selection criterion is to reduce the amount of money that is being spent to buy raw materials. This allows Laura Ashley to invest whenever there is a change in trend or if they want to invest in some other business venture. Expenses are cut further down by having less storage space, less staff wages and more importantly less losses that occur to stored raw materials. Diversity: The supplier should be able to realize the fact that UK is a very diverse country and people from many countries from all over the world come here to work, study and visit. Every country has their own fashion trend which in many cases is related to what they wear e.g. in Russia people prefer to wear warm clothes as they experience a very harsh and long winter whereas people from Pakistan may like lighter and more relaxed clothing as the temperature is very pleasant. So there is a diverse mix of fabrics that can be required and the supplier should be able to provide this. 3.2 Supply Chain Diagram Internet Fashion tips. Display ideas, Young Enthusiastic Staff, Refunds and Exchanges Orders delivered on time. Central Distribution centre designed around product delivery Control, Coordination, Accessories Outsourced, Pre cut Fabric Packs, Quick Response, Low Cost, Quality Control Low Level Stock Holding. Forecasting can be done easily Replenishment Fabric Acquired in different colours and types Customer Services Management Value Delivery: Distribution Manufacturing Order Assembly and inventory management Procurement Product Specialisation Design 3.3 Suggestions for type of supply chain management A 5% reduction in costs can have the same effect on the bottom line as a 25% increase in turnover (Chris Hicks, 2009) External Supply chain management (ESCM) which involves relationship with other companies: relationship with customers through market sales and relationship with suppliers through procurement. Internal supply chain management (ISCM) which involves different businesses, manufacturing units and departments within one company. For a company like Laura Ashley, it is beneficial to adopt an external supply chain management system. The advantages of adopting this outweigh the disadvantages significantly. The first and foremost advantage is that of cost. Operating in ESCM, Laura Ashley doesnt have to employ permanent or contracted staff in the same capacity as it would do in ISCM. There would be less tax payable and operating cost would be reduced considerably. Secondly, selecting potential suppliers according to the factors previously discussed, the business would benefit from flexibility, dependability and would be more diversified. Lastly, the company can go on to have healthy relationships with other industry partners and future alliances are a viable option. On the other hand, ISCM has its own advantages. It would provide Laura Ashley with more independence. Dependability on suppliers would be reduced. Everything done in-house would also reduce the cost but not to the levels ESCM would do. Also, reliance on external sources would decrease. But keeping in mind the fact the current economic conditions, there are few companies who can afford to take the burden of operating in ICSM. Employee wages, benefits, operating costs, taxes and increasing competition in market has made it difficult to sustain as one big unit. (Douglas Lambertz, 2005) 4 PORTERS FIVE FORCE ANALYSIS 4.1 Threat of Entry The clothing and furniture market in the UK is very competitive, with low entry and exist costs. Even though growth is on a decline, the clothing and furniture market in the UK is very lucrative for new entrants due to the low entry costs and the lack of significant investment required. (Datamonitor, 2008c) Even though the threat of entry is generally high, Laura Ashleys differentiated products create a barrier of entry for new consumers. The product differentiation of Laura Ashleys merchandise, especially with regard to their furniture, is valued very highly by their customers. This type of product differentiation is often quite hard to imitate by new entrants and thus the threat of entry for Laura Ashley is substantially lower than for other players who sell less differentiated product. (Barney Hesterly, 2008) In addition, Laura Ashley was founded in 1953, and for most of their existence they have been among top market performers. In those 6 decades they were able to gain the approval of multitude of repeat customers this creating excellent brand reputation and customer loyalty. This represents an additional barrier of entry for new players in the market. (Laura Ashley Annual Report, 2009) 4.2 Threat of Rivalry The UK market is highly fragmented with a generally slow industry growth. That leads to extremely fierce competition, as many companies are battling over market share. The industry is characterized by frequent price cutting by firms, intense advertising campaigns and rapid competitive actions and reactions in the industry. (Laura Ashley Annual Report, 2009) Laura Ashleys ability to differentiate their products enables them to demand a higher price of their products and not be caught in the price war. As long as they can maintain the high value perception of their products and continue to be lead differentiators in the furniture market the threat of rivalry will be relatively low, considering the turbulent market. (Barney Hesterly, 2008) In the clothing market Laura Ashley attempts to diversify its products by including more fashionable clothes, suited for the younger demographic. However, this strategy may be construed as risky because it endangers the customer perception of the brand. (Beatty, 2003) 4.3 Threat of Substitutes Laura Ashley is relatively safe from substitute products because their products are already different in the perception of their customers. It is hard to substitute a highly differentiated product. (Barney Hesterly, 2008) 4.4 Threat of Suppliers Laura Ashley is a very big customer for its suppliers therefore they can enjoy a very safe position with regard to the threat of suppliers. Whereas, for suppliers Laura Ashley is a big an important customer, for the company itself it is quite easy to switch their supplier. That enables them to demand better prices and quality from their supplier. (Datamonitor, 2008c) 4.5 Threat of Buyers The threat of buyers in the market is very high, and even though Laura Ashley is in a better position than less differentiated competitors, there is still a lot of rivalry even in the high value high price market niche. In addition there is no added cost in the industry for the customers to change their supplier. (Datamonitor, 2008c) 5 BUSINESS RISK ANALYSIS The technique to identify risk and assess factors jeopardizing the success of the project or obstacles in achieving goals is known as Business Risk Analysis. This also helps in the identification of measures to diminish the probability of the occurrence of these factors and recognize countermeasures to deal with these constraints effectively. In case of Laura Ashley, the following risks have been identified that the market will face with the desired strategies to overcome them. Competition: Competition from rival brands is the biggest threat that Laura Ashley has. Brands such as Primark and Madhouse have outsourced their production to cheaper countries like China and Bangladesh. This has enabled men to buy cheap clothes and be fashionable at the same time. This can only be eliminated by competing with them on cost effectiveness and providing more value for money. Some part of the production line can be outsourced by Laura Ashley to compete in this regard but the question remains if that would stand up to the quality standards of Laura Ashley and would it continue to have the same brand value. Lack of skills: The UK market currently has a shortage of technical expertise. The times ahead see UK as dependable on foreign expertise influentially from Asia. This poses a risk as Laura Ashley might have to pay high salaries and benefits to attract engineers, designers and workers from abroad. Training people and nurturing talent is a sensible way to cater the future demand of experts in this field Loss of assets: Assets might be lost to any unseen circumstances. Companies such as BP have suffered huge losses in past five years due to fire and inadequate measures to control them. This is the reason that the red tape industry in UK emphasizes so much on Health and Safety and hence precautions have to been taken which are costly and reduce the efficiency. With proper SHE analysis, this can be reduced and there should be enough packaged finished product in stores to meet the demands. Suppliers: Suppliers can be a benefit to Laura Ashley as well as a threat. With better quotes from rival firms they can bring about changes into the supply chain leading to a fall in retailing. Examples of this includes Next and Marks and Spencer who experienced this in 2007 (Datamonitor, 2007) and saw a steep fall in sales. The risk can be reduced by having more than one supplier at a time, making them compete for orders and ensuring supply as well. Production