The law of internation finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The law of internation finance - Essay Example could be described as follows: a) to identify the key forms of loans available in the context of the Islamic banking system, b) to evaluate the performance of loans provided by the Islamic Financial Institutions; suggestions are also made for the potential increase of the performance of the specific financial products c) to compare these loans with the loans provided by the Western Banks, d) to locate the advantages and disadvantages of loans in the Islamic Banking System, e) to identify the effects of the global financial crisis on the rate of financing by Islamic Banks and f) to identify and analyze the role that Islamic banking can have in the limitation of the effects of recession. The research methodology employed in this study will have two different forms: the literature review will be used in order to identify the views of academic researchers on the study’s subject; on the other hand, the empirical research will be used aiming to retrieve information on the current aspects of the study’s issues. The empirical research developed in the context of this study can be distinguished in two categories: a) qualitative research, i.e. reference to case studies; the modes of financing provided by specific Islamic banks will be presented and analyzed; b) apart from the case study analysis, a survey will be conducted in order to retrieve the views of the public on the loans provided by Islamic banks worldwide; employees in Islamic banks worldwide will be asked to state their view on the performance of loans provided by their Banks; the survey will be conducted through the Internet. The types of loans available in the context of Islamic Banking System are specific; Iqbal et al. (2002) refers to the following types of loans: ‘a) educational loans, b) gold loans – for securing gold, and c) surety loans, which are loans against personal security of two signatories’ (Iqbal et al., 2002, p.176). In accordance with Schoon (2009) the main difference between the

Professional Sports Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Professional Sports - Essay Example The analysis of the advertising campaign made it evident that NHL’s â€Å"Inside the Warrior† campaign is an example of exploring the crisis masculinity in the field of sports. The articles made it evident that without the presence of a masculine character in sports, the success of that is a cause of concern. In the similar milieu, the NHL’s success will be in doubt for public consumption, without the presence of a masculine figure. A number of scholars have argued that the presence of masculine character is vital in every field so as to fulfill the objectives and serve the purpose. In the words of Connell, 2005; Edwards, 2006; Messner, 1992, â€Å"MacInnes and other scholars within sociological and cultural studies suggest that men, both individually and collectively, are experiencing a displacement of male power/privilege regarding their customary roles in institutions such as politics, employment, education, and family.† Despite several literature debat es pertaining to the veracity, scenery, and potential effects of a crisis of masculinity remain unresolved. Whannel (1999) suggests, â€Å"Whether or not there is a crisis, there certainly is a lot of talk of one† (p. 254). In the next half of the study, a critique of the article that describes the impact of masculinity crisis in the field of sports will be done. CRITIQUE At the outset, I would like to throw light on the fact that sport is medium that provides man to prove his masculinity. I would not compare the levels to which different sports offer different levels of masculinity, but what I would like to shed light upon is the role played by hockey in showcasing one’s masculinity or the other way where an individual gets the opportunity to reflect upon his masculine ability. I agree with the thoughts put forward in the article that the visual representation in the form of looks and appearance are extremely important. As mentioned in the article that â€Å"The visu al representations of men circulated by the media, including those available through advertising and marketing campaigns, provide benchmarks of masculinity against which some men measure themselves† clearly exemplifies the statement made above is true. However, the role of the promotional media is important as they are the one who are responsible for creating the image of the sports person. On the contrary a good image always does not resemble a masculine image and the question of masculine image is also a subject of debate among the scholars and practitioners around the world. Arguably, the various forms of masculinity portrayed through advertising can contribute to social constructions of the crisis of masculinity. According to my opinion masculinity can be conceptualized in a number of forms and one of forms which I believe is the sportsperson’s ability to appeal to the audience. Hence I agree to the articles where it mentions masculinity â€Å"involves persuasion o f the greater part of the population, particularly through the media, and the organization of social institutions in ways that appear ‘

Literature review of Globalization in India Essay

Literature review of Globalization in India - Essay Example Therefore, in the present situation, it tends to keep its doors wide open to opportunities which would help her progress. The Indian administration is taking steps by conducting a lot of surveys in its different states to facilitate and elicit people’s responses to globalization, so that they would take appropriate steps to curb illiteracy, poverty, unemployment, social status and under development. Many causes contribute to globalization in India. Though Kerala can boast of a literacy rate of 92%, it is not the same for the other regions. The urban areas in India have a 80.30% literacy level, the rural areas have only 59.40%. Another fact that poses a problem is that though there are buffer stocks, yet a quarter of the world’s poor that are in India go hungry. (Editorial, Fall 2006, vol.2, no. 2) Another factor that contributes to globalization is the fact that there is great disparity between social policies and the needs of the people. While the government of India frames these policies, it takes ages before it materializes to help the poor and down- trodden people. Other factors that contribute to globalization in India would be because it has a politically driven agenda and faces misappropriation and mismanagement of funds set aside for the upliftment of the low strata of people. Corruption and inefficiency run rampant in the wake of implementation of schemes. â€Å"If there was a Gandhi in the consciousness of the Indian polity today, we would not be where we are†. ( Aruna Roy, social activist and Magasaysay Award winner 2000) Freedom can be fulfilling as well as problematic when doesn’t know where to stop. Amartya Sen, a social activist who is committed to rectifying gender inequality feels that human capabilities and freedom should be enhanced. (Amartya Sen, A Gender Perspective.)Every successive administration form

Consumer Behaviour Essay Example for Free