delivery failure: Failure to produce the volumes in time would see customer dissatisfaction which could end up in lower turnover. Contractors can be arranged to ensure that whatever is produced is delivered on time and there are no delays from the production line to the outlet shelves. High maintenance cost: Maintenance of retail outlets, production facility, and delivery fleet and storage houses is very important. If not properly maintained, this can incur heavy losses. Yearly or half yearly checks should be carried out to ensure the assets are running in good condition. Financial instability: The economic downturn has seen many retail outlets close e.g. Woolworths. In this period of financial depression, people might stop spending and hence affect the revenues generated. By keeping varied fashion items targeting different sections of age groups, sales can be increased e.g. providing fashionable clothing for 25-30 year olds, Formal suiting and shirts for 30-40 year old and a more sober and decent wardrobe for 35-45 can attract more customers. Also introducing accessories to complement clothes such as scarves, ties, cufflinks and under garments can increase sales. Outsourcing: Many rivals have outsourced their entire production line. This has led to very competitive market conditions. Retailers such as BHS and Primark rely heavily on this. They make use of cheap labour in foreign countries and so can sell at better rates than Laura Ashley. To overcome this problem, It is suggested that Laura Ashley may outsource some of its production line in order to compete on level terms with other retailers. Changing Fashion Trends: Fast changing trends has made people spend considerably less at any given time. Considering the fact that it is 25-45 age group that Laura Ashley is targeting, fashion changes very quickly in this particular and people falling in this category are more conscious about this fact. It is not deemed a good practice to stock up shelves with a monotonous style of clothing. Introducing fashionable clothing at regular intervals would serve as an attractive factor for customers. Environmental: Weather plays an indirect role as a threat. Extreme wintry conditions see less people buy less fashionable clothes and inclination increases towards over coats and jackets. As mentioned before, keeping a variation of retail products in outlets can nullify this risk. Introduction of seasonal collection earlier than other retailers can lead to a strong selling trend and at the same time build a strong customer base. There are several other risks involved which dont affect the market directly but they do have an effect. Sliding value of the Sterling Pound, rising inflation, higher bank interest rates and non-availability of finance in the market also disturb the economic balance and lessening the buying power of the customers. These risks are arguably common to the market rather than to a particular retailer and hence have a lesser effect than the rest. 6 STAKEHOLDERS The primary secondary and tertiary stakeholders of Laura Ashley are identified as: 6.1. Primary Stakeholders Owners and shareholders Managers Employees and staff 6.2. Secondary Stakeholders Customers Suppliers Distributors 6.3. Tertiary Stakeholders Government (national and local) Local community Suppliers of suppliers Stock market Competitors 6.4. Expectations of Primary Stakeholders: Owners and shareholders of Laura Ashley have a distinctive financial interest in the companys performance and growth. They have their money invested in the company and foresee its growth and expect good returns on their investments. Shareholders expect returns in terms of the higher resale value of the shares and expect substantial dividends. Whereas, the owners expect their company to grow and perform well against the competition and increase its market shares. Managers, as internal stakeholders, want higher incomes, more powers and freedom in terms of decision making, planning and control of operations. In other words they demand higher degrees of responsibilities as they have and additional duty of sustaining the health of the organization by meeting the demands of shareholders and employees. Employees and staff are one of the prime stakeholders of any organization. They look up to the organization for better incomes, job security, promotions and growth prospects, good working environment, fringe benefits, opportunities personal growth and training. 6.5. Expectations of Secondary Stakeholders: Customers of Laura Ashley expect quality products and services. They demand value for their money, certain supply of goods, variety of products and designs, truthful and comprehensible information about the products, services and customer policies. Also, they expect Laura Ashley to be an innovator in the market. They look for brand prestige and brand value. They expect Laura Ashley to be a brand with high brand image. Suppliers of Laura Ashley demand regular and consistent business at good profit margins. In other words they look for a long term business relationship which such a prestigious brand. They look for increase in the volumes of the order they receive. They expect quick payments for their productions. Being the suppliers of a leading brand they expect Laura Ashley to offer them fair prices. They want the brand to prosper as it will lead to more orders. Distributors look forward to the growth of business and expansion in the geographical areas they operate. 6.6. Expectations of Tertiary Stakeholders: The government wants all kinds of taxes (both central and local) flowing in to its reserves from the businesses; which include VAT (Value Added Tax), Corporate Tax, Import duties, Business Rates etc. The government demands Laura Ashley to adhere to the corporate laws and abide by the legislations aimed at consumer protection, welfare of employees and the local community. The government also expect the company to comply with the laws aimed at environment protection and efficient use of resources. The government wants Laura Ashley to prosper as it will help in creating more employment opportunities. Also, the growth of Laura Ashley would contribute to the national economy. The local community look forward to the company for significant number of jobs for the local residents. They look forward to Laura Ashley to be an ethically sound company. They expect the company to safeguard the environment and avoid creating pollution (noise and land). They expect the company to work for the development of the society and show a social responsible behaviour. The community also wants a thriving business from Laura Ashley, as it would give a push to the local businesses. The suppliers of suppliers can be pointed out as the stakeholders as they want consistent business. The rise and fall of stock market depends on the performance of the companies. Therefore people in the stock market want big companies to perform well as it will have a positive impact on the whole market. Competitors are corporate stakeholders with a claim to fair treatment (Green, 1994). In markets with saturated customer base, business expansion may seem to be possible only at the expense of competitors success (Spence et al., 2002). Thus, competitors impact the way a business is run. 6.7. Vision Statement Our goal is to add value to the lives of: Our employees by providing equal opportunities of growth, Our shareholders and business partners through lucrative growth and innovation, Our customers, by providing them value for their money, quality products and excellent service, Our suppliers and sub-suppliers through fair and ethical trade, The people around the world by striving for a cleaner, healthier and greener environment and a better world to live in with equal opportunities for all, 6.8. Mission Statement Our aim is to deliver a sensational shopping experience offering the finest range of menswear, highest standard of service and top quality products. 6.9. Social Compliance Policy There should be a clear and distinctive Social Compliance policy of any company as it helps to reinforce the trust of stakeholders in the company. For the suppliers to be qualified as the business partners with the company, they should make sure that they implement ethical practices within their manufacturing facilities. They should not employ child labour. They should provide their workforce fair wages, hygienic, clean and safe working conditions. Also, they should ensure that they are not damaging the environment in any way. The suppliers should ensure that their sub-suppliers are following the same ethical and environmental practices. 6.10. Conclusion Laura Ashley Holdings has faced the difficulties of the current economic conditions, resulting from the all-so-famous credit crunch. The company was particularly hit by the decreased consumer spending and the fluctuations of the Pound sterling. Still, it managed to stay flexible and competitive thanks to its healthy financials, mainly in terms of the fact that no assets are financed by debt, and the successful strategy of differentiation, store utilizati

William Faulkners A Rose for Emily Essay -- A Rose for Emily, William

William Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily"   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"A Rose for Emily,† is the remarkable story of Emily Grierson, whose death and funeral drew the attention of the town. The bizarre outcome is further emphasized throughout by the symbolism of the decaying house, which parallels Miss Emily’s physical deterioration and demonstrates her ultimate mental disintegration. Emily’s life, like the house which decays around her, suffers from lack of genuine love and care.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The characteristics of Miss Emily’s house, like her physical appearance, are brought about by years of neglect. For example, the house is located in what was once a prominent neighborhood that has deteriorated. Originally white and decorated in â€Å"the heavily lightsome style† of an earlier time, the house has become â€Å"an eyesore among eyesores†(177). The description of her house represents a place side by side of the past and present and was an emblematic presentation of Emily herself. Through lack of attention the house has evolved from a beautiful representative of quality to an ugly holdover from another era. Similarly, Miss Emily became an eyesore; for example, she was first described as a â€Å"fallen monument†(177) to suggest her former grandeur and her later ugliness. She was a â€Å"monument,† an ideal of past values but fallen because she had shown herself susceptible to death and decay. According Fetterley, †Å"the violence implicit in the desire to see the monument fall†(194). Like the house, she has lost her beauty....

Gregor Mendel

Who was Gregor Mendel? Mendel was a scientist who gained a substantial amount of fame from his study of genetics. He studied the pea plant and its inheritance of certain traits. 2. What contributions did he make to science? His study of genetics led to an increase interest in the study of genetics. His biggest contribution to the study of science was his discovery of particulate inheritance, dominant and recessive traits, genotype and phenotype, and the concept of heterozygous and homozygous. . Which species did he work with? Mendel worked with the simple pea pod plant in his 8 year science experiment 4. State his 4 hypothesisThe first part, or law, states that, â€Å"Alternative versions of genes account for variations in inherited characters. † The second law states that, â€Å"For each character trait, like height, color, texture, etc an organism inherits two genes, one from each parent. The third law declares that, â€Å"If the two alleles differ, then one, the dominant allele, is fully expressed in the organism's appearance; the other, the recessive allele, has no noticeable effect on the organism's appearance. † The fourth law states that, â€Å"The two genes for each character segregate during gamete production. † 5. Explain the concept of independent assortment The concept of independent assortment states that the emergence of one trait will not affect the emergence of another.For example, a pea plant's inheritance of the ability to produce purple flowers instead of white ones does not make it more likely that it would also inherit the ability to produce yellow peas in contrast to green ones. 6. What conditions were overlooked by Mendel? Darwin’s theory that â€Å"if the wide variation observable in cultivated plants were caused by the changed conditions and increased nourishment experienced on being brought into cultivation, then this cause of variation must continue to act. †

Outsourcing – Pros and cons

Outsourcing is utilized to reduce cost, Increase quality, fulfill staffing resources, reduce fixed costs, and Increase profit margins. Any of the aforementioned reasons or combinations offers organizations variable costs (Noreen, Brewer, & Garrison, 2011). Outsourcing has become necessary for many organizations, The economy has changed drastically over the past few years Influencing more organizations to analyze the financial advantages or disadvantages of producing products and services in- house or outsourcing. Numerous components and variances contribute to the cost of doing business.The cost structure is the primary components of organizations. Some cost structures are fixed, variable, or mixed indicating a combination of fixed and variable. Variable cost is cost associated with activity, if activity increases variable cost increases. Variable cost warrant organizations to modify their business model. Some changes decrease expenses and increase return on investment (ROI). Profits are materialized when investments and expenses are maximized to Increase consistent residual Income. Residual Income â€Å"encourage managers to make Investment profitable for the entire company' (Noreen, Brewer, ; Garrison, 0111.The Investment of equipment, faculties, and labor Is related to fixed cost. Labor can be classified as fixed or variable, depending on the country in which the labor occurred. In other words, the flexibility of the management dictates the decision on whether labor is fixed or variable. Mixed cost components would be the monthly rent of a facility, labor, the overtime of production and services, and the increase in productivity (Noreen, Brewer, ; Garrison, 2011). The assignment and paper revolves around outsourcing of production or services.The article regarding outsourcing opens the mind to real life situation. Ford outsourced a portion of their productivity requirement to Visited because of Eviction's expertise. Eviction's client base was limited and may cause shareholders concern If his or her primary revenue was lost. Ford's agreement with Visited equates to 80% of Eviction's revenue stream (Higher, 2003). Organizations cannot depend on excellent revenue to continue generating the same amount of ROI or long-term client base. Materials, labor, fixed costs, and technological advancements, and taxes increase over time.The cost of tit geographic changes caused by wars, acts of God, the unemployment rate, and various other elements beyond control. The need to outsource Ford's business and capture new revenue became apparent. Therefore, Visited contracted with International Business Machines Corporation (MM) to relieve liability of potential revenue loss. IBM has changed directions and narrowed their scope of business. IBM started out manufacturing and selling hardware, mainframes, computers, typewriters, printers, and peripherals. Technology and economics have shaped the direction of most industries.IBM helped technology evolve and tr ansform changes within industries. Additionally, automation found in many organizations was started with IBM technology created more enhancements leading to rapidly deployed product or service offerings. The numerous changes forced industries and organizations to squeeze every area possible to shrink the cost structure. Profits keep the doors open and shareholders investing more money. Diversification is one way to generate revenue and profits. During the diversification process labor and material change organizations mixed cost.The variable cost elements are scrutinized and fluctuate until an organization solidifies direction. Sometimes diversifying includes outsourcing pieces of the business model. The outsourcing pieces vary, depending on the product or service the organization provides. The major focus in diversification relies on labor, materials, and sourcing (Noreen, Brewer, & Garrison, 2011). Labor for all industries have a wide range of wages based on Job descriptions and n umerous other elements. The same Job at another organization or location in the same industry may provide different wages.Labor is an expense requiring considerable analysis. Materials are another area similar to labor expense requiring exploratory analysis. Material and labor are key components to cost structure of organizations. Materials maintain fluctuating costs with location or source influencing the cost delivery timeshare, and expense of delivery. Each country, region, or states adds to the cost structure. Some countries have tax advantages and some have disadvantages depending on location (Eunuchs, Wallace, Wilson, Smith, 2004). Sourcing is an essential part of management duties and location of facilities.The task of developing and maintaining budgets contribute to the performance of an organization. Management's ability to carry out his or her Job duties in the best interest of the organization reflects on budgeting and management skills (Noreen, Brewer, ; Garrison, 2011). When outsourcing is under consideration an organizations core competencies determine the strength of their business model. Some companies have different opinions of a company's strengths. An exercise used in mapping out strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SOOT) is useful to identify areas warranting attention.A representative from all management levels and business units should meet to form a consensus on all four fundamentals of SOOT (Mullions & Walker, 2010). SOOT will add validity to areas vulnerable, missing talent, merit outside engagement, and will benefit from cost adjustments. However, in this case generalities will establish objectives and mind shaping ideas. The strength of an organization is the people, which enhance the core competencies needed to succeed. The employee's skills are prepared to handle the workload.The gaps in delivering a product or service compose the preliminary area a third party vendor s the lack of skilled labor and gaps in deliverabl es to supply the product or service at a cost-effective rate. The labor and materials provided by a third party will increase profits without compromising quality. Opportunities will enhance an organization. The enhancements will deliver new revenue streams. The opportunities may open numerous situations resulting in potential profits. The opposite appears in threats. Threats Jeopardize the organization. Competition is the leading agent in extracting revenue.The operating expenses exceeding ROI, labor, and material can push expenses out of control. However, taking control of expenses by contracting out portions of the business to third parties will off-set expenses stopping the threats and potentially saving the organization from closure or bankruptcy. The decision to in-house or contract to a third party a portion of an organizations product or service depends on the financial outcome. The bottom line for any organization should influence management's decision. The areas of an orga nization requiring employees with skills and expertise demand higher wages.Higher waged Jobs absorb a large portion of the operating expenses. Operating expenses are a huge allocation of the financial structure and cash flow. Operating expenses influences an organizations ability to invest and profits. Therefore, organizations must contain expenses and explorer all options to reduce fixed costs. Labor and material are another part of the operating budget. Every aspect of the operating budget demands scrutiny, evaluation, and comparing in-house to outsourced. In most cases in-house expenses are higher because wages, benefits, and fixed costs are extremely high in comparison to third-party.Wages, benefits, fixed costs, and time enrich an organization adding alee to the mix helps to Justify outsourcing. Value-added components manifest positive results increasing revenue and production. Outsourcing to a third party should add value. A relationship with a third party must create an exten sion of his or her existing organization. The contract between both parties should set the terms, conditions, and expectations to ensure clarity. Additionally, outsourcing benefits the contract organization as well as the consumer. When products or services are outsourced a reduction of cost benefits all parties.Many people do not look at the big picture. Jobs are lost in the country outsourcing but in return the country receives a cost savings to consumer purchases (Gorge & Hanley, 2004). Many companies outsource customer service, information technology help desk functions, and manufacturing, or assembly of parts. Labor and materials in low income, less restrictive labor laws, tax credits, and lower liabilities make outsourcing extremely cost-effective. The reduction in labor, materials, and fixed cost entice management to outsource (Gorge & Hanley, 2004).Outsourcing in many peoples opinion is taking jobs away from one-country and moving them to another. In the United States volume s of research have been conducted with a range of 300,000 to a projected 1. 4 million will be lost to outsourcing. However, the research cannot identify the exact amount of Jobs lost to outsourcing or natural progression and technology advancements (Gorge & Hanley, 2004). A United Kingdom study reveals more than 68% of organizations outsource a portion of products or services offshore. The same study indicates more than 50% of information technological work outsourced was below par.Additionally, more than 10% of work outsourced hampered production rage businesses. Small businesses will not profit or meet standard criteria for outsourcing Jobs (Gorge & Hanley, 2004). Some of the concerns people have in the United States is India and China will continue to take away more Jobs. The Jobs in information technology currently outsourced primarily require a college education. India and China have an average of six percent attending college between the ages of 18 and 24. Nonetheless, less th an one percent of the six percent speak English.Other things to consider -outsourced IT hardware reduced cost on the average of 10 to 30% 70% of Jobs in the United States cannot be outsourced -outsourcing has added Jobs in the import of products -outsourcing has increased the number of live contact with organizations instead of digitized prompting and automated responses -the United States economy has a projected growth rate of 13% that will increase the products and services currently offered -even though IT support is outsourced installation and repair will require local technicians and management of infrastructures -outsourcing businesses produced more than $50 billion in revenue for 2004 (Gorge & Hanley, 2004)Outsourcing is an effective way to lower cost and deliver higher quality service at a more affordable cost. Outsourcing provides an increase in operating efficiency, higher return on assets, and increase in profits. Outsourcing can provide new revenue streams with fewer ris k and lower collateral investment (Eunuchs, Wallace, Wilson, Smith, 2004). The make or buy analysis is a fast way to determine whether to in-house or outsource. Make or buy decision method can use full costing, incremental analysis, or variable costing. Full and variable costing process occurs when income statements are prepared. Income statements are not quickly prepared. The main goal is to decide if making or purchasing a product or service is cost- effective.Another aspect of making or purchasing is outsourcing does not incremental revenue. However, it does allow incremental costs, reduction in fixed costs, and potential savings. The potential savings will materialize in direct labor, material costs, and variable overhead costs (Noreen, Brewer, & Garrison, 2011). The savings from fixed and direct material cost would be seen in reduction of employee salaries, smaller facilities, and smaller facilities should equate to lower utilities. Material cost reduction will be observed by m aking smaller purchases. The reduction of expenses will carry-on to various other organizational expenses (Noreen, Brewer, & Garrison, 2011).Astray supported more than one-third of the Fortune 500 companies before the financial scandal in 2008. Astray is a company headquartered in India with more than 50,000 employees in 66 countries. The company enjoyed nine percent growth rate until the scandal. Satyr's financial scandal devastated the family-owned business. Mr.. Raja managed the company and overstated financial. The inflated financial assets, revenue, and ROI amassed fraud o the level of Enron. Astray is among the largest outsourcing organizations based in India. Outsourcing in the information technology sector generated more than $63 billion in revenue for India. Customer service is the second largest revenue stream in India in the area of outsourced labor (Timings, 2009).India maintains the largest percentage of outsourcing services in the world. The average salary is $10,250, the average income $8,000, and the average unemployment rate is 10%. However, various industries relies on India and China to squeeze out every penny of profit (Timings, 2009). Variable costs peak creating an environment of inconsistent expenses and profits. Consistent revenue enables price hedging for materials and dependable profits. Shareholders and board members manage investment portfolios with higher probability. Revenue steers long and short-term goals with accuracy. The Astray scenario adds to the degree of accuracy in accounting practices.Astray provided outsourcing services creating added value to clients. Visited and IBM added value to Ford and outsourcing services. Astray, Visited, MM, and Ford contracted portions of products, services, or outsourcing skills to improve profits and apply quality expertise. Revenue projections strengthen analytical analysis shaping future stock predictions improving profits. The pros and cons of outsourcing take time and careful considerat ion before the answer is realized on the company's financial statement. The pros and cons have been highlighted and opinions formed. Those opinions have objectivity and a sense of clarity to establish the strategy or mind shaping events.