Consumer Behaviour Essay Art consumers in the modern world have increased their buying capacity of art as paradigms shifts to knowledge and information based concepts. Cultural diversity and technology are developing new forms of art and ways to market these art pieces to a wider range of art consumers. However, there is no room for complacency in art managers of art galleries. It is still best to incorporate sound motivational theories that guide marketing efforts towards being robust, effective and efficient. Three motivational theories had been highlighted forming a well-rounded strategy to approach art gallery marketing. Maslow’s heirarchy of needs gives a step-by-step escalation of man’s satisfaction levels. It was noted that although art cannot satisfy physiological needs, consumers can still be motivated to buy art as objects to satisfy their needs of self-esteem, belongingness and need to self-actualize. McGuire’s advice on motivating people offers looking into the cognitive and affective factors of man’s thinking process. The more art gallery marketing efforts cater to affective faculties of their consumers, the more selling will take place. And lastly, the theory of Freud has been chosen as another guidepost in defining what makes the consumer buy. Innate biological elements found in man such as sexual desires is the most commonly known Freudian motivation that is closely related to selling art. Construction of marketing strategies to sell art does not end in incorporating concepts from these motivation theories. These motivations must further zoom in on the consumer eventually. The way to fine tune the marketing strategy is to incorporate concepts found in the five-step decision making process that all consumers go through.   As the art buyer goes from recognizing his need to gathering information that will lead him to a possible purchase, to evaluating criteria affecting his possible purchase, to his actual purchase and to coming up with insights that happens during his post purchase, the marketing strategy of the art gallery is put into a test. INTRODUCTION The art market is slowly evolving. Art has evolved into many forms and galleries have transformed to accommodate a wide range of consumers. With the entrance of innovative technology, cultural diversity and faster access to information, art galleries been challenged to study and understand consumer behavior of this widening niche. â€Å"For the last few years, the media have trumpeted contemporary art as the hottest new investment. At fairs, auction houses and galleries, an influx of new buyersmany of them from the world of financehave entered the fray. Lifted by this tidal wave of new money, the number of thriving artists, galleries and consultants has rocketed upwards.† (Spiegler, 2006) But amidst all this buying frenzy, sellers have remained steadfast to the consumer behavior theories that guide the markets. Buying behavior theories have not changed and remained formidable in figuring out what buyers want, why they want, how they avail of these wants and the factors that affect these decisions. Consumers of art hold special focused studies. Consumers who buy art also buy gas, groceries, basic services and insurance. Though there is culture in gas, groceries, basic services and insurance, these commodities does not directly fall under art. Art products and services are born out of a cultural industry. These consumers have their own consumer behaviors. â€Å"Consumer behavior is the process involved when individual or groups select, purchase, use, and dispose of goods, services, ideas, or experiences to satisfy their needs and desires. It is important that marketers understand consumer behavior because wants and needs are satisfied best when marketers understand the behaviors of consumers.† (Hawkins, 1998) Therefore, appropriate buyer behavior theories must be employed to so that marketing strategies to sell products in art galleries will be most appropriate, effective, efficient and economical. THE PRODUCT AND SERVICE Marketing strategies start with knowing the product or service. Characteristics of these items for sale will be essential in finding the consumers who would want to buy them. Art encompass a wide variety of products and services. Art galleries themselves have evolved into stores that sell different art genres depending on how one beholds something as art, from the flea markets selling antiques to the fine art galleries bidding by the millions. Applied and decorative art are products found in advertising, architecture and urban design. Crafts, jewelry, fashion, industrial, product and interior design fall under this art category. Entertainment art provides enjoyment services such as film, recording and TV programs. â€Å"Fine art is motivated by art-for-arts-sake. It is the primary research and development segment of the arts industry. It generates enlightenment, i.e. it sheds light on the nature of the human condition on the individual and society. â€Å"It is primarily in the fine arts that new talent and technique are developed; new scripts and scores created; and, new images and styles set. Results of fine art RD, like the results of scientific research, are sometimes adopted by for-profit enterprises in and out of the arts industry. And, as in pure science, fine art is not financially self-supporting. The right to fail is an essential artistic and scientific freedom a freedom that requires patience and risk-taking on the part of patrons, investors and audiences.† (Chartrand, 2000) Heritage art subsumes all kind of art. It feeds contemporary art and is the one that sets standards of the following generations. This art inspires creators and enriches artists through its integration of scarcity and aesthetic value while employing a sense of social relevance and cohesion.   Ã¢â‚¬Å"Between 1969 and 1989, heritage art yielded the highest return of all financial investment opportunities (The Economist July 1, 1989). Furthermore, theft of antiquities is the most lucrative international crime. Ounce for ounce, an antiquity can be more valuable than drugs. It can yield a higher return, at lower risk of being caught, and generally produces less jail time if one is convicted† (Chartrand 1992a). MOTIVATIONS OF THE ART CONSUMER A person who walks into an art gallery is differently motivated compared to a person who walks into a McDonald’s burger store. A company who buys a 10 million art work does so with objectives different from its putting up a building worth about the same cost. Consumers of art are motivated differently and theories defining these motivations can help marketing strategist clear marketing goals and activities. Maslow’s Heirarchy of Needs Abraham Maslow (1908-1970) has been one of the century’s great inspiration in personality theories. The Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs as illustrated in Figure 1 has helped both researchers, scholars, scientists and most specially marketing executives on how to motivate clients and consumers. Maslow believes that man is motivated based on the level of satisfaction he can achieve at a particular time when the product or service is offered him. And the levels of satisfaction starts from getting his physiological needs, then his safety needs and subsequently his belonging needs, esteem needs until he arrives at his self-actualization. Figure 1. Maslow’s Heirarchy of Needs (Boeree, 1998) â€Å"Maslow suggested the intuitively appealing notion that humans must satisfy the most basic objectives before they can move onto higher level ones. Thus, an individual must satisfy physiological needs (such as food and liquid) before he or she will be able to expend energy on less fundamental objectives such as safety. Only when basic objectives have been met will a person move on to seek such objectives as love and belonging, and only a small minority of people make it as far as seeking self-actualization.† (Boeree, 1998) Art consumers at the art galleries are motivated to satisfy a certain level of need as illustrated in Maslow’s diagram. Art definitely cannot be eaten and cannot quench physical thirst. Consumers who are still struggling to satisfy their physiological needs in the normal circumstances will not buy Art. Art buyers are usually motivated to consume art to satisfy safety, belongingness, need for self-esteem and to perform their self-actualization. A person will buy art to safeguard savings. Certain works of art appreciate in value as the artist becomes more popular or when he dies. More than once, the cultural scene has witnessed these value increases and rich people have coveted owning these masterpieces not for their artistic magnificence but more for their financial value.   