Role of Employee Engagement on Employee Performance in the Context of Pakistan Essays

Role of Employee Engagement on Employee Performance in the Context of Pakistan Essays Role of Employee Engagement on Employee Performance in the Context of Pakistan Essay Role of Employee Engagement on Employee Performance in the Context of Pakistan Essay the Q12 and Overall Satisfaction). These 13 items - which were selected because of their importance at the business-unit or workgroup level - measure employee perceptions of the quality of people-related management practices in their business units. The overall study involved 410,225 independent employee responses to surveys and 13,751 independent business units in 82 companies, an average of 30 employees per business unit and 168 business units per company. One hundred seven (107) research studies were conducted across the 82 companies. In this meta-analysis lot of different were selected so that each company was represented once in each analysis. For several companies, multiple studies were conducted. In order to include the best possible information for each company represented in the study, some basic rules were used. If two concurrent studies were conducted for the same client (where GWA and outcome data were collected concurrently, i. e. , in the same year), then the weighted average effect sizes across the multiple studies were entered as the value for that company. If a company had both a concurrent and a predictive study (where the GWA was collected in Year 1 and outcomes were tracked in Year 2), then the effect sizes from the predictive study were entered. If a company had multiple predictive studies, then the mean of the correlations in these studies was entered. In this meta-analysis Pearson correlations were calculated, estimating the relationship between business-unit average measures of employee perceptions and general business outcomes. Correlations were calculated across business units within each company, and these correlation coefficients were entered into a database for each of the 13 items. The researchers then calculated mean validities, standard deviations of validities, and validity generalization statistics for each item for each of the five business-unit outcome measures. These studies have indicated a directional relationship from employee engagement to outcomes such as employee retention and customer loyalty/engagement, and a directional and somewhat reciprocal relationship between engagement and financials. They expect that in most healthy business units, a reciprocal relationship exist, in which engagement fuels better management and better management fuels ownership and engagement (involvement and enthusiasm). These studies have also indicated that, there are differences across business units in the way employees perceive their work environments, environment and these differences relate to differences in performance. Such differences represent substantial utility to businesses and other organizations Hakanen et al (2006). Conduct a study to investigate the burnout and engagement among teachers. In this study the Job Demands–Resources Model was used as the basis of the proposal that there are two parallel processes involved in work-related well-being among teachers, namely an energetically process(i. e. , job demands – burnout ill health) and a motivational process (i. e. , job resources engagement – organizational commitment). In addition, some cross-links between both processes were hypothesized. In this study they used the Structure Equation Model to test the hypothesis. The basic focus of this research was to investigate the drivers that lead to burnout and engagement in Finnish teachers. They conduct a survey to collect the data from 2038 Finnish teachers. They used the questionnaire technique to collect the data. They used the Maslach Burnout Inventory–General Scale (MBI– GS to measure the burnout. Work Engagement was assessed with the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) in this study. Results of this study shows that job control, information, supervisory support, innovative climate and social climate were all positively related to work engagement. This study shows a positive relationship between job resources and work engagement. The results of this study also confirmed the existence of both processes, although the energetically process seems to be more prominent. More specifically, (1) burnout mediated the effect of high job demands on ill health, (2) work engagement mediated the effects of job resources on organizational commitment, and (3) burnout mediated the effects of lacking resources on poor engagement. Bakker et al. 2006) conducted a study to explore the success factors among female school principals in primary teaching. They conduct a study on burnout, engagement and performance. They used the survey method to collect the data through questionnaire technique from the sample size of 105 school principals and 232 teachers. They used the Structural Equation Model to measure the hypothesis among principals. Their study showed significant and positive associations between school principals’ work engagement scores a nd teacher-ratings of school principals’ performance and leadership. More specifically, results of structural equation modeling showed that engaged principals scored higher on in-role and extra-role performance. In addition, engagement was strongly related to creativity; the higher school principals’ levels of work engagement, the better they were able to come up with a variety of ways to deal with work-related problems. Finally, engaged school principals were seen as transformational leaders – being able to inspire, stimulate and coach their co-workers. Chapter 3 Theoretical Framework Theoretical Model Role of Employee Engagement on Employee Performance Theoretical Foundation A stronger theoretical rationale for explaining employee engagement can be found in social exchange theory (SET). Social exchange theory argues that obligations are generated through a series of interactions between parties who in a state f reciprocal interdependence. A basic principal of theory is that relationships evolve over time into trusting, loyal, and mutual commitments as long as the parties abide by certain â€Å"rules of exchange (Cropanzano and Mictchell, 2005). Rules of exchange usually involve reciprocity or repayment rules such that the actions of one party lead to a response or actions by the other party. For example when individuals receive economic and socio emotional resources from their organization, they feel obliged to respond in kind and repay the organization. This is the two way relationship between employee and organization. One way for individuals to repay their organization is through their level of engagement. That is, employees will choose to engage themselves to varying degrees and in response to the resources they receive from their organization. Thus in summery social exchange theory tells that the employees choose to engage more or less with the organization on the basis of what resources they receive form the organization. This theory provides the theoretical foundation and explains that employees are more likely to exchange their engagement for resources and benefits provided by their organization. Kahn’s personal engagement theoretical framework is helpful in better understanding the concept of employee engagement. According to Kahn’s (1990) personal engagement theoretical framework, people express themselves physically, cognitively, and emotionally in the roles they occupy; people are more excited and content with their roles when they draw on themselves to perform their roles; and people vary in their levels of attachment to 1-3 their roles. Furthermore, Kahn suggested that people vary their levels of personal engagement according to the meaningfulness of a situation (or perceived benefits), the perceived safety of a situation, and their availability based on resources they perceive they have. On the other hand, an individual can become disengaged and protect himself or herself by withdrawing and hiding his or her true identity, ideas, and feelings. According to Holbeche and Springett (2003), people’s perceptions of ‘meaning’ with regard to the workplace are clearly linked to their levels of engagement and, ultimately, their performance. They argue that employees actively seek meaning through their work and, unless organizations try to provide a sense of meaning, employees are likely to quit. The research findings suggest that many people experience a greater search for meaning in the workplace (70 per cent) than in life in general (ibid). There are numerous possible reasons for this, for example, it may be because people generally spend longer at work than on other parts of their lives. Holbeche and Springett (2003) argue that high levels of engagement can only be achieved in workplaces where there is a shared sense of destiny and purpose that connects people at an emotional level and raises their personal aspirations. According to Schaufeli et al. (2002, p. 4) explain that engagement is a positive, fulfilling, work-related state of mind that is characterized by vigor, dedication, and absorption. † They further state that engagement is not a momentary and specific state, but rather, it is â€Å"a more persistent and pervasive affective-cognitive state that is not focused on any particular object, event, individual, or behavior†. Vigor is characterized by hig h levels of energy and mental resilience while working. Dedication refers to being strongly involved in one’s work and experiencing a sense of significance, enthusiasm, and challenge. Absorption is characterized by being fully concentrated and happily engrossed in one’s work, whereby time passes quickly and one has difficulties with detaching oneself from work. In short, engaged employees have high levels of energy and are enthusiastic about their work. Expectancy theory points to the importance of the individual’s expectations of his job in determining Employee Engagement. For individuals who have expectations that their job should give them opportunities for pay, challenge, a failure of the job to meet this expectation will lead to disengagement compared to a situation where no such expectation is involved. What expect expectation of individuals will have of a job may vary. For a large number of reasons, some is deriving from social others from individual causes. Another theory that has dominated the study of the nature of Employee Engagement is Herzberg? s famous â€Å"Two factory Theory? s of Employee Engagement. In this he claims that the factors which cause Employee Engagement are separate and distinct from the factors which job dissatisfaction. The factors causing Employee Engagement, which level factors such as their relating to satisfaction with the job itself. The factors which cause job dissatisfaction called hygiene factors are more concerned with conditions of work such as pay and supervision. At no time does Herzberg argue a job satisfactory, except may be for a short run. Chapter 4 Data Collection and Methodology. We chose the survey topic relating to the role of employee engagement on employee performance. To collect data, we adopted the ‘Survey Questionnaire Research Technique’. The questionnaire was solved by the sample size of 111 people working in different industries in Pakistan. We focused on interacting with people from all major sectors in Pakistan, including banking sector, academia, corporate aura and officials from the public sector as well. We used the questionnaire method to analyze the situation because participants’ responses to direct questions always are very revealing that adds value to the research purpose. The famous 5 point ‘Likert Scale’ designed by the psychologist Rensis Likert is used in the survey. This scale is widely used for the collection of data in questionnaire method. The respondents were asked to tell as to what level hey agreed or disagreed on different queries as the 1-5 likert scale ranges from strongly disagree to strongly agree. After collecting the data from respondents we computed the questions into variables through the SPSS software. After computing the question into variables we found the descriptive statistics. In descriptive statistics we have found the maximum and minimum range of the data and we a lso have found the mean and standard deviation of the data. We used the histogram to check the normal distribution of the data. We used the scatter plot to check the relationship between our independent and dependent variables. After that we have done the correlation by using SPSS software. We have done the correlation to find the relation between independent and dependent variable to find that the independent and dependent variable have the positive or negative relationship. We used the regression analysis to find the relationship between dependent and independent variables. In regression analysis we found the coefficient of variable and here we check the significance level and the effect of independent variable on dependent variable. Using SPSS software we have done regression analysis to find the relationship between dependent and independent variables. In regression analysis we found the coefficient of each variable and here we found the significance of each variable and the relationship between the variable is weather positive or negative. We used the t-test to check the level of significance to select the null or alternative hypothesis. We used the R-Square analysis to find the on what percentage the independent variable has on dependent variable. We used the f-test to check the joint effect of employee engagement on employee performance. Chapter 5 Data Analysis and Interpretation In this part of the study empirical findings have been shown and interpreted. Table 3. 1 presents the descriptive statistics which show the overall picture of the variables. Figure 5. 1 [pic] In this histogram we have the frequency distribution on Y-Axis and the independent variable on the X-Axis. The bell shape in this histogram shows that the data is normally distributed. Figure 5. 2 [pic] Figure 3. In this histogram we have the frequency distribution on Y-Axis and the Dependent variable employee performance on the X-Axis. The bell shape in this histogram shows that the data is normally distributed. Table 5. 1 Descriptive Statistics | |N |Minimum |Maximum | |Employee Engagement |Pearson Correlation |1 |. 690** | | |Sig. (2-tailed) | |. 00 | | |N |111 |111 | |Employee Performance |Pearson Correlation |. 690** |1 | | |Sig. (2-tailed) |. 000 | | | |N |111 |111 | |**. Correlation is significant at the 0. 01 level (2-tailed). | Table 5. 3 Regression Dependent Variable: Employee Performance |Variables |Coefficients |Std. Error |t-test |Significance Level | |(Constant) |1. 582 |. 239 |6. 608 |. 000 | |Employee Engagement |. 619 |. 062 |9. 955 |. 000 | | | EP=C+B1(EEi)+ Ei EP=1. 582+. 619(EEi)+ Ei Table 5. 3 presents the results of the regression analysis. The results show that the independent variable employee engagement is significantly affect the employee performance as shown by the values of the t-statistic and the corresponding P-Values. t-test is used to test the significance of the individual partial regression coefficients. Null hypothesis in this test is set as the partial regression coefficient is zero. This test shows that the coefficient of employee engagement is statistically significant at less than one percent level of significance. As the coefficient of the employee engagement has the positive sign so the effect of the employee engagement on employee performance is positive. The magnitude of the partial regression coefficient of the employee engagement is 0. 619, which suggests that holding other factors constant an increase of one unit in this variable would raise the employee performance by 0. 619 units. Our independent variable is employee engagement and its significance level is 0. 00 which is less than 0. 05 its means the relationship of employee engagement and employee performance is positive and statistically significant. Table 5. 4 Necessary Statistics |Coefficient of |Adjusted Coefficient of |F-Statistic |Sig. (F-Stat) | |Determination (R2) |Determination (Adj. R2) | | | |0. 476 |0. 471 |99. 093 |0. 000 | Table 5. 4 reflects the joint effect of the independent variable’s on dependent variable. Coefficient of Determination R-Square is used to find the percentage that to what extent the independent variable’s affect on dependent variable. The value of the coefficient of determination (R2) is . 476. This shows that the 38 percent affect on dependent variable employee performance is due to the independent variable employee performance and the other 52 percent affect on employee performance is due to the other variables which are not included in our research study. In 3. 4 the value of F-statistic is statistically significant at less than one percent which exhibits that our independent variable is jointly affecting our dependent variable that is employee performance. Chapter 6 Conclusion and Summery These days Employee Engagement has become a very hot topic of the management in this global competitive world. Everyone seems to be on the path to get their employees engaged. The claim has been made that engagement is needed for higher levels of firm performance while, consultant studies estimate that only 14 percent to 30 percent of employees are really engaged at work. In particular, very little attention has been given to the engagement levels of people running organizations. But unfortunately the importance of employee engagement has been only recognized by the top multinational organizations. While, in Pakistan the importance of the concept is still not really understood. The companies operational here are yet not paying yield to improving engagement of employees. Organizations need to concentrate on optimizing employee productivity and available organizational resources. This study has investigated the relationship between employee engagement and employee performance in Pakistani context. It provides the ground basis to organizations that are working in Pakistan and want more productivity with their human assets to gain more productivity by engaging their human assets nd investing on them. This study has the significant implications for the Pakistani organizations to engage their employees on workplace to gain the competitive advantage and more productivity. For this study we use the employee engagement as independent variable and employee performance as dependent variable. To study the relationship of employee engagement on employee performance we used various statistic al techniques. We used descriptive statistics and here we found the minimum and maximum range of data and also found the means and standard deviation of variables. The measure of central tendency (Mean) of employee engagement is 3. 82 which show that most of the respondents agree that they are engaged in their companies. The mean of employee performance is 3. 94 which show that those employees who are engaged in their organizations are more productive. To check the relationship between dependent and independent variable a scatter plot was drawn, the line goes left to right upward which shoes that the independent and dependent variable have positive relationship; it means that independent variable influences employee performance. A Histogram graph was drawn to find the frequency distribution of data and it was found that the data is distributed normally because it gives us a bell shape. The correlation between employee engagement and employee performance shows that the employee engagement has the moderate positive correlation with employee performance and this relationship is also statistically significant. According to our research model it is statistically proved that employee engagement have a positive impact on employee performance. Like several other studies (Schaufeli and Bakker, 2004; Sonnentag, 2003) the results of this study suggest that employee engagement partially mediates the relationship between antecedent variables and consequences. The results of this study also suggest that employee engagement can be understood in terms of SET. That is those employees who receive higher organizational support are more likely to respond with greater levels of engagement in their job and in the organization. Further this study provides some implications for the companies who have their operations in Pakistan; a need to focus on employees’ engagement. This research suggests that the companies should engage their employees on the workplace so that they can be willing to apply extra effort for more productivity. This study demonstrates that the organizations should invest on the engagement of their human assets that will consequently yield more profit for the organization. Limitations: 1. First of all, there is a need for more research in the field of employee engagement and employee performance. Not enough research has been done in order to describe the rel