A person will buy art to satisfy belongingness especially if he or she finds himself trying to get into company of art buyers. Belongingness would sometimes overpower physical hunger especially in these modern days when people have gone towards the limits of individualism isolating themselves from social groups that provide comfort in belongingness. In the early years of high art, kings and queens would have their portraits painted by in house artists such as Michael Angelo and Da Vinci. These portraits help a person increase his self-esteem. Coffee shops, banks and other commercial establishment hang works of art in their walls not so much for decorative purposes but these products increase the company’s self-esteem. Their clients are able to admire the company knowing that the company they chose is of the cultured type and can afford these works of art. Based on the Maslow’s Heirarchy of Needs, the marketing strategy must realize that in order for art galleries to sell their products, it has to appeal to the motivations of the people walking into the gallery. These gallery visitors are basically interested in art and the curator must work on satisfying needs. Marketing campaigns must cater to satisfying client’s need to raise his self-esteem or need to satisfy his belongingness. Strategies such as knowing the client’s kind of groupie or the client’s thoughts of himself will be a few effective tactics towards forging a sale. FREUDIAN THEORY Though highly controversial and continuously debated upon by psychoanalysts, Sigmund Freud has been the most popular theorist of the century due to the sexual nature of his findings. Basically, he suggests that â€Å"(1) much behavior has a biological basis which is (2) often sexual in nature, and (3) that early experiences in childhood will have a profound, but unconscious effect on later lifee.g., people who are rejected in an early, oral phase of development may become oral retentive and end up as wine connoisseurs later in life.† (Hawkins, 1998) For Freud, people are motivated by their sex drives. Though some sectors of the scientific communities do not believe this, advertising, film and marketing have used the Freudian theories and have remained successful in the promotion and selling of their products. Cars, cigarette, alcohol and other vices have used sex at one point or another in their commercials, posters or corporate IDs. MTV’s have evolved into using pretty boys and sexy girls to get the maximum buying power of teenagers and young adults. Even new generation anime features voluptuous heroes, heroines and villains. Wonder Woman has never been as seductive and Superman has been redrawn to sport more muscles that spell musk. Though Freud never really thought sexuality in the new millennium context, evolutionists understands this kind of sexual motivation due to the inherent nature of human beings to help the species survive and sustain power over the natural kingdom. The only way to keep from extinction is to continue procreation. In Darwinian logic, motivation to procreation is as sensible as breathing. Sex has always helped sell art. Art from ancient Greece such as sculptures Adonis or Venus were sometimes seen as pornographic. Though these artworks of nudity became monuments of great cities and tourist destinations that earn millions of dollars, parent of little children still become uneasy explaining nudity in these kinds of art works. Marketing art with tactics from the Freudian theories that sex sells would make marketing of art forms planned in a way that it attracts sexual motivations from the buyers. Art galleries, when opening an exhibit usually employs wine, beautiful ladies in little black dresses and music that appeals to the possible clients. This type of marketing style that is guided by Freudian motivation theories supports art works that have sexual undertones already in them. Bar owner Schrager narrates the reason for buying an artwork. â€Å"According to Schrager, the decision to commission Clemente for the ceiling mural and lamps was an easy one. I love Clementes work, and I thought a ceiling mural would be appropriate for the place and location. For me, a lot of Clementes work has sexual undertones, and I thought it would fit in perfectly in the bar. (Silberman, 2001) MCGUIRE THEORY OF MOTIVATION McGuire’s psychology of motivation stems from his cognitive and affective experimentations. Thinkers are seen to carry out directed-thinking tasks. These thought systems in people illustrate their motivations.   Ã¢â‚¬Å"Five dimensions that together provide an inclusive description of thought systems were identified. Two dimensions are cognitive: (1) size; and (2) cognitive-affirmational bias. Two others are affective: (3) affective desirability bias; and (4) people-favorability bias. The fifth dimension is (5) cognitive-affective congruence.† (McGuire, 2006) McGuire believes that affective stimulus influence the cognitive aspect of human motivations more. Men and women have different thought patterns since they react differently to stimulus. Knowing this, it is important for art galleries to note who has the buying power when couples walk into the gallery to purchase the artwork. At culturally diverse markets, art managers need to address what could stimulate affective motivations in their clients. Sometimes, talking to an art manager who understands the client’s affective stimulus like race or culture is effective. â€Å"More buying power translates into more art-buying ability. Art dealers and publishers are keenly aware of this. But what they also need to understand is that while African Americans are looking to buy more high-quality art, theyre also looking to buy from dealers and publishers who understand them and will cater to them.† (Hagan, 2004) 5 STAGES OF DECISION MAKING PROCESS Equipped with the three motivational theories above, the next important part of the marketing strategy is integrating the promotional or advertising activities to the five stages of the decision making process that each art buyers goes through whenever they are in making a decision whether to buy, to buy later, or not to buy. Source: http://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/~renglish/370/notes/chapt05/ Problem recognition is the stage where the buyer becomes aware of his need. Awareness of needs does not happen like magic. Need is stimulated. The client must be aware of his need from its unconscious state to the conscious and articulate status. Commercials that stimulate problem recognition are effective because they can visually show what the client does not have and therefore, just by looking at advertisement, the client realizes his lack of that product thereby moving towards the process of coveting the product for himself. A blank wall will stimulate a need to buy art. An empty corner can stimulate a person to acquire a statue. Occasions and celebrations from birthdays to monthly anniversaries to grandmom or grandpop days and other more outlandish occasions can also create the rationale to make the consumers think of buying art. The second phase is where the client begins to look for information that will lead him into being able to find the product or the service that can quench his need. In the case of art galleries, a person must be able to find the art gallery. This ease of art gallery access will be attained with proper promotions and advertising. Art gallery accessibility geographically will also be essential in attracting buyers who are currently looking for information so satisfy their needs. The Internet is the latest virtual shop where buyers from around the world can be tuned in at the same time. With the Internet platform as marketing tool, selling is definitely without borders and without pressure of time. The buyer from spread of mouth information can also acquire details on how to locate the art gallery. Employers had always stressed good service because positive feedback is the gateway of businesses. With the information at hand, the consumer goes to the third stage of the decision making process which is the evaluation stage where alternatives are ranked. â€Å"This stage establishes the criteria for evaluation, features the buyer wants or does not want. Rank/weight alternatives or resume search. May decide that you want to eat something spicy, indian gets highest rank. If not satisfied with your choice then return to the search phase. Can you think of another restaurant? Look in the yellow pages etc. Information from different sources may be treated differently. Marketers try to influence by framing alternatives.† (classnotes, 2006) Art galleries’ marketing strategy must make sure that the criteria set by its consumers are achieved. After product characteristics, price is usually the next criteria that the client considers. For art, the prices depend on a flexible standard. Other pieces are â€Å"priceless† while other art products are set by how the community valuates the artist. This is where the talent of the art manager or the curator comes in. Framing the art product, literally and figuratively spells putting on more weight on the piece or turning the off the client’s needs which will surely fail selling the product when the fifth decision making process starts. The fourth stage is the purchase stage. The buying value is affected by three possibilities as the client decides from whom to buy, when to buy or if the client decides not to buy. Purchase from art galleries will be affected by the terms of sale, credibility of the establishment and return policies. Tax information on artwork is an important information that will tip the scales towards the sales. A news clipping shows reaction of buyers and galleries on impositions of added tax to art pieces. â€Å"Paying an 8.8 percent tax on art doesnt discourage him or his wife, Virginia, from buying, but he said he could imagine it would slow some people down.† Thats what worries the Seattle Art Museum.† (Hackett, 2005) The atmosphere of the art gallery, and happiness of the shopping experience influences the time of sale. Some galleries maintain calmness in the gallery depicting unstressful experience for the buyer. Especially with purchases of millions of dollars, the atmosphere must be as much stress free as possible. The last stage of the process is the post purchase stage where the client reflects on the purchase that he did. The buyer usually compares the purchase with his expectations based on the need he originally formed. In the post purchase stage, either the art consumer is satisfied or unsatisfied with the purchase. Customer satisfaction or dissatisfaction is affected by his value perceptions. Art buyers know there is inherent value in art works. Physically, art is just a piece of paper or canvass with pigment but the images and visualization that the artwork shares to the consumer is what is of value that have been purchased. For artwork, one piece may create more value to another person depending on the level of beauty value he gets from the work of art. His satisfaction therefore depends on the value that the art product or experience in buying the artwork communicates to the buyer. Art galleries are cultural venues where patrons are soon established. The repeat-purchase behavior found in the art galleries must be high and excellent because these repeat buyers are also automatic promotional agents of the art gallery. Appreciating an art piece in a hotel lobby, an interested consumer would normally ask where the piece was bought. And that is first lead of the art gallery that happens outside the gallery. Patrons of the art help in lessening the cognitive dissonance of art consumers. When there is a feeling of anxiety after purchase, the consumer looks for elements outside his decision that would help him be assured of his purchase and publicity of the art gallery’s success or social responsibility or how famous people patronize the gallery helps in relieving cognitive dissonance in post purchase stages of consumer decision making process. CONCLUSION Everyone buys art at one time or another. The time and cost of art that an individual buys depends on his motivations as incorporated in many studies in consumer behavior backed by psychological discourse and experimentations. With the need for the art industry to profit and keep the industry afloat, marketing strategies benefit from these motivational theories. It is safe to note that whenever a painting or a piece of art lands in a hotel lobby, or a financial establishment, a museum or simply in a living room wall, much human activity has been put into it that basically further increases it s social and cultural value. References Boeree, George. 1998. Abraham Maslow. Retrieved October 31, 2006 from http://www.ship.edu/~cgboeree/maslow.html Chartrand, Harry Hillman. 2000. The Public Life of the Arts in America†¨Joni Cherbo and M. Wyszomirski (eds),†¨Rutgers University Press, April 2000 Classnotes. 2006. Consumer Buying Behavior. Retrieved October 31, 2006 from http://www.udel.edu/alex/chapt6.html Silberman, Vanessa. 2000. Results of Consumer Survey Shed Light on Art Buying Behavior. Art Business News, Nov, 2000 Hagan, Debbie. 2004. Black buying power shows strength in art: growing incomes and more national exposure of African-American art translates into a widening base of art buyers – news. Art Business News, Jan, 2004 Hackett, Regina and Michelle Nicolosi. 2005. Art collectors fault state agency on tax issue. Seattle Post – Intelligencer Reporters. Friday May 27, 2005. Retrieved October 31, 2006 from http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/226106_reactart26.html?source=rss Hawkins, Del I., Roger J. Best, and Kenneth A. Coney (1998), Consumer Behavior: Building Marketing Strategy, 7th ed., Boston: McGraw Hill. McGuire, William J. Claire V. McGuire, Yale University. 2006. Cognitive versus affective aspects of phenomenal thought systems focused on persons. Retrieved October 31, 2006 from http://www.sydneysymposium.unsw.edu.au/1999/abstracts.htm Spiegler, Marc. 2006. Time to Reform the Art Market? The Art Newpaper. Retrieved October 31, 2006 from http://www.forbes.com/collecting/2005/05/30/cx_0530conn_ls.html

Subcultural Theories And Critiques

Subcultural Theories And Critiques Introduction In this assignment, I have been asked to evaluate the main points of subcultural theories and critiques of them. In order to answer this question put to me, I will go on to describing exactly what a subculture is, I will then go on to state the different theorists who have given theories as to what subculture is, why it happens and how they may evaluate and apprehend it, showing their opinions throughout. I will then evaluate each theory and show the strengths and weaknesses of each, and throughout my evaluation I will be using plenty of references throughout to back up any points made, and finally go on to a concluding summary. Firstly we must state what exactly culture is before we can delve in to any explanations of what exactly a subculture is. Williams suggests that there are many ways in which culture has been described and defined throughout history although the best way to define culture is that of ‘particular way of life which expressed certain meanings and values not only in art and learning, but also in institutions and ordinary behaviour (Williams 1961:pg 57). There can be said to be many different ways in which a selection of society can be seen as a subculture, the first is that of reactive subcultures in which people feel a direct oppression from mainstream society and react against all that is seen as the typical ‘norm. There are also independent subcultures which are said to have complete separate, and that of their own, norms, values and beliefs than that of mainstream society.