African Commonwealth Nations

African Commonwealth Nations The following alphabetical list gives the date at which each African Country joined the Commonwealth of Nations as an independent state. The majority of African countries joined as Commonwealth Realms, later converting to Commonwealth Republics. Two countries, Lesotho and Swaziland, joined as Kingdoms. British Somaliland (which joined with Italian Somaliland five days after gaining independence in 1960 to form Somalia), and Anglo-British Sudan (which became a republic in 1956) did not become members of the Commonwealth of Nations. Egypt, which had been part of the Empire until 1922, has never shown an interest in becoming a member. African Commonwealth Nations Botswana, 30 September 1966 as a RepublicCameroon, 11 November 1995 as a RepublicThe Gambia, 18 February 1965 as a Realm- became a Republic on 24 April 1970Ghana, 6 March 1957 as a Realm- became a Republic 1 July 1960Kenya, 12 December 1963 as a Realm- became a Republic on 12 December 1964Lesotho, 4 October 1966 as a KingdomMalawi, 6 July 1964 as a Realm- became a Republic on 6 July 1966Mauritius, 12 March 1968 as a realm- became a Republic on 12 March 1992Mozambique, 12 December 1995 as a RepublicNamibia, 21 March 1990 as a republicNigeria, 1 October 1960 as a Realm- became a Republic on 1 October 1963 – suspended between 11 November 1995 and 29 May 1999Rwanda, 28 November 2009 as a RepublicSeychelles, 29 June 1976 as a RepublicSierra Leone, 27 April 1961 as a Realm- became a Republic 19 April 1971South Africa, 3 December 1931 as a Realm- withdrew on becoming a Republic on 31 May 1961, rejoined 1 June 1994Swaziland, 6 September 1968 as a KingdomTanganyika, 9 December 1961 as a Realm- became Republic of Tanganyika on 9 December 1962, United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar on 26 April 1964, and United Republic of Tanzania on 29 October 1964. Uganda, 9 October 1962 as a Realm- became a Republic on 9 October 1963Zambia, 24 October 1964 as a RepublicZimbabwe, 18 April 1980 as a Republic- suspended on 19 March 2002, departed on 8 December 2003