ÂÂ   Brake also suggests that the best way to define a subculture is to suggest that it is like a ‘culture inside of a culture'(Brake 1985). Further into his book he then goes on to suggest that ‘Subcultures exist where there is some form of organised and recognised constellation of values, behaviour and actions which responded to as differing from the prevailing set of norms. (Brake 1985:pg 8). In some circumstances the norms and values we share in day to day life with all of society are followed but not in the same way by all, therefore creating these subcultures. From the day we are born, we are already surrounded by a subculture lead by class and the particular ways of life in which a working class family may have may be in complete comparison to that of an upper class family. We are all brought up with complete different values of life and some people may see it more as tradition within their family, which is to be followed religiously. One example of this can be seen with the subculture of gypsies, where it is tradition to get married mainly by the age of 16, they live in caravans, statics, shallays and it is tradition for gypsies to attend the Appleby fair every year and even though this is not seen as the norms and values of everyone, it is to them. You could say that there are so many subcultures out there that it is impossible to state every one. An example of this could be that of what type of person you see yourself as and you religiously wear certain clothes to ‘fit in with a particular group i.e. Chavs, Hippys, Goths, Emos, Punks, Geeks, Popular, Tom Boys etc the list goes on. Another way in which people could suggest to support different values are that of homosexuality and the religions which oppose it as a sin of God. Longhurst et al argues that subcultures also arose from hegemony and quotes Clarke et als statement that ‘hegemony refers to the moment when a ruling class is able, not only to coerce a subordinate class to conform to its interests, but to exert a hegemony or total social authority over subordinate classes. (Longhurst et al 2008:pg244). As this was due to the fact that after the second world war a lot of reconstruction of the country as well as the economy was going on and the government, who mainly consist of white middle and upper class men, where changing the ways in which the working class lived their live s, and they took into account Cohens view that labour was being polarised and this meant that the wealthy were getting ‘specialised, high tech, well paid jobs and the poor were being forced to stay poor as they were only able to secure themselves ‘dead-end, unskilled labour. (Longhurst et al 2008:pg 243). These quotes show and tell us that the wealthy could see their jobs as a job and a career, however the poorer people could only see themselves as labourers, which in some cases me be used as a more generous term for skivvy, lackey, slave etc where they earn less money for doing a ‘hard days graft as you will, but yet the highly paid jobs are more than likely to be quite an easy job to do. Society in those days needed hard workers to do the labour jobs as those were the areas which needed upkeep however the areas the wealthy seemed to have jobs in would more than likely have no effect on society if it were to keep going or stop all together and therefore many are m eaningless jobs but they are getting more money to do them. This is the kind of subjects in which set off the rebellions and therefore there was the creations of these subcultures in other areas than just class, but against governmental choices and the decisions they may have made which had an adverse affect on one class as it did on another, causing further friction between classes and we still see this going on today. One of the main theorists to evaluate subculture was that of Albert Cohen and he mainly shows his theory of the subculture functionalist through his book called Delinquent Boys : The culture of the gang. In this book, his main points are that it is the clashing between that of the middle class and the ‘delinquents which was a harsh term produced by middle classes to describe the poor in order to portray them as being non educated with no intelligence and no drive to have goals in their lives. His view was linked to that of Mertons Strain Theory and Cohen, as well as Merton, argue that everyone has the same goals in life however the working classes never get the opourtunity to actually go forward and achieve these goals. However where the two theorists differ, is how this revulsion of middle class culture leads to crime and law breaking behaviour. Merton has the view that because the working class do not get the chance to succeed in life, this then leads most down the path of cr ime and this is the main result of no success, suggesting that they have no choice in the matter, and that in order to survive they must turn to crim. Cohen on the other hand suggests that because the working class cannot have success in reaching goals in life, this then leads them to make up their own goals which involve crime and aggressive, law breaking behaviour (Cohen 1955 cite). Suggesting that they choose to break the law and commit crime and they see this as a way of life, and see nothing wrong with this. This subculture is reflected by Cohen to be the delinquent subculture with their own norms and values and their goals being to commit crime and it is seen as a positive thing to do, as if they reach their targets and goals by committing crime.ÂÂ   The main goal for this subculture which Cohen suggests is to gain that of status by any means necessary, whether that be good or bad publicity and they dont care which way they are portrayed by the media and other sources, as long as they are publicised and he suggests that these peoples key features are ‘malice, ‘negativisticbehaviourand ‘non-utilitarian behaviour (Cohen 1955 cite). ‘Malicious behaviours are committed out of spite.bullying of non delinquents.Negativistic by believing that their behaviour is right precisely because it is wrong according to the norms of society.Non-utilitarian as their activities do not produce a direct economic benefit. (Regoli et al 2009:pg192).He also suggests that they have traits such as being very ‘versatile, ‘hedonists andÂÂ   having great ‘group loyalty and autonomy never betraying one of the groups rules. ‘Versitility is shown in their tendancy to dabble in many delinquent activities stealing, vandalism, trespassing, truancy and so on.Hedonism as delinquents are often impatient and impulsiveout for fun and dont take kindly to rules, scheduals or organization, nor do they plan ahead, study or practice. Future gains and goals are of no importance to them.Group autonomy as they are close to other members of gang but hostile to outsiders. (Regoli et al 2009:pg192-193). This delinquent subculture was also separated not only from middle class society through social exclusion from the norm, but they were separated by sex as Cohen states in his book that ‘male delinquency is at least four times as common as female delinquency. (Cohen 1955:pg45). He also suggests that even though there is this subculture group which is apparent in order to try to gain a voice within the middle class society and to stand up for what they believe in and their rights as an English Citizen, there still never seems to be no resolution and that this battle will go on forever more ‘some groups, which may sometimes be counted excessive, sub-cultural solutions may not emerge, or particular individuals may not participate in them, Nonetheless, the problems of adjustment may be sufficiently intense and persistent that they still press for some kind of change. (Cohen 1955:pg 71).