Adidas Marketing Plan

(Adidas Group Annual Report, 2008) This marketing plan will focus on the Adidas brand. While research indicates there’s a belief that Adidas makes better footwear than Nike (Vertical Ascent Website), it has been unsuccessful in penetrating the young hip-hop crowd. With a generation that has grown up with i-pods, blogs and video games, Adidas is looking to appeal to his younger generation through technology that they have become used to using. (Marina, 2009) Adidas 1, claimed to be the world’s first computerized smart shoe, went on sale March 18, 2005. Adidas has long focused on being the footwear for sports and high performance with its core base being sports. According to the Adidas Group 2008 Annual Report, the company targets three brands: sports performance, sports heritage and sports styles. It’s known for its technological innovation and cutting edge design, with its mission being to challenge and lead through creativity. Adidas has positioned itself as a leader in professional and competitive sports, notably soccer, basketball, and running. As the technology permeates everyday life, Adidas hopes to live up to their changing expectations and deliver the best consumer experience through using creative new initiatives including interactive fitting footwear for peak performance and fit. With that focus on technological innovation, Adidas is going high tech, with everything from high tech sneakers, high tech virtual stores, and high tech promotion. This high tech is not just for show or glitz. It has a purpose – to deliver the best fitting, and best performing footwear tailored to the consumer’s individual needs. Adidas is hoping the high tech approach will eliminate potential customer dissatisfaction through virtual fitting. This eliminates producing shoes that don’t fit properly or perform well. It also leads to the best fit for the best performance out of footwear, something desired by professional or amateur athletes, as well as anyone embarking upon a running or fitness program. Adidas is looking at the changing interests of the up and coming market who also have i-pods, video games, email, internet, youtube and other highly technological devises as a way of life rather than traditional television or print media. With this change in media delivery, there’s also a change from it being one way to two-way communication, and with rapid advances in technology, they expect new and different things, and new and different footwear and sportswear is a way to reach that market. With an emphasis on fitness in today’s world, Adidas must create an image that Adidas footwear excels for everyone who is looking to improve their health. The goal is to maintain its traditional base as well while developing a technological environment that will broaden appeal to a younger consumer. Adidas’ strategy is to come up with a technology that meets a consumer need – excellent fitting footwear that has top notch performance. By having technology where one is not just fitted for the footwear, but also can gauge them for exact pressure and running posture, the company continues to follow its positioning as being the world’s favorite footwear for sports, and setting the pace for their footwear to meet their customer’s performance needs. The company is taking that image to its traditional promotional use of television and print advertising, as well as its exclusivity banners at major sporting events, especially European soccer matches. It also has made deals with professional football players and the New York Yankees to endorse Adidas. The company is the official sponsor of the 2008 Beijing Olympics that will reach millions, billions, and potentially open up strong Chinese Markets, and renew interest in sports performance which will lead to increased sales Adidas is distributed in corporate stores, throughout the web, high end sporting stores, the internet, and more limitedly in sporting goods stores throughout the US and Europe. It is also rethinking its distribution practices after last year’s purchase of Reebok and will close Reebok sports apparel and sneaker distribution centers in Massachusetts, Tennessee and Kentucky, and move those operations to an expanded center in South Carolina. Spartanburg was chosen for the two brands’ consolidated distribution center in part because it’s close to the two brands’ product shipping locations and to many customers (The Associated Press, 2008) Adidas high tech strategy is moving into its internal operations departments, adopting a better delivery system, increasing retail distribution, and taking customer service to a new level, beyond satisfaction to delight, thus trying to obtain return and possibly ifetime customers, something that would be very profitable for the company. The company can benchmark its success by measuring sales, web traffic to its innovative color based on-line advertisements that never mention the product, the number of downloaded pod casts and the number of visits to their Paris high-tech store. Works Cited http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/money/industries/2005-03-02-smart-usat_x.htm Adidas Marketing Plan (Adidas Group Annual Report, 2008) This marketing plan will focus on the Adidas brand. While research indicates there’s a belief that Adidas makes better footwear than Nike (Vertical Ascent Website), it has been unsuccessful in penetrating the young hip-hop crowd. With a generation that has grown up with i-pods, blogs and video games, Adidas is looking to appeal to his younger generation through technology that they have become used to using. (Marina, 2009) Adidas 1, claimed to be the world’s first computerized smart shoe, went on sale March 18, 2005. Adidas has long focused on being the footwear for sports and high performance with its core base being sports. According to the Adidas Group 2008 Annual Report, the company targets three brands: sports performance, sports heritage and sports styles. It’s known for its technological innovation and cutting edge design, with its mission being to challenge and lead through creativity. Adidas has positioned itself as a leader in professional and competitive sports, notably soccer, basketball, and running. As the technology permeates everyday life, Adidas hopes to live up to their changing expectations and deliver the best consumer experience through using creative new initiatives including interactive fitting footwear for peak performance and fit. With that focus on technological innovation, Adidas is going high tech, with everything from high tech sneakers, high tech virtual stores, and high tech promotion. This high tech is not just for show or glitz. It has a purpose – to deliver the best fitting, and best performing footwear tailored to the consumer’s individual needs. Adidas is hoping the high tech approach will eliminate potential customer dissatisfaction through virtual fitting. This eliminates producing shoes that don’t fit properly or perform well. It also leads to the best fit for the best performance out of footwear, something desired by professional or amateur athletes, as well as anyone embarking upon a running or fitness program. Adidas is looking at the changing interests of the up and coming market who also have i-pods, video games, email, internet, youtube and other highly technological devises as a way of life rather than traditional television or print media. With this change in media delivery, there’s also a change from it being one way to two-way communication, and with rapid advances in technology, they expect new and different things, and new and different footwear and sportswear is a way to reach that market. With an emphasis on fitness in today’s world, Adidas must create an image that Adidas footwear excels for everyone who is looking to improve their health. The goal is to maintain its traditional base as well while developing a technological environment that will broaden appeal to a younger consumer. Adidas’ strategy is to come up with a technology that meets a consumer need – excellent fitting footwear that has top notch performance. By having technology where one is not just fitted for the footwear, but also can gauge them for exact pressure and running posture, the company continues to follow its positioning as being the world’s favorite footwear for sports, and setting the pace for their footwear to meet their customer’s performance needs. The company is taking that image to its traditional promotional use of television and print advertising, as well as its exclusivity banners at major sporting events, especially European soccer matches. It also has made deals with professional football players and the New York Yankees to endorse Adidas. The company is the official sponsor of the 2008 Beijing Olympics that will reach millions, billions, and potentially open up strong Chinese Markets, and renew interest in sports performance which will lead to increased sales Adidas is distributed in corporate stores, throughout the web, high end sporting stores, the internet, and more limitedly in sporting goods stores throughout the US and Europe. It is also rethinking its distribution practices after last year’s purchase of Reebok and will close Reebok sports apparel and sneaker distribution centers in Massachusetts, Tennessee and Kentucky, and move those operations to an expanded center in South Carolina. Spartanburg was chosen for the two brands’ consolidated distribution center in part because it’s close to the two brands’ product shipping locations and to many customers (The Associated Press, 2008) Adidas high tech strategy is moving into its internal operations departments, adopting a better delivery system, increasing retail distribution, and taking customer service to a new level, beyond satisfaction to delight, thus trying to obtain return and possibly ifetime customers, something that would be very profitable for the company. The company can benchmark its success by measuring sales, web traffic to its innovative color based on-line advertisements that never mention the product, the number of downloaded pod casts and the number of visits to their Paris high-tech store. Works Cited http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/money/industries/2005-03-02-smart-usat_x.htm

Essay on team communication and problem solving

On team communication and problem solving - Essay Example Conflicts always arise in families with a common blood running through their veins, between lovers who share intimate moments and even among friends who have the same interests. Therefore, it should be without wonder when conflicts arise among officemates or classmates. Nevertheless, the commonness of conflict should not make one simply shrug his shoulders in the presence of conflict. Resolutions such as communication should be sought. This paper looks deeper into the role of communication in conflict management among team members and suggests ways in which people would come to understand further the use of communication to improve team performances and relationships. Communication is very important in every relationship. Nevertheless, people often get exhausted in their communication with others because their expectations are not met. Instead of having the problems resolved, most people encounter more problems and so many times, the problems actually grow bigger. This is because the y fail to see that their communication is ineffective. ... When one listens, he is able to process what is being said more effectively and in effect, will be able to say the right words or respond correctly. Jeane Segal and Melinda Smith agree with Lay and they also suggest people in conflict to â€Å"listen not only to what is said but also to what is felt†. They emphasize looking deeper into nonverbal communication expressed through facial expressions, posture, gesture, pace, tone and intensity of voice. Indeed, these are very important because emotions are the strong driving forces that make people say the words they speak. Human beings are also emotional beings and they often react to words in accordance to how they feel. For instance, when a person points out to another individual that the dress she is wearing is not fashionable, the other person may take it as an insult toward herself and not as a harmless comment about the dress, although the latter was the intention of the speaker. As a result, a conflict may ensue. Therefore, in addition to verbal communication, non-verbal communication should also be given much attention. The aforementioned authors also suggest that conflicts should be managed through non-verbal communication as well. For example, in the illustration given above, when the person saying the dress is not fashionable utters such with contempt, it could be that she is jealous of the other person. Therefore, instead of being offended and angry, the other person may simply give a reassuring touch that tells the person she does not need to be jealous. In addition, when it comes to team conflicts, members should be open-minded to effectively resolve problems. Kenneth Wallace, a seasoned consultant, speaker

Interpreting archaeological data from Paleoindian to Archaic sites Assignment

Interpreting archaeological data from Paleoindian to Archaic sites - Assignment Example The evidences for such activities include animal skeletons especially the extinct ones, bone tools, and stone tools. In addition, there are traces of marmot bones and ground squirrel bones amongst others. Therefore, these are evidences that link the community in question to the aforementioned activities. Yes, the range of activities tells us something about how long people lived at the site. For instance, the fact that the community ate deer and other extinct animals is a clear indication on how long they lived in this particular environment. Besides, the length of their stay could be deduced from the kind of tools they used and the bones obtained. There is the mention of the carbonized seeds and gathered plants and how they stayed to the next available summer or fall, which may give a rough idea that the people in question stayed therefore during that period after which they left for other places where the plants were found. There is very little difference between the two sites. One conspicuous evidence is the fact that whereas the community that lived in site A were hunters and gatherers, the community that live in site B were only hunters since there are no evidences pointing towards