Why Scm Strategy Is Important For An Organization Business Essay

Why Scm Strategy Is Important For An Organization Business Essay Supply chain management plays a vital role in modern day business operations, as carefully planned supply chain process adds value to customers. CIC is a company involved in agricultural products and the only company in Sri Lanka that serve Seed to Shelf motive in local and foreign markets. This document discusses the effectiveness of supply chain and possible waste reduction strategies that can adopt by the CIC, also some measures they have to implement in terms of logistics when they are planning their products in the shelves of other counties. Finally this report discusses about the importance of integrating the supply chain using modern information technology and how it can results in the long run while generating a competitive advantage to the business. Introduction CIC Agro Businesses (Private) Limited is a subsidiary of CIC, which encompasses all the agriculture related businesses that are carried out within the CIC Group. CIC Agro Businesses (Private) Limited comprises of a number of companies. With its wider goal to enhance farmer income, improve the rural economy and contribute towards the development of Agriculture making Sri Lanka a nutritious healthy nation. Vision To be the leader in enriching Sri Lankas agriculture with the best quality produce from Seed to Shelf. Mission To provide innovative technologies and professional management to the agriculture sector contributing significantly to Sri Lankas GDP whilst ensuring trust from farmer to consumer. (Source: www. cic .com) 1.0 Supply Chain Management Supply chain management is the oversight of finances, information, and material as they move in a route from supplier to consumer, passing manufacturer, wholesaler, retailer, etc in between. Supply chain management is an efficient and accepted management philosophy focused at improving the business process of an organization. A supply chain is the network of different aspects. Knowledge, technology, resources, and people involved in the production or manufacturing, and transportation, distribution and marketing are involved delivering products to the final customer. In modern business supply chain activities are used to maximize customer value and achieve sustainable competitive advantage. There are four major elements in Supply chain management, they are Production Production is a major factor in SCM. This element aims on the products the market is demanding and particular products consumers want. At the production element, many features are considered such as what products are to manufactures and in what quantities. Supply and Inventory Inventory visibility and Inventory control are two very significant factors in any supply chain operations, for these elements are the cost factors and directly affect the bottom lines in the balance sheet of the business. Inventory is an asset for the organization. Every business has a standard inventory turnover which is optimum for the business, this means the number of times the inventory is sold and replaced in a given period of time. The health of the inventory turn relates to the health of business Location and Transportation The company decides the best locations to produce the indented goods and focuses on the best process for producing, storing and distributing the production. This decision is depends on the available resources and existing buyers. Other aspects considered in this decision are the location of suppliers. Then the company decides the modes of transportation that is most appropriate for delivering goods.. Information The final element of SCM is information and how it is used, which means the methods of record keeping and passing information that are accurate and effective. This may include using computerized software and integrating all systems together. 1.1 Why SCM strategy is important for an Organization Supply Chain Strategies are the vital backbone to modern business. Successful Market coverage and product availability at locations are the keys to revenue generation, and it depends on the effectiveness of Supply Chain Strategy implemented. In simply terms, when products are introduced to the market and promoted, the company must make sure the accessibility and availability of the products where the customers are able to purchase and take delivery. If the products are not being available at the right time and the right place, can cause a drop in customer interest and demand, which can eventually be disastrous to business. 1.2 Eliminating waste in Seed to Shelf program CIS has a wide product range in their Agriculture and Livestock industry, such as vegetables, fruits, seed paddy, yogurt, curd, rice, eggs, etc which are introduced to the market under the brand name CIC, the brand name is well known in both in the international and local market. The company is dedicated towards agriculture business, and help farmers to increase their incomes, improve rural economies while contributing to the development of the Agro industry in Sri Lanka. CIC Agri also provides with facilities and expertise in the purchasing, set up and maintenance of agricultural equipment and machinery. Furthermore the expertise are been provided in the use of fertilizers and irrigation equipment to increase the production. CIC is carefully managing the seed to shelf supply chain operation effectively and efficiently. But when studying this process, there can be possible areas which can cause waste or cost to the process. Below are the areas CIC must focus their attention in elimin ating waste in their of Seed to Shelf program. Over-production: producing more than or ahead of demand. The result of producing to speculative (forecast) demand or supposed economic batches, it is visible as excessive, time consuming and costly material stores. Employee waiting: this might occur at any stage of the supply chain process, the result is wasted worker time. The goal is to maximize the utilization and/or efficiency of operatives first and machines second. Transportation: this means unnecessary transportation cost in production process, CIC face this problem as the production locations are in rural areas. Work In Progress (WIP) and finished goods adds no value to the product. Therefore it is more cost efficient to minimizing or eliminate unnecessary transportation system, than thinking of improving them. Non-value added processing: doing more work than is necessary to complete a task, or in other words activities that do not contribute to the product or the process. According to Lean methods it is best to use simpler tools and processers in the production, where possible. Unnecessary motion: relating to people stretching, bending, or walking too far, this is a common waste factor can be seen in agricultural industry. This happens primarily due to the inappropriate location of tools, parts inventories and fixtures. Excess inventory: specifically referring to Work In Progress (WIP) between operations and purchased parts within the supply chain, often resulting from overproduction, usually due to excessively large batch manufacturing or processes with long cycle times leading in turn to cost and waste. This will result additional waste in the form of increased lead-times, extra handling, high interest charges, avoidable people movement, excessive floor space requirements and paperwork and, again, the associated costs. Defects: agricultural products are often exposed to pests and other deceases, which cause rotten or putrid crop. This decayed crop adds significant production waste and costs. The organization must focuses on preventing the occurrence of this pest and diseases, before focusing on improving the cultivation processes. 2.0 Logistics Management The Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP), the preeminent worldwide professional association of supply chain management professionals, defines logistics as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦that part of supply chain management that plans, implements, and controls the efficient, effective forward and reverse flow and storage of goods, services and related information between the point of origin and the point of consumption in order to meet customers requirements.. This definition includes inbound, outbound, internal, and external movements, and return of materials for environmental purposes. Logistics plays an important role in business operation of an organization. Logistics involves from the very beginning of the business process, it starts with post procumbent stage, purchasing and delivering raw materials to production locations which is known as inbound logistics. After production process is completed, logistics again comes to the scene by delivering the final product to end users which is known as the outbound logistics. Therefore it is obvious that the effectiveness and efficiency of logistics process will directly impact the bottom line of the balance sheet. The strength and the productivity of Supply Change Management lies on the factors which are directly involved with logistics such as, Suppliers from various levels and territories, Distributors locally and internationally, Agents and freight forwarders such as cargo, railway, air cargo, sea cargo and so on. 2.1 Logistics Challenges for CIC CIC is focusing on seed to shelf concept on foreign countries as well, there are possible barriers CIC might face in agricultural logistics, some of the identifies barriers are, High supply uncertainty due to natural production: unpredictable variations in quality and quantity of supply, which demands for flexibility in logistic processes and planning and early warning and pro-active control mechanisms; High perishability of fresh food products, which demand for temperature conditioned transportation and storage (cold chains) and very short order-to delivery lead-times; Seasonable growing, which demands for global sourcing to ensure year-round availability; High demands on food safety, quality and (environmental) legislation, which demands for the ability to trace production information of products in transit; High flow complexities, due to a combination of continuous and discrete product flows, diverging and converging processes and by-products; this demands for advanced tracking and tracing and logistic planning capabilities; Important role of export, including additional phytosanitary inspections (Formal certificate issued by an exporting countrys agricultural authorities to ensure the shipment is inspected and is free from pests and plant diseases) 2.2 Measures to overcome logistics challenges CIC can overcome above identified barriers by implementing certain measures to their business processes. Supply uncertainty can manage to a certain extend by focusing at vertical and horizontal integration of value chains. At one end of the value chain the organization can align the support activities that reallocate to sustainable production and precision agriculture, and at the other end of the chain, the company can aim on developing agro logistics with distribution and consolidation centers  which are directly serving export and local markets. Therefore by integrating the value chain CIC is able to pre determine the supply planning and the logistic process. CIC must also focus on post harvest technology since agricultural products are highly perishable, CIC must take appropriate precautions to maintain the freshness of the agri products till it goes to the shelves of other countries, some possible precautions to overcome this are; Smart fresh technology Smart Fresh technology successfully controls fruit and vegetable ripening by controlling naturally occurring ethylene during storage and transport. Ethylene triggers ripening and spoilage in most fruits and vegetables; in some cases it is responsible for important storage disorders, which can cause the spoilage and waste of entire storage areas. Smart Fresh Quality System reduces fruit waste and maintains texture, firmness, taste and appearance of fruits by warding off negative ethylene effects http://www.agrofresh.com/smartfresh/smartfresh.html Cold Chain management Cold chain management means maintaining a constant temperature of a product to ensure the wholesomeness as it is processed, delivered, shipped and stored at the pre determine destination. The cold chain must never be interrupted or disturbed to ensure the long shelf life of the product. This involves relevant equipment, knowledge and people skills during the transportation and storage process from the time they are produced up until they are administered. Packaging of perishables For CIC packaging plays a major role in adding value to their products. CIC should pay a special attention to food safety, protection, tampering resistance and hygiene when packaging agro products. Additionally packaging act as the interface of a CIC product it also using as a medium of reflecting quality which promotes itself compared to other products. When it comes to packaging it is one of the mile stone standards that the company has to focus since they are perishable products. Proper quality measures must be implemented in order to add value to the products, on perspective of nationally as well as internationally adding another competitive advantage for the company and its products and continues improving process. Some quality measures are; Quality Control (QC) this means maintaining and evaluating the standard of manufactured product prior to its marketing. Quality Assurance (QA) set of activities implemented such as quality checks, processes, procedures, etc to identify and correct any mistake that would reduce the quality of the products at each production stage. Standard Operation Procedure (SOP) often the best practice prescribed for recurring use as a the standers operation, in reference to agreed upon specifications focused at obtaining a desired outcome Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) critical preventive guidelines for production operations. GMP addresses areas such as personal hygiene, food hygiene, pest control, waste disposal, water supply and so on Furthermore CIC can expand their logistics process by collaborating with logistics companies which have facilities, reputation, and experience like Maclerens and Logiventure cargo will be one of the way the company could expand and outsource the logistics process. 