Reflection paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 8

Reflection paper - Essay Example The book has therefore enabled me to prepare for my future life beyond my school days. In this paper, I will present a reflection on the book â€Å"Ethics in the Design Industry â€Å"with, emphasis to its influence on my personal development. This is because the book analyzes different aspects that currently affect the design industry from a global perspective. The book starts with product development and focus on issues of advertisement and distribution. The chapter 6-10 of the book also touches on issues of sale promotion for design products. In these analyses, the book focuses on different ethical considerations that players working in the industry need to consider. The different issues raised by the book concerning ethical consideration will therefore be of great benefit to my future business plans. My proposed business will be run according to the ethics demonstrated in chapter 6-10 of the book. As a potential businessperson, I look forward to establish several retail outlets that will enable distribution of my products. The book has talks of shop lifting as a behavior that is increasingly becoming popular with shoppers. Shoplifting is the act whereby, shoppers or employees remove merchandise from a store without paying for it. This behavior is unethical and hence unwanted in any organization since it causes massive losses. To restrict such behavior, I will enforce strict ethical requirement as a prerequisite for all new employees. I will also need to install warning signs in all retail outlets informing shoppers of the negativities of shoplifting. The book will also be useful to other students who are looking forward to joining the corporate world. This is because the book contains rich content on the conduct of employees and potential employees. It is the wish of every student to get a job with a leading company in the world. As a future employer, I have also found the book to be

Letter on current issue to the editor of the Wall Journal Essay

Letter on current issue to the editor of the Wall Journal - Essay Example Piereson acknowledges the income disparity that exists between the top one percent and the ninety nine percent of American population. Addressing this inequality, however, is the contentious issue. Both economists and politics are yet to agree on the most appropriate course of action. As the debate continues, I disagree with Piereson on the argument that the top one percent population is not the cause of the income inequality problem. The issue is that the rich are getting richer and the poor are further plunging into poverty. In this respect, it is fundamental to address the problem before things get worse than they already are. It is important to note that the proposed taxation approach is just one of the many avenues that the government can use to bridge the gap between the rich the poor. Amid critical disagreements on the way forward, it is evident that income inequality is already a crisis that could get out of control in the next few years. The one percent, the ninety nine percent, and all other stakeholders should collaborate to reach an ultimate compromise. Piereson, James. The Truth About the ‘One Percent’. The Wall Street Journal, Feb. 17, 2014. Web. 18 Feb. 2014.

Greenlea Residential Care Home Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Greenlea Residential Care Home - Essay Example Mrs. Marchant is of the opinion that acquiring such reports is now becoming more and more bureaucratic. Her profits have been falling slightly during the last few years and this is becoming a cause of concern for her. Mrs. Merchant is now considering expanding the Care House by building an extension. This extension will enable her to house double the capacity. Of course, she feels , her staff will also have to be doubled to take care of the increased number of residents. She has acquired an estimate for the building and construction of this extension which amounts to 100,000 pounds. Since her debts are not very high she is seeking limited liability which will allow more financial protection. It will also ensure a greater range of tax concessions. However, she is facing one legal claim. An employee who fell down while assisting a resident and hurt her thumb is seeking compensation. But Mrs. Merchant is of the firm opinion that she will not pay compensation since there was a chair lift available and the employee had acted negligently resulting in a breach of regulations. Now she takes time off to prepare the necessary accounts to put her plan into action.

Reflection paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 8

Reflection paper - Essay Example The book has therefore enabled me to prepare for my future life beyond my school days. In this paper, I will present a reflection on the book â€Å"Ethics in the Design Industry â€Å"with, emphasis to its influence on my personal development. This is because the book analyzes different aspects that currently affect the design industry from a global perspective. The book starts with product development and focus on issues of advertisement and distribution. The chapter 6-10 of the book also touches on issues of sale promotion for design products. In these analyses, the book focuses on different ethical considerations that players working in the industry need to consider. The different issues raised by the book concerning ethical consideration will therefore be of great benefit to my future business plans. My proposed business will be run according to the ethics demonstrated in chapter 6-10 of the book. As a potential businessperson, I look forward to establish several retail outlets that will enable distribution of my products. The book has talks of shop lifting as a behavior that is increasingly becoming popular with shoppers. Shoplifting is the act whereby, shoppers or employees remove merchandise from a store without paying for it. This behavior is unethical and hence unwanted in any organization since it causes massive losses. To restrict such behavior, I will enforce strict ethical requirement as a prerequisite for all new employees. I will also need to install warning signs in all retail outlets informing shoppers of the negativities of shoplifting. The book will also be useful to other students who are looking forward to joining the corporate world. This is because the book contains rich content on the conduct of employees and potential employees. It is the wish of every student to get a job with a leading company in the world. As a future employer, I have also found the book to be

Greenlea Residential Care Home Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Greenlea Residential Care Home - Essay Example Mrs. Marchant is of the opinion that acquiring such reports is now becoming more and more bureaucratic. Her profits have been falling slightly during the last few years and this is becoming a cause of concern for her. Mrs. Merchant is now considering expanding the Care House by building an extension. This extension will enable her to house double the capacity. Of course, she feels , her staff will also have to be doubled to take care of the increased number of residents. She has acquired an estimate for the building and construction of this extension which amounts to 100,000 pounds. Since her debts are not very high she is seeking limited liability which will allow more financial protection. It will also ensure a greater range of tax concessions. However, she is facing one legal claim. An employee who fell down while assisting a resident and hurt her thumb is seeking compensation. But Mrs. Merchant is of the firm opinion that she will not pay compensation since there was a chair lift available and the employee had acted negligently resulting in a breach of regulations. Now she takes time off to prepare the necessary accounts to put her plan into action.

The last days of dogtown by Anita Diamant Essay Example for Free

The last days of dogtown by Anita Diamant Essay Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The last days of dogtown is a novel written by Anita Diamant. The purpose of the novel is to express the level of morality of life in the American society during the 19th century. The author reveals life in the 19th century as sad but at the same time thoughtful. The last days of dogtown is a community set in an exotic landscape with a group of different and surprising characters. These characters are depicted as residents who are threatened or damaged by the ill wills of the outside world. Diamant portrays life in dogtown as cruel expressed through poverty and witchcraft. Residents in the last days of dogtown are oppressed by ignorance, poverty, illness and racial inequality. It is set in a dying town in Massachusetts during the 19th century. (Diamant Anita 52)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Dogtown was a name associated with a roaming pack of wild dogs. The wild dogs roamed above the hills of a dying town in Massachusetts. The author portrays dogtown as a refuge place from cruelty and tragedies in the world. However, the decline of morality in dogtown presents other small tragedies which are set off by the residents. Dogtown which acts as a refuge from cruelty in the world presents a settlement space in which residents can live without being damaged or threaten. However dogtown does not fulfill its role since it is portrayed as an open prison where residents are faced by prejudice and other negative influences of the outside world. (Rossi, Mark, Howard 75). The roaming pace of dogs is used to illustrate the large number of people spreading rumor around the town about their townspeople. The spread rumours of presence of witches and whores in the town. Although the rumours are of factual their volume increases when more tongues wag around the town. Residents in this town have made it their business to express the most well hidden secrets of their town’s people. Diamant introduces the character in dogtown in a very confusing manner, creating complex relationships among them. These relationships are tested by the ill wills of the American society. The women in this society are presented as witches, whores or with weird behaviors. The man is depicted as brutal and cruel who shows no respect for the women. All the residents in dogtown have suffered different misfortunes from the brutal society. For example, the thwarted love of a free African woman by a local racist. Dog town’s poverty and misfortune pushes them into different destines. Slavery, alcoholism, poverty, sexuality, prostitution and racial tension have been used to create an immoral American society, in which residents are faced with brutal and cruel misfortunes. Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The authors major conclusion is that she expresses the possibility of loving even in the most brutal and cruel conditions. In this town, residents behave like a pack of wild dogs, by huddling together with a dedication to survive and live with hope. By coming together, they search for warmth and safety. Although comfort and kindness are hard to find, these people huddle together and are to survive. The author shows the great immorality depicted in the American society during the 19th century expressed in form of alcoholism, poverty, prostitution, racism, sexuality and canine behavior. The author tries to show that people can come together and outcome even the cruelest conditions in the world. The possibility of creating love in such an environment can create harmony by demonstrating kindness and affection. (Diamant Anita 107). Works Cited Diamant Anita. The last days of Dogtown. Simon Schuster, 2006. Diamant Anita. The Red tent: A novel: Tenth-Anniversary Edition. Picador, 2007 Rossi, Peter H, Mark W. Lipsey, Howard E. Freeman. Evaluation: Systematic approach, sage, 2004.