3.0 Role of information technology in supply chain management Supply chain has always been different companies and different departments within the company working together. Supply chain integration means integrating all activities in the supply chain in to a one key processes. Today, the internet has allowed companies to move these functions to web based networks where clusters of business that typically do business with each other come to gather via the connectivity of the internet. Companies can collaborate and communicate with each other through a single internet interface. When all the participants in the supply chain become connected electronically, allowing the unfettered flow of information, the supply becomes fully integrated. Utilizing web based technologies; companies are starting to integrate their supply chains in a system-to-system manner, minimizing the need for human contact, human data entry or any sort of human involvement. Moreover data can move in real time and disparities in size of companies are becoming less critical as software providers come up with solution that allows small companies to connect with large customers through the web. While the application to connect companies with their trading partners are far from free, the internet is relatively inexpensive medium, unlike a value added network (VAN) that charges a per transaction fee for data transmission. E-commerce is driving a revolution of the supply chain, as we have known it. With processes once took days or weeks now taking minutes to perform, the potential to cost saving through efficiency is greater than ever. E commerce solution providers have come forward with new tools that enable supply chain participants the opportunity to connect and collaborate via web based net works. While analysts, consultants, solution providers and enterprises continue to debate how companies ultimately will integrate those new tools into their operations and the shape of the supply chain of the future, there is a consensus forming around one vision for the next generation supply chain. The underlying theme is connectivity. As a result, we are moving from production base supply chain to a fulfillment base model. In industrial age, production was the primary business activity. In the technology age, fulfillment becomes the primary business activity. The trading networks that are set up turn the chain upside down and create a demand chain where customer order drives the business activity. Consequently fulfillment of customer demand is the key, it is no longer about tossing the customer a product; it is also about improving customer relationships through better customer service. 3.1 Enterprise Resource Planning System for CIC Each stage of the supply chain must be aimed on making the transition as productive and cost effective as possible. But, most of activities in the supply chain add little to the final outcome. This scenario is also same with CIC, therefore CIC can integrate their supply chain using modern E strategy, and most appropriate solution would be an ERP system. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems streamline business processes by allowing all departments and divisions within a company to access a common database which they upgrade via their own module. An ERP System will enable communication and information sharing between all business functions and helps to manage the connection with its internal and external stake holders. By implementing an ERP system it is easy for the organization to trace the companies upstream and downstream functions and other relevant business functions, facilitating Lean supply chain management. Effective ERP System can add value to CIC in improving many business functionalities. For an example it will improve and complement the Value chain, VMI (Vendor manger inventories), ECR (Efficient customer response), Global supply chain Seeds to shelves from global perspectives and Contribution to business objective that means aligning SCM and corporate objectives and strategies. 3.2 Benefits of Integrated supply chain An obvious benefit CIC can gain is reduction of inventories. CIC can change from Just in case inventory management to Just in time inventory management. Better inventory management allows increased turns in the inventory cycle, which reduces holding cost while increasing the cash flow. CIC supply chain runs from rural villages in Sri Lanka to market shelves of other countries. Therefore information sharing and information management is very vital to manage the business from seed to shelf. By having better information and better access to the information, customer service can be substantially improved by being able to make more timely and accurate sales and on time delivery, replenishment and shipping decisions. Emerging technologies allow trading partners to collaboratively plan, track orders through fulfillment process, maximize process efficiency based upon historical performance data and provide superior service to the point of delivery. Finally process automation across the extended enterprise reduces the amount of manual process and potential error. This removes the opportunities for incorrect data entry. Incorrect data or information cause reliance upon confusing and contradictory information, which often leads to customer dissatisfaction and disputes between trading partners. Not only does this reduce cycle time, if it occurs repeatedly over time it is likely to cripple the very relationship that is the heart of the business. The companies that adapt the collaborative tools and processes available today, and into the future, will find that the ultimate benefit of participating in a networked supply chain is a significant competitive advantage over their competitors that do not participate. In that case, supply chain integration does become the end game. Conclusion Supply chain plays a major role in CIC on achieving the seed to shelf vision. To achieve this vision effectively CIC must first focus and take necessary steps to eliminating waste in their supply chain process. Then the company should take needed precautions in terms of logistics in order to ensure the quality and the availability of the CIC products in the shelves of other countries. Finally CIC can use modern information technology to integrate the supply chain process and optimize their service.

Hamlets Insanity :: essays research papers

The question of Hamlet’s insanity is a question raised by many people, is Hamlet a great actor, or has he lost complete sense of what’s real? There is no right answer, there is no wrong answer, many readers have different perceptions on what really was going through Hamlet’s head. My perception is that hamlet comes full circle with his insanity, and at points lets it get the best of him, and brings him down to a extremely low point.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the beginning of the novel that Hamlet’s spirits aren’t all there, and his soul is disturbed, by the death of his father. He seems to be looking for answers and meaning to explain the unexplainable death of his father and his mother’s abrupt marriage to his uncle, this is where I believe his insanity started. Given that this happened to anyone normal person, they’re mind would be a mess and bitterness and anger would play a huge part in their thoughts. So, yes in a way, I do believe that Hamlet was diseased with temporary insanity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Ghost of Hamlet’s father, was in way another brick of burden for Hamlet to carry, and did nothing but add confusion and anger to his already disturbed mind. After this I believe hamlets madness to grow, he his blinded by bitterness and anger towards his uncle so much that he loses sight compassion for life and love.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hamlet truly loved Ophelia, In my eyes, and I do believe that if his mind was not clouded with anger, he would’ve done nothing to ever harm her. Hamlet without even realizing, because of his insanity used Ophelia as a release for his anger, and eventually drove her mad. He basically tortured Ophelia without even knowing, not only by the progression of anger and rejection towards her, but also by killing her own father.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The killing of Polonius, I believe to be Hamlet’s peak of insanity, the fact that he killed a man without even knowing who it was nor caring, I have to say is insanity at its best. Hamlet seems to have no perception of reality nor compassion at this point, his anger towards his uncle has completely blinded him and messed him up beyond belief. Another sign of Hamlet’s insanity is that he completely rips into his mother. There are very few people in this novel, I believe Hamlet to truly care about, but one person is definitely his